Teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts to Muggles, Part One

My talk for the Harry Potter Conference in Chestnut Hill, October 2015 Part One

I gave this talk several years ago and then moved to another country. (Those two things were not connected.) Consequently, I have yet to finish transcribing my notes into an understandable written text.

You are sitting in a small classroom on an upper floor of St Joseph Hall at Chestnut Hill College. You have ducked in just now to grab a seat in the high-ceilinged old-school classroom.  You set your bag on the sill of the soaring, arched window that looks out on the green walks and trees of the grounds.

In sweeps a woman in a witch's hat and swirling black robe.  She plunks a stack of books down, whips out a wand and smacks the lectern, booming, "Wands away!"  

"Class, open your copy of 'Defence Against the Dark Arts for Muggles' and turn to Chapter One!"

"Let me introduce myself. I am Professor Alison Longstaff, and I have been invited here to teach you Defence Against the Dark for Muggles in accordance with the new era of cooperation between the magical and non-magical populations."

"I am also known as Alison Smith Longstaff, raised not 20 minutes from here in Huntingdon Valley, PA.  I have lived most of my adult life in Ontario, Canada, though for the past two years I have been the pastor of a small church in Bath, Maine. 

"I am an ordained Swedenborgian minister— a minute and obscure Christian denomination, which, although incredibly small, has split three times (at least) on this continent.

"I am also a trained therapist, a mother, a writer, and a published author.

"I care about this topic as a therapist and as a pastor and as a human being who has had to face the darkness."

"I know what it feels like to be marginalized, because I have been bullied, because I am a woman and because I felt called to ministry in a sect that says women are not capable of being ministers."

"If I were a character in the Harry Potter world, I would be somewhere between Luna Lovegood and Tonks, with a little bit of Dumbledore thrown in for good measure.  I am also Harry, as we all are.

And now for today's lesson.

The Dark Arts are REAL.  If you have ever suffered, you know the darkness is very real. It can often feel far more powerful than we can withstand.

There are many parallels between the "dark arts" in Rowling's world and the mental and emotional anguish we experience in regular life. Whether we are dealing with anxiety or depression, bullying or blocks, childhood traumas or low self-esteem, the tools for battling the darkness in the Harry Potter universe map beautifully onto the many skills and tools available to "muggles" in the non-magical world.

Muggles absolutely can learn skills, which work like magic, in battling the dark energies that attack us in our personal lives.

Let's take a look: 

Coming to us straight from Harry Potter's life and experience is the number one rule to remember:

#1 Fear and despair make the attacks worse. LOVE and BELONGING beat the darkness back.

Try to remember that you are never alone.  There is always a Dobby or Hermione or a shard of mirror connected to a presence ready to help you, even when it seems like your usual resources have fled or turned their backs.  Ask for help, and don't stop asking until you get it.  Remember that you are worthy of love and belonging ALWAYS.  ALWAYS.  Be your own ally FIRST.  Harry struggled more when he forgot to get help from his friends.  Voldemort was defeated only by the uniting of many against him.  We need each other.  There is nothing weak in asking for the help of friends.

#2 WORDS HAVE POWER

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” Albus Dumbledore, in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

We put "spells" on ourselves and each other through the words we use. 

For more on this see: https://breadbin.blogspot.com/2018/08/do-you-believe-in-magic-part-1.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR20h5oXtu5Sev2-xfS2I77KnuxpZMR2M4jOAspngRnwCDOjkZw55L9dlHo

The power of words, point 1: Swear words

Swear words are words that our culture has decided have extra power.  We are trained from a very young age to know what words we can say and what we are not allowed to say.  We have been trained to be upset by certain words. But this is culture or fashion.  The words themselves have only the power we have been taught that they have.

  

If someone swore at you in a foreign language you would have no idea what they were saying. The words would have no power because they would have no meaning attached to them. The sounds themselves hold no power.  And if meaning can be attached to a series of sounds, it can be unattached.  Swear words only upset us because we have been programmed to be upset.  Even English speaking countries don't agree on what a swear word is. For example, "bugger" carries little energy in North America, but you don't want say it loudly or often in England, South Africa, or Australia.

What wisdom can we draw from this realization? 

We can reclaim a lot of power by working with the meaning we attach to words. Like all magic, it takes practice to get good at having power over the words others use against us.  Just keep remembering that it is possible to develop the power, with practice, to turn the power of words to our side.  "Names can never hurt us" if we practice having power over the words that get thrown at us.

Do I call myself names? Rather, is there an internalized Snape always mocking and finding fault inside my mind?  How would I feel if someone was saying the sort of unkind things I think about myself to someone I love and cherish?  If I would never treat a dear friend to those words and thoughts, why do I allow them voice in my own heart and mind? Once I decide I want to speak more compassionately to myself, I can begin to do so.  Our inner thoughts have more power than we realize, and it is possible to unplug the negative "feed" and plug into a more positive inner dialogue, which increases our power for good in the world as well. 

The power of words, point 2: Pep talks and self-talk

The words we tell ourselves, and especially the words we believe deep inside (often unconsciously) affect us profoundly.  When we understand that, we can begin to pay attention to the "spells" we cast on ourselves and on others. And once we begin to pay attention, we can begin to "practice casting good spells" --- the spells we truly want in our lives.

Luna Lovegood was steadily under a barrage of name-calling, exclusion, and contempt.  How powerful was her magic that she never let this eat away at her peace of mind?  The group conversation had no power over her.  She had a deep magic that way.  What does it take to shift negative inner paradigms and heal them?  It is all in the story we tell ourselves.

Luna never saw herself as a victim.  She never gave away her power to the group by needing their approval.  Her inner self-talk and inner paradigm were stronger than the voices around her.  She knew she was loved.  She knew she would be okay.  And she believed what she believed despite raised eyebrows, contempt, and mockery.

Any good sports coach readies a team for a game by means of a "pep talk." The sole purpose of the pep-talk is to change the inner narrative of the players---to wipe away fear and distraction, and bring all the focus and intention on playing their best. A truly great pep-talk can give an "average" team the inspiration to triumph over their toughest adversary.

Do you want to use the words you put into the world to inspire and encourage, uplift and empower?  Or do you want to undermine and discourage?  Nobody who has achieved seemingly impossible things allowed beliefs like, "I can't," or  "It is impossible," to have power over them.

Every negative story we believe: "I am stupid," "No one likes me," "I am incompetent," "Others are out to get me,"  "I can't ever achieve my dreams," "I am a failure," "_Fill in the blank_", limits what we can do in life and how much of a gift we can be in the world.  That doesn't make us wrong, it makes us human.  It means we have a lot of practicing to do to get auror-strong at defending against the darkness.  You got this!

The power of words, point 3: Rhetoric, spin, and political speech-writers

There is a lot of wisdom in how to use the power of words in what speech-writers study---the power of rhetoric.  When we can spot the tools another is using to persuade us or change our thinking, we can deflect and parry their arguments.  We can choose whether we want to be persuaded rather than be swept along by the power of their created aura.

It is far more powerful to listen to an argument and be able to say, "That is a false either/or dichotomy," than simply feel frustrated by a statement such as, "Do you want freedom or do you want the country to be overrun by Mexicans!?"  

When one spots the weakness in the narrative, one no longer needs to be pulled into a waste-of-time argument.

We can find tremendous power and freedom in learning the bait-and-switch tools workers-with-words use to waste our time and distract us from more important issues.

All aurors must do advanced studies in rhetoric---particularly in parrying logical fallacies. If you want more power over the words used against you, begin to study, and keep on studying LogicalFallacies.

Part two of this talk is coming soon.  Until then, practice wisely!

Professor Alison Longstaff

Read Part two Here: https://alisonlongstaffmoore.blogspot.com/2019/10/teaching-defence-against-dark-arts-to.html

"Healing, Hope, and Magic" Final Sermon at BCNJ

This sermon is the last one I preached as pastor of the Bath Church of the New Jerusalem.  During the children's time we talked about the power of ritual, and then had a time of anointing in which the children anointed the adults with healing oil from the Mount of Olives.  Later we had a time of prayer in which we could offer up our prayers using special paper and the tray of candles.  The paper represented our prayers, and the way the paper burned quickly and disappeared without any ash or residue represented the Lord accepting our prayers as well as how we are transformed by God's love.

The special music immediately following the sermon was "Winter Song" performed as a duet by myself and Alicia Dole.

 “Healing, Hope, and the Magical Future”

Rev. Alison Longstaff, Oct. 25, 2015

Bath Church of the New Jerusalem

Jeremiah 17:7-8, 10, 14; Mark 9: 17-24; Apocalypse Explained 518:5 

Healing

There is a saying that caught me off guard the first time I heard it in a twelve step program.  It is this: “We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.”

While I didn’t regret everything about my past when I heard this statement, there certainly were parts I would rather have forgotten.  Shutting the door on the embarrassing moments from my past seemed eminently sensible. The, “we don’t speak about that anymore,” sort of rule that I associate with a Downton Abbey approach to life ruled in my psyche.  I pushed away memories of uncomfortable events because they were, well, uncomfortable. 

Not only do twelve step programs ask us to open the door to the things we would rather forget, they promise us that we will not regret the past once we submit to the healing work of spiritual growth.  We first need to admit our mistakes, learn from them, make amends when we can, and then move on to better behavior.  These steps bring us to a place of “no regret.” “No regret” means we incorporate all of our experiences, good and bad. We don’t try to hide anything.  We don’t even want to.

In one of my first children’s talks here I told a story from my high school years. I was at a mass sleepover, and one of the girls was telling a story.  In the middle of the story this popular girl sneezed, and a booger shot out of her nose and onto her hands right in front of us.  There was a stunned silence. “Oh my gosh!  How gross!” she laughed. “I can’t believe that happened!” She exclaimed in embarrassed good humor, then asked for a tissue, and moved on with her tale.   She did not spiral into a pit of mortification and shame.  She did not try to pretend it didn’t happen.  She made it funny.  We laughed together to the point of tears.  Her lack of shame helped us all. 

Moving out of shame into personal integrity requires complete honesty and self-forgiveness.  We tell our story with humor and compassion, hiding nothing, accepting all parts of our story.  We see that we are not more broken than anyone else nor are we less broken, and our compassion begins to extend to everyone else we encounter.  Everyone makes mistakes.  Do we think we are less lovable when our mistakes are known?  It actually makes us more lovable in God’s eyes.

When things don’t go perfectly in a group or encounter, we humans tend to go into judgment and blame.  We try to discover who was “wrong” and then we distance ourselves from that “wrong” one.  It shows up as gossip, negative story-telling on others, and social cut-offs. This human tendency goes back even before the Old Testament from which we get the name “scapegoating.” I hope by now that everyone in this room knows that blaming and chopping off a part of our group is about the least helpful response to any painful situation. It is about as helpful as cutting off our hand should we accidentally hit it with a hammer.

When we step away from shame and blame and “what other people think,” we find ourselves in a whole new world—one in which nobody is perfect, and yet all are still lovable.  There is healing in such a forgiving space.  We become kinder to ourselves and others.  When we recognize our own flawed humanity in the other we are less likely to cast stones and more likely to bandage up. 

I have heard some people describe our journey together here at this church and my coming departure as some sort of failure.  I don’t see it that way at all.  I believe that every step of this journey has been guided by God’s benevolent Providence, and that everything that has happened has provided important learning for all concerned.  Did everyone make perfect decisions and behave perfectly at all times?  Of course not.  We are a group of humans, and the last time I checked, that means nobody is perfect. If we all have been showing up with good intentions, humility, and a willingness to learn, then we have done well.  I know I leave with tremendous personal gifts of learning, truly invaluable experiences, and a bunch more people to love and whom I will miss very much.

Hope

There was a funny moment at the 2014 Convention in St. Louis. The cafeteria had big glass windows that looked out onto a patio.  On the nice days, many of us wanted to eat out there, but to do so required a long walk around a side corridor to go out a side door.  There was a door through the big glass wall, but everyone “knew” that it was locked.  Every once in a while, someone would try it, have no success, and walk the long way around. 

Then as I sat eating, I watched a woman walk up to the glass door, give it a good yank, and walk outside when it opened.  I just started laughing.  That woman’s can-do attitude made her able to get through a sticky door that all others had believed was locked.  It had never been locked.  It just took a bit of determination to open. Believing that a door is unlocked can’t make it be unlocked, but it sure helps to open unlocked doors that are just a little sticky!  It simply needed faith, determination, and muscle.

Some of you know that my apartment door sticks.  I have called down the stairs to several visitors to “come on in; it isn’t locked,” yet its stickiness still stops a few.  I guess they don’t believe me when I say it isn’t locked.  And so I march down the stairs and yank it open for them and let them in. No, it really isn’t locked.  It really is just sticky.

I am sure that you have had experiences of setting your mind to doing something, and found the ability to get it done because of your sheer determination.  Believing that something is possible can give us the power to do the “impossible.”  However, if we start a project thinking “it has never worked before so it won’t work this time either,” we will probably fail.  We tend to discover what we expect to discover. Believing that something isn’t possible can keep us from even attempting projects of which we are actually capable.  Sometimes “believing” truly is what enables us to “see” a thing come to pass. 

When Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well,” he truly was meaning “faith” on every level of our being.  Jesus was able to heal his followers because of their great faith in him.  It was their faith in his ability to heal them that was in itself healing.  The Divine healing energy united with their confidence, allowing it to transform their spirits all the way down through the cells of their bodies.

Our psalmist cried out, “Heal me, and I will be healed; oh, Lord. Save me and I will be saved!”

And Jesus responds to our cry, “Your faith has made you well.” 

In some ways our spiritual recovery is still that simple.  “Seeing” may be “believing,” but even more so “believing” brings about “seeing.”   Thomas could not believe until he saw the wounds in the Lord’s hands, and there is a Thomas inside each of us.  But it is also true that sometimes we simply can’t see a thing until we first believe it is possible.

All too often, our fear of failure means we hide in a story of “can’t.” Isn’t it easier to give up rather than try and fail?  So we tried.  So it didn’t turn out as planned.  Maybe it is time to try again with more fierceness and an even deeper trust in God’s ability to work within and through our faith.  But if we believe that a thing is hopeless, there is only so much God can do.

That we will not be able to “see” things in which we do not believe is a truth more maddeningly powerful than most of us would like to, well, believe.  Anyone who wants to see the past twenty-two months as some sort of failure, will see it as a failure.  This could lead to ever more negative conclusions, rather like that poem* we read in our children’s talk a few weeks ago.  But if we believe that God guided every step of this process, from call to acceptance, from joyful to jaded, from optimistic even to opting-out, then nothing truly went wrong. The past months of love and hard work alongside each other could be seen as exactly what the doctor ordered for everyone’s ongoing growth.  I know I learned some invaluable lessons about parish ministry and about myself, and I believe that I will be leaving this congregation that much stronger and more self-aware, and even better equipped for building your future.  We have done some amazing things together.

The Magical Future

Last weekend I was at a two-day event dedicated to the world of Harry Potter.  There is something about the Harry Potter stories that have so captured the imagination of all ages that families will travel hundreds of miles to have the chance to play in that world and enjoy the collective experience.  Everywhere I looked I saw round glasses and lightning scars, wizarding robes and magic wands, and most of all great big smiles.

I spoke to a packed classroom about the magic of words and the powerful ways we already use words to effect change for the better in our lives.  My particular focus was how we use word and story to protect ourselves from negativity in our lives.  My talk was entitled, “Teaching Defense against the Dark Arts to Muggles” and seemed to strike a powerful chord in the listeners.

J. K. Rowling created a monster in her stories called a “dementor.”  Floating out of the gloom with scabbed hands, these black-robed figures represented our most negative thinking.  It takes powerful magic to drive these monsters away in the stories, magic that takes practice, and magic that calls on our deepest resources to do so.  Deep joy is the one force powerful enough to defend against these nightmarish, soul-sucking figures.  Young Harry struggles and struggles to be able to produce a powerful enough “spell” to drive these dementors back.  His fear of being unable to do it weakens his ability. His intense self-doubt makes him unable to tap the necessary strength.  Only when a fierce desire to save the life of a friend pours through him and out his wand does he tap enough passion to drive the murderous monsters away.

The love that God gives you, the love that lives inside your beating heart is that very same passion.  It is more powerful than you realize, especially when you align it with love for a good cause and faith in our all-powerful God.  If we pray for help with any good cause, you can bet God will provide.  Love is powerfully and mightily alive, if we are willing to open our hearts to it.  It can open any doors and drive away the darkest of monsters.

Heal us, O Lord, and we will be healed.

Lord, we believe; help, please, our unbelief.

There is no need to regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it, for it has made each one of us who we are, and has all been part of God’s plan.

Is God’s love alive?  You can bet it is.

Does God have an intention for good for this determined little group?  Have no doubt about it.

Amen

The Readings

Jeremiah 17:7-8,10,14

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
That one will be like a tree planted by the water that spreads out its roots by the river.
That tree does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It will not be anxious in the year of drought, neither will it fail to bear fruit.”

 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to the fruit of their actions.”

Heal me, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise, O Lord.

Mark 9:17-24

Someone from the crowd said, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” 

He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.”  And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, immediately it convulsed the boy, who fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.  Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 

Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.”

Immediately the father of the child cried out, “Oh Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Apocalypse Explained 518:5

There are three reasons why faith in the Lord healed the Lord’s followers.

The first reason was that they believed that Jesus was God and therefore Omnipotent.

The second reason was that true faith brings complete trust, and complete trust creates a spiritual bond. All spiritual bonds which spring from complete trust cause each one to be spiritually present with the other.  (This happens all the time in the spiritual world.)  A spiritual connection was created because of the complete trust in Jesus’s Omnipotence. And because of this complete trust a spiritual connection with Jesus was established, which produced a transformation in their spiritual state. This is what is meant in the Scriptures by “the faith” that made them well.

The third reason why faith in the Lord healed the Lord’s followers was that all the natural diseases which the Lord healed represented and therefore were the embodiment of spiritual diseases to which they corresponded.  These spiritual diseases could only be healed by trusting in the Lord, by trusting His Divine Omnipotence, and by committing to live a better life. 

*The Poem referenced is:

Worst Day Ever?

by Chanie Gorkin, Brooklyn NY

Today was the absolute worst day ever

And don’t try to convince me that

There’s something good in every day

Because, when you take a closer look,

This world is a pretty evil place.

Even if

Some goodness does shine through once in a while

Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.

And it’s not true that

It’s all in the mind and heart

Because

True happiness can be attained

Only if one’s surroundings are good

It’s not true that good exists

I’m sure you can agree that

The reality

Creates

My attitude

It’s all beyond my control

And you’ll never in a million years hear me say

Today was a very good day

(Now read it from bottom to top, the other way,

And see what I really feel about my day.)