When I posted my guide to sorting Jane Austen characters into Hogwarts houses, there was a strong demand for a Jane Eyre sorting. I’m happy to oblige (especially since I’m currently doing my annual re-read of JE!), but be ye warned, this is a tricky one. The two main characters, Jane and Rochester are very difficult to sort! Need a refresher on which house has which characteristics? Here … [Read more...]
Sorting Jane Austen Characters Into Hogwarts Houses: The Definitive Guide
images by Katherine Makowky You love Jane Austen. You love Harry Potter. So why not sort your favorite Austen characters into Hogwarts houses? I could not come up with a good reason not to. I'm the sort of person who wonders how Elinor and Marianne Dashwood's Myers-Briggs personality types made their sisterly relationship complicated. And I've spent a lot of time considering whether … [Read more...]
Is Your Favorite Saint a Gryffindor? The Definitive Guide to Sorting the Saints
Ever wonder whether your patron saint is a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff? I didn’t start to consider it until last week when my friend Haley over at Home to Catholicism brought up sorting saints into Hogwarts houses on Twitter (she’s @bakeorbake over there, folks). But then I couldn't STOP thinking about it, crowdsourced my queries to Facebook, and ended up with the best thread ever. Granted, I’m … [Read more...]
9 Reasons the Weasleys Are (Probably) a Catholic Family
I first read the Harry Potter series before converting to Catholicism and the Weasleys were my favorite family in the books (obviously). Imagine my delight when I discovered that they’re a big Catholic family! Well….OK, the books don’t come right out and say they're Catholic but I think there's some solid reasons to assume they are. Reason #1: They’re open to life, even to the point … [Read more...]
Hallowmas with Harry: What Harry Potter Taught Me About Death and the Communion of Saints
“ And in many ways, all of my characters are defined by their attitude to death and the possibility of death.”- J.K. Rowling Hallowtide, the three days of All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day (or Hallowmas), and All Souls Day, is an ancient part of the Christian Year. Before becoming Catholic I thought of Halloween as morbid and I couldn’t understand how to celebrate All Souls, or the Day of the … [Read more...]
How Hogwarts Prepared Me for the Liturgical Year
From middle school through college I eagerly anticipated each new HP book release but I don’t think I could have even articulated what drew me in. Looking back, it was more than compelling plots and endearing characters. What I found alluring was the magical world Rowling created. A world full of traditions that brought people together into a strong community where you belonged. I recently saw … [Read more...]
Why Voldemort Hates Homeschooling
In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, there’s an interesting moment when educational rights are discussed in the wizarding world. In the final book of the series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the three main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione, are in hiding while the dark wizard Voldemort takes over the magical world. Their friend and former professor, Remus Lupin, visits them to … [Read more...]
Harry Potter, Dumbledore’s Mercy, and the Triumph of the Holy Cross
It's the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross. What does that have to do with Harry Potter? I don’t try to hide the fact that I’m a Harry Potter fangirl. I’m often reflecting on the plot and themes, whether kids should read the series, and how Molly Weasley is fantastic. (SPOILER ALERT: Do not continue if you haven’t completed the series.) One of the most memorable scenes in the … [Read more...]
Santa, Yoda, and the Persistence of Childhood Magic
(via) Occasionally my beareded husband Daniel drops in with a post. But they don't typically highlight how intensely awesome nerdy he is, so you're in luck with this one! Enjoy. - Haley This isn’t a post about whether you should do Santa or not (disclaimer: we don’t). I want to get that out of the way since this has curiously become a very heated discussion. Instead, I want to critique an … [Read more...]
8 Reasons Molly Weasley Is a Great Literary Mama
Since becoming a mother, I read my favorite children’s books with different eyes. I find myself more interested in Marmee than Jo March and more fascinated by Caroline Ingalls than by Laura. One of my favorite mamas from literature is Molly Weasley. But what exactly makes this stay-at-home mom of seven so admirable? (Note well! Spoilers within!) 1. She opens her heart. Although she loves her … [Read more...]
