Since I know a thing or two about Alchemy I thought I’d help you out with the Green Lion.

1 First off, I just ran across a compelling blog entry that compared Snape to the Hippogriff (http://www.thehpn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=9), connects the Hippogriff to a Gryffin, and one of the comments mentioned another essay stating the case that Snape is actually the Heir of Gryffindor (Gryffindor’s known for their bravery & Snape is “The Bravest Man I Ever Knew.”)

2 from http://www.alchemywebsite.com/animal.html
“The Gryphon, half-eagle and half-lion, was sometimes associated with the end of this stage. The eagle nature of the Gryphon gave this hybrid being an ability to ascend in the flask, so it marked, in a sense, THE SPIRITUALISATION OF THE GREEN LION.”

3 Gryffindor is actually French: “Gryffin D’Or” or “Golden Griffin”
and the books place a focus on the *Lion* as the animal representative of Gryffindor House. The House colors are Red & Gold (Think “Red Lion” & “Golden Lion”)

4 Slytherin is represented by the Serpent, but serpents have a dual nature in alchemy: they can kill and they can heal. Slytherin’s house colors are Green & Silver (Silver represents the Moon or “Sophia”, and the lunar phases would make her “Corruptible Sophia” )

The Roots of the word “Philosopher” are “Philo” (love) and “Sophia” (wisdom).

5 Now, the famous image of the Green Lion eating the sun from alchemical lore has a banner above it. According to my book, that banner reads “I am he who was THE GREEN & GOLDEN LION without cares, within me lie all the mysteries of the philosophers.”

Snape is the philosopher = Philo Sophia, lover of Wisdom (Lily symbolizes “albedo” = moon).

“Without cares” is intriguing because you wouldn’t think of Snape as someone without cares, but in fact, he never married, has no children, no social life – he has NO CARES that an ordinary person would have. The only thing he cares for is “not of this world”: Lily & the magical thing called Love.

6 The alchemical process is all about the “full-circle” or cycle of life & death & renewal, and the notion that “golden” things must be constantly replaced, renewed or they will become “vulgar gold”. That’s what the Green Lion is for. His destiny is to become the newly golden lion that replaces the old.

7 I think in the 6th book, Dumbledore represents the Golden Lion who is going “corrupt” (not that he’s turning bad, but merely that his time has come). In the first book, Dumbledore states about Snape “I would trust him with my Life” and he did — in the fullest sense of the word. I think Dumbledore really loved the whole school & everyone in it, and when he died, it was some kind of “old magic” at work. Dumbledore’s love protecting the school.

8 Another interesting thing here is the link between Hermetic Alchemy & Gnostic Christianity. In the Gospel of Judas Iscariot that was revealed to the public a few years ago, Jesus (a phoenix figure) actually ASKS JUDAS to ‘sell out’ which directly led to his death — not unlike Dumbledore (christ figure) asking Snape to kill him. This secret Gospel says that Judas was Jesus’ “favorite disciple”, and that Judas was actually THE ONLY disciple who understood who Jesus was and what he was here to do.

In it, Jesus explains to Judas that would be “cursed above all”, but in the end, would “surpass all the others” — in the end, he would be regarded as “the greatest” of them. Not unlike Snape in the Potter series.

What’ll really make you flip: while the Potter series is a coming-of-age story about Harry, JKR built the entire story around *Snape*, and I’m pretty sure she started writing this story waaay before the public had a whiff about the Gospel of Judas Iscariot — not 100% on the accuracy of that assumption, but I’m pretty sure JKR started writing in early 90s, and the Secret Gospel was rumored but not revealed until mid 00s.

Anyway, I really believe the Potter epic is all about the “spiritualisation of the Green Lion” = Snape = The Green & Golden Lion.

9 Snape’s transformation from the Green Lion into the Golden Lion teaches us the same lesson we learn from all the Disney movies (as all of these stories descend from the Hermetic tradition): That Love & Longing have transformative powers: Paupers can become Princesses, Mermaids & Beasts & Puppets can become human, A kiss can bring someone “back to life” — and a half-blood “snake” can “surpass them all” = can BECOME PURE.

I think of Snape’s life as something like the Conquistador in the movie “The Fountain”. He wasn’t meant to be with her in the material world, but she touches him in every life where they meet, and asks him to “finish the story”. In the end, his sacrifice allows for life to continue & his death is a symbol of freedom. He wasn’t meant for a material marriage, but a *celestial marriage* = the alchemical Marriage of Sol & Luna.

According to Paracelsus, everything that is material is “fallen” and must be interpreted only as a metaphor for, or *symbolic representation* of, the spiritual.

I came across these pictures and don’t know what to make of them. I really like the Snape is vitriol idea, but I’m very new to this and am having a hard time knowing what sources to trust etc.

http://www.levity.com/alchemy/emb_green_lion.html

Are these legit sources?

I am an editor at Scribbulus. Our first issues (when most of the current staff were not working for the site) were not as professional as our recent issues – these alchemy essays were in our earliest issues. We have a dedicated team of editors, reference checkers, and formatters who are diligently trying their hardest to fact check and reference every essay thoroughly. I was shocked by the extent of the problems you discovered in this essay and I will raise the issue at our next staff meeting. We are all volunteer however, no one on the Leaky Cauldron gets paid for their time, so we do what we can (which turns out to be quite a bit).

It is indeed generally believed in the fandom that Vitriol does describe Snape. I would love to get an explanation of Jo’s intent in an interview. Though it makes sense that Snape is a catalyst for reactions in the HP books, sulfuric acid is not a catalyst but a reactant. I am so confused by this entire issue. I would like to see him truly defined as something in Alchemy that does not change because that would best describe his fate in the series. He started with obsessive love and ended with it and we are left wondering if he ever learned anything from his connection with Dumbledore at all. Truly, I long to hear your thoughts on his character now that DH is done.

Thank you, Caltheous

If it’s resentment, how can positive spiritual transformation come from a negative spiritual process?

How would Snape fit into a scheme if (at least in the Christian tradition) Snape ought to not “let the sun go down on (his) anger?”

Does someone else’s resentment (Snape) improve our own (Harry’s) spiritual state? Perhaps if we react in love and not with corresponding resentment?

That must have taken you days to research and write.

Thank you for that effort. Since we have begun our correspondence, (what has it been four years now?), I have learned a lot from you regarding literary alchemy.

I realize that it is a complex subject that takes years of study and analysis to understand. It’s not something one can read in a single sitting and go, “oh, okay, I understand it now.”

The good thing about the internet community scholarship is that it has spurred people to read things that they wouldn’t have ordinarily read, and to discuss topics that they had never considered before. That is the silver (or should I say golden) lining.

In regards to the subject of the significance of Harry’s name, I still like a theory I read years ago on the Harry Potter for Grown Ups list serv.

Old Harry is a nickname for the Devil, and Potter is a term to denote God, similar to the potter’s wheel and making life out of clay.

Harry = Devil
Potter = God

Devil/God

It is to signify the duality that lies within him.

With the concept that he may have part of Voldemort’s soul inside of him, it seems even more likely that it is the symbolic significance of his name.

I don’t know if Jo Rowling will ever fess up to that once Deathly Hallows is published though. Just think of how Richard Abanes and his cronies would make hay out taking any quote from her on that subject out of context.

She’ll probably stay mum on the true meaning of his name, even if she starts elaborating on the meaning of alchemy once we’ve all got our hands on the last installment of this epic series.

Linda

As I think I may have mentioned previoulsy, I have a couple of Snape essays you haven’t yet seen up at my website. I’d love you to look at them if you have time, though I understand you’re very busy now. If you are able to look at them, I’d love to know what you think.