`Expecto Patronum` Harry incantates and conjures up his Patronus – a silver shining stag that fends off hundreds of Dementors at a time.
Harry Potter fans would already be on a trip to Hogwarts in their minds – fighting Lord Voldemort alongside Dumbledore`s Army. For the uninitiated, the ‘Patronus charm’ is the only effective magical spell available to wizards at Hogwarts as defense against the Dementors – vile, villainous, dark creatures who suck up every positive emotion from the human soul. A Patronus can be invoked by chanting the `Expecto Patronum` spell while focusing on one`s happiest memories. The positivity of the Patronus is absolute and it wards off all evils that the Dementors wish to cast on you.
Parallels from these circumstances of the wizard world can be drawn for us Muggles – the entire human race as well. Each one of us encounters negative vibes on a daily basis. These can originate from a specific individual, a distinct area or location or a set of untoward circumstances. Such pessimistic emotions drain out our zest for life in the same way as the Dementors hound the wizards` joie de vivre. We feel put off by a constantly nagging feeling in the presence of such a negative influence. Loss of concentration, irritability, indifference towards the immediate surroundings and a general sense of lethargy follow. We zone out and lose all sense of purpose. It’s as good as lying around in a semi-conscious state – seeing, hearing and feeling everything, yet being totally unresponsive, or worse, reacting in an undeservedly rude and contrarian manner. Tears trickle down our eyes for no rhyme or reason. We find ourselves dazed or staring blankly at TV screens and walls. Food loses all its taste. Dreams turn into an endless black expanse. We feel trapped in an insulating void when in the company of friends and family. Our biological clock goes haywire. We seem wide awake at odd hours of the night while our eyelids droop down during the day. Even markedly long spells of sleep or rest fail to reinvigorate us. All these are signs and symptoms of Depression – the meanest, most malicious Dementor of all.
The only defense available to us against Depression is our Patronus – inner resolve. Near and dear ones, friends, family, doctors and medication have an important support role to play. But the healing force to overcome Depression has to come from within us. The question then is how to conjure up our silver glinted savior? I believe we can do so by discarding silence and expressing ourselves. Write a self-addressed diary, compose music, sketch on a sheet of paper, paint on a canvas, dance our hearts out, or just vent our anger by screaming at the sky. We don’t have to write like Shakespeare or match our musical nous with Mozart. Our poems need not be as soulful as those of Amir Khusro, our words not as elegant as Gulzar’s. Our paintings need not match the enigmatic Mona Lisa nor is it necessary to sing like a nightingale. It is of little consequence whether someone appreciates our art or dismisses it as a load of rubbish. Remember, it is an act of self-cleansing and not about polishing up the surfaces to shine in worldly light.
The Dark Lord created Horcruxes – objects with a piece of his soul trapped in them, to make himself immortal. He had to commit the most heinous of acts – killing an individual each time he made a Horcrux. While on our journey from the throes of despair towards the warm glow of contentment and peace of mind, we too can ensure that we live on for a far greater length of time than our physical presence on Earth. Pouring our souls into each one of our creations can turn them from ordinary elements to beautiful and inspiring Horcruxes for all time to come. The inherent feeling of genuine happiness that this act spreads is to be felt to be believed. All our dark horrors melt away in the silvery shiny light of our handiwork. What is more encouraging is the fact that this happiness is self-induced. It is not dependent on someone else`s approval. The joy of creation is as pure as the nectar out of a blooming flower. It is certainly one of the happiest feelings in this world – fit to focus on while battling the Dementor of Depression.
So, lets keep our creative wands at the ready, voice out the words, `Expecto Patronum` and be on our way to match `the boy who lived`.
Tarkash 