‘Harry Potter lectures’

     
You can count on the Anthroposophical Society to host all kinds of interesting programs, none of them directly involving Freemasonry, but many geared to gratify the curiosity and hunger of the Masonic mind.

So naturally I missed the one I hoped to see Saturday.

It was the first in a four-part lecture series courtesy of Eugene Schwartz, a Waldorf educator, on “Harry Potter and the Secret Brotherhoods.”

From the publicity:

Is there really anything more to be said about the Harry Potter series? The awe-inspiring sales figures of the books (almost 500 million copies) and the record-breaking grosses of the movies ($7.7 billion) are pointed to as evidence of spiritual vacuity, and the fact that they were written as children’s books supposedly defines the limits of their author’s vision. Eugene Schwartz contends that there is a great deal more to be said about Rowling’s seven volumes, especially if they are read as bold forays into the shadowy domains of the “secret brotherhoods.” Eugene will draw us into the surprisingly profound world of children’s books and movies and explore the “open secret” of contemporary spiritual visionaries.

No familiarity with any of the Harry Potter books is necessary. Let us know in advance that you are going to attend any one (or all) of the lectures and Eugene will send you plot summaries.

Lecture 1: As a backdrop to our Harry Potter explorations, we will look at some children’s classics of the 20th century: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Ring trilogy, C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, and (the anthroposophist) Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story.

Future lecture dates:

Jan. 26, 2013: Harry Potter, Volumes 1, 2, and 3;

April 6, 2013: Volumes 4, 5, and 6; and

May 11, 2013: Volume 7.

Click here to visit Anthroposophy NYC, and scroll down through the calendar. Check out the programs on Sacred Geometry, and other interesting subjects.