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.

The Magic Carrot

Supposedly an old technique for getting a donkey to go forward was to have a stick with a carrot on it, dangling in front of his nose. He would keep walking towards it in anticipation of achieving his goal of eating that carrot. At times we need something to pull us into the future we are trying to create. We are in danger of standing still and we need a carrot. Revisiting the dreams about which we are passionate and making plans to achieve those dreams can be such a carrot. I was thinking about the need to get myself in gear for the day and my inner self gave me a picture of tossing a carrot down a pathway. That made me realize I needed a carrot to draw me on. Something as boring as making a plan, even a do-list, can actually lead to exciting things--what an idea. I equate do-lists and plans with dreaded responsibility. At least I did. Now I am thinking about the exciting possibilities that have been opening up in my life and I realize there are a few things I can do to help this process develop. I need to (or CAN now that I am more excited about things) make some do-lists and some plans and get some things done. I have some fun things about to happen but I also have to deal with some problems associated with those things. If I don't plan for the adjustments I have to make Life will be harder. So I am going to list the things I am excitedly anticipating first. Those are my carrot. Then I am going to face the steps I need to take. Unlike the poor donkey, I will get my carrot. I hope it was a wise magician luring the donkey onward, as a magician would be sure to give the needed reward in due time. Find your dream, devise a magic carrot and make your life better. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Looking For Loose Ends

There is a difference between tying up loose ends and looking for loose ends. Looking for loose ends will often lead to tying up loose ends, of course. But when you are just looking you may be in a more meditative frame of mind and open to all kinds of discoveries. A businessperson who looks for loose ends will look for the loose ends in the business; goals not reached, clients not services, ideas not developed, orders not placed. Then priorities can be set and the necessary loose ends can be taken care of. But in looking for loose ends the businessperson may end up doing an informal market gap analysis or finding out areas the business can move into, in which new pathways of growth may be the result. The same thing can take place on a personal level. If you wish to engage in this as a magic ritual follow these steps. First choose an area to monitor or study. Perhaps it is your desk or work area. Perhaps it is your wardrobe or garden. Then take an overview, looking for the broad purpose of the area you are studying. What is the function of this area? My work space is meant to help me produce creative projects and products. There are different categories of projects and I have to be able to access them when I need to.So my loose ends would be in putting similar papers together, deciding on categories, getting rid of unwanted paper, finding a good place for things. A wardrobe is meant to serve your needs to clothe yourself for different occasions. A garden is meant to grow plants.
After you have noted the function of the area you are dealing with you must make decisions about the different parts of the material (clothes, plants, types of paper material) as to where each part belongs and what you need to do with it. This is where the meditation comes in. It can be a very Zen like experience to go through your area of focus item by item deciding if there is a needed action connected to it. Here is where the discoveries happen. Be ready to take advantage of these. Have a way to get produce back to the kitchen. Have hangers for your clothes, or needle and thread for needed repair. Have organizers for your work area. Have a mind set of openness for your discoveries and a way to use these discoveries if it is good to do so. This may all seem very mundane. Tidying up can be a very boring subject. But if done with the proper mind set you will be drawing good things into your life and thus you are working magic. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Ritual

We are taught that good habits and good routines will help our lives run more smoothly. I have no doubt that is so. But since adding magic to our life is about adding a deeper, more fulfilling dimension I would suggest that we also need good rituals. The difference between ritual and routine is that rituals have mindfulness. A ritual is enacted to remind us that depth, the sacred, beauty, magic, love and so on are meant to be part of our life. Look around as see where you can add rituals to your life in order to affirm glory or joy. It doesn't have to be complex or hard. Some simple action that helps you remember that life is or can be wonderful. For me, when I spend time organizing my work area I seem to be involved in a ritual of sorts. On my mind all of the time I am sorting papers and finding the right places for things is the thought of how much I love ideas and my desire to share positive ideas with other people. Then from time to time I discover some gem, like some thought I had jotted down that I had forgotten. It now seems fresh and exciting to me. A ritual contains the idea 'start out as you mean to go on'. So when you get in your car and run through a few safety checks like making sure your seat belt is on, that your mirrors are well adjusted and that the way is clear, you are doing a ritual that will carry the idea of safe driving with you. Even saying 'good morning' or 'good night' can be rituals. We do wish that the day or the night will be well. If you have routines that can be upgraded to rituals with a bit of mindful attention, go ahead and do that. We are wise magicians who bring the extra dimension into our life in whatever way we can. May the spark be with you.

Magic As A Help When You Are Searching

Once I had a job as a waitress at the Denver branch of the CIA (culinary institute of America). They had just taken over the old Petroleum Club and all of its equipment. There was one big room with glassware, silverware, uniforms and many other things. Several times, when we were getting ready for special dinners, the maitre 'd would ask me to go find a certain utensil for the table.
Each time I would go in that room and come back with the boxes of silverware he needed. Did I mention that there was little organization or method, just stuff piled where it could be piled? My boss claimed I had some kind of 'finding ESP'. I have often thought that if a thing can be found I can find it. But I would call it the magic skill set rather than ESP. I believe I use these principles of magic to find things. Magic does not set out to fail. Magic looks for patterns, distractions that can be seen through and anomalies. Magic sees the larger whole in the smallest part. Magic is not rigid about the tool but instead focuses on the purpose of the tool. Thus if one tool can't be found another can and the job will still get done. Magic is willing to search in many ways, directions and from many perspectives. When the wise magician sees that mood is interfering with the search he knows it is time to rest and renew. Magic is willing to redefine the search. Magic expects to succeed so it does what needs to be done. So, if you are searching for your bliss or your car keys, I believe that you will benefit from using the energy of the magic that surround you. May be spark be with you.

The Band Wagon Effect

"Jumping on the band wagon" is a term for getting caught up in the excitement of the circus parade of life and joining in with others in what they are doing. You can use this as one of your magic wands for making positive changes in your life. Since we do learn from others and are social beings you can look for a 'band wagon' to jump on to help you with your needed or desired changes. A recent example in my own life is the use of a pedometer. I know I need to walk more. I have been hunting for ways to get myself in gear about this. Today my sister told me that the teachers in her Utah school district are "walking to Maine". The district has issued them pedometers and they record their steps with the school office. She told me a couple of funny stories about the way she feels compelled to make sure she gets every step recorded, such as not wanting to walk around her bedroom after she had changed her clothes until she got the pedometer back on her waistband so she didn't 'waste any steps'. Suddenly the pedometer my doctor had issued me didn't seem like such a lonely boring instrument. I found myself jumping on my sister's bandwagon of using a pedometer to motivate myself to walk. Of course the magic that surrounds me helped me find the old one I had very easily. It had been years and a different living location ago. Jo had also told me that if the battery was low it would not record accurately. That was also part of the magic giving me help. The battery was probably low when I got it, as it hardly seemed to record at all. I had just assumed that I wasn't one it would work on and put it away. But today I wore it all day, even with the low battery, just to acknowledge that I was trying to add steps. Tomorrow I will get a new battery and start recording in earnest. Each day, I am confident, I will try to make sure I at least do not walk less than the day before. I will also find ways to add steps. I suggest that you, as a wise magician, add the band wagon effect to your arsenal of magic wands. What changes do you need to make? Can you find others who are excited about making the same or similar changes? Jump on their bandwagon and go forward toward these changes. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Community

The wise magician will cherish his or her community. The people who have the same values and goals as you do will strengthen and uplift you. They will go out and find out things you need to know and bring that back to you for your growth or joy. We all belong to several communities. I meet with several different writer's groups but I also feel part of several other communities. I believe in human rights, in being concerned about the health of the environment, in reason in government, in the arts, in the importance of education, in preservation of historical landmarks, in animal rights, in nurturing children, in humor as an important part of life, in good nutrition, in toleration, in the importance of science, among other things. So when I find out about the efforts people are putting forth for these different causes I feel like they are part of my family or community. When I can I do put forth an effort to encourage these causes as well. Because I feel part of these communities I seldom feel helpless or invisible. Just by bringing things to the attention of others I believe I have helped to pass on the magic. I suggest you take the time to explore what you believe in and would like to have happen to make this world a better place. Then use your opinion or voice as a magic wand. Speak up for your causes. Just sharing the news of a good article or program on TV will be a good start. Magic is not always thunderbolts. It can be gentle and persistent. By knowing your values you will find many small ways to act on them without stressing yourself, because the burden is not yours alone. Your community of people throughout the world are acting with you. Let the energy of the magic that surrounds you help you speak up for your causes. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Play

Play is an experimental activity in a low stress situation that is pleasurable. It often leads to development of important skills. Think about all the implications of that. You could pretend to be free of an addiction in order to get the mind and body ready for the eventual new state. Many children play at the careers they eventually choose and study for. Courtship is a form of play getting ready for a deeper relationship and a long term commitment. You may have heard the saying 'change is loss'. That is because change is often new and abrupt. But if you want to make a change you can find ways to play about it before hand to make it less new and less abrupt. Parents have found that role playing about school or a family move before these take place help children cope with the actual event quite well. All of this may seem like old news to you. My idea, however, is that you set up regular times to play about becoming conscious of your dreams and achieving them. Young girls in love often spend time writing their name as it would be were they married to the beloved. That daydreaming is a form of play getting ready for the possible change in their life. Magic is meant to bring the hidden to the light. I believe I can use play to become a more successful writer. I have laughed at so many jokes about aging that I am beginning to accept that people do age. I believe I can learn to accept that people do become successful writers. If I can't find any humorous expressions of having a book contract, being at book signings or getting an acceptance letter from an agent or a publisher I shall have to create some games, jokes or other play of my own. I claim to be a creative writer. I can create some playful activities about this. I do want these things to happen in my life. As an afterthought, I suppose I need to find a way to make a game of working a certain number of hours on a consistent basis as well. I resolve to play about these changes until I have brought them about. Be a wise magician for yourself. Look around your life to see what changes you need or want to make in your life. Then find ways to move toward these changes through play. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Making A Difference

Make A Difference Day is coming up. Please do something to make a difference for another person and yourself. It is important to come out of any shells or ivory towers you may be in and see what a powerful statement you can make. You may not be ignoring the world as much as being too busy with whatever you are coping with. STOP. Right now. Look around you. Reassess you life, your environment, your world. Speak out against bullies. Stand up for woman's rights. Poke fun at the absurd political messages that currently bombard us. Clean up some clutter. Help a lonely person feel valued. Be patient with someone. Adopt some healthy habits. Inform yourself about issues. Write your congressman or a letter to the editor. Make a difference somehow, somewhere. Then enjoy how good that feels. The wise magician knows that it is the realm of magic to bring about change for the better. Sometimes a little act can have a big impact. Don't be afraid to have an impact. You may fear that you will be criticized. It it much more likely that you will be admired. If your good act is worth doing it is worth validating yourself by ignoring the misguided people who criticize you. But even if your act goes unnoticed you will know what you did. Don't confine your act of making a difference to this one day. Become a wise magician. Daily look for ways to create magic. Do good because you can. Make a difference because it is a fun and wonderful way to express yourself. Let the energy of the magic that surrounds you give you ideas of how you can make a difference for yourself and others. Do this often throughout the year. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Germination

I would like to suggest to all wise magicians that they plant a seed within themselves of glory. Find your most beloved talents and nurture them. You may be more talented at some things than others and your most polished talent may not be the one to nurture. Find the beloved one and follow the bliss of expressing that. It is also good to nurture secondary talents. I have some skills at sculpture and making small models for casting. Every once in a while it makes me happy to indulge in that. Some talents are for glory some are for happy. It's like your wardrobe. Wear what is right for you at the time. It may take a while after the idea of nurturing your talent takes hold, or the seed is planted, for germination to take place. Nurture it but don't rush it. But do expect it. If you stress out about it and expect it to bring you fame and fortune you will lose the glory. Fame and fortune may come. But the expressing of the talent is where the glory lies. Many times people find themselves feeling stressed and think that they are suffering from the pressures of life. In my experience, however, when those people find ways to be creative their stress lessens dramatically. If you mention to some people that you are going to develop a certain talent they may be one of the sad variety of people who don't understand about talent. Everyone has the ability to express themselves. Most people have more ability to learn to write poetry, paint pictures, or write stories than they realize. But there are also other ways to be creative. The way you dress, walk, talk, arrange your furniture are all creative acts. Being creative is fun and makes you much healthier. So it is practical as well. One clue to finding your talent is to notice what calls to you. If you don't like stories you probably wont want to take the time and effort to develop an ability to tell stories. Becoming skilled at anything takes effort, patience with yourself, and faith. But the reward can be magical. Know you are able to express yourself and find a way to do it with joy. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of The Awakening

The way I have been choosing topics for posting is by researching, reading or thinking about stories about magic, then looking for ways to use this in daily life. What some people call miracles other people call magic. Whatever the term, when a magical event happens it is a wondrous beautiful change. I recently saw a dear friend awaken to sobriety. It does seem like a miracle. That made me wonder about my own life. What do I need to awaken to? Better health practices, i.e. more exercise, more of a focus on my writing, and more attention to my dear relationships. Of course there may be more but those are the ones that need an awakening to. When an awakening happens there is a lot of spiritual energy involved. In many stories the magician will awaken an object to powers beyond its current state to do some deed of goodness. When the princes in the stories Snow White and Sleeping Beauty kissed the heroines they brought the princesses back from a death like sleep. In each of those examples, about the magician or the prince, the awakening seems sudden. But in reality the time had to be right. So how does the wise magician awaken herself? First comes a readiness. Light comes into the room, plenty of sleep has been enjoyed, or something like that starts the awakening process. Help may be needed, some sort of alarm, medical help, encouragement from friends. When consciousness comes you may not be fully awake. Sit up and stretch and make sure your muscles are ready for use. Read this as a realistic instruction and a figurative one. More may be needed in order to bring about the needed focus, a figurative cup of coffee. Before the sleep began there was some acceptance of the need for the eventual awakening. Then, when the awakening takes place, the benefit of this new state must be realized. Many things have been making my friend appreciate his new sobriety. I must look for ways to appreciate the awakening I am trying to bring about for myself. I actually have been trying to exercise more and I am seeing some benefits. This will keep me going. Duty is a very dry or boring taskmaster. Magic is a better one. I think I must make sure and get some zing into each of my awakening projects. More sharing of my writing, especially the humorous pieces. Perhaps some new clothes to exercise in. Getting in touch with friends and family has a wonderful zing to it all by itself. I suggest you look at your life, the dry part especially, and see what new day you can awaken yourself to. May the spark be with you.

Unexpected Magic

I just had an interesting experience. As you may have guessed from my last post, I was feeling out of touch with my magic. I was going along doing my duty by someone else but hoping to get back into feeling magic energy. Today I got a couple of phone calls that let me know that the simple things I had done for this person had opened up realms of connections and opportunities in his life. He called it a miracle. I had been a catalyst for things to fall into place for him in many ways. People sometimes refer to magic as an occult, or hidden, art. I suspect that more often than we realize the little good hearted things we do are not that apparent to us as magic. But they can have magical effects that we don't even know about. I remember a time about thirty years ago when such a thing happened for my friend. She and I were concerned about feeding her children. It was several days before either of us were to get a paycheck. We had some cash and some coupons and went to the grocery store. In front of the store a stranger gave her a lottery ticket. When we scratched it we found it to be worth fifty dollars. That bought enough groceries to last until payday. A little thing to that stranger, who had paid one dollar for it and probably expected it to be worth nothing. A big thing for a mother and her children. I can think of other times of unexpected magic as well. When I was in college and going through a divorce I wondered if I could stay in school. It would be better for my children in the long run if I could finish my education, as well as for me. One of my professors found out about my situation and told me to apply for a teaching assistantship in the graduate school. I had never heard of such a thing but I did apply. I was granted the assistantship and it helped me finish the last semester of my senior year and go on to get my master's degree. I suggest that you continue to work magic for your own life. Magic abounds. But even when you don't see a manifestation for yourself you might be manifesting big things in someone else's life. A kind word, a word of encouragement, a good tip might be the magic that is needed. So try to connect to the energy of the magic that surrounds you to make a better life for yourself or someone else. May the spark be with you.

Planned Study and Magic

All magicians know that knowledge does not belong to them alone. They are happy to learn from each other. Since magic is meant to have an effect, to be ultimately practical, the learning from others should also have a purpose and be practical. Learning for learnings sake is good for brain exercise and to stave off alzheimer's disease. But otherwise learning is best done when it is seen to be relevant. So planned study can have great benefits. I have been reading up on 'how to write a novel' from several of my instruction books and I am delighted at what I have learned. I have also sought out things on the web (advice from successful writers). Several things I have learned will make my story or stories, much more interesting. Therefore I have seen how 'planned study' can be a tool or magic wand for me. But if I am involved in study or research and I am called to digress from the planned path and end up discovering something of value then the hunch to digress was the magic wand. Magic always has the goal of 'wonderfully better'. So if doing a bit of research, asking the experts or reading something, or following your curiosity will make your life wonderfully better, even in a small way, be sure to use that "magic wand". Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for energy and insight. Become powerful in your life. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Monitoring

When a magician casts a spell it is important to see if the spell works or not. Yet when we go back into ordinary life we resist checking on what we do. That doesn't do us any good. We need to monitor and review our daily life for satisfactions, successes and failures on a regular basis in order to build a better life. Some people resist this because they think they will be dwelling on their failures. If you learn from a mistake then that mistake is actually a success. I suggest you also include plans, dreams and aspirations as part of this monitoring program. Not only must you know how well you are meeting the needs of daily life, you also need to know if you are moving towards reaching your dreams. Don't leave those dreams in dreamland. There is an art to making dreams real. It is not an easy art. But monitoring your progress, and learning from mistakes, is an important part of developing this art. To draw this monitoring into the realm of magic you could do it in a special time, in a special place, in a special way. Perhaps you could review the day or week that has just passed in a candle lit room with incense and soft music. Perhaps you could start out by listing valuable lessons learned. That is a much better way of looking at mistakes rather than calling them failures. Learning from failures is much different from dwelling on them. You can go beyond failures if you learn from them. I have been reading over some of my early works to see how I can improve them and it has been quite a good lesson. The stories were imaginative but the flow of words did not sing in some of the children's picture book stories the way I wanted. Until I became conscious of the the importance of making story engaging I could not consistently put that in my stories. Now I have an awareness of a skill I need to develop. I was able to do it on a hit or miss basis before. But it wasn't really part of my skill set. Since I have learned how to monitor my writing in a better way I do believe I will become a better writer. As you learn your skills of magic learn to monitor your life in whatever realms you need. Financial, relationships, health, your craft. You are the magician and monitoring is one of your tools, or magic wands. Use your tools well. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of People

A magician often works alone. You may not realize that you have just a touch of low grade loneliness. But if you bother to get a dose of company you will find yourself functioning on a higher level. When we are super lonely we know it. That is the time to reach out to loved ones or try to create relationships. But there are days when you need to go shopping and bother to ask the clerks to show you where something is or to find other opportunities to chat. Sometimes even bothering to check your e-mail will be all it takes. Low grade loneliness can cause us to be less decisive and less productive. The reason I am bothering to make such a simple suggestion is because it is so easy to forget to take a "dose of socialability" as often as would be good for us. In working magic it is often the little things that have the biggest impact. Self care helps us to be more able to care for others. Take the time to speak and visit enough that you don't get a layer of loneliness wrapped around you. Nurture all your relationships whether they are with close friends or business acquaintances. Solitude is good. In solitude you are in communion with that which is greater. Loneliness is not so great. There is not even good communion with yourself when you are lonely. So reach out to the magic that surrounds you to help you get away from too much loneliness. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of The Threshold

In literature a hero must go on a hero's journey that starts when he crosses his first threshold. All of us are on a hero's journey whether we realize it or not. We are our own hero. We cross many thresholds. Even the simple act of crossing the threshold of your home opens you up to adventure and discovery. The minute you go outside there is the possibility that you will hear new bird songs, that you will see new sights, that you will make new discoveries. For me I feel like I have recently crossed a symbolic threshold or two. I am involved in a deep rewrite of a novel. I am looking at more than grammar and plot arc. I am also exploring themes and what I have to say about life. Becoming more aware of what I have had to say in this way has given me a deeper understanding of myself and my values. Knowing more thoroughly who I am has made me feel like I have stepped into another world. This is making it easier for me to throw out passages that don't fit into the scheme of things. I have been discovering my own voice, my own style. When other writers critique my work I have a better idea of what to listen to and what to ignore or how to put my own spin on it. I think every magician has to discover something like this for themselves. We need to know who we are and what we stand for and be able to take responsibility for that. Many stories of magicians speak of the time the magician retired from the world. For instance Merlin was gone away from Arthur's court. The time away from the world is a time of inner discovery and requires a decent amount of effort. But one comes back more in charge of one's magic. Let the magic that surrounds you give you the courage and energy to cross the thresholds you need to cross. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Changing Your Baggage

Sometimes people who would never dream of wearing dirty underwear carry around outworn or even toxic baggage for years. If you only live from reaction to reaction you are bound to have a big load of attitudes and behaviors that no longer work for you. Some people say that to be sophisticated is to know about wines, have traveled and that it may even be an artificial way of being. But the root of sophistication is Sophia or wisdom. It is good to go beyond the natural, after all learning manners and how to eat, tie your shoes and so on is beyond the natural. Addictions are in the realm of the reactive. If you are aiming for a life in which you are in charge, not controlled by your habits or your baggage you must have a degree of sophistication. You must become aware of your behaviors and habits of mind. Once aware you can change. You can practice linking good feelings or calm feelings to good actions. You can dump the self talk that makes you feel morose or angry. Just because you have always done something is no reason to continue to do it. I knew a woman with extremely long hair. She always wore it up in a way that gave her discomfort from the weight of it. When asked why she didn't cut it or let it hang (which would have been inconvenient as well) she said, "But it's my hair" as if hair was so holy you had to let it make you suffer. So she did suffer. The attitude was set in stone and she couldn't examine it to see if it served her or not.
One way to discover when you have outmoded baggage is to examine your reactions when you are irritated with someone. Perhaps that person is as awful as you think they are. Then you should avoid them. But suppose the irritation comes from your reaction of being a control freak or judgmental. Negative emotions are a signal that something needs to be changed. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for help in deciding whether that change needs to be in the outer world or in you. Perhaps it's time to get rid of your dirty baggage. May the spark be with you.

Understanding Your Magic Wand

You never see a picture book or a movie about a magician without their magic wand.
A magic wand is the tool with which the magician causes all kinds of wonderful things to happen. Your mind is your magic wand. It can take you to wonderful realms or it can bring wonderful things into your life. But just as a magician must learn to use his magic wand so too must we learn to use our mind. Many people go through life living a life dictated by the reactive part of their mind. That kind of life is not truly satisfying, nor very full. All of your mental abilities can be polished and improved. You can learn to shift from the logical mind into the creative mind. At times it is good to be reactive or responsive. You can be very organized at times. You can be very decisive or you can come to understand your hidden agendas so they don't control you. The key to gaining mastery of your mind is to realize that your mind has different aspects. Then do what you must to become aware of those aspects. Each aspect has strengths and weaknesses. Logic is good at times but it is also important to be able to feel and express emotions at times as well. If you pay attention to these aspects on a regular basis you will be able to see when they kick in and how. Then you will able to trigger these different aspects. You must not try to force your mind to do your will. You must find the keys to unlock its power. If you are procrastinating you may see no reason to do the task you are feeling guilty about ignoring. But a conversation with yourself may reveal the reason for the procrastination. You can then do either of two things. Give up on the disliked task or find a meaningful reason for doing it. There are many instances where journaling or self-talk or talking things over with someone can help you use your mind better. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you for the energy to learn to use your mind, your magic wand, in wonderful ways. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Form

It has been said that 'form follows function'. Thinking of the function of "things" often helps to see the form more clearly. It is easy enough to see that the function of a hand is to do things. The function of music (organized sound) is to help us perceive that sound more fully. We tend to shut out cacophony but when we can hear pattern and form in the sound it can be pleasing, even without melody. Understanding form, such as the principles of design that an artist might use, can help us to appreciate a work. However that appreciation might not need to be conscious. But it is pretty important when we intend to be the driving force behind a task or project. A creator does well to understand the tools with which she works. A mother needs to be able to use hugs, explanations, games, soothing sounds, persistence and much, much more to raise a child. A recovering addict needs to master the tools of self encouragement, getting outside help when needed, principles of self care, courage, etc. To create we must fuse intuition with will, the use of the left and the right brain together. To write a story there is a certain form to follow. There must be a certain amount of time spent on the different parts of the story. There must be a beginning, a middle and an end. If a key element of the story is presented too quickly, mentioned in passing as it were, the listener or the reader will not really comprehend the story. Each part of the story has a certain function in moving the story forward. A novelist has to ask 'what is the function of each chapter?'in order to write a cohesive book. A wise magician will be willing to pare down his 'words of power' to their essence in order to really understand what she wants to achieve. For seven years I taught inner city children in a class that was a combination of art and story telling. At first some would string together events in an endless litany without really telling a story. They would quickly lose their listeners. Creativity is meant to bring order out of chaos. The structure, the plan, the purpose, the form of a work are vital. If your life is in a shambles you can make it better by examining or discovering your values. Living true to your values will make your life 'well formed'. A person's life is their greatest creative work. Let the magic that surrounds you give you help in living true to your purpose. Let your life be well formed. May the spark be with you.

The Importance Of The Listener

Having a good listener in you life can work magic for you. You will understand yourself and your dreams and aspirations better. You will become more accepting of yourself. When you are validated by a good listener you have more energy to live your best life. So if you don't have a listener do what you can to bring one into your life. If you do have a listener do all you can to show them gratitude, respect and honor. Important to the communication process is making sure that what you say is understood in the same way by the listener. A good listener will ask you to clarify or explain. A good listener will do part of the work of getting your ideas across. Good listeners are not plentiful. But you still do need to show respect to any listener. The meaning of a message is in how it is received. This is a radical idea to some. They think that what they say is holy no matter what the other person perceives. But in reality it is silly to speak unless you do want to be understood. You would not speak French to a Greek who did not understand French, would you? Try to find words that will be understood the way you want them to be understood when you speak. Friendships and love relationships are built on being able to understand each other. The friend or lover becomes a good listener, each for the other. This doesn't happen overnight. The wise magician works to make sure her spells have a chance to work. She chooses her words with care because those words go outward and inward. That's why it isn't always a good idea to speak when you are angry, other than to communicate that you are angry. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you to find the strength and energy to find a good listener for yourself. It is also a good idea to become a good listener to yourself. May the spark be with you.