Wednesday March 6, 2024
– Third Quarter Moon Phase – realign, revise, reorient, surrender, complete
– Moon in CAPRICORN – Void of Course 2:35 AM – 7:38 PM Moving to Aquarius
– Black Moon Day
– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) –
March 6th – 7th – Castrate Farm Animals, Prune Trees, Mow to Slow Growth, Wean, Potty Train
– Planting Calendar (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – March 6th – 7th – Host a Party, Castrate Farm Animals, Mow to Slow Growth, Harvest, Dig Post Holes, Kill Plant Pests, Wash Wooden Floors, Paint, Wean, Potty Train, Start Diet to Lose Weight, Quit Smoking, Cut Hair to Slow Growth, Jar Jams/Jellies
– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): – Kali – The Destroyer
– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Seth , God of the North
– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New Moon in Aquarius SUN/MOON – SUN/MOON – 21 AQUARIUS: a woman, disappointed and disillusioned, courageously facing a seemingly empty life (EARTH – 21 LEO: intoxicated chickens dizzily flap their wings tying to fly )
SUN – 17 PISCES: an Easter promenade
EARTH – 17 VIRGO: a volcanic eruption
Mysteries and Symbols
I was asked a question last night on Facebook by a regular reader. It was in regard to the symbol I used in my article last week about Harry Potter. They recognized the symbol as something familiar. I let them know.
NOTE: The next few paragraphs contain spoilers for the book and if you have not read it or seen the movies, I will be revealing some secrets. Proceed at your own peril.
But it also got me thinking about the symbol in general and other similar symbols. In my humble opinion, this symbol of the Deathly Hallows from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, came from somewhere. And it was more than the mini story of The Three Brothers as told in J.K. Rowling’s Book.
The “hallows” were three relics that had passed through time in the wizarding world to the point that they were legends (think The Holy Grail). They included 1) The Elder Wand – the most powerful wand ever made, 2) The Resurrection Stone – which had the power to recall people from the death, and 3) The Invisibility Cloak – enabling the wearer to pass without notice. Together they could make someone the master of death. They are represented by the line, the circle and the triangle in the symbol.
I have to say here that the Deathly Hallows themselves were such a wonderful plot device. They were first a story within a story – and part of legends beyond even the beliefs of the wizarding world. In fact most wizards either had never heard of them or thought they were just children’s stories. They represented amazing power – stronger than anything available to anyone. And they offered hope to the heroes in the book at a time when things looked the bleakest.
I said before that the symbol came from somewhere. The first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone names it. In fact, back in the UK (Where JK is from) the book was published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
While the first book talks about the magical substance “Sorcerer’s Stone,” is really just in passing. Another plot device. So what is it?
The Philosophers’ Stone Symbol
The geometric symbol for the philosophers’ stone symbol is actually a combination of the written symbols for the four classical elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Ancient alchemists believed that if the four classical elements could somehow be fused into a single material, the resulting “stone” would bestow otherworldly properties and immense power.
In the book, the Sorcerer’s Stone allowed a wizard to create a potion that could extend someone’s life – making them basically immortal so long as they continued taking the potion.
Here is where JK Rowling borrowed from history – our history. At least the mysterious history that the history books like to claim is just fairy tale.
The Philosopher’s Stone mythology can be traced thousands of years. Through Egypt, Ancient Greece, Islamic traditions, Ancient China, and on into the Renaissance.
And I guess to somehow tie together our fabled history and that of the Wizarding word in her books, she was able to unite them.
Where I think it is pretty cool is that the first book in the series was published in 1997. The last in 2007. She used two plot devices from the first book to tie together the whole story 10 years later. To me, that’s a pretty successful storytelling accomplishment. 7 books and 3407 pages. It began as a cute story about a school for 11 year old wizards. And grew from a Young Adults book to . . . well . . . pretty amazing fiction.