My magic castle

My magic castle

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Magic of Purpose

For several months I have been studying the field and practice of public speaking. Part of what I had to do was to identify the subjects I am most passionate about and know about. The speeches I will write will not be children's imaginative stories. But I realized that I understood my purpose in what I write as fiction in a better way. In fairy tales and movies that involve magic we often see a magic want whipped out on the spur of the moment to do a bit of magic. But that brief bit is part of the bigger purpose of what a wizard is all about. The wise magician must be prepared and know what he/she means to do in his/her life. So take some time and explore your passions and values. It will make your connection to magic that much richer and more effective. Whims are passing fancies. The good life, one enriched by love and magic is deeper and long lasting. So reach out to the magic that surrounds you and discover your purpose. May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Nag to Zen, Vulture to Peacock

I remembered that I had read a definition of magic as the ability to change perception at will. I was really feeling in need of a bit of magic to help me walk more. But all I could do was nag myself about it and feel guilty. I felt like there was an ugly vulture sitting above my shoulder. Then I remembered that I could change perception at will. I knew about the alpha state that is part of the Zen consciousness. So I aligned my body in a better way and began to walk in a Zen way. It was much easier. The doctors say it is very important that I get a lot more movement into my life. Now I have learned that when I am feeling nagged I can change that to an opportunity for a Zen experience. The ubiquitous vulture can become a bird that hangs around just as much but is more beautiful, a peacock. If you have a situation in your life when you are nagging yourself see if you can find a way to re-experience. Maybe paying bills is something you hate to do even when you know you have plenty of money for it. Rethink the whole thing. Maybe each check you write can be a statement of your abundance, a celebration of your ability to maintain and even improve your lifestyle. They say that if you have a rock sitting on your chest it makes it hard to breathe. But if you lift the rock up and down you find that your are developing good muscles that help you in your life and the rock is no longer impeding your breath.
So look for those little nagging feelings as a way to gain a higher type of experience and improve your life. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you and improve your life. May the spark be with you.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Magic of Dance

Dance and movement are an important part of casting spells in the lore of magic. I recently have learned about the importance of movement for mental health. I am constantly amazed by how wise people were in the olden days. It seems that Dr. David Berceli, among others, believes that PTSD can be effectively treated by exercises he calls 'trembling exercises'. I watched a video about it and some of the people lying on the floor on yoga mats were doing a pretty good shimmy. The theory behind this is that we respond to danger in three ways; fight, flight or freeze. If we freeze or feel helpless a great deal of neural activity is still going on and we can build up chemicals in our body like the stress chemical cortisol. Adequate discharge takes place in the fight or flight situations. But not in the freeze situation. It was noticed that small animals will exhibit a great deal of trembling and shaking once the predator has left the scene and not preyed on them. Humans do not. Therefore they have stored up memory of the trauma that can continue to come up, sometimes at the worst of times, for years and even affect their physical health, causing obesity and heart attacks. I listened to one Iraqi veteran who said the treatment had helped him a great deal. My thinking is: since life gives us all traumas of some degree or another it might be well to see if me could 'shake it out'. They don't call it 'shake,rattle & roll' for nothing. Rocking chairs used to be on every front porch. They weren't used just by little old ladies either, but everyone. Rhythmic, active movement is part of a magical life. Dance with wild abandon as you reach out to the magic that surrounds you. May the spark be with you.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The Magic Of Organization

Some people may have trouble with this title. Let me explain why I chose it. I know that we often think of the right hemisphere as the magical side of the brain and that the left side is the logical or organizational side. However, both sides need to work together for true magic to happen. If you still don't like the term 'organization' what about 'making right'? Things need to be where we can find them and where they please us. We can find things if they are in neat piles. But for them to feel 'magical' there needs to be an aesthetic feel to the way things are stored. That's why baskets, shelves and containers are so often made to be pleasing. Don't organize, make things 'right'. So I probably should have titled this blog 'Organization and Magic'. What do you think? When you go to organize things let your magical self participate. Look to make things retrievable, pleasant, interesting and sensible as well as just out of the way. Put magic in all parts of your life. Put the zing, the charm, the rightness of how you arrange and create things. Food tastes better. Clothes are more fun to wear. Organize you life in such a way that it is a smooth and workable existence. Then you have more energy to also make it transcendent and meaningful. Put your style on things. That is your magic. May the spark be with you.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Magic Words

Abracadabra, shazam, and hocus pocus are some of the magical words that come to mind as I mull over the use of mantras and magic words. I particularly like hocus pocus because it makes me think of all the magic that comes to one when we change our focus. I find myself saying "Shine and glitter, and all good things. When I say hocus pocus and change my focus I'm delighted with what the magic brings." So many times when people are locked in a mal content mind set, whining and failing to appreciate the good things life has to offer they really are bringing a bad life on themselves. If they would just try giving up their neurosis and shift their focus to one of appreciation, possibility and gratitude their life would drastically improve. Perhaps you have some word that helps you shift focus, that helps you bring magic into your life. Perhaps you need to develop such a word. Sometimes a word, idea of memory can help a person survive terrible times. Victor Frankl wrote a book called 'Man's Search For Meaning'. Thinking about his loved ones helped him survive the holocaust. Then he went on to inspire many, many people to look for meaning in their own lives. The words we think or say are a choice. You are free to use words that help you love, inspire others, give yourself courage, play, appreciate life. Words to have a power. Use them to reach out to the magic that surrounds you and bring good things to your life. May the spark be with you.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Magic of Mistakes

As scary as it might seem at times, we do learn by doing and that means taking a chance on making mistakes. But mistakes have two benefits. The obvious one is that a mistake alerts us that we have strayed from the path and we get back to where we were headed. The other benefit is that a mistake can open up new doors. Silly putty, chewing gum, rubber, penicillin were all mistakes that actually turned the developers into new directions. So, maybe you failed to do something on time. Don't beat up on yourself. Maybe you have a chance and a motivation to start a business such as a reminder service for other people. There is a lot of magic energy out there and some of it is clustered around your mistakes. Maybe they can be a trigger for a funny dinner time story. Maybe new clothing items need to be invented. I believe that big chested women would often be better off wearing lacy ruffles at the neck, a sort of elegant bib or popcorn catcher. A mistake is also a wonderful chance to stop and nurture yourself. Maybe you didn't realize you needed to stop and give yourself a hug or a pat on the back. Stories are boring if mistakes are not made along the way as the hero tries to make needed changes in a life situation. So let go of your fear of mistakes. Reach out to the magic energy that surrounds you and improve your life. May the spark be with you.