'Harry Potter' as viewed by Pagans and/or Wiccans

[Pelta]

MoonJeli

I may get to go to Hungary next year

You know Budapest is about as musical a city as you can get! When we lived there my dad got to see the full Ring cycle put on in their absolutely gorgeous opera house. I was a bit young at the time for a full Wagnerian Opera, but we saw plenty of other stuff there. Such an artistic, musical city! Peter and the Wolf was a classic, as was Tosca and various Hungarian shows my dad insisted we see. We saw the Hungarian version of Oliver Twist (different musical, similar story) that in true Hungarian style was well more morbid and dark than any other child's opera. The Nutcracker there was also fantastic, with these huge, genuinely terrifying rats. None of those New York Ballet fluffy things, these were truly traumatising monsters! Great fun, especially in that incredible opera house. Most of the interior is gilt gold...

Hungary is one of the most musical countries in Europe. You're in for a real treat if you have any time to listen.

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Another opera I want to travel to see (since they did it here a few years ago, I seriously doubt it'll be done here again any time soon) would be Příhody Lišky Bystroušky (Cunning Little Vixen) -- it has particular significance to me and my family.

It's such a cute story! Though I haven't heard it yet myself, Janacek is quite a wonderful composer.  

[MoonJeli]

missmagpie

MoonJeli

I may get to go to Hungary next year

You know Budapest is about as musical a city as you can get! When we lived there my dad got to see the full Ring cycle put on in their absolutely gorgeous opera house. I was a bit young at the time for a full Wagnerian Opera, but we saw plenty of other stuff there. Such an artistic, musical city! Peter and the Wolf was a classic, as was Tosca and various Hungarian shows my dad insisted we see. We saw the Hungarian version of Oliver Twist (different musical, similar story) that in true Hungarian style was well more morbid and dark than any other child's opera. The Nutcracker there was also fantastic, with these huge, genuinely terrifying rats. None of those New York Ballet fluffy things, these were truly traumatising monsters! Great fun, especially in that incredible opera house. Most of the interior is gilt gold...

Hungary is one of the most musical countries in Europe. You're in for a real treat if you have any time to listen.

Oh, I would LOVE to spend time there doing such things. I don't know if I'll get a chance or even what part of Hungary we'll be visiting. My fiance is first generation American, and we'll likely be visiting his family. I'm sure if we have ANY time to do anything else, it'll be music. I suppose his Hungarian ancestry could be one reason music is so important in his family, then!

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Another opera I want to travel to see (since they did it here a few years ago, I seriously doubt it'll be done here again any time soon) would be Příhody Lišky Bystroušky (Cunning Little Vixen) -- it has particular significance to me and my family.

It's such a cute story! Though I haven't heard it yet myself, Janacek is quite a wonderful composer.

It's brilliant. xd We have it on CD, the book, etc. They did a suite from it in the symphony a couple months ago, I was so excited.  

[Deandriea]

Very simply, books. I love books. Any book that I am forced to care about one of the characters and really feel emotions about them, is a good book in my view.  

[TeaDidikai]

MoonJeli

TeaDidikai

MoonJeli

However, many believe that Tolkien also wrote the LotR in rebellion against Wagner's mythology, attempting to save the Nordic myths from improper use.

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Tolkien was an avowed proponent of preserving the integrity of mythologies.

MoonJeli

I'm sorry, I'm not explaining this clearly. My assertion is that Tolkien didn't like Wagner's use of Norse Mythology. Is that being debated?

And above I am citing two other claims you made that do not fit with your assertions.

The first being that Tolkien disliked people slaughtering other people's mythologies and the second being that LotR was backlash penned by Tolkien against Wagner's butchering of Norse myths.

Those two assertions are what I want you to support.

I can support that people have claimed Tolkien did that. I personally can't support whether it's *true* or not, just that people believe it, as I stated.

Actually, above you stated that such were his position. Hence why I quoted them. I was wondering what quotes form him you could offer to support that.  

[OkamiKianah]

My view on the HP books is they do not correctly portray the true nature of wizards and witches and they do not show the way magic is used. Most witches or wizards do not use wands to cast spells but wands are impotant to casting the circle. Spells in the HP series are so easy, saying a couple words in latin and you have a complicated spell and unbelievable energy come out of the tip of your wand. Those views are so juvenile that is why Harry Potter remains and childrens book and nothing more.  

[TeaDidikai]

OkamiKianah

My view on the HP books is they do not correctly portray the true nature of wizards and witches and they do not show the way magic is used.

Any reason they should?
They are ******** fiction after all.

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Most witches or wizards do not use wands to cast spells

Proof please.

While you're at it, I would like you to explain why "casting a circle" isn't a spell of protection and/or purification.

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Spells in the HP series are so easy, saying a couple words in latin and you have a complicated spell and unbelievable energy come out of the tip of your wand.

Like turning a switch?
Not unreasonable. Reaching an orgasm can be easier than saying a few words- and talk about energy!
twisted

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Those views are so juvenile that is why Harry Potter remains and childrens book and nothing more.

~snicker~ I'm sorry, I played nice- but this is insulting at best, ignorant at worst.

"Childrens book and nothing more", are you completely blind to the hours of enjoyment these books have brought to millions of people? How they have encouraged the Video-Game Generation to read?

Let's talk about power shall we?  

[jaden kendam]

TeaDidikai

"Childrens book and nothing more", are you completely blind to the hours of enjoyment these books have brought to millions of people? How they have encouraged the Video-Game Generation to read?

Let's talk about power shall we?

Yeah. That is truly amazing. I was at a park one day, and this woman that had a baby with her was reading it. Her and my dad started talking, and she said that she encourages everyone she meets to read them. They are easy reads, not too hard to follow, plus the pokemon/video game generation actually puts down the cards/controllers to read this book. It is truly amazing to go to a theater and hear little kids tell thier parents who this character is, which character from the book is missing (like Dobby in The Goblet of Fire) and which scene was done incorrectly. Granted, I do not normally like to listen to people talk during a movie, but in this case it is tolerable.  

[OkamiKianah]

I never meant to say they do not bring joy to people I have read the books myself I'm just merely stating my opinion on the book and how it is different from reality. Casting the circle is a protection spell but not all spells require wands and there can be many substitutes. I like HP myself and I know that it is fiction I am just saying that no one should ever get the idea that it is more than just fiction. And that is my opinion on the book.  

[PirateEire]

To be honest, I don't like her writing style. It bores me, and the little illustrations on the cover and at the begining of each chapter are wonderful turn offs.

Love the movies though. biggrin  

[TeaDidikai]

OkamiKianah

I never meant to say they do not bring joy to people I have read the books myself I'm just merely stating my opinion on the book and how it is different from reality.

Which, when citing fiction, is a little absurd.

Do you do this to every book you read?

"When reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe it is important to note that real lions do not speak English."

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Casting the circle is a protection spell but not all spells require wands and there can be many substitutes.

Are you going to cite a chapter and verse that says all spells in the world of HP need a wand to be cast?

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And that is my opinion on the book.

No- it isn't. It's your opinion on the stupidity of Humanity.

Unless you are bassat insane- you won't confuse the two to begin with.  

[Henry Dorsett Case]

TeaDidikai

Are you going to cite a chapter and verse that says all spells in the world of HP need a wand to be cast?

According to Rowling here, only uncontrolled and unfocused magic can be performed without a wand. She seems to support that in the quote "Muggles cannot brew potions because there is always a magical component, and at some point you would have to use a wand." - further evidence that focused, controlled magic in the HP universe requires a wand. Without further elaboration, I can't tell whether or not she's directly stating that spellcasting necessitates a wantwand since she has not directly stated whether "uncontrolled, unfocused magic" counts as "a spell".

EDIT: Whups. "Wand", not "want".  

[jaden kendam]

Henry Dorsett Case

TeaDidikai

Are you going to cite a chapter and verse that says all spells in the world of HP need a wand to be cast?

According to Rowling here, only uncontrolled and unfocused magic can be performed without a wand. She seems to support that in the quote "Muggles cannot brew potions because there is always a magical component, and at some point you would have to use a wand." - further evidence that focused, controlled magic in the HP universe requires a wand. Without further elaboration, I can't tell whether or not she's directly stating that spellcasting necessitates a want since she has not directly stated whether "uncontrolled, unfocused magic" counts as "a spell".

By reading the books, I think that in the books the definition of spell would be a concise pattern. Like, the incantation is what makes it a spell. Adavra Kedavra (probably spelled that wrong) is an incantation.

Saying, "I want this or this to happen, is not."

And yes, he sounded so much more formulated in my head than when I tried to write it. The macarena song came on and my brain turned to goo...  

[saint dreya]

meh. i read the books. i will read the final one she comes out with. but after the 5th one, i was less ecstatic about it. i think certain points in the book really didn't "need" to happen and really didn't make the book all that better. really, i think many of those points made it worse...  

[Pelta]

Oooh, there's one point nobody's mentioned: How the word "muggle" entered the pagan vocabulary after the publication of HP. You feel a bit dirty after saying it, but it still serves as a term for non-magic-users which was kinda lacking before.  

[Henry Dorsett Case]

missmagpie

Oooh, there's one point nobody's mentioned: How the word "muggle" entered the pagan vocabulary after the publication of HP. You feel a bit dirty after saying it, but it still serves as a term for non-magic-users which was kinda lacking before.

Strangely enough, the only times I use the word "muggle" are when discussing Harry Potter or Geocaching. But that's just me.