7.10.2007
Should We Be Mixing With Harry Potter?
The latest Harry Potter film is opening this week, and the last Harry Potter book is coming out later this month, so once again the press is looking for new angles in which to report on this cultural phenomenon. Some are counting down the top cinematic Wizards (and Witches), others are interviewing the stars of the film, and some are digging up possible spoilers from Harry Potter "hackers".
"Harry Potter hackers say they have discovered the secrets behind the last book in the series, but the fact they disagree with each other casts doubt on their claims ... One hacker-theory has Harry Potter deciding to end his life in order to kill his evil enemy Voldemort and also that Ron and Hermione will both die, after which the trio are reunited in the Deathly Hallows - the Ghost World - along with Harry's late parents, Sirius Black and Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. However, a hacker calling himself Gabriel claims Ron and Hermione are attacked by Lord Voldemort and Hermione sacrifices her life to save Ron."
One might think that many modern Pagans would be eager to ride this press bandwagon, but due to the hostile reactions from some Christian communities, most modern Pagans have taken pains to explain that Harry Potter isn't some sort of recruitment tool for the occult arts, and have avoiding equating themselves with the popular series. But others in the wider Pagan community aren't so scrupulous, and have bent over backwards to insert themselves into Pottermania.
"If you've ever wondered whether you're more Griffyndor than Slytherin or ever doubted whether you really are just a muggle? Then put down you Harry Potter book and meet Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. He's regarded as the inspiration for the fictional professor in the Harry Potter series[No he isn't. - ed]. Oberon has just set up the first real "Hogworts" style school, The Grey School of Wizardry. He's also the founder of the Church of all Worlds ... The junior wizard school resembles Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series. It has the exact four houses described in the book. Oberon says these "elemental houses" are named after the "elemental creatures": Sylphs, Salamanders, Undines and Gnomes."
Yes, Oberon "living unicorn" Zell-Ravenheart, co-founder of the Church of All Worlds, has been plugging away for some time now on his online "Grey School of Wizardry" that offers to teach the "secular" science of Wizardry to Harry Potter obsessed kids and adults (mostly adults, really). Two recent press releases try very hard to tie the school in with the latest film. The first does everything in its power to convince us of Oberon's essential "Dumbledore-ness".
"When J.K. Rowling first conceived of the idea of Harry Potter, it is unlikely she had ever heard of Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. Yet as the Harry Potter legend took flight, more and more people began turning to this wise old Wizard in recognition. Oberon Zell-Ravenheart is the cover story in the Summer, 2007 issue of PanGaia magazine. His Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard will be featured in all Barnes & Noble Bookstores from July 12 through August 8 (coinciding with the release of the next Harry Potter movie and the final book in the series.) ... This esteemed Wizard is referenced or quoted in over 80 books, and he has inspired, enthralled, and enlightened many a curious mind, both young and old. In all his calm yet commanding power, in his gentle yet absolute wisdom, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart is truly the real Albus Dumbledore."
The second touts the "real" Hogwarts that is Ravenheart-Zell's Grey School of Wizardry.
"The fourth Harry Potter movie takes us back to J.K. Rowling's fictional "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," made famous as the setting for seven novels and four previous movies. These books and films have become the most popular literary phenomenon of all time. Millions of readers and viewers would love to board the "Hogwarts Express" and travel to a remote academy that teaches real magick, Witchcraft, and Wizardry. Well, as so often happens, fiction has become reality. A major online school has been established to meet these needs."
Despite how "secular" one claims the online school to be, anyone can see that the vast bulk of its instructors are modern Pagans of one stripe or another. One also would question the editorial decisions of PanGaia to tout Oberon and his school when the magazine's managing editor is also the Grey school's "Dean of Studies". But the larger question is, should we be intentionally mixing with Harry Potter? Isn't using the books and films as a recruitment tool for a Pagan-run organization exactly what intolerant Christians blast J.K. Rowling for all the time? Isn't it a bit unseemly to hijack an author's work in order to make money for your own organization?
Labels: Grey School of Wizardry, Harry Potter, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Paganism, PanGaia
Comments:
Granted, I love HP as much as the next person, but come on? Really, to stoop to such a level of selfish self-promotion?
There are a lot of threads in this post. I'm responding specifically to the title and related paragraph.
I think it's a shame that Pagans in and out of the blogosphere feel it's appropriate to respond to Xtian taunting (for that's what it is) at all. My response is always something on the order of "I don't feel it's appropriate for folks of different faiths to criticize each other, so I'm not going to lend myself to any arguments." Try answering that in the negative while sounding like a reasonable person. After that, they can rant and rave all they want. Verbal judo.
If we all responded along those lines, all the time, they'd end up looking like the intolerant asses they are. Of course, that presumes that we have no intolerant asses in our midst.
I believe it's a major mistake to try to connect HP with Paganism. The world of HP more closely resembles the XMen than Witchraft- ie., it's something you're born with, and must learn to control- and if you weren't born with it, you can never obtain it, which is obviously the opposite position of any witchcraft school. Rowling was very careful to avoid the issue of Pagan religions- indeed, the only religious referrence to be found is the fact that Christmass is celebrated at Hogwarts; combined with the tone of many Dumbledore statements, I rather get the impression that Hogwarts is C of E, not Pagan.
That reasonable. HP-Wicca shouldn't be linked. And yes, Jason, shame on OZR for purposely exploiting that dumbledorian archetype as a business move. On the other hand, I just cannot separate the HP-verse from Western Ceremonial Magick. It doesn't take too much effort to see that the references to Paracelsus, Alchemy and Egyptian esotericism are not there merely to add color, but inspire the framework for the narrative arc that spans all books. In that sense, JKR is drawing from the rich imagery of western esoteric teaching parables, and is rooted firmly in that literary tradition. What would really be interesting is to see anyone from the OTO commenting publicly about this. Maybe this can also offer a teachable moment for the public. Can we draw a distinction in the public mind between contemporary neopagan religious expressions and the traditions of western ceremonial occultism? Can we make it clear that these are two different things?
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Post a Comment
Granted, I love HP as much as the next person, but come on? Really, to stoop to such a level of selfish self-promotion?
There are a lot of threads in this post. I'm responding specifically to the title and related paragraph.
I think it's a shame that Pagans in and out of the blogosphere feel it's appropriate to respond to Xtian taunting (for that's what it is) at all. My response is always something on the order of "I don't feel it's appropriate for folks of different faiths to criticize each other, so I'm not going to lend myself to any arguments." Try answering that in the negative while sounding like a reasonable person. After that, they can rant and rave all they want. Verbal judo.
If we all responded along those lines, all the time, they'd end up looking like the intolerant asses they are. Of course, that presumes that we have no intolerant asses in our midst.
I believe it's a major mistake to try to connect HP with Paganism. The world of HP more closely resembles the XMen than Witchraft- ie., it's something you're born with, and must learn to control- and if you weren't born with it, you can never obtain it, which is obviously the opposite position of any witchcraft school. Rowling was very careful to avoid the issue of Pagan religions- indeed, the only religious referrence to be found is the fact that Christmass is celebrated at Hogwarts; combined with the tone of many Dumbledore statements, I rather get the impression that Hogwarts is C of E, not Pagan.
That reasonable. HP-Wicca shouldn't be linked. And yes, Jason, shame on OZR for purposely exploiting that dumbledorian archetype as a business move. On the other hand, I just cannot separate the HP-verse from Western Ceremonial Magick. It doesn't take too much effort to see that the references to Paracelsus, Alchemy and Egyptian esotericism are not there merely to add color, but inspire the framework for the narrative arc that spans all books. In that sense, JKR is drawing from the rich imagery of western esoteric teaching parables, and is rooted firmly in that literary tradition. What would really be interesting is to see anyone from the OTO commenting publicly about this. Maybe this can also offer a teachable moment for the public. Can we draw a distinction in the public mind between contemporary neopagan religious expressions and the traditions of western ceremonial occultism? Can we make it clear that these are two different things?
Battery For HP Omnibook F2024A XE3 XE3B XE3C XE3L F2024
Battery fit HP Pavilion N3000 N3200 N3300 N3400
Battery HP 371916-001 378858-001 HSTNN-DB02 HSTNN-IB04
Battery HP 371916-001 378858-001 HSTNN-DB02 HSTNN-IB04
New Battery HP Pavilion XZ/ZT/XT/XT1000 xt1500 F3172A
NEW Battery HP Omnibook 6000 6100 F2019 F2019A F2019B
New Battery For Compaq/HP F4812A F4809A 319411-001
Battery For HP NX6120 NC6100 NC6120 NX6100 6515B NX6325
New Battery for HP zt3000 zt3001US zt3010US 337607-001
HP BATTERY for COMPAQ PRESARIO V2000 V4000 M2000 DV4000
HP BATTERY for COMPAQ PRESARIO V2000 V4000 M2000 DV4000
New Battery for HP Compaq Notebook NC4000 NC4010 DD880A
New Battery for HP NC8230 HSTNN-DB11 381374-001 PB992A
12-cell Battery For HP/COMPAQ HSTNN-MB09 HSTNN-MB10
Genuine HP Battery Pavilion dv9000 Series 432974-001
New 6 Cells Battery for HP V3000 V6000 DV2000 DV6000
New 6 Cells Battery for HP V3000 V6000 DV2000 DV6000
Genuine HP Battery NC4200 NC4400 TC4200 TC4400 PB991A
Genuine 12 Cell 73Whr HP TX1000 TX2000 battery HSTNN-OB76
laptop battery for HSTNN-OB53 447649-321
laptop battery for HSTNN-OB53 447649-321
NEW Battery for HP 500 520 Series 438518-001 440267
GENUINE HP PAVILION ZE2000 DV1000 V2000 BATTERY 398065
Battery For HP NX6120 NC6100 NC6120 NX6100 6515B NX6325
Battery For HP Pavilion DV8000 DV8100 DV8200 DV8300 B26
BATTERY for HP COMPAQ v1000 nc6000 nx5000 nw8000 nc8000
compaq hp Presario B2000 366114-001 HSTNN-B071 LB32111B b2000
laptop battery for HSTNN-A10C M62044L W62144L
Battery fit HP Pavilion ZD7000 ZD7100 ZD7200 ZD7300
laptop battery for hp nx4300 b1800
Battery for HP COMPAQ B1900 HSTNN DB35 new
Battery for Compaq hp 405231-001 407672-001 HSTNN-CB25
HP Compaq OEM 9 Cell Battery 2400 2510p EH768AA nc2400
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