The Magical Function of a Promise

From time to time I have mentioned the term 'magical function'.  I want to make sure all you wise magicians understand what I mean by this term.  Magical function is when something works way beyond the immediate time and space in which it takes place. You might think of synergy, serendipity, karma, and luck.  Certain practices or ways of doing things just seem to bring goodness into a person's life multiple times and in many different ways.  A promise is like that.  You promise yourself you will accomplish something.  Sometimes you have to move mountains to bring about one simple thing.  But you persevere and the promise is kept.  But there have also been many other spin-offs.  Someone might have become aware of your integrity and want to reward you for your good character with a job or opportunity.  Or you might have had to be very creative to keep your promise but you ended up creating more than one thing.  My daughter, Cyndi, told my sister, Jo, that she would come to Utah and help with the construction of Jo's new house.  Before she left, Cyndi had to keep her implicit promise to the garden she had put in, that it would be cared for.  She had to be very creative in designing and building a watering system so I wouldn't have to drag hoses around.  I am too mobility impaired to do that well.  I am totally impressed by how well her system works.  I miss her but the garden doesn't.  Soaker hoses, timers, switches all work well. Sometimes magicians think there is a war between love and will, that we should be all about love and disregard will.  If you only love for a moment it will be shallow.  But if you have the willpower to love through the years the developing love will have great depth and spirituality.  So I say to all wise magicians out there: If you have a goal that you think you want to go for, do it.  Make a promise to yourself and the way will open up.  Inner resources and outward opportunities will line up.  May the spark by with you.

The Magic of Opposite

For several years I was connected with The Denver Center for Crime Victims.  One of the things I did was to help put on workshops in child safety for The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program. In some of these workshops The Denver police Department would make presentations about gang prevalence and other  issues.  I remember one tip that was frequently given. "Tell your child that, if they are being followed in a vehicle, to turn and run in the opposite direction.  They will actually be running toward the predator but it will be in the opposite way from which the car is going.  By the time the driver manages to find a chance to turn around your child can probably reach safety."  There are other ways in which thinking of the reverse or the opposite can bring about good changes.  Many businesses have been successful by building on troubles seen as opportunities.  Looking at things in a different way is a skill that is taught in thinking creatively.  If a task looms over you like a mountain, see it as a big bowl of your favorite ice cream.  Do what you can to deflect, defuse, or take the sting out of things. Thinking in opposites is also a way to find the extra bit of charm to make something have that extra zing.  So, I suggest to all wise magicians: Cultivate the art of the opposite.  It lowers stress, makes for a bigger world, and brings new ideas to life.  May the spark be with you.

It's Magic the Way the Body Learns

I just read about a study done in Europe  featured in the journal, "Science".  It says that the brain releases dopamine when it is receiving cognitive training.  I interpret that to mean that the brain likes to learn. It learns a skill and rewards itself for it.  Another thing that also prompts this post is a small break through in my battle to regain some mobility.  I have been telling my body to be aware of and learn how to walk and get out of my chair better.  I have mostly been focusing on the positioning of my legs and knees.  I don't want to stress my arthritic knees.  For several days I have been noticing that the way my feet are involved in getting out of the chair is an improvement. The balance is much better.  I didn't know to direct them, but the body figured it out.  I believe the body has wisdom that we all to often forget about.  We know when we need to hydrate, but we put off that glass of water while we do just one more task.  I suggest to all wise magicians that you consciously tell your body to go ahead and bring magic into your life.  Then you allow awareness of that when it happens.  You will probably avoid certain situations, substances and people.  You will sleep, eat and drink when needed.  You will move.  You will laugh and sing.  Be of whole body and mind.  Be your magical self.  May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Daybreak

When the sun is starting to come up and the birds are singing the world is full of magic.  It is several hours before the pressures of the day will crowd in on you.  Daybreak is a wonderful time to let awareness come through about what you want to create and what you want to express with your life.  If you are missing out on daybreak as a regular experience I suggest you try it at least once.  Get up early on a week end, then go back to bed if you need to.  But if you have experienced the magic that daybreak has to offer you will probably be too energized to hit the pillow again right away. Allowing time to process and center is a good practice to get into.  Not just at daybreak, but whenever it is needed.  Nature teaches us by being a role model.  The day starts with peacefulness and builds up from there.  I suggest to all wise magicians that you give yourself the gift of daybreak, soon.  May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Moon Time

Much of the time our brains are running on narrative mode.  We are engaged in self talk that is comprised of some awareness but basically we are telling our story.  We are living out of habit and the drive to accomplish.  This is not bad unless we never stop to center, never let ourselves just 'be'.  There is a second mode.  Some designate this mode as 'awakening'.  In the awakening mode we are more sensory based.  We let our labels and prejudices go.  I am working on a middle grade fantasy novel, "The Moonkeepers" in which one of the characters claims that evening, when the moon is shining, when Lady Luna smiles, is a good time for thought, discussion and discovery.  It does seem to me that we tend to be more active during the day and more contemplative or aware in the evening.  Perhaps sun time is narrative time and moon time is a time to turn to discovery, or awakening.  Perhaps that is why there is heard a cry at times against television.  It can deaden our ability to be aware, to be in the moment, to center.  Television can also deaden our ability to share our humanity with our family and community.  I therefore suggest to all wise magicians that you give yourself some moon time.  Sun time is the time to tell and live out your stories.  Moon time is the time to discover and celebrate your stories.  Take a break from striving.  Sit quietly and make yourself aware of what each sense is perceiving.  Can you sense the temperature of the air?  Can your ears sense sounds around you?  Can your sense of balance tell is you are upright or supine?  What do you see?  What do you smell?  Are insights and celebrations coming to you?  Awaken.  Celebrate your being.  May the spark be with you.

The Magical Function of "Not Nice"

There are certain traits or behaviors in life that can have a magical function.  That is, these ways of doing things will create a nimbus of benefit for you.  Previously I wrote about the magical function of doing music.  I have been noticing that refusing to accept the status quo, or daring to speak up, of daring to notice that there is a gorilla in the room can have a magical function in personal and national life. Being aware and letting it be known could very well cause a wise magician to be told that they are not very nice.  Ahhh. Being nice has caused or allowed a lot of evil and victimization throughout history.  If you are interested in developing the magical skills of being feisty I do have some suggestions.  Bottling things up until you erupt into one big bit of nasty doesn't work well.  Unfunny name calling doesn't work well.  Ignoring the fear behind the evil can also be a mistake.  Ignoring your own fears and insecurities is also a mistake.  So how can you magically seek to shout out truth?  Peek-a-boo is okay. Dash in, dash out.  Nibble away at the awareness.  Think about, in bits and pieces about what is bothering you.  If someone is being 'stupid' perhaps you would do well to think about why you are noticing that.  A person called me for advice but labelled themselves as an alcoholic who had no intention of changing.  I thought about why I felt an urge to understand their world and decided that I had a gorilla of my own, a change I desperately needed to make that I was resisting. Now I am no longer resisting, or making as many excuses, at least, putting a lot more walking into my life. Even excusing a problem can be 'making nice'.  Our brains are our best magical wand ever.  Analyze.  Plan.  Speak up.  Bring about wonderful, good, magical changes.  Don't be nice.  Be effective.  May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Not Flinching

There are times we absolutely need to face things.  We may not want to face up to or deal with these parts of our life.  Looking in the mirror literally or figuratively may be painful at times.  If we flinch or cringe it is all too easy to avoid our hero's task.  'Being nice' or 'going along to get along' are a couple of the ways one might flinch.  These two examples are ways one fails to have courage regarding other people.  But what about the times when we need to stand up to our self?  How often do we confront our self?  How often do we climb on the scale and compare our weight to our love of sitting, or our penchant for sweets? I am experiencing first hand, right now, hard it is to get out of my comfort zone and really move forward.  I am in a constant state of 'flinch' lately.  But I recover and move forward.  I will share my situation so all you wise magicians can laugh at me if you will.  Or learn from me.  I accepted that there was a great need to make a lot of changes in my like.  Since I am trying to develop a paying practice as a life coach I put it out on my  Word Maeven Facebook page that I had hired myself as my own coach.  I admitted to the needed changes and even put up a picture to prove it. ( I didn't admit to my full weight, and I didn't broadcast my full age. But I said enough)  So now the coach flinches if the client doesn't make enough progress and the client flinches when the coach points out what needs to be done.  However, the more we (Word Maeven-me, and Donna-I) recover from the flinches and stop them mid-flinch the more progress is getting made. Visit me on Facebook as Donna Jeanne Ellison if you like.  Further I suggest to all wise magicians that you nurture your own courage.  See what changes are needed in your life.  Don't flinch.  May the spark be with you.