My magic castle

My magic castle

Friday, December 30, 2011

The Magic Of Inner Time

The year I spent every weekend in Boulder, Colorado studying hypnotism and Neurolingistic Programming was a fulfilling year. We would often do a therapeutic induction with the instruction to take all the time the subject needed to fully work out the problem they needed to process, even though it might only be a minute or two or clock time. I learned then and have realized it many times since, that the subconscious does not work on clock time. Sometimes there is a magical flash of insight about a problem that would have taken hours, or even days, to work out by conventional means. Other times the inner self seems to mull over things way too long. Of course at those times it is waiting for more understanding about the problem to occur, or come to you from life events. Clocks have their purpose. But they must not rule. Besides that we, most of us can develop it if we will, have a fairly good sense of clock time. When I had a music studio I did not have to watch the clock, but lessons seemed to tie themselves up and be complete in the half hour that was allotted to them. I have known many people who could set an inner alarm clock to wake up at certain times, either a time duration (such as a half-hour nap) or at a certain time in the morning. So, I suggest to all wise magicians: 'Do not fret about time. Try to get into the flow of due time, in which things happen in the right way at the right time.' Calmness and faith seem to stretch time so that we are able to get done what we need to do. Look instead to 'have the time of your life in living.' May the spark be with you.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Magic of 'Processing'.

Today, on the first day of Christmas, I made it a point to look outside at the pear tree. There was the partridge I had painted, sitting in the tree. I allowed myself the pleasure of knowing I had put in some work and accomplished a bit of fun whimsy. I processed that I could still be creative. I thought of how, all too often, we rush from flower to flower gathering nectar for the moment, and fail to go back to the hive and process it into honey. We read without a pause to reflect and fully take in what we read. We visit with a friend without truly appreciating the richness and value of that friendship. I suggest that all wise magicians go beyond mere sensory input. That we take the time to process what we sense, learn, discover. I suggest we learn to live life on a deeper level. Life is more than what we skim off the surface of our day to day experiences. If we allow ourselves to magically process the events and ideas of our life we will live with greater joy, love and abundance. I recently read in an article for teachers that they pause in their lecture after the first ten minutes and encourage their students to discuss among themselves and more fully process the information presented. Life doesn't rush by us, even though it may seem to at times, demanding that we never pause to reflect on what we experience. We create our life by the way we choose to perceive it. So if we process in such a way that we are moving towards the magical life we deserve, that life is sure to come to us. If something we perceive as negative happens, we can then give our self a pat on the back for having the intelligence and courage to overcome the negative event. Take time to process the many ways magic is is your life. May the spark be with you.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Work Magic by seeing the Next Step

I have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder), although the hyperactive part is not so much physical as it is in the way my thought processes can jump all over the place. I have had to design ways to cope, to rewire my brain. One of the things I do, to ensure that I am productive, is combat the resistance to shifting gears by visualizing the 'next step'. I may feel a big energy sink, I just don't want to get in gear. But if I practice in my mind 'the next step' I am able to get it done. We have a pear tree in our front yard and I decided to make some sort of partridge ornament for it. That meant looking at pictures of partridges, finding materials such as paint, drawing it out and so forth. Now I can look at my emerging partridge and feel a sense of anticipation..by tomorrow I will have a 'partridge in a pear tree' in my front yard. By practicing what I had to do in my mind until I could manifest it I was able to bring something fun into my life. I suspect that this is a technique that all wise magicians can use. Keep your goal before you, practice seeing yourself accomplishing it and you will be able to bring magic into your life. The field of energy that is magic that surrounds us will help you. The means to accomplish your goal will manifest. The old paints I had turned out to still be usable, brushes were good, pictures were on the internet that I could draw from. See your next step, as many times as you need to. Bring magic into your life. If you have to see yourself solving problems to do that next step, do so. This is a good time of the year for magic. May the spark be with you.

Monday, December 19, 2011

The Magic Of The Capture

I am currently re-studying a book on using our brain to be active in the world as a genius. It is by Andrei G. Aleinikov, Ph.D and titled "MegaCreativity: 5 Steps To Thinking Like a Genius"
He was a Russian Colonel who was chosen as the first Russian student at The US Air Force Air War College. He decided to stay in the United States and became a citizen in 2002. He teaches creativity and innovation in many situations, including to business like 3M. There are two things that stand out for me. First, he really puts out the idea that a person who wants to develop their creative abilities must push themselves beyond negativity and laziness. That is not new. It is widely agreed that one's mindset is very important for success. But I am delighted by the way he teaches ways to organize and capture ideas. That makes we think about the delightful inner self we all have, our imagination, in which we can get lost in a magical wonderland of fun and ideas. But if we don't 'capture' our ideas they do no good beyond the fleeting moment they occur to us. Systems of 'capture' have long been important in human development. Language is a way to capture and share a concept. Language developed and ideas could be shared. Then the art of telling a story, or the history of a group as an oral tradition was developed. Then writing came about. Another way to capture and share ideas. Then libraries. Of course now we have digital ways of sharing and saving ideas. Somewhere in there 'discourse' should be mentioned. Ideas are honed, refined, saved or rejected by the way they are discussed among people. Mathematics is a way of capturing and sharing ideas. I suggest that each wise magician may have developed their own way of 'capturing' their ideas for them self so they can go back to the concept and work it out. Even the way you note down your do-list or your plans for the day can be a magical capture. Look to the way you 'capture' concepts and see how that 'capture' helps you bring magic into your life. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Magic of The Back Burner

Years ago I read a short advice article that said you could think of your sub-conscious as a back burner on a stove. When you were clear about what you wanted you could then put it on the back burner and let it simmer. In other words, don't worry about something consciously any longer. You have trusted it to your inner self to create the ideas and opportunities you desire. In due time what you previously wished for will be right before you. I find that works very well for me in my writing. I have a hazy idea about something. I go about my other work but come back to what I'm trying to figure out from time to time because my inner self will remind me about it periodically. I notice there seems to be some kind of interaction between what I am trying to create with my inner self and outside influences. Articles, TV shows, comments people make, will all seem to be dealing with the topic I am trying to develop. The American Philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson suggested that we bring things to us by 'stirring the pond'. He said that if we stir the part of the pond we can reach that ripples will form that will eventually bring that which was floating on the other side of the pond around to us. This is a bit of what happens when we turn our goal over to our inner self. We have prepped the pot and now ripples will be sent out into the Universe to draw our dream to us. Sometimes we may think of doing magic as a quick wave of a magic wand. We are feeling blah and need some quick zing to our life. It is good to draw beauty, joy, excitement, energy, flair, and so on to us in the flash of our wand. But we also need to look at the slow simmer of cooking up a well-formed dish of magic for ourselves. We may not have the recipe before us. But our inner self is a most marvelous chef and will craft the recipe for us as well. All we need to do is tray to figure out what we want, revisit this from time to time, as needed, to continue the seasoning of our dream. It will be served up to us as a lovely banquet when all is ready. Light the fire. Put the kettle on the back burner. Go about your daily tasks. It will happen. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Magic Of Expectation

Keep your eye on the prize, expect to receive it, and success will be yours. Why is that so? I recently saw a video that contained an interview with race car driver Mario Andretti. He said that you must look where you want to go. If you look at the wall your car will go into the wall. Your car will follow your eyes. In the same video Lance Armstrong was also mentioned, not only for his prize winning races as a bicyclist but also for his success against cancer. Neither of these men would let themselves take their eyes away from the goal. They would not let themselves imagine that they would fail, or drive into the wall. They expected to win. Even when failures would come there was still an expectation of an overall win. How can the wise magician use this wisdom from famous men? One suggestion I have is to apply expectation constantly. If you are tired and don't want to finish all the items on your 'do list' you will probably finish them anyway if you expect it of yourself. If you are trying to change habits the change will happen if you expect it to. Expectation is the worldly side of the sacred concept of faith. Have faith in yourself by expecting yourself to do what you start out to do. You have the innate ability to do what you imagine you can do. Otherwise your inner self would not have given you the idea of doing it in the first place. If the idea is too far out of your realm it doesn't stick around. But if it is meant for you to take on and you get to the point where you actually start the project or task you do have the ability to do it. Maybe not the first time. Things have to be figured out and skills developed. But if you expect yourself to develop skills it will happen. So reach out to the magic that surrounds you for the energy you need and expect great things of yourself. The needed ideas and skills will come to you. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Expectation

Keep your eye on the prize, expect to receive it, and success will be yours. Why is that so? I recently saw a video that contained an interview with race car driver Mario Andretti. He said that you must look where you want to go. If you look at the wall your car will go into the wall. Your car will follow your eyes. In the same video Lance Armstrong was also mentioned, not only for his prize winning races as a bicyclist but also for his success against cancer. Neither of these men would let themselves take their eyes away from the goal. They would not let themselves imagine that they would fail, or drive into the wall. They expected to win. Even when failures would come there was still an expectation of an overall win. How can the wise magician use this wisdom from famous men? One suggestion I have is to apply expectation constantly. If you are tired and don't want to finish all the items on your 'do list' you will probably finish them anyway if you expect it of yourself. If you are trying to change habits the change will happen if you expect it to. Expectation is the worldly side of the sacred concept of faith. Have faith in yourself by expecting yourself to do what you start out to do. You have the innate ability to do what you imagine you can do. Otherwise your inner self would not have given you the idea of doing it in the first place. If the idea is too far out of your realm it doesn't stick around. But if it is meant for you to take on and you get to the point where you actually start the project or task you do have the ability to do it. Maybe not the first time. Things have to be figured out and skills developed. But if you expect yourself to develop skills it will happen. So reach out to the magic that surrounds you for the energy you need and expect great things of yourself. The needed ideas and skills will come to you. May the spark be with you.

Friday, December 2, 2011

The magic of Just Before Sleep

Just before you go to sleep, when your brainwaves are in alpha rhythm, is a marvelous time to program yourself for change and other magical desires. As you lay your head on that comforting, welcoming pillow you can glory in the way you are preparing yourself, in all the self love you have, to rest and renew. Allow all feeling of pressure and worry to leave you. Sense your breath. Sense the texture of your pillow. Sense the temperature of the room. Sense the slight sounds around you. As you sense each thing let it bring you more and more into the present moment in which you are safe and trust that all will be well. Then allow that sense of comfort to accept that changes will come. You don't have to clutch at those changes. They will come. Accept the desires you have, in that present moment, for all things that may occur to you, in a gentle and accepting way. You may have desires for improved relationships. You may have desires for improved health. Whatever desire you have in that moment before sleep is simply a desire. It is part of the moment, as is your breath and what your skin senses. I have been doing this for improved physical health and it has been manifesting. Other things have also appeared in my life.
I have not been allowing myself to clutch or worry as I go to sleep. The desires are just part of the things I sense in the moments before I sleep. I suggest to all wise magicians that you celebrate all that is right and magical about your life as you lay yourself down to sleep. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Rituals In Magic

I recently read an article by an inspirational speaker in which he said that he starts out his workday, with his staff, by having everyone say what they are thankful for. He believes that the act of visiting gratitude is a ritual that energizes and keeps them all on track. A ritual can be made into a good habit without losing sight of the higher purpose behind it. When it becomes a habit you don't have to keep up the energy of constantly making the decision to do that ritual. Then your mental energy can be focused on the daily decisions and actions you have to engage in. The magic comes forth when the ritual is there to remind you, when needed, of the higher purpose of the ritual. This speaker's ritual of expressing gratitude doubtless causes people to think about the blessings of life at times other than the start of their work day. I had a cleaning business for years. I had a ritual of looking over my work, and blessing it, as I would start to close the door behind me. If I didn't see that I had left beauty behind me I would re-enter and make things as they should be. There are many habits we can develop that are meant to endow our daily life with a feeling of satisfaction and goodness. The way you serve a meal, deal with other people, approach your studies or work, can all be done in such a way that you are invoking magic to come into your life. I suggest to all wise magicians that you look for ways to celebrate your life as you go about your day to day activities by developing rituals that remind you that life is good, that life is magical. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Magic of The Question

My last post was the "Magic of the answer". Many times when I get a magical answer I already know what I am asking for. But at times we may be down and frustrated and feeling stuck. At times like this a magical tool is "The question". If we ask even a simple question like "What am I feeling?" or "Why am I feeling so edgy?" we are taking steps to identify and solve our problem. This sets in motion certain dynamics. When we focus on something we want to find out what it means. When we give a meaning to something we are then called on to take action. For instance, if I am feeling blocked, then I ask myself questions about that feeling I may discover than I am missing the zing of being creative. Then I realize that creativity is of great value to me. The next step is to find ways to express my creativity. But I have now realized that creativity is one of my values. So I will find ways to share my belief system about the importance of creativity and try to nurture creativity in others, or spread the word of the importance of creativity to life and society. The art of asking questions of our self and others is an important art to develop. You do not want to come up on some one who is trying to learn something and ask them, in a spirit stifling way, "What are you doing?". It might be better to say something like, "I see you are very busy. Would you like to share with me what you are learning?" Learn to use questions to draw magic to yourself and to give magic back to the World. 'How' questions are good for that. How can I make courage an exciting trait to develop? How can I celebrate my values? How can I stop comparing myself to others, and appreciate my unique strengths? It may even be okay to ask 'How can I get what I want?'. By asking this question in this way you are admitting that you are the one to take responsibility to get what you want, and that you do have desires, needs and wants. Don't feel guilty about wanting things. That is a natural human trait. But do go on to the next step--after focus comes a decision about meaning. What do those things mean to you? Then you will fall into asking yourself, perhaps only quickly and subtly, who "you" are. But you are on the way to a greater self nevertheless. So I suggest to all wise magicians that you realize one of the magic wands you have is the ability to ask questions. Question well and wisely. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Magic of the Answer

It is very popular now days to refer to the book and the movie "The Secret" and its subject, The Law of Attraction. The idea is that if you really put it out there to the Universe about your desires, those desires will be met. There seems to be an assumption with this idea that those desires will be big ticket items. This causes some people to scoff at the whole idea of the Universe giving you the gift of having your desires met. However I suggest that it happens in ways we don't realize and if we sharpen our awareness we may be amazed. After all, we are surrounded by a field of magic i.e. energy and possibilities. This morning two things that I had been calling for, by recognizing the need for them, manifested to me. One was in the newsletter I subscribe to from Rick Hanson PhD. I was feeling a definite lack of zing and the need for it. Then I read his JOT (Just One Thing) article about surviving the darts of life. He suggested the technique of dilution. A spoon of salt is harsh in a 1/2 cup of water but not so bad in a gallon. I realized that I could dilute my mood by moving away from the feeling of having too much to do and towards the acceptance that I am actually accomplishing much. Then I went into my office and saw that some objects had appeared on a shelf that I had been wishing to have something on. This shelf is actually a box. I had placed a doll holding a crystal ball on the top. Then my daughter had placed a gnome figurine by it. We had discussed all the touches of a magical kingdom I have around the office and wondered what could fit inside the box. For days I had seen that empty spot and wondered what would fit as to size, color and theme. I had been calling to myself to look among other vignettes and see what could be moved. But this morning, when I was calling out for zing, there were some colorful and appropriate objects sitting in the box. So two calls, filling the box and getting a bit of magic in my life, had been answered by the objects in the box. Plus the article had been an answer as well. These were little answers but they gave me a lot of energy. Sometimes we may be given the means or energy to get those big ticket items for ourselves and not realize it. I suggest to all wise magicians that we, me too, sharpen our awareness of the answers we are given. May the spark be with us.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Magic of 'Meanwhile"

When I was a kid I looked forward to Summertime spent with my grandmother. One of the delights of those summers was going to Saturday afternoon matinees with my cousins. I remember how the hero, usually a cowboy, would be in a dramatic fight or a dangerous situation, then a caption might come up or a narrator say, "Meanwhile back at the ranch.." Then a shift would be made away from that dangerous scene to a more peaceful one. At times we put ourselves into a stressful situation and need to go away from it ...meanwhile..to something more peaceful. Oftentimes the stress is caused by the emotional noise or mental clutter that goes on when we need to solve a problem and we can't seem to make a decision about the actions that we need to take. Once the way is clear then we are calm because we know what we need to do. Even if it may be difficult, we will be able to face the challenges. Here are some examples of uses of 'meanwhile magic'. I have a big bill to pay. It isn't due for a while and by that time I have decided where the money will come from. Meanwhile I will enjoy the benefits of what that payment brings to me. Or: I will make a change that I have been agonizing about on this particular date. Meanwhile I will calmly go about the business of getting ready for the change. Or: This event is coming up and it will be hard to manage. But I will. Meanwhile I will enjoy my life and the freedom from the worry I had had been doing. So I suggest to all wise magicians that you create a 'meanwhile' space for yourself. This is a room or scenic place you can go where you are away from the noise and trouble of wrestling with decisions. You have done that work and you know the energy of the magic that surrounds you will help you implement that decision when the time is right. Meanwhile you will enjoy the contentment and happiness to which you have a right. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Dandelion Magic

As I came home yesterday I first noticed all the dead leaves littering the yard. Then I saw a few withered and bedraggled flowers that were twisted and faded but still hanging on to their stems. Just as I was about to fix it in my head that the yard was done for, no signs of vibrant life, I saw two small blooms peeking out near the railroad ties that border the pear tree, fresh and bright colored. I've never really hated dandelions as some do. I rather like the color and form they have. But at that moment these were beyond ordinary dandelions. They seemed to say that if I looked I could see vibrant magical life. All was not sere and done for. Those two faces turned to the sun, in full expectation of having all they needed at the moment brought magic into a heretofore ordinary day. I suggest to all wise magicians that you allow the energy of the magic that surrounds you into your life whenever you can. It may be a bird in flight. It may be a late blooming dandelion. A smile may come your way or you will finally succeed at something you have been trying. I carried the joy of those two little flowers with me to my work area in my office and found an idea I had been needing had come on yellow dandelion wings. I am a newly certified Life Coach and I'm still trying to formulate a marketing plan and "package" myself. Still smiling about the dandelions I found that I had a couple of ideas that seemed as right as the courageous bits of life I had just seen. I wish for all of you that little surprises like that will come to you and delight you. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Ways To Call Up Magic

I was feeling the need for more mental energy to finish up some things on my do-list. I just couldn't finish up. I almost felt depressed. These were things that would help me move toward achieving my life goals so I felt some anxiety about the lack of energy. I gave up and went to take a nap. I needed magic for myself but it wouldn't come to me right then. I didn't nap very long before I woke up wanting to reach out to a few people for various reasons, a sympathy card here, a thank you card there. As I thought about taking care of these personal contacts I also noticed I had a magical zing about my giving. The energy had called itself up. It seemed to come when I was no longer focused on myself but others whom I cared for. Now I have completed several reach-out tasks and have energy to do some other tasks related to 'taking care of business'. There is magic in wanting others to know you care. Even if that human contact is by card, e-mail or over the phone you have still shared a spark of humanity. The energy of love and caring warms and radiates out into more than just your small area and that one moment. So I suggest to all wise magicians that if you feel a need for magic in order to bring about change in your life reach out to the people in your life. Hug a grandchild. Call a friend. Go to the store and have a friendly interaction with the clerk. If you can't drag magic in your front door, open a window and let it come in on a warm breeze. Magic brings the calmness and trust that life is good. May the spark be with you.

Friday, November 4, 2011

The Magic Of Facing The Niggles

We are told that we should be introspective. I suspect that could have a bunch of pitfalls. For one thing it is easy to focus on yourself when you are feeling insecure. It is easy for the self-talk to become a litany of our faults and failures. I can imagine someone sitting down to have some time of introspection and falling into a situation of 'paralysis by analysis', as well. But since magic sometimes comes to us in small delightful ways I suggest we not worry about being "introspective" as such. I suggest we just go about our daily lives in trust that magic is there for us in many ways. One way that the field of magic helps us is that we have small niggling thoughts about some situation we should face. Before the situation is a potential disaster the niggling thoughts come to us. That is the time to stop and confront them. Maybe we have almost noticed that our clothes are fitting a bit more tightly. Just a niggling little thought. If we spend all the energy it takes to ignore that niggle, if we go into denial, we will be moving towards a worsening of the situation. But if we become courageous enough to weigh or measure ourselves we have a good chance of getting on top of the situation before it gets out of hand. Then we have the good feeling that we did something good for ourselves, as well as the benefit of dealing with a potential problem before it became a big problem in reality. Or a bigger one. Niggles are hunches with a difference. Hunches can be one time things. Niggles will keep at us until we crack one way or another. So I suggest to all wise magicians that you name your niggles and treat them like the friends they are. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Magic of the Alligator List

Life is not easy but we are equipped with many resources to help us survive and even live well. The fact that our brain is divided into different parts is one of those resources. We have the reptilian brain which sends us alerts to danger. Then we have the higher parts of the brain which can question and judge those alerts and make decisions as to how we should act on them, or if they should be ignored. However, it is easy to became like ostriches, putting our heads in the sand, and ignore danger. This is especially true if we think the danger is not an immediate threat. We tend to suppress the shadow side of our personalities, the part that admits problems are a big part of life. The fear and worry is just too much to deal with on a constant basis so we deny and suppress. But our inner wise magician has a way to get around that denial. It sends us dreams and humor so we will look to our own safety and well being. If we can look at things with the bit of comfort that dreams, humor or enchantment brings we are more able to put the paralysis of fear away from us and use reason to solve or deal with problems and danger before they are overwhelming. That is the magic. We are cushioned from fear and danger so we can deal with it without being paralyzed by it. For me, the alligator list is such a way of looking ahead to see what I have to face and deal with. I probably need to explain: People often refer to "the elephant or the gorilla in the room" to mean a situation that is being avoided and denied. However it does seem that the gorilla sits there and no one really deals with him. I decided to actually make do lists I call my alligator list so I would have some urgency about it. Alligators seem more dangerous that gorillas. On the list are things I had better deal with, or else I will be in trouble. I am using the cushion of humor when I do this. When I was teaching in Arizona, one day there was a cartoon in the teacher's lounge of a person standing among a lot of aggressive alligators in a pond. The caption was "It's hard to realize that your original intention was to drain the swamp when you are up to your a** in alligators." In such a case you do have to deal with the alligators, the most dangerous one first, before you can get about your original intention, or purpose. Accepting the urgency of certain things before they have overwhelmed you is the action of a wise magician. I am working to develop habits of a much more active lifestyle, both for health and to become more proactive in other ways. I know that if I don't do this the results could be very bad for me. So I suggest to all wise magicians that you find a place of comfort and look to your crystal ball. Gently muse on what you can do to make your life more magical and better. Do you have fees you can avoid by paying bills on time? Do you have health problems you can avoid by changes in life style? Do you have opportunities knocking at your door that you will regret ignoring? Stand out of the pond, bring some enchantment to your awareness and act to bring yourself a better life. May the spark be with you.

Monday, October 31, 2011

The Magic of The Dream

About eight months ago I began to seriously work towards something I had been saying I wanted to do for a couple of years. At first I didn't even have a clear concept of what I wanted to do. It was all a fog. I was just telling people I had to increase my income and my main resource was my ability with words. That was very unspecific. But I followed the dream in as many ways as I could. Over time things began to become more and more clear. I trusted that the dream was out there and would become clear in time. In the last month things have been manifesting to show me that I am on the right path. I finally began receiving paychecks as a tutor. Yesterday I received a certificate as a Life Coach. I will talk with the director of Colorado Free University in a couple of days about teaching a writing class there next Spring. I have the beginnings of a website Wordmaeven.com. In time my new life of living my dream will be full fledged. I managed to walk through the rocky fields of all the "shoulds" and realize that the "words" I wanted to push were whatever would bring magic into people's lives. Someone suggested that I offer stress management help to people. I came to understand that I would rather embrace stress, use it as a catalyst for something creative and then transcend it. I didn't want to 'manage' it or tell anyone else so to do. I am glad that even though I was in a cloud of ignorance, doubt and fear, I just kept on keeping on. I somehow knew that my inner wise magician would help me find the way. Then things started to come to me. Many opportunities seemed to appear. I don't expect it to be easy. But I do expect that the path is there to follow and that I can follow it, with the help of the field of magic that surrounds me. I suggest that following your dream or your bliss is a lot more real and possible that many people realize. I suggest that all wise magicians look to their dream, or dreams, and walk forth with majesty. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Magic Of Reception

When a person is welcomed or received into a group or a family there can be a bit of magic at work. If the reception is done well, done magically, the new member becomes a wonderful part of the group and makes the group better. A sort of synergy develops. But if the acknowledgement of the new comer is hesitant or alienating all kinds of problems can develop. An example is the way immigrants were encouraged to come to America before we were a nation. All the colonists were immigrants and without their values and energy our nation would never have happened. But today, if someone mentions immigrants there is often the unspoken questions about how they will fit into our society and whether they are legal or not. So consider how you welcome your children, your workers, your clients, your new members of your group. Do you empower them? Do you recognize how much they offer and that they possess an inner genius? Do you see them as a chance to help you grow and become more than you were? This is the magical way to receive. Blessings abound and it is wise to be open to those blessings. One way to welcome people, or even events, is to get to know the background from which they come. Be open to the stories. Share stories and become more human to each other. That can bring understanding and transcendence of strangeness. In the field of magic we are all equal and of value. So I suggest to all wise magicians that they look to what it is propitious to welcome into your life. By so doing you will also welcome blessings. May the spark be with you.

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Signs Of Magic

I have seen many videos and read articles about the Law Of Attraction. The essence of all these messages have been that the Universe will meet our desires if we are in tune and will make our desires known. This idea also can be gleaned from the Bible, and from Buddhism. I was once given a card with the words, nam myo ho renge kyo, on it. I was told that if I would chant this I would be putting myself in alignment so that the blessings that were meant for me would be able to come to me. I tried this for years and often amazingly good luck would happen to me. I think magic also works this way but it also works when you are not yet clear enough to make your desires known. Nor is magic about getting, as people sometimes fall into. It is good to have our desires met but not to approach it from a sense of poverty or need. I believe that trust and acceptance are part of being "in tune". Sometimes you will have something happen and realize that it was actually a stroke of luck because it cleared the way for other good things to fall into place.At times like that you didn't even know what to ask for, so you weren't asking, just being a bit dull or edgy. But then the magic happens and you recognize it. No matter what you like to call it, Magic, The Hand of God, The Law of Attraction, Providence, or Luck there is one thing all these have in common: It feels good. The sense of being at peace, at home, freedom or joy that comes when a problem is solved or a door is opened is one of the signs that magic has worked. Sometimes the magic is simply a more clear understanding of what you are trying to figure out. This happened to me recently. I am trying to craft and start a business (Wordmaeven) that will be public speaking, teaching, coaching. I was developing a marketing plan and deciding to whom I would reach out. Something wasn't right but I didn't know what. I asked for the spark of magic to guide me. When I realized that what I was doing would be boring to me I was able to redirect, change labels, names etc. Suddenly I felt happier and more excited about what I was doing. Rather that help people write their memoirs I realized that I wanted to help people CELEBRATE their life as part of what I was doing. So now, I call out to all wise magicians, celebrate your life. Recognize when magic comes. May the spark be with you.

Monday, October 24, 2011

The Magic of 'Beyond'

Many times in life all we can reach is that which is "good enough". But once in a while we can go beyond good enough to excellence, joy or transcendence. When a runner pushes beyond the resistance of aches and fatigue there comes the 'runner's high' which is the reward for going 'beyond'. I believe nature or the universe is set up so that "beyond" is highly rewarded. I also believe that if we never go into that higher state we will be punished. The steps we go through in our experience of a situation can be set out this way: Healing(this may just be from minor things such as boredom or it may be trauma), stability, success, celebration. As we adjust to each stage we eventually develop a drive to go on to the next stage. You may have heard of Abraham Maslow and his Hierarchy of Human Needs. He points out that if our basic needs for safety, food, etc are not being met or are endangered it is very hard to focus on higher needs like planning for the future or creating a good society. So much of our ability to go "beyond" is influenced by our perceptions. If we believe we are in danger it is hard to push beyond our fear to get to a place of joy. But once we know how to gain safety for ourselves and know that not all fears are reasonable we are better able to go into a higher realm of experience. Pain and fear may actually be stimuli that help us reach out towards joy and transcendence. They are strong feelings and make us think about the need for change. But what do we do about 'the ordinary', about boredom, about constantly being in the mundane world? I believe that the wise magician will train himself or herself to notice when things are too gray. We can then challenge ourselves to go beyond that. We can reach out into the field of magic that surrounds us on a regular basis. We can reach out for excellence, for joy, happiness and great change. If you habitually ask yourself if you can go beyond where you are at the present it will do much to create a magical life. Give more, love more, do more. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Magic of Letting Go

The other day I was very ready to have something totally gone from my life. I thought about banishment for it. Then it occured to me that if I put in all the effort of banishment I would run the danger of still having ties to it. Then I considered 'releasing it". But that had other connations rather than just being gone and erased. At last I was able to simply put my hands, palm up, to the sky and bless it and let it go. I felt such a sense of freedom that I can't even recall, at the moment, what it was I let go.
When wise magicians work to manifest good things into their life they also let go. They put energy into letting it be known what it is they want and desire. Then they release it. They trust that it will come to them and get on with their life. They know that if they agitated and worried about their desire it could well push it further away from them. So bless and let go your troubles. Bless and let go your desires. Your troubles will stay away, or at least the anxiety you have been creating about them will be gone. Your desires will fly back to you on golden wings. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Surprises of Magic

Many of my posts have been about feeling the need for magic and drawing it to you. But you must remember that magic may come to you in surprising ways. Opportunities will seem to come to you at amazing times, simply strokes of good luck. A jolt may happen that makes you laugh, then you understand that there is more to it than a moment of entertainment. Magic often clothes itself in humor. It is common for magic to occur in your life without you formally asking for it. Be open to that. Perhaps your soul or subconscious sent out a message to draw it to you. A friend may have sensed your need and responded to it. But many times synchronicity will be at work. Something good happens to you and it is a surprise. But the events that led up to that were quietly going on until the magic matched up with you. Perhaps a marvelous bargain is offered to you just as you have been about to despair of being able to afford something. Our a wonderful connection is made. Wise magicians will continue to reach out into the field of energy that is magic and draw it to them. But wise magicians will also be open to the surprises of magic. Accept gifts when they are given. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Magic of Musing

Sometimes I feel the need for magic and am not sure how to draw it to me. At times like that I use the magic wand of musing. I did that this morning and received a wonderful magical insight. I was feeling kind of down myself but was also dwelling on someone in my family who doesn't seem to feel that successful in life. I was musing on whether of not he was having his life needs met. I have often watched videos of Tony Robbins help people find ways to meet their basic human needs. One of those needs is significance. The thought occurred to me that I myself, as well as my family member, might not be feeling significant enough. Then the magic that surrounds me tapped me along side the head and said: "It's just like the shift from-'It's not how smart you are but how you are smart'- change it from 'How significant you are' to 'How you are significant'. That gave me a great feeling of magic in my life. I am significant. I can now discover the ways I am significant, the ways I matter. I hope I can find a way to help others also make this paradigm shift. We don't have to be a rock star to hear our soul sing. I suggest that all wise magicians celebrate their significance today in what ever way their soul wishes. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Games As A Tool Of Magic

One of the big problems in life is facing new and potentially dangerous, or at least fearful, situations. We need skills for these situations but don't have such skills automatically. Children understand this easily and make games out of developing necessary skills. They watch their parents and other adults and model their behavior. Soon we see them playing with dolls or other toys as they get ready for their adult roles. But what can we do as adults to meet our anxiety- causing new situations? We can use the magic of games once more. We can make a game out of looking for good behavior in people. This will help us find out that we can relate to people that formerly frightened us. We can tally up our own smallest success behaviors. This can help us gain confidence in our eventual mastery of a skill. Games are safe and allow things to be practiced and developed in small increments. I have been thinking of making up a game about my anxiety about computer technology. Every time I master a skill I am getting a sharper sword or a better weapon so I can slay the dreaded HARD TO MASTER LIST OF COMPUTER SKILLS. I gained some skill at PowerPoint so I am getting closer this week to the lair of the monster. I will prevail. To make up a game to help you face DANGER use every imaginative tool you can. Design safety places. Think up outrageous names for everything. Imagine how it will feel to become King of The Realm or a great heroine. Think up colorful, funny, or dramatic situations. Bring the energy of magic to your endeavors and learning. You will find that this will make life easier and more successful. Use play to succeed. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Where Magic Resides

Recently I had that recurring feeling of a need for a bit of zing in my life, for a connection with magic. That evening I went to a meeting of Colorado Dramatists,a critique group of playwrights. The member who needed a critique was in Austin, Texas but needed to get feedback for a couple of short plays he had been requested to write for a theater in London, England. We set up our session so the author could interact with us over speaker phone. We did a reading of his plays then discussed our suggestions with him. During this time and during the visiting among ourselves later, discussing past enterprises of Colorado Dramatists, I realized the room was full of magic. There were eight of us, if you counted the member in Austin, who were all highly creative and happy to be so. Different things each of us had to deal with were mentioned and suggestions or appreciations were given. But even when problems were discussed the sense of 'life is good' was there. Since then I have had several other times where I have had the same experience: that life is interesting and worthwhile and even fun, no matter what. Being around others and sharing experiences with them enriches my own sense of being in an energy field of magic. Humans are social beings. Not only do we need people to survive but also to thrive. A sense of joy and well being is more apt to develop if we spend time among friends. So I do hope that all the wise magicians who read this will let social connections help bring magic to life. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

What Is Your Best Use Of Magic?

I have been asking people what they would like to have if a genie or a magic wand could be used to grant them their greatest wish. Some named something like a car, a house, or a better job. But many people wanted a greater understanding of the way they could do things for themselves, or to discover an idea that would help them make the progress they desired. This made me believe that the best use of magic is greater power for ourselves in the form of ideas or inspiration. I know that is how I like to have things happen for me. I will be feeling like I have a block or a problem. Then I reach out to the magic that surrounds me, that which some people call The Source, and things seem to open up. An idea that I needed, or a better belief in myself, which I also needed, comes to me. I do have to admit that once in a while a marvelous coincidence or great piece of luck does come my way. Sometimes a bit of trouble happens, but because of the timing of it or the people that are around me it turns out to be not such a great disaster. Those times seems to be gifts from the Universe, ones I didn't know to ask for. At times like this I again realize that Magic is well formed. Even if the way we want to control it is not so well formed. Sometimes we have to put out our intentions and desires then stand back, in trust, to accept the goodness, what ever shape or form in which it manifests, that comes our way. So look to your desires. Then wish for the magical ideas and energy that will come your way. They will show up if you call for them. May the spark be with you.

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Magic of Positive 'Shoulds'

I admit I cringed a bit when I first considered the title of this post. Far too many times people have tried to "fix" me or give unwelcome and bad advice starting out with "You should". But a wise magician can choose to rewire his or her brain by developing new habits. It is not easy but in time it will get easier to do things you have decided you should do. I am reminded of the first and second laws of Buddha: Life is hard but if you admit it and quit resisting, things get easier. I suppose that is why some women can accomplish so much when they have a family and a career. They have spent years buckling down and getting things done. I think of my sister, JoLynn Kirkwood, Cowboy Poet, Teacher, Mother, and Farm Wife as having four careers. Whenever I visit her or talk to her on the phone she is smoothly accomplishing things. It might be zucchini bread for the freezer, canning peaches from trees they have on the farm, or getting ready to go to an event in which she presents the poetry she writes about rural life.
The key concept in using 'shoulds' is freedom of choice. A habit stays with you a long time. Be careful of the ones you develop. Some people have practiced nastiness so long it is second nature. But with focus, setting yourself up to expect change to happen and keeping at it in persistent bits and pieces you can bring positive shoulds into your life. But they are your shoulds, not imposed on you from someone else. I wish you magic in creating the life you want. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Systems and Magic

We are often taught that the first step of the problem solving method is to identify the problem. But this is not necessarily easy. The problem may be a big complex one made up of many small problems. Or the stress around the problem makes it hard to approach in a logical manner.
This is where the tool of creating systems may be helpful. Impose a system on the problem and see what you find out. You may think you were working with categories that turn out to be the wrong ones. But you find this out by putting things into their categories and they don't fit. Remember, one of the first principles of magic is that it is well formed. If something doesn't work try something else. That is even a principle of mathematics. George Polya taught that if a problem couldn't be solved you could solve a similar problem and that might teach you enough to go back to the original problem and solve that, in his book from 1945 "How to Solve It."
Putting things is order, even if it isn't the right order, can be soothing and relieve some of the stress you may be feeling. If I am feeling a bit of writer's block I go back through my notes or organize my desk. That often lets an idea percolate and I am able to get back to my creative work.
I tutor in a lab for community college students preparing for a test they have to pass to get admitted to a certain program they want. I assign them books from which to study and they have to keep them in a drawer in a file cabinet in the room. I had been noticing that it was taking a long time for students to find their assigned book. I was wondering how I could use the numbers marked on them to make this easier. But one of the students took it on himself to lay the books a certain way, with the numbers showing as a brand, or identifying mark, not as being in any special numerical order. Since then no one has had any particular problem finding their book. His simple system of making the books lay all the same way was all it took.
You can use this idea of using systems to bring magic into your life. Make a list of the joys you are experiencing, of the magic you already have brought to yourself. Make a list of your strengths and how you can celebrate them to bring more purpose, joy and flair into your life or to others. Tweak a bit here, pat a bit there. A system must always serve the greater purpose, never be in place just for the sake of being a system. Find your own system, your own sense of purpose and order. Perhaps you are highly visual and need shelves rather than file drawers. Or perhaps clear pockets hung on a wall would work for your office. When you sense a problem reach out to the magic that surrounds you, take a breath of comfort or fun, and drop a bit of system on that problem. If a simple system doesn't solve it you may find that you have gotten a start on it at least. May the spark be with you.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Principles of Magic, Big to Little and Little to Big

I think that my blog, to a great extent, is a gentle urging to people, wise magicians, to leave the school of hard knocks and start their own success school. Sometimes clues for this magical creation can be found in big ideas that boil down to little gems. Sometimes an idea comes from a little bit of information that has huge implications and applications. I was recently reading research about PTSD and trauma recovery. One of the things a therapist was encouraged to do was to listen to the client about their trauma until it had been completely processed. I then thought how a person's day can seem traumatic, although on a lesser level. It is good for them to have someone to listen to until they really get if off their chest. It may take a while for a person to really hear themselves and this is done more completely when they have a listening ear, that is a loving ear, to talk to. I used to say that I liked to talk about something until I heard myself and then a bit more until I bored myself and could move on. There is a technique that can be used when you want to get things off your chest, don't have someone to talk to at the moment, and want to keep track of the development of the insights as you gripe. This technique can be called "The Kvetch". One way to do this is to draw a line down a piece of paper so you have a bigger than usual side column. Then, in the main part of the paper, you begin your griping. Make it intense. Start out with terms like: Woe is me....I always...I never.... Do all the awfulizing you want. When you have processed the emotions of the gripe you may start to find humor in the maudlin way you are carrying on. Increase that until you can actually smile or chuckle. Then go back and in the big column that is still blank note the real problems for which you can find solutions. Plan the steps needed to get those solutions. A little thing like pen and paper can help you find ways to make big changes. Start small to go big. You can make big changes in your life. Let the energy and principles of magic help you. May the spark be with you.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Movement and Magic

When I started to think about movement all kinds of ideas came to me about change, and making things better in life. I invite you to spend a few minutes letting ideas of dance, improvement, color, flow, change for the better, rhythm and whatever else you want to visit come to you.
Many times we need a shift. Maybe our whole life is feeling blocked, if not just our creative ideas. You can get a shift by simply changing the position of your body. Tipping your face to the sun, standing shoulder to shoulder with a friend, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, putting your hand on a shoulder in caring, bending your head to listen. These are all expressions that stand for movement of the body and movement in emotional states. Many metaphors will occur to you now that I have opened the door to the idea. So if you want a change in your life do some movement to make it so. Get off the couch (movement), reach for the stars (movement), find your pathway( movement). My intention here is to call out to all wise magicians to realize that we are beings of mind, body and soul and that magic is in us. Sometimes we must heal and soothe ourselves with with rhythmic movement. Sometimes we give ourselves a nudge. Do what it takes to let the magic that surrounds us come into your life. Move into something joyous and good. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Lay Claim to What You Want And Make It Your Own

I have found it to be powerful to claim something. Once something is claimed you feel more invested in it, you find ways to work towards it without even thinking about it and you find yourself making the needed adjustments to accept it emotionally. I began claiming my abundance a few months ago and I have been getting more work, more opportunities at work, more clients and more bargains as well. I claimed more ability in computer use and suddenly things occurred in my
life that forced me to develop new skills to meet these new situations. Things I was weak in kept occurring until I could use my new skill with ease. When you claim something you choose it. Research in positive psychology shows that people who choose to be happy find ways to be happy. Interaction opens up between the happiness seeker and the world of happiness. If a person wants to stay in the world of doom and gloom they will not be open to learning about the way the reptilian part of the brain is wired to look out for danger, keeping one on edge and allowing negative thoughts in. But if they are seeking happiness they will welcome the information that the amygdala is only doing its part in sending fear thoughts and our higher parts of the brain can check out the reality of those thoughts and them lay claim to feeling of calmness and happiness. It is the higher part of the brain that can take in a fact, see it as good and then create a good feeling from that. So, wise magicians, I call on you to look for your purpose in life, to look for what would make you feel great satisfaction and lay claim to this new aspect of your life. Claim it and it will be yours. May the spark be with you.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A Recent Proof of Magic

Yesterday I found myself telling small stories from my life that involved coincidence a couple of times. They just seemed to come up in conversation and seemed good for a laugh or a bit of sharing among friends. But my awareness of the idea of coincidence caused me to notice an item by Depak Chopra about coincidence in an e-newsletter to which I subscribe. I was about to read it when it seemed more important to call a young girl I've known all her life and is very important to me. We hadn't been very much in touch lately and I wanted to make sure I talked with her about doing something for her birthday. When she answered the phone she was crying. She had had a problem at work and was brokenhearted about it. I was able to comfort her and share her tears until her father arrived to take her home. Then I wiped my eyes and went back to my reading. Dr. Chopra said that coincidences seem to be messages from the higher aspect of life to help us become more aware of our purpose in life. I often refer to the field of magic as a special goodness in life that is outside of ourselves. I felt that the field of magic had touched me in being able to give love to this girl. It seems that lately I am constantly having contact with women younger than myself at times when I can help them be stronger in themselves. Of course at this time the depth of my love for this girl caused me to think about the article more than I might have otherwise. The coincidence of the article appearing at the time of my phone call did seem to give me a deeper understanding of what I am passionate about. I hope that you will also have a happy coincidence in your life that will help you be aware of a deeper, more profound existence that awaits you. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Magic And Responsibility

Responsibility is absolutely key to working magic. Now I have to pause and laugh because a visual picture or movie clip just came to me. Remember Mickey Mouse in the Sorcerer's Apprentice? He wasn't responsible about his magic and got himself into a lot of trouble. But he learned by doing. He learned he didn't have all the skills he needed. The ability to respond is a wonderful thing. The ability to decide what to respond to is also a wonderful thing. Deciding is a big part of responsibility. A person, or wise magician, can decide to delay an emotional reaction. A decision can be made to energize oneself to face an important task. A decision can be made as to how to approach a certain problem. Responsibility is basically deciding what you want to happen and doing what you can to cause that to happen. The wise magician is the one in charge. Being in charge doesn't just mean being in charge of the situation or project. You also must be in charge of yourself. You must use your critical thinking skills. One aspect of critical thinking is self regulation. You must regulate yourself by nurturing yourself when needed, by feeding yourself well, by noticing when your biases are causing you to go against your higher values, by drawing out your ideas and questions.
Some people may be afraid of the whole idea of responsibility, thinking of how hard is is to pay rent, go to work every day and so on. The wise magician will choose a task or project, such as raising a family, to be responsible for. Then the wise magician will act or respond to the needs of that situation in ways that will bring about success. Creativity, choosing happiness and hooking into the energy of magic will all be helpful in bringing about that success. Choosing to do a certain thing, or to nurture something does not need to be a burden. If it is your wholehearted choice you will find ways to get through the hard times. Magic will help. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Magic Of Community

Tomorrow is the tenth anniversary of a terrible event, the terrorist attack of 9/11. The deaths of victims and first responders, as well as the continuing health problems of those who tried to help, is a greater tragedy than many across the nation can actually comprehend. In addition there are other things that resulted from the events of that day that have sad consequences. Last night I watched a news report about children whose fathers had been killed in that disaster just before they were born, so these children had never known those fathers.These children seemed to be dedicated to looking to the heroic aspects of their father's lives and trying to manifest that in themselves. It was quite inspirational.
There is a good likelihood that some of the wounds of that terrible day will never heal. One objective of terrorist acts is to disrupt and isolate, to cause great fear and hopelessness. But that has not totally happened in our nation. I can't say it hasn't happened at all. A lot of walls went up and certain civil liberties were damaged. But the community, the sense of caring that has also developed as an aftermath of that terrible event has had an enriching and beneficial effect. Community, openness about pain and fear, reaching out for healing, being willing to help are all aspects of what I see as a magical life. Tomorrow I will make an especial effort to reach out to others around me to alleviate their loneliness and fear that they can never achieve their life's dreams. I invite you, as wise magicians, to do the same. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Magic Of Taking Yourself Seriously

Many times a person will get an idea that seems to be really good or even have a spark of genius to it. Most everybody will consider such an idea for a moment or two before letting it slip away. The luckier ideas will be shared with a friend or two before they too are allowed to go to idea limbo. But the ideas of a wise magician, one who takes them self seriously are accepted, evaluated, questioned, critiqued, perhaps filed for later action, and acted upon. This is not an easy thing to do. It is much easier to just say to oneself, "Boy, do I get some good ideas from time to time," then go on about tasks of daily life. The wise magician knows that a good idea may not be good enough for current purposes or may need to be followed until broader implications are made visible or conscious. But a good idea can lead to wonderful things for yourself and others. It can make life magical. In third world countries many people are now working to develop and implement 'appropriate technologies'. These are simple good ideas that don't require a lot of unavailable technology to implement. Simple heating devices to cook food, ways to purify water and ways to bring illumination to dark places are among some of the technologies I have read about recently. The plastic bottle light bulb is one such idea. A plastic bottle, such as that containing soda, is filled with water and a bit of bleach. Then it is inserted into a hole in the roof in order to be part of the ceiling in the room below. The refraction properties of water cause that bottle to give off as much light as a 50 watt bulb. Several of them can light a room quite well. Properly sealed and inserted, it will give good light for years. Some times ideas come so hard and fast that it is hard to keep up with them. I am not advocating that we act on every idea. However, when we are having a brain storm many of these ideas will have a common theme. Look for the message behind these ideas, follow the thread and find the essence of the great idea that is trying to come through. Do not shut down your creative self. It yearns to serve you and bring magic to your life or perhaps the lives of others. Take your ideas seriously and you will bring a better life to yourself. You will bring yourself magic. May the spark be with you.

Monday, September 5, 2011

The Magic Of Leadership

Except for Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter a magician or wizard is seldom seen as a leader. Instead, they just seem to act on the material world such as turning lead to gold. But when you think about it, leadership is indeed a high sort of magic. A lump of clay, or couch potato, becomes inspired and does great good in the world. Leaders are the ones who inspire and give others a sense of wanting to accomplish great tasks. They can exist anywhere in an organization. They don't have to have any formal designated power. In fact there are times when a person in a managerial position is so busy keeping track and controlling that actual productivity is stifled.
Leadership can refer to leadership of self and others. When you lead yourself you nurture, accept, choose goals, give yourself rewards along the way to the goal just as a great general or leader would do for his or her followers. In thinking about qualities of leadership you must remember that high visibility is not necessarily a needed quality of a good leader. A racehorse may be said to be leading the pack but that horse is not the inspiration for the other horses to run. They are running because they love to run and because of the encouragement of their jockey. A figurehead is not necessarily a leader. Inspiration is the key in leadership. Grassroots movements such as that which lead to the independence of India, lead my Mahatma Gandhi, are based on actions taken by large numbers of people inspired to a common purpose. So my suggestion for the day is this: Think about good actions that need to be taken by yourself or others. Then reach out to the magic that surrounds you for energy. Use that energy to inspire yourself or others to bring about a better life. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Magic Of Switching Points

The switching point is a concept used in technology to stand for the time a switch must be thrown because a system is about to be overloaded or for some other reason it is not good to continue with things as they are. Analog diagrams are set up with switching points; as in "if this then go here if not then go here". Like valves that shut off fluid when the container is full enough. The concept can be used in other ways as well. When you look down the endless road of the effort it takes to get to your big goals you may feel discouraged. You may feel like you will never get where you feel you must go. Instead of "having" to climb an endless stairway it might work better to climb from one landing to the next. At each landing you can then view your options before you continue. Perhaps there are hallways leading from each landing with new doors to open. Not all decisions need to be made when you first set up your plan or first start out on your journey. Since we learn as we go it is really impossible or imprudent to make decisions before we get to the point where we have the needed information to make a decision wisely. I refer to magic being involved in switching points or decisions points because making changes based on what matters and where you are going is different from simply erratically jumping around. Remember, MAGIC IS WELL FORMED. So as you dance towards your goal let your magical inner self maintain an awareness of the essence of your goal. Then, when you need to stop to rest, or to rethink your journey your decisions about changing strategies or directions will still be in tune with your essential message. If one path has been a mistake you can switch to a better one and take the lessons you have learned from that path with you. Each time you say "That didn't work" you are becoming more clear about what will work or what you want. Do not fear decisions. When things truly are not working there is need for change. But do keep singing your soul's song. Make the changes, pauses, renewals you need to make. They are still part of your pathway to expressing your magical purpose. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Follow The Magical Golden Thread

Many fairy tales have a golden thread as part of the story. This thread leads the hero or shero
to their ultimate happy destination. In our daily life we may feel unraveled and in need of a magic thread to stitch together the creative projects we are trying to craft. If you pause a bit, catch your breath away from this unraveled feeling you may discover that all the disparate parts and different pathways you have been scurrying down actually do have a common thread. I have been trying to be more commercial about my teaching skills but it seemed that there was too much to learn, too much to consider. I was getting to the point that I wanted to totally give up. Then I realized that 'magic' is the common thread for me. Students I have who are preparing to take the GED test need to feel the zing of confidence in their ability to learn. I can give that to them. I can do the same for women exploring new business ventures, or people who need to improve their ability to speak English. I can note the frustrations of each of the people I am working with and help them find a way to glory in their ability to succeed. That for me is the common thread, the genius within each person. If you are feeling that you have lost your sense of purpose, that you are no longer following your bliss I suggest you step back and look for the thread. More than likely you have been expressing your inner self in ways you didn't realize before. A well crafted meal can be the work of an artist as well as an oil painting. The thread of magic and genius runs through your work. Find it and appreciate it. May the spark be with you.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Magical Transfer

There are many magic wands. One that you can use to motivate yourself or even to get new ideas is to transfer the feeling of success from one project to another. Or the feeling of commitment can transfer from one thing to another. I came across a story I'd written years ago in my files. It has a strong feeling of "I want to share this" attached to it for me. I was feeling resistant about getting a current work rewritten and submitted to my critique group. I took a little trip to my passion about this old story and captured that drive to use to get myself in gear for this current work. Just like standing near a warm stove can warm your chilled body, so can putting your thoughts near other memories warm your drive to succeed. When your 'can do' belief is weak remember all the myriad of things you have achieved. Transfer that feeling of success back to what you are facing and you will feel more able to succeed at the current task. Not only can you transfer the 'can do' beliefs, you can also transfer the 'I want to' drives. Just like madras plaids, designed to have colors bleed into each other, or walking near a waterfall to feel the mist, there are times when it is good to share an aura or special field of something to bring that experience to something else. Reach into the field of magic that surrounds you and bring it back into your life to help you craft the wonderful life you deserve. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Is the magic in perfectionism or craftsmanship?

Perfectionism and craftsmanship are not two different names for the same thing. Perfectionism can be fear based or escapist. A well crafted item or action can be perfect but the difference is on the focus and purpose. A basic tenet of magic is: magic is well formed. Actions and other creations cry out to be done well. But there is a time to release the creation into the world it was created for. Deep intense focus can be part of a spiritual practice. St. Teresa of the Little Flowers taught that deep focus on work was a form of prayer. Zen Buddhism teaches the practitioner to lose one's ego in the practice of an action. It seems that the difference between the two ways of approaching ones creation, craftsmanship and perfectionism, is that one is focused on the self and the other is focused on the purpose of the creation. A perfectionist is often described as 'up-tight' or 'controlling'. To reach out to the field of magic that is around you it is necessary to lose the ego and be mindful. Focus on purpose and action. It is a tradition among The Navajo Indians that they make their well crafted rugs with a deliberate flaw in the design. The idea is that this allows any evil that is trapped in the design to escape. Craft your life with inward love and outward focus. This will draw magic to you. In addition, your creations will naturally be more perfect. Accept rightness, goodness, even perfection when they come. Do not 'be' a perfectionist. Be a magician, a craftsman. May the spark be with you.

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Magical Difference Between Daydreaming and Pursuing Your Dream

Attention is one of the tools of a wise magician. There is a time and place to let your mind roam among the clouds of wants and dreams. Your goals and dreams can give you energy to pull you out of a morass you might fall into when you need to heal. But it can be very unwise to focus on your pleasure or even lofty goals when there is a need to deal with reality. Daydreams can point towards a better future but if you ignore reality you are likely to have no future. Escapism is never the healing meditation that helps you move into a better life. Daydreams and worries can be dealt with in the same way in order to benefit from the time they take up without letting them run your life. That is to deal with them by appointment. Take some time that is available to use in any way you see fit. No urgent tasks, no nurturing of relationships or special projects. Designate this time as daydream time. Have pen and paper or other recording device available. Let you imagination wander among all the pictures that visit you. Ask your self where, how and with whom you would like to spend some significant time. Free associate joyously. When the time you have set apart for daydreaming is up, hook into your power self. Record the important insights you received. Then decide if actions should be planned and taken. Don't let your daydreams distract you from dealing with necessary tasks. Don't let your daydreams wither away to insignificance. The magic that surrounds you is a resource to use for a better life. Hook into it in a life affirming way. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Challenge As A Magic Wand

There is one strategy that has an amazing power. That is the challenge. All too often the status quo is dangerous and smothering. But when the challenge is given the clouds are swept away and new vistas are opened up. One of the first articles I published in a national magazine was rejected when I first submitted it because they said they had already published something similar. I challenged their assumption that I had nothing unique to offer by pointing out how my work covered new ground and was different in important ways from the other article. The editors reconsidered and accepted my article. Another very powerful way to use the challenge tool is to challenge yourself. If you challenge your limiting beliefs you will free yourself to bring more into your life. If you challenge your rationalizations you will open yourself up to greater productivity. If you challenge your resistance you will help clarify the areas where you need to gain greater skills or understanding and can then move past your creative block. If you challenge the bigotry of others you may open them up to tolerance. Or at least let them know where you stand. Turn your worries and problems into challenges then stand up to them. This is an amazingly good way to empower yourself. Pain is a challenge to heal. Debt is a challenge to gain riches. Loneliness is a challenge to make new friends or nurture the old ones. The wise magician does not let any creation of the dark arts threaten him or her. The challenge is flung out there and is found to be a powerful and effective tool or magic wand. Use it well and often. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

A Magic Question

At times you may be having writer's block or some other type of creative block. When this happens it colors your world gray. You don't want to go away from the project that is so important to you, but you don't see a way forward, either. Here is where you can ask your self a magic question. What would I like to be (feeling, doing, thinking, writing) instead? As soon as you accept that you are master of your choices it will lift the cloud of blah from you. You may not get the zing just then for the project that was trying to defeat you. But you have broken the log jam and can now ask whatever relevant questions you need to ask. You may ask how you can express your idea in a different way. (What do I want to be saying instead?) Or you may find that a more important project or idea is ready to come forth and you need to give energy in that direction while the idea is hot. Sometimes you are attacked by the blah monster even before you are actually working on something. I believe that sense of resistance is an important clue that you need to stop and get more clarity about your goal. Again, the 'instead' question can be very helpful. You know your basic values and message. You just may need to find another way of expressing them, instead.
When the blah cloud visits it can be fun to go back to square one and visit the magic of your message. You are unique and have a unique way of singing your soul's song. Don't let the blah cloud interfere with that. Ask how you can sing out in other ways instead. May the spark be with you.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Magician's Hat

Some days you may wonder just who you are and where you are going. It can be really stressful if you forget to state it as "Who am I today, and where am I going today?" The wise magician will remember that there are different hats for different days and for different goals. Perhaps you will have a day where the hat you need to wear is a "Gone Fishin'" hat. Your life is progressing in a good manner, your wise inner self is seeing to that, but you are not always aware of the progress. That is the time where the magician's hat is useful. Maybe you need to look at your reflection and see what hat you are wearing. Perhaps it is a good hat but you are not acting as if that is the hat of the day. Of perhaps you really need to change your hat altogether. If you need to be doing things to build a business, stop, get clear and put on your
'building a business' hat. Then make the calls you need to make and make the decisions you need to make. At times I have to put on a dragon hat. Our word dragon comes from a Greek word that means 'to see' and therefore the dragon stands for clarity. So on some days I know I have to get clear, perhaps all over again, about what I want out of life and how I want to get that. Then I put on my dragon hat and ask myself some strong and deep questions. Other times I have to wear a taskmaster hat to hold myself accountable for the promises I have made to myself. I suggest that if your head is all in a whirl you put on the appropriate hat and get you head in its proper place. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

When Magic Disappears

There may be times when it seems that magic has hidden itself from you. Perhaps you have had just too many adjustments to make, too many problems to solve, a few too many disappointments. No matter why you feel that magic has left you, the feeling is not one that brings a song to your heart. The wise magician does not expect a life a life of manic highs. But he or she does expect to have a constant sense of satisfaction and small joys. Happiness is within reach. Then the time comes when you wonder how it is possible to find that bit of zing again. You may even find yourself on a slippery slope that could lead to more and more negative thoughts. It is imperative to go find your magic. I don't mean binging on chocolate, or going out on the town for a wild party. Just escaping from the blahs, from the dryness of magic being gone, will not bring it back. In fact it will not come back if you allow yourself to believe that it truly has forsaken you. So start with the belief that you are surrounded by a field of magic. You have proved this to yourself many times before. Recall some of the many previous times when you have called up that zing. Now that you have remembered the zing, it might be good to take a balanced view of the events of the day that let you decide magic had hidden itself from you. I would venture to guess that there were some pretty good events and well as the disappointing ones you are focusing on. You can change your focus. If you need to go beyond that change of focus in your search for your magic, it is good to reach out to your support people. The faith and support of other people is a form of magic and very powerful. Another thing I suggest is that you do not clutch at magic. If you just have faith that it is there it is more likely to find its own way of manifesting itself to you. Look at the things that are still stable and right in your life. No matter what piece of the pie in the sky you failed to get, you do still have a lot of good things in your life. Remember the magic of gratitude. Your magic has not left you even if it is now recharging and finding new ways of showing itself to you. Reach out for it, call it back, and welcome it when it comes. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

The Magic Of Accepting Your Power

At one time in my life I was in a situation in which I was needed way too much--or so it seemed. I felt I had way too much power. I felt that if I rocked the boat or asserted myself a little it would cause disastrous results for the other person. So I hung in there way beyond what was necessary. Until I had to rock the boat a little, that is. Then the other person made some needed adjustments and things were better forever after. I wished I had been more willing to realize that I did have actual power to make changes earlier. But it was a lesson well learned. I have been aware of power and influence ever since. And I have been able to develop some skills along those lines. I would now speak to the wise magician. The wise magician does not have to hunger for the magical properties of a wand to shore up personal weakness. The wise magician knows himself or herself to be able to gain clarity about needs and desires and to think up ways to gain those needs and desires. Sometimes it is as simple as asking that they be met. Other times it is good to point out to the other person how they will benefit from meeting those needs. The people in the Middle East who decided they had the right to better government then decided they had the power to bring about better government were using their personal power. They worked with others and toppled dictators. This may have seemed impossible in previous years. But, when people accept that they have power to cause change the Universe works with them to bring that change about. Become clear about the changes you want. Accept your power to work for those changes. May the spark be with you.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Magic of Kitty Love

I have noticed that children, kitties, Grannies, and puppies often get what they want more easily than others do. I believe that is because these individuals are gifted at using the magic wand of loving attention to the one they are sure is perfection incarnate and will supply them with what they want. A puppy is unwavering in his desire. He has clarity mastered to a fine art. Then he is specific and persistent in expressing his desire. When he receives what he wants he gives total signs of his thanks and appreciation. A grandmother uses the same strategies. The grandchild is perfect and cannot possibly disappoint. The grandmother will never waver in her faith and expectation. She will clearly instruct in how to meet her desires. The grandchild has no chance to get distracted from Grandmother's wishes. She is so sure that he will want to snuggle on her lap to hear a story, that he will want to enjoy a cookie, that he will join with her in believing in his gifts that he is swept up in the program and goes along with it. So I suggest to all wise magicians: If you have people you want to influence you can craft and shape their path with persistent expectation and appreciation. You are likely to get good results. Try a lot of appreciation and see if it has magic in it. I believe it does. May the spark be with you.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Get Up, Get Dressed, Put On Your Magic

The way you prepare to meet the day matters. Don't go out into the world bare and all alone. Give yourself a sense of purpose, flair and success. Stop to reach out for the extra zing that is magic before you face the world each day. Pause to amp up your self confidence, your sense of self and your sense of wonder and adventure. If you meet the day wearing your magic, more than likely untold wonderful things will happen Give it a chance. Opportunities that at first may seem like irritants will arise. Your magic will help you see ways to turn these irritations into creative endeavors or even businesses. Your magic will help you interact with people in more fulfilling ways. Add magic to your life daily. It won't hurt and will make life much more enjoyable. A rude clerk is an opportunity for you to offer your services as a consultant in customer relations to that business. Getting caught in the rain is a chance to enjoy life in many ways and devise ways to creatively deal with the problems the rain, or your forgetfulness about an umbrella, caused. Look for joy, color, laughter, things that are well formed throughout your day. If you start the day wearing your magic theses things will more easily manifest to you. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Magic Carrot

Supposedly an old technique for getting a donkey to go forward was to have a stick with a carrot on it, dangling in front of his nose. He would keep walking towards it in anticipation of achieving his goal of eating that carrot. At times we need something to pull us into the future we are trying to create. We are in danger of standing still and we need a carrot. Revisiting the dreams about which we are passionate and making plans to achieve those dreams can be such a carrot. I was thinking about the need to get myself in gear for the day and my inner self gave me a picture of tossing a carrot down a pathway. That made me realize I needed a carrot to draw me on. Something as boring as making a plan, even a do-list, can actually lead to exciting things--what an idea. I equate do-lists and plans with dreaded responsibility. At least I did. Now I am thinking about the exciting possibilities that have been opening up in my life and I realize there are a few things I can do to help this process develop. I need to (or CAN now that I am more excited about things) make some do-lists and some plans and get some things done. I have some fun things about to happen but I also have to deal with some problems associated with those things. If I don't plan for the adjustments I have to make Life will be harder. So I am going to list the things I am excitedly anticipating first. Those are my carrot. Then I am going to face the steps I need to take. Unlike the poor donkey, I will get my carrot. I hope it was a wise magician luring the donkey onward, as a magician would be sure to give the needed reward in due time. Find your dream, devise a magic carrot and make your life better. May the spark be with you.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Magic of Rough Drafts, Critique Groups and Rehearsals

Some of the stories of the birth of the Goddess Athena have her springing from the head of Zeus fully formed in all her perfection. The God Zeus may have been able to bring forth a finished creation from his head but it is not quite so easy for us lesser mortals. Sometimes the magic comes in just getting started. If we expect the finished product to manifest too quickly we may get discouraged and give up when it does not. Goethe says to start what we can think of because the action of starting has power and magic in it. The problem comes when we are not clear about what we are doing, what our final work will be. That's where the magic of learning as we go comes in. Get a rough draft going. Get a rough draft of a rough draft. Get a rough draft of a part of the rough draft. Share what you have done with supportive people who will encourage you but also point out things you need to change or add. Also, don't be afraid to rehearse as many times as you need to. We are not born perfect nor are our creative endeavors perfect at first. Creative endeavors include more than poems, paintings or such. It can be a creative endeavor to work out how you are going to persuade someone of something. How you are going to approach a sales prospect. So if you have something you have wanted to do or bring about stop letting it stay in the shadows of "someday". Start working on it, even if your ideas are poorly formed. I have said that magic is well formed. It is but that well formedness may have to be developed. When you really have your head around what you want you will find that forces outside of yourself will help you move toward the manifestation of your desire. Reach out to the energy of the field of magic that is around you and start a rough draft of what you want to create. The rest will follow. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Claiming

AT first all is chaos. Then we begin to name things. But they are still separate. Then we begin to claim them or make them our own. Some are touchable such as pets or possessions. Some are more conceptual. But until we claim a thing we have no real relationship with it. A magician calls things to manifest in his or her life, or claims them,in a variety of ways. The waving of the wand is a symbolic gesture of the claim that is being asserted. I have been thinking about the way different people claim abundance. Some people only claim enough to get by. They don't expect more. They become skilled at getting by. Others become clear about the amount of specific abundance they want, come to believe they deserve it and discover the specific steps it will take to bring that abundance into their life. Working smart rather than hard is part of the claiming of abundance process. In our not too distant history woman had not been able to claim the vote. But they came to believe they deserved it, they used the power of working with others, and eventually women gained the vote in our country. There are still countries, such as in the Middle East, where women can not vote. But they are beginning to claim that right for themselves and I believe that in time the changes will be made. So I suggest that you, as a wise magician, look at your life and see ways in which you want to add more glory and joy to it. Name those areas. Then lay claim to them. That will start a process for you in which you will find more and more ways to become clear about your desires and find ways to fulfill them. Claim a better life for yourself. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Magic Of Generosity

The author Vicki Hitzges says that when we do good it boomerangs back to us for our benefit. That is a big part of the idea of Karma as well. Even if we don't notice direct and quick benefits from doing good to others we do benefit from it in the increased self esteem and satisfaction from knowing we have reached out in a good way. Claim your abundance and share it with others.
You may be wondering how ideas about magic and karma can be connected. Both paradigms are built on the ideas of being connected in greater ways than we can see and that actions have an effect.
You may also wonder how you can work magic through generosity. You must be careful here. Doing good only to get good could possibly backfire on you. Insincerity gets found out. But if you will put trust in the energy of the magic that surrounds you you will benefit. Think about the way Disney movies, and others, show a magician casting a spell. It is a very exuberant motion outwards. Nothing is constricted or held back. Do your giving in the same way. Cast your generosity out into the world. Stephen Post, Director of The Center for Medical Humanities......(long name) says "Happiness is a byproduct of living generously.". So I suggest to all wise magicians that if you give small appreciations of others often, that if you respond to need without worrying about your ego, that if you do not enable but empower, your life will take on dimensions of joy and glory that it may not have had before. Often when you help others they look for ways to help you in return and both benefit. If you already live generously give yourself the awareness of all the good that is already in your life. Be generously grateful. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Magic Of Looking For Loose Ends

There is a difference between tying up loose ends and looking for loose ends. Looking for loose ends will often lead to tying up loose ends, of course. But when you are just looking you may be in a more meditative frame of mind and open to all kinds of discoveries. A businessperson who looks for loose ends will look for the loose ends in the business; goals not reached, clients not services, ideas not developed, orders not placed. Then priorities can be set and the necessary loose ends can be taken care of. But in looking for loose ends the businessperson may end up doing an informal market gap analysis or finding out areas the business can move into, in which new pathways of growth may be the result. The same thing can take place on a personal level. If you wish to engage in this as a magic ritual follow these steps. First choose an area to monitor or study. Perhaps it is your desk or work area. Perhaps it is your wardrobe or garden. Then take an overview, looking for the broad purpose of the area you are studying. What is the function of this area? My work space is meant to help me produce creative projects and products. There are different categories of projects and I have to be able to access them when I need to.So my loose ends would be in putting similar papers together, deciding on categories, getting rid of unwanted paper, finding a good place for things. A wardrobe is meant to serve your needs to clothe yourself for different occasions. A garden is meant to grow plants.
After you have noted the function of the area you are dealing with you must make decisions about the different parts of the material (clothes, plants, types of paper material) as to where each part belongs and what you need to do with it. This is where the meditation comes in. It can be a very Zen like experience to go through your area of focus item by item deciding if there is a needed action connected to it. Here is where the discoveries happen. Be ready to take advantage of these. Have a way to get produce back to the kitchen. Have hangers for your clothes, or needle and thread for needed repair. Have organizers for your work area. Have a mind set of openness for your discoveries and a way to use these discoveries if it is good to do so. This may all seem very mundane. Tidying up can be a very boring subject. But if done with the proper mind set you will be drawing good things into your life and thus you are working magic. May the spark be with you.

Monday, July 18, 2011

The Magic Of Scent

Aromatherapy, clues for a bloodhound, this smells fishy, I smell something good going on. Think about all the metaphors we might use involving our sense of smell. Our sense of smell is connected to the oldest part of the brain and can have some powerful influences on our actions. But we can also use this sense for our good. Smelling cinnamon is said to be good for our heart. If something smells bad we are warned that danger might be near. A pleasant smell can be relaxing.
Following the scent has also come to be a metaphor for finding good things in life. When people are surfing the web and quickly go from one website to the other they are said to be "following the scent". They have a loose idea of what they are trying to find and when a site doesn't seem to be right they click off and go to another one. You can use this idea of sniffing around for what you want in life to make your life better. Suppose you know you want a change for the better but you don't have a clear idea of what you want or the steps to get there. Get into a relaxed mode and start "following the scent". Let yourself free associate ideas about your needs and ideas. When something resonates you are on the right 'scent'. Pursue that trail. Or you can engage in conversation with a good friend. You will know that you are going in the right direction when a question or idea comes up and you have an 'aha' reaction. A wise magician will use any useful tool. In this case adopting the behavior of a bloodhound could be a good tool for you to try. Sniff out your good. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

The Magic Of Coincidence

I recently re-posted on facebook a video my granddaughter had made a couple of years ago just because I had enjoyed re-watching it. But I found out that my re-post had brought benefits such as comfort and joy to several of the people who were mutual friends. It made me think of all the times we do things and events are set in motion that we don't even know about. Karma is a term used by many people but we don't always think about the implications of it. I suggest that the wise magician will, as often as possible, direct his or her actions towards kindness, nurturing of others, reaching out to make positive changes in the world, courage and consideration. It can't hurt and you may have set all kinds of unknown events in action in an ever widening circle. This is sending coincidence out into the world. When coincidence comes to us it is also known as opportunity. Many times small coincidental events will happen that we respond to with open arms. These may open up new vistas in our life. I recently ran into an old friend and that meeting seems to have widened my life quite a bit, because we reconnected. Coincidence is not really in our control. But we can encourage it by being open and watching for it. Patterns and connections are all around us. Find ways to let awareness into your life. The energy of magic that surround us will be more evident to you. Reach out for a better life. Appreciate the way life reaches back. May the spark be with you.

Friday, July 8, 2011

The Magic Of A Name

For the last couple of days I have been getting some tech support for my computer from a wonderful company called iYogi. The main technician and I had several fun conversations about life and such and he told me that a Yogi was a religious person who devoted himself to good works and that the many technicians in that company feel like they are in a service brotherhood. They certainly gave me good service. I marveled at the care and patience of the technician and that was when he mentioned the meaning of their name. I then began to think about names. I've never been able to be too crass or rowdy and I think my mother telling me that Donna meant lady had something to do with that. Sports teams try to find a name that will draw fans to them. Companies often consider, or should, the impact their name will have on their customer relations. As a wise magician you can use this power that names have to motivate yourself and draw things to you. Perhaps you have a project that needs some zing added to it to help you get it done. Think about giving it a name. That might give your project some cohesiveness and a certain amount of importance that will help in getting it done. In our family we had an unlovable fridge for a couple of years. Getting a better one was a major project,(choosing, measuring space, knowing all the features we needed, getting it delivered and setting up, paying for it). Once it was in the kitchen and useful to us we found ourselves giving it a name. It was a useful, attractive, member of the family, so it deserved a name. As a wise magician you can consider the power of naming. Use it to give a little extra help or zing to your life. May the spark be with you.