So today’s a big day. It’s the birthday of Jo Rowling and her character Harry Potter

AND IN RECOGNITION OF THAT, we put out a new podcast called Happy Birthday Harry (and Jo!) which you can also find by going to your Itunes Store, searching “Harry Potter Alliance” and clicking Subscribe. Any way, enjoy the new podcast edited by Ashley Farrar of myspace.com/podcastofawesome and Scott of soccerchampions.libsyn.com

So part of the activity for the Eleventh Day of Breaking Out of the Muggle Mindset is to listen to the podcast! But another part is to do light a candle for Jo and Harry’s birthday. Please take all safety precautions when lighting a candle please!

As you light this candle, light it in celebration of Jo and Harry’s birthdays. In celebration of Harry’s eleventh birthday in our world. Light it to remember that it was on Harry’s eleventh birthday that he found out he was a Wizard. And light it most of all, in recognition that you are a Wizard!

Since the one year anniversary of Deathly Hallows on July 21 we’ve put out a different activity each day to help us Break Out of the Muggle Mindset and into the magic of our creativity. And when many renowned spiritual teachers talk about stripping past facade and into the magic of their true selves, they talk about how there is a light within them, a light within each of us that no one can touch. Almost like magic.

So today, meditate on the candle as you recognize that light within you and allow it to shine through your body, through your feelings, through your heart, and out through the world.

Send us pictures if you’d like or keep it to yourself and discuss this activity in the forum section!

And if you’d like to, please consider the possibility of shining your light, in part by throwing a TriWizard Tournament House Party by writing Dinah at houseparties@thehpalliance.org

So enjoy your podcast listening and your lighting a candle for Jo, Harry, and yourself!

Thank you for being part of these Eleven Days, we will continue to inspire each other to break out of the Muggle Mindset, and Happy Birthday Jo and Harry!

Welcome one and all to the 10th day of our 11 Days of Breaking Out of the Muggle Mindset! Today is especially exciting for me because I get to make a big announcement. From August 8 through the 24th, the Harry Potter Alliance is going to be running a new project - one that encourages you to host your very own TriWizard House Party! You may recall the House Parties that were thrown last year to spread knowledge of the atrocities happening in Darfur. This year we wanted to take it one big step further.

The overarching idea of the TriWizard House Parties is to confront the issues that China is raising in the world. This in no way is an attack on the diverse and amazing culture of China - instead is a declaration of concern. The slogan for the Olympic Games this year is “One World, One Dream.” However, we have found that China is actually supporting the idea of “One World, One Nightmare.” China has been contributing to the genocide in Darfur and the oppression of Burma and Tibet.

We look at the Olympic Games in the same vein as the TriWizard Tournament. They are both international games to challenge strength and endurance intended to bring differing cultures together. Just as Voldemort hijacked the TriWizard Tournament by using it as a way to gain access to Harry Potter, China is hijacking the ideal of the Olympic Games to further their country’s image and prestige.

What Action Can You Take Today?
Before I go into detail about how we are tying the TriWizard Tasks back to the House Parties, I bet you’re wondering what I’m going to ask you to do today. No, I’m not going to ask you to have an impromptu TriWizard House Party - I’m not even going to ask you to commit to hosting one in August. I only ask that you do a few small things:

1. Take some time to look up some of the issues related to China’s “One World, One Nightmare” - Some places to do this are: Save Darfur, the US Campaign for Burma, and Students for a Free Tibet
2. Take a peek at the materials we’ve put together with House Party details and ideas - we will have a page to access very shortly, but in the meantime: “So You Want to Host a TriWizard House Party” and “Taking Action at Your House Party”
3. Consider hosting a TriWizard House Party or email me and I can keep you updated on open parties to attend in your area. Email me (Dinah) at: houseparties@thehpalliance.org

The Tasks and What They Mean:

Task 1: Facing the Dragon
The first task of facing the dragon is about political activism and standing up to the horrors of the world and doing something to get around them. Just like Harry, we may find that simple actions can accomplish what we need, like signing petitions or voicing our concerns to the rest of the world.

Task 2: Diving into the Lake
In the second task, Harry dove into the lake, facing dangers in order to bring relief to the hostages held at the bottom. In the same spirit, we want the focus of the second task to be helping those around us, near and far. Even so much as donating a few dollars to a charity can make a huge difference. For example, in coordination with STAND, every $3 raised toward the refugee relief effort has the ability to save one more person from persecution, starvation, and exposure for up to a full year. The HP Alliance has already raised over 6,000 dollars for this campaign, and I know that together, we can continue to add to this and continue to help protect others.

Task 3: Navigating the Maze
The third task is focused on the individual and breaking free of the Muggle Mindset. The Vernon Dursleys of the world are holding people back from developing their creativity, saying that imagination is a waste of time and energy. We want to remember that we are individuals and we need to go through a lot to know who we truly are. It is the maze of our lives that we navigate in hopes of reaching the prize in the center of really knowing ourselves.

This Sounds Like Fun! What Now?

If you would like to host a TriWizard House Party or just want to get some more information, please email me, Dinah, at: houseparties@thehpalliance.org. The same goes for those interested in finding House Parties in your area. I will keep track of the locations of people who are interested in attending a House Party and ask any Hosts near them if they are willing to have strangers attend. In the case of an affirmative, I will connect the pair! So it’s totally worth it, either way!

In the Forums

Come join the discussion in the HP Alliance forums to tell us your thoughts about the TriWizard House Parties! Let us know some of your plans and we can all brainstorm our parties together! I know I’m planning mine for August 16th and would love input on my plans! Come talk to us HERE!

Or, you can discuss the situation with China and the Olympics HERE!

I look so forward to hearing from all of you! Take care of yourselves!

–Dinah Russell

houseparties@thehpalliance.org

It’s Day 9 of the Eleven Days of Breaking out of the Muggle Mindset! Today, we have been using the resources that Mother Earth has given us quicker than ever before. Nature has played an incredible part of the Harry Potter series; the use of herbolgy was a crucial part of the daily lives of witches and wizards. Without the use of mandrakes, Hermione would have never been revived from petrifaction. Ron would have died from poisoning without the beozar. If these parts of the environment had disappeared because we lacked the skills in taking care of them, the wizarding world would never be the same. We need to do the same in our world and take care of the environment so humans can use it for years to come.

Even JKR has pushed for an environmental agenda. J.K.Rowling helped popularize printed books on recycled paper which in turn “saved 200,000 trees and had the same carbon impact as taking 1,577 cars off the road. Furthermore, printers across the country began stocking more recycled and FSC-certified paper to meet the demand.” To read the rest of the article on green publishing, head over to the MinnPost website.

To make a small contribution to the environment, we suggest reusing something around your house instead of throwing it away. For instance you could:

*Take an empty jar, like a spaghetti sauce jar, and fill it with a homemade cookie recipe mix, muffin mix, or some other tasty treat. Write up a nice label to go with it, instructions, and you have a great gift for a friend!

*Have old calendars with pictures you love? Save them and decorate your walls! Same with old magazines. Cut out the pictures you like and make a unique piece of art.

*Do you have old clothes that aren’t in good enough shape to donate? Make them into something new, like a bag for going to the store or a purse! You don’t need a sewing machine or great skills to make something fun, personal, and useful.

*Need a new game for a rainy day? Set up empty plastic bottles like bowling pins, find yourself a small ball (or make one!) and have fun! (If you are buying bottled water, stop! Just buy a reusable bottle and bring water from home! Don’t like the taste? Get a cheap filtration system and keep a jug of water in your fridge. It makes your fridge work less by keeping the fridge cool, and you have fresh cold water on hand whenever you want it.)

For example, I reused on old crate lying around my basement, painted it, and turned it into a side table for my bedroom. To see pictures of my idea and share some ideas of your own, please head over to our forums.

It’s Day 8 of Breaking Out of the Muggle Mindset and today we’re focusing on “Magical Acts of Kindness.”

As I remember a quote from Mother Theresa: “In this life, we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love” and the Dalai Lama: “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness” I am reminded of how the world’s most disciplined spiritual teachers talk of “kindness” as one of the highest virtues.

FUN FUN FUN!
And while the “art of kindness” is revered by such esteemed teachers, it need not be complicated. Some of the most kind people I have ever come across are children. Have you ever had a child take out crayons and draw something for you? They are keenly aware of the fact that kindness is not some esoteric skill. All it takes is a smile. A hug. Or perhaps even a wish for healing.

INSPIRATION
The idea for a “A Magical Acts of Kindness” came after I was remembering a couple years ago after I put out a post about how people can celebrate Hermione’s birthday by doing something nice for the custodians in their school. One young woman and her cousins baked cupcakes and put them in the janitor’s office with an anonymous note that told them that they are so appreciated for everything they do “for us” students. So why not, I thought (as did my friends Jess and Lauren) start a whole movement to inspire each other to be kind and what’s more, to have fun with being kind!

PARTICIPATE!
On our forums section right now, people are talking about creative ways that they can bring more kindness into this world today. And whether it’s knitting for someone, helping the elderly, building nests for ducks - it’s all amazing! And you can take part and come up with your own ideas.

There’s so many: on May 1st of this year, my girl friend went to the doors of everyone she knows and anonymously left flowers. There’s no end to what we can do and the fun we can have in practicing what the Dalai Lama refers to as “his religion” of kindness. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go mail a pair of socks to my favorite Hogwarts professor.

Stop reading for a few seconds. Close your eyes. Listen. What do you hear?

Maybe it’s music. Maybe it’s talking. The buzz of an air conditioner. Barking dogs. Loud neighbors. Chances are, you hear something.

Today’s task is to appreciate silence.

We live in a really noisy world - we spend so much time talking, watching TV, listening to music, etc….and these are all great activities. But taking time out of each of those activities and sounds, and instead, taking time to appreciate the silence we find can help us out a lot as we break out of the Muggle Mindset.

Silence is a tricky thing. We all define it differently. For some, the buzz of that air conditioner may be as close to silence as we think we can get. For others, we can find silence simply in not talking. Let’s take it the extremes today. Let’s take time to find as much silence as we possibly can. Then, let’s take some time to really explore the Listening side of that silence.

Today, I challenge you to do two things:

1) Find Silence

• Find a place where you can enjoy silence. Try and eliminate as much sound or background noise as possible.
• Decide on a period of time. Make sure you give yourself enough time to really “feel” the silence – I suggest at least five minutes (although you can go for longer if you want) If you can, set a timer. That way, you don’t have to do anything but sit and let yourself be silent.
• Get comfortable!
• Think. What are you getting out of the silence? A good place to start is to think about what you can sense during silence. What’s the closest sound? What’s the furthest thing away? Focus on those things, and see where it takes you.

2) Use Silence to Listen

• Find a place where you would normally be talking. Maybe it’s a classroom. Maybe it’s a dinner table conversation. Maybe it’s singing really loudly to music.
• Decide to stay silent for a few minutes. (I recommend five here too, although this one you can also follow your instinct). Try and let this be a spontaneous decision – don’t plan it out in advance
• Instead of speaking, focus on listening. What can you hear? Focus on words or music. Start narrowly. What do the syllables and letters of the words sound like? How high or low is the person’s voice? Does that change?
• Let those sounds merge into broader ideas. Start thinking about what’s actually being said, and how all of those sounds affect the way the words come out and sound they make. Think about tone and the emotion in the voices.
  

I know that this is hard. It’s okay to feel a little weird or silly as you do these things. Just remember – they’re short periods of time. So let yourself be a little bit silly about it, or feel a little weird. Really challenge yourself to be silent and to listen. Try it and see what happens.

I’ll also be doing each of these today and posting about my experiences in this thread in the forums. Please come talk about your experiences, too!

“Ahh…music, a magic far beyond all we do here.” - Albus Dumbledore

Music has the magic to bring tears, bring laughter, recall memories, and make peace. It can move your soul and change your life. Even in the world of Harry Potter, which we experience through reading alone, we can see evidence of how important music is - the Sorting Hat uses music regularly, we hear mention of the Weird Sisters more than once, people walk around the corridors singing during the holidays, and of course the phoenix song. Dumbledore was at his wisest when he spoke the quote at the beginning of this blog - music truly is a very powerful magic.

For me, music practically is my life. That may sound a bit strange or maybe perhaps like I have my priorities in the wrong order, but let me explain a bit. Music plays a vital role in my life. When I think back over my years, it is the music from that time that brings back the memories in vivid imagery. Music connects to my heart and in turn my heart connects to other people through the same music. In fact, I very often use music to express my thoughts and emotions. When I share music with others, I am sharing a part of myself and sharing my love with them. Yes, there are countless other aspects to my life but music is a constant across them all - a magical aspect that ties all the little things together.

Because music is so magical and very often a huge part of our lives, we feel that taking a day to explore our music and the music of others is an important way to celebrate the magic of our own world. Your task for today is two-fold.
1. Listen to one of your favorite songs and think about why you love this song so much. What do you feel when you listen to it? Does it conjure any memories or specific images? Write this information down in your journal, or if you want to share it with others let us know in the forum!
2. Find a new song that you’ve never heard before and listen to it as well. It may take a couple of times to really get a feel for it. While you listen to the song, think about what elements of the song you like (even if you really don’t enjoy it, you can think of at least one thing you can appreciate!). Again, does this song conjure any memories or images? Does it give you a particular feeling? Remember to write this information in your journal as well. If you are having trouble finding a song you’ve never heard, or if you are just curious, check out the HPA staff recommendations below!

Please feel free to discuss your favorite music as well as your thoughts about the new music you experienced today here on our forum!

Staff Recommendations:

Amanda, Project Manager, says, “When I’m feeling down, I enjoy listening to “Crash & Burn” by Savage Garden. But for sheer fun, I love Weird Al, especially “Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet Near Mars” and “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota” (which I’ll be visiting again this summer!). Jonathan Coulton rocks too, especially his “Re Your Brains”!

Ami, Wizard Rock the Vote Co-Coordinator, recommends “Be My Witch Tonight” by The Mudbloods and “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure.

Karen, Chapter Coordinator, recommends “My Life” by Billy Joel and “Song of Man” by Phil Collins (from the Tarzan soundtrack).

Tita, Forum Manager, recommends “Origin of Love” by Hedwig and the Angry Inch and “No Day But Today” by the cast of Rent.

and lastly I (Samantha, Wizard Rock the Vote Coordinator), recommend “Bus Stop” by The Hollies (This song is just amazing - so upbeat and adorable. They need to make a romantic comedy based on this song.) I also recommend all the tracks on Sufjan Stevens’ Come On, Feel the Illinoise and “Rhapsody in Blue” by George and Ira Gerswhin (this song fills me with happiness!).

There are many reasons why we, as HPA members and Harry Potter fans, have banded together: the exchange of ideas, the sense of community, a belief in idealism and our ability to accomplish magic in the muggle world. But ultimately, the reason we are all here, the reason why one year (and five days) ago today, millions of people gasped, wept, and laughed as one is because we each picked up a book and read. It all started from a story.

And look what Harry’s story has achieved.

With that, the HPA is proud to announce Day 5 of the Eleven Days of Breaking Out of the Muggle Mindset: Literary Appreciation Day! Literature can be a profound force in our lives; Harry Potter is an excellent example of the effects a good yarn can have. Reading expands our horizons in ways that no other medium can. So today, your task is simple: recommend a good book to a friend!  What have you read lately? What books have you adored? Reviled? Devoured?

You can discuss your book recommendations right here in our very own forums! In addition, some of our staff have provided their own recommendations for you to take a look at right here….

Read the rest of this entry »

What a week it’s been already! We’re wizards, we’ve been accepted to Hogwarts, we’re loving ourselves and our lives – and now, just like an wizard or witch, we need wands!!

They say the wand chooses the wizard – that means that wands can “read” who wizards really are. A wand can tell what your future ambitions may be, what you believe, what you’re interested in, what you’re excited about – all of these things that make us who we are.

If a wand can read those things about a wizard, and can pick the wizard they like based on those qualities, that means that the core of a wizard’s wand must become those values in order to link itself to the wizard.

We can create our own wands by writing down those things about ourselves and conceiling them inside our own “wands,” which then become our own secret reminders of our true, individual selves.

Today’s task is to create that wand. Follow the instructions under the link (or alter them based on your own creative thoughts!) and create a wand that represents who you are! Read the rest of this entry »