Double Erica power is back to bring you the second blog in our seven part Life Lessons of Harry Potter Series.
To recap, Erica Haskett & I (Erica Rose) decided to do a fun collaboration for 2022. Erica suggested we both re-read our favorite series, Harry Potter, to discuss and I suggested it’d be so much fun for us to pick out the life lesson takeaways we get from each one and turn it into a blog series. So, here we are!
Today is all about my childhood favorite Chamber of Secrets!
I personally just think this book is so magical. When I was freshly ten years old, I was taken to see Sorcerer’s Stone in theaters and I immediately fell in love. Afterwards, I asked my parents to buy me the books because I needed to know what happened next. And in true Little Erica fashion, I didn’t have the patience to read Sorcerer’s Stone because I just saw it in the movies, I knew what happened. I needed to start with Chamber of Secrets.
So yes, I actually read Sorcerer’s Stone last, well after the seventh book had come out and I realized I should probably finally read the first one (🙈).
Chamber of Secrets holds a special place it my heart because it was the first book I really truly absolutely fell in love with. I was also sooo amped to see it in theaters. I thought it was so clever and fun and when all the clues came together in the end and Harry and the gang finally figured it out, my ten year old self thought it was so genius and amazing.
Re-reading it as an adult definitely made me think about a few different things and how there really are so many metaphors for spirituality and life within there.
So, here are both mine and Erica Haskett’s takeaways for Chamber of Secrets:
Erica Haskett, House Hufflepuff:
Okay so re-reading Chamber of Secrets felt like reading it for the first time for me. Like I had watched the movie a million times and knew what happened but all of the little details in the book that aren’t in the movie felt so new to me for some reason, which made it a little *extra* magical to read. Not much stood out to me aside from how much I didn’t remember AT ALL lol, but I’d like to talk about Fawkes and Dumbledore’s first really remarkable quote of the series, “It’s out choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” (page 333).
First off, Fawkes. Everything about Fawkes is simply amazing. His healing powers, how he dies and is reborn from his ashes–he is just truly such a beautiful, magical, spiritual being. I did some research on phoenixes, and as with anything there were many different interpretations of what they symbolize, so I’ll just tell you what I think. The first thing we see and learn about Fawkes is that when he dies he bursts into flames and is immediately reborn again from his ashes. The next thing we see and learn about Fawkes is in the Chamber of Secrets when he literally saves the day and also Harry’s life not only by blinding the basilisk but also by healing harry’s arm with his tears and then carrying everyone back up to safety in the school. All of these events put together to me show that phoenixes symbolize rebirth, healing, loyalty, love, protection, and just a general sense of overcoming any and everything. Suuuper beautiful, powerful spiritual beings.
Second, Dumbledore’s quote that just so perfectly landed on page 333. This has always been one of my favorite quotes from the Harry Potter series and something I’ve always kind of had in the back of my mind that’s helped guide me as a person. We have all the power in the world to make whatever choices we want in life, and whatever choices we make ultimately show us and everyone else who we are. Not our abilities or potential. The choices we actually make. That’s a very powerful quote to put in a children’s book. And then for it to appear on page 333, the angel number that to me has always meant the harmony of mind, body and spirit. Just perfect in every way.
Erica Rose, House Slytherin:
When I was little I was obsessed with the idea of Polyjuice Potion. I thought it was so cool (but probably mainly because it was the plot line that gave us more Draco Malfoy and a peak into the Slytherin common room), but now I’m starting to think that Polyjuice Potion could actually be a really great manifesting tool.
So, what if you made some kind of juice concoction? Use all the fruits you like or even buy a pre-made juice and just labeled it “Polyjuice Potion.” And when you drink it, you can pretend that you are transforming into the best version of you! The version of you who is confident, who knows they are worthy and wealthy and healthy, who knows they have the true love and the self love and the friends love, and who knows that everything is possible for them. Use it as your pretend magic potion to give you a boost of confidence!
For the past year, I’ve been trying to drink green juice every day (I spent a lifetime neglecting vegetables because I just hate the taste, so in the words of Taylor Swift this is me trying.) and going forward I am definitely going to pretend every sip is a bit of Polyjuice Potion!
Another takeaway from the Chamber of Secrets for me was the Rogue Bludger. You know the scene where Harry is playing Quidditch and a Bludger is bewitched to attack only him and it just keeps following him around. Harry tries to ignore it and focus on the game and getting the snitch, but the Bludger just keeps coming after him.
This is so very much the vibe of “what you resist, persists.” When you try to ignore certain emotions or shadow work or anything within you that so desperately needs healing, it’s just going to keep coming at you and may even prevent you from trying to reach your snitch (your dreams!). The best thing you can do is face your problems, figuring out what needs to be healed, and even if it’s uncomfortable - push yourself to do it. Because, like the rogue blunger, when you can shine some magic on it, it will go away! And it will be that much easier to catch your golden snitch.
In this book, there’s a scene where Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs are talking about why they suspect Harry to be the heir of Slytherin. Harry even overhears this and eventually confronts Ernie. Ernie points out that Harry hates the muggles he lives with (a very dark lord trait) and Harry is all like you’d hate the Dursleys too if you spent time with them!
This made me think about how for us spiritual, magical people sometimes we really do have to deal with muggles and they’re the worst. These are the people who refuse to believe in magic in real life, they are so negative, they have no hope, they don’t believe in happily ever after’s, they think life is just full of drudgery and hard work, and doubt there’s any real point of us being here. They tell us we live in a bubble, in the “fake” world and things don’t just magically come true.
We’ve all encountered people like this and they really are so draining. We are so magical and sometimes living amongst muggles (especially if it’s ones you’re actually living with like your parents / guardians or even assigned roommates in college) can be really draining. Muggles, like the Dursleys, just really don’t understand us. They don’t understand our way of thinking, our way of being, our optimism, and because of that they are cruel to us and try to dim our light. They try to knock us down to their level.
Whether they are a parent, a co-worker, a friend, or someone on the internet - no one can ever truly dim your magical sparkle. You are a wizard! You are filled with so much magic. Not everyone is going to understand you and that’s okay; they don’t need to.
So long as you genuinely love who you are and love the path you are on, and so long as you believe the world is filled with magic, magic will always show up for you. It’s so important to never let the muggles get you down. Shine bright always!
When in doubt go to the library! Another point I thought was cute in Chamber of Secrets was how Ron and Harry joked that Hermione always goes to the library for every solution. This definitely rang true because books really can solve most of our problems! If you need help learning how to make more money - you can read books about it! If you need help learning how to manifest your dreams - read some books! If you’re curious about past lives or Akashic records - get some books! Almost all of your questions have already been answered by books; so really when in doubt going to the library isn’t the worst piece of advice; it’s actually pretty spot on!
Of course, finally, what I really love is when Dumbledore says his famous quote “Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.” (Of course he later amends it to: “those who deserve it” in Deathly Hallows, but we’re not up to that yet!)
This is beautiful because it really is like Hogwarts is the Universe. Hogwarts is your spirit team; your guides, your angels, your God/Goddess, your fairies, your loved ones, your higher self, whoever you best resonate with. Hogwarts is all of them - and all of them are so willing to help you but you have to ask!
Your angels can’t really interfere unless you specifically ask them. In which case, they are so more than happy to help you! Their main purpose in life is to help you, so you are absolutely never, ever a bother. All you really have to do is ask for help and help will absolutely be given!
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