The Magic of Expressing Your Opinion

The 'opinion' in the post title is not a quick parroted slogan you have swallowed from some one else.  But a well thought out and well stated opinion can have magical, far reaching effects.   Such a way of stating your opinion can build your confidence and get you quoted down through the years.  Gandhi, Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, and Albert Einstein are just a few of the people who have influenced the people of the world to work for a better life.  They did not call names.  They listened and cared.  Then they said what was important with courage. If you are on Facebook you can start out by making a small comment on posts that others put up.  You can start in your family by frowning when some one says something too far off the wall.  Keep at it until you gain your voice.  What you care about matters.  But so does what others care about.  Opinions, expressed as opinions, but well stated can lead to true dialogue.  In time, sometimes it
actually takes decades but it can happen, improvements in life come about. I just read about the amazing amount of lynchings that used to take place in America.  But people began to push back and, expressing their opinions about the evilness of that, in about thirty years times, lynchings became very rare. If you don't like this insane gun violence going on in our nation, tell someone.  I say to all wise magicians out there "You have values and a good inner sense of goodness or you wouldn't be a wise magician.  So express your opinions and let the magic begin."  May the spark be with you.

Magic And Numbers

Many times fortune cookies or horoscopes will list your lucky numbers. In many ways numbers have been linked to magic. Rather than think that certain numbers have power I think the wise magician must look for the magic in the concept of numbers themselves. Numbers arose as a way of keeping track. Keeping track is the very basis of responsibility. There is nothing more magical than being responsible. If a person can't be trusted he is useless, or even dangerous. In my experience as a teacher children who had little concept of their body image also had a lot of trouble learning math. Some of these same children also found it hard to maintain self control with bathroom habits. I am not saying that intuition and numbers can never mix. Once or twice I bought lottery tickets on a hunch and they paid off. But more times than that I lost my money. Shallow magic is for passing time or entertainment. Deep magic is for making life better. Keeping track and being responsible are major factors in the good life. Even fighting fears can be done by keeping track. Fears are often blown up and exaggerated. A realistic record of how often the house blows away when you drop a knife, or some such trigger, will put you in a better spot about controlling your life. They say it is all a numbers game. To some extent it is. Keep track of what works and why, as well as what doesn't work. Then make responsible choices. Your life will seem a lot more magical. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Story

A good story really has an impact, whether it is considered true or fiction. Good stories have a deeper truth. People are now looking back to stories about the ideals of the Kennedy years. Those were real ideals but the stories have power now fifty years later. Another example of the power of story is from the movies, Harry Potter (series) and Avatar. People in Pakistan have been noted putting on protests for better government dressed in blue as the characters in Avatar. There is a group known as HPA (The Harry Potter Alliance) dedicated to doing good works around the world such as relief in Haiti. So as a wise magician I suggest you find a way to clothe your magic in a good story. Tell yourself and others of the changes you want with flair and power. A good story has an impact. Don't simply say, I will go to school. Try instead a story about how you will celebrate the magic of your gifts by attending school, but you will struggle. You will eventually overcome all and will add greatly to a better world. Every good CPA, plumber, teacher, mechanic, does add greatly to a better world. Do not put yourself down. During the Middle Ages, in many countries, many adults and children as well streamed to the Holy Land to engage in The Crusades. This was before media had much power. The stories of the need to take back Jerusalem from the infidel captured the imaginations of all these people just by hearing them word of mouth. The medical and scientific knowledge that was held by by Muslim world would never have gotten back to Europe so well without the Crusades. All this because of the way 'story' called out to people. Novelists and film makers often do a great service to the world by identifying an evil and inciting a struggle against it. The artist may not be trying to cause changes but the stories do have an impact and changes often happen. Find a good story for yourself and be true to it. I once read that 'if your life is not working you are following the wrong script'. Harness the power of story for yourself. 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.