"Real" Witchcraft: Part 2

By Nina T.H

As I said last time, I am going to compare the Harry Potter magic to other types of magic that some people really do think exists.

First of all, the magic in Harry Potter does not obey any of the laws of nature. The Wicca witches never cross the nature laws. Also, the magic in Harry Potter does not obey the laws of psychics. Most of the people who believe and perform real witchcraft use their minds. They go into themselves and do rituals with their body, mind and surroundings. The Harry Potter magic consists of waving your wand and saying a spell. Of course there is mental exercise involved, but not in the same way.

JK's books are completely unrelated to the "Witchcraft" of the Bible, except the wizard Lord Voldemort. His behaviour closely fits the Hebrew word m'khaseph, which means "an evil sorcerer". He is always described as a force of evil that has to be destroyed.

Divination however, is a type of magic some Wiccas use to tell the future. But it is not the main part of the Wicca magic. In Harry Potter, divination is set up as a class. In real life you know it, or you don't. Most of those who tell the fortune are not involved in any other type of magic. The arts of Divination needs the full attention of the "Seer". The "Seer" has to concentrate on that one thing and nothing else! Foretelling someone's horoscope, the casting of runes, reading tarot cards, interpreting tea leaves, or the observing of a groundhog's shadow to decide whether Spring will be delayed are the most ancient forms of Divination.

Lindy Beam of Focus on the Family, commented on the Harry Potter books: "Harry's magic is of an entirely different nature from real-world witchcraft." Beam quotes Chuck Colson, a popular Christian author: "Harry and his friends cast spells, read crystal balls, and turn themselves into animals-but they don't make contact with a supernatural world."

That is one of the key points. All "real" witches make contact with some type of supernatural force. It can be a God, an element or Mother Nature. Harry Potter does not, as mentioned above, make these contacts for using magic. This is what the Christians who think Harry Potter is the devil get wrong. Because the traditional magic is making contact with another God or force of nature. And since "Thou shall not have other God's than Him", Harry Potter is "putting the wrong image of God in children's minds".

In Wicca, everyone can be a witch if they are willing to live by loving the earth and Mother Nature. In Harry Potter, only those with magic in their blood get to go to Hogwarts or other Witch/Wizard schools. Wicca is a religion, the magic in Harry Potter is NOT.
Satanism is the worship of the Devil. The Death Eaters worship Voldemort and he makes them do evil things for him, but they are the bad guys! They will lose!

As you can see, there is no, or at least very little, connection between Harry Potter and real witchcraft. It does not in any way make fun of, or rebel any type of religion!