The Magic Of Cycles

In Western cultures we tend to look at life as something that progresses in a linear manner.  I was taught that Eastern cultures believe more in cyclical nature of life.  We tend to resist the idea of cycles, saying that being frustrated is "going around in circles".  Not only do we expect to progress in a linear way, it must also be upward.  Yet to deny the place of cycles is to forget how pleasant it is to meet Spring each year as new and also as an expected old friend.  Coming home at the end of a long day is a cycle, yet it is welcome and renewing.  We do not have to let cycles be closed loops.  There is a spiritual concept of a gyre, a spiral that moves us towards Heaven or a deeper understanding of that which is more profound in life.  Each evening, as you come into your home, you can spiral a little deeper into the wonderful haven you have.  You can focus on something that you have been taking for granted.  Perhaps there is a stone near the sidewalk that has an interesting curve and texture to it that you have not appreciated before.  Perhaps you have not noticed how the light plays on the face of one dear to you, showing the depth of character they have developed over the years.  As you revolve you can evolve.  Your progress does not have to be a journey of simply passing through life, moving ever upward and onward, without ever really experiencing the beauty that is there.  Cycles let you come once more to something that you may have glossed over before.  When you next feel that you are 'going around in circles' break out of the frustration and look to the lessons and gifts you can gain this time around.  May the spark be with you.

Rituals In Magic

I recently read an article by an inspirational speaker in which he said that he starts out his workday, with his staff, by having everyone say what they are thankful for. He believes that the act of visiting gratitude is a ritual that energizes and keeps them all on track. A ritual can be made into a good habit without losing sight of the higher purpose behind it. When it becomes a habit you don't have to keep up the energy of constantly making the decision to do that ritual. Then your mental energy can be focused on the daily decisions and actions you have to engage in. The magic comes forth when the ritual is there to remind you, when needed, of the higher purpose of the ritual. This speaker's ritual of expressing gratitude doubtless causes people to think about the blessings of life at times other than the start of their work day. I had a cleaning business for years. I had a ritual of looking over my work, and blessing it, as I would start to close the door behind me. If I didn't see that I had left beauty behind me I would re-enter and make things as they should be. There are many habits we can develop that are meant to endow our daily life with a feeling of satisfaction and goodness. The way you serve a meal, deal with other people, approach your studies or work, can all be done in such a way that you are invoking magic to come into your life. I suggest to all wise magicians that you look for ways to celebrate your life as you go about your day to day activities by developing rituals that remind you that life is good, that life is magical. May the spark be with you.

Magical Gifts

It's Christmas Day and I had a wonderful Christmas. I received many gifts. One of the strongest, one that made a great impact, was the gift of tears. It was almost dusk. I was leaving one great gathering where I had been very happy to be among friends and driving to another home of friends. As I drove through the heart of the city I looked over and saw a homeless man. We have learned to recognize them in Denver by dress, amount of activity and location. He was bundled up but not moving. He had a small shopping cart like you can buy for home use, behind him, full of belongings, as well as a backpack on his shoulders. He was standing absolutely still with his head down towards his chest. He was in a part of town where the homeless are fed for the holidays. He probably had to now decide where he would spend the night. He may have been younger than I am but he looked as old as the ages. And hopeless. I had to cry. I didn't know what else to do. But the experience strengthened my desire to encourage people to find the spark of magic inside themselves. To be able to reject the insults they have received from parents, friends, society in the 'name of helping them do better'. All lack of love and acceptance damages us. Then that radiates out and damages the community. Thus we end up not able to give acceptance to ourselves or others. We do this without even being conscious of our inability in this way. Acceptance is the greatest magic there is. I hope, but doubt, that this man was saying to himself "I am a wise magician. I am well bundled. I know where I can spend the night in comfort. Tomorrow I will find ways to improve my life." The result for me from this experience was to strengthen my plan of finding ways to help others find the magic inside themselves. This was the result for me from my 'gift of tears'. I hope this day had wonderful gifts for all of you and that you found ways to give unto others. May the spark be with you.

The Magician's Cloak-Part Two

Our magician's cloak may seem too thin at times or even threadbare. Thinking of the cloak as self-love or self-acceptance it must be admitted that those traits in our character can be stronger or weaker at times. We may even wonder how to develop them. Here are points to consider about self-love. *Giving into our appetites is not self love. While at times a glass of wine, a bit of chocolate, a good book, or a bit of good loving can be a celebration of life at other times it can be overboard. Too much of a good thing can be destructive. *Being careful about the promises we make to ourselves and then keeping them can be a great way to develop self love. *In tapping, when the tappee says 'even tho' I have this problem of....I accept myself deeply' the inner self will eventually develop a lot of strength and feeling of self acceptance. *affirmations of self acceptance are also effective. *Even tho' both tapping and affirmations bring up self doubt the ultimate result is less doubt and more acceptance. *Bragging is not a sign of self love. We may get a great idea but it is better to say 'I am going to consider putting this idea into effect" than to say,"I am going to do this great thing.' Bragging is a sign of weakness. It is great to say 'I feel good about what I have done.' but that is simply truth. This is different from saying "I am really hot stuff because I did thus and so." *Self acceptance can also grow through introspection and meditation. *I have found that when I face a problem and succeed in dealing with it I like to stop and thank myself for coming through for me. This little pause and thank you has added to my belief that I can be there for myself. *Grandiose labels are not needed. Self acceptance feels strong and sure and comes from within. Labels are supposedly needed by the outside world. *If your cloak is not enough for you stop and pat yourself on the back for accepting that you want it to be stronger or fuller. You have gained in self acceptance. As you design and weave your cloak let the magic that surrounds you give you help and ideas. May the spark be with you.

The Magic That Is Around You

I often refer to the magic that is around you. Thinking of yourself as being surrounded by a nurturing field of great possibilities is part of the mind set of being a wise magician. This mind set does a great deal to keep you open to luck, great ideas and making good connections. Anti-magic is closed, helpless, hopeless, negative, unhealthy and dangerous. This idea of thinking you have a field of magic around you encourages you to make reality checks, to avoid closed loop thinking, to keep good goals in mind and to accept the good when it comes to you. Knowing that not every one can hook into the magic that is around you helps you recognize their baloney (or worse) when they throw it at you. There are concepts that people have developed over the centuries that show many cultures also accept that there is more than 'just us'. Some of these concepts are, karma, dharma, feng shui, synergy, synchronicity, synchrodestinity,the soul,love, luck, guardian angels, and providence. For centuries humans have recognized that life can be very difficult. Yet more often than not it seems to work out. I used to have a very dour 'baloney-tosser' in my life. He hated psychology because he said it wasn't a science. That was his surface excuse to avoid maturing. I didn't discuss it with him but I do know in my graduate courses in the history of science and intellectual thought that researchers often accepted a concept as 'useful' even if they weren't sure that it was a final concept. Magic is meant to be useful. It is well formed and practical. The purpose is to help you, the wise magician, shape a good life for yourself and others. So reach out to the energy of the magic that surrounds you and find a way to have some joy, some luck, some goodness in your life. 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 The Other

Participation. Love. Connection. Interaction. Being invested. Communion. All of these words refer to a particular experience that cannot be well expressed in words. It is a magical time when the person, craft or project is influencing you as you are influencing it. It is a truly two way experience. In this state you have lost distrust and ego. The welfare of the other is bound up with your welfare and a feeling of faith and trust tells you that the ultimate goal will be right and well formed. This can happen to an artist, a therapist, a writer, a mother, a lover or even an athlete as they practice their craft. I doubt that it can happen to a rabble rouser or a demagogue. The wise magician strives for that state because it brings the power of the magic that surrounds us into play. I believe that is why the term 'as above so below' is used as a mantra in working spells; to refer to the sacred aspect of magical and/or spiritual endeavor. This state is not achieved by simply willing it. It is rather a release of will. It is a meditative state. The exercises that some use when meditating or trying to go into the alpha state can help. Some simple ones are to tip your head back a bit and roll your eyes up. Or to block off breathing through the right nostril for a second or two. Deep breathing also helps. But the feeling of love or connection is a long term feeling or state. Some even refer to it as eternal. When writers feel that their characters have come alive and are helping to tell the story it is a manifestation of this connection. The willingness to prune, to rework, to be patient or experiment to find what brings about the desired beautiful result is what brings about this connection and is also a result of it. Magic, good relationships, good health, well crafted works are all a well formed expression of love, connection, or whatever word you find for this state or experience. Let magic help you to reach out to experience love and connection in many aspects of your life. May the spark be with you.

Question The Answer

Life is so full of questions that any answer can seem like a welcome port in a fierce storm. Be careful. The answer might not really fit the question. Or the question might have been the wrong one in the first place. Think about the question, What are you going to be when you grow up?, one children are often asked. This points children towards the path of labeling themselves. Actually growing up to full maturity means growing away from labels. Another thing that might happen is that you get the answer before you really know what question you are asking. When we have an epiphany or 'aha' moment that is an answer that has just been discovered whether we were consciously asking a question or not. Remember that magic likes things to be well formed. Make your questions well formed. One question that I think is poorly formed is when people ask 'what is the purpose of life?'. I think that life is. It is up to each of us to endow our own life with meaning. When you have a well formed question, that fits with what you are truly concerned about, decide how you will know that you have received a valid answer. A good answer feels right and it works is a pretty good rule of thumb. When it no longer works it is time to ask another question. That's why I would rather people ask a child about ways they will express their own individuality, not necessarily waiting until they are grown. Reach out to the magic that surrounds you and find some good questions. Ones that fit in with the path you want to be on. Then go forth and find some good answers, always remembering the way you are choosing to live. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Well Done

Sometimes you may pour so much into getting a project or task done that you wear yourself out. That is the time to take your magic wand and get another surge of energy. One good way to do this is to look at the finished work and say "Well done".
That moment of self appreciation will do wonders for you mentally, physically and even spiritually. In that timeless moment you are at one with all creativity.
Figurative 'patting yourself on the back' has many benefits. It will boost your self esteem, reinforce your standards of doing something well and energize you for more effort. Sometimes you may need to give yourself a little boost but don't have an immediate accomplishment to appreciate. Then you can cast your mind over other projects you have done well. Sometimes just staying with something until it is done, whether it is perfect or not, is an accomplishment you can be proud of. When you say "Well done." do more than give it lip service. Let a feeling of well being and pride engulf you. Letting good facts become good feelings is a major way to encourage your personal strength of mind. You have many things about you that you have created well. Continue to live so that you can say of yourself, "Well done." May the spark that encourages that be with you.

The Magic of Our Body

It is easy to take our bodies for granted. But the wise magician marvels, respects and nurtures the body. It heals given half a chance. It is mobile, sensitive, expressive and perceptive. The wise magician will marvel at the magic of having a body. The wise magician will give it challenges such as movement to keep muscles and circulation in shape. Nourishment, cleanliness, rest are all important. Stretch for flexibility. If you can't take in the miracle and complexity of the whole body just focus on one tiny aspect. Isn't it wonderful that each finger can bend? Your body is hooked into the magic that surrounds you. Let that come to you. Loosen up and move in the rhythm that your body likes. Sense the beauty and wonder around you. Cosmetic care is not what your body wants as much as it wants you to live in it. To make your life better be more in your body. Move more. Be more aware. Sleep or a brisk walk, activities of the body, will chase worries away and bring new ideas. Your body is one of your magic wands, or tools, to help your life be wondrous. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Due Time

In the Bible and other places it is mentioned that there is a special time for all things. Due time is not really calender time but organic time; things are ripe when they are ripe. Ideas come when they are ready and challenges occur to us when we are ready enough for them that we can grow into them. The practical magician can use this property of time, that it can be subjective, to help make life better. In Neurolinguistic Programming practitioners are taught many time use techniques. One is that of 'change history'. If a person has a personal history that is interfering with their success they are taught to do some vivid imaginings of a personal history that would lead to success. When they are in a growth inducing trance they are told they can process what they are going through by taking all the time they need, even though it may only be a minute or two of clock time. If there is something you need to be able to do but it is almost too hard at the moment, you can cause the readiness or 'due time for it' to come around by continuing to think about doing it. This thinking should not be worrying or nagging thinking but musing about how you are going to be able to approach and accomplish this challenge. You will become more and more able to do this task until one day you will discover that due time for it is here, you now have the needed courage and know you can get the skills. Reach out for ways to improve your life. It is due time for you to do so. May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Finally

Yesterday someone commented that I was walking with a lot more energy and ease. This was a goal I had been working for but had not had a lot of hope of making progress on. A great wave of "finally" washed over me. I felt energized and more able to continue to push myself to put more movement into my life. Then I began to look at other goals I had that had become kind of stale because I had been slogging away at them so long. I found myself able to generate energy to continue with them by letting myself see and feel what I had "finally" accomplished in regards to them. I had finally come up with some character traits, even flaws, that made the protagonist in a book I am working on more interesting. It is now easier to go forward. I had finally gotten enough comments from those who were critiquing another work so that now I can get busy with some more polishing of it. I had finally paid off one of my high interest credit cards. I looked around and found all kinds of things I had finally done. I felt like I was on top of a mountain and surveying my kingdom. So if you need to hook into the magic that is around you for some help in any area of you life, look around you. Perhaps you have finally had some close time with a person important to you. You may have finally been able to feel a special connection to the universe by meditating at dawn or in some other way. You inner self is constantly working for your benefit. Discover what it has "finally" done for you and appreciate it. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Asking For Help

There are myriad ways of asking for help, from prayer, to dialing 911, to writing your congressman. You can also reach down and ask your inner self for help and get quite good results sometimes. But the times when you feel trapped in a whirlpool, an eddy that seems to pull you down relentlessly it is good to reach out. Just the act of clarifying your thoughts enough to say what it is you want can work wonders. So if you feel like you are going round and round in circles do grab onto a spark of the magic that surrounds you and ask for help. The entire problem may not immediately be solved by an outside presence. But the important thing is that you have acted for yourself on your own behalf. That is what a magician does. As long as you feel like you are trapped in a loop keep asking for help. You may want to vary your requests in the way you ask, what you ask for and where you address your requests. But don't give up. It is important that you pay attention to the results of your asking. What changes do you feel within? What advice would you give yourself now that you are more clear about your needs? How much of an answer have you received? If you are very careful about this you will get more help than you expected. It is the over-reactors who claim they have gotten no help at all. The sun shone on you another day so you could continue your requests. The breath in your body continued another day. The universe is on your side. The goal is to get out of that loop of despair. As long as you can hook into the magic around you there is hope. May the spark be with you.

Give Things A Chance To Work

When a magician works a spell he is considered inept if he has no idea what the spell is for. He is also inept if he changes his spell before the first has had a chance to work. "Of course," you agree. But have you ever reacted before you even knew if you had put in the right coins for the vending machine? Or started to ask for something better but not stated your request clearly to a friend or the universe, then felt as if your request was unfairly denied? The skillful magician makes sure requests(spells) are well made and then gives the request a chance to be heard. It is the same in healing. Many, many different things can interfere with healing. The right treatment or treatments must be found. Then, that which is causing the illness must be alleviated. The cause of illness may be one things but other things may be helping it hang on. All hindrances to healing must be pushed away. Sometimes in the search for success the final goal can not be stated. At that time the goal must be clarity or understanding. So, if your life is currently lacking in magical quality, reach out for that which is better for you. Craft your reach. Give each step a chance to work. Let magic work for you. 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.

The Wild Things

Before I had driven a block this morning I saw a pair of red foxes. This is a city but there is room for wildlife evidently. They were just walking, perhaps hunting, but didn't act as if they were out of place. Later my daughter told me she sees foxes in this residential area often. Animals are like we are, they adapt to their environment, they make a home where they find it. I have known for years that I am happier when I am around growing things. Concrete jungles devoid of greenery are not for me. I've also discovered that I take delight in watching birds and squirrels in the city. In the wild I've always looked for more of course. But now my city has more than I knew. There is more to see, more to experience, more to enjoy. There are more possibilities for adventure than I realized. When we layer dimensions on our life of experience, understanding, comprehension we become more than we were. Those foxes gave a lot to my life. Later I saw the way a mother played with her child and that also enriched my life. Whatever, or whoever you let delight you enriches your life. That is part of the magic that surround you. Use it to bring yourself joy. May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Synchronicity

We are constantly urged to use our mind to develop habits and strategies to bring us success. But we cannot control everything. It is also well to use our minds to perceive the coincidences that come our way. Synchronicity is a term for meaningful coincidences. Depak Chopra says that coincidences are signs of new probabilities. The world may have magical events waiting to happen in your life. Be open to those possibilities. It was a small thing years ago to befriend a guest lecturer at my school. His pink cheeks and blue eyes reminded me of my grandfather anyway, so it was no trouble. But that chance meeting led to a bond being formed between myself and Dr. Nicholas Zernov that broadened my life a great deal in the realm of travel, greater self-esteem, intellectually and emotionally. I was the graduate teaching assistant who had to take over the class because the professor was gone for the day and another professor needed a larger audience for his guest. I had nothing prepared so I was happy to join my class to the other. Coincidences abound. They are a sign of the magic that surrounds us. Embrace those that call to you. That is what gives them their meaningfulness. Embrace the fullness of life. May the spark be with you.

Magical Patterns

From birth our brain is wired to look for patterns of a visual nature. The mother's face that peers over us is a mandala, which is a pattern that promotes brain development. Later we can perceive patterns in sound, in events, and in movement. The process for rehabilitation from a brain injury often involves relearning the regular movements of crawling, as the rhythm of moving our appendages back and forth in rhythm also helps the brain grow. Sometimes random events take place which we perceive as a pattern because of the way it triggers ideas and insight. We then take these events as signs or omens. This is where your power as your own maker of magic can come into play. You can take anything for a sign and use it to trigger positive behaviors or insights. That is a way to hook into the energy of the magic that surrounds us. If you see an eagle you can use that for a motivation to soar above petty squabbles, to be loyal to your mate, to be playful, all of which are attributes of the eagle. Verdant green lawns can trigger you to nurture the earth or your money.
We choose what we perceive and what we think about. Look for, listen for, be aware of patterns that will help your life flow, help your life have meaning, help you live the life you want. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Taking Stock

There are many ways to take stock. When we count our blessings we are taking stock in an enjoyable way. When we fill out our 'do list' we are taking stock in another way. I would like to suggest another way of focusing on our life to see if it is on the right track. Take time to stop and look for the magic. There are spots of fun and joy. There are little special touches you can add, like the way a chef will slice and fan a strawberry, or put a dash of nutmeg on a custard. Or perhaps you can note the word play you caught. Like a memory I have of handing my daughter, maybe 35 years ago, a mint at a restaurant. She asked how I knew she wanted it and I told her I was her Fairy Godmother. She replied that yes, she knew I was her Very Good Mother. Morning bird song. Roses that are pretty and have a good smell as well. It is important to stop and take stock, to see where you are. Check our where you need to place effort, what you have to be thankful for, and what abounds around you to make life a little more special, a little more livable, a little more magical. It is the joy and zing that will help you hold on to the gratitude as well as put out the effort to nurture relationships and accomplish tasks. Use that energy to keep yourself going. May the spark be with you.

The Magic Of Attention

"What you pay attention to grows" (Deepak Chopra, M.D. in Creating Health) This is similar to the ideas I discussed about practice: practice strengthens things whether in a negative or positive way. The things you focus on are important. If you give attention to negative thoughts they will grow. You will become more aware of them. You become more spiritual and healthy as you become more self aware. As you become more aware you are better able to make good choices. There are different kinds of and different levels of attention. A tight hovering kind of attention is less apt to be beneficial than a broad, relaxed attention. Our inner self will tell us when something is positive or negative, especially if we practice awareness to the inner voice. When you feel tight (or uptight, as is often the case) you can try to acknowledge that, then broaden your field of awareness. You can say to yourself, "I am able to take in a broader awareness, I am aware that I can choose to focus on something other than this. I can look for other colors, hear other sounds, be aware of other movements. I am my own magician and I can resist evil spells." Goals on which you focus are more apt to be reached. Health becomes more part of your life as you pay attention to it. Let the energy of magic help you guide your attention in wonderful ways. May the spark be with you.