Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

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L.J.Hex
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by L.J.Hex »

No offense but... What do these pics have to do with the topic? :roll:
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SapphireRoad
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by SapphireRoad »

There are some names of medieval occultists a bit misspelled and made into characters.
Such as Aleister in 3rd book, I think he was trapped in a chest whole time being outplayed by an evil entity 'till the end.

Some other references too.
Headmaster being Albus meaning White. Also reference to Albion within some patriotism.
Severus... well we don't like severity but it's very good for us.
Voldemort that is the french vol de mort meaning flight of the death.
Lupin is from latin lupus meaning wolf
Sirius Black that is cool, Sirius is the dog star and a Black dog is an associate of Hekate.
Bellatrix slaying Sirius... don't how she got the reference. Bellatrix is a star of Orion, although some say that not all stars of Orion are good, Egyptian Osiris Was said to be a combo name of Orion and Sirius ... in obvious friendship.
Lucius as a reference for ... this is hard, there is Lucifuge as the ruler of 3rd shell... also Lucifer which is said to be a falsely glorified form of the concealer Lucifuge meaning the light bearer. If she believed in translation of the name Lucifer that's why she let him become good/neutral in the end.
Draco goes for draconic which is also a struggle as there are good and bad dragons
Malfoy refers to latin languages fare mal = to do evil.
Harry Potter... well Jesus was said to be a potter and Harry could refer to a hare "It's not a rabbit, it's a hare" that would make the Moon & Sun united but I can only wonder if she was aware of that.

With all the misspelled references to medieval occultists & witchcraft clichés & British humour
numbered & counted
Harry Potter is a parody on witchcraft.

I love British humour, I even used to search for "old British movies" just for that... it's just that, when there's British humour in the room, you simply can't take life seriously.

The story was fun and with good flow, but ultimately I hate this kind of stories. Why would there be "a chosen one" to save other's lazy arses? Would make much more sense if everyone would take full charge of his own life and we were all to sit around the round table with no leaders.
Reminds me of W.B. Yeats' poem where a king met a druid and claimed "king is just a foolish slave to others' will".
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Cigfran
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by Cigfran »

I'm a fan of any positive portrayal of the occult in media. Most of the time it is pictured as key elements that trigger horror movies... or inspiration for serial killers.

The teenage magic book of my generation was the Wizard of Earthsea books; hugely influencial to me, in a positive sense. I'd like to think that Harry Potter did the same for younger generations.
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Panthera
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by Panthera »

I think that works that talk about witchcraft allow us to open up to this world, but that is the rest of fiction. So when I read that schools in the USA remove Harry Potter books from their libraries because they think there are real rituals, it makes me laugh.
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Corbin
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by Corbin »

Panthera wrote:I think that works that talk about witchcraft allow us to open up to this world, but that is the rest of fiction. So when I read that schools in the USA remove Harry Potter books from their libraries because they think there are real rituals, it makes me laugh.
Some CofE schools librarys banned them in the UK too... and boy, did it sell a lot of books. In fact it was the very definition of there being 'no such thing as bad publicity'.
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YanaKhan
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by YanaKhan »

My sister in law forbid her elder daughter to read the books. She used to come to my house to read them. I don't understand banning books. I read the Bible, it was one of the things that actually made me non - christian :D Besides, as much as I like Harry Potter books, classifying them as witchcraft books is not really serious.
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Cigfran
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by Cigfran »

Panthera wrote:I think that works that talk about witchcraft allow us to open up to this world, but that is the rest of fiction. So when I read that schools in the USA remove Harry Potter books from their libraries because they think there are real rituals, it makes me laugh.
It's like the Satanic Panic of the 1980s all over again. Back then, people blamed Dungeons & Dragons for corrupting youth. It's so stupid: in these stories, the good guys fight EVIL, are not part of it. In D&D you battle Demogorgon, not join it. In Harry Potter, the black magic on screen is described as deplorable, used primarily by people in skull masks called DEATH EATERS for criminy's sake!

Ah well, the irrationality of the "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" folks...
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by SapphireRoad »

Well that is the freedom of speech in its finest isn't it?

Organised Christians say arrogant pride is the greatest sin.
They've robbed 5% of Hebrew culture and act like know-it-alls.

Yeah the best thing about Harry Potter is how a witchcraft story resonates with children. Yet the education is quite a strong pro-atheist brainwash so for most it ain't enough to re-member.

Found this in my archive, it's a journey beyond your doge:
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Lord_of_Nightmares
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by Lord_of_Nightmares »

I agree with this in the mundane world. In the otherworldly realms it can work like this.
I am the Earth, The Sun and the Stars
And I am the also the Moon
I am all animal and birds,
And I am the outcast as well, and the thief
I am the low person of dreadful deeds,
And the great person of excellent deeds
I am Female. I am Male and I am Neuter.
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by Alatorus »

It has nothing to do with Wicca or reality. It is just a fiction. Nobody can create Patronus charm. But if your point is to compare the work of practitioner in Wicca, then yes. In a way, one most learn hard and never give up.
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SnowCat
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by SnowCat »

We weren't comparing Wicca and Harry Potter. We were comparing witchcraft and Harry Potter. Not everyone who practices witchcraft is Wiccan.
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by keren824 »

:anxious: following...
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L.J.Hex
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by L.J.Hex »

SnowCat wrote:We weren't comparing Wicca and Harry Potter. We were comparing witchcraft and Harry Potter. Not everyone who practices witchcraft is Wiccan.
A fact worth repeating.
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SapphireRoad
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by SapphireRoad »

More references
Hermoine from Harmonia the Goddess of Valkyries
Name Thomas is said to mean twin thus Tom Riddle twin riddle, a cliché known since Matrix film.
Last edited by Firebird on Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: As per the Op's request
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supremz
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Re: Witchcraft Isn't Like Harry Potter

Post by supremz »

Lord_of_Nightmares wrote: Fri Jan 01, 2016 8:36 pm While I feel in general most magick is not like it is portrayed in most fiction, I do think when you do dream working in the other world these laws do not apply so much. What I mean is when working in your dreams, you can do those impossible stints for a few reasons. Such as the other worldly laws are beyond physical limitations and willing it with your mind.
If you consider the fact that the physical plane is just a denser, more sequential ordering of events that are happening simultaneously in the astral, the possibilities become endless, and a lot of things that once seemed beyond your reach suddenly become open doors.

I think the HP series has done mostly good for us, but there is also a bad side. For one, it has mostly introduced a part of the population to fantasy that otherwise wouldn't be, and has portrayed magic in a positive light where it is used by heroes to prevent the villainous renegades from misusing its power to harm innocent people.

On the flip side, the portrayal of wizards as these English boarding school students who have to follow a rigid social structure and always keep their powers secret from the muggle world enforces a kind of unspoken belief that witchcraft should be confined and controlled by experts who know best, and YOU HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL to be taught it means it has become nothing more than another professional skill that is reserved for a few select experts in the world who have already decided how it should be done and determines your worth in society. Not something that anyone can do and become proficient at in due time; that would be unheard of.

But Rowling is an occultist of sorts so she isn't basing these universes entirely on her imagination. I think she knows exactly what she's doing, and as long as it had an appeal, I think the good definitely outweighs the bad.
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