Access: Silver and Opals (Book 6, Chapter 12)

Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Hate in chapter twenty-seven of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This week we discuss Umbridge’s hate of non-human creatures, Harry’s relationship to Draco, and Dobby’s attempts at self-harm. Throughout the episode they consider the question: what do the things we hate mean about ourselves?Thanks to Shannon Budelman for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-eight, Snape’s Worst Memory, through the theme of Entitlement live from San Francisco.NB: During this week’s episode, Casper tells a story about self-harm and Vanessa tells a story about assault. If you’d like to skip those topics, our spiritual practice starts around minute 26. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Maalis 201941min

It’s Ariana’s turn to bless a female character of Harry Potter, and she’s chosen to bless Luna Lovegood for changing her mind about Ron. Vanessa invents a game about aptronyms (which means names that are well-suited to their bearers). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Maalis 201921min

Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Obligation in chapter twenty-six of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This week, Vanessa starts to feel bad for Harry in his Occlumency lessons, Casper talks about the best and worst moments in his marriage, and they both gush over Seamus Finnigan. Throughout the episode they consider the question: When is a little obligation actually liberating?Thanks to Iris Gonzalez for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-seven, The Centaur and the Sneak, through the theme of Hate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Maalis 201940min

Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Defiance in chapter twenty-five of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They discuss Hermione’s manipulation of Rita, Neville’s embrace of the DA, and Cho’s disappointment in Harry. Throughout the episode they consider the question: Is defiance always personal?Thanks to Andy Phillips for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-six, Seen and Unforeseen, through the theme of obligation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Maalis 201941min

It’s Vanessa’s turn to bless a female character of Harry Potter, and she’s chosen to bless Madam Pomfrey for her invisible labor. Ariana invents a game about woman doctors in America.NB: Ariana’s ‘fact’ about disneyland is, of course, an urban legend. It’s quoted as being true in a few disney related biographies, but pretty easily proved otherwise through some googling… which we did after recording this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Maalis 201921min

Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Curiosity in chapter twenty-four of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They really zoom in on the Harry/Snape dynamic in this chapter: discussing the first Occlumency lesson, examining Snape’s motivations, and as always, finding a way to blame Dumbledore. Throughout the episode they consider the question: How much curiosity do we owe people?Thanks to Trey Lyon for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-five, The Beetle at Bay, through the theme of defiance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Maalis 201938min

Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Control in chapter twenty-three of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They discuss Molly’s anxiety over Arthur, Neville’s relationship with his grandmother, and poor sad Professor Lockhart. Throughout the episode they consider the question: How do we recognize when we’re telling distorted stories about ourselves?Thanks to Kelsi Moore for this week's voicemail! Next week we’ll be reading chapter twenty-four, Occlumency, through the theme of curiosity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Helmi 201948min

It’s Ariana’s turn to bless a female character of Harry Potter, and she’s chosen to bless Professor Trelawney for her mentorship. Vanessa invents a game about Nostradamus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Helmi 201919min