Harry Potter and Wicca?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Witch School on July 20, 2009 at 9:50pm

400 million copies of books, The largest opening weekend in the history of movies, 4.6 billion dollars for the movies alone, and because it has entered the world. Christians are using this to define us, and they are using fiction to accuse reality. They have a at least 100 million dollar anti-Harry campaign, which helps them accuse the world of practicing Witchcraft.

But why discuss it? Because people who do read Harry end up on our shores, and we need to deal with them. Because Harry is used against Pagan children, and because unchallenged Harry Potter would define us in the public eye. Without discussing this, something that it so much bigger than our community, would press on us so hard, that we could not ignore it and we would have to deal with the stereotypes it creates at some point. This is why I talk often on Harry Potter, and I have even had my protests published in mainstream press.

We discuss it because it is too big not to discuss.

Permalink Reply by Patty Russo on July 23, 2009 at 12:54pm

I can understand what you are saying, but Harry Potter has about as much to do with Wicca as Transformers has to do with my car. Again, I see no other movies being promoted here. So, why harry Potter if it is so important to distance ourselves from what some people say about the movie and about witches?

In my opinion, we have allowed ourselves to be drawn into an unreasonable dispute that lacks common sense. It reminds of when my my son engages his younger sister in an argument by calling her retarded. She yells and cries and I tell her, "Don't let him get you so upset about something you know is not true. Don't even validate comments like that. He's only saying because he knows you will respond" That is how I feel we are acting with this Harry Potter stuff, just like my daughter. The Christian right are acting just like my son. They know they will be able to find someone to engage in a pissing match if they just yell loud enough and find the right buttons to push.

I respectfully and totally disagree with you on this one. The ampount of money harry Potter has made and the number of books in print matters very little to me. Those figures hardly give the argument more credibility.

Permalink Reply by Midnight Starr on July 20, 2009 at 10:54pm

Patricia,

I was thinking that when I joined (Which was three years ago) I didn't join because of Harry Potter. I joined because I read up on all the Wiccan literature for at least ten years prior and I had friends who were already in the faith. The reason why it took me so long to join was because I was hesitant due to reading so much about the Guardnarian Wicca. Then a friend told me that you don't have to Skyclad to be Wiccan.

When I was first thinking about becoming Wiccan, I was more into Anne Rice than J.K. Rowling. But it wasn't fiction that got me into the faith, rather it was my own desire to do so. Otherwise, I read the lives of the Mayfair Witches as more fiction than reality. Thank god for Starhawk, Raymond Buckland, and all those who wrote about the reality of Wicca. And it wasn't friends either that got me into the faith either.

So I see where you are coming from when it comes to people joining because of Harry Potter. Those that join because of Harry Potter will be shocked to begin with. Number one, according to the rede, we have to respect other people's free will, which includes not killing them. Some of them would be shocked at the idea of being Skyclad in some convens. They also do not get that we worship more than one deity.

Anyway there is more to Wicca than what Hollywood shows.

Permalink Reply by Witch School on July 22, 2009 at 1:32pm

You are absolutely right in that many are shocked and many more leave. But some stay and discover more. I hope that more people join because they want the information, and then Harry Potter. In another week or so, Harry and friends will go back to the back burner, and once again we will be on our own. It's the way I like it best.

Permalink Reply by Tony Jenkins on July 23, 2009 at 5:48pm

To put it simply Patricia, Harry Potter is just the largest franchise at present dealing with anything metaphysical or even loosely related to Witchcraft. Remember now, that it does in fact deal with elements of Witchcraft, and its figures, that do have real life counterparts, such as some of Dumbledore's friends such as Nicolas Flamel. Even before this there was The Craft, a standalone film that is still inspiring many to come to Wicca and Witchcraft today, even if for the wrong reasons.

As Wicca expands and grows larger, you can of course expect it to be attacked and come under scrutiny. Today we have the option by law to seek protection from persecution. Remember when Christianity first came around, the U.S. Constitution was not there to protect them, and they had to fight to establish themselves as much as we have to fight to establish ourselves today. We just have more on our plate to deal with, and more than just an (arguably) tyrannical Pagan government wishing to decapitate us. Instead we have a government at war with itself between Liberalism and the Christian Right, we have a badly portrayed faith in Media, and we have several on the outside wondering about these questions. So many will ask what is the difference. Witch School is at least willing to answer.

Now on the terms of your thinking, I would have to in turn pose the question of what does the "Burning Times" have to do with modern Wicca? It's been written in several books about the figures of "9 million" and how witches were hung, burned, tortured or done away with in a myriad of other heinous fashions. The last reported death for this as a punishable act was what, 1722 I think? Bearing that in mind, and Wicca not coming around until the 50's publicly, how could we then relate the two? Further, knowing that pretty much none of those accused were witches to begin with, how do we justify Wicca's claim to this?

There are a surprising amount of things that are associated with Wicca today that one may not thing would have much to do with one another, but so long as people have questions, or someone is willing to put two and two together, the causal relationship will ensue and there will always have to be someone there to educate on the truth of the matter. At least that's as far as I see it.

Blessings,
Tony

Permalink Reply by Patty Russo on July 27, 2009 at 12:32pm

True, but The Burning Times actually happened. Harry Potter is fantasy . That is the difference. Of course Wicca can lay claim to The Burning Times; those acts were committed against witches and suspected witches, and anyone else that got in the way. I do not see how you can use The Burning Times in your argument.

I respect everyone's opinion on this, but mine remains the same. I feel we do a diservice to Wicca by trivializing it this way. Wicca is not a game and Harry Potter does not practice magic. In fact, Harry Potter does not really exist.

I believe that our efforts explain Wicca to others is best served by being grounded in reality. There is a far bigger opponent of Wicca, with far more books published, The Bible. History itself is our ally when showing others the mistakes of The Bible and the ways that people have used it to do more harm than good.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with answering questios about Hary potter and Wicca, but I think it is going a little off base. The real challenge is the theological views that opponents of Harry Potter hold which are incorrectly aimed at Wicca. It is those fraudulent views that we should be discussing, not a fantasy movie.

And no one is answering why we are promoting the movie. I still strain to understand how we can teach people about the truth of Wicca through a children's book.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Surdam on July 23, 2009 at 9:33pm

I think Harry Potter's about way more than "Witchcraft," in it's own type of "Witchcraft." I like it because I think it's much more about the ways of humans, how we do things, how we behave, what we do, how we love, and the choices we make. I've never really related it to Witchcraft, in fact. I think that Rowling took her work and set it into a fantastical land that children could relate to. As it just so happens, many adults enjoyed it as well. It's a way for children to escape their own real world, and jump into a different place where they can be someone else for just a little while. It's why books like that, Twilight, Narnia, Shanarra, The Sword of Truth, etc, will always be loved by children and often adults alike. The whole Witchcraft argument surrounding Harry Potter, IMHO, is just something for people who have too much time on their hands to attack people they don't understand and don't want to understand. JMO...

Permalink Reply by Patty Russo on July 27, 2009 at 12:33pm

I love those same books as well and agree with your points.

Permalink Reply by Shadow Witch on February 6, 2011 at 1:55pm

I agree with Witchschool about why we have to talk about Harry Potter. I became a Pagan long before Harry Potter came out and anytime I have to watch another horrible video on Youtube about how Harry Potter, Charms, Buffy, or any of those things get children involved in Wicca I feel the need to address that we don't get people to join, we don't pull them in. Christians will look for any reason to attack us and we have to be on our guard.

I love Harry Potter but when its used to state that it's the reasons that people are joining Wicca and add the fact the the RCC has got a former Wiccan to publish something to counter Harry Potter then we have to say that their wrong, that we've never had anyone join us. Those people do end up coming to us but as soon as they realize that what we do is nothing like what's done in Harry Potter then they move on but some stay for a long time and that is not due to Harry Potter.

Permalink Reply by Rev. Millie Toups/ Starlight)0( on April 30, 2011 at 7:43pm

Ok ..I'm gonna do it..open mouth & insert foot! I absolutely LOVE Harry Potter. I have all of the movies & I watch them often...Do I compare the show to my Wiccan walk? No..but it does make great for entertainment. However on the other hand, in a spiritual sense..we ARE very magical people & do ward off negative energy much like Harry..we make potions & cast spells also, so to condemn the movie because it's not real Wiccan or Paganism would be like talking about the farmer with your mouth full of corn. As far as Christianity goes..they have been burning us at the stake for years , both physically & spiritually ..long before Harry Potter was ever even a twinkle in his authors eye. I never did associate my Wiccan path as a Harry Potter path..I'm to deep for that. You know the Christians Jesus spoke in parables (stories) to them...did they get brain cramps over knowing what was actually fact & what was a story? No.
Am I worried that the young people who come to this site are thinking we are like Harry Potter? No. ....because once they're here..they learn the truth and go on to become outstanding Wiccans. So if Harry Potter gets them here, them let him! It's not going to hurt them either way.