Quantum Entanglement

I am not really an expert on quantum mechanics but I do know that whenever you read about that field the ideas are pretty interesting. Recently I saw on TV some professor use the idea of quantum entanglement referring to relations of people. Quantum entanglement in when two objects are connected then move apart they still act on each other. In the life of people certain people will show up in your life in unusual ways at important times. Participation is a little bit like that. When you participate in a person's life you do make a deep connection and that connection is not broken by time or distance. I also believe that a connection can exist between a person and an object, although the connection is broken with distance sometimes. Think of the way it is when you drive a car. The connection is strong and you and the car influence each other. The sense of participation and opening up to a two way connection allows greater learning to take place. The object and the subject act on each other. Writers experience this when the characters seem to develop lives of their own. The wise magician will be open to connections on many levels. Participate thoroughly in life and life's abundance will come to you. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of No

It takes a lot of energy to say no. But if you say no at the right time and in the right way it can really empower you. Say no to the people who are trying to raise the rabble. They are using slogans and half truths for their own ends. Poorly backed hot air based on imagined facts is dangerous. If you reach into the realm of magic that is around you, you can get the energy to debunk the loud, the dangerously persuasive. You can even say no to yourself when you are headed in the wrong direction. Going along with the crowd just because some of the crowd seems to say some things that sound good is dangerous and will suck your soul dry. Saying no to the wrong gives you energy to say yes to the right. I suggest you try this little exercise. Sit quietly then imagine a parade of people and events streaming past you for your approval. With full breath from your belly say no to what ever you want to say no to. When I did it I felt powerful and energized. Knowing what needs to be said no to will make it easier to take advantage of the opportunity to do so when it arises. Saying no is another tool, another magic wand in the magicians bag of tools.
Learn to use it wisely and well. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Light

Light is such a powerful metaphor for success, wellness, discovery and health in our culture that every mention of it almost has a double meaning. Examples: Hide not thy light under a bushel, let there be light, let the light shine in, bring things to light. Perhaps that is because light itself is so important to us. If we never get any sunlight we have all kind of health problems such as being deficient in vitamin D we will have problems with calcium, therefore problems with healing and brittle bones. Vampires are very popular in literature now but imagine how easily their bones must break as they land when they do those amazing leaps. They never get into the sun. Depression is more likely to affect us when we are deprived of light as well as other problems. But the light of which I speak now is of the mental/emotional kind. There are two small exercises I want to share with you that can be helpful in gaining a better life. The first is to look up, towards the light, whenever you are feeling down. Part of why this is so helpful is we are often caught in automatic "tapes" of negativity, we are talking to ourselves or hearing voices of criticism from the past. Looking up switches the channel into the visual mode. The second exercise is to imagine a beam of light illuminating dark corners. This is helpful when you are blocked, don't know where the energy or inspiration you need will come from. Just illuminating your dark corners will give you a jolt of energy. Value light. May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Physical Placement And Position

I met my first husband because I marched past him in our college marching band. My first job came about because a woman who needed a worker knew I lived two blocks from her cafe and her car was out of order that day. There is a lot to be said about being in the right place at the right time. We can do a lot to make that happen. We can place ourselves in good company, in places where we will be noticed. My physical therapist daughter recently taught me some better positions to hold my body in so I could walk more smoothly. The way we position ourselves, in all meanings of that phrase, can bring success and blessings into our life. The way we hold our self as we walk into a room. The way the things around us frame us or clash with us can all influence some one's perception of us. It is more than just body language, it is also the setting of time and place in which we position ourselves. The credibility we have, our reputation can have some effect. But first think about the physical. Are you ready to stand up and be noticed? What would you like to be noticed for and who would you like to notice you? How do you feel about the way you stand and sit? Let the magic that surrounds you help you to think about this and make any adjustments you might need. Put yourself, literally, in a better place. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the refusal to dwell on something, to bless it and let it go so that it no longer pulls you down. I forgive all the old do-gooders that used to preach against the seven deadly sins; greed, gluttony, sloth, wrath, pride, lust and envy. Society focused on avoiding them so much that things got twisted and we didn't know how to go towards the better behaviors connected with natural tendencies. For instance, sloth (laziness) is not a good thing. But Eric Fromm 1900-1980 the great psychoanalyst and humanistic philosopher pointed out that 'laziness is pathology'. In other words, people are not naturally lazy. If they are not putting out effort to get what they want there is some reason for that. It is the same with gluttony. Children without safe places to play and encouraged to comfort themselves with food are now considered to be a problem for the health of our nation. But calling them sinners will not change things. Self-awareness leads us to make choices about things that are good for us. Wanting things just to have things can go too far. But surrounding ourselves with beauty can also encourage a sense of spirituality. So I forgive those who tried to scare us away from considering our behaviors with the freedom to choose what is good for us. Use the energy of the magic that surrounds you to avoid sin (by whatever way you define it) and celebrate life. May the spark be with you.

Flowers In The Garden Of Catalyst

A catalyst is anything that brings about change. Magic is a catalyst. There are many kinds of catalysts. One of the biggest is 'acceptance'. The first law of Buddha says that life is hard. The second law says that when you accept the first law, and are no longer in conflict about that, life becomes easier. So, if you have interest, today, in being your own magician, I suggest you look around your world and see what you can accept. I have to accept a few things that need maintenance around my home. I have to accept a few things I can do to improve my health. I have to accept that there are some writing tasks I am behind on. Now those acceptances are out there I can get busy and take care of each of those things. I can change my life for the better. I can also look deeper and see other acceptances I need to make. One of my writing projects may need a little more depth and interest, maybe some humor, in the chapter I am working on. I can do that. I can enjoy not rushing with my idea about catalyst being magic onto other types, or flowers in the garden. That can come later. Right now I can enjoy the color and fragrance of this one flower, in this one spot in my garden. Magic will still have its energy. It will still abound. May you find wonderful acceptances in your magic garden today. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Keystones

As I was thinking the word 'keystone' I was picturing the unplugging of a bottle-neck. Those are supposedly opposite concepts but sometimes a concept has two sides to be fully developed. The bottle-neck is the narrow place that impedes the flow of liquid, traffic or ideas. The keystone is the last stone to go into place in an arch. The pressure of the other stones holds it in place and make the arch stand. It then can be used as a passageway. Both things seemed to happen for me yesterday. I had built on previous understandings enough that my edifice could take shape and blockages I had been fighting were finally out of the way. Some of what freed me up to be so productive was a total shift in perception about something. Sometimes it is a good thing to see something in a totally different way. For example, if a neighbor has a bad habit of character you can resent it or see that she would make a marvelous character in a story. So reach out for that energy spark to help you focus on things in a new way. You will not be blocked or bullied by life. You are the magician and once your mind is clear magic will be there to help you create. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Experience

I have been studying people a very long time. I have found that lip service does nothing to bring about change. I have known people who have been given good mental health concepts and believe that they have learned them. A thousand classes or therapy sessions will do no good if the concepts are not truly learned. Learning must be experienced in order to actually take place. Words can cause a barrier between hearing and being. Think of someone you love or have loved. There may be words there but there are also strong memories of sensual experience, the smell of that child's skin, the warmth around your heart at the joy of seeing that person, the sensation around your eyes as you wanted to smile in remembrance of that dear one. In planning and bringing about change in yourself you must call in your ability to experience a behavior in the same way you experienced your memory of a dear one. I wrote about a fairy child crying because her brother said she looked funny when she put jewelry in her hair. To shield herself from hurt she could have imagined words coming at her and herself deflecting them or turning them into different messages. Leora could have thanked her brother for noticing her hair. A lot of change work is done in solitary times, when we have the good sense and grace to visit with ourselves. To love ourselves is to work to give ourselves a good life. If we are burdened by needing the approval of others or thinking we need labels to have self worth we will have trouble gaining the peace and joy we deserve. Take inventory to see what changes you need to bring about. Reach out for the spark of magic that abounds to give you energy and courage. Then begin a series of visualizations, bringing in as many other senses as you can, about making the change you need. I need to become more active. I will picture myself walking in a variety of situations as vividly as I can. I will do this frequently. I will also "experience" myself after I have accomplished the goals I set for myself and enjoy the sense of achievement I feel. I will let the spark be with me. May you also find ways to experience the changes you need to make. May the spark be with you.

The Magic of A Pause

There are times when the urge to give up will come over you strongly. Sometimes it is a good idea to give up. Some things are more trouble than they are worth. Some roads lead to danger. Sometimes that urge to give up is a signal to regroup in a better way and go on to success and glory. Don't ignore the urge, just find out if it is a signal to get a better start or to really quit. If it's a "start again" signal here are some things you can do to make your attempt more successful. * Take a deep breath. It is amazing how often we tighten up, forget to breath and deprive out brain of oxygen. * Put the stress thoughts in a box and promise them that if they will just 'shut up' you will give them all the attention they deserve later. * Look at your project to see if you actually are on the right path with it. Sometimes I have to do a drastic rewrite to get back on track. But when I do, the work sails along. * See if you need to break your task down into small parts, doable parts. Maybe the size of the whole project is overwhelming to think about and you need to focus more on the small parts. * Take a rest. Maybe a break will energize you and let some new ideas or understandings come through. * See what you can do to add some 'zing' to your work. Perhaps you need to add some adventure or whimsy. The Bible is fairly serious. But look at pictures of the illuminated manuscripts. Those hard working monks often put a small animal doing something interesting in the picture they would
paint. So if you need to pause to make sure your hands are being held just right to catch the spark of magic, do so. Then let it energize you and get on with your magical creations. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Saying No To Stupid

Humans learn by doing so it is inevitable we will make mistakes. We can't be smart until we know what we are doing. But once we find out something doesn't work it is very stupid to keep on doing that. But stupid has a strong pull. Sometimes we don't take time to think something over, we just hear other people throwing a loud temper tantrum and we jump on the band wagon. Recently there have been a lot of demonstrators around the world, that have been fairly stupid in the way they were demonstrating. They couldn't seem to stand back and think clearly. In Colorado a few years ago demonstrators were hollering out "Say No To English Only!" Problem was no one was pushing English only. At the time there was no designated legal language for Colorado. Documents could be filed in any language, without any call for translation. So the Legislature designated English as the legal language of Colorado. No one stopped stores from hiring bi-lingual clerks, signs still stood outside businesses saying 'si venden aqui'. I used Spanish with my workers. When you wake up and say "That is stupid" it gives you energy to stop being stupid. An easy way to catch on that you are engaging in stupid is to be self-loving and aware during your conversations with friends or when you journal. Stupid may have a pull but it is not a black hole. Let the spark of magic help you wake up and say "No" to stupid. It will make your life better. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Carrot

We've all heard of the carrot on a stick that has to be held in front of a donkey to get it to go. Sometimes we have to dangle a carrot in front of ourselves, or others in order to get things moving as well. It is a lie that the donkey is about to get that carrot. It is a lie that we are slim, studious, or whatever we are trying to become. But affirmations do work. Constantly writing or saying that you are the embodiment of the positive characteristic you are trying to become does bring about change. Partly because we don't like to lie and the tension needs to be resolved. So we change in order to be more comfortable. Another carrot that is sometimes useful is to praise yourself or others, gently, for succeeding when the success first shows. It is not exactly a lie but it helps to make the way smoother towards that goal. It is quite alright to write down, and commend yourself for, every little piece of success you have. Don't wait to say "I finished the report." Say "I got a good start on the report and will be able to continue in a productive way." Say "I recognized the problems involved with the project and made a workable plan for dealing with them." Grab onto that spark of magic that will help you lead yourself forward. You deserve success and the spark of magic that is the magic carrot will help you. May the spark be with you.