#Ariana Grande Practices Witchcraft

[msclaritea]

My questions reg. Southport incident: Why is a children's yoga teacher Leanne Lucas organising Taylor Swift themed events for young children? Does she not know Taylor is a top MKUltra slave & moneymaker for the elite? How appropriate is to condition small kids with her music?

Why is she using bee symbology on her website? A known Freemasons

Freemasonic symbol? Is she just gullible or is she just another chaos agent?

Why is one of the murdered children wearing a white bridal dress and the other one displaying witch symbology on her t-shirt? (Elphaba and Galinda, the two witches from the “#Wicked” musical). There are child bride rituals within Mkultra training.

(It was recently revealed that Ariana Grande is a practicing witch. No wonder she was so heartless to those serial killer victims' family)

Why does no MSM account mention how the 17 y old killer gained entry into the venue which caters for pregnant women, babies etc.? Why does the logo of the venue- The #HartSpace feature a triangle made out of letter A? Why is the Hart spelled without the e?

By the way the company was set up on 13.10.2023 & is #LGBTQ+ friendly. Owner is Jennifer Louise Scholes. It is not a dance studio as #MSM mentioned, it is an antenatal, hypnobirthing, baby massage etc. venue.

Glad to see others questioning the #psyops "

https://thehartspace.co.uk/about-the-space/

https://open.substack.com/pub/miri/p/the-whole-of-the-moon?r=2wm6gf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

[saintmachina]

Could we please get the witchy music rec list to go along with the God-haunted one?

Of course! Here's some of my recent faves. This is a mixture of new age and secular music, sorted by mood, so YMMV on what you like, but this is a jumping off point! And here's the God-haunted playlist, in case you want to explore that one.

~ coven dance party ~

W.I.T.C.H - Devon Cole

Black Magic (Sep V Mix) - Magic Wands

Brujas - Princess Nokia

Bind Us All - The Festival

Lil Gems - Nicki Fre$h

~ 90s witch vibes ~

Building a Mystery - Sarah McLachlan

Amas Veritas - Alan Silvestri (Practical Magic Soundtrack)

Uninvited - Alanis Morrissette

~ working your will ~

Gimmie - Banks

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Sleeping At Last

~ hexing your ex ~

Silver Springs - Fleetwood Mac

You Can't Outrun 'Em - Jenny Lewis

~ a tiny goddess in all of us ~

Our Lady of The Underground - Anais Mitchell

Goddess - Banks

God is a Woman - Ariana Grande

~ instrumentals for spellcasting ~

The Mysterious Gift To Mankind - Tangerine Dream

Dance of the Satyrs - Daemonia Nymphe

~ audible love potions ~

Witchcraft - Graveyard Club

[daydreamerwithnohobbies]

NAVIGATION

I just realised I've never did an navigation post on here so here is it!!

I'm J and a minor.

As my bio says I LOVE music and arts.

some of the fandoms I'm in:

harry potter(in general the wizarding world),twilight,dead poets society,ariana grande/taylor swift(swiftie/arianator),heartstopper and yeah basically all the movies and series I like-

I'm bisexual myself and I support the lgbtqia+ community!

I practice witchcraft for almost three years now and am spiritually connected.I believe in the pagan belief and I work with goddess Artemis and goddess Hekate.

--------------------------------------------------

Some of the artists I mostly listen to are:

taylor swift,sabrina carpenter,olivia rodrigo,conan gray,ariana grande,lana del rey,beyoncé,lauryn hill,fleedwood mac(stevie nicks) and many more!!

my zodiac sign is aquarius and my mbti is something between infp and isfp!

I post random sh*t and thoughts on here and yeah:)

I like having cool mutuals here that share interests with me so one of the reasons I'm doing this navigation in the first place lmao-

[yestoheaven555]

hello my angels, ☆ welcome to my blog ☆

ABOUT ME :

name : you can call me 𝐒

practice time : in the LOA community since 2020

nacionality: brazilian

fav colors : blue, pink, and black

fav singers : LDR, djonga, suki waterhouse, phoebe bridgers, sza, jesse, ariana grande, taylor s, MARINA and summer walker, flo milli, megan thee stalion, lil peep, the weeknd and more

fav bands : chase atlantic, the nbhd, deftones, crosses, girl in red

languages you can talk to me : english, spanish and portuguese

religion : i am not religious but i am pagan and i practice witchcraft

INTRODUCTION :

i created this blog to share my journey, make it more fun and help people out, i have some hot takes on manifestation that i want to make more content on, but feel free to ask me about any specific topic.

i dont intend to make any money with this so you can absolutely ask for affs or any kind of help with loa that ill be happy to help u 🤍

[diosa-loba]

.. and at the end of the day, women will still hate women.

because beyonce is dumb irl, a terrible songwriter who has a good body and is only successful bc she's light skin n practices dark witchcraft and she's really nothing compared to not aging well rihanna, that abused victim that went back to her abuser, but who is now a baby mama who settled for a broke, colorist ASAP Rocky, but taylor swift is a closet lesbian who always plays victim and a bitter nothing who clearly hates other girls. and megan thee stallion is an alcoholic hoe who only knows how to twerk to make up for her is trash rapping and she deserved to be shot. and that's exactly why cardi b sucks cos she has a terrible bbl and had to change her whole face to be pretty, but doja cat is a self hating racist who's rude to her fans and is only hot when she's thicc and wears lopsided wigs. zendaya is only considered pretty and a successful actor cos she's biracial just like h.e.r and tyla who are just industry plants with boring, forgettable music. don't forget about lori harvey the nepo baby who only is seen as arm candy to famous men because they need the pr .. also cringy singer j.lo and her attention starved pap calls, poor ben affleck, looks so trapped and miserable in a marriage with such a horrible woman, unlike that terrible dancer mariah carey, who has no sex appeal and is a fat, stuck up hater who thinks she's better than everyone .. oh she's only black when it's convenient to the black community. and like, there must be something wrong with halle berry if she can't keep a man, she got a nose job and she's really not the first black woman to be awarded academy award for best actress bc she's only half black, but viola davis is not considered beautiful enough bc she's dark skinned. but naomi campbell, ryan destiny and justine skye are all beautiful dark skinned women even though naomi is a super bitch with a white child and ryan and justine are nobodies so they can't represent black women. oh and lana del rey was hot until she was big and she made trailerpark sexy until her ass got a little too fat. and ariana grande .. black fishing to asian fishing, culture vulture homewrecker who clearly needs therapy and a sandwich, and kylie and khloe the ugly forever a baby mama pathetic, desperate sisters, but kim k, the scared to age porn whore who f'd up her face n body and is more boring than watching paint dry.

and amidst all of this, we still don't know these women. we cannot fathom the pain of having a public divorce, one where people choose sides and hurl insults at you until the battery on their phone dies. we don't watch them chase after sweet-cheeked children in tucked-away backyards or play board games, have glasses of wine or cups of tea and dance around with their best friends while their belly's ache in laughter. we don't know their marriages or relationships .. and we don't know their pains, traumas, insecurities or solitudes. we don't watch them unravel themselves, time and time again, preparing for the battle that we have made of their lives. they can never make a mistake. they can never cry. they can never be who they believe themselves to be.

and we take all of this and we go to work, we go grocery shopping, we walk in sunlight, we sit under the moon, we watch our favorite series and read our books.

so i close the gossip app. i try not to think about the endless women debating, arguing and insulting about how much they hate this age woman, that age woman, that skin color, this skin color, her body, that body, her hair, her face, her relationship, that side chick, that wife, that singer, that model, that actress, that famous man's woman. i try not to think about how much they would hate me if they knew me. and i think about how most of these women are probably quite lovely irl and their online personas are not who they really are .. they have insecurities the same as me and every woman i've known irl. yeah some of them may be just be haters, jealous and bitter, but most women just need to feel better about their shadows, if "such n such" public eye persona has "this fault". sometimes i join these debates, sometimes i defend, sometimes i post a funny gif, sometimes i've shared my experiences or things i've learned, but most times i'm silently lurking and keep my opinions to myself lol some of them women are unnecessarily brutal bullies.

then i come to tumblr 🖤 .. where it's cozy 🔥🌻

[samwisethewitch]

What does it mean to be pagan? (Paganism 101 Ch. 1)

That’s right, y’all! With Baby Witch Bootcamp officially wrapped, it’s time to jump into our next long term series! I put out a poll on Patreon, and my patrons voted for Paganism 101 as our next series. While not all witches are pagan and not all pagans are witches, there is a lot of overlap between the two groups. Both witchcraft and paganism offer practitioners a sense of freedom, a deeper connection to the world around them, and a greater awareness of their personal power.

I identify both as a witch and as a pagan, and I get a lot of questions about paganism. In this series, we’ll go through the basics: what it means to be pagan, the difference between a neopagan and a reconstructionist, and the role of magic in different pagan traditions. We’ll also talk about some of the most popular modern pagan traditions and how to find the right tradition for you.

Let’s start off by answering the question, “What does pagan actually mean?”

Defining “Pagan”

It’s important to remember that “pagan” is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of different faiths. Someone who practices Wicca, for example, will have very different beliefs from someone who practices Hellenismos. These different faiths are linked by a shared history, rather than by shared beliefs or practices.

The word “pagan” comes from the Latin “paganus,” which literally means “area outside of a city” or, to phrase it slightly differently, “countryside.” This adjective was used to describe people and things that were rustic or rural and, over time, came to also have the connotation of being uneducated. Originally, the word had no religious association, and was even used to refer to non-combatants by the Roman military.

From this definition, we can gain some insight into what makes a religion or practice pagan. Pagans feel a kinship with the wild or rural places of the world, and are comfortable waking “off the beaten path.”

But how did “paganus” come to refer to a type of religion, anyway?

To understand the religious meaning of “paganus,” it’s necessary to understand a little bit about the religion of Ancient Rome. Rome (the city) was built inside a pomerium, a sacred boundary that formed a spiritual border around the city and its people. Paganus folks were those who lived outside the pomerium and, as such, may not have been strict adherents of the state religion — they certainly wouldn’t have been able to travel into the city for every major festival. They may have gotten a bit more creative with their worship of the gods. However, as previously stated, the word paganus did not have an explicitly religious meaning in ancient times.

The use of paganus as a religious label began after the legalization of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 C.E. Christianity would not be adopted as the official state religion until 380 C.E., but Constantine’s conversion and decriminalization of Christian worship paved the way for Rome’s transformation into a Christian state. It was around this time, as Christianity was quickly growing in urban areas, that early Roman Christians began using the word “paganus” to refer to those who still practiced polytheism. Rather than referring to those outside the city’s boundary or to untrained civilians, the label now referred to those outside the Church, those who were not “soldiers of Christ.”

As Christianity spread in popularity throughout the Mediterranean, Europe, and Northern Africa, the pagan label was applied to all non-Christians in those areas. The word “pagan” became a derogatory label, implying an inferior and backwards religion.

So, really, the thing that makes a religion pagan is a historical conflict with Christianity. Pagan religions are those that were suppressed or completely destroyed after Christianity became the dominant faith in the region.

This is why Norse Paganism and Kemetic (Egyptian) polytheism, which are very different, are both considered “pagan” while Shinto, a Japanese religion that shares a lot of common features with many pagan faiths, is not. Because Christianity never achieved total dominance in Japan, Shinto was never pushed aside to make room for Jesus.

In the 20th century, people who felt drawn to these old religions started to reclaim the pagan label. Like many other reclaimed slurs, “pagan” became a positive label for a community united by their shared history.

What do all pagans have in common?

This is a tough question to answer because, as stated above, paganism is a historical definition, not one shaped by belief or practice. However, there are some things most pagans have in common. Here are a few of them, although these concepts may take different forms in different traditions.

Paganism…

… is (usually) polytheistic. Most pagans do not subscribe to monotheism, the belief in a single, all-powerful divine being. Some pagans are polytheists, meaning they believe in multiple divine beings with varying levels of power. Hellenic pagans, Norse pagans, and Celtic pagans are typically polytheists. Still others are monists, meaning they believe in a single divine source that manifests itself as multiple gods. Wiccans and other neopagans are typically monists. Many pagans fall somewhere in-between strict polytheism and strict monism. We’ll talk more about polytheism in a future post, but for now just know that the idea of a single, supreme creator is not compatible with most forms of paganism.

… is based in reciprocity. This is a concept that may seem odd to those who grew up around Abrahamic religions: the idea of engaging the gods in a mutually beneficial partnership, rather than one-sided worship. When we connect with the gods, we receive spiritual, emotional, and physical blessings. The gods also benefit, as they are strengthened by our prayers and offerings. (I like to think they also enjoy the company. It has to be lonely, having your body of worshipers supplanted by an anarchist carpenter from Palestine.) The concept of reciprocity is why most pagans make physical offerings to their gods.

Reciprocity also extends to our relationships with other people. Most pagan religions have a code of ethics that includes values like hospitality, kindness, and/or fairness with others. Depending on the pagan, reciprocity may even extend to the dead! Many (but not all) pagans practice ancestor worship, the act of honoring and venerating the beloved dead.

Reciprocity may even extend to the world at large. Some (but not all) pagans are animists, which means they believe that every animal, plant, and stone contains its own spirit. Animist pagans strive to live in harmony with the spirits of the world around them, and may make offerings to these spirits as a sign of friendship.

… embraces the Divine Feminine. Paganism acknowledges and venerates both masculine and feminine expressions of divinity. Polytheist pagans worship both gods and goddesses, while monist pagans see the divine Source as encompassing all genders. In either case, the end result is the same: pagans acknowledge that, sometimes, God is a woman. (Cue the Ariana Grande song.)

Paganism also acknowledges gender expressions outside the masculine/feminine binary. Many pagan deities, like Loki (in Norse paganism), Atum (in Kemetic paganism), and Aphroditus (a masculine aspect of the Greek Aphordite) exist somewhere in the grey area between man and woman.

… is compatible with a mystic mindset. Remember how I said there’s a lot of overlap between witchcraft and paganism? Part of the reason for that is because paganism is highly compatible with magic and other mystical practices. Most pagans believe that humans have, or can attain, some level of divine power. It makes sense that this power would manifest as magic, or as other spiritual abilities. Many of the ancient cultures modern paganism draws inspiration from practiced magic in some form, so it follows that modern pagans would as well.

… draws inspiration from the ancient stories. As we discussed, “pagan” originally referred to the religious groups that were pushed out by Christian hegemony. As a result, every modern pagan is a little bit of a historian. Because paganism was pushed underground, it takes a little digging to find myths, rituals, and prayers that can be used or adapted for modern practice.

Many pagans worship historic deities that you’ve probably read about at some point. Visit any pagan pride event, and you’ll probably find worshipers of Zeus, Venus, Thor, and Isis, just to name a few. Studying and interpreting ancient mythology and archaeological evidence is a big part of modern paganism.

… is a religion with homework. If you’ve read this far, you may be beginning to realize that being pagan is a lot of work. It’s fun, spiritually fulfilling, and very rewarding work, but work all the same. Because very few modern pagans have access to temples, priests and priestesses, or an in-person community that shares their beliefs, they end up having to teach themselves, do their own research, and guide their own practice.

This is incredibly empowering, as it means you are your own religious authority. It does, however, mean that you will occasionally have to open a book or slog through a dense academic article about the most recent archaeological find related to your favorite deity. Thankfully, there’s a growing number of accessible, beginner-friendly books, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels to help you in your research.

… embodies a deep respect for the natural world. While not all pagans are animists, most pagans do feel some sort of reverence for the forces of nature. Many pagan deities are associated with natural forces or use the natural world to communicate with their followers. Because of this, not only do pagans respect and love nature, but they’re constantly watching it for signs and messages. (Are you really friends with a pagan if they haven’t called you crying because they found a crow feather on the ground or saw a woodpecker in their backyard?)

Some pagan groups, especially neopagan religions like Wicca, have been classified as Earth-centered religions. Personally, I dislike this term. While it is true that many pagans feel a deep spiritual connection to the Earth and may even venerate local nature spirits, to say that these religions are “Earth-centered” feels like an oversimplification. Wiccans, for example, don’t actually worship nature — they worship the God and Goddess, who they see reflected in the natural world.

… is driven by individual spiritual practice. As mentioned above, very few pagans have access to an in-person community. Because of this, modern paganism largely consists of individual practices. Even pagans who do belong to a community still typically worship on their own sometimes. These personal practices may involve prayer, offerings to the gods, meditation, divination, astral travel, performing religious rituals, or countless other practices. Many pagans have personal altars in their homes, where they worship alone or with their family.

… is a celebration of daily life. One thing I love about paganism is how it makes every aspect of my life feel sacred. Many religions emphasize the spiritual aspects of life while deemphasizing, or even demonizing, the physical or mundane aspects. This can lead to practitioners feeling like they are spiritual beings trapped in a physical body, or like their physical needs and desires are something to escape.

Paganism allows practitioners to fully enjoy being physical and spiritual beings. Pagans reach for the heights of spiritual awareness, while also enjoying earthly delights — recognizing that neither is inherently more worthy than the other and that both are needed for a balanced life.

… is only one of many paths to Truth. Most pagan groups do not claim to be the only valid religious path, and in fact several openly acknowledge the validity of other religions. This is why you rarely see pagans trying to convert other people to paganism — it’s openly acknowledged that paganism isn’t for everyone, and that those who are truly meant to practice the old ways will find them.

~~~

Hopefully, this post has given us a good working definition of “paganism.” From here, we’ll explore some of these individual concepts in more depth and discuss specific religions within the pagan umbrella. Until then, blessed be.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

A Witches’ Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality by Lora O’Brien

[shadowdubois]

( ARIANA GRANDE, 28, SHE/HER ) Have you seen [ SHADOW DUBOIS ] around Faerune? They’re a [ WITCH ] who [ SUPPORTS ] restoring the Seelie Court. People have heard they’re [ DETERMINED, INDEPENDENT & HELPFUL ] but can also be [ DESTRUCTIVE, TEMPERAMENTAL & AGGRESSIVE ]. We’ll see where they fall when the revolution arrives, but until then they can be found working as a [ HEAD NURSE OF PEDS & NICU AT FAERUNE HOSPITAL ].

shadow is easy to get along with providing you're not a complete ass because she'll just dish it right back

born and raised in faerune

she likes making new friends, but if you betray her or turn your back on her, she's done with you

will do anything to keep her friends safe, but if they keep doing stupid shit after she saves them over and over, she's likely to just let them learn the hard way since they can't seem to learn or listen

doesn't talk about her husband because he's a dark witch and she knows it's looked down upon to some to practice dark magic. she doesn't necessarily hide that she's married, she just tends to not mention that he's a dark witch

and since she's married to a dark witch, of course her daughter is slightly on the dark side, magic wise, which tends to be a bit more chaotic... and that is harder to hide, because when baby girl gets mad... the house shakes, the lights flicker, things fall, and her screams are echoing screeches

will not tolerate dangerous foolery. if you're leading her into a dangerous situation, she'll let you go ahead and she'll leave your ass there, she's not about to do anything dumb

perfectly fine with teaching others about witchcraft, but will stop teaching you about it if you make a mockery out of it

yes her hair is real, yes she colored it magically and no you can't touch it

she’s kind of obsessed with all things space. she’s very in tune with the universe and loves to learn new things about it

she knows sign language, mostly because she wanted to be able to communicate with her daughter, knowing she wouldn’t be able to talk for a few years

a lover of all animals, but specifically her animals. she has a great dane, a shar pei, and a mastiff and they are her babies. and yes, she knows they’re bigger than her. at a whole whopping 4′10″, her dogs are in fact longer than her when they’re laying down together

when she gets angry, she develops a purple aura around her, her purple hair looks more like purple flames, and her eyes turn purple

most may not notice it, but she floats rather than walks. it’s faster and she doesn’t sweat when she floats. sweating is gross

[xthewhiteravenx]

Tag 8 people you’d like to know better!

Tagged by @starrybrock <3

Favorite color: black, blue, and green.

Last song I listened to:  jamie all over - mayday parade

favorite musicians: in this moment, bring me the horizon, mcr, halsey, ariana grande, machine gun kelly, lady gaga, $uicideboy$, etc. 

Last film I watched: midnight in paris

Last series I watched: doctor who

Favorite OC: honestly, i just created an OC in my solby werewolf fic and i love her to pieces. She’s a rogue alpha werewolf who practices witchcraft and she and Mike’s Dead begin a relationship. 

Sweet, spicy, or savory: when done right, all of the above!

Fizzy water, tea, or coffee: oh damn.... i have to be in the mood for any of these, but I guess fizzy water cause it is so refreshing. 

Tagging @socialanxiety-queen @somewhereontv @wilhellmine @glitchinslimjim

[a-lluring]

｡･: * ◜ she stood in a dress that made her look like 𝖘𝖎𝖓  ❟  and it was fitting that her eyes drifted like 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖐𝖊 above her red lips .  there is no 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑 that is more 𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖓𝖌 than her  ❟  drag me beneath the 𝖋𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖊𝖘  ◞

hello, there !! call me latte, twenty-one, and i go by they / them pronouns. activity will be sporadic as i have other characters but if i had to really pick, i’d say a seven out of ten. my timezone is est but - let’s not talk about my sleeping schedule - i’m probably online when i should be sleeping rip i’ve been writing for years but always finding ways to improve. i’m very chill and love love love plotting back in forth between characters, so feel free to message me if you’re interested !! sooo- let’s have some fun facts about me, ay ?? arctic monkeys is one of my favorite bands ( alex turner owns my entire soul ), i draw digitally but like once a year, and my favorite color is orange / tangerine !! i don’t have a preference between im or discord ( latte#8593 ) but i’d love to hear from you !! here’s my chaotic girlie !! 

✧･ﾟ( circe + ariana grande + cis female ) 𝒎𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒂 !! have you seen ( willow forlani ) around ? ( she / her ) has been in kaos for ( three months ). the ( twenty-six year old ) is a ( professional hairdresser ) from ( edenton, north carolina, usa ). people say they can be ( domineering ) but maybe that’s not too bad ‘cause they can also be ( intrepid ). whenever i think of them, i can’t help but think of ( lithe fingers caressing sun kissed skin, boasting about a bouquet of vibrant flowers framed to look like it was sent by a secret admirer when it was actually the sendee and touching up mauve lipstick in a tastefully decorated restroom ). ･ﾟ✧ ( penned by latte, 21, est, they / them ).

I. BASICS

( full name ) willow evangeline forlani

( job ) hairdresser, social media influencer

( age ) twenty-six

( gender ) cis female

( sexuality ) bisexual

( status ) single?

( greek goddess ) circe a goddess of magic or sometimes a nymph, enchantress or sorceress

( zodiac ) cancer sun, aries moon, libra rising

( myers briggs ) entj

( alignment ) lawful evil

( body type ) short in stature, petite

( height ) 5ft 1in

( weight ) 108Ibs

( hair ) coffee bean, brown

( eyes ) dark chocolate, brown

II. ABOUT

ever since willow could remember, she knew she belonged somewhere extravagant; that she was amounted to greatness. she was born in edenton, north carolina in a dingy starter home with only a single mother to support her and her sisters. being the youngest of three girls, she had to face a lot of obstacles to get the acknowledgement she deserved and outshine any competition. this included her siblings. whenever they’d show any form of accomplishments, willow does everything in her power to one-up them - which, with enough drive, she eventually does. willow was known as little miss perfect in her small town. she’d bake cookies for her neighbors, helped fundraise for charities and made sure anyone caught in her radius recycled their wastes. she was pretty happy with her younger years until she got into her first relationship in high school where looks became a little bit more important than community service. ( tw : cheating ) her boyfriend was her everything. she loved everything about him. from that sexy strand of hair to those harley davidson boots he always wore. it was great, they were young and in love. but things got messy quick, as high school romances tend to do. when he was seen remotely close to any female figure, platonic or not, willow would imagine the worse. she’d always berate him every chance she got until he reached a boiling point where he angrily confessed he’s been sleeping with one of her best friends. her world after that shattered. willow became bitter and pushed away her remaining friends in high school. despite winning prom queen with honors to upstage her sisters, as she always does, she didn’t feel happy at all. she focused more on her looks, eventually finding satisfaction in social media. she gained a sort of comfort when they related to her posts in terms of heartbreak and made quite a following throughout the years with her style. one of her first followers, whom she eventually became close friends with, talked her into pursuing cosmetology. another got her into witchcraft. well, she was weary at first. regardless, she made a voodoo doll of her ex to test the waters but gave up midway when it didn’t look exactly like he did - or not nearly as beautiful as she remembered him - so she threw him out into a bin. a week later, the news reported found said ex in a dumpster, seconds away from being crushed by a garbage truck. it might’ve been a coincidence but she knew that power was something she needed to obtain. so she researched, practiced, and made use of it. willow, with her luck and witchcraft on her side, made otherworldly success. she became an ambassador for versace which popularized her social media and made her a socialite of sorts, had opportunities to style runaway models’ hair, and just recently opened her own professional hair salon located in kaos, greece. now she’s enjoying her time in the sun as much as she can before she moves on to the next thing - attempt to settle down with a lover. behind that well-spoken and mannered facade, willow is a force to reckon with. she may be childish at times, vain, and harsh; but she can be sweet when you least expect it, mainly for a purpose but who’s to know. she has little to no grip on reality, always living life as if it were a dream made in her creation. her arrogance proves it so.

what she lacks in self-awareness, she makes up for it in self-assurance. she’s driven in terms of her career and romance, always dancing between normalcy and obsession, so there’s little to expect from her. one thing’s for sure, she’s a luminous star above a night sky.

III. CONNECTIONS

( platonic ) willow knows a lot - i mean A LOT - of people. she just so chooses to have a close circle that she keeps near and dear. a tight pack that really knows the real her and sticks to her side despite how much of a mess she is behind the cameras

( romantic ) back on willow knowing a lot of people, a majority of them have probably been romantically involved with her. although magazines exaggerate a lot, her relationship count is more or less accurate to what they print

( antagonistic ) a handful of people can see past her mask and probably hate her for it. there may be things she's said in the past that rub people the wrong way - just her real personality showing through, funnily enough. anyway, she has a big following online, it’d be a miracle if there weren’t any haters in the mix.

( wanted ) wishlist muse tag here, i will give my left kidney for these !!

[turning-dreams-into-chaos]

hi! i saw you're doing ships so can i get a hp ship? i'm a 5"7 female, long (almost black) brown hair, chubby, hazel eyes, freckles. pansexual. aquarius sun, libra moon and rising. i'm practicing witchcraft, astrology and tarot are my go-to. bookworm. i feel powerful when i speak and study latin lol. at start i'm a bit shy, but later i'm a whole different person. making jokes is my coping mechanism. big fan of ariana grande, lana del rey, harry styles, melanie martinez... :)

After much thinking, I’m shipping you with Sirius Black!

Sirius would be completely down with practicing your tarot cards with you. Like he’d be so supportive and completely showing off your skills to his friends. 

You both have the same coping mechanism, so you’d know when the other is covering something and how to cheer each other up. 

He’d love to break down your walls. He’d probably pride myself if he was the first person in your friend group to get to see the relaxed, less shy side of you. 

But imagine sharing music with him. I like to imagine Sirius has a thing for music, like any types, I don’t think he’s picky, and he’d be so into Muggle music. He’d constantly interrupt your music listening experience just to listen with you. I think he’d be a huge Melanie Martinez fan because of you. 

[strawberryjohn]

Pen pal Searching ☁️✨💫

Heyoo , so I’m kinda on the hunt for a penal. Someone to send gifts to and just talk and all of the pen pal fun stuff. I’m going to write a little list of I guess what I’m looking for , but even if you don’t ‘fit’ that list and still wanna be penpals that would be hella cool still - oook -

- someone who is near my age , 15+ or even from 14. ( has to be mature for age tho yknow)

- my interests consist of : music (the Beatles , Micheal jackson , rnb 90s , Whitney etc. Ariana grande Billie eilish / soul music ) & Art & I am very spiritual - although not religious - I practice witchcraft and classify myself as an eclectic grey witch. (I’m not a bad person as there is a stigma around witchcraft sadly.) & journaling / writing etc & being creative. And some more

Okay so there just two things to keep in mind. But really I would just like someone to send letters too and gifts from time to time and all that’s aesthetic stuff. And abroad friend :)) also you don’t have to like the same stuff as me , just thought it’d be cool to put that in. Umm also it would be cool if you were around my age group :’) — okay I’ll leave it there & add some picos of what I mean with the whole penpalling thing -

[elle-stevens]

The Break Up Blog - Day One Hundred and Forty Nine

My VPN is acting up again, so I’m blogging using my laptop tonight instead. 

It’s been nice doing lots of typing on my laptop in recent days. My Cat and Robbie story is taking shape in a delightfully romantic way. 

Who knew that Ariana Grande could be such a useful muse? I feel like a large portion of the world population could’ve clued me in on this fact a long time ago, hee hee. 

Today was my last official day at my old job. 

I took some time to walk around the school running track track and roam the hallways first thing in the morning. It felt surreal poking my head in through the doors of the homerooms where I taught so many of my students English, or tried to teach them at least. 

I felt a bit like a ghost in a haunted house since most of the students are officially on holiday now and the classrooms were eerily empty. 

After that, the day whizzed by with me helping C prepare some materials for her Murder/Detective winter vacation class. Lol, she’s really stoked about getting ready for police training when she goes back to the States in a month, so she’s turning her old students into miniature police detectives investigating crime scenes. 

It’s an unusual concept for a children’s class, but I’m sure they’re having a blast learning new life skills from C. Plus, filling mini ziplock bags with powdered sugar and pretending it was cocaine was priceless! 

When it finally came down to leaving, I went around my whole office to greet my colleagues one last time. It felt good to do that, even with my colleagues I barely interacted with for two years. I wanted all of them to know in some way that any help or kindness they gave me has always been greatly appreciated. 

It felt nice showing a bit of my emotions at work and hugging my colleagues and exchanging Wechat contacts with a few of them. I hope they won’t forget me; I hope I won’t forget them either. 

CI walked me out of school too because he didn’t want me to walk outside alone after saying goodbye to everyone, which was very thoughtful of him. And then he even hugged me goodbye outside the bus station near our respective homes, which surprised me in a good way. CI’s even more reserved than me and not big on expressing affection through physical contact. So I wasn’t planning to hug him goodbye today because I wanted to respect his personal boundaries. So it was nice that he broke his usual rules with me. Even though we only worked together for a year, I’m glad I met him. He’s such a great guy and become a good friend over time. I hope that he’ll still reach out whenever he needs help with stuff or just wants to chat. I’ll do my best to look out for him this year, especially with C heading back to the States. I’ll do the same with AS too since PE and his wife will be moving to the States too at the end of his work contract in August. 

I went to the bank afterwards to withdraw some cash and just walked around near my neighbourhood for a bit. I felt pretty sad and lost after leaving my workplace. This is a new chapter in my life and I’m still not quite sure how to feel about it. 

I got home and opened a gift and read a letter that one of my colleagues gave me yesterday. I just broke down and cried a for a while after that. The letter itself was simple enough, but the sentiment just wrung my insides out like a wet sponge. I sent some voice messages to other colleagues I didn’t get a chance to see before I left. 

CH, G and D messaged me throughout the day, which was good too. I avoided messaging my loved ones all day because I was feeling emotional about my last day at work and wasn’t ready to delve into it just yet. But I’m glad they broke down my emotional barriers to check in on me. It’s nice to know that I have so many people in my life who are constantly looking out for me. 

I sent H a voice message too even though we saw each other before we both left the office today. She left earlier than me because she had to go home and pack, she’s going back permanently to Korea. She’ll come back to China briefly next month, so hopefully we can have a meal or coffee together before she departs for good. I finally told her that X and I broke up and she was very sweet and encouraging about it, telling me I deserved better and that I’ll be ok in the end. 

Even if I let H confirm her strange ‘Columbo-esque’ suspicions about my breakup bordering on practicing witchcraft (H legit guessed at all the right reasons why X and I broke up months when she gossipped about it with C without me telling her anything, it was freaky!), I feel ok about it now. I don’t want to hold onto any more bad feelings that happened at work, in either a professional or personal sense. I’m also glad I told H that she did a great job as our manager last year, even if it wasn’t always the case. I don’t want her to go away from our school feeling like she failed at managing all of us. She has a lot of good points and overall, she was still a great colleague to work with the past two years.  

I also told PE and AS more about what went down with X. We ended up at a bar after having a farewell dinner for all the teachers leaving my school last night. I was intoxicated at that point and the three of us were talking about sex and relationships. They were very sympathetic and it meant a lot to get some things off my chest. Maybe by telling more people about what happened with X, I’m slowly freeing myself from the burden of carrying her haunting memory with me everywhere I go. 

She’s invading less of my thoughts these days, especially when I’m feeling horny. That’s been very helpful not having X’s face pop into my head at awkward moments. I still think of her from time to time. It’s mostly negative thoughts about how much she sucks as a person. Other times, they’re sweet memories about little things she did that made me smile or made me happy in general. 

She was my first properly long-term relationship; of course I’m going to carry her with me for a little while longer. 

At least till I meet someone new that I love for a lot longer than X. 

A part of me thinks that I’m ready to fall in love again. 

But then I have moments like last night where I’m wandering around drunk in my city for the umpteenth time in 6 months and I feel like just another lost soul who doesn’t want to let love into my heart again. 

My birthday is coming up next week and I’ve decided to have a simple birthday dinner with my friends on Saturday instead of Wednesday, which is when my real birthday happens. I’m still not ready to acknowledge the day, as shitty as that sounds. 

It is pretty bad considering I’m lucky to be alive. Not in the sense that something bad happened to me and I almost died, but in the sense that it’s a blessing to live out a new day every single day. Instead I’m treating my birthday like it’s something horrible and disgusting, like it wasn’t one of the few things that my parents actually did right together as a couple. 

Ok, that sounded so much weirder out of my head and in written form, but you all know what I mean. 

My point is that I should be happier I get to celebrate another birthday. I’m being an idiot just because I’m turning 35, I’m single and living away from home while celebrating my birthday. 

Hence why I’ll still celebrate my birthday with my friends, but maybe just have a ‘me’ day on my real birthday. And I can still call my family on my birthday and celebrate with them. 

So yeah, I’m taking baby steps on the road to happiness and finding newer and healthier ways to deal with my issues. My therapist is out of commission these days because she has Stage 0 breast cancer and had surgery recently. So she’s recuperating at home and not seeing her patients till February so her medical insurance pays out as promised. That’s ok with me, I’m putting on my ‘big girl pants’ and trying not to need her for anything till I see her in person in February when I go home to see my family. 

So in the meantime, I’ll try not to indulge in self-destructive behaviour from now on. After my birthday, I’m going to stave off drinking for a while too. I need to take better care of my health in light of my gastritis. I just hope I can get better medication to help me with my acid reflux and dry mouth in the future. 

I made spaghetti bolognaise for dinner and slept for a few hours. Now I’m up blogging and chatting to different people through SNS. I have to get up early tomorrow to do a health check for my new Chinese work visa for this year.I hope everything goes well at the hospital since my Mandarin is still pretty shite. I hope I can get enough rest and hopefully take another nap tomorrow when I get back from the hospital. 

What? 

I have a month to myself before I visit my family in South Africa. I’m definitely going to celebrate that fact by catching up on sleep, my ever elusive friend. 

I’m a bit too tired to type up more of my new story now, but I broke my 7-year streak of not writing fanfics at work this week. So in-between cleaning out my work cupboard and cleaning my work desk, I typed up my Cat and Robbie romance, tee hee. 

Alright, time for bed. Sleep and peaceful thoughts are coming to me more easily these days now that I’m moving on gradually from all the bad shit that happened in 2019. 

For now, things are good :-)

[agnelino]

GET  TO  KNOW  THE  MUN  /

NICKNAMES:  jus good ol’ sam ZODIAC: gemini sun, sagittarius moon, virgo rising - bitchhhhh HEIGHT: 5′7 TIME: 10.15 pm FAVORITE BAND / ARTIST:  ariana grande, amine, billie ellish, tyler the creator, etc etc SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD:  lovely by billie ellish LAST MOVIE I SAW:  a quiet place LAST THING I GOOGLED: why is gingerale so good ??? OTHER BLOGS:  jus my personal @noiw DO I GET ASKS:  yeee son WHY DID I CHOOSE MY URL: agnellino (two L’s) translates to ‘baby lamb’ in italian!! AVERAGE AMOUNT OF SLEEP: 8-10 hours  WHAT I’M WEARING: leggings and a grey sweater, comfort clothes  DREAM JOB: child educator!! which i am going to be in 4 months! DREAM TRIP: greece ughhhh lemme see that mythological history FAVORITE FOOD: pizza PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS:  acoustic, electric and bass guitar, ukulele, banjo  EYE COLOR:  blue HAIR COLOR:  red/brown LANGUAGES YOU SPEAK: english cos im boring MOST ICONIC SONG: lemon by rihanna. that goes OFF RANDOM FACT:  im obsessed with astrology and astronomy; i practice witchcraft and use tarot, herbs, crystals, candles, etc for spellwork  DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS AESTHETIC THINGS: JARS OF THINGS!!! STARS!!! SPARKLY JEWELERY OVERLOADING EVERYWHERE!!! LOTS OF DRIED ROSES HANGING UPSIDE DOWN, OUIJA BOARDS, ANIMAL TEETH 

TAGGED BY: @countaenance TAGGING: @broodingswan, @petrovanity, and anyone else tbh !!!

[myinnerkemono]

Was Tagged by @louisamariella Relationship status: Taken and not at church because to busy practicing witchcraft and being a lesbian. 

Chapstick or lipstick: None of them.

Favorite color: Green and Burgundy.

Last song you listened to: Ariana Grande - 7 rings

Top three shows: Doctor Who, Supernatural, Adventure Time. 

Top three bands: SNSD, 21 Pilots, Imagine Dragons.

[baby--bee]

to do list:

- buy a she wants revenge concert ticket ❤️

- get a job at a shop 💚

- buy an ariana grande concert ticket ☁️

- focus on witchcraft 🌙

- go back to school 🏫

- keep practicing piano 🎹

- learn how to skateboard 🛹

- take pole dancing classes 🧚🏻‍♀️

- rollerskate at least once a week ⛸

- record a song or two 🎤

- see lady gaga’s las vegas show ⚡️

[obaewankenope]

Albus Dumbledore: The Religious Leader in Harry Potter

So, I have recently had a relatively old post reblogged by someone who decided to ask me what my ‘textual’ sources were for my statement that Dumbledore is a good example of a religious zealot that basically runs a group of fanatics who follow him. As I felt this to be a good thing to ask me, I was initially calm and considered this a reasonable thing to ask, until I reached the point where they specifically state that if I can’t provide such textual sources then they’re ‘going to assume that you build your opinion off of Tumblr posts and fanfiction and I’m gonna laugh at you for thinking those are reliable sources.’

Now, perhaps I may be a tad bit rude and impolite here but, unless they work on the assumption that everything is clearly shouted out very loudly and clearly in all fiction, then I’m afraid the explicit textual sources they’re demanding are likely to not exist; the art of understanding a novel lies in reading between the lines after all. However, I’m going to be polite and retain my modicum of mature reasoning and not laugh very loudly at such a sweeping statement – working on the assumption that fiction writers don’t think through what they create is, unfortunately, a common assumption in this world and one I have little time or respect for.

Now that’s been said, perhaps it’d be best to get onto the ‘textual’ sources I’ve been requested to provide.

Note: I am using the original Harry Potter books I had bought for me mere days or hours after each was released so page numbers may differ for each edition and where they were published (mine are UK publications). Just in case anyone thinks I’m making references up.

I’m going to approach this in much the same way I approach anything that is a multi-layered question: by breaking it down and tackling each section individually. First off – Albus Dumbledore’s background.

[Read More]

Who is Albus Dumbledore and What is His Background?

I am stating this outright now that I am making use of the HPwiki since it has the most consistent and referenced information about Dumbledore that won’t require me specifically hunting through Pottermore or the books just to give a general overview of one of the most well-known and popular characters in Rowling’s magical world. If this isn’t considered by some to be a reliable source then apologies, but this is what I’m using to give you a summary of Dumbledore’s background and his numerous achievements.

According to the HPwiki, Dumbledore officially held the titles of; Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In addition, he was also the leader and creator of the Order of the Phoenix. The son of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, Albus was a half-blood (like the other two main characters in the trio of powerful wizards that the Harry Potter series revolves around; Harry and Voldemort). It is my assumption that, due to the imagery that Rowling evokes when Harry, Ron and Hermione visit Godric’s Hollow to see the grave of Harry’s parents and they discover a grave for the Dumbledore’s with an engraving of the Death Hallows (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, p.267), as well as the fact that Sirius states that all wizarding families are related in some way:

‘The pure-blood families are all interrelated…If you’re only going to let your sons and daughters marry pure-bloods your choice is very limited; there are hardly any of us left. Molly and I are cousins by marriage and Arthur’s something like my second cousin once removed. But there’s no point looking for them on here – if ever a family was a bunch of blood traitors it’s the Weasleys.’ (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, p.105)

While this doesn’t necessarily cover families with muggle-born and muggle heritage, it does infer that Albus too was related to most other wizarding families. Adding the fact that Albus was obsessed with the Deathly Hallows from a relatively young age, and the sign of the Deathly Hallows on a Dumbledore grave, then you theoretically can argue that he could have theoretically been related to the Peverell family: a family that died out in the male line as Hermione states in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in chapter twenty-two:

‘The only place I’ve managed to find the name “Peverell” is Nature’s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. I borrowed it from Kreacher…It lists the pure-blood families that are now extinct in the male line. Apparently the Peverells were one of the earliest families to vanish.’ (pp.346-7)

Note: Whether or not this is accurate and whether or not this is simply my own personal perception of Dumbledore’s lineage, the fact still remains that theoretically speaking, the Peverell family can be linked to at least some of the wizarding families of Britain as per Rowling’s own statements in her series.

Moving on from this potential relationship and the fact that these arguably provide some evidence for my initial comment about Dumbledore: ‘he comes into the Magical World from a long-standing magical family with age-old connections with a shit tonne of political power’. While I will agree that his family history doesn’t necessarily mean Dumbledore began with political power amassed by his family – unlike, for example, the Malfoy family or the Blacks – there is still the fact that his father, Percival Dumbledore, was either a pure-blood or a half-blood himself, thereby suggesting that he may have had some connection to the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain. Even if this were not the case, considering the fact that Dumbledore can at least be considered a half-blood with some magical lineage from pure-blood ancestors, he would have been in a more advantageous position, politically and social speaking, than muggle-borns in the magical world.

Continuing on, we are informed in The Deathly Hallows of Dumbledore’s connection with Gellert Grindelwald (pp.290-1). It is during this introduction that we also discover that, at one point, Dumbledore believed in much the same as Grindelwald in regards to the rights of wizards over muggles:

‘Your point about wizard dominance being FOR THE MUGGLES’ OWN GOOD – this, I think, is the crucial point. Yes, we have been given power and, yes, that power gives us the right to rule, but it also gives us responsibilities over the ruled. We must stress this point, it will be the foundation stone upon which we build. Where we are opposed, as we surely will be, this must be the basis of all our counter-arguments. We seize control FOR THE GREATER GOOD. And from this it follows that where we meet resistance, we must use only the force that is necessary and no more. (This was your mistake at Durmstrang! But I do not complain, because if you had not been expelled, we would never have met.)’ (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Letter to Gellert Grindelwald from Albus Dumbledore, p.291)

The above quotation lends support to my own statement in the original post that Dumbledore is ‘friends with a blood purist (Grindelwald)…[because] if you’re friends with someone like that then, on some level you agree with them.’

Ultimately, Dumbledore’s background lends itself to the initial starting blocks for the development of a saviour complex – most especially when we consider the fact that he ‘failed’ his sister and mother (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, p.292). While a ‘saviour complex’ (or messiah complex) is not a diagnosis nor a clinical term, it can however be connected to delusions of grandeur; it is quite obvious that in his correspondence with Grindelwald, Dumbledore seems to believe them both to be acting in a similar manner to those who feel that they have a duty to others, a responsibility, that means they must ‘save’ others – in this case, it can be argued that Dumbledore is functioning under the belief that he must save wizarding kind from muggles, and the muggles from themselves:

‘You cannot imagine how [Grindelwald’s] ideas caught me, Harry, inflamed me. Muggles forced into subservience. We wizards triumphant. Grindelwald and I, the glorious young leaders of the revolution.’ (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, p.573)

The attack on his younger sister Ariana by muggle children, and the subsequent imprisonment of his father for attacking them in retribution, provides Albus’ character with the beginning points to have a measure of hatred, or disdain towards muggles; it also provides a point where he can begin to perceive wizards are requiring protection from muggles and muggles of being unable to handle themselves – again this would be compounded if you consider that Albus was born at the end of the nineteenth century, on the cusp of the Great War and when colonialism was still at its peak.

For the Greater Good

Moving on, we come to the point where I state that Dumbledore takes on ‘an almost mythical status’ due to his ‘amazing magical power and the fact that he defeats a Dark Wizard without resorting to similar Dark Magic to do so’. While this isn’t precisely new information, nor an incorrect statement, it does bear some supporting evidence in order to reaffirm it:

‘In a matter of months, however, Albus’s own fame had begun to eclipse that of his father. By the end of his first year, he would never again be known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but as nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the school.’

‘He not only won every prize of note that the school offered, he was soon in regular correspondence with the most notable magical names of the day, including Nicolas Flamel, the celebrated alchemist, Bathilda Bagshot, the noted historian, and Adalbert Waffling, the magical theoretician. Several of his papers found their way into learned publications such as Transfiguration Today, Challenges in Charming and The Practical Potioneer. Dumbledore’s future career seemed likely to be meteoric, and the only question that remained was when he would become Minister for Magic. Though it was often predicted in later years, that he was on the point of taking the job, however, he never had Ministerial ambitions.’

‘Other quills will describe the triumphs of the following years. Dumbledore’s innumerable contributions to the store of wizarding knowledge, including his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, will benefit generations to come, as will the wisdom he displayed in the many judgements he made while Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.’

‘They say, still, that no wizarding duel ever matched that between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in 1945. Those who witnessed it have written of the terror and the awe they felt as they watched these two extraordinary wizards do battle. Dumbledore’s triumph, and its consequences for the wizarding world, are considered a turning point in magical history to match the introduction of the International Statute of Secrecy or the downfall of He Who Must Not Be Named.’

                              (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, pp.22-24)

Each of these quotations support the initial statement I made as to the strength of Dumbledore’s magical ability and the fact that his defeat of Grindelwald enabled him to attain an ‘Otherworldly status’. There are numerous characters throughout Harry Potter who treat Dumbledore’s word as law – inadvertently echoing Christian parallels that Rowling herself has stated the series has; one popular concept is that Dumbledore is a metaphor for God or Death (MTV, 2007).

I state, at one point, that the members of the Order, place Dumbledore ‘above them to such a degree that his every action is revered and accepted as “for the greater good” or because he “knows best”’ and this is something I strongly stand by.  In truth, however, not every action undertook by Dumbledore is revered or accepted willingly, there is a growing measure of bitterness in Sirius Black’s opinion on Dumbledore’s decisions in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but, for the vast majority, they generally accept Dumbledore’s word and do not truly act to question or undermine it in any way (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, p.84). This could be construed as faith or trust in someone who has earned such respect, but there is the matter of the way in which Dumbledore is presented throughout the series up to the point of Voldemort’s return – after which the Ministry of Magic, led by Cornelius Fudge, seeks to undermine his authority through a combination of public smears and the stripping of official positions within the Ministry itself:

‘“They’re trying to discredit him,” said Lupin. “Didn’t you see the Daily Prophet last week? They reported that he’d been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards because he’s getting old and losing his grip, but it’s not true; he was voted out by Ministry wizards after he made a speech announcing Voldemort’s return. They’ve demoted him from Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot – that’s the Wizard High Court – and they’re talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class too.”’ (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, p.90)

Contrary to the belief that there is only one reference to ‘the greater good’ in regards to Dumbledore’s actions, there are, at least three. These three references are present in the last book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

‘He died as he lived, working always for the greater good and, to his last house, as willing to stretch out a hand to a small boy with dragon pox as he was on the day that I met him.’ (p.24)

���Your point about wizard dominance being FOR THE MUGGLES’ OWN GOOD – this, I think, is the crucial point… We seize control FOR THE GREATER GOOD. And from this it follows that where we meet resistance, we must use only the force that is necessary and no more. (p.291)

‘I assuaged my conscience with empty words. It would all be for the greater good, and any harm done would be repaid a hundredfold in benefits for wizards.’ (p.573)

In an interview with Evan Solomon (2000), Rowling stated that she enjoyed writing Dumbledore’s character because he ‘is the epitome of goodness’ which, in my personal opinion, suggests that perhaps Rowling is unaware of the duplicity and the dichotomy present in her portrayal of Dumbledore. It is obvious that she planned for Dumbledore to be a figure worthy of sympathy and pity in the final book, but also one that was highly complex and multi-faceted – both marks of skilled writing and character development. However, this does not preclude the reality that Dumbledore’s actions and the way he is viewed by numerous characters in the series, do correspond with more fanatic actions and behaviours of religious leaders.

Fanaticism: What is it and How does it apply to Dumbledore?

The philosopher George Santayana (1905) provides a definition of fanaticism that I find quite apt and amusing in its presentation; fanaticism is the ‘redoubling [of] your effort when you have forgotten your aim’ – to be a fanatic is to belief quite stridently but to lack an accurate direction for that belief to travel.

Lehtsaar (1997) defines fanaticism as ‘the pursuit or defence of something in an extreme and passionate way that goes beyond normality’ with religious fanaticism further defined by ‘blind faith, the persecution of dissents and the absence of reality’ (p.9). It could be argued that this definition is in a way, inaccurate to apply to Dumbledore however, in an abstract manner it is not.

As Postman (1976) states, ‘the key to all fanatical beliefs is that they are self-confirming… (some beliefs are) fanatical not because they are “false”, but because they are expressed in such a way that they can never be shown to be false’ (pp.104-112).

In regards to historical events of religious fanaticism, one doesn’t need to look much further than the vast majority of European history – most especially in regards to Christianity. As Selengut (2008) in Sacred Fury: Understanding Religious Violence, points out that the Spanish Inquisition was largely the monarchy’s attempt to maintain Catholic Christianity as the dominant religion: ‘The inquisitions were attempts at self-protection and targeted primarily “internal enemies” of the church’ (p.66). What is of significance in regards to their entire discussion, can be explained in the following quotation from Selengut (2008):

‘The inquisitors generally saw themselves as educators helping people maintain correct beliefs by pointing out errors in knowledge and judgement’ (p.66, italics added)

It is this that characterises much of the fanaticism seen in regards to Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix. At the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore is faced with the knowledge that Voldemort has returned to his former strength; this knowledge is rejected by the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and Dumbledore’s response to contact Order members from the last war immediately. The Order then is in a similar position to the inquisitors in Selengut’s description – they see themselves as individuals who must correct incorrect beliefs with their knowledge and judgement, guided by Dumbledore.

Gall, Charbonneau and Florack (2011) in a recent study found that individuals who were the most committed to attending church found it the most difficult to cope through being tested for breast cancer (a stressful, trying experience even when a diagnosis is not given). In regards to church attendance, in most cases this includes inclusionary activities such as the community-aspect of church attendance, and often correlates with adherence to religious rules and laws. Utilising this research as support for the behaviour of Molly Weasley in the Order of the Phoenix, it is quite clear that her ability to cope successfully with the highly stressful experience of being part of the Order – which her children attempt to join repeatedly, in some cases succeeding – is highly dependent on how the degree of faith she has in the Order and Dumbledore specifically:

‘“Well,” said Mrs Weasley, breathing deeply and looking around the table for support that did not come, “well…I can see I’m going to be overruled. I’ll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much”’ (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, p. 85)

Of course, the reverse is also true in respects to church attendance. Dukes (1964) found that church attendance correlated strongly with increased responsiveness to placebos, and in a study by Walters (1957) it was found that those who were highly dependent on alcohol were significantly more likely to have a religious background, thus suggesting that religious individuals are dependent not only on social values but external agents as well. Therefore, it could conversely be argued that Molly Weasley isn’t necessarily an example of religious fanaticism – although she does repeatedly express intense faith and trust toward Dumbledore – but rather a more general example of a woman who relies on her faith in others in order to function, including in her support system external systems of control and regulation that, when they directly counter her faith in Dumbledore, results in an extreme stress response.

Dumbledore is an Addict: The Fanaticism of the Deathly Hallows

In the final instalment of the Harry Potter series, we are introduced to the Deathly Hallows; three magical artefacts are incontestable strength and ability, which are sought after by some wizards in order to obtain ‘mastery’ over Death.

Peele and Brodsky (1975) provide a definition of what addiction is: ‘a person’s attachment to a sensation, an object, or another person…such as to lessen his appreciation of and ability to deal with other things in his environment, or in himself, so that he has become increasingly dependent on that experience as his only source of gratification’ (p.168). While it can obviously be pointed out that Dumbledore does not spend every moment of his life obsessing about the Deathly Hallows, there is textual evidence that he spent at least a significant amount of time interested in them:

‘The Hallows, the Hallows…a desperate man’s dream!’

‘Master of death, Harry, master of Death! Was I better, ultimately, than Voldemort?’

‘I, too, sought a way to conquer death, Harry’ (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, p.571)

‘It was the thing, above all, that dew us together [the Hallows]… two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession. He wanted to come to Godric’s Hollow, as I am sure you have grasped, because of the grave of Ignotus Peverell. He wanted to explore the place the third brother had died.’

‘I could hardly believe what I was seeing. I asked to borrow it, to examine it. I had long since given up my dream of uniting the Hallows, but I could not resist, could not help taking a closer look…It was a Cloak the likes of which I had never seen, immensely old, perfect in every respect…and then your father died, and I had two Hallows at last, all to myself!’ (p.572)

‘At the heart of our schemes, the Deathly Hallows! How they fascinated him, how they fascinated both of us! The unbeatable wand, the weapon that would lead us to power! The Resurrection Stone – to him, though I pretended not to know it, it meant an army of Inferi! To me, I confess, it meant the return of my parents, and the lifting of all responsibility from my shoulders… Invincible masters of death, Grindelwald and Dumbledore! Two months of insanity, of cruel dreams, and neglect of the only two members of my family left to me.’ (p.574)

While the above quotations do not overtly suggest addiction, they do imply an overwhelming, constant obsession with unattainable objects, to the point where responsibilities to others is discarded in favour of promoting the obsession. The ‘reality check’ Dumbledore received, which ultimately acted as a traumatic wake-up call, was the death of his sister in a three-way duel between Albus, his brother Aberforth and Grindelwald:

‘Reality returned, in the form of my rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable brother. I did not want to hear the truths he shouted at me. I did not want to hear that I could not set forth to seek Hallows with a fragile and unstable sister in tow.

‘The argument became a fight. Grindelwald lost control. That which I had always sensed in him, though I pretended not to, now sprang into terrible being. And Ariana…after all my mother’s care and caution…lay dead upon the floor.’ (p.574)

Throughout much of this commentary I have been quite disparaging towards Dumbledore, focusing intensely on his behaviour from the perspective of viewing it as religious fanaticism or addiction. However, there is one last point I’d like to make as to Dumbledore’s behaviour, something which is supported by textual evidence and underscores the concept of Dumbledore having been addicted to the idea of the Deathly Hallows – a metaphor for absolute power. That point pertains to the following quotation in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in King’s Cross station while Harry is between life and death:

‘I…was offered the post of Minister for Magic, not once, but several times. Naturally I refused, I had learned that I was not to be trusted with power.’ (p.575)

This single statement from Dumbledore – whether he is a figment or Harry’s mind or not – is incredibly important overall for it shows an awareness of one’s character defects and a desire not to fall into them again. This sort of mindset can be seen in cases of ex-alcoholics and other such addicts who desire not to be given the temptation such easy access would provide them; Dumbledore reflects the same reluctance to accept a position of great authority such as that of Minister for Magic even though, prior to this, he greatly desired such power and influence.

In Conclusion

Ultimately, while I can disparage Dumbledore and happily despise him for willingly leaving a child in an abusive home, I cannot, in good faith, ignore the development of his own character and the strength of his own will in overcoming what he perceived as the greatest flaw of his person. I also, cannot disregard the reality that Dumbledore amassed plenty of influential power, through the belief and faith of individuals in magical Britain, but he did not actively utilise much of this influence until it became absolutely necessary.

I still stand by my initial statement that Dumbledore is a decent example of religious fanaticism, of a religious leader who is capable of manipulating others to his view, but I do draw the line on the idea that he does this maliciously; he is meant to act as a mirror to Voldemort in Harry Potter, with Harry himself becoming the ideal.

Dumbledore has been likened to God and to Death in some discussions of his place in the narrative of Harry Potter; I can accept this metaphor when considering his mirrorlike nature to Voldemort – after all, the Devil is a mirror to God with Jesus Christ acting as the ideal. God is capable of great wonder and great horror, much as Dumbledore is capable.

This has been a post of epic proportion, providing textual evidence for much of my original post on which I was questioned. Hopefully it has been educational and somewhat illuminating.