The symbolic Nature of the Number 7, Is it a lucky number for Harry? |
 Jul 11 2005, 09:26 AM
Post
#1
|
|
Fortescue's Spoon Polisher  Posts: 3,539 Joined: 1:29pm March 16, 2005   |
There have been threads discussing the symbolic nature of numbers. I would like to discuss the number 7.
Her it goes: There are 7 stages of transforming lead into gold in alchemy. This link describes how the planets relate to thiose stages. here 7 Metals - Lead, Tin, Iron, Copper, Mercury, Silver, Gold. 7 Stages of Alchemy - Calcination, Dissolution, Separation, Conjunction, Fermentation, Distillation, Coagulation. 7 Sacraments in Christianity - Baptism, Penance, Marriage, Communion, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Last Rites. 7 Colors - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Violet, (and White which unites them into one whole) Greece had seven sages, the Christian Middle Ages seven free arts (grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy) 7 Planets - Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. 7 Personality Types - Solar, Lunar, Martial, Mercurial, Jovial, Venusian, Saturnine. 7 Days of Week - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. As this relates to Harry Potter, - There are 7 books- Why? Could Harry be evolving spiritually from Lead into Gold? There are 7 Weasley Children? What do each of them represent. As they all are unique and have their own personalities. There are 7 Tasks for the trio to get through to get to the socerer’s stone. In the 6th task he gets to the table with 7 bottles. Here is the poem: QUOTE Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, Two of us will help you, whichever you would find, One among us seven will let you move ahead, Another will transport the drinker back instead, Two among our number hold only nettle wine, Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore, To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four: First, however slyly the poison tries to hide You will always find some on nettle wine's left side; Second, different are those who stand at either end, But if you would move onward, neither is your friend; Third, as you see clearly, all are different size, Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides; Fourth, the second left and the second on the right Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight. There are7 locks to Mad Eye Moody’s trunk. Are there more? Can you relate the number 7 in the Harry Potter books to the symbolic nature of any of the above references. This thread has the opportunity to combine alchemy, astrology, christian symbolism and more. So, GO for it! -------------------- |
 |
  
 
|
OPAST|
Jul 11 2005, 09:32 AM
Post
#2
|
|
Director of Nicholas Flamel Laboratories Posts: 11,086 Joined: 11:06am January 28, 2005 Location: Lighting the mountain path for Llewellyn ap Gryffudd  |
Here's another one: the 7 Deadly Sins (and I don't know exactly what they all are). I wonder if each sin can be related to a book?
Are there seven virtues? In Eastern tradition there are only 5, but what about in Christianity or other mythology? Seven continents. Seven seas. Seven lords of the Amenti (lords of darkness and light). -------------------- The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity.--Harlan Ellison
My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.--Aldous Huxley |
|
|
|
|
Jul 11 2005, 10:10 AM
Post
#3
|
|
|
Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 165 Joined: 4:03pm June 21, 2005 |
"Born as the 7th month dies..." I'm sure there are more, but don't have my books with me now.
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 11 2005, 12:21 PM
Post
#4
|
|
|
Fortescue's Spoon Polisher Posts: 3,539 Joined: 1:29pm March 16, 2005 |
In christian symbolism from ccu.org:
QUOTE Seven (7) denotes spiritual perfection. It reflects the work of the Holy Spirit as the power of God as a hallmark does. It is the mark of life and divides the periods of reproduction in animal life. It is the number of rest and the cycle of rest in the jubilee. It is also the period of return to God in rest and return to His law and that is why the Law is read in the Sabbath year of the cycle. It can be said the The books are about Harry's journey as the quest for spiritual perfection. Each book as a task for his journey. Heres more QUOTE By Andrew Harris 6 July 1999 © Last Modified Tue, 21 Aug 2001 11:58:12 GMT cp.gif Home Page Introduction Roman Numerals Hebrew Greek List of the Numbers Statistics Links Introduction In the Hebrew, seven ([b'v, - Sheh'-bah) is from a root word meaning to be complete or full. This can be clearly seen from the first time a varient of this word is used in the Bible. 1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:1-3 God rested on the seventh day because his work of creation was complete, entire, perfect. Thus seven represents this perfect completeness and also it represents rest, as in the rest that is taken from work. It is from this same word that the Sabbath, the day of rest comes. But as well as this spiritual perfection, seven seems also to be used in another way in scripture. -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Jul 11 2005, 01:39 PM
Post
#5
|
|
|
Fortescue's Spoon Polisher Posts: 3,539 Joined: 1:29pm March 16, 2005 |
QUOTE(CrumplehornedSnorckak @ July 11 2005,11:10 am) "Born as the 7th month dies..." I'm sure there are more, but don't have my books with me now. More about our 7th month. For obvious reasons JKR has picked the 7th month as Harry's birth month QUOTE July was named for the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, organizer of the
Julian Calendar in 46 BC, which remained in use until 1752, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted. The birthstone for July is the red ruby. It symbolizes love, and an open heart. The ruby is the carrier of the red ray, and helps the wearer to gain courage. Ruby is worn to improve circulation and the richness of the blood. Associated with the sign Leo, it strengthens the heart center leading to the will, and through compassion turns personal love into love of humanity. The ruby is not limited to Leo, but is supportive of all fire signs. Its contrasting properties are associated with Shiva the destroyer, and correlated with the process of purification. -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Jul 11 2005, 09:25 PM
Post
#6
|
|
Transfiguration Today's Star Reporter Posts: 2,026 Joined: 10:08pm June 16, 2005 Location: Salem School of Witchcraft & Wizardry,USA |
Hey M. I 'm glad to see you started this thread.
"Lucky 7" JKR said she made the Weasley children's hair red, because she didn't like that red heads are concidered unlucky. QUOTE Quote (CrumplehornedSnorckak @ July 11 2005,11:10 am) JKR said she believes in God and I think she might of based the book on a religion, so I think you got your answer here."Born as the 7th month dies..." I'm sure there are more, but don't have my books with me now. More about our 7th month. For obvious reasons JKR has picked the 7th month as Harry's birth month Quote July was named for the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, organizer of the Julian Calendar in 46 BC, which remained in use until 1752, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted. The birthstone for July is the red ruby. It symbolizes love, and an open heart. The ruby is the carrier of the red ray, and helps the wearer to gain courage. Ruby is worn to improve circulation and the richness of the blood. Associated with the sign Leo, it strengthens the heart center leading to the will, and through compassion turns personal love into love of humanity. The ruby is not limited to Leo, but is supportive of all fire signs. Its contrasting properties are associated with Shiva the destroyer, and correlated with the process of purification. Let's try to find more 7s. It sounds like fun! -------------------- There you go Sirius. Nothing rash. Kept my nose clean. Exactly the opposite of what you'd have done. . . .
~ OotP - pg. 12 "And dreams are the language of God. When he speaks in our language, I can interpert what he has said. But if he speaks in the language of the soul, it is only you who can understand." ~Paulo Coelho The Alchemist |
|
|
|
|
Jul 12 2005, 09:03 AM
Post
#7
|
|
|
Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 165 Joined: 4:03pm June 21, 2005 |
Thanks memyslfn1. I'm actually a July birthday, so I knew some of that. Interesting that the ruby is associated with Leo, since most of the month falls under Cancer.
There are seven floors in Hogwart's, or at least Gryffindor's dorm is in the seventh-floor tower. I'm bad at this game...can't ever think of more than one! |
|
|
|
|
Jul 12 2005, 09:21 AM
Post
#8
|
|
|
Fortescue's Spoon Polisher Posts: 3,539 Joined: 1:29pm March 16, 2005 |
It is interesting that the Slytherins (snake like near the ground) are located in the dungeons and Griffyndor Tower is close to heaven. Griffon (eagle, lion) as far as what the symbolic meaning is for each of the floors, well thats N.E.W.T. level and I am not that astute!
But to reach DD you need to ascend into his office so that is also exhaulted -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Jul 12 2005, 05:32 PM
Post
#9
|
|
Chief Mischief-Maker  Posts: 8,572 Joined: 5:07pm January 28, 2005 Location: The Marauder's Map never lies ... |
Do the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have any relevance?
1. Great Pyramid of Giza 2. Hanging Gardens of Babylon 3. Statue of Zeus at Olympia 4. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 5. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 6. Colossus of Rhodes 7. Lighthouse of Alexandria Diamond, I think you already mentioned the Emerald Tablet and the Pyramids of Giza; is the Tablet supposed to be concealed beneath them? -------------------- Proud Gryffindor
  and OPAST member"Hallows," murmured Dumbledore, "not Horcruxes. Precisely."  |
|
|
|
|
Jul 13 2005, 08:37 AM
Post
#10
|
|
|
Director of Nicholas Flamel Laboratories Posts: 11,086 Joined: 11:06am January 28, 2005 Location: Lighting the mountain path for Llewellyn ap Gryffudd |
QUOTE Diamond, I think you already mentioned the Emerald Tablet and the Pyramids of Giza; is the Tablet supposed to be concealed beneath them? Some say the Tablet is in the Pyramid itself, but most say it was buried in the Hall of Records under the Sphinx. Here are some more! Seven colours in the spectrum. Seven notes in the musical scale. Seven features on the human head. Seven vowels in the Greek alphabet. Seven principals in man. The seventh son of the seventh son is said to have occult powers. The seventh hour of birth determines whether a child will live or die. The seventh day after birth the umbilical cord falls off. Flowering plants of a pure strain have seven outside petals. The lotus is one such flower. There are seven major chakras, or energy points, in the human body--one of them is in the middle of the forehead, right where Harry's scar is. The ziggurat, or ladder to heaven, has seven steps. Did someone mention this yet? That Harry was born in July--the 7th month? And here's another one: from angelfire: Seven is the number of magic, occult mysteries and clairvoyance. It is considered to be a sacred, mystic number in almost all societies including Hindu, Egyptian, Greek, Hebrew and Chinese. It is an indivisible number and therefore compared to God. On the seventh day of creation God rested, so all things must therefore rest under the influence of this number in order to reflect and contemplate on what has occurred as well as what is likely to transpire. It represents the last step before completion and is closely associated with man’s life span of three score and ten years. The book of Genesis states that it took seven days to create the world. In the book or revelations there were seven archangels and seven spirits of God sent forth unto all the earth. There were seven generations from David to the coming of Christ. -------------------- The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity.--Harlan Ellison
My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.--Aldous Huxley |
|
|
|
