The Alchemy of JK Rowling

In the light of the Alchemical Wedding of Christian Rosycross

by Hans Andréa

Book Excerpts

Excerpts from The Alchemy of JK Rowling chosen by readers

These excerpts have been chosen by readers because they resonate in their heart or have given them a flash of spiritual insight.

When I first started reading Harry Potter my reaction was one of utter amazement and joy at seeing how closely the symbolism in Harry Potter paralleled the symbolism in Gnostic philosophy.
[Foreword]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

The Lily in our heart was conceived by the Mind of the Architect of the Original Universe in all its glory, fathomless depth, and rapturous, indestructible beauty. The Architect put Himself into that mental spark, and so it's just like Him: perfect in every possible way.
[Chapter 6]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "This excert touches me because we can develop into perfect, loving beings. We have that ability in us! Magnificent."

Forces all around Harry are trying to stop him growing to maturity and living with Sirius. Together Harry and Sirius are destined to become the new rulers of the microcosm. Such a new human being is extremely powerful in goodness, truth and justice, something which the established order doesn't want.
[Chapter 25]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "That is why it is almost impossible to walk the path alone: together with others you form a protective force field, in which all opposing forces can be neutralized."

Harry Potter is a story of such tremendous spiritual beauty and power that it will change the world.
[Introduction]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

But once the new soul is born and its force begins to enter the head it will set the intellect free. The mind can then soar to great spiritual heights. It will easily understand spiritual teachings and will become a great ally of the soul in its long, arduous quest for liberation.
[Chapter 7]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "An encouraging quote because the new soul guides us to true wisdom. I am strengthened by this."

In Chapter 9 of Part 1 the children come to their first flying lesson. Flying itself is a symbol of searching for spiritual heights. Neville Longbottom brings to the lesson a sphere called a Remembrall. This symbolises an unconscious force within the human being. It is a pre-memory or pre-remembrance which gives the person a feeling that long ago he came from a kingdom; that he is of royal blood and is special. It is the unconscious memory of the descent from David, the Divine Human Being, the Son of the Lord of Hosts.
[Chapter 43]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "“I think this is very essential, this pre-remembrance. All knowledge is already in us, hidden in Lily. When the children sing the school song in part 1, there is a stanza: ‘Bring back what we’ve forgot.’ Only this knowledge is beneficial."

What turns the passive voice into an active one? It's the end product of many incarnations full of disappointment, disillusionment and suffering. It's the subconscious realisation that nothing in this world can really satisfy the inner core of our being. That all our endeavours are just mad rides on the merry go round at Vanity Fair.
[Chapter 3]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "When you experience this really intensely, your heart opens up to the divine power and nothing can stop you from attuning your life to it."

I hope to be able to prove that Harry Potter is indeed a Divine Message for the ultimate salvation and liberation of humanity.
[Introduction]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

The Bodhisattva does not care about personal bliss. He is concerned only with the liberation of the world from the Power of Voldemort that has enslaved man in the great delusion for many thousands of years.
[Chapter 22]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "Very recognizable for this time. Everything is coming to light! It is great that there are those who can lead us on the path."

When the eternal Thought-spark of the Universal Architect is coupled with the thirst for the Living Water, a cry of help emanates from the human being concerned. Because of its purity this cry reaches the ear of the Creator, and so it brings forth a reaction. This reaction is an inflow of Living Water into the heart of the person.
[Chapter 8]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "This is so beautifully described and so comforting. Because when you long for help from the bottom of your heart, that help is always there! It becomes lighter in yourself."

The lily has begun to open. A bright silvery stag stands next to the lily and hopes fervently for a child. Sirius is in the seeker's firmament and gives bright solace and hope.
[Chapter 7]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "“Very nicely explained how this cooperation of head, heart and hands comes about. You will indeed think, feel, want and act differently. And it is incredibly comforting and hopeful to experience that."

If readers can see through the superficial aspects of the story, and ignore the elements that make the story seem like a children’s book, often banal and sometimes even offensive (swearing, lying, fighting), an immensely deep, rich and powerful spiritual symbolism rises to the surface.
[Chapter 1]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

What was once given to those few in the ancient Mystery Schools in Greece and the Middle East is now being made public to everyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see.
[Introduction]

Chosen by Janine Paliwoda, Switzerland

Harry symbolises sulphur, Hermione mercury, and Ron salt. When you add these three ingredients to the fire slowly, they will form the Philosopher’s Stone.
[Chapter 31]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "Nice how the alchemical process is explained in this book, with many angles."

The new soul can fly to great spiritual heights. It also has an extremely keen faculty of discrimination. And so we see that no door can be locked against the new soul. It can open all doors and overcome all barriers.
[Chapter 10]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "The great thing about this text is that it is almost impossible to comprehend what powers are being unfolded by the new soul. And we are undergoing a total change. It evokes a sense of reverence in me."

Harry acts by intuition, meaning that he knows what to do when it needs to be done. If we allow the New Soul to be our leader, we will always know what to do under all circumstances, and the Room of Requirement will supply our every need.
[Alchemy]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "This reminds me of the Taoist wu-whei, ‘do by not doing’ and also the proverb: ‘When bane is high, boon is nigh.’ The personality also benefits from this: doubt and ignorance disappear."

What Harry Potter tells us is that the New Soul is indestructible as long as it mobilises its longing for the Living Water, for liberation.
[Chapter 3]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

How does Harry Potter show liberation from death, suffering and evil? Each Part of Harry Potter shows Harry involved in a liberating act, and also the 7 Horcruxes are chains to this universe, which Harry and his friends break.
[Alchemy]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says " Nice to see in a visual way where the obstacles lie within ourselves"

When the New Soul is born, this microcosmic self is weakened considerably.
[Chapter 13]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "This is an important insight for me! When you surrender to the new soul, when you keep focusing on the new soul every day, it works on breaking up the ‘I’, the ego, or Voldemort. Ego powers decrease as the new soul increases in strength. You become, as it were, an observer without judgment."

The Spirit has left the microcosm many thousands of years ago and the Original Soul has died. The earthly human being has the task of restoring the microcosm to its former glory, but he can do so only if he is willing to sacrifice himself as Ron does in the chess game.
[Chapter 17]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "What patience to make us realize our responsibility in freedom. That is love."

The longing for the life-force from the Real World outside our universe is much higher in vibration than any force in this world, and so it's invincible.
[Chapter 3]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

That's the purpose of Harry Potter and all the other road maps to Liberation: to return to the Kingdom of Heaven, to live in union with the original spirit, proceeding from a living soul to a Life-giving Spirit.
[Chapter 31]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "For me, this is a joyful message that is being proclaimed to us over and over again. It is so important that we remember who we are!"

There is only one draft of the magic potion to be able to get into the next room, so Harry goes in alone. The new soul has to face this trial alone. Whenever the soul is facing a be all and end all situation, it has to act on its own inner strength.
[Chapter 12]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "It takes courage but it strengthens the soul and gives confidence."

The personality, as a creation of Lucifer, is likewise a mixture of good and evil. However no matter how good, we still live outside of the Divine Plan.
[Chapter 4]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

If you read Harry Potter with this symbolism in mind, the story will transform from an exciting battle between good and evil to a method of absolute liberation from death, suffering and evil.
[Alchemy]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says " Seeing through this difference from within requires quite a bit of trial and error, because the good in this world is so highly valued and evil is kept out. It has never led to a solution: they are two sides of the same coin."

Ron: the mortal earthly personality which devotes itself to the New Soul and will thus sacrifice itself in the alchemical wedding for the King and Queen. Thus the mortal personality enters eternity by dissolving in the alchemical processes and rising again as part of the Eternal Son of God.
[Chapter 46]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "This is beautifully described. This passage is very veiled in The Alchemical Wedding of Christian Rosycross by Jan van Rijckenborgh. How it is explained in this book is new to me. Very beautiful. Nothing is lost but everything dissolves towards a different purpose."

Logically all we have to do is raise the key vibration of our microcosm, and the Divine Light flows in unimpeded. That is the Ascension! That's what Luke calls, "vanishing out of sight". In other words, you turn invisible, symbolically, to this world.
[Chapter 74]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "What a find by J.K. Rowling, that invisibility cloak, and it should only be used for the right purpose."

Two irreconcilable forces meet - the life-force of the perfect universe (in a weakened vibration) and the life force of the mortal human being with all his faults, his goodness, and his ignorance. When they meet, this causes a storm in the human being.
[Chapter 6]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

But one of the greatest indications that Harry Potter is an alchemical story is its similarities to a book published in 1616: The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosycross.
[Alchemy]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says " The similarities are explained very deeply: it is the essence of the book."

Later on Harry learns that Dementors can even suck out a person’s soul completely, which leaves them alive, but without a soul. What do they symbolise? In Pistis Sophia, a second century Gnostic gospel, the eponymous character suffers from very much the same thing. She complains about the “archons” that constantly steal her “light-power”.
[Chapter 73]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "The patronus is your salvation: the longing for the light. Be alert!"

When the brow chakra starts turning the other way, the new consciousness is born. This is the moment of victory, the moment death has been conquered for ever. This is the death of the ordinary temporary consciousness. It just merges into the new consciousness as a candle flame merges into the sun. It's no longer there - yet it has become part of the great, divine consciousness that is permanently linked to God.
[Chapter 50]

Chosen by Henriët Wulff, Netherlands, who says "As far as I’m concerned this quote invites one to read it over and over again. We are going to be part of the Great Divine Consciousness. That is the meaning of our existence! All boundaries disappear and there is only Infinite Love! Splendid!"

Once we open the door to the Light it will lead us through the gate to Diagon Alley. Our whole world will become diagonal to what it was previously. Everything will suddenly seem out of line; out of plumb. Nothing will seem the same any more.
[Chapter 72]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "Then you really enter the arc of evolution, which has no end. What a prospect!"

A seeker, whose heart is open, is a "marked man". He has a Divine Spark which has been kindled and so is shining brightly; he thirsts for liberation and he has drunk the Living Water. This has caused a storm in his astral body because of the tremendous difference in vibration between the astral force of this universe and that of the Original Home.
[Chapter 6]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

As the new energy from the Divine Universe keeps entering the human being to an increasing extent, his whole being is constantly being purified and transmuted to become a suitable vessel. This is Alchemy.
[Chapter 68]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "Opening up to this is all we can do. Surrendering to the Other One in us. And act from there."

The Harry in our heart is rich beyond our most feverish imagination.
[Chapter 8]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

The big word for defeating Cerberus is: self-surrender. If we surrender to the Inner Christ He will drive out fear, attachment to dogma and false idols. He will give us the magic flute of purity and put ol' Cerberus to sleep. It's a cinch!
[Chapter 9]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "Beautiful imagery, especially that magic flute of purity!"

One of the great forces tying us to this universe is fear. Unselfishness is the only way to overcome fear.
[Chapter 9]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

What is the way back to the Divine Life, free of death, suffering and evil? To put it simply: we have to break up our earthly self, and rebuild the new, eternal human being right from scratch. The old earthly self that we are is a biological phenomenon of nature and is no use to God. This is why Jesus says in the Bible, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
[Alchemy]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "Can there be a more exalted and more meaningful goal of our humanity?"

How else do you seize the world at its heart but to enchant its children who are so open to the Truth of Liberation, albeit in symbolic form? My claim is that what we're seeing is a true miracle. A miracle, in my humble opinion, is the operation of unseen, Divine forces achieving an aim in accordance with Divine purposes.
[Introduction]

Chosen by Janine Paliwoda, Switzerland

Examples of these symbolic stories are the ones in the Bible, the Greek legends, many well-known fairy tales, the Holy Grail myths, the creation myths of many nations and peoples, the scriptures of all the ancient religions, and many ancient and modern epics of hero’s journeys or quests. The most powerful Alchemical story of the past is The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosycross, and, of course, Harry Potter is currently the most popular Alchemical work ever written.
[Alchemy]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "The comparison of the two is so striking and compelling. You are urged to open up deeper layers yourself."

James Potter learns to turn himself into a stag. The stag is the age old symbol for the thirst for the Water of Life. The word "hart" is sometimes used and I love that because it's so close to the word "heart", where Lily lives and where this thirst comes from.
[Chapter 3]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "So simple, but how complicated we humans make everything!""

Press reports from all over the world tell us that millions of children identify intensely with Harry. To me that's a sign that the Masters of Compassion, responsible for the salvation of humanity, are engaged in etching the essence of the teachings of liberation deeply into the blood and the subconscious of many millions of people.
[Chapter 16]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

The living Alchemy we're talking about here is a method of changing a human being from a mortal, biological phenomenon of nature into an immortal Child of the Divine Spirit. This is symbolically referred to as "turning lead into gold".
[Alchemy]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "This reminds me of ‘as heavy as lead’ and ‘worth its weight in gold.’ Reconnecting to the spirit is the most valuable thing there is."

Why decapitation? Because the old consciousness situated in the head, is gone. It has merged into the new consciousness as a candle flame merges into the sun. It no longer exists as an individualised self-consciousness but has become part of the universal, omnipresent consciousness.
[Chapter 30]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "It's special how this great process develops in us when we work on it."

There is nothing in the whole universe more beautiful than the story of Liberation. Harry Potter tells that story. That's why it's the world's most beautiful book! Along with the other books which tell this story.
[Chapter 16]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

Harry Potter is a complete road map to liberation. It shows the true seeker exactly what to do, where to go, and what happens to him. We just have to read with the heart.
[Chapter 64]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "O wonder, and then we are given the attributes we need: a compass, a staff and an invisibility cloak."

Harry Potter is the story of a candidate for Liberation through alchemical transformation. All the characters are forces, influences or entities the alchemist meets along the way.
[Chapter 17]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

Abstract things can be understood better (or only) by symbols. But please remember that symbols are just comparisons; they're not the thing itself!
[Chapter 2]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "The symbolism and its explanation appeals to me in this book, which is why it makes it so lively. You see a path, a process, a goal and there is an entrance for everyone."

In this world, the interplay of opposites is absolutely necessary. It provides the driving force that sends humanity through its long journey of experience on the way to Godric’s Hollow. This driving force is always present in good literature, and in the holy scriptures of all the great world religions.
[Chapter 32]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

If we are truly on the Path of Liberation and we need help to decide what to do, we can turn to the pure centre of the heart, and, motivated by a humble and totally honest desire to do God's Will, we can send out a cry of help by means of a silent mental prayer. Then we will receive help directly from Tao. This will be in the form of an illumination. The answer to our prayer will be as though it is illuminating a few steps of the path at a time. We cannot see the final destination, but we'll know that we're going the right way to get there.
[Chapter 64]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "This way we are always helped, I find this very hopeful. It reminds me of the statement: If I take one step towards Christ, he will approach me two steps"

The Inferi symbolise dormant desires and emotions that the alchemist has overcome in his struggle to purify himself. The Voice of the Silence has a similar theme.

Verse 54:

"Strive with thy thoughts unclean before they overpower thee. Use them as they will thee, for if thou sparest them and they take root and grow, know well, these thoughts will overpower and kill thee. Beware, Disciple, suffer not, e'en though it be their shadow, to approach. For it will grow, increase in size and power, and then this thing of darkness will absorb thy being before thou hast well realised the black foul monster's presence."

That certainly is very similar to the Inferi trying to overpower Harry.
[Chapter 63]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

Rejoice, for if you have a conscience and know what remorse is, you know Lily, and have her in your heart. Then you have the potential of going the Path of total Liberation which Harry is walking.
[Chapter 2]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "I experience this as very joyful, because it gives me joy in the heart, understanding in the head and decisiveness in the hands."

The three gifts: everlasting fire – an indestructible helmet – a roll of dragon skin. A pattern emerges: the fire in the heart, the helmet on the head, the dragon skin on the body. Heart, head and body. Harry, Hermione and Ron. The three temples in the human body.
[Chapter 55]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "The comparison of Harry Potter with the Alchemical Wedding of Christian Rosycross is explained in such detail that the path unfolds before you as you read. I find it very enriching! "

This archetypal story resonates in the collective unconscious of so many millions because humanity has incessantly been confronted by the symbolism of the Inner God asleep in the human heart, like the bud of a pure, dazzlingly white lily. We can awaken the inner Prince of Peace by answering God's call to return to Him.
[Chapter 1]

Chosen by Janine Paliwoda, Switzerland

But one day the seeker makes the earth shattering discovery that the oxygen needed by his divine Spark cannot be found in this universe; that the Living Water comes from another dimension…
[Chapter 67]

Chosen by Anneke Stokman, Netherlands

Just like Harry, the alchemist has to defeat his own Voldemort, not by developing occult powers, or by violent means, but by developing the power of Love.
[Chapter 1]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "This is trial and error. The I must learn to listen to the voice of the new soul."

However, there’s a much more sublime and powerful way of symbolising this crown or inner flower in Harry Potter: Fleur, the flower of the court. When Bill and Fleur marry this symbolises the reversal of the rotation of the crown chakra and the rising up of the 12 petalled flower within the larger flower. This is called the Wondrous Golden Flower by alchemists.
[Chapter 51]

Chosen by Stance van der Plas, Netherlands, who says "What a beautiful explanation!"