Ways To Call Up Magic

I was feeling the need for more mental energy to finish up some things on my do-list. I just couldn't finish up. I almost felt depressed. These were things that would help me move toward achieving my life goals so I felt some anxiety about the lack of energy. I gave up and went to take a nap. I needed magic for myself but it wouldn't come to me right then. I didn't nap very long before I woke up wanting to reach out to a few people for various reasons, a sympathy card here, a thank you card there. As I thought about taking care of these personal contacts I also noticed I had a magical zing about my giving. The energy had called itself up. It seemed to come when I was no longer focused on myself but others whom I cared for. Now I have completed several reach-out tasks and have energy to do some other tasks related to 'taking care of business'. There is magic in wanting others to know you care. Even if that human contact is by card, e-mail or over the phone you have still shared a spark of humanity. The energy of love and caring warms and radiates out into more than just your small area and that one moment. So I suggest to all wise magicians that if you feel a need for magic in order to bring about change in your life reach out to the people in your life. Hug a grandchild. Call a friend. Go to the store and have a friendly interaction with the clerk. If you can't drag magic in your front door, open a window and let it come in on a warm breeze. Magic brings the calmness and trust that life is good. May the spark be with you.

When Magic Disappears

There may be times when it seems that magic has hidden itself from you. Perhaps you have had just too many adjustments to make, too many problems to solve, a few too many disappointments. No matter why you feel that magic has left you, the feeling is not one that brings a song to your heart. The wise magician does not expect a life a life of manic highs. But he or she does expect to have a constant sense of satisfaction and small joys. Happiness is within reach. Then the time comes when you wonder how it is possible to find that bit of zing again. You may even find yourself on a slippery slope that could lead to more and more negative thoughts. It is imperative to go find your magic. I don't mean binging on chocolate, or going out on the town for a wild party. Just escaping from the blahs, from the dryness of magic being gone, will not bring it back. In fact it will not come back if you allow yourself to believe that it truly has forsaken you. So start with the belief that you are surrounded by a field of magic. You have proved this to yourself many times before. Recall some of the many previous times when you have called up that zing. Now that you have remembered the zing, it might be good to take a balanced view of the events of the day that let you decide magic had hidden itself from you. I would venture to guess that there were some pretty good events and well as the disappointing ones you are focusing on. You can change your focus. If you need to go beyond that change of focus in your search for your magic, it is good to reach out to your support people. The faith and support of other people is a form of magic and very powerful. Another thing I suggest is that you do not clutch at magic. If you just have faith that it is there it is more likely to find its own way of manifesting itself to you. Look at the things that are still stable and right in your life. No matter what piece of the pie in the sky you failed to get, you do still have a lot of good things in your life. Remember the magic of gratitude. Your magic has not left you even if it is now recharging and finding new ways of showing itself to you. Reach out for it, call it back, and welcome it when it comes. May the spark be with you.

Revisiting "Act As If"

I posted a short bit about the magic principle or "acting as if" on Feb. 2, 2010. I think it is a good time to revisit that principle. In that previous post I used examples of going after goals I had clearly in mind. But there are times when despair hits because you do not have your goals well formed. Since magic is well formed you may feel that magic has abandoned you. That is a good time to call on the "As if" principle. I know my ultimate goal but not the way to get there. I was feeling a bit of despair until I remembered the 'as if' principle. I began to act as if I would find a way to meet my ultimate goal and I immediately began to get ideas of things I could try. Research and getting feedback are part of the way to go along your path. Then I got an e-mail that vindicated the usefulness of one of my ideas. That indicated I may, after all, be on a good pathway. Just the remembrance of the principle seemed to give me courage, seemed to hook into the energy of the magic that surrounds me. I was able to sort out possible actions to take, prioritize them and make plans for implementation. Now it will be easier for me to act as if I will achieve my goal. May you also be able to reach out for your goals. May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Now

Dreams are important. They inform and energize us. We must nurture our dreams for that reason alone, not just for the joy they might bring us if they come true. Ideas of reality and possibility can be dangerous. If we say things like "It costs too much money to do that" or "I can't do that in the time I have left in my life" you may be sprinkling salt on the bubble of your dreams. All your various identities are important right here and now, the experienced ones and the possible ones. After you have had the joy of the dreams and held them close to your heart you can decide which ones will receive effort and energy. But the bringing to life of a dream must also be part of the dream. If you are allergic to rocks it is not good to be a mountain climber. The trip must be worth the end. Each step is part of the "now" of the dream for it to actually be part of the expression of who you are. So be in the moment, let your skin feel the air, let you nose smell the aromas around you, let your ears hear sweet words. But the part of you that still dreams of more as you center yourself, let it also perceive what comes to it. Dream of expressing, dream of doing, dream of being. That will give you a spark of magic. By itself your life will be better. The effort of making it so can come later. May the spark be with you.

Magic Talismans

A talisman is an object that has a lot of extra meanings and feelings connected to it. There are things like that in every one's life if they stop and let themselves realize it. If you are feeling down, or just failing to feel the zing that you deserve this time of year, think about a few of your favorite things, and see if that doesn't give a lift to your spirits. Don't rush, just peacefully think about things you enjoy or cherish. They may be things you can't touch with your hands right now, but they are there in you world. Let them bring you the love from the universe you deserve.
These are some of my favorite things. The outside door from my study has a window and I often get to enjoy the sunrise. My daughters like to make home-made cards to send to people, still. The way the household pet makes sure every body in the house gets his attention, even though he has his main person. The color of the sky on a sunny winter day. Kaleidoscopes. All fruits and vegetables, to eat and look at. The music from stringed instruments, including harpsichords and clavichords. Jane Austen books made into movies on PBS. That if you smile you feel better, just because you smiled. Ice water with lemon squeezed into it.
Now it's you turn. I'm still making my list. Make your as long as you need until you truly feel loved. Give yourself that spark of magic.

About Healing

Healing takes time, but healing happens. Even if you are healing from making an embarrassing mistake. There are steps to go through for each large or mini trauma and they shouldn't be rushed. Nor should they be drawn out. Here is where I think the gyre or spiral model will be useful. There will be moments of freedom, joy, clarity, productivity but then you will fall back down into the pain. Yet each time that you come out of the trauma your rise will be higher and further. Acceptance is crucial in this process, on two levels: acceptance of the trauma and then acceptance of the ending of the trauma. Each time you see the light at the end of the tunnel, remember that you did see light. If darkness happens again, don't let yourself get caught in the tunnel. You saw light once, you will see it again. The people I know who are the most resilient have a sense of 'I am me, I am involved in the process of living my life'. The people who seem stuck, forever in some kind of pain or other seem to have an attitude of: 'I hope I have some acceptable labels, I hope I can get into a box of the perfect life and stay there'. For the people with the latter attitude I say, " If you suspect this is a picture of yourself, dare to question your assumptions". To the first group I say," I know you question your assumptions and find that which is good for yourself. Enjoy your good health."

A Breath of Fresh Air

I've read articles about the way prisons in India, Arizona and other places are cutting down the rate of prisoners returning to prison, once they have been released, by teaching them a mind freeing type of yoga that mostly involves deep breathing.
It seems that citizens of the day to day world can benefit from this, free themselves from the prison of their own mistaken thoughts, by bothering to take a breath of fresh air. I went to a conference in the Colorado Rockies over a year ago where we experienced instruction in this and it was marvelous. Especially to me as it was several thousand feet higher than I thought I could be at and be free of altitude sickness. I had gone to a writer's conference the year before and suffered altitude sickness that interfered with my ability to listen and get to meetings for several days. But this conference, that started out with the breathing exercises, was enjoyable and beneficial for me the whole time.
The lesson from this is that there are many hidden sparks, ways to hook into magic, the good things in life. Learn to find them and use them. Magic abounds. Take a good deep breath then release all that needs to be released. Be well.

Just to Make It Through The Day

Writing about magic is causing me to be more aware of the tools and better able to use them. I woke up this morning in a very low state. In the past I would have gone back to bed, sunk into a hole and pulled everything in behind me. This morning I knew I needed to change my perceptions, but that it couldn't be done by will power alone. I took my vitamins and went back to bed. Feeling better when I woke back up in an hour I then started to create a change. I remembered my story that my writing critique group will discuss tomorrow, "Joshua's Lost Hand". A small boy lets his hand stay caught in his long-sleeved tee shirt as a way to assert his individuality and get through the day. That was my omen that I was meant to get through the day. Another omen of goodness was a phone call with good news I received. Then the spells were to eat, stretch a bit, and to check to see the actual state of something I thought was broken yesterday. It was okay. Then I looked at the couple of little figurines I have chosen to represent my worry pets. They were separate and not me. I sent them a smile. The last spell was to look at my worrisome 'do list' and it didn't seem that bad at all. Magic abounds. Magic empowers.