From Actor to Healer: Alan Rickman's New Life as a Spirit Guide, Book 1

Chapter 6 - A Snape Scene is Coming Up

When I got home after the Reiki Level II class, I decided to watch a Harry Potter movie with my dinner. Since I didn't know which was the first one, I located the dates on the back of each case and stacked them in chronological order. I prepared my meal, popped Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) into my DVD player, and made myself comfortable on the couch.

Something odd happened a few minutes into the film. When the giant Hagrid took the young student Harry shopping for his wizard school supplies, a sudden tap on my right shoulder distracted me. It was so strong it actually felt more like a shove. My torso tilted slightly to the left and then came back to center. This was accompanied by Alan Rickman's unmistakable deep voice saying, "There's a Snape scene coming up."

Did I imagine that?

A few minutes later, Harry entered the Great Hall at Hogwarts with the rest of the students for the sorting hat ceremony. Sure enough, who did I spot sitting at the back of the room? None other than Alan Rickman portraying the mysterious, black-clad Professor Snape.

That had to be a coincidence. But I don't believe in coincidences. I waited to see if it would happen again.

A few minutes later Alan said, "The next one is coming up."

He no sooner said it than the camera panned down a table showing the kids eating dinner. The scene quickly cut to a brief shot of Snape and then back again to the kids.

I was flabbergasted. This happened repeatedly during the evening. A few minutes before Snape appeared, my right shoulder would get nudged strongly enough to knock me to the left. Then Alan would say, "Another Snape scene is coming up," or "Snape is coming up." Sometimes he would tap my shoulder without saying anything. Regardless, he did this before every one of his scenes.

Since I hadn't followed Harry Potter, I knew nothing about Professor Snape or the general storyline. I had no idea where Alan's scenes were or how many there were. Baffled by my experience, I didn't know what to think.

* * * * *

The following week at work passed uneventfully. On Friday, I left for a weekend hike in Zion, Utah. I spent Saturday afternoon leisurely climbing the long, steep Observation Point Trail, one of my favorite hikes. After the eight-mile trek, I was exhausted and ready for dinner, so I went straight back to my friend's cabin. I took a hot shower before relaxing on the couch for the evening.

I had packed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), the second DVD in the series, and decided to watch it while eating. I had enjoyed the first film immensely and eagerly looked forward to the rest of the series.

Several minutes into the story, I was knocked slightly to the left by a poke in my right arm. Then the words: "There's a Snape scene coming up." It was Alan's voice in my mind again!

What was going on? I was tired and sore from my hike. All I wanted was to relax for a couple hours before retiring to bed.

A few moments later, I was shocked to see Harry and his friend Ron standing before Snape who berated them for allowing muggles to see their flying car.

Later when Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione came across a message written in blood on the wall about the chamber of secrets having been opened, Alan's voice said, "There's a Snape scene coming up." A few minutes later, two groups of students and professors congregated with them in the hall. Among them was Snape.

Alan tapped me throughout the film. I couldn't believe it was happening again. A few minutes before each of his scenes, he would do exactly what he'd done the weekend before. His touch felt so physical that he could have been sitting on the couch watching the series with me, although he didn't converse with me other than to alert me to upcoming Snape scenes.

* * * * *

When I returned to Las Vegas and had the opportunity to watch the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), I couldn't wait to see what would happen. Would Alan continue to tap me?

He did. And like before, he didn't miss a scene. I couldn't wait to get through the entire series and see what Alan would do. I was watching the DVDs so frequently at that point that I was returning one or two to Wayne every week.

"I can't believe you're watching those so fast," Wayne remarked. He knew I was busy and didn't watch much TV. He had probably thought I would watch one film every couple weeks.

His statement caught me off guard. So I swiftly replied, "I'm enjoying them." This was partly true. The movies were outstanding, and the magic and wonder had awakened my inner child. But I wasn't ready to tell Wayne the real reason I was whizzing through them.

By the time I got to the penultimate film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010), I knew something was happening that I couldn't explain. I watched it one Sunday afternoon while eating dinner. The movie had barely started when Alan tapped my shoulder and said, "Snape is coming up." A few minutes later, the professor joined villain Voldemort and his followers at a sinister meeting.

As the minutes ticked by and I anticipated more scenes, Alan remained silent. When only twenty minutes remained, I complained out loud, "Come on, Alan, when is the next one?" I waited, but he didn't tap me again. Were there no more Snape scenes? Sure enough, the film ended without another appearance from the professor.

I didn't know what to expect from the eighth and final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011). Suffice to say, Alan didn't stop. In fact, he took his actions to another level. At one point, he appeared before me, lifted his right leg a few inches above my head, and pretended to tap my face with the sole of his shoe. Then he said, "There's a Snape scene coming up."

That was the funniest thing Alan had done so far. I couldn't stop myself from bursting out laughing. Little did I know that Voldemort's confrontation with Snape was to follow, where the professor met with his tragic demise. Alan had demonstrated a terrific sense of humor to diffuse an otherwise gut-wrenching scene.

As hard as it was to accept that this was really happening, a figment of my imagination couldn't accurately predict every Alan Rickman scene in a film series. It had to be Alan himself.

He must have known I was only watching Harry Potter to see him. And he wanted me to know he was in the room with me, just as Spirit's message had indicated before the Reiki class: "If you see those pictures of Alan this weekend, it means he's in the room with you, watching the class."

But why was he doing this?

After the movie ended, Alan's face flashed before my mind's eye. Standing in the usual gray egg-shaped mist, he asked a question I'd never imagined a spirit would ask: "Will you please attune me to Reiki?"

Then he vanished. He gave no explanation as to why he wanted the attunement or what he planned to do with Reiki.

My own experiences with Reiki had taught me how powerful the attunements could be. As a teacher, I appreciated that the initiations could provide spiritual healing and serve as a catalyst for personal growth. Many of our students had undergone striking transformations following a class. Some had given up smoking or street drugs. After becoming Reiki Masters, Wayne and I had lost the taste for meat and adopted a vegan diet.

But how would learning Reiki benefit a spirit? I'd never heard of attuning a deceased person to Reiki. Was Alan seeking spiritual transformation? Did he simply want the ability to channel Reiki? Was he even capable of receiving an attunement?

Since Alan said nothing more, I was left to decide how to respond.