Magic Against Predators And Dangers

The magic mind-set is one of alertness, not one of hiding your head in the sand. If you are the magician, holding the wand that creates a better life, it means you are the one in charge. Being in charge means being aware of the environment and circumstances. You have all the power in the world to accept the fact of predators and dangers. However, since many predators seek out the weak you probably won't draw them to you. Program yourself that predators and dangers may be there and that in order to keep to your purpose you will deal with them if necessary. Keeping to your purpose is the important thing. There are many ways to avoid foolish risk. Don't drive drunk. Notice if your environment is unsafe. Read contracts before signing. Clarify requests. Notice when you are in an emotional state that might cloud your judgment. Be aware when your resources and energy are low. Plan ways to renew your energy or resources. In stories about magicians I notice they are taught to calm their mind before chanting a spell. A calm mind is a magical tool in itself, even if danger is not around. Fear is meant to alert you. Be alert but do not let fear control you. Pull that spark of magic to you to help you deal with an adverse situation and put yourself on the road to a better life.

Momma Magic

One of the best definitions of intelligence I ever came across was "Intelligence is the ability to learn from the environment." Now that doesn't just mean interacting with your physical environment and remembering what happened when you touched a hot stove for another time. It means learning from others who have also interacted with the environment. Your parents pass on tips that are useful. So do friends and many other 'media'. This morning when I got out of bed I suddenly had a terrible cramp in my left leg, so bad that I wasn't sure I could put my foot on the floor and not fall. I pinched my nose where it goes into the lip and the cramp stopped. I got that tip from the tips newsletter I used to get 'The Bottom Line'. Yesterday I drove my car and noticed that the extra wide rear view mirror I have is a good safety feature, as recommended in a safe driving course my work insisted I take a few years ago. This morning I sent an e-mail to a friend about a good reputable business I have used that she may now benefit from using. My point is that there are tips, that are good, in abundance, that you can use. Learn how to know when the source is good, check the tip out, then file it for future use. This tendency of our culture to share and watch over others is what I call "Momma magic". It abounds and will help you with that spark to make your life better. Reach out for that spark by keeping your eyes and ears open and asking your friends to share their tips. That will bring the spark of momma magic into your life.

The Magic Of Connection

To what and to whom are you connected? Have you thought about the benefits of your connections? I value my connections a great deal and am thankful for them. Friends set you on the right pathway. They give you a safe port in a storm. I just came across an excerpt from my grandfather's diaries that I had put together in the late
l960's. He died in 1959. (born 1868) I felt a sense of connection to him and my whole family. I plan on retyping these mimeographed pages and sending them off to my siblings. I think that will enrich our connection. Sometimes a connection is not that long but will live on beyond the time spent together. I stopped to talk to a street musician in England in 1969 and was delighted to find out about his life and to hear his music. I'm still glad I bothered to stop and make that brief but interesting connection. There are places I feel a connection to, some very simple. I sat under a wild rose bush on the Kiabab mountain in Northern Arizona and played "To A Wild Rose" by MacDowell when I was a young teen. I still feel magical and peaceful when I think of it. You may have connections to ideas, people, places that you have not realized. Take a moment to let the spark of magic reinforce your connections. It will enrich your life.

Principle of Magic: Act As If

I just finished the draft of 'Marus In Chaga' another sequel to Thimblewyck. I realized I have been acting on the magical principle of "act as if". If you act as if something is going to happen, it is more likely that it will happen. The way the agency that is now reading Thimblewyck described themselves to me really appealed to me. I want that agency to work with me. If they like that book and are interested in sequels I will be ready. I threw myself into writing these two sequels with full passion, craftsmanship and imagination. I am proud of my work. If this agency doesn't feel I meet their needs I will keep looking for one that does. I am acting as if I will be published, and I believe I will be.
Sometimes people talk about the self-fulfilling prophecy in a negative way, telling us that if we think we are unlucky we will be. That might be true. So in order to nurture your spark of magic and keep it well lit, act as if your life is going as you want it to, keep on meeting your obligations and taking care of business. Magic abounds. It is up to you to reach out for it.

Breathe Magic Into Your Life

The way you use your breath when you speak has a lot to do with how others perceive you, or even hear you, as well as how you perceive yourself. A well spoken person has plenty of breath in their lungs when they speak. The diaphragm is used to push that breath out. The diaphragm is not a familiar muscle to everybody. It is what is used for 'belly breathing'. It is a large band of muscle above your stomach. If it is unfamiliar to you it would be a good idea to locate it and learn to use it well. Shoulders stay stable, but ribs expand to the side when you take a deep breath. If you feel confident about your use of the diaphragm go on to take care in how you use your tongue, teeth and lips. Clear diction is also a sign of self-confidence. Develop good diction and your confidence will develop by itself. Resonance makes a voice more pleasing to listeners. This comes from using all of your speech apparatus for speech, or in song. Do not close off your nose. Let your sound resonate in your head and chest. My voice teacher used to say that it was a good idea to even imagine your voice resonating in your thigh bones. Before he joined the faculty at our university he had a career as a singer and recording artist, so I felt he knew what he was talking about. I enjoyed listening to his voice as well. Speak well and speak good things. That will draw to you the spark of magic that will bring good things to your life.

The Magical Tool Of Dialogue

Dialogue is a conversation, or interaction, that leads to deeper understanding and relationship. Dialogue leads to growth. Theologians may refer to the dialogue between man and the divine. To really develop a relationship there must be discovery about values, hopes, wishes, fears, plans and all those things that go to make up the whole person. This does not have to take place before the relationship is formed, or course. It is part of developing the relationship. Nor is it ever complete, rather an ongoing process. Dialogue is not just between two people. It can be between groups, nations or between a person and that which they are discovering. In some ways 'life' the ongoing process of living, enters into a dialogue with us. We act, life responds, we learn and then act again. There is a more subtle type of dialogue I want to mention--that between you and yourself. When you are musing or thinking things over you may notice certain signals, such as a hot flush to your cheeks or a tightness in your stomach. That is your inner self taking part in the conversation and you need to listen. I was lucky enough to have a professor of Ed. Psych. who counseled me when I was in college and trying to decide if I should divorce, and later how to adjust to that action. I remember telling him of the sensation of a steel door slamming down in my head when we would approach topics with which I was uncomfortable. That sensation was a signal that these were important topics and they needed to be dealt with well. Artists, poets, playwrights, writers are in dialogue with themselves through their work. When I first started writing about the community of magical creatures that developed because of a marriage between a small human and a fairy, I was making statements about tolerance and discrimnation. The back and forth of dialogue is a tool that will help you use the spark of magic to make life better for yourself. Learn to use it well.

Calling Forth The Spark

You may not realize how easy it is to switch channels, to change moods, to call forth the spark of magic of which I so often speak. Try some of the following experiments and you may be happily surprised. Put your chin down towards your chest and turn down the corners of your mouth. Do you notice a dour mood suddenly lurking right behind your eyes? Now give a slight shake to your head and open up your eyes? Do you want to look upwards a bit and does a more hopeful mood sit there, right behind your eyes? These positions and movements are triggers for certain moods. Triggers that you can control. You can set it up for it to be a habit to call forth the spark of vitality that gives you energy to make a positive movement or decision.
Other things may act as triggers for you. You can find them and set them up. They will be simple and quick. Simply deciding to take on a more pro-active way of acting and thinking can become a trigger in itself. I've often heard it said that the way to get started on a challenging task is to blow on your hands and just get started. The idea that you can remind yourself about getting on the right path is a very old idea. The Old Testament of The Bible talks about wearing blue tassels to remind yourself to do good. But no matter how old an idea is, when you first discover it, it is brand new to you. I ask you to find new, creative ways for you to call forth that spark of magic, the zing that will help you make your life better.