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Harry Potter: A Journey Through #3
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy
The history of magic is as long as time and as wide as the world. In every culture, in every age, in every place and, probably, in every heart, there is magic.
This non-fiction short-form eBook features content which is adapted from the audiobook Harry A History of Magic – inspired by the British Library exhibition of the same name.
If you’ve gazed into the crystal ball you’ll have seen that you are about to enter a place of prediction and fortune-telling that makes up the subject of Divination in the real and wizarding world. From the use of bones and shells thousands of years ago, to peering into teacups in the parlours of Victorian England, for millennia people have strived to see what fate and fortune holds. Trying to read our destinies, the study of the night sky has fascinated people for centuries, from the star atlases of ancient China to the celestial globes of 17th-century Venice. Astronomy holds a special place in the wizarding world as a source of inspiration and identity for Harry Potter’s life at Hogwarts, and beyond.
This eBook short examines the colourful characters and curious incidents of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the Hogwarts lesson subjects of Divination and Astronomy from the Harry Potter stories.
72 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2019
314 people are currently reading
2180 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
January 22, 2021
A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy, Harry Potter: A Journey Through #3
J. K. Rowling, 2019
22/01/2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In dieser kleinen zusätzlichen Reihe aus dem Harry Potter-Universum hat mir dieser Teil bisher am meisten gefallen und ich fand ihn auch persönlich am interessantesten, weil ich mich selbst für solche übernatürlichen Dinge und vor allem für Astronomie interessiere. Viele Dinge kannte ich daher schon, viele kannte ich zwar, wusste aber nichts über ihre Geschichte und war deswegen an manchen Stellen sehr überrascht.
Ein kurzes Lesevergnügen, mir alteingesessenem Harry Potter Fan hat es natürlich Spaß gemacht und um die Wartezeit bis zum nächsten "richtigen" Buch zu überbrücken eignet sich so was auf jeden Fall. Zwischendurch dachte ich mir auch: Ich hätte lieber irgendetwas in Richtung Astronomie studieren sollen, weil das Buch mein Interesse daran wieder richtig geweckt hat.
J. K. Rowling, 2019
22/01/2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wanting to see the future seems to be built into human nature. The person who knows their future can control it, and become the commander of their destiny. Some of the most prized magical objects have been tools for divination and attempting to see the future. People who are purported to have second sight have been consulted by everyone, from celebrities to shoe sellers.
~~~
Time to turn our gaze to the stars. The study of the stars has long been undertaken on earth, for as long as we could tilt our heads upwards, but the people looking up at them haven’t always seen them in the same way. They have arranged stars into different shapes and invented different meanings for them depending on their culture and time in history. And in the Harry Potter universe, too, there are key characters with strong connections to the science of astronomy.
In dieser kleinen zusätzlichen Reihe aus dem Harry Potter-Universum hat mir dieser Teil bisher am meisten gefallen und ich fand ihn auch persönlich am interessantesten, weil ich mich selbst für solche übernatürlichen Dinge und vor allem für Astronomie interessiere. Viele Dinge kannte ich daher schon, viele kannte ich zwar, wusste aber nichts über ihre Geschichte und war deswegen an manchen Stellen sehr überrascht.
Ein kurzes Lesevergnügen, mir alteingesessenem Harry Potter Fan hat es natürlich Spaß gemacht und um die Wartezeit bis zum nächsten "richtigen" Buch zu überbrücken eignet sich so was auf jeden Fall. Zwischendurch dachte ich mir auch: Ich hätte lieber irgendetwas in Richtung Astronomie studieren sollen, weil das Buch mein Interesse daran wieder richtig geweckt hat.
July 29, 2019
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy is the third ebook in a series of four coming out this summer, all focusing on the real-life and historical elements behind the world of Harry Potter.
Before I start my review, I want to be a bit clear about this series. I've been seeing a lot of people confused online, so I feel this is important to note; these are not Harry Potter ebooks, nor were they actually written by J.K. Rowling. They were written by Pottermore, and inspired by the History of Magic novel that came out.
Each ebook in the series takes one or two school subjects taught at Hogwarts, and then focuses on the past and influences that J.K. Rowling pulled from in order to enrich her world. This series is perfect for anyone that wants a starting point for research. But it may not be in depth enough for those seeking a lot of details about these influences.
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy is another perfect pairing of subjects. Divination and Astronomy really do go hand and hand, at least in the context of magic and Harry Potter.
Like the other ebooks in the series, this novella is split perfectly in half. The first half focuses in Divination, so it covered historical influences like runes and oracle bones, crystal balls, and of course tarot cards and everything in between.
Meanwhile, the second half focused on astronomy. This half was particularly interesting for me, because it covered some of the histories of the study of stars, including some of the original mapmakers in humanity. It also covered things like astrolabes and orrerys.
The facts in this ebook were truly fleshed out with the addition of images and charts. And a few well-placed quotes from the Harry Potter series to add context for the material being discussed. Like the last couple of ebooks, I especially loved the little 'making of' facts they managed to sneak in here and there. I imagine other Potterheads will appreciate those bits as well.
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy is the third book in this series, as mentioned above. Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts is already out, as is Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology. That just leaves Harry Potter: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures, which I'm really looking forward to.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Before I start my review, I want to be a bit clear about this series. I've been seeing a lot of people confused online, so I feel this is important to note; these are not Harry Potter ebooks, nor were they actually written by J.K. Rowling. They were written by Pottermore, and inspired by the History of Magic novel that came out.
Each ebook in the series takes one or two school subjects taught at Hogwarts, and then focuses on the past and influences that J.K. Rowling pulled from in order to enrich her world. This series is perfect for anyone that wants a starting point for research. But it may not be in depth enough for those seeking a lot of details about these influences.
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy is another perfect pairing of subjects. Divination and Astronomy really do go hand and hand, at least in the context of magic and Harry Potter.
Like the other ebooks in the series, this novella is split perfectly in half. The first half focuses in Divination, so it covered historical influences like runes and oracle bones, crystal balls, and of course tarot cards and everything in between.
Meanwhile, the second half focused on astronomy. This half was particularly interesting for me, because it covered some of the histories of the study of stars, including some of the original mapmakers in humanity. It also covered things like astrolabes and orrerys.
The facts in this ebook were truly fleshed out with the addition of images and charts. And a few well-placed quotes from the Harry Potter series to add context for the material being discussed. Like the last couple of ebooks, I especially loved the little 'making of' facts they managed to sneak in here and there. I imagine other Potterheads will appreciate those bits as well.
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy is the third book in this series, as mentioned above. Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts is already out, as is Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology. That just leaves Harry Potter: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures, which I'm really looking forward to.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
January 30, 2021
Lots of interesting bits and pieces from around the world on practices of divination and astronomy throughout history.
"Using antlers to make divination discs with runes inscribed on them would draw on the power of nature in the antler and the rune itself, allowing you to interpret the future or your situation."
"The Shang kings communicated with their ancestors using a turtle shell or the shoulder blade of an ox."
"The 19th century saw gazing into crystal balls reach a peak of popularity. The writer Charles Dickens was curious, but Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle was absolutely convinced of the powers of crystal balls."
"If you had a mole on your left rib, for a man it meant that he was very cruel and for a woman that she was vain and proud. Even better, a mole on the buttock was said to denote honour for a man and riches for a woman."
"Reading tea leaves was so popular that people started hosting tea-leaf reading parties, and big ceramics manufacturers even started to make fortune-telling teacups just for that purpose."
"Using antlers to make divination discs with runes inscribed on them would draw on the power of nature in the antler and the rune itself, allowing you to interpret the future or your situation."
"The Shang kings communicated with their ancestors using a turtle shell or the shoulder blade of an ox."
"The 19th century saw gazing into crystal balls reach a peak of popularity. The writer Charles Dickens was curious, but Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle was absolutely convinced of the powers of crystal balls."
"If you had a mole on your left rib, for a man it meant that he was very cruel and for a woman that she was vain and proud. Even better, a mole on the buttock was said to denote honour for a man and riches for a woman."
"Reading tea leaves was so popular that people started hosting tea-leaf reading parties, and big ceramics manufacturers even started to make fortune-telling teacups just for that purpose."
February 7, 2022
My least favorite but still good
The tarot cards, tea leaves, and the human palm are just a few things people
use to tell the future. I found the divination section the most interesting.
This series has been a real treat to read. Especially all the lesser-known information about the Harry Potter series.
The tarot cards, tea leaves, and the human palm are just a few things people
use to tell the future. I found the divination section the most interesting.
This series has been a real treat to read. Especially all the lesser-known information about the Harry Potter series.
July 28, 2022
Das ist der 3. Band von insgesamt 4 Bänden. Diese kleine Reihe orientiert sich an den Unterrichtsfächern von Hogwarts. Durch Zitate und Anmerkungen wird gezeigt, wie z.B. Wahrsagen in Hogwarts gelehrt wird, um so einen Vergleich zu unserer Mugglewelt ziehen zu können.
Für mich ein Nerd-Highlight, das nicht nur Erinnerungen an Harry Potter hervorgerufen hat, es konnte mir auch Wissen vermitteln, das ich noch nicht hatte.
Für mich ein Nerd-Highlight, das nicht nur Erinnerungen an Harry Potter hervorgerufen hat, es konnte mir auch Wissen vermitteln, das ich noch nicht hatte.
July 30, 2019
Maybe closer to 2-1/2 stars this time? I know these "A Journey Through" eBooks are supposed to be scholarly-type guides through the magic world, but so far the three volumes released have sucked just about all of the charm out of Rowling's world.
As for trying to read the future and make sense of prophecies, I'll stick with 'The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.'
As for trying to read the future and make sense of prophecies, I'll stick with 'The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.'
July 29, 2019
4 stars simply because it's Harry Potter related -- I found this ebook to be the least interesting of the 3 released so far, but that's probably mostly due to the fact that if I were student at Hogwarts, these are the two subjects I'd find least interesting.
December 29, 2020
Ich dachte, diese eBooks wären sowas wie Schulbücher, aber es sind Hintergrundinformationen aus "unserer"Welt. Es war zwar interessant, aber ich fürchte, davon ist nichts in meinem Kopf hängen geblieben.
April 17, 2021
I would absolutely loathe divination! And absolutely love astronomy!
September 29, 2022
A short overview of prophecy, astrology and astronomy in magical use through history.
A well written and accessible look at the real world inspirations behind the 'Harry Potter' stories.
A well written and accessible look at the real world inspirations behind the 'Harry Potter' stories.
July 24, 2023
Plot - 4 ⭐
Character - 4 ⭐
Writing Style - 4 ⭐
World Building - 4 ⭐
Art - 4 ⭐
Cover - 4 ⭐
Overall - 4 ⭐
Character - 4 ⭐
Writing Style - 4 ⭐
World Building - 4 ⭐
Art - 4 ⭐
Cover - 4 ⭐
Overall - 4 ⭐
August 15, 2019
Same as before.
August 16, 2020
As the name indicates, this journey is through two parts: Divination and Astronomy. The former consists of the history of runes, crystal balls, tarot cards and palm reading and the art(!) Of tea-cup reading, while the latter talks about astrolabes, star charts and orreries.
Wanting to see future seems to be built in human nature because then they have the illusion of controlling their lives and being the commander of their destinies. In my opinion, it's often cruel to let some tea leaves decide about your future or some lines in your hand judge your personality, not to mention even your whole life. I was wondering that while the lives of millions of people were built on superstitions and psuedoscience and now I find their beliefs humiliating, is there a chance that 200 years later, people laugh at us for what we believe in now?
As I enjoy the sky and the stars in it, I knew that this astronomy-astrology part of the book would be amusing. You get the idea of some names in Harry Potter or how JKR was inspired by the stars that led to choose some of her characters from them(e.g. Bellatrix, meaning "female warrior"). If you want to know what Leonardo da Vinci knew about astronomy and his mirror hand writing, or if you find Johannes Kepler's Rudolphine Tables amazing, this book is going to entertain you for a bit.
おあがりよ!
Wanting to see future seems to be built in human nature because then they have the illusion of controlling their lives and being the commander of their destinies. In my opinion, it's often cruel to let some tea leaves decide about your future or some lines in your hand judge your personality, not to mention even your whole life. I was wondering that while the lives of millions of people were built on superstitions and psuedoscience and now I find their beliefs humiliating, is there a chance that 200 years later, people laugh at us for what we believe in now?
As I enjoy the sky and the stars in it, I knew that this astronomy-astrology part of the book would be amusing. You get the idea of some names in Harry Potter or how JKR was inspired by the stars that led to choose some of her characters from them(e.g. Bellatrix, meaning "female warrior"). If you want to know what Leonardo da Vinci knew about astronomy and his mirror hand writing, or if you find Johannes Kepler's Rudolphine Tables amazing, this book is going to entertain you for a bit.
おあがりよ!
July 26, 2019
The third in the series of books developed with a connection between the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the actual History of Magic exhibition at the British Museum.
This one explores - as the title says - Divination and Astronomy. Quotes from the various canon books are sprinkled throughout but it also gives brief overviews of various forms of divination - from palmistry, runestones, scrying, card reading including the tarot and tea leaves. Was actually surprised that the I Ching wasn't mentioned.
As for the class of Astronomy, we have star atlas, astrolabs and celestial globes. Personally the cards of the illustrated constellation with holes punched in them for the star's location sounds fascinating. To be able to put it up against the night sky and have both the stars and the picture at the same time. . .
It's a short book - merely 74 pages long and took less than an hour to read. You could definitely find this information on your own instead of paying $2.99 for the ebook. It might even be part of the exhibit's commemorative book (I still have to get a look at a copy). But it's an overview that can either pique your interest into further investigation or satisfy a temporary curiosity.
2019-104
This one explores - as the title says - Divination and Astronomy. Quotes from the various canon books are sprinkled throughout but it also gives brief overviews of various forms of divination - from palmistry, runestones, scrying, card reading including the tarot and tea leaves. Was actually surprised that the I Ching wasn't mentioned.
As for the class of Astronomy, we have star atlas, astrolabs and celestial globes. Personally the cards of the illustrated constellation with holes punched in them for the star's location sounds fascinating. To be able to put it up against the night sky and have both the stars and the picture at the same time. . .
It's a short book - merely 74 pages long and took less than an hour to read. You could definitely find this information on your own instead of paying $2.99 for the ebook. It might even be part of the exhibit's commemorative book (I still have to get a look at a copy). But it's an overview that can either pique your interest into further investigation or satisfy a temporary curiosity.
2019-104
April 17, 2020
This is a good read but, in all honesty, I was expecting it to be a bit more like the Hogwarts Library book series. I expected it to delve a bit more into the Harry Potter world, which it barely does. This eBook is more like a collection of information from the British Library exhibition, "Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic", alongside with information (very little) on how J.K. Rowling created this world and some of its characters.
It is an interesting read for someone interested in the history of astronomy, or the subject of divination (albeit very simplistic here), but if you are looking for more information on the Harry Potter world, this eBook is not for you.
It is an interesting read for someone interested in the history of astronomy, or the subject of divination (albeit very simplistic here), but if you are looking for more information on the Harry Potter world, this eBook is not for you.
April 30, 2020
Carino, anche se ci sono stati pochi disegni e bozzetti interessanti fatti da J.K. Rowling.
Vengono descritte varie tipologie di divinazione, i tarocchi, le sfere di cristallo, piccoli informazioni su un po' di tutto.
Scopriamo che la Rowling aveva in mente si inserire altri 3 professori di difesa contro le arti oscure che poi però sono saltati.
Interessante anche la parte riguardo l'astronomia e i nomi di alcuni personaggi ispirati alle stelle.
Vengono descritte varie tipologie di divinazione, i tarocchi, le sfere di cristallo, piccoli informazioni su un po' di tutto.
Scopriamo che la Rowling aveva in mente si inserire altri 3 professori di difesa contro le arti oscure che poi però sono saltati.
Interessante anche la parte riguardo l'astronomia e i nomi di alcuni personaggi ispirati alle stelle.
May 22, 2022
A third book in the History of Magic series. I’m not a fan of divination or astronomy as they’re rather “wooly subjects” according to Hermione 😂 yet they have advanced over time to have some scientific backing and we have to appreciate the beauty of the solar system. In Singapore where there’s a lot of light pollution it’s not easy to see the stars. I hope someday I can travel to a place where you can see the night sky in all its beauty and magnificence.
July 19, 2022
The future holds many mysteries and the starts can tell us much. Though this book takes a little bit more of an academic look at the subjects of Divination and Astronomy
While a little on the dry side, the sources are well documented and the topics are well explored. It was more of a overview of both subjects rather than a deeper study of the subjects.
Overall, worth reading as part of the series and interesting to a point. While it could have been better, it also could have been worse.
While a little on the dry side, the sources are well documented and the topics are well explored. It was more of a overview of both subjects rather than a deeper study of the subjects.
Overall, worth reading as part of the series and interesting to a point. While it could have been better, it also could have been worse.
May 19, 2025
Un ouvrage agréable qui explore brièvement la Divination et l’Astronomie dans l’univers de Harry Potter, en les reliant à leurs racines historiques et culturelles. Si le contenu reste trop superficiel pour les passionnés d’ésotérisme ou de sciences, il constitue néanmoins une bonne introduction pour les curieux ou les fans de la saga. Une lecture légère, qui éveille la curiosité sans réellement l’assouvir.
September 1, 2025
En este corto libro nos dan un viaje a través de la adivinación y la astronomía. En ambas nos dan un pantallazo general de situaciones de los libros principales, como también datos extras en los cuáles se basaron para crear dichas materia.
Debo decir que las imágenes de la primera parte fueron muy peculiares, no así las de la 2da. Pero todas acompañaron muy bien para poder entender mejor los temas.
Debo decir que las imágenes de la primera parte fueron muy peculiares, no así las de la 2da. Pero todas acompañaron muy bien para poder entender mejor los temas.
July 29, 2019
This has been least favourite of the mini e-books so far. I love Harry Potter, but apart from a few odd sentences from the HP books, everything in these was to be found in your local libraries books. They are just another way to extend the HP franchise & to suck idiots like myself in, because you have to have all the HP collection on your shelf & if you miss one it will be ruined.
October 2, 2019
Like Harry and Ron, I don't care much for divination, so this was mildly entertaining for me. I think tea leaf reading and palmistry is interesting though. I like comparing the lines in your hands to someone else's to see the difference.
I liked the bits on Astronomy and it would be neat to find out more on how each of the legends surrounding the constellations are created.
I liked the bits on Astronomy and it would be neat to find out more on how each of the legends surrounding the constellations are created.
February 20, 2020
Tutti noi almeno una volta nella vita abbiamo alzato gli occhi al cielo per guardare le stelle, e magari esprimere un desiderio la notte di San Lorenzo. Anche i nostri amici di Hogwarts sono impegnati a scrutare il cielo, ma per loro si tratta di materia di studio.
Come nei millenni l'uomo ha cercato di prevedere il futuro, per potersi tutelare...
Come nei millenni l'uomo ha cercato di prevedere il futuro, per potersi tutelare...
April 19, 2020
This book is the 3rd in the series. I found this one more enjoyable than the previous 2 although it was still as factual. I think these would be beneficial for first time readers of the Harry Potter series, but for more in depth fans of the wizarding world its disappointing that there is no new information.
March 27, 2021
Good but
Too short! I do not know why these for books are separate in the series. It would make more sense to me if all of the subjects were in one book that could also be in a printed version for those who want to keep a record of all of the harry potter books as a collection. Otherwise I like the information that was within all of these and recommend it to Harry Potter fans
Too short! I do not know why these for books are separate in the series. It would make more sense to me if all of the subjects were in one book that could also be in a printed version for those who want to keep a record of all of the harry potter books as a collection. Otherwise I like the information that was within all of these and recommend it to Harry Potter fans
February 19, 2024
Me encantan esta serie de libros sacados por Pottermore Publishing. Es muy interesante como mezclan el mundo mágico con el real como siempre, y cualquier cosa relacionada al mundo Harry Potter siempte va a estar interesante.
De lectura muy rápida, podés llegar a leerlo en un día. Contiene muy bellas ilustraciones.
De lectura muy rápida, podés llegar a leerlo en un día. Contiene muy bellas ilustraciones.
September 27, 2019
Like I having said this a book are of history. I personally love it. I get surprise of the ingenious idea of J.K Rowling omg it awesome. I really recommend this one better than the other one. But obviously is not the same ass the saga, but the are incredibly facts.
December 7, 2019
I continue to thoroughly enjoy this series. If you're interested in Harry Potter and history, I don't think there's a way you wouldn't like these. I'm still just waiting for an extended edition though. I want more!
January 7, 2024
A lighthearted and enjoyable quicly guide through Divination and Astronomy. With cute drawing on some chapters and interesting objects from the past history, even real historical figures and lot ot things used all over the world to predict the future 🧙🏻♀️🔮🧙♂️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews