ALCHEMY essay in relation to the DEATHLY HALLOWS covers

[hhr_fan_always]

My alchemy essay concerning the alchemical symbol on the spine of the new Deathly Hallows cover can be read here.

Questions or comments should go there as well -- please don't post them here.

Cheers and thanks.

Comments

[annearchy]

No comment except to say thank you for the brillllliant essay :) You should post this on Portkey as well. I've added you as a friend; hope you don't mind.

[hhr_fan_always]

Thanks, I've added you back -- or at least, I think I did. I'm still not entirely confident I know how to friend people. My LJ 'skillz' are pathetic.

Is there an alchemy section on portkey?

[annearchy]

There are several excellent alchemy threads on Portkey. You can search for them in the Harry/Hermione and HBP Completed Discussion forums. I'll try to dig them up for you; they're great.

Another alchemy reference on the UK Kid's cover

[mandrill]

Hi there. I tried to post a response over in your original thread, but the H/Hr community does not allow non-members to post there.

I was researching Alchemy and Tarot last night. Is the odd transforming snake image on the back flap of the UK kid's version also an alchemical reference?

Re: Another alchemy reference on the UK Kid's cover

[hhr_fan_always]

Hello!

Great tarot cards -- thanks for posting them.

At first glance, a few people thought the snake was an oroburus, which is an alchemical symbol of a snake eating its own tail. But if you look closely, you can see that it isn't. Here's the picture zoomed in:

Re: Another alchemy reference on the UK Kid's cover

[mandrill]

I'm wondering if the Snake in the glass ball might be some sort of prophecy? To me, the snake (or basilisk) looks like it might be caught in mid-transformation. Note the tiny stars in the globe too.

I thought you might like to see the snake images from The Alchemical Tarot deck. There are two variants of the "Crucified Snake" in Place's tarot deck (The Hanged Man and the Ace of Swords). The Alchemical Tarot is a newer deck but Place spent a great deal of time researching Tarot and Alchemy to create his deck.

Re: Another alchemy reference on the UK Kid's cover

[hhr_fan_always]

These are really great! Thank you again.

I have to confess, I'm not at all versed in Tarot, so it's doubly interesting for me to look at these. The 'Hanged Man' card look eerily similar to the original 'Crucified Snake' from the Seven Figures of Abraham.

[rhiandra]

Thank you for your post.

This whole discussion gives my hope foundation. Maybe I don't have to prepare myself for disappointment and chastise myself for misreading foreshadows and red herrings. Maybe I won't be mercilessly torn apart by a pack of sixth and seventh graders who are already bringing me evidence in the form of the Mugglenet book.

Believe me after seeing 2 of my shipping preferences burned or destroyed in the last hour, I will be happy if this one comes to pass. It is the one I kept thinking was more important than the other two to me...and then HBP came out.

Do we have to worry about the line that divides the circle? Is there a barrier to Harry and Hermione or to a romantic relationship? Can becoming the philospher's stone pull Harry back from the veil?

Thank you,
Rhi

[hhr_fan_always]

Hello

There was a thread that sort of went into the line dividing the circle -- here's the link: click The fact that the line is not just going through the circle, but continuing to the top of the triangle seems to indicate that it doesn't have anything to do with the chemical wedding. To me, it seems to be a combination of the mercury and sulphur symbols, not a bisection of any symbol, so I don't believe it's negative. It's also possible that it's not a line at all, but an arrow -- upward facing, which is a symbol for the spiritual world

[hhr_fan_always]

I was thinking a little more about your question, and I wanted to add one thing.

In mythical retellings, the Philosopher's Stone grants the creator eternal life -- and in Harry Potter, after Nicolas Flamel created his stone, he and his wife lived until it was necessary to destroy the stone.

Harry is not creating (or trying to create) a physical philosopher's stone -- he's turning himself to gold as part of his 'hero's journey'. So the 'eternal life' thing doesn't really come into play in a literal sense. However, it could be thought of as a signal that Harry may live through his encounter with Voldemort, if one chooses to look at it that way.

[rhiandra]

Thank you for answers to my questions. I'm off to read the link you supplied. It feels so good to have solid hope that may yet succeed instead of thinking I only had a stubborn hope that refused to die. If that makes sense.

[musesong]

Hi. I came across your essay by accident and am very impressed. I do hope that you'll consider updating it now that we know the outcome of the 7th Book and the meaning of the symbol.

I am saving your entry to memories as well as linking to it in an entry I am working on.

I'm commenting here because I'm not able to comment to the community post.