Harry Potter: The road map to liberating alchemy

How has Harry Potter, the young sorcerer’s apprentice, been able to capture the hearts of hundreds of millions of children and adults around the world? I believe it is due to the dual nature of the human being. I believe Harry Potter primarily addresses the remnant of the divine, immortal and perfect human being asleep in the heart of the ordinary mortal and flawed person.

Humanity as a whole is the original, only begotten son of God, and originally lived in paradise. Through a catastrophe millions of years ago, referred to as “the Fall”, part of humanity took to dwelling in this time-spatial universe. Today humanity has forgotten its divine origins, but in the collective unconscious live archetypes which remind us of the possibility of the return journey, which in effect is the reverse of the Fall.

Since the time of the Fall, there has been a brotherhood to help those who wish to go on the return journey. The members of this Brotherhood I refer to as “the Masters of Compassion”. They have been occupied for millions of years in teaching humanity about the way back to the perfect life in accordance with God’s plan for humanity.

One of their most powerful ways of affecting humanity is to hand down symbolic stories which resonate powerfully in the subconscious mind due to the archetypes in the collective unconscious. These stories have been adapted to the time and culture of the people they are told to, but the essence is always the same: a “special” person with a great potential for heroic, liberating deeds is hidden inside them. This hero is a prince, a king, or a magician who can save the world and lead the people to a better life.

The stories passed on by the Masters of Compassion are known today as “The Bible”, the Greek legends, the fairy tales of many nations, and the epics of a hundred heroes. We are privileged today to see a brand new hero’s tale being handed on to humanity. Harry Potter is the newest version of the ancient and timeless message from the Masters of Compassion who are calling us to awaken the inner hero capable of leading us back to the ineffable heights of eternal life in the Kingdom of the Father.

Since about the 14 th century the Path of Liberation has been called “alchemy”. In the beginning of the 17 th century the Masters of Compassion passed on to humanity a set of scriptures known as the Rosicrucian Manifestos. One of these was a symbolic story known as The Alchemical Wedding of Christian Rosycross, published in 1616. This very veiled and symbolic tale is a detailed and complete road map to liberation from this universe of death, suffering and the ceaseless battle between good and evil, and entrance into the Universe of Eternal Life, perfect happiness and the absolute unending Good of the Divine Plan.

Anyone who has read The Alchemical Wedding carefully will notice a remarkable number of similarities between this Rosicrucian Manifesto and Harry Potter. For example Harry Potter goes to an ancient castle for seven years; in The Alchemical Wedding, Christian Rosycross (CRC) goes to a castle for seven days. Both heroes are given a letter of invitation during a violent storm. To reach the castle, Harry travels across a lake with mermaids in it; to reach the Tower of Olympus , where the actual alchemy is performed, CRC travels across a sea with mermaids in it. Harry is faced with being sorted into one of four houses; CRC faces four paths to choose from at the beginning of his journey to the castle. Both books mention Paracelsus. A number of mystery animals are mentioned in both books, for example the phoenix, the unicorn and the griffin. In both the Tower of Olympus and Harry’s castle lives a very ancient man who is in control of the whole proceedings. In both stories the meals are served up by invisible servants in a hall lighted by floating candles. In both stories there is a funeral where a phoenix appears. There are many more similarities – too many to be co-incidence.

In part 5 of Harry Potter there are even more similarities than in the other parts. For example both Harry and CRC struggle with a dream of a door they can’t open, and in both stories a dream is mentioned in which scissors play a role. Harry dreams of his two friends, Hermione and Ronald, wearing crowns. CRC sees the young king and queen, who are later reborn after the alchemical process, with a crown hanging over their heads. But the most remarkable co-incidence of all is a secret room. In both stories there is a room that is always locked. In The Alchemical Wedding CRC is told that this is the sepulchre of (sleeping) Venus. In part 5 of Harry Potter we are told that There is a room[...]that[...]contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature.[...] It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. ¹ This force is love, which is called Venus in The Alchemical Wedding.

Apart from the obvious references to Alchemy in Harry Potter, such as the Philosopher’s Stone, Nicholas Flamel, and John Dee, there are numerous more hidden and symbolic parallels between the two stories.

The actual work of the alchemical processes in The Alchemical Wedding is carried out in the Tower of Olympus . This tower has seven levels (plus a secret eighth one), symbolizing the liberation of the entire human being with all his vehicles and on all planes of existence in the fallen world. They are:

If we study Harry Potter closely we can clearly see that liberation takes place in parts 1-6 in the first 6 planes in the above order.

In the first part, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Voldemort tries to gain access to the Philosopher’s Stone. The Stone is hidden in such an ingenious way, that only one who wanted to find the stone – find it but not use it – would be able to get it out of its hiding place.

Harry faces the mirror together with Quirrell, the teacher possessed by Voldemort. They see the Stone in the mirror, and both know that the Stone can bring immortality on earth, a healthy life, and as much gold (money) as one could want; in other words an unending healthy life of luxury and ease. Harry is able to take the stone because he does not want it for himself. This means that Harry has won the victory on the physical plane. He has symbolically overcome the ties to the physical world.

Part 2 is the part of the story dealing with the etheric plane. Dobby the elf plays a very important role in this book. He is enslaved to one of Voldemort’s vassals, called Death Eaters. Harry liberates the elf by an act of great intelligence, courage and compassion. The second book deals with liberation on the etheric plane, just as The Alchemical Wedding does on the second level of the Tower of Olympus .

Part 3 deals with the astral plane. Emotions are constantly discussed and examined. In the beginning, Harry has no control over his emotions. Aunt Marge comes to visit and she hurts Harry deeply by offensive remarks about his parents. He becomes so angry that he involuntarily causes Aunt Marge to inflate so that she floats to the ceiling like a balloon.

During his third year at school Harry meets the dementors. These creatures are obviously astral (they are invisible to ordinary people) and suck out all the good emotions of the people they come near. They can also suck out a person’s soul. Part 3 discusses how Harry learns to deal with them. The only way to drive them off is to create a Patronus Charm. This is an intense concentration of happy emotions and takes up a silvery form. Harry’s Patronus is in the form of the stag. Near the end of the book Harry sees a hundred dementors heading for him and his friends, ready to suck out their souls. He invokes his Patronus and a beautiful silvery stag drives them all away, saving Harry and his friends. This is a scene of overwhelming beauty and power. To those familiar with liberating symbols this speaks the clearest language possible: astral liberation is achieved by focusing on the longing for liberation in the heart. Even if the whole astral world attacks you, the stag in your heart will set you free.

In Part 4 Harry goes through many trials, and in the climax of the book he witnesses the rebirth of Voldemort. Harry is captured by Voldemort’s servant Peter Pettigrew and Harry’s blood is used as one of the ingredients in a black mass to create a new body for Voldemort. Harry is then challenged to a duel by Voldemort in which they face each other with only their wands. Voldemort utters the killing curse and Harry casts the disarming spell. The two magic forces meet half-way and it becomes a battle of will-power. Harry’s mental concentration on defeating Voldemort is so intense that he actually is able to push Voldemort’s curse back into his wand. This is Harry’s victory on the mental plane.

In Part 5 Voldemort begins to take possession of Harry’s mental ego. Harry for the first time becomes egocentric and the evil within him is beginning to play a powerful role. But at the climax Harry feels a powerful love for Sirius, who has died for his sake, and this drives Voldemort’s possession out of Harry’s mind. The evil Voldemort cannot bear being inside a person with so much love.

In part 6 Harry and his mentor, Albus Dumbledore, go on a mission to capture one of six “horcruxes”, objects in which Voldemort has deposited part of his soul. This particular horcrux is a locket which once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. A locket is an object worn close to the heart. When they capture the locket it turns out to be a fake. Someone else has already stolen the original. This means that the heart is now free of Voldemort.

Harry Potter and Christian Rosycross are both allegories of the method of Divine liberation. However there many other liberating symbols and archetypes in Harry Potter besides the parallels with The Alchemical Wedding.

Harry Potter is born in Godric’s Hollow to James and Lily Potter. A hollow is a small valley, and in the name “Godric” we immediately see the word, “God”. This is God’s valley. These symbols certainly are universal. Chapter 6 of Tao Teh Ching of Lao Tzu speaks of a valley. In his explanation of this book, 20th century Rosicrucian Jan van Rijckenborgh says: The spirit of the valley is the symbol of the heart-sanctuary, the centre of the microcosm. She is the mystic Mother, the rose-bud, the primordial atom.²

The rose-bud is one of the symbols of the Rosicrucians. It symbolises the remnant of the immortal divine human being in the heart. However this last remant of the glorious child of God is also symbolised by the lotus or the pure white lily. Harry’s mother is called Lily.

James is an animagus who can change himself into a stag at will. The stag is the symbol for the longing for liberation. If we live a pure life and have a longing for liberation, a child who will defeat the evil within us will be born in the heart. A new soul is born in the heart of the seeker for liberation.

The term “seeker” is used extensively in the story, because it is the name of the position that Harry plays in Quidditch. The game ends when the Seeker finds a golden ball with two wings. We immediately recognise this symbol when we look at the Caduceus – the winged staff of Mercury. The winged globe symbolizes the new consciousness which the immortal soul gains when it seeks and attains its High Goal. When the new soul has achieved this Mercury Consciousness, the interplay of opposites as we experience them in our world ceases.

Part 2 contains another obvious liberating archetype. The Chamber of Secrets, where a basilisk has resided since the foundation of the castle, is deep under the castle. The basilisk is a giant snake which can be released only by the heir of Slytherin, one of the founders of the school. This basilisk is released, and it crawls through the plumbing pipes of the castle, spreading crystallization and death wherever it goes. Harry finds the secret entrance and goes along a pipe down to the basilisk’s lair. He has nothing with which to defend himself. Before the basilisk attacks him, Harry demonstrates an act of loyalty to Dumbledore, whose phoenix arrives, to give Harry a sword, on which the name GODric Gryffindor is inscribed. The phoenix then attacks the basilisk and pecks out its deadly eyes. Harry holds out the sword when the basilisk attacks him, and the giant serpent impales itself on the sword and dies. Harry is poisoned by a broken fang, but the phoenix drops tears on Harry’s wound and he is saved from death.

To those studying the Path of Liberation this is a well-known archetype indeed. The basilisk is obviously the kundalini, situated in the sacral plexus, at the bottom of the spinal column. This kundalini is the force containing the sum-total of all past incarnations. It is our total karma; the accumulation of all our past experiences. The newborn soul-force, Harry, comes down the sympathetic nerve on the right of the spinal cord, toward the sacral plexus. He meets the kundalini force there and, provided he is loyal to the Spirit of Liberation, he can defeat the kundalini, thus liberating the candidate on the path of liberation from his karma. Of course the karma is not destroyed as it is a valuable treasure of past experiences, but it is no longer able to exert any controlling influence on the candidate for liberation.

There are some other symbols used in Harry Potter which also clearly refer to the Path of Liberation.

Exactly 9¾ years is the time between the death of Harry’s parents and the invitation to attend school in the castle. However this same number also occurs at a very important moment for each pupil of the wizard school. To travel to the school, the students have to go to platform 9¾ at King’s Cross railway station in London . This number represents the entrance to the magical world. This number “just happens” to be ¾ of 13! To candidates on the Rosicrucian Path of Liberation this number represents the gate to the bridge between this world and the Sixth Cosmic Plane, the home of the Prodigal Son. The ancient Gnostics called this bridge the Thirteenth Aeon. This fallen universe is governed by twelve aeons, twelve sources of radiation, known to us as the zodiac. The Thirteenth Aeon is the bridge, or the express train to the Treasury of Light, as the Gnostic Gospel of the Pistis Sophia calls it.

As mentioned above, Harry has a scar in the form of a bolt of lightning on his forehead. Jan van Rijckenborgh says, But the Lord said to Cain: ‘Whoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’ And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. The fourth candelabrum in the head sanctuary blazes up like a streak of lightning to blind every adversary.³ Harry bears the sign of Cain, who symbolizes the Son of Fire, the fallen child of God.

The most wonderful proof that Harry Potter is indeed a liberating tale is in the comparison to the traditional system of initiation of the Rosicrucians. The first five steps in liberation are called Mercury, Venus, Mars Jupiter and Saturn.⁴ The properties of each step are related to the characteristics attributed to the Roman Gods.

Mercury symbolizes a new consciousness. This provides the alchemist with direct knowledge. Mercury is the messenger of the Gods, and when the candidate has passed the Mercury Initiation he knows what God wants him to do. He knows how to proceed with the further steps in liberation and he knows how to help others go the Path.

How does Harry Potter meet Mercury? One of his two best friends is called Hermione. That is the female form of Hermes, the Greek name for Mercury!

In the Alchemical Wedding, CRC goes into the sepulchre of Venus. Harry is told about the same mysterious room in his world, and that he has an abundance of the force which is in there. No doubt this will be expanded upon in part 7. This is obviously the Venus initiation.

In part 4 Harry has the battle of wills against Voldemort. His triumph there is the passing of the Mars initiation.

Jupiter is the leader of the Gods and in part 5 Harry is chosen as a leader in the fight against the forces of darkness. This is indeed a very beautiful part of the books. The way Harry is chosen and accepts is so classical and conforms so perfectly to the way leaders in the fight for human liberation are chosen that it leaves no doubt about the value of this masterpiece of liberating literature. Jan van Rijckenborgh says about the vocation of the worker: It is known that all genuine servants of the Gnosis were quite astounded when they were called to their tasks. They certainly had no ambitions or plans in that direction. But that is why they were successful.⁵ Harry is most surprised to be asked to lead, and his modesty and self-effacing words are a great joy to read. He indeed does turn out to be a great leader and teacher.

Saturn is represented in legends as the God of harvest, hence of death and time, and in Rosicrucian teachings the Gate of Saturn is the end of life in this fallen universe. Every human being passes through the Gate of Saturn at the end of every incarnation. A new incarnation follows later. However when the candidate on the Path of Liberation passes through the Gate of Saturn this is a totally different kind of death. The Gate of Saturn represents the death of the total self-sacrifice of the fallen human being, and the resurrection of the original divine human being in an indestructible body of unsurpassable majesty and glory.

The Gate of Saturn is starkly obvious in Harry Potter part 5. Harry and his friends see an archway with a veil hanging in front of it. Harry’s God-Father Sirius falls through the archway and never returns. He is dead.

Harry Potter explains the actual alchemical process of liberation with great clarity and precision. It discusses every aspect of the human microcosm and every bodily organ involved in the transmutation, as well as the world around the candidate. In view of the exactness with which the septology follows the teachings of liberation, it should be easy to explain the processes of transmutation and transfiguration taking place in the body and in the microcosm of the alchemist by looking at the characters in detail.

As stated above, Lily Potter symbolises the immortal, pure and divine remnant in the heart. James the stag symbolises the thirst for the Living Water from the River of God . When the lily or rose in the heart of the seeker begins to unfold its petals after its sleep of many millennia, it begins to pine for its original state of glory in the Kingdom of God . Lily and James marry and have a son: Harry. This is the messiah in the life of the alchemist; the long promised Son of Eternal Fullness whose coming has been prophesied.

However in the microcosm there is a conscious force which is the result of thousands of incarnations. This microcosmic or auric self contains all the past experiences of the personality and is virtually immortal as it remains in the microcosm between incarnations. It is neither good nor evil but is the impersonal bearer of all the alchemist’s karma, his good and bad characteristics, and everything that is part of the treasure of past experience. This higher self is personified by Voldemort.

When Harry is born, a fire of unearthly beauty and power begins to burn in the heart. This is a fire from another universe and its light and warmth are of a higher vibration than anything found in this universe. The microcosmic self is composed of darkness in comparison to the new soul, and so this higher self tries to kill the new soul, just as Herod tried to kill the baby Jesus. This turns out to be impossible, and just as light drives the darkness away, so the new soul-fire drives the auric self to the outer boundary of the microcosm. In the septology this is symbolised as Voldemort being driven out of his body when he tries to kill Harry. Voldemort goes far away to plan his comeback.

Just as the star shone in the east at the birth of Jesus, and the birth of Horus was announced by Sirius in the Egyptian mysteries, so Harry’s birth is announced by a Sirius of a different kind. In the septology Harry’s parents have a friend called Sirius, and he is made Harry’s godfather.

He personifies an eternal force that has been in the microcosm before the Fall, and is now returning in order to be the pattern, the example, and the guide for the new soul. This force is the divine plan that is linked to every microcosm individually. It is the mental conception of the heavenly man. This mental conception is eternal, indestructible, and is made by God himself to lead the human being to a development so utterly glorious, so full of refulgent power, and so rapturously ecstatic that no comparison can be made by anything on earth.

This force enters the microcosm and radiates in the alchemist’s aura like a bright morning star. However there is a traitor inside the alchemist: the ego. This is the blood-ego or desire-ego situated in the spleen-liver system and its function is to ensure the survival of the personality. It is composed of the essence of the microsmic self and is therefore its close servant. This force in the human being examines everything that happens to see whether it will be of harm or benefit to the personality. When the new soul is born and the bright morning star begins to send its comforting rays, the ego regards this as its property. It takes the supernal teachings of liberation and weaves a straight-jacket around them. The mental conception of the heavenly man is taken prisoner and put in heavy chains. Prometheus is fettered to a rock and his liver attacked every day.

This is symbolised in the septology by Sirius being sent to Azkaban prison, where he is guarded by dementors, who suck out all positive emotions. The traitor who causes Sirius’ imprisonment is Peter Pettigrew, a “friend” of James and Sirius. He commits a massacre and when the authorities arrive he transforms into a rat, leaving Sirius standing alone at the scene of the crime. The rat is known as Scabbers and ends up as a pet to Ron, who symbolises the old, earthly personality of the alchemist.

The imprisonment of the mental conception of the heavenly man can last many years, even incarnations, but if the candidate alchemist perseveres in his quest for liberation he will eventually realise that the ego is betraying him and hindering his progress. He can then “lift up his eyes to the hills from where his help will come.” The mental image can come down into the body and literally drive the ego out of its little nest in the spleen-liver system of the personality, from where it takes a up place in the aura.

The septology symbolises this by Sirius escaping from prison and coming after Scabbers, who is comfortably snuggled up against Ron’s body. Sirius captures Ron and turns Scabbers back into a human being. However Pettigrew escapes and returns to Voldemort. This leaves Sirius without evidence of his innocence, and so has to go into hiding, but Harry now has a mentor, a step-father and God-Father who helps him whenever possible.

The mental conception of the heavenly man now grows in beauty and power as the candidate devotes his life to the new soul-fire burning in his heart. When the candidate has reached a certain stage, a seemingly strange and inappropriate event takes place. The mental conception of the heavenly man begins to disappear from the candidate’s presence. In the Bible this is verbalised as the mental image saying to the candidate: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the counselor will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

The explanation of this goes back to the causes of the Fall. The original human being, equipped with his divine faculties, had the task of working in God’s creation to bring it to fruition. He was sent into the Seventh Cosmic Plane as a sorcerer’s apprentice to learn and work in this vast alchemical laboratory which the Bible calls “ Paradise ”. However he was told to work there but not “eat of its fruit”. As we know, humanity did eat of its fruit, and so the Fall ensued. Man was meant to work in this alchemical laboratory, but not live there. His home was the Sixth Cosmic Plane.

The Path of Alchemical Liberation is in fact nothing more or less than the reversal of the Fall. When the mental image of the divine man has reached a certain stage of maturity, it goes back to the Sixth Cosmic Plane within the microcosm. There it becomes the microcosmic consciousness, the original higher self, the Divine Microcosmic Sun. In Revelation this is described symbolically as: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.(Rev. 12)

This is the human being restored to his original state. The sun is the new microcosmic self, the moon is the new lower self, and the crown of twelve stars is the new zodiac which shines with heavenly splendour in the microcosmic firmament.

In the septology this is symbolised by Sirius disappearing through the arch with the veil. This arch is the Gate of Saturn, mentioned above. Harry’s future is assured: he and Sirius will unite one day, with Sirius as the sun, Harry as the moon, and the twelve stars as divine faculties which proclaim God’s glory for ever more.

Harry Potter contains many other symbols which help the reader to understand the liberating message in the septology.

One of the most important figures is Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys at the school. He brings the letter of invitation to Harry and takes him through a magic wall to Diagon Alley, a shopping mall in the magical world. He also gives Harry his ticket to platform 9¾ and ferries him and the other first years across the lake to the castle. Hagrid is obviously equivalent to the gate-keeper in “The Alchemical Wedding”. This means he is a Bodhisattva, a Master of Compassion who delays his own progress on the Path of liberation to help others find it. He loves dragons, a symbol for the fallen human being, who is known in Rosicrucian teachings as, a “six-winged dragon”.

In part 5 Hagrid brings a giant to the Forbidden Forest near the school. He asks the three children to care for him and teach him in Hagrid’s possible absence. I couldn' leave him,' said Hagrid, tears now trickling down his bruised face into his beard. 'See — he's my brother!’⁶

Hagrid takes the children into the forest and shows them the sleeping giant. This is an obvious symbol for humanity as a whole. Hagrid is showing here that he is a hierophant – a member of the Universal Brotherhood, whose heart is so filled with compassion he cannot leave humanity alone.

Earlier in the story Hagrid makes a long journey to find where the giants live. When he finds them he gives them a gift: ever-burning fire. This is a reference to the legend of Prometheus, who gave fire to humanity. The giants are always fighting among themselves and speak different languages: an excellent symbol for the ever warring nations of humanity.

Hagrid brings the giants three gifts in all: ever-burning fire, an indestructible helmet, and a dragon skin. The fire symbolises the soul-fire, the helmet the spirit living in the head, and the skin the body. In other words: the Universal Brotherhood approaches humanity with the purpose of renewal in soul, spirit and body.

The Headmaster of the School is Albus Dumbledore. He is the very old man living in a tower, just like the very old man in the Tower of Olympus in The Alchemical Wedding. He is responsible for Harry’s upbringing and education and guides him from behind the scenes. Dumbledore provides Harry with the opportunity each year to pass the test which liberates him from the appropriate plane of the fallen world, just as the old man in The Alchemical Wedding directs the work in the Tower of Olympus . In both cases the old man symbolises the holy, sanctifying spirit who is in control of the whole process of liberation and the alchemical marriage of Spirit, Soul and personality. In Part 6 Albus dies, but during the funeral ceremony a phoenix rises from the magic fire which creates a tomb. An immortal and eternal force cannot die; it can only disappear from sight temporarily. In part 7 Harry will finish the hero’s quest with his own inner resources.

The deputy Headmistress is Minerva McGonagall. She assists Albus Dumbledore in his work of developing Harry’s potential. In The Alchemical Wedding she is the virgin Alchymia who conducts Christian Rosycross through all the floors of the Tower of Olympus . She helps him to attain the complete transfiguration. In Harry Potter she is teacher of Transfiguration. She symbolises the alchemical, astral force which makes possible the transfiguration from a mortal, fallen, flawed person to an immortal, reborn and perfect child of God. She will obviously play an important role in Harry’s alchemical wedding at the end of book 7.

Severus Snape symbolises the same aspect of the personality as the black king in The Alchemical Wedding. That is the shadow side, the sinful past, the occult aspect of the candidate for liberation. This aspect of the candidate for liberation is obviously very inimical to the New Soul, and Snape’s presence is very painful to Harry. However the shadow side of the candidate is an integral part of him, and so is grudgingly prepared to support the process of liberation. This includes the unpleasant task of “betrayal”. When the liberating, healing force enters the candidate it comes for a total self-sacrifice. It has to die in order to cause the resurrection of the original divine Child of God. To achieve this there has to be a “betrayal”, an initiator to cause the death unto resurrection. In the New Testament this is Judas, in Harry Potter this is Snape.

In The Alchemical Wedding the black king and his wife subject themselves voluntarily to decapitation so their bodies can be used for the alchemical rebirth of the divine Soul and Spirit. I’m sure Snape will sacrifice himself for Harry in the end.

Remus John Lupin is the grey king of The Alchemical Wedding. He symbolises the opposite of Snape, i.e. the “good” side, the brave and noble deeds of the past, and the honest striving for goodness, truth and justice. However he has a bad flaw which evokes horror and sympathy at the same time: he is a werewolf. This illustrates that in this fallen world nothing is without faults and good people can harm others without wanting to. Lupin is grey because he has a long experience behind him of trying to be good. He is also grey because in this world that is the opposite of black. In this universe there is no perfect goodness; only relative goodness. In The Alchemical Wedding the grey king and his wife also submit to voluntary decapitation. The flawed goodness of this world sacrifices itself for the absolute goodness of the Divine Plan.

In liberating alchemy the body is a temple which is in ruins and has to be restored to divine glory. There are a number of organs which play a vital role in the alchemical processes. The nervous system is very much involved in this, especially the autonomic nervous system, and the endocrine glands. In addition there are etheric and astral organs which are connected intimately with the nervous system and the endocrine glands. These are called chakras, and, just like the endocrine glands, there are seven. They rotate very fast in a clockwise manner and their function is to suck in energy from the environment.

The teachings of transfiguration tell us that the new soul-force gradually and slowly descends along the right string of the sympathetic nerve. As it does so it begins to close off the autonomic nervous system to the influences of the fallen universe. There are plexuses connected to the two strings of the sympathetic nerves, and these plexuses are slowly closed off to the forces of the Seventh Cosmic Plane. At the same time the endocrine glands are influenced to produce hormones that aid the process of liberating alchemy, and the chakras slow down their rotation, decreasing the intake of energy from the fallen universe. At a certain moment they stop turning altogether. When the new soul-force reaches the end of the sympathetic string it enters the sacral plexus and fights the kundalini, as described above. It then ascends along the left string and the chakras start turning in an anticlockwise direction. They are now taking in energy from the divine universe, for ever setting the alchemist free from death, decline and disease.

These chakras and glands are symbolised by the Weasley family. Arthur and Molly are obviously the two lobes of the pituitary gland, as this is the master gland and Arthur and Molly are the parents.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets we learn that Ginny is taken down deep underneath the castle and is held captive there by Tom Riddle, a “memory” of Voldemort. Harry comes down to rescue her. After defeating the basilisk, as described above, he “kills” Tom Riddle and Ginny wakes up. Ginny has red hair and six siblings. This is the clue to finding the chakras hidden in Harry Potter.

As stated above, the serpent of the kundalini is an astral force that is rolled up inside the sacral plexus. The lowest chakra, connected to this, is the root chakra. It is bright red and has six siblings! When the new soul-force, symbolised by Harry, reaches the bottom of the spine, it enters the sacral plexus which is the home of the kundalini as well as being the mirror of the subconscious mind. The kundalini is symbolised by the basilisk and the subconscious mind by Tom Riddle. Harry achieves three things in the sacral plexus: he “kills” both the basilisk and Tom Riddle, and wakes up Ginny. This symbolises the fact that the new soul-force has control over his karma as well as his subconscious mind, and the root chakra, when it starts to turn again, is now rotating in the opposite direction.

From there it is simple to locate the other chakras as they are arranged in ascending order along the spinal column, if we take the Weasley children in order of age. The next person born after Ginny was Ronald Bilius. He symbolises the spleen chakra, connected to the pancreas and the solar plexus. Ron plays a double role in Harry Potter, because we have already met him as the earthly personality, whose residence is in the spleen-liver system. This all ties in neatly with Ron as former owner of Scabbers, who personifies the blood-ego situated in the spleen.

The twins Fred and George are obviously the adrenal glands, situated on top of the kidneys. They like to joke about toilet seats, a reference to their position in the body. Their chakra is the navel chakra, which consists of ten petals, alternately red and green. The twins are the comedians of the family, symbolising the adrenals’ role in depression and anti-depression.

Percy is the heart chakra linked to the thymus and the plexuses in the chest. Percy is short for Percival, known in the European Grail legends as Parsifal. This knight in quest of the Holy Grail sees a golden city in the distance. When he approaches it, it disappears. Percy, too, is chasing after the golden city, namely the Ministry of Magic. He too will find his ambitions going up in smoke. While he is pursuing his ambition, he has turned his back on Harry, even warning his brother Ron not to associate with Harry.

The plexuses in the chest play a vital role in the formation of the Holy Grail in the alchemist’s heart-sanctuary. The new soul-fire, personified by Harry, purifies the plexuses and fills them with divine prana. When they are totally purified of earthly forces they are able to receive the Blood of Christ. The heart chakra, which is of a golden colour, becomes the shield of the knight of the Holy Grail. Percy will no doubt turn back to Harry and be a shield to him at the climax of the story.

Charlie most probably symbolises the throat chakra, linked to the thyroid gland. The purified throat, containing organs like the pharynx, the larynx and the vocal cords, provides the Knight of the Holy Grail with a two-edged sword. This sword symbolises the magic faculty of speech. An alchemist who has this faculty can use his speech as a creative power with tremendous consequences. If Charlie is indeed the throat chakra he will be of great help to Harry, possibly by giving him a sword or using it on his behalf.

Arthur and Molly symbolise the pituitary gland and the brow chakra. The pituitary gland has two lobes, one of which rules the heart and the other the head. In Harry Potter this is symbolised by one character being the mother, the other the father. The chakra is divided into two colours: red and indigo. Arthur is red headed, and this is the obvious refernce to the red half of the chakra. From there it is a small step to make all the Weasley children red-headed, as the root chakra personified by Ginny is bright red, and red features in many of them.

The oldest Weasley child is Bill. He in all probability personifies the crown chakra, linked to the pineal gland. So far we haven’t had much to do with Bill, but the pineal gland, symbolised by Dumbledore’s office, is the place where the Holy Spirit enters the candidate for the Alchemical Wedding. Bill will therefore have a vital role to play during the climax of the story, and will no doubt become the diamond in Harry’s crown.

Another person to watch very carefully in the future is Neville Longbottom. He personifies the medulla oblongata, situated at the top of the spinal cord. This is one of the body’s most important organs, as it regulates the heart-beat and breathing. It is in fact the gate-keeper to the alchemist’s body and is responsible for the divine forces which seek to enter the body and transfigure it from a degenerated tent to a perfect and divine temple in which the Holy Spirit can dwell.

In fact God knocks three times on the “gate” of the medulla. The first time He knocks, He comes as the Father. If the medulla opens the door, the fundamental divine force enters and the person becomes a seeker. When the seeker has thoroughly investigated all avenues of liberation and has discovered that liberation cannot be found in this universe, he “casts his eyes up to the hills”. He realises that liberation is a matter of surrender to the divine force that comes to earth as the “Son”. This time God knocks on the gate of the medulla as the Son, and if the seeker lets Him in, the new soul is born. In Harry Potter this is symbolised by Neville and Harry being born one day apart. First the medulla is “born” into the world as a wizard, so to speak, and this allows the divine force to enter the heart, where the new soul is born as a wizard.

The birth of the seeker, as described above, is symbolised in Harry Potter by the events in the first flying lesson. Neville drops his remembrall when he falls to the ground. Draco flies off and throws the remembrall into a tree. Harry goes after Draco and makes a spectacular catch, which Prof. McGonagall sees. She makes him Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and so it is actually Neville who literally causes Harry to become a “seeker”.

The third time God knocks on the gate of the medulla He comes as the Holy Spirit. When the new soul opens the door, the Holy Spirit enters like a bolt of lightning. It shoots down to the sacral plexus along the serpent-fire canal. It then enters the pineal gland, where the Alchemical Wedding of Spirit, Soul and Personality takes place.

The physical body, seen as a whole, is personified by Narcissa Malfoy. Her name refers to the Greek legend of Narcissus, the young man who fell in love with his own body. Narcissa’s husband is Lucius, the physical brain with its consciousness. This consciousness has a feeling of superiority, a delusion of being god-like. The brain is linked to the microcosmic self through numerous magnetic lines of force. This is why Lucius is shown to be a “death eater”, i.e. a faithful vassal of Voldemort.

Lucius and Narcissa’s son is Draco. He looks very much like his father. He is pale, and has a long, pointed face. His name gives the most telling clue to what he personifies: the spinal cord with its soul-force known as the serpent-fire. His animosity towards Harry is easily explained. Harry is the new serpent-fire which is destined to replace the old serpent-fire. At the end Draco will have to make way for Harry. Before liberation can take place the old serpent-fire will have to die.

The spinal cord is surrounded on each side by a string of the sympathetic nervous system. These are personified in Harry Potter by Draco’s two cronies, Crabbe & Goyle. Before the end of the story Crabbe and Goyle will go over to Harry’s side, as the new serpent-fire uses the two sympathetic strings to achieve the new consciousness.

In view of the close parallel between Harry Potter and the Teachings of Liberation it should be easy to predict the main things that will happen in Part 7.

The next level in the Tower of Olympus is the plane of the consciousness ego, situated on the seventh floor. Christian Rosycross does not enter the seventh level but is chosen to enter the eighth level, symbolising the Gate of Saturn, to achieve the resurrection of the King and Queen. If we take this symbolism as a prediction for part 7 of Harry Potter, we should see Harry passing through the Gate of Saturn – not to die the ordinary death of us who are shackled to the wheel of reincarnation, but the death of total self-sacrifice, resulting in the resurrection of the Son of God in an imperishable and indestructible body of glorious majesty.

The six horcruxes teach us that Voldemort, the fallen higher self, possesses the human microcosm in seven places. Firstly there is Voldemort himself, being present as a powerful magnetic field in the aura of the microcosm. Secondly he is also present in the subconscious mind: Tom Riddle’s diary. Thirdly he is present in the ring of the microcosm. This is the outer shell, the outer boundary which surrounds the candidate like a night sky with its host of stars. Fourthly there is the locket symbolising the heart. This leaves three horcruxes which Harry has to locate and neutralise before he can finally confront Voldemort.

To understand how Harry Potter will defeat Voldemort and liberate himself from his finite consciousness, we need to look at the prophecy. Part of this says ...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...⁷ This is strongly reminiscent of a sentence in The Voice of the Silence, written down by HP Blavatsky. Verse 56 says, The Self of matter and the SELF of Spirit can never meet. One of the twain must disappear; there is no place for both.⁸ This is the key to understanding the prophecy. Harry will not kill Voldemort. The divine soul does not fight. It always withdraws from conflict and radiates love to take its place. Evil always destroys it self in the presence of love, and that is what Voldemort will do. And Harry will liberate his consciousness ego, thus entering the universal, omniscient, multidimensional and divine consciousness. He will come Home, but his compassion for humanity will make him work for its redemption until the last fallen soul has returned to the Father’s arms.

The story of Harry Potter is so powerful that it has the potential radically to change the future of humanity. There is a great likelihood that a new religion will form as a result of the power that emanates from the work. The founder of the Anthroposophical movement, Dr Rudolf Steiner, said that from the beginning of this millennium all religions will become reconciled in the mystery of Rosicrucianism.⁹ Harry Potter is the new Christian Rosycross.

Harry Potter: The road map to liberating alchemy

by Hans Andréa

Notes