The Alchemy of JK Rowling

Chapter 67 - RBlack

Regulus is Sirius’ younger brother. They were both inhabitants of 12 Grimmauld Place, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I’ve already mentioned that this symbolises the fallen microcosm with its 12 magnetic lights. It’s black because it has fallen away from the Divine Plan inconceivably long ago. But it’s basically noble because it was created by God, the Sevenfold Universal Spirit. And it’s ancient because it has existed since before the Fall.

Sirius is the light from Nirvana that enters the microcosm when the new soul, symbolised by Harry, is born. It is like a small but bright hole in the dark dank prison wall of the House of Black through which the refulgent light of God’s glorious Kingdom of Love shines inward. Regulus is Latin for little king. Who is the little Black King in our microcosm? No, not Snape. He’s the black king in our personality. We’re talking about the microcosm, which extends several meters around the personality.

There is a star in space named Regulus. It is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and is one of the brightest stars in the sky. Sirius, of course is the brightest star of all, at night.

Regulus symbolises one of the 12 lights in the ring or spherical boundary of the fallen microcosm. These are part of the microcosmic force field, and hence are aspects of Voldemort. That’s why Regulus was a Death Eater. Voldemort symbolises the consciousness of this force field, which is immortal and survives in between incarnations. 12 of the Death Eaters symbolise the 12 groups of magnetic points in our microcosmic ring, the outer boundary of our force field. Everyone has one strong magnetic point which in esoteric teachings is called Neptune. This magnetic force gives us the illusion that we are kings. Neptune in Roman mythology was the King of the Sea, which symbolises the astral world. All of us think, consciously or unconsciously, that we are the kings of our microcosm, and often extending far beyond that. Regulus and Sirius are brothers in the sense they both live in the microcosm, and they are both stars seen from inside the walls of the microcosm. Sirius however is the deadly enemy of Voldemort while Regulus is Voldemort’s vassal; he is in fact part of him.

This also explains why quite a few of the Death Eaters, and members of the House of Black, have the names of stars. We all have these 12 stars shining on us in our microcosmic firmament.

It is quite probable that Snape and Regulus were friends in their youth. They’re both black kings, one inside the personality and one outside of it. I suspect Regulus and Lucius were also friends, as Lucius is the brain with its arrogant ideas of being king-like. The brain has 12 magnetic focal points which create the consciousness and govern the body through the 12 pairs of cranial nerves. These 12 magnetic points emanate from the ring or perimeter of the microcosm, and one of those is Neptune, or Regulus. Hence Regulus and Lucius are closely related. Regulus and Narcissa Malfoy-Black are first cousins.

We know that Harry was 15 when he saw on the family tree that Regulus had died 15 years before. This is one of those important facts J.K. Rowling hides away in a casual throw-away line - it’s in parentheses! So Regulus was murdered round about the time Harry was born.

We learn in Part 6 that Regulus Black found out about Voldemort’s Horcrux hidden in the cave. Regulus stole the Horcrux and replaced it with a fake one. The cave symbolises the heart sanctuary, while the locket, which is worn as a pendant in front of the heart, symbolises the emotional ego. This locket is the one mentioned in chapter 6 of Part 5. The House of Black now belongs to Harry, just as the microcosm belongs to the New Soul once it has become the leading factor.

Lily is the eternal focal point of Divine Goodness, situated in the heart. She is the indestructible spark of the Universal, everlasting Spirit that created the universe. Most religions agree that such a spark does indeed exist in the heart, and many people experience this. It is the voice of the conscience when it is dormant. When it begins to smoulder, it starts to yearn for oxygen so it can burst into flame. This yearning for fresh, life-giving oxygen is symbolised by the stag. Before the New Soul can be born out of the Lily in the heart, the personality has to become a seeker. The spark in the heart thirsts for oxygen, but what it needs is the eternal oxygen of Tao. It cannot burn on any oxygen obtainable in this universe. But the newly born seeker doesn’t know that. He or she searches and searches. This can last for many incarnations. He searches for the Living Water of the River of God here, in this universe, where it can’t be found. The 12 constellations in his microcosm twinkle hopefully, but they cannot quench the thirst of the Lily. 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; that the 12 stars of his private heaven cannot provide the heavenly spiritual food his heart aches for.

In the New Testament this is symbolised by the birth of John and the birth of Jesus. John is born to Elizabeth and Zechariah. Elizabeth is barren, symbolising the fruitlessness of the search for finding the meaning of life on earth. John symbolises the earthly personality who lives in the desert. This is a wonderful symbol for how the seeker who thirsts for God experiences the world: a lifeless, barren desert. A few months later Jesus is born. Some versions place his birth in a cave: the heart.

Both John and Jesus are aspects of the seeker. John symbolises the earthly personality who is willing to sacrifice himself for the Son of God. This is symbolised very beautifully by Ron’s sacrifice for Harry in the chess game. Jesus symbolises the New Soul born in the heart. When Jesus is born, the Star of Bethlehem shines in the east. When Horus is born in ancient Egypt, Sirius announces his birth. When Harry is born, Sirius becomes his God-Father and Regulus dies. What exquisite symbolism! The seeker realises for the first time that he must direct his gaze upwards, out of this universe, towards Tao. The Light of Tao breaks into his microcosmic firmament and a thirteenth star appears, brighter than all the others, and offering eternal Hope and Fulfilment. The seeker realises that he must sacrifice his illusion of kingship and bow in devotion and self-surrender before the newly born child. He knows and understands that the Inner Christ is the King in his life. This results in the old Neptunian star leaving the service of Voldemort. It can no longer feed the thoughts and desires of the seeker to be the ruler of his own destiny, as he has made the New Soul, Harry, guided by Sirius, his leader and his goal in life. In the Old Testament this inner state of defeated kingship is referred to as having a ‘broken heart’.

Psalm 34: The Lord is near the broken hearted. Psalm 51: The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 147: The Lord heals the broken hearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.

This broken heartedness describes a deep sense of true humility, true realisation of the impotence of the earthly ego; it is the abdication of ‘King I.’ That is the paradigm shift which can open the Gate to Tao, Nirvana, Heaven, in the life of the seeker and give him 12 new stars with new names.

This state is one of genuine and heart-felt contrition. It is the Prodigal Son saying, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.

Before Regulus dies he enters the cave of the heart and steals the locket containing a piece of Voldemort’s soul. The seeker’s heart is symbolically broken: it is emptied of the thirst for life in this fallen universe, just as the bowl is emptied by 12 draughts of liquid. Voldemort is weakened.

And about seventeen years later Dumbledore and Harry enter the cave and take a locket. Harry discovers that Regulus has long ago taken the locket, intending to destroy it. The seeker’s heart was already pure, as Harry has proved many times.