Olive Tree Ministries - prophetic signs, current issues, and the Messianic Jewish movement.

News Watch: Topical

How Christian is J.K. Rowlings?
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for November, 2007

ARLINGTON, VA (ANS) -- J. K. Rowling made a recent statement that “Christian inspiration” played a role in her writing of the series of Harry Potter books.

Whatever J K Rowling may say about inspiration for the books, the true judgment of the books should rest on what they themselves present. I don't doubt Ms. Rowling's sincerity, but if it is authentic Christianity that inspired her, would she have created a child hero who practices occult arts that are clearly condemned by God's word? Harry and his friends casts spells, take a class called Divination, communicate with the dead, and learn how to mix magical potions. In fact, they are in school to hone their practice of the occult.
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Outing Dumbledore Sparks Fierce Debate
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for October, 2007

J.K. Rowling is back at the centre of a fierce debate after revealing Harry Potter's mentor is gay

Writer J.K. Rowling's revelation about the gay private life of a dead – and fictional – school headmaster in her popular Harry Potter series of books is conjuring both criticism from those who already wanted the books banned and calm acceptance from those who applaud her for not making it a big deal in the first place.

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Harry, Yoda, and Yoga
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for August, 2007

Harry, Yoda and Yoga
Marsha West

Quicker than you can say “Quiddich” a wizard’s broomstick rocketed to the sky and inscribed a smoke trail message for all the world to see… Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows…has arrived! The long-awaited book was released at the stroke of midnight on July 21, putting an end to the suspense. The Potterites, under Harry’s spell for 10 years, now know his fate.

Parents waited in long lines with their youngsters for hours on end so that little Danielle would have first crack at reading the seventh and final book in J. K. Rowling’s phenomenally successful Harry Potter series.

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Harry Potter and the Fire-Breathing Fundamentalists--Aug. 2
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for August, 2007

(SEE OUR "HARRY POTTER" CATEGORY TO SEE THE DANGER AND DECEPTION OF THIS BOOK SERIES AND FILMS.)

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses the Harry Potter book series and contains spoilers including the final book just released in bookstores. Do NOT read if you do not want to now how the Harry Potter series ends.

KKLA is the largest Christian talk radio station in America. I hold a dubious record there – I am responsible for causing the largest number of complaint calls the station had ever gotten in a single day. The topic? Harry Potter.

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Why Everybody's Wild About Harry
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

The Harry Potter Sensation

Why everybody's wild about Harry.

This past week my youngest son really kept Shabbos. Don't get me wrong - he keeps Shabbos every week and there's usually no temptation otherwise. But last Shabbos afternoon, the mailman delivered the final installment of the Harry Potter series, and according to Jewish law since it was delivered on Shabbos, he had to wait until sundown to open it. Now that's keeping Shabbos!

What is the attraction of the series? (There must a million blogs trying to answer that question!) Why were so many lining up at midnight for their copy? Across the globe they were clamoring for it. My son in the IDF (when do they have time to read?!) bought a copy Saturday night and it's being passed around the unit since the Hebrew version doesn't come out until December.

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Pottermania in Beatle-esq Style--Matrisciana
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

Pottermania in Beatle-esque style!

author: Caryl 07 24th, 2007

America hasn’t experienced this past weekend’s type of national hysteria since the British “Fab Four” Beatles musical group invaded its shores over 40 years ago. British author of the Harry Potter series, J.K Rowling, may even have topped Beatlemania with her 10 year span of seven books spread over 4,100 pages, sold over 325 million copies worldwide, and published in 62 languages.

Certainly Hollywood’s Warner Bros. were disappointed that the fifth Harry Potter movie “The Order of the Phoenix” (out last week) got robbed of much anticipated dollars after the hype invested in its release. Dan Fellman, head of Warner distribution said fans, “wanted to get that book Saturday, lock themselves in the house and read it, because they didn’t want their other friends by Monday telling them who made it and who didn’t.”
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Harry's Last Battles and Rowlings' Beliefs--Kjos
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

Harry's Last Battles & Rowling's Beliefs

A review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

By Berit Kjos - July 24, 2007

"Days before the release of the seventh and final novel in the series, youth leaders are being told they could use the popularity of the Potter books and films as a 'launch pad' for exploring Christian themes."[1] 'Use Harry Potter to spread Christian message'

"The story of Harry Potter is, and always was, a Christian allegory - a fictionalized modern day adaptation of the life of Christ, intended to introduce his character to a new generation....

"...knowing more about her [Rowling's] religious beliefs is not just crucial, not just enormously significant, but will blow the whole thing open, so that even a 10 year old will be able to figure it out."[2] Abigail BeauSeigneur

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Harry Potter and the End of the Road
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

HUMAN EVENTS

A journey that began over a decade ago, with lines of a story written on napkins at a coffee shop by a woman who was too poor to buy proper paper, finally reached its end this week, with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (which had a record 12 million copy first-run printing), the seventh and final installment in the series about a young orphaned wizard that took the world by storm, reawakening children to the joys of reading and making the author, J.K. Rowling, one of the richest women in the world.
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Hary Potter's God Complex
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

Harry Potter's God complex

By Jeff Diamant
Religion News Service

I had never read a Harry Potter book when an editor buttonholed me with a plea: Would I, a newspaper religion reporter, write about religious imagery in the series?

A force-feeding of all six books ensued. After 3,362 pages and weeks of late nights, I can say I like the series.

I even understand the intrigue that's leading people to bet on the ending — specifically, on whether the young wizard Harry lives or dies in the last volume, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which comes out next Saturday.

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Harry Potter: Harmless Novel or Doorway to Occult?
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

Harry Potter: Harmless Christian Novel or Doorway to the Occult?

CBN.com

CBN.com - With the release of the newest Harry Potter film this week, and the upcoming final book in the series just days away, the debate about Harry Potter is heating up again. Some parents have called for the books to be banned, while others – including some Christians – have embraced the fantasy series. In fact, many fans of the series have argued that the books are actually Christian novels that are valuable for children to read. Author Richard Abanes says this couldn’t be further from the truth.

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The Potter Controversy
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

The views expressed on this page are the opinions of the various authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Christian Broadcasting Network. Leading Christian thinkers have disparate views on the Harry Potter products, and how Christians should respond to them. We have offered several different viewpoints so that you, the reader, can prayerfully decide what is the correct response for your family. View Full Article

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The Deadly Magic of Potter Movies--Kjos
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2007

The Deadly Magic of Potter Movies

The Order of the Phoenix is not "just fantasy!"

by Berit Kjos - 2007

"...it can't be much darker - or more dramatic - than the challenge the young wizard faces with the re-emergence of Lord Voldemort.... Claiming to have seen the mysterious Voldemort, Harry is met with disbelief and derision ... and the suspicion that he's a liar rapidly spreads through the school. More than ever before, the thing that makes Harry special also makes him an outcast."[1] Movie review

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Potter Final Book: Can Anyone Fill the Void?--USA Today - June 17
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for June, 2007

(NOTE: SEE OUR "HARRY POTTER" CATEGORY FOR EXTENSIVE INFORMATION AND CAUTION.)

The book of the summer?

It's a no-brainer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling's grand finale.

It all starts — and ends — when a record-breaking 12 million copies go on sale July 21 at midnight.

Booksellers know what they're in for.

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Witchcraft Conspiracy Widens
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for June, 2007

In one month, witches and wizards will flock to bookstores and movie theaters to honor their leader, Harry Potter. While their summer gatherings should be peaceful enough, no one should be fooled into thinking we non-magic folk are safe.

Soon the wizarding community will direct its network of evildoers from a new, grand training ground in Orlando. That's right: Florida harbors sorcerers.

In 2009, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will open just blocks away from Disney World, a haven for thousands of children.

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A Summer of Potter
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for June, 2007

Summer of Potter: A Book, A Movie, and a Theme Park
This post was written by Laura Smith on 1 June, 2007

Harry Potter fans all over are saving both their allowance and their excitement for what will prove to be a huge summer for the franchise. Not only is the fifth movie based on the books, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” set to premiere on July 3, but the seventh and final book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” will be released on July 21. Now there is talk that Potter author J.K. Rowling has approved the creation of a Harry Potter theme park set to open in Orlando, Florida in 2009. With the boy wizard having become the most popular fictional character around, Mickey Mouse should be
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New Potter Film to Open
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for June, 2007

LOS ANGELES -- Good news for Harry Potter fans marking off the days to the release of the boy wizard's next movie.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth movie based on the best-selling books, will open in North American theatres July 11, two days earlier than previously scheduled.
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More on Potter Theme Park
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for June, 2007

TOLDJA SO! Harry Potter 'Theme Park Within A Theme Park' Announced by Warner & Universal (See First Peek) View all information

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Harry Potter Theme Park to Open
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for June, 2007

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Libraries Must Follow Rules of Secrecy to Get New Potter Book--Fox
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for April, 2007

The publisher of the new Harry Potter novel has strict rules for libraries handling the book this summer.

Among them: Libraries must limit the number of employees who handle the books before the July 21 release and provide names and contact information for each branch manager, according to the contract from Scholastic Inc.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is the final book in J.K. Rowling's popular series about the boy wizard.

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Another New Potter Book in July
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for February, 2007

LONDON (AP) — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last of seven installments of the boy wizard's adventures, will be published July 21, author J.K. Rowling said Thursday.

Rowling announced the publication date on her website.

Bloomsbury, her British publisher, said it would publish a a children's hardback edition, an adult hardback, a special gift edition and an audio book on the same day.

Bloomsbury noted that this year is the 10th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's
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Witch School to Open
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for August, 2006

In the "Harry Potter" series, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sits in a mystical Scotland location, shrouded by magic that hides it from unknowing humans.

Starting next week, in the unlikeliest of places, a real witch school will open its doors to the public in a place known as the Sweet Corn Capital of the World.

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Potter Influence Goes Unchallenged in Most Homes and Churches
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for August, 2006

Harry Potter’s Influence Goes Unchallenged in Most Homes and Churches

(Ventura, CA) – Each generation has its popular legends and heroes – from Superman to G.I. Joe, and Rambo to Luke Skywalker. Through the years, these stories and many others have formed a type of American mythology.

One of the country’s newest heroes is Harry Potter, the coming-of-age wizard who stars in J.K. Rowling’s imaginary world. Featured in a decade-long stream of novels and movies, the child wizard has generated a massive following among today’s youngest Americans. According to a study conducted by the Barna Group, exposure to Harry Potter – including reading at least one book or watching at least one movie – has doubled in the last three years. Currently, more than four out of every five teenagers (84%) have personally read or watched Potter.

Missing in Action?

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Harry Does His Magic--Christianity Today
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for November, 2005

Harry Does His Magic. Is That Good or Bad?

Harry Potter is back on the big screen—and already the fourth-best opening film of all time, at $102.3 million. And right along with it, the ongoing debate among Christians—including film critics—about the merits of J. K. Rowling's increasingly popular literary and cinematic phenomenon has begun again

How does Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire measure up to the other films in the series? Most critics say it's either the best or second-best, praising director Mike Newell for adding richness and depth to such mainstream entertainment. But they also agree that, as Harry grows up, the films are dealing with problems that require more mature sensibilities. Thus, Goblet of Fire earns its PG-13 rating, with some truly frightening sequences.

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) focuses on how the series and its central figures are changing. "As our characters have grown up, so has their sense of humor, which relies less on gross-out gags and more on gags that aim below the belt. … But there are also moments of quiet, tender sorrow and joy … However … the film completely fumbles the ball at the most crucial moment." He goes on to criticize the climactic sequence of the film.

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The Harry Potter Controversy--CBN
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2005

Some Harry Potter fans have argued that the books are Christian novels that are valuable for children to read. In a recent interview, Author Richard Abanes says this couldn’t be further from the truth.
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Harry Potter Mania is Sweeping the World
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for June, 2005

New York - One month before the release of the sixth volume in JK Rowling's hugely successful Harry Potter series, online retailer Amazon.com said on Wednesday that advance orders had topped the half-million mark.

A total of 568 000 copies of Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince have been ordered online and at US syndicated store sites, such as Borders.com, Amazon said in a statement.
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Harry Potter: What's in a Name?
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for May, 2005

Understand The Times Radio Commentary
by Roger Oakland
www.understandthetimes.org

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Everyone is talking about Harry Potter. Suddenly, the name Potter is synonymous with terms like wizards, goblins, witches and sorcery. The world is fascinated by this character, born in the imagination of author J.K. Rowling. How did she come up with the name Potter? Is there more to the name that would be important to know?

Someone once told me, researching is about connecting the dots. First you gather information. After this information has been assimilated and evaluated, associations are then made. Once in awhile, something clicks and an idea comes together that is important. Recently this happened to me.

For years I have been following the rising interest in the supernatural and how Satan has been seducing our generation. When the Harry Potter phenomenon hit, it was just another example. Being occupied with other research, I placed Harry Potter on the shelf. But now this has changed. Harry Potter is extremely dangerous and people must be warned. This is why.

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New Potter Book Out in July, 2005
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for December, 2004

December 21, 2004

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Already a #1 Bestseller

It's been less than 12 hours since the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and publication is more than 200 days away (see countdown above), and the book is already the #1 Bestseller at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Thanks Jutti! (Click below for screencaps, provided by Jutti.)

Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble

Earlier today, a Dutch fan site e-mailed to say that Scholastic told them that Half-Blood Prince was 38 chapters long; we've just had word from a Scholastic rep that the e-mail was "an error," and that "the book is just beginning the editing process and we will announce number of chapters later."

posted by Melissa Anelli at 03:09 PM - (Top of the page)
Comments (33) / TrackBack (0) Terms of Use
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Good for Business

Today's news of a release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is good for business, at least those in the bookselling business. MSNBC has this report with a quote from an official from Barnes & Noble who said:

"Sales from the last Harry Potter book grossed as much as a major Hollywood movie in its first week of release," Steve Riggio, chief executive officer of Barnes & Noble, said in a statement Tuesday.

"We expect this next book in the series to make publishing history once again. We've already collected 500,000 e-mail requests from our customers waiting to be notified of the date of the next book so this announcement is very welcome news for readers everywhere."

Meanwhile stock prices for the publishers of the Harry Potter books went up today as a result of the announcement of a release date.

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J.K. Rowling Interview--BBC
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for October, 2004

JK Rowling interview in full

The full transcript of Jeremy Paxman's exclusive Newsnight interview with Harry Potter creator JK Rowling, broadcast on BBC Two on Thursday 19 June.
JP: So this is it?

JKR: This is it.

JP: Are we allowed to look inside it?

JKR: Hmmmm. Yes a bit. You can have a look there... yes so, that's it.

JP: How many pages

JKR: 766... All with writer's block, which I think you'll agree is a bit of an achievement.

JP: But do you find the whole secrecy issue, the need for secrecy, a bit ridiculous?

JKR: No.

JP: Why not?

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White House Christmas Theme: Harry Potter
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for December, 2003

Note from Bill:

The following is an excerpt of Larry King's interview of Laura Bush.

KING: We're going to conclude tonight's special edition of LARRY KING LIVE with two segments devoted to the wonderful, beautiful way they've done the White House for Christmas this year, and the first lady continues with us. We're in the East Room.

BUSH: That's right, the East Room. And as you know, the theme is the season of stories. And so we have "Harry Potter" here.

"Harry Potter" has really made kids read. Little boys are really reading "Harry Potter" all around the country. And I think that's terrific.

KING: The world.

BUSH: Around the world, absolutely. I read them all this summer.

KING: You did?

BUSH: And I loved them.

KING: I have no surprise that storybook would be your theme somehow. What do you love about him?

BUSH: Well, I just love how imaginative J.K. Rowling is. That the stories are very creative. They're actually pretty adult. They're also great for adults to read, especially as you get on into the fifth volume. But I loved it this summer.

I had all five of them to read, because I never started them before. So I had her whole body of work to read at once in the summer.

KING: Did you supervise the whole setup of this?

BUSH: I supervised the whole thing. We picked the theme, the season of stories. And of course I picked the stories that I love best.

BUSH: We're here at the really magnificent gingerbread house. This is always spectacular, every year that Roland (ph) has done it, which has been for what, 28 years?

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Potter Author Wealthiest In History
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for November, 2003

Harry Potter author JK Rowling is the best paid author in history, according to a list of Britain's top earners.
Rowling, currently writing the sixth Potter book, earned L125m last year - the equivalent of L388 for each word in this year's Order of the Phoenix.

The author, whose has sold 230m books worldwide, came fifth in the Sunday Times list of the UK's top 500 earners.

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Potter And Christian Worldviews Clash
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2003

POTTER WORLDVIEW NOT COMPATIBLE WITH CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
By Jan Markell

"Pottermania" is back this summer, thanks to J.K. Rowlings newest book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." If this is not a problem in your household, count your blessings! It is in millions of both Christian and non-Christian homes where there is a "Potter obsession." Kids are "bewitched" with Harry, pun intended. The books have sold 200 million copies in 55 languages. The author ranks in wealth with the Queen of England from the sale of books, movies, trinkets, etc. Rowlings is now worth over $500 million. How has she done it? By seducing kids. O.K., now a bundle of you are mad at me. Go ahead and be that way. If I can spare one kid from being lured into the evil world of the occult, I can live with a few of you thinking I'm a fanatic.

The fifth book was released at Midnight on Summer Solstice, June 21. Coincidence? No. This whole series is so shrouded with the blatant occult and occult symbolism that this was anticipated long ago. The Solstice dates are big with today's pagans, witches, and Satanists. These dates often require a blood sacrifice that night as has been the case with Solstice dates for centuries.

Visit a bookstore on the night of the release of one of these books, although now you'll have to wait a while. If there is absolutely no occult link to Potter, why are small children asked to stay up past Midnight? Why do the kids, parents, and store personnel dress in diabolical costumes glorifying witchcraft? And some of you Christian parents, why are you among them all dressed the same, going along with this evil marketing scheme that glorifies only the world of darkness when we are to be beacons of light? Aren't we supposed to expose the deeds of darkness and not participate in them? (Eph. 5:11)

Both Christian and non-Christian parents tell me that Potter is harmless fantasy, allegory, and that it's getting kids to read. They will argue that kids are smart enough to know the difference between fantasy and reality, but are they? How about all the kids in the world who are into Potter and who are also spiritually illiterate? Harry is their worldview. If it's real in Harry's world, then what happens in his world can happen in theirs. I have dozens of quotes from kids confirming this. They long to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, but as with Santa Claus, when told it doesn't exist, many sink into a depression or refuse to believe it.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is 870 pages long. That should keep kids mesmerized all summer and beyond, as many of them read it up to a half-dozen times. In this book Potter and friends are now in their fifth year of occult training at Hogwarts. They're much more sophisticated in their understanding of the dark arts and more rebellious towards authorities. They continue to lie, steal, cheat, break the rules, and often get rewarded for that behavior. They are engaged in blatant evil, but since Harry is the hero, he represents "good evil." So we have "good evil battling bad evil", or as some would say, "good witchcraft defeating bad witchcraft." In the end the winner is witchcraft and evil! If Harry has to use stronger, meaner witchcraft to win in any conflict, that is just great. Bring it on: "Advanced Witchcraft 401." Much of what is happening in all of Potter takes place in the real world of the occult. That's what your kids are reading.

Sadly, some kids who don't really want to go along with this mayhem often face rejection from their peers; thus Christian kids and parents compromise their faith and ignore legions of Scripture verses that tell us to flee all things occultic. Popularity with peers often trumps Biblical mandates. What starts out as seemingly harmless fun at a young age could mean that same child is totally lured into the dangerously dark world of evil a decade from now. It's that old "slippery slope" and those slopes never tilt upward.

So parents, beware. You are being seduced, too. You could even have some literal blood on your hands some day. Sensationalistic? No,welcome to the occult-saturated 21st Century. The devil wants to get his licks in while he still has some time left, and he knows it is running out. Mom and dad, if you don't act, Harry Potter will seduce more kids than the Beatles and Star Wars combined. And J.K. Rowlings knows it in spite of her denials that she has any occult knowledge.

Let the buyer beware. Eternity could even be at stake.

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Real Life Witch Becomes Part of "Shared Universe" With Harry Potter
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2003

Harry Potter: The witch's view

Real-life witch Marysia Kolodziej, from Tooting, south London, was one of the first to pick up the new Harry Potter book at midnight. Here, the 27-year-old introduces herself, before she reviews The Order of the Phoenix.
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The Occult and Harry Potter: Ankerberg
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2003

The Occult and Harry Potter

Many critics have said that no actual occult practices or teachings can be found in the Harry Potter books. Others have said that, while there may be things that resemble actual occult practices, they are harmless.

We believe that both statements are incorrect. We believe that readers, including children, are finding out about genuine occult rituals and, in fact, are being shown that these practices have actual power they can learn to use in their own lives
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Questions About Harry Potter: Ankerberg
--> Posted to Harry_Potter for July, 2003

1. What is Witchcraft?

If we want to determine whether or not the Harry Potter books are presenting the principles of Witchcraft, we need to define what Witchcraft is. The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft states: "Witchcraft is not unified or cohesive by any means. There's no central authority or liturgy. Various traditions have their own rituals, philosophy, and belief.... It has become increasingly acceptable to initiate oneself into the Craft and practice alone rather than as part of a coven...."

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