Vulnerability: The Sorting Hat (Book 1, Chapter 7)
In this week's episode, Vanessa and Casper discuss the theme of vulnerability in Chapter 7, The Sorting Hat. A timely episode, given this week's new sorting quiz over on Pottermore.
Vanessa opens the episode by discussing the powerful victim's statement from the Brock Turner rape trial. If you have not yet read the statement, you can find it here. It is incredibly moving and devastating stuff. For those who want or need to skip Vanessa's discussion of sexual assault, we'd love for you to rejoin the conversation at timecode 3:38. Please take care of yourself.
Other highlights of the episode include a new spiritual practice! We're are setting aside our beloved practice of Lectio Divina for a while. In its place, Casper introduces our version of Contemplative Imagination, inspired by St. Ignatius' spiritual exercises.
This is Ignatius of Loyola. He can write, read, and give you bedroom eyes all at the same time.
We also are introducing a new segment this week where we share voice messages from you, the listeners. Our first contribution is from Caroline Howe from Fredericksburg, Virginia. She gives her own thoughts on our Lectio Divina quote from Episode 4, The Keeper of the Keys. In case you've forgotten, our quote in that episode was: "Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, 'Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!'"
Caroline has this to say about it:
“It’s been twenty-four years since I found out my brother was killed in a car accident, and I can imagine the difficulty in making the words, as I’m having right now. If I were to find out his death happened in a different way — It’s just such a part of our being to have imagined so many times the accident itself. ”
If you'd like to hear your voice on the show. We'd love for you to record a voice message and send it to us at harrypottersacredtext@gmail.com.
In other news: We're upping the stakes our 30-second recap competition. We're now counting votes across episodes! Whomever gets the fewest votes after ten episodes will be subjected to public (consensual) humiliation. If you have ideas of what the loser should have to do, we'd love to hear. No matter the penalty, the stakes are high! Make your vote count.