Dumbledore's Army discussion
Your Suggestions, Opinions, etc.
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A real Dumbledore's Army?
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Kari
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Jul 11, 2011 06:18PM
We can be, or it can be used as a figure of speech, but in this case it's real. We are fighting to solve problems that have never been solved before, and I suppose winning would be solving most or all of the problems. I suppose that these could just be small battles in a never-ending war but if we were to solve these problems then that would help us in the long-run to fixing what we might think is a nver-ending war. Remember trying to fix problems, and positivity can help just about every situation.
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Yes, Tokio, a truly good leader pops up once in a while, but not often enough to count on. Arti, I totally agree about Fudge's fear. He reminded me of an ostrich with its head in a hole. I'll leave to the imagination what hole.Fascinating idea, Goldensunshine. That's big, and I'm putting on my list to write about soon. Thanks!
Here's my goodie for today ... everyone ready to learn a little Magic?
Get comfortable and close your eyes. Do nothing and think about nothing for one minute.
Don't de surprised if you fail. For most people, it's quite hard. Many people go their entire lives without ever experiencing a minute of voluntary, complete mental rest.
This is your first Personal Power lesson. It may sound trivial, but it's the foundation of Magic. If you can, at will, do nothing and think about nothing for one minute, then you will also be training yourself to do SOMETHING, and focus your mental powers on SOMETHING. We don't care what right now. The important thing is that you CAN.
Try it again. Yes, thoughts and memories love to jump in. That's sometimes called our "monkey mind" because it doesn't like to be still. It's most happy jumping around.
That "monkey mind" is most vulnerable to being told what to do by advertising and propaganda. The trained mind that can relax, or focus on something, at will, is best able to think for itself.
One minute of mental discipline a day will give you the foundation of Personal Power. Can you spare the time?
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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Kate*~FlyingOnABroom~*, ~*Never*Knows*What*To*Write*Here*~...*sighs*
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Hmmm, one minute? One whole minute. Welll if I can shuffle my schedule... of course I can spare a minute or twenty! But I am absolutely horrible at this stuff, especially when trying to sleep.
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Kate*~FlyingOnABroom~*, ~*Never*Knows*What*To*Write*Here*~...*sighs*
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haha, it takes aa while to actually figure out how to do it though.
I decided to tackle Goldensunshine's question, who obviously sees deeply into things. There's no simple answer. This will get into multiple reality levels, which I'll write about more soon, but here are my thoughts on this question.Every problem we solve, or adapt to, or run from, is part of a larger growth process. For example, the ecomonic "recession" we are wrestling with is all about money, but that's just a way of counting the value of things people trade. So it's really, on a higher level, about human relationships. If our money economy isn't working well, we'll change it, and so we'll change human relationships (at least, as they apply to trading).
If we run short on resources, or change the climate of the world, then there's something wrong with our assumptions about what the Earth can give and take. Our old assumptions were, without really thinking about it, that the Earth was limitless, which is obviously absurd because we can measure it, and sail or fly around it. As we change those assumptions, we'll change our relationship with the Earth.
So, in my opinion, these little "battles" are growing pains. The larger war is all about "growing up." It happens to individuals in years, and to the whole human race over centuries.
I know it's tempting to think about the "war" in terms of good and evil, but there's a fallacy (logic error) in that, which I'll write about soon.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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Levels of RealityJust the basics. Every belief system has a much more elaborate "map" of the levels of reality they believe in, but most of those cannot be experienced directly unless you study and practice that system.
Few people would argue against the simple system I'm about to give you, and it forms the foundation of most of the more elaborate systems.
THINGS - physical reality, sub-atomic particles, atoms, molecules, radiation, etc. This includes our bodies, air, water, the Earth, sunshine, stars, and the ink on the page of a book.
MEANINGS - only accessible by MIND, it includes everything we would call INFORMATION, such as letters, words, symbols, numbers, and pictures.
VALUES - only accessible by the higher functions of mind, this level is about the "important stuff" contained in MEANINGS. A creature that can think at this level is often called "sentient" in science fiction, but that is incorrect, because a worm is sentient (can sense its environment), but a worm cannot think about values. The correct term is "sapient" which means capable of wisdom.
An example. Your computer is a THING made of plastic, metal, etc. These words on your screen or printed paper have MEANINGS (you could define each word, even phrases and sentences). Finally, this entire posting has VALUE in that it explains the three most important levels of reality.
The individual words contain meaning, but do not contain ANY part of the VALUE of the whole posting. The pixels on your screen (or ink on your printed paper) contrast with the background so you can see them, but do not contain ANY part of the meanings of the words they form.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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So you want to cast a spell?Got your head screwed on? Only Hermione had much luck at first. She had good mental discipline at 11. The real person, Emma Watson, who had to memorize all those lines, actions, and emotions, was 9 at the time. I have known 7-year-olds who had it.
Know what level of reality you want to change? "Special effects" may look awesome on the big screen, but are just illusions, not a place where we can do magic.
Know the ethics involved? I haven't talked about that yet, but just think of it this way: if you want to tap into the greater powers of the universe, the ones that most people will never see, you had better be on good terms with them.
Have a wand? If you think you need one, then you are not ready to do magic on any level.
Here's another exercise: after you have succeeded with one minute of mental relaxation (do nothing, think of nothing), then picture something in your mind (start with something simple, like an apple) and "look" at it for one minute. Do nothing, think of nothing else.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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As long as you keep following my postings, Arti, I'll keep writing!
But what if Hermione didn't have that mentality? What about the possibility that even she missed something? Shouldn't we explore those possibilities as well?
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awesomeness :)
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btu she didn't or J.K Rowling woud have noticed
I know...but if there's ever a Hermione character in real life...what if something were to happen to her? What if she just had to stop studying for some reason, we'd be down a person we'd need.
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I agree, Arti, Hermione (the character) is our model of dedication to her magical studies, almost an Athena.Magical Ethics
"Good" ethics are what seperate Harry and his friends from the Malfoys and V ... you know.
I put "good" in quotes because different people will have different opinions on what is "good." I happen to like the ethics of Harry, Hermione, Luna, and their friends. On the other hand, many people in our world believe that successfully getting money and power make a person and his/her actions "good."
Here's my list:
- Compassionate - responds to others' pain
- Trustworthy - keeps promises and confidences
- Respectful - of personal boundries
- Rational - values clear thinking
- Co-existing - willing to "live and let live"
- what would you add?
One of the ethical rules of real witches today is: "An it harm none, do as ye will." That's slightly old fashioned for "Do whatever you want as long as it harms no one." Any simple rule has problems, of course. Does "no one" include yourself? Does it include an evil person who is harming others?
Another wise and time-honored belief is that whatever you send out, returns to you three times over. "Sending out" can be formal spell-casting, or just your thoughts and wishes for others.
Being evil (knowingly doing bad things) gives you great power, temporarily. It also destroys friendship, love, and spiritual growth. The use of any power without good connections to other people and Spirit is cold and ugly.
Both good and evil must be freely chosen, or they don't count.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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The White DragonI just saw The Deathly Hallows Part 2, and there are so many good themes in there (and a few cheap ones) that I hardly know where to start!
Probably the first one that really touched me was the white dragon who was captive and enslaved at Gringot's. Doesn't it make sense? Money, and all dealings with money, are all about "reducing" things (anything, anyone) to a number. Things of beauty become "products." Other creatures become "head" (as in "head of cattle"). People become "consumers" or "taxpayers." Mother Earth becomes "real estate." The white dragon was forced to become, against it's will, an "alarm system."
So ... here's something for all honorary members of Dumbledore's Army to watch out for. Being "reduced" to an object is very close to slavery. I don't think Dumbledore would be very happy with that, and I'm sure it's not what we need to make a livable future for ourselves on this little planet.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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Careful, friends...look likes someone wanted you to do something...finction and reality are different...
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J.Z., I completely agree with you on your "good" ethics but is it really possible to keep to them? It has been proven in history and is being displayed in current times that no matter how good the intentions of a person or how strong or pure a belief is in an ethic, we will not be able to follow our morals and codes of conduct. We have always and will always deviate from the path of "good". Being "reduced" and "enslaved" is one of the many extremely negative effects from our corrupt nature, for that is how we are. So my question to you is, how do you plan on staying true to the "good" in this world?Simon wrote: "Careful, friends...look likes someone wanted you to do something...finction and reality are different..." Thanks for being concerned but I do believe that these discussions are not about fantasy nor fiction and can be productive in a positive way and help me think about issues in this world from a different perspective.
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Yeah....sorry. It's kinda confusing isn't it?
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Fiction (and all art), Simon, is one of our main ways of working out our thoughts and feeling about reality, especialy its moral and ethical aspects.Huge and important question, Goldensunshine. I have to think about it, and I promise to try to get my thoughts into words soon.
For today...
I thought of a very important job that young wizards and witches will someday, maybe not too long from now, have to do.
About 150 years ago, our civilization was starting to feel so rich that it decided to try to educate everyone. That's never been done before in history. It went pretty well until 2 or 3 decades ago, then started tightening up. Today, it's quickly falling apart as we can't find the money to do much of anything (unless we borrow it or print it).
Education won't go away completely, but will probably just be for rich people, and maybe a few straight-A students, in the not-too-distant future.
That leaves the "common people" to educate each other. Anyone who has found the self-discipline to follow a challenging path, will find themselves the "teachers." That includes any young people who have chosen to study the forces of the universe that most people don't understand. Whether you call it "magic" or "physics and chemistry" doesn't really matter.
Can you imagine yourself in that position?
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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I don't either, Arti. But in the situation I'm talking about, school would be at a friend's house, sitting around the living room. Your best friend would be teaching math. Her dad would teach woodworking. Someone else's mom would teach gardening. You'd be teaching dance and gymnastics. (just guessing) See the difference? Remember the feeling present in the Dumbledore's Army training scenes, compared to the feeling in the classrooms in the same movie?
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Choosing Good or Evil...We certainly have the ability to be evil and corrupt.
We also have the ability to be good.
And we have free will.
So how do we choose?
We can do what other people tell us. At the end of the story, Draco is about to change sides, but then does what his parents tell him. In real life, doing what "they" tell us probably makes us "good consumers," not very good, not very evil. Luke warm. Milk toast.
We can do what's easiest. Stealing from others is easier than making our own. Pretending to be sick is easier than working. Enslaving others is easier than paying a fair wage to willing workers.
What do you think made Harry, Hermione, Luna, and others resist evil and follow good?
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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Hermione, had been treated horribly by Malfoy, and the Death Eaters would never let her join.
Ron, his family had been in the wizarding world and knew all about good and bad wizardry, and plus they were known as blood traitors
Luna, well...she's Luna :)
Neville, who's parents have surrfered worse than death, there is no way he would join
Ginny, same as Ron
In your list, Arti, I spotted several ways to choose good or evil...- Experience of family or friends - several saw how people they cared about had been mistreated, sometimes murdered. Harry. Neville.
- Evil won't take them - sometimes the "dark side" is smart enough to see who can be corrupted and who can't be. Hermione.
- They aren't playing that game - some people are just operating on a completely different level. Luna.
- A strong tradition - some people follow the teachings of a family or sect. Ron. Jenny.
The last one is probably the weakest, as we often reject what we are taught as part of growing up and leaving home. But it can work, and we don't all have the other things going for us.
Most religions teach that spiritual beings have ways of communicating with us to help us know the difference between good and evil. In Christian teachings, it's often called "a still, small voice." But we have the free-will to make the final decision for ourselves.
All of these ways of choosing good or evil work in real life, just as they do in stories.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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Very true, Arti. Ron was a little slow at first, but got up to speed.Today's topic: Witches and Wizards when the World Burns
As I write this, the financial markets of the world are wobbling and thinking of crashing, The City (London) is smoldering after huge riots, the Arab revolutions now include (OMG) Isreal, and most countries in Europe are going broke. The USA lost its AAA rating, Texas is scorched, the artic is melting ...
What's a good witch or wizard to do? Here's my advice, for what it's worth.
Witches and wizards all through history were people who dealt with things (birth, sickness, death, mysteries, disasters, etc.) that other people didn't know how to deal with. To do that, you have to do some things differently than most people.
Take a deep breath and relax. Clear your mind for a minute. I've taught you about that.
Imagine yourself watching the whole mess from a mountain top, cloud, or space ship. You can see everything, far and wide, but are not caught in the middle of it. You can look for the forces at work that people "on the ground" can't see. You need a high point of view, a long perspective.
Most of us can't actually get to a mountain top or space ship. We might even live in London. So the first thing we need to do is get ready to deal with stuff. If you have to leave quickly, what do you need to take? Is it packed? Where would you go to be safe? Who are your "friends" (people you would let in the door bleeding, and they would do the same for you)?
Once you are ready to deal with the dangers at hand, you can begin to step back, gather information, find that long perspective. As you learn more, you can plan better how to keep yourself and your "friends" safe.
Then a funny thing might happen. You might find you are the ONLY one around who is prepared, and really knows what's going on. People will start asking you questions and looking up to you. You would become a leader of some kind.
That's part of the history of witches and wizards too.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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Kate*~FlyingOnABroom~*, ~*Never*Knows*What*To*Write*Here*~...*sighs*
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message 94:
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Kate*~FlyingOnABroom~*, ~*Never*Knows*What*To*Write*Here*~...*sighs*
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J.Z. wrote: "Very true, Arti. Ron was a little slow at first, but got up to speed.Today's topic: Witches and Wizards when the World Burns
As I write this, the financial markets of the world are wobbling..."
But what if you find yourself preparing for one disaster, and then somethnig else happens, something you didn't expect, and don't know how to deal with...and if you were the only person ready for disaster, then what would happen? Would people still look up to you, or would you be left behind in the dust since you prepared for something else?
I must say, that although it seems that you are preparing for the right type of disaster, what about all the other possible disasters that could happen. Shouldn't we Expect the unexpected?
Tokio, you made me howl with laughter! Welcome to Earth! You are so right, it is sooo tricky to predict the future, and easy to miss the thing that winds up slapping you. I'll write something about that for Saturday, but here's my goodie for today:Was V ... you know ... Voldamort, one of us?
Even though I disagreed with G that we are hopelessly evil by nature, I have to point out one of the most common thinking errors (fallacies) that human beings make.
It is deeply embedded in our language and culture that "they" are evil, not us. It's "over there," not here. The "bad guys" are always foreigners, aliens. "We" are God's Chosen People, not "them."
This fallacy is called "externalizing evil."
The truth is, every human group, large or small, contains good and evil. Corruption, greed, violence ... whatever you see as evil ... is born and grows up in every nation, city, village, and probably almost every family.
That means it's always there for any one of us to slip into, even if we're liberal, conservative, Christian, Muslim, white, black, or green.
Voldamort was born, grew up, and made his choices, just like we all do.
J. Z. Colby, author of the NEBADOR series
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