XPost: alt.magick, alt.books, alt.religion.wicca   
   From: EMAILSeekingHarryPotter@rocketmail.comHERE   
      
   On Sat, 3 Sep 2011 13:30:04 -0400, Thomas J. Giarmo wrote:   
      
   >> Just so save you the time to skim it until the key instructions, the   
   >> procedure consists basically of boiling down urine.   
   >   
   > this is the symbolic mercury and sulphur.   
      
   One of Ms. Rowling's interesting use of chemical symbology occurs in   
   the selection of Hermione Granger as a name. I have often wondered if   
   she first utilized this symbology as you have mentioned, Thomas, and   
   backed into *H*ermione *G*ranger or if she simply liked the name   
   which also fit the Periodic Table's abbreviation (Hg).   
      
   Probably the former imo. I have always felt she needed a "quarreling   
   couple" to complement the alchemical theme (Hg and S; Hermione and   
   Ron).   
      
   John Granger made shipping points regarding HRH - alchemists tried to   
   use sulfur and mercury to make gold.   
      
   Granger sees Ron as representing sulfur and Hermione mercury turning a   
   base metal or lead (Harry) into gold:   
      
   The first is the analogy of the roles of sulfur and mercury in alchemy   
   with the roles of Harryÿs friends Ron and Hermione in the books. The   
   alchemical work purifies a base metal by dissolving and recongealing   
   the metal using two principal reagents or catalysts.   
      
   These reagents reflect the masculine and feminine polarities of   
   existence. ´Alchemical sulfur¡ represents the masculine, impulsive,   
   and red pole, while ´quicksilver¡ or ´alchemical mercury¡ represents   
   the feminine and cool complement. Together and separately these   
   reagents advance the base metal to gold.   
      
   Harryÿs two closest friends are Ron, the redheaded, passionate boy,   
   and Hermione, the brilliant, cool young woman. They are also living   
   symbols of alchemical sulfur (Ron) and mercury (Hermione).   
      
   Together, and more obviously, in their disagreements and separation,   
   Harryÿs friendships with Ron and Hermione transform him from lead to   
   gold. Sulfur and quicksilver are frequently called ´the quarreling   
   couple,¡ an apt name for Ron and Hermione.   
   --   
   http://harrypotterforseekers.com/alchemy/alchemy.php   
      
   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harrypotterforseekers/messages?o=1   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)