The Magic of the Second Round

A championship boxer does not expect to win his fight in the first round.  It has been done but it is not the expectation.  The first round is for checking out the situation,  getting to know the opponent, so to speak.  We get the big idea, then we have all the energy from that big idea as inspiration.  Next we have to look at the big picture.  That is the first round of our boxing match with life.  The real heart of the boxer is revealed when, maybe with some aches and bruises, he climbs back into the ring.  The second, and subsequent rounds are where the attention to detail, the previous training and the character of the boxer take over. The magic is in climbing back into the ring and continuing with the task until that task is done, hopefully with the awards of championship.  I say to all wise magicians, if you quit early you have no chance of a win.  Climb back into the ring and continue the fight.  Go into your subject or task in greater depth.  You are a winner just by continuing the fight.  Keep on trying until you win.  May the spark be with you.

Working Magic

I want to start this post out by noting that magic is work and magic is play, either or both.  What I am thinking about when I refer to the 'work' of magic is using magic to systematically create a good result.  You may have noticed in reading stories about magicians and sorcerers that they have a certain way of doing things, a system for getting their result.  System is important to many endeavors.  Divine order can be taken to mean the way order brings good things into our lives.  One system many people say is important is that of having "a place for everything and everything in its place".  A wise magician might look at that adage and notice that it is a static idea.  If you use things you have to have another system for getting them back into their place.  That's why shampoo is near the shower, dish soap is in the kitchen and so on.  This leads to another concept.  When you are trying to make changes in your life, to bring some kind of magic into it, look for the systems you may need to create in order for this change to take place.  If you want to learn to play a musical instrument, it is important to be able to get to the instrument effortlessly.  You need to create a system that makes it easy to develop a habit, or system, of learning to play the guitar, or other instrument.  So now we are to the place where I make suggestions for wise magicians.  I suggest you look at your daily life.  Maybe it would be beneficial to create a few systems.  Maybe you should call them games.  After all magic likes to be fun.  Create systems of place, of process, of managing your moods, of dealing with irritating people, of building on successes, of accepting the benefits of your ability to work magic.  You are all magicians.  Work some magic.  May the spark be with you.