Harry Potter - A Spiritual Guide

People think fantasy movies and stories are shallow but more often they have a deeper meaning than we think. I am on a spiritual journey and I can’t stop myself from quoting Harry Potter, because it is all so relatable. It comes under “Young Adult” genre but if you have an open mind, it is for everyone.

In first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,

The mirror of Erised, shows you your deepest desire, most desperate desire of our hearts. On a spiritual level, when we come face to face with our true self, we come to know our deepest desires which are not layered with the limits society has imposed upon us.

In the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,

When Dumbledore is suspended as a Headmaster, he says that – “You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.” 

It seems through out the series Dumbledore represents the Universe. Whenever we ask Universe anything with faith and good intention, it always provides. The Universe always has our back and it doesn’t judge, it responds to us as per our intentions.

In the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,

Dementor represents Depression, which sucks happiness out of living creatures. They make people spiraling on their guilts, victimhood and fears drive them so mad that they don’t wish to live anymore. Sounds like depression.

When Harry was first attacked by dementor, Professor Lupin gives him Chocolate to make him feel better, which really works when you are feeling down.

Chocolate contains Neurotransmitters. Chocolate can affect our body’s nervous system in various ways, one of them is causing the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters assist in conveying signals between neurons. Chocolate helps in releasing various happy neurotransmitters in the brain such as endorphins, serotonin, and other opiates. They trigger certain emotions and effectively reduce stress and decrease pain, this is the reason why chocolate is known to be comfort food. Endorphins help in alleviating depression as they act as sedatives and provide a feeling of pleasure and happiness. 

Dementors are repelled by Patronous and Patronous is produced by feeling a happy memory. Isn’t it something you need to do to cure depression? Feeling is really the secret!

I have another interesting theory about why it was difficult for Hermione to produce a Patronous? Because she had an extremely analytical mind, it was difficult for her to see a situation without analyzing it. Whenever she tried to produce the patronous she was more focused on the problem than generating a happy feeling without context.

Boggart represents our irrational fears, when we don’t confront them, they grow and grow but when we learn to face them, they dissolve.

Hermione uses Time turner to attend multiple classes at once. Basically, she was at different places at the same time. Well, that’s Quantum physics, which says as soon as a potential exists for any object to be in any state, the universe of that object transmutes into a series of parallel universes equal to the number of possible states in which that the object can exist, with each universe containing a unique single possible state of that object.

In the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,

When Cedric dies. Dumbledore insists Harry to tell the details of the event and says -

"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it."

"Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery."

This is very basic that we shouldn’t suppress negative emotions because they turn into trauma and haunt you until you have finally dealt with them. Accepting whatever you are feeling removes resistance and in turn makes it easier to process a heightened emotion.

In the Fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix,

Umbridge makes Harry write lines – “I must not tell lies” and when Harry asks – “How many times?” she replies – “As long as it takes for the message to sink in.” It is about subconscious programming, you repeat something over and over again, it gets embedded in your subconscious mind and you start believing it without giving it a second thought.

Voldemort could not possess Harry because at the time Harry was worried for his friends and was grieving for Sirius and “What is Grief if not Love persevering.”  (that’s one of my favorite quotes). Voldemort who was conceived under the effect of love potion, had never experienced true love, and could not stand such a strong positive emotion, it was unbearable to him. 

When Sirius dies and goes beyond the veil, at the end Luna says to Harry about her mother that “It is not as though I will never see her again. You heard them behind the veil, didn’t you?” Well, we don’t really die, it’s just this body. Our soul lives till eternity in the form of consciousness so our loved ones who left us, aren’t really gone. They are all around us just in a different form or no form.

In the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,

The liquid luck potion, Felix Felicis. It is described as – “You will be lucky in everything you attempt.” The potion represents high vibrations. When you are in high vibrations, every decision you make turn out to be fruitful, the Universe bends reality for you, everything becomes effortless.

In the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,

Horcrux Vs Hallows, Dumbledore left clear instructions to Harry that he has to hunt down Horcruxes, Dumbledore also in a very mysterious ways gave Harry another weapon against Voldemort that was Deathly Hallows. Who reunites all 3 Deathly Hallows becomes the master of death. Harry had to become master of death because that was the only way to kill the horcrux which was inside Harry without killing Harry. So, his main purpose was to destroy the horcruxes, not really to own the hallows and Dumbledore trusted Hermione to remind Harry about his purpose whenever he was sidetracked. This part is very personal to me (not in a deadly way). I am on a spiritual journey and I know I have a purpose. Every now and then I learn something new about spiritual world and different experiences which can speed up the whole spiritual journey but it shifts my focus out of my purpose and whenever my focus is shifted, I am somehow put back on track to focus on my purpose. I have learnt that I can’t fast track this process, I have to do my job first, which is to focus on my purpose. And honestly when I was wrapping my head around all this, it almost felt like the way Harry, Hermione and Ron were figuring out their next move.

From the fifth book, the Order of the Pheonix, Harry had been forced to learn to close his mind against Voldemort but he was not able to do so. When Dobby dies, Harry didn’t have to close his mind he knew what Voldemort was doing but it no longer affected his feelings. The thoughts were just there in his mind. Because in moments of despair we go beyond our mind, everything is still there but we just go past all of it. Despair is the number 1 cause of human soul awakening, when we finally go beyond our mind and come face to face with the source energy.

When Voldemort kills the horcrux which was inside Harry and Harry wakes up at King’s cross. Harry asks Dumbledore – “Where do you think we are?” and Dumbledore replies – “I have no idea. This is what they say, your party.” What it really means is at the time Harry was beyond this realm so he was not limited by its reality. He was creating his own reality.

Again, Dumbledore says “We are in King’s Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to…let’s say…board a train.” And Harry says – “Where would it take me?” Dumbledore replies – “On.” The whole experience harry was having was a near death experience, he was in the middle and he could go on or come back and resume what he was doing.

And then Harry asks – “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?” to which Dumbledore replies – “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” The most important aspect of spiritual teaching is to look beyond your five senses. What you perceive with your five senses is not always true. Even scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson says that the world is full of things that we cannot understand simply by observing or touching them. He claims that only using our five senses is inadequate.

Throughout the series Dumbledore insisted upon Love. Love truly conquers all. Love is in core of all positive feeling be it Gratitude, Compassion, Forgiveness, Appreciation. Love is basis of all existence. Never underestimate the power of true love. Love is the primary source to raise your vibrations.

Writing all this has made me nostalgic and now I have an urge to read it all over again the 11^th time.

 

Book Review: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

 

This book resembles a lot of Bollywood movies I have seen where a couple is separated by situations beyond their control and when one of them finds someone else, the other one turns up.

Roy and Celeste are married for a year or so and then Roy gets false accused of Rape and is imprisoned for 12 years. Celeste waits patiently then realized that Andre, her childhood friend is her one true love. Andre and Celeste are all set to get engaged and then out of the blue Roy’s conviction is overturned and he get to release from prison way to early. Tragic right ! Only here the emotional struggle of people caught in this love triangle is explained in detail. Like how Roy and Celeste fell apart. How Andre and Celeste came to know that they are made for each other and blah blah.

There is so much detailing that it makes you feel that everything is happening in slow motion. I am not the one for love triangle stories but this book is captivating. The only thing I couldn’t wrap my head around is to Roy and Andre, Celeste seems a very special woman but from the story I couldn’t make out what was so special about Celeste except she made dolls and she smells nice (this particular detail is mentioned more than a couple of times). I am giving this book 4 stars because whatever each character in this book is experiencing is quite human. The emotional struggle is quite real.

Book Review - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

This book is Science, History and Mythology all in one package. It is a very tough job to explain the History of Humankind in one book, but the author - Yuval Noah Harari has done that job. It changes the way you think, it gives you a new perspective - “We did not domesticate wheat. It domesticated us”, “Domesticated chickens and cattle may well be an evolutionary success story, but they are also among the most miserable creatures that ever lived. The domestication of animals was founded on a series of brutal practices that only became crueller with the passing of the centuries.”.  

The author has simplified a lot of complex topics like evolution, anthropology, religion, capitalism, ideology, future of our species in this book. It is a very educating book for someone who has started their quest on where do we come from?, why we are like this?, why do we behave in a certain manner in certain situations?. I found this book to be very engaging.

Book Review - Daily Rituals: Women at work

Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Currey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book, I thought why glorify all the craziness but you can't achieve greatness by following the routine. This book is really motivational and it invokes you to come out of your chores. Inspires you to explore your creative side. As I progress with my life I want to remember all these remarkable ladies for their exceptional contribution to this world.

View all my reviews

Book Review - Esperanza Rising

It is curious that throughout the history of mankind women have always been pictured as drama queens. But most of us don’t pay attention to the fact that if any woman had been put through a series of struggle she would never run away from it, she would face it like a warrior and always comes out of it as a better person. That’s exactly what Esperanza did. When she was stripped out of her royal life, she embraces her new unprivileged life despite being sad, heartbroken and angry. She faces up all the challenges life throws at her and comes out of it as an inspiring character. Well, I just loved this story.

Book Review - Victoria The Queen

I have been eyeing this book for over an year and finally I have achieved the herculean task of reading it. Reading history book is not always easy but Author Julia Baird has made it real effortless for this time. 
Queen Victoria was not flawless, but she was honest about what she was and no one can deny it that she was a remarkable woman. A milestone in history of humankind. The author has done justice to her character and has conveyed her story splendidly. For someone like me who doesn't know much about anything which happened before twentieth century this book is quite educational.

Book Review - Big Little Lies

At first I thought this book is some kind of girlish mystery and I am not into them. I just picked this book because I just wanted to read something which is not very long and won't take much time to finish. Well it didn't take much time but it's not because it wasn't very long, but because I couldn't put it down. I just loved it. The theme is mainly about bullying but what I loved about this book is that women are usually criticized for their hate and envy for each other, but in this book the Author has shown that even after all their differences deep down each woman understands the suffering of the other and they can come together in the hour of need. I really liked it.

Book Review - The Help

I have just finished reading this 444 pages long book and I have this mad urge to read it all again. Simply because I just loved it. I haven't read something written so nicely about a societal issue that you don't feel the depression of racial discrimination, it just makes you to feel the will to treat everyone with respect. I loved all the characters and I don't want to leave them behind. Most of all I could so relate to Skeeter, a girl who is ousted by everyone just because she has her own mind. Everyone thinks she is not good enough because she is much more human than they are. I think I will keep thinking about this book for a while.

Book Review - We The Living

I am a big fan of Ayn Rand. She knows how to capture the attention of the audience even with lengthy books. When you are reading Ayn Rand you want to keep up with each word because here every single thing means something and this book is no different. It keeps you under its spell right from the first page, till the last page. This book is mind-blowing and somewhat heartbreaking. It is about a girl who wants to live by her rule and she wants to do that in a country like Russia after the revolution and that is quite brave of her. She fights her way through and dies while doing it. Ayn Rand's characters are always those people whom the world call arrogant or selfish and she portrays them so differently. I would say the main protagonist Kira is one of the most influential and brave woman characters in terms of literature. This book is terribly awesome.

Book Review - Shopaholic to the Stars

I waited so long for this book to get published but I must say I did wait in vain. I really liked shopaholic series (even when it got bit boring in Mini Shopaholic), but this book is a real disappointment. We all know that the main protagonist Becky is maniac about shopping, she procrastinates a lot and she has done a lot of stupid things, but in this book she appears to become selfish, rude and inconsiderate, it seems like Becky is getting more childish as she is growing up.  Sophie Kinsella should really give some character development to Becky. Book is too lengthy and just when you think you're getting to the end of the book, you find absolutely nothing is resolved. In fact the few sub-plots (like becky’s father, luke’s mother or suze’s husband) are left wide open for a sequel to follow. Although the other Shopaholic books left it open for more sequels, none of them ended on a cliffhanger. I know I would read the next one too for I am one of those who makes sure she finishes a series when she starts one (I read the whole Twilight series, Pretty Little Liars and sticking to The Clifton Chronicles when Archer is going on increasing it from 3 to 5 to 7 book series) But I really think this series should stop now. But It was my point and I really want to know from you people, how did you find it?