The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter (10 page)

The frightening notion that a look can kill has existed in almost every civilization throughout history, inspiring the creation of amulets and many other defenses against supernatural malice. The evil eye—a hostile glance believed to cause misfortune, illness, or even death—is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as well as in the texts of ancient Sumeria, Babylonia, and Assyria. In the Middle Ages, witches were said to use the evil eye against anyone who crossed them, causing the victim to take ill, lose the love of a spouse, or experience financial ruin.

Small children and animals are said to be especially vulnerable to the evil eye. In many places where evil eye superstitions are still strong, it is considered unwise to call attention to the beauty of one’s children for fear that someone with the evil eye may cast a jealous gaze upon them.

The primary defense against the evil eye is an amulet—often in the shape of a frog, a horn, or, in the case of the ancient Egyptians, an eye known as the Eye of Horus. If no amulet is available, a quick response in the form of a symbolic hand gesture (holding up the index and little fingers to form “horns”) is recommended if an evil glance comes your way. Other defenses include
hex
signs, shamrocks (in Ireland), garlic (in Greece), and barley (in India). Bells or red ribbons tied to livestock or children’s clothing are also thought to divert the attention of the evil eye.

Believed to protect the wearer against evil and injury, the Eye of Horus was one of the most popular amulets in ancient Egypt
. (
photo credit 1.2
)

ermione, who scoffs at
tea-leaf reading
and
crystal-ball
gazing, seems an unlikely fan of arithmancy—a method of fortunetelling based on names and numbers. Yet this ancient form of
divination
is one of her favorite subjects. Perhaps that’s because, unlike other methods of predicting the future, arithmancy isn’t based on interpreting fuzzy images or attributing meaning to random shapes and squiggles but on hard-and-fast rules and mathematical calculations—just the kind of brainwork Hermione seems to enjoy.

Arithmancy (from the Greek
arithmo
, meaning “number,” and
mancy
, meaning “prophecy”) has been used by
magicians
and
wizards
for more than two thousand years to help people analyze and develop their strengths and talents, overcome obstacles, and chart their future paths. Also known as “numerology,” arithmancy is based on two very old ideas. The first is that a person’s name contains important clues to their character and destiny. The second, advanced more than 2,500 years ago by the Greek sage Pythagoras, is that each of the numbers between 1 and 9 has a unique meaning that can contribute to the understanding of all things. Arithmancers combined these two ideas and, over the centuries, developed many complex systems for converting names into numbers and analyzing the results. One of the most widely used systems involves extracting three key numbers from a person’s name—the
Character Number
, the
Heart Number
, and the
Social Number
—and interpreting the outcome according to a set of established meanings. This system, which we suspect is the one taught at Hogwarts, was widely known by the Middle Ages and is still used today. All it requires is a pencil, paper, and the ability to add and spell.

The first step in analyzing a name is to convert it to a set of numbers. Each letter of the alphabet is assigned a numerical value between 1 and 9, according to the following chart:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A B C D E F G H I

J K L M N O P Q R

S T U V W X Y Z

As should be clear, the letters A, J, and S have the value of “1,” B, K, and T have the value of “2,” and so forth. To analyze any name, write it down, and beneath each letter enter the corresponding numerical value. As an example, we’ll analyze the name
Nicholas Flamel
, the medieval alchemist who was reputed to have created the
Sorcerer’s Stone:

N I C H O L A S  F L A M E L

5 9 3 8 6 3 1 1  6 3 1 4 5 3

When you have all the numbers written down, add them up. In this case, the result is 58. According to the procedures of arithmancy, when a total exceeds 9—which it usually does—it must be “reduced” to a single digit by adding the component numbers together, more than once, if necessary. Thus, 58 reduces to 13 (5 + 8 = 13), which reduces to 4 (1 + 3 = 4). The final result—the reduced number of
all
the values in the name—is known as the
Character Number
. This number indicates the general personality type of the individual, according to a system of interpretations to be presented shortly.

The next number to be derived is the
Heart Number
, which refers to the individual’s inner life and is said to indicate desires and fears hidden from others. The Heart Number is the total of all the vowels in the name, reduced to a single digit.

N I C H O L A S  F L A M E L

9        6    1            1        5

These numbers equal 22, which reduces to 4 (2 + 2 = 4). In this instance, the Heart Number and the Character Number are identical, but this will not always be the case.

The third number to be derived is the
Social Number
, which refers to the outer personality, the face an individual shows to the outside world. The social number is determined by adding up the value of the consonants in the name.

N I C H O L A S  F L A M E L

5    3 8      3    1  6 3    4    3

In this case the total is 36, which reduces to 9 (3 + 6 = 9).

With the Character, Heart, and Social numbers in mind (4, 4, 9) it is now possible to sketch out a portrait of the subject using a set of positive and negative personality traits traditionally associated with each number. These traits are based partly on the ideas of Pythagoras, but were also influenced by many others.

ONE
:
This is the number of the individual. Ones are independent, focused, single-minded, and determined. They set a goal and stick to it. They are leaders and inventors. Ones find it difficult to work with others and don’t like to take orders. They can be self-centered, egotistical, and domineering. They are often loners.

TWO
:
Two represents interaction, two-way communication, cooperation, and balance. Twos are imaginative, creative, and sweet natured. Peace, harmony, commitment, loyalty, and fairness are characteristic. But two also introduces the idea of conflict, opposing forces, and the contrasting sides of things: night and day, good and evil. Twos can be withdrawn, moody, self-conscious, and indecisive.

THREE
:
Three represents the idea of completeness or wholeness, as in the trios “past-present-future” and “mind-body-spirit.” The Pythagoreans considered three to be the first “complete” number because, like three pebbles laid out in a row, it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Three indicates talent, energy, an artistic nature, humor, and social ease. Threes are often lucky, easygoing, rich, and highly successful, but they can also be unfocused, easily offended, and superficial.