[NEWS]The Magic of Harry Potter
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The Magic of Harry Potter
by Maria K. Simms,
copyright 2002
In accepting the assignment to write about the Harry Potter phenomenon
and what it does or doesn't have to do with "real" Witches, or Wicca, let
me first state my bias right up front: I love Harry! I have great and profound admiration for his creator, author J. K. Rowling. She has the
marvelous ability to create pictures in the minds of readers. Her understanding of the complex and confusing world of the preadolescent and young teen conjures all kinds of memories and feelings from times long past, but apparently not forgotten by this aging grandma. No wonder so many kids are captivated by these stories!
It's not just for the magic and fantasy. That's fun, of course. But
the true magic of the Harry Potter books is in the characters.
Harry and his friends are completely real kids. They experience the
same pleasures, pains, disappointments, feelings of isolation, confusion,
self-consciousness, discoveries, anger, jealousies, hopes, desires,
stages of development, and growth that their avid readers do. And Harry, their hero, manages the occasional triumph that exemplifies the hope that lies within each of our hearts. Somehow, he manages to do some things right and well, knowing what he has done is valued by those he respects the most. I believe that readers identifying with the characters has more to do with the widespread popularity of these stories than do any of the fantastic Witch and Wizard feats that dance in the imagination. The magic of Harry, without a doubt, is phenomenally
successful due to his ability to entice this younger generation, who are
being brought up in a world of multimedia sound bytes, to pick up books
and read, read, read!
In addition, author Rowling has done a pretty good job of enticing many of the older generations to read Harry Potter books. Shortly after the
publication of the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,
and curious about its instant success, I bought a copy. Before finishing the first chapter, which introduced the Muggles--Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin, with whom Harry lived for the first decade of his life--I paused in awe to quote some passages to my husband. The magical world that awaited Harry at age eleven had scarcely been hinted at, but there was no doubt in my mind that I was reading what would surely become a classic.
I gave the first three books to my then seven-year-old granddaughter,
who looked forward to bedtime each night, eager for her mother to read one more chapter to her. With the first three books completed, and waiting for the fourth, she began reading them all again, this time by herself. On one of my visits, I enjoyed listening to my eight-year-old granddaughter read her bedtime chapter to me, while I assisted only occasionally as she valiantly sounded out all the bigger words.
So widely popular are the Harry Potter books that the names for the
fascinating variety of characters J. K. Rowling has created have
become part of our idiom. They are popping up in such diverse places as classrooms and business boardrooms. The word muggles now defines those oh-so "normal" people who disbelieve and are suspicious of magic, or of anyone "different." And dementor describes those whose very presence drains away one's energy and sucks the joy out of life.
The effect of Harry on his audience is truly magical. But does his world of Hogwart's School, with classes in all kinds of spell casting, have
anything to do with magic, or with the magic of Witches? And, has Harry's world anything to do with Wicca as a religion or a spiritual path?
Certainly nothing that could be noticed superficially. There's nary a mention anywhere of Goddess or God, or any form of worship. Nor do any of the books mention religion or spirituality of any kind--Wicca, or otherwise.
Is it Magic or Magick?
So, do the Wizards and Witches of Hogwart's misrepresent us? I think
not. When you look beneath the superficial gimmicks of fantasy, and within the characters that Rowling's has created, there is also magick. Magick with a "k" differentiates fantasy, make-believe, wonder, and sparkly feelings, from the magic of focused intent which one calls upon that which is larger than self, aligning mind, soul, and spirit to move energy according to will.
But Harry's magick (as we might call it) does not belong to Witches
alone--far from it. By other names, it can be seen to echo core
values of people of many different spiritual paths or religions, as well as of those who practice no religion at all, but share common ethical values just the same.
How sad it is that some parents keep their children away from the wonders of Harry because, in their ignorance and lack of understanding, they are afraid of Witches! The fact is: Harry and his friends, in their trials of growing up, have a wonderful way of demonstrating the necessity of the many choices everyone must make in life--ethics, fairness, justice, and growth of spirit--and acceptance of responsibility for them. They are challenged to recognize the dark side of life, as well as the darkness within themselves. They experience the struggle to forgive themselves and others, and they learn to stand strong with courage for what they believe is right and true.
It is to the great credit of J. K. Rowling that, like Hogwart's headmaster,
Dumbledore, she understands and respects her young characters and her young readers. She doesn't shield them from the pain, disappointments, and failures of life, but instead leads them skillfully throughout all the books in a manner that can only help them grow. In one good example of words of wisdom from Dumbledore, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
The Harry Potter stories are classic battles between the forces of
good and evil. Magical powers are taught at Hogwart's in full recognition of the fact that power contains within it the capacity for both. As the young minds of the students are trained to focus their abilities, they are also taught through -*test*-('")ing and example, and through their own sometimes painful experiences of growing up, that power is neither inherently good nor evil. It just IS.
But good triumphs over evil. This happens in part due to the wise guidance of Dumbledore and his faculty, but also due to the inborn capacity of every child to grow in spirit--deeply sensitive to what is fair and just and good.
Harry is growing up in a manner that has much of value to teach all
who read about him. In accepting the challenges of the darkness that confronts him, he also confronts his own darkness and grows in strength, awareness, and enlightenment. And, he learns the most essential lesson of magic: The choice and the responsibility of how we will express our power lies within each of us.
Within these wonderfully entertaining fantasy tales of broomsticks,
magic wands, potions, spells, muggles, dementors, unicorns, and other
magical creatures, readers are led to seriously explore the question of how to understand and handle power. The lessons that can be learned from reading what is only just beneath the surface of the magical fantasy could do credit to any Wiccan class on the ethics of magic. I highly recommend that if you haven't read the adventures of Harry Potter, you do so without delay--I bet you'll love him, too!
by Maria K. Simms,
copyright 2002
