My magic castle

My magic castle

Saturday, April 13, 2013

I Think, Therefore I Am Magical

Cogito ergo sum. I think therefore I am.  This is attributed to Emmanuel Kant, an important German philosopher.  I believe that in a life that is more than existence the wise magician does something all the time to make life better. They are aware.  They think about what they are doing.  This is where meta cognition becomes one of the magic wands a wise magician can use. Meta cognition is the act of thinking about thinking.  The most recent place I saw it mentioned was in a national journal for music teachers.  The author said that students must be taught to think about the way they think in order to get the most out of their practice.  They must be aware of the attitudes that they hold as they are practicing as that will influence the quality of their practice.  Simple repetition may strengthen mistakes in their playing but if they are monitoring their practice they will spot the mistakes, correct them and also find ways to add qualities such as better interpretation to their work. So I suggest to all wise magicians: Think and be--think and act and create a magical life. When you are aware of your thinking you can modify it and enhance it in ways that can lead to fruitful actions.  Be magical.  May the spark be with you.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Ideas About Ritual

Ritual can be a magical tool or it can be a deadening activity which insulates us from truly being alive.  When magic comes into our life by invitation we participate in the world more fully.  Simple things can become richer and give us comfort and freedom from stress.  Think about the difference between "dining" and "grabbing a bite".  It could be the same food, but the experience will be vastly different.  I believe that rituals can also be developed  that comfort us and get us ready to face difficult tasks.  One of my friends recently told me how she makes sure she has beautiful stamps with hearts or flowers on them when she is paying bills.  Then she sends the payments out with gratitude for having enough money to pay the bills and for the products and services she enjoyed that caused the bills.  She claims this ritual has drawn abundance to her.
Since I see a lot of abundance in her life I believe she may be right.
Ritual can be an aspect of planning and being in charge of our life.  By being self-directed, by looking to the future and creatively making decisions that bring a better life to us we are working magic.  The way we celebrate this, the rituals we develop to affirm that this is our mind set, support us in doing this magic.  Choose colors, choose symbols, choose times for your activities that support you in celebrating and living a fuller life.  These rituals can be simple.  When I feel anxiety I thank my inner self  by being open to the need for a better life.  This helps me claim my power and affirms that I am not helpless before the feeling of anxiety.  I suggest to all wise magicians that you add a ritual or two of celebration to your life.  May the spark be with you.