Alchemy, the Epilogue and Slytherin (long)

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 176168

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at ...> wrote:
> Jen:  JKR may have been combining some of her alchemical readings in 
> the story because the Jungian view of alchemy, the psychological 
> view, is that Harry's journey toward wholeness is the unifying 
> principle that made it possible for Voldemort to die.  When Harry 
> completes the journey by integrating all he's lost, with the last 
> stage a circle back to the first in recreating Lily's sacrifice,  
> then he can truly live (shades of the prophecy).  
> 
> Actually, they work together since alchemists believed the 
> transformation of the soul/self was part of the process.  

Tonks:
I think that Granger and some others go too much into the details of 
Alchemey and not the essence. Most of the Alchemy that I have read is 
from Jung and it makes a lot of sense. I uderstand it to be a spiritual 
process that transends all religions. Rowling said that the houses were 
the elements. I was confused about Slytherin, since I thought that all 
of the houses would combine. The union of all opposites is God. And the 
process of Christian Alchemy is for the human which is the base 
material (lead) to be transformed into the image of Christ (gold). It 
is as simple as that. And Harry being both Everyman and a Christ symbol 
did this by his willingness to die. The union of fire and water is 
important. Perhaps this union is symbolized in Harry's son who is named 
after a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. 

Tonks_op