The Magic Of Assessment

It has been said 'You can't get where you are going until you know where you are.' This is true. It is important to take stock from time to time. Simple assessment is a tool to see what problems we have, what we want to get rid of and where we want to go. This is necessary in the magic working process. We do need to have a goal for working our spells. However, when we stop to do our assessment the wise magician will do more than focus on the problem or problems at hand. She or he will also focus on the joy, the glory and what they want to preserve or nurture in their life.
The way in which you approach your assessment is also important. Notice how you ask yourself the questions about what needs to change. The wise magician will look beyond the immediate irritation or fear to the most desired outcome. Assess what is currently the state of your life. Then admit to yourself what the glorious or magical life would be like. How would you express your loves? How would you express your gifts? What resources would you call on to grow into this magical life? If something is nagging at you or irritating you it may be a blessing in disguise. This is a chance to look at what you really want. You can admit to greater possibilities in you life. I am not advocating 'pie in the sky'. In reality we are all capable of doing a bit more than we do. We are also capable of accepting a bit more than we do. We receive blessings every day that we don't even realize have come to us. That is why it is a good thing to adopt the 'gratitude attitude'..to list daily the things for which we are grateful. So in a well formed magical assessment we can also assess the daily blessings and miracles we have coming our way. So look at your life. Assess it. Be thankful that you can clearly see the changes you want to make. Then reach out to the energy of the magic that surrounds you, for whatever help you need, and begin to work towards your goals. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Conversation: Dialogue, Give and Take, Rock And Roll

Magic is that which is used to bring forth truth from the occult, or the hidden. Sometimes that truth has to be teased out by a series of back and forth sorties or runs. It is common for a relationship to have misunderstandings that get cleared up over time when the people engage in give and take, when questions are asked and answers are searched for. I often share experiences I have in my struggles to be a writer. I have been working on a book about a modern day teen boy. I had hit a snag and put the work away for several weeks. Yesterday I decided to have an imaginary conversation with him. The dialogue that ensued between me and my imaginary character actually worked some magic for my novel. I came to understand his character better and some plot points I had been struggling with fell into place. I couldn't figure out the plot very well before and now I have a good outline of it. When I approached my hero as if I really wanted to understand him magic happened. A deep conversation between two people or principles has to be between equals. The give and take cannot be between one side of power and the other side of weakness. Sometimes we have to have a conversation like that with ourselves, as well. We may be exhibiting a behavior that we don't like. Or have a problem that seems insurmountable. If we talk it over with ourselves with understanding the way will open up for needed changes and a gain in self-love. Equals shape and learn from each other. The worlds of the sacred and the mundane are not separate. If you have changes you need to make talk it over with yourself. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for the energy to do this. You will be surprised at what will open up for you. Your life with rock and roll. May the spark be with you.

How To Let Magic Happen

Remember that I am using the term 'magic' to refer to that which is good and wonderful and 'anti-magic' as that which dampens the spirit or is dangerous for a good life. Stress comes about from being in an anti-magic atmosphere. Ruined relationships and mis-directed behaviors such as addictions are often the result of being in this anti-magic atmosphere. When the situation or atmosphere is bad for you it is important to use your skills as a wise magician and surround yourself with evidence of the field of magic that surrounds you. Remind yourself of goodness to keep that shield around you when it is needed. To me magic resides in the fact I can see color, that I feel good when I think of successes I have had, that I have friends who will tell me when I am off base and when I am doing good as well, that there are a couple of children in my life, that food can taste good as well as be good for you, that people get ideas, that cute videos of animals are often posted online, that jokes and humor is readily available, that people are free to point out the stupidities in the political behavior of our nation, that birds can fly, the usefulness of math, and on and on. I also think it is magical that people can be clear headed when they need to be in times of stress. I suggest you spend some time for yourself acknowledging your favorite things,( as Julie Andrews did in Sound of Music) then visit them when needed. Learn to embellish and add. Perfume, color, smiles can all be added to a situation at times. Perhaps just a touch will be enough to get you in touch with your magic. Being able to touch your magic at will can be powerful. You can shift into a hopeful, creative mode more often and thus make life better for yourself. Try ways to find your magic and see what happens. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Risk

Risk is an interesting concept. When therapists or social workers refer to people who are liable to get in trouble or be victimized they refer to them as "at risk". In this context risk is a bad thing. For our purpose today let's add the modifier
'calculated'. a calculated risk can bring great rewards. Always clinging to safety and the known can be dangerous. Change and venturing into the unknown is actually important in life. The first grader doesn't know what school will be like. The new hire doesn't know what the job will entail. The new bride or groom doesn't really have a handle on marriage. But the willingness to risk is needed to take any of these new roles on. I suggest that you look at the things that make risk less risky. Good health, preparation, a support system, good equipment if equipment is needed, a good plan, a contingency plan, clear understanding of the goal,the willingness to learn as you go and the ability to take risks. People who count too much on the supposed payoff of the risk will be devastated if the risk doesn't work out. You can build up your ability to take risks by taking small steps or risks. For example a writer will tell the story,write it over and over until it pleases herself, then share it with friends, then get it critiqued by other writers before ever submitting it to a publisher. She will also research the publisher to make sure that is a good fit. A mountain climber will climb easy mountains first. A lover feels out the beloved and has faith in the strength of the relationship before proposing. A businessperson makes sure there is a market for what he or she wants to sell before they open a store. Risk energizes and opens doors. Calculated risks can pay off well. Reach out to the energy of the magic that surrounds you and see if good risks are suggested to you. Then prepare and take them. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Readiness

Teachers talk to parents about reading readiness, meaning that children need to experience and develop things that will make them ready to read. This could be concepts like the direction in which pages are turned, that stories go from top of page to bottom, what letters are, that letters make up words and so on. Yet readiness is necessary in most learning throughout life. We recognize this when we start a race off with "Ready, Set, Go." To develop readiness there is first awareness, then a sense of relevance. Next comes willingness to attempt the learning and being able to have trouble with the doing at first. Then comes the connection between the learner and what they are learning. After that can come mastery. Mastery is acknowledged when there is a flow or well formedness to the doing of the skill. A writer may put out words, facts, ideas that show a plot and sequence of events that lead to a conclusion. But unless there is flow, unless the listener or reader is drawn into the story that writer is not truly a storyteller. Look to the way you live out your own story. Do you enjoy flow? If not perhaps you are still in the learning stages of what you are attempting. Allow mistakes and be willing to work on the tiny details of your craft. When mastery comes flow is there. The magic wand in this case is twofold, the connection between learner and subject and the willingness to go over and over the tiny details that make up the whole before everything is put together. Reach out for readiness and mastery of the skills for your good life. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Reminders

People have been making up games and developing other strategies to point themselves towards success for centuries. The Old Testament in the Bible has some passages that tell people to wear tassels to remind themselves to do good. I use a modification of the children's game, slug bug, to encourage myself to be more optimistic. Instead of slugging my companion, if I am with someone, when I see a Volkswagen beetle I count it as a blessing bug. By noticing blessing bugs I am training my mind to notice blessings. After all there is much to perceive and we have to be selective in what we pay attention to. I have a place for chocolate candy that discourages me from eating too much of it. Candy in that place is candy I ration out to myself very sparingly. I actually hesitate to eat more than a bite of candy when it is in my rationing place. I don't always control myself enough but that placement does put the brakes on for me. Many people give themselves rewards for taking certain steps, or reaching certain goals. Often just the act of noticing that something good is being done is a sort of reward. We seem to like to notice when we are doing good things. So I suggest that you, as a wise magician use this tool or magic wand of reminders to help you craft a better life. Log a good activity, give yourself gold stars, brag to a friend, mark things on a calendar, make up a song or a game to keep yourself going. Even if it might seem silly to a dour old aunt go ahead and play success games. There is nothing silly about success. Reminders act as an anchor to behaviors you have already developed and want to keep up. They also act as triggers for your developing good behaviors. So reach out for energy to the magic that surrounds you and design your personal set of goals and reminders. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Appointments

Take your magic wand and make an appointment. Getting something set in time has a certain power to it. Once that is done your mind, your creativity, your soul is freed up to focus on other things. When the time to deal with the appointed thing comes around it will be handled. Appointments are not only for times with the doctor, the mechanic, the accountant or a loved one. If you are procrastinating or ignoring something that really must be dealt with you will be more likely to handle it if you have an actual time to do so. "At 10:30 I will wash the dishes." is an entry on your do list with more compulsion to it than simply putting 'wash the dishes' on the list.
It is especially helpful to make an appointment with your worries. Tell them to go away and not bother you until the time designated for them. Then sit down and deal with them when their allotted time comes. Deal with them fully. Explore the ways you are over reacting as well as the ideas you have for solutions. Then make an appointment to carry out the actions that will solve the problem about which you are worrying. Don't let the excitement of the idea for a solution make you feel so good that you fail to solve the problem. Another helpful thing to do with appointments is to schedule reviews of yourself, your projects, your dreams. Set aside time to energize yourself. Set aside time to reach out to marvel at the energy of the magic that surrounds you by enjoying a bird's flight or a sunrise. Use the power of appointments to make your life better. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Gleaning

Gleaning is making sure you don't leave any good bits behind. Gleaners used to be the people who would go into a field after the harvest and get what was left. If you are a consistent gleaner your bounty will increase by a great deal. Your life will be more organized as well because you will never get into the habit of letting clutter build up. In today's world there are many ways to glean. Take a few minutes to answer the surveys that will pay you. Join in on the class action suits for which you are eligible to join. The award will be small but your effort was smaller. Bother to look for real bargains. When you buy a book on Amazon check to see if the same book you want is available in slightly used condition. Many people buy a book and then turn right around and resell it. You can buy that book at a much lower price than the new one. Go to garage and estate sales. Scrape the bottle completely before you declare it empty. Measure portions. See if things can do double duty, or can be repurposed. Don't pick up the truly waste matter, you only want the good. Buying things you don't need is picking up waste matter. Pay down your high interest credit cards as quickly as you can. I know a couple who like to travel. They glean travel miles from their credit cards by using them for everything but paying the card off totally every month. The world is full of magic and bounty. Reach out and share in all that. It is there for you to glean. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Well Done

Sometimes you may pour so much into getting a project or task done that you wear yourself out. That is the time to take your magic wand and get another surge of energy. One good way to do this is to look at the finished work and say "Well done".
That moment of self appreciation will do wonders for you mentally, physically and even spiritually. In that timeless moment you are at one with all creativity.
Figurative 'patting yourself on the back' has many benefits. It will boost your self esteem, reinforce your standards of doing something well and energize you for more effort. Sometimes you may need to give yourself a little boost but don't have an immediate accomplishment to appreciate. Then you can cast your mind over other projects you have done well. Sometimes just staying with something until it is done, whether it is perfect or not, is an accomplishment you can be proud of. When you say "Well done." do more than give it lip service. Let a feeling of well being and pride engulf you. Letting good facts become good feelings is a major way to encourage your personal strength of mind. You have many things about you that you have created well. Continue to live so that you can say of yourself, "Well done." May the spark that encourages that be with you.

The Magic Of Resilience

I believe that human beings by nature are resilient, able to bounce back from hard times. Resilience is what brought us successfully through the ages with all the myriad problems that had to be solved to modern times. But I admit that some people have more or it than others and we each have more or less of it at different times. How can the practical magician hook into or develop their resilience? The first step is to believe that problems can be solved. The solution may not be immediately evident but even small steps in searching for a solution are likely to open things up. Second: Hook into mentors. A support system is very important. You may have trouble in establishing an easily available and wise support system. Some magicians use a technique suggested in Barbara Sher's book, 'Wishcraft' in which a person puts pictures up of people, living or dead, real or in literature, who would be good role models and helpful if they were available. She calls it 'a person's saints'. You can also commune with your self by writing out a conversation about the problem you are dealing with. Third: Nurture and take care of your self. When you are feeling stressed it is easy to forget to eat or laugh. Fourth: Make time for laughter and movement. Fifth: Limit the time you spend mulling or worrying about your problems. You may need to make an appointment with yourself for worry time. But don't worry all day long no matter what. Sixth:Create your own ways of encouraging your resilience. The magician who believes there is an aura of magical energy surrounding him or her has a head start on being resilient. Hook into that energy. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Dance.

Dance is the expressive movement of ebb and flow in a rhythmic manner. This can be a physical movement, emotional or artistic. Sometimes our fears will beset us and we have to move towards them, away from them and around them until they no longer haunt us. Sometimes an idea will dance in and out of our imagination and we have to turn our attention to it so that we partner with it to create a pleasing expression of our individuality. If you are finding your self needing inspiration or help in some areas of your life I suggest you use metaphors of dance as your magic wand. A dreamy waltz might make grocery shopping more fun. Dealing with something you dread might become a tango. Hip hop has a lot of high energy moves that you can use to attack a problem. To be a good dancer you must dance often, train, limber up your muscles and be in good shape. Does that not also sound like the way to be a good friend, gardener, writer or dishwasher? I find the metaphor of dance is most helpful to me in making changes in my life style. The steps have to be just so and ones I can master. As these steps become easier they are more automatic and have a certain flow to them. In order to overcome the inertia of not learning these steps I have to hook into the energy of the magic that surrounds me. Consider that this might also work for you. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Your Story

Stories have certain themes running through them, of goals a hero is trying to reach. I have been giving you tips about improving your life in small ways. But the wand I want to help you use a little better today is one of recognition. Recognize that your inner self is always working to take you on your hero's journey. To recognize or become more aware of this you may want to do some contemplation. Once you see the message, or messages, you are trying to give the world it will be easier to spread your own special word. If you had a Hollywood producer for a grandchild and they wanted to make a movie of your life, what would you like them to emphasize? Which of your values are you happy to see supported by your children? Are there causes you want to support more than you have? Don't worry that you don't seem larger than life to yourself. The best fairy tales are about vulnerable and downtrodden heroes overcoming obstacles and gaining their goal of self-discovery, forming a good relationship, or benefiting their society. Small heroes do small things that have big results. You may have already planted important seeds by speaking up, voting a certain way, sharing your values with others. There may be other steps you still want to take. If you become aware of these steps it is more possible you will take them. Reach out for energy from the magic than surrounds you and celebrate the magic of your story. Tell is proudly. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Parsing

To parse is to analyze a communication very thoroughly, as in a sentence or computer code. I think the practical magician would do well to parse advice, slogans, political ads and other communications that come our way. A wonderful magic wand we have is: The ability to analyze ideas and to look to implications of action taken because of ideas. When I heard someone had advised a couple that the best way to help their elderly mother was to leave her alone, I had to ask a few questions to make them realize there's different ways to leave a person alone. Some could lead to that person doing more for them self and others could lead to that person's death. When a black cloud of despair comes down on us we can look at that as a communication from our fearful negative self. Then we can grab the wand and parse that communication. We can ask: What fear is a wake-up call to change actions? What fear is a physical cause such as lack of sleep or bad diet? What fear comes from jumping to a wrong conclusion?
The energy of the magic that surrounds you can help you reach out for whatever tool or wand you need in order to be in charge of your life. Hook into that energy and create the life you want. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Cross Training

It used to be that cross training referred to an athlete learning a different sport than he or she usually played in order to use muscles they didn't use in their first sport, thus gaining increased strength, flexibility and skills. Then the term came to be used in business for the habit of having several employees able to do a certain job so they could step in and take over if that was needed. But cross training can also be thought of as taking any skill from any discipline and seeing if it will work in any other discipline. Poets are encouraged to paint pictures with words and so on. When I was a young waitress a more experienced woman told me it would be helpful to "Think like a trucker" and never deadhead. She explained that to a trucker it was costly to return from a trip with an empty truck. That was deadheading. The wise trucker would try to make sure they carried a paying load when they delivered and when they returned to home base. As a waitress I could use that idea to always make sure I had something in my hands no matter which way I was going. Now you can think about ways you can cross train to make your life better. Lovers work to communicate well. But so do successful businessmen. Accountants are orderly. But an artist who drops his tubes of paint on the floor will have trouble finishing his pictures. Reach out into the energy of the magic that surrounds you and think of different careers or disciplines that have skills you could use in your own life. Perhaps you don't need the sense of smell or taste of a great sommelier. But the wine steward at a fine restaurant might help you pronounce the names of wines correctly. Be proud of your own profession or craft. But if you find a tip you can use from another discipline take advantage of that. Anything that helps your life is your own magic wand to use. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Chipping

A great work of sculpture is cut out of a block of marble one inspired chip at a time. It is the same with the work of art that is our life. If we keep on chipping, always trying to do it in a creative, purposeful manner we will eventually have a note worthy whole. It takes the energy and joy of magic to keep to our purpose. Don't let that chipping become mundane or it will be too easy to abandon it. Are you trying to become a more loving person? Keep chipping away at it, with love. Are you trying to nurture your ability to participate in group projects? Appreciate the energy of the group and contribute your own energy. Are you trying to write a book? That is done planning project after planning project then one word at a time. Keep the words coming. Including the conversations you have to have with yourself. Those are real opportunities to look for a way to put a bit of zing into things. When you are tired and find it hard to reach out for the energy of magic, just keep on chipping. That will get you through for a while until you can grab onto the "wow!" again. But try to feel a positive field surrounding you. Giving yourself a golden aura will help you continue to keep chipping away. Sharpen your chisels, or whatever tools you need. Playful ideas are also tools. Get the life you want, one chip at a time. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of The Shift

Sometimes our head is more like a car than a television set. Many times we will find that we are thinking negative thoughts and we can change them fairly easily. We can change the mode in which we are thinking and that will break the pattern. That is, if we are visualizing disaster we can sing or recite a poem to switch from visual to aural. Or if we are running a negative litany we can look upwards and shift from aural to visual. But there are times when the mood is on us a little more strongly. Then we have to go from the negative space to a quiet place before we can go to the positive place, just like depressing the clutch in order to shift when we are driving a car with a manual transmission. To go to that quiet place we have to center and get in the moment. Use your senses to do this. Go through a check list of your senses, reporting to yourself what information each sense is giving you. Note what you see, what you hear, what movement you feel or are involved in, the temperature of the air on your skin, whether you are hungry or not and so on. Going to this quiet place will break the hold of the negative mood and you will then be able to make decisions to be hopeful or to engage in some purposeful action. The magic that surrounds you will help you feel, hear, and see what is around you in the immediate moment. That will put you back in control of your life and not at the mercy of your moods. May the spark be with you.

It's Magic To Be Heard

It is wonderful to be heard, it is real balm to the spirit. How can you influence being heard? Two things come to mind. First, put yourself in the company of friendly people who are capable of listening and when they do listen to you show appreciation. There is a corollary to this first one. Learn to listen to yourself so that you don't need to run off at the mouth needlessly and boringly. That can close the ears of the most dedicated listeners. The second one comes from that corollary, make sure the line is open. Don't impose. Ask if the other person has time and is ready to listen to you. Show your appreciation for being heard. If the person who is giving you the gift of listening makes a comment or suggestion be polite about it. Later, when you are able to mull it over you might find out it is a real gem. Realize the other person is human and that if you take their self interest into consideration it is easier for them to listen to you. At one job I had the other workers would ask me to make requests of the boss, because, they said, he listened to me. I then analyzed the way in which I made my requests and realized I always thought of how those requests might affect him and phrased in a way that considered his good and the good of the business. Never close ears of your listeners by shouting, insulting them or whining. Expressing sorrow is not whining. Being self-centered is. The magic that surrounds you wants you to be heard. Reach out and let it happen. You have important things to express. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Self Trust

Being able to trust yourself is much more important than many people realize. If you don't trust yourself you will make promises to yourself that you have no intention of keeping and few if any of your dreams will ever come true. Self esteem is closely tied to self trust. To develop self trust you can start out small. Make a promise to yourself that you know you can keep, keep it and praise yourself for keeping it. This can be particularly hard if you are in the habit of telling others you will do something when you think they are pressuring you and you just want them to shut up. When this happens you don't really hear yourself on one level. But your inner self has heard you and when you don't do what you have said you will do, there is an erosion of self trust. So learn how to deal with what you perceive as pressure from others in better ways. Perhaps you can learn to say no, put their request on a list, ask them to help you figure out how to do what they ask or share the labor or tell them you aren't really listening because you are busy and they will have to ask later. I have areas of my life in which I know I can come through for myself impressively. In other areas I have discovered that I have been saying "I will" while thinking "I should, maybe I will tomorrow." These areas I now know really are 'shoulds'. I have begun the work of figuring out how I can make the needed changes, what promises I can make to myself. I suggest you look at your own life and thank yourself for promises kept. Grab onto the energy of the magic that surrounds you to find ways to keep the self promises you need to keep. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Chains Into Change

Change can be hard. Some say that change is loss because when you change the familiar is lost. But there are times when change is vital and it can be made. If you are facing the need for change but feel bound by strong chains the first thing to do to gain your freedom is to acknowledge the importance of the change that is calling to you. Just knowing that change can be made, that it needs to be made is a start towards loosening the chains. Then acknowledge the burden of the chains, the reason that change needs to be made.
The more onerous the burden of the chains the more you will yearn for freedom. By exploring the situation fully you are preparing yourself to make and carry out a broad and well planned program of change. The chains are there. You are conscious of them. The program that you put in place of the chains must also be something you are conscious of. Chains are interlinked. Change can also be interlinked. Link up to situations and people that will help you make the changes you need. Plan for the long term, not just the first few days when the energy of the difference in your life has you buoyed up. Chains can be used to move things as well as hold them. Let your new links to a better life pull you forward. Hook into the energy of the magic that is around you and break the chains that are holding you back. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Mental Placement

I just recently became more conscious of the ways we can "get our head in a better place". It's really wonderful that we can actually learn to do that. I can put my shyness, or whatever it is, to one side and reach out to give my ideas and insights to others. We may have to develop a variety of strategies. One might be to imagine our self walking around obstacles and towards the attitudes we want. Or we might imagine a mentor by our side giving us the encouragement we need. When I got myself in a better place about reaching out I found I had given up my resentment towards "know-it-alls." I was more confident about what I knew so didn't have to resent those who didn't know but tried to pull the wool over other peoples eyes. In the world of commonsense and clarity, where I have now placed myself, the other inhabitants can tell when they are being offered hogwash, and can reject it. I don't need to do it for them. You can have a lot of fun deciding where to "place" your head. But doing that will help you change your moods and attitudes for the better and have them more under your control. You might take your "head" to a hammock on a beach in the South Pacific. Enjoy the sunset in serenity. Or you might go to a studio where everyone is being very productive and encouraging everyone else. Use the energy of the magic around you and think of places you'd like your "head" to be. Go there if you want. Let this freedom to choose spark good things for you. May the spark be with you.