Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Neither of the above rites of passages, though both are important and definitely bound by rules of magic, are especially ritualistic in a participatory sense. In this regard, the many layers of security that Harry and his friends must get through in order to arrive at the Sorcerer's Stone is the most clear example in the book. Each trial on the way to the room that contains the Stone tests some of the skills and knowledge that Harry, Ron, and Hermione have begun to acquire on their journey through adolescence and to adulthood, making the journey past each obstacle a very literal interpretation of a rite of passage. Each of these obstacles ends up requiring some literal form of the world's magic, usually in the form of a spell, in order to be overcome, tying magic to the rites of passage in a manner that is at once quite explicit and direct, ye also highly symbolic in the context of the full narrative.
One of these rites of passage, the game of life-sized wizard's chess that Ron plays, in which he must sacrifice himself, is especially important in terms of the evolution of magical thinking, and specifically of ideas concerning witchcraft. In a discussion of "liminal fluids' -- those that were of the body but no longer are -- James Brain argues that "what makes these substances so deeply threatening...
Though the fluids of sacrifice that Brain is discussing are not actually present here (this book can be considered the PG version of witchcraft), the effect of Ron's apparent death are similar -- he becomes tainted, and Harry must leave this sacrifice behind in order to progress towards his goal. There is a symbolic shedding of fluid in the symbolic death that Ron suffers, and this becomes a necessary element for Harry's rite of passage into adulthood.
Ultimately, of course, the primary rite of passage that Harry goes through in the action of the narrative concerns his facing off with Voldemort. This is not, however, the primary way in which Harry grows and develops as an individual. Rowling very carefully crafted this novel in such a way that, while magi is a necessary element for growth in this world, the real essence of magic is to enhance and make clear what an individual's own internal capabilities are. The rites of passage that Harry goes through abound with the outward trappings of magic, but the lessons he learns and the ways in which he grows are all very much internal, part of the universal magic of human progression. The murky details of our inner workings are often as unknown as the principles of magic, but knowing them is necessary to move onward in life.
Ritual Magic Rituals and Magic of 'Deep Play' of Past and Present Eras It is common in our present location and age, perhaps except for those minority religious subcultures or communities who identify themselves as part of Wiccan or Goddess worship organizations, to view ritual magic as a legitimate practice only of the far past. Though millions read their horoscopes daily, and wear lucky talismans, there is a common intellectual currency amongst
These include factors such as the secularization and diversification of religious belief and practice; social and geographical mobility; the growth of both consumerism and environment. Christian Rituals and Evil Christianity has always had its rituals by which to confront and overcome evil. Its story is the biblical story of the unending struggle of God against chaos and sin, a story whose decisive chapter was the life and death and resurrection of
Rituals and Witchcraft Body Ritual among the Nacirema by Horace Miner Different cultures have various ways of looking at the human body and the manifestation of which in the community or society they live in. Some open societies do not mind having people displaying their bodies in public along with accoutrements that add beauty thereto. Other closed societies frown on display of any body parts especially with female members. The Nacirema of
The Stress and Coping Model The stress and coping model as a perspective on the human mind concerns the connection between the mind and body. This model assumes that stress in the mind can have a physiological effect. Significant stress, for example, could have significant physical health effects. A person who is under constant stress, for example, might exhibit a lack of overall physical health or the recurrence of a specific
Eleusinian Cult of Demeter and the Magical Initiation Rites that are part of each of those groups. The writer explores the groups and explains many of their beliefs and ways while focusing on the differences and similarities of them. There were five sources used to complete this paper. Throughout history there have been mysterious groups, rituals and events that have only served to enhance the historic records of mankind. As
The Spirit-Child birth and connection to Dream shows the Aboriginal belief that they are tied to all things magical. According to research, "Aboriginal man was linked to the Dreaming, to the creative era, and contained within himself part of the essence of the mythic beings," (Berndt 8). The culture strongly emphasized the existence of spiritual beings living alongside the Aboriginals themselves. Aboriginals "saw themselves as living representations of such beings,"