The Surprises of Magic

Many of my posts have been about feeling the need for magic and drawing it to you. But you must remember that magic may come to you in surprising ways. Opportunities will seem to come to you at amazing times, simply strokes of good luck. A jolt may happen that makes you laugh, then you understand that there is more to it than a moment of entertainment. Magic often clothes itself in humor. It is common for magic to occur in your life without you formally asking for it. Be open to that. Perhaps your soul or subconscious sent out a message to draw it to you. A friend may have sensed your need and responded to it. But many times synchronicity will be at work. Something good happens to you and it is a surprise. But the events that led up to that were quietly going on until the magic matched up with you. Perhaps a marvelous bargain is offered to you just as you have been about to despair of being able to afford something. Our a wonderful connection is made. Wise magicians will continue to reach out into the field of energy that is magic and draw it to them. But wise magicians will also be open to the surprises of magic. Accept gifts when they are given. May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Musing

Sometimes I feel the need for magic and am not sure how to draw it to me. At times like that I use the magic wand of musing. I did that this morning and received a wonderful magical insight. I was feeling kind of down myself but was also dwelling on someone in my family who doesn't seem to feel that successful in life. I was musing on whether of not he was having his life needs met. I have often watched videos of Tony Robbins help people find ways to meet their basic human needs. One of those needs is significance. The thought occurred to me that I myself, as well as my family member, might not be feeling significant enough. Then the magic that surrounds me tapped me along side the head and said: "It's just like the shift from-'It's not how smart you are but how you are smart'- change it from 'How significant you are' to 'How you are significant'. That gave me a great feeling of magic in my life. I am significant. I can now discover the ways I am significant, the ways I matter. I hope I can find a way to help others also make this paradigm shift. We don't have to be a rock star to hear our soul sing. I suggest that all wise magicians celebrate their significance today in what ever way their soul wishes. May the spark be with you.

Games As A Tool Of Magic

One of the big problems in life is facing new and potentially dangerous, or at least fearful, situations. We need skills for these situations but don't have such skills automatically. Children understand this easily and make games out of developing necessary skills. They watch their parents and other adults and model their behavior. Soon we see them playing with dolls or other toys as they get ready for their adult roles. But what can we do as adults to meet our anxiety- causing new situations? We can use the magic of games once more. We can make a game out of looking for good behavior in people. This will help us find out that we can relate to people that formerly frightened us. We can tally up our own smallest success behaviors. This can help us gain confidence in our eventual mastery of a skill. Games are safe and allow things to be practiced and developed in small increments. I have been thinking of making up a game about my anxiety about computer technology. Every time I master a skill I am getting a sharper sword or a better weapon so I can slay the dreaded HARD TO MASTER LIST OF COMPUTER SKILLS. I gained some skill at PowerPoint so I am getting closer this week to the lair of the monster. I will prevail. To make up a game to help you face DANGER use every imaginative tool you can. Design safety places. Think up outrageous names for everything. Imagine how it will feel to become King of The Realm or a great heroine. Think up colorful, funny, or dramatic situations. Bring the energy of magic to your endeavors and learning. You will find that this will make life easier and more successful. Use play to succeed. May the spark be with you.

Where Magic Resides

Recently I had that recurring feeling of a need for a bit of zing in my life, for a connection with magic. That evening I went to a meeting of Colorado Dramatists,a critique group of playwrights. The member who needed a critique was in Austin, Texas but needed to get feedback for a couple of short plays he had been requested to write for a theater in London, England. We set up our session so the author could interact with us over speaker phone. We did a reading of his plays then discussed our suggestions with him. During this time and during the visiting among ourselves later, discussing past enterprises of Colorado Dramatists, I realized the room was full of magic. There were eight of us, if you counted the member in Austin, who were all highly creative and happy to be so. Different things each of us had to deal with were mentioned and suggestions or appreciations were given. But even when problems were discussed the sense of 'life is good' was there. Since then I have had several other times where I have had the same experience: that life is interesting and worthwhile and even fun, no matter what. Being around others and sharing experiences with them enriches my own sense of being in an energy field of magic. Humans are social beings. Not only do we need people to survive but also to thrive. A sense of joy and well being is more apt to develop if we spend time among friends. So I do hope that all the wise magicians who read this will let social connections help bring magic to life. May the spark be with you.

What Is Your Best Use Of Magic?

I have been asking people what they would like to have if a genie or a magic wand could be used to grant them their greatest wish. Some named something like a car, a house, or a better job. But many people wanted a greater understanding of the way they could do things for themselves, or to discover an idea that would help them make the progress they desired. This made me believe that the best use of magic is greater power for ourselves in the form of ideas or inspiration. I know that is how I like to have things happen for me. I will be feeling like I have a block or a problem. Then I reach out to the magic that surrounds me, that which some people call The Source, and things seem to open up. An idea that I needed, or a better belief in myself, which I also needed, comes to me. I do have to admit that once in a while a marvelous coincidence or great piece of luck does come my way. Sometimes a bit of trouble happens, but because of the timing of it or the people that are around me it turns out to be not such a great disaster. Those times seems to be gifts from the Universe, ones I didn't know to ask for. At times like this I again realize that Magic is well formed. Even if the way we want to control it is not so well formed. Sometimes we have to put out our intentions and desires then stand back, in trust, to accept the goodness, what ever shape or form in which it manifests, that comes our way. So look to your desires. Then wish for the magical ideas and energy that will come your way. They will show up if you call for them. May the spark be with you.

The Magic of Positive 'Shoulds'

I admit I cringed a bit when I first considered the title of this post. Far too many times people have tried to "fix" me or give unwelcome and bad advice starting out with "You should". But a wise magician can choose to rewire his or her brain by developing new habits. It is not easy but in time it will get easier to do things you have decided you should do. I am reminded of the first and second laws of Buddha: Life is hard but if you admit it and quit resisting, things get easier. I suppose that is why some women can accomplish so much when they have a family and a career. They have spent years buckling down and getting things done. I think of my sister, JoLynn Kirkwood, Cowboy Poet, Teacher, Mother, and Farm Wife as having four careers. Whenever I visit her or talk to her on the phone she is smoothly accomplishing things. It might be zucchini bread for the freezer, canning peaches from trees they have on the farm, or getting ready to go to an event in which she presents the poetry she writes about rural life.
The key concept in using 'shoulds' is freedom of choice. A habit stays with you a long time. Be careful of the ones you develop. Some people have practiced nastiness so long it is second nature. But with focus, setting yourself up to expect change to happen and keeping at it in persistent bits and pieces you can bring positive shoulds into your life. But they are your shoulds, not imposed on you from someone else. I wish you magic in creating the life you want. May the spark be with you.

Systems and Magic

We are often taught that the first step of the problem solving method is to identify the problem. But this is not necessarily easy. The problem may be a big complex one made up of many small problems. Or the stress around the problem makes it hard to approach in a logical manner.
This is where the tool of creating systems may be helpful. Impose a system on the problem and see what you find out. You may think you were working with categories that turn out to be the wrong ones. But you find this out by putting things into their categories and they don't fit. Remember, one of the first principles of magic is that it is well formed. If something doesn't work try something else. That is even a principle of mathematics. George Polya taught that if a problem couldn't be solved you could solve a similar problem and that might teach you enough to go back to the original problem and solve that, in his book from 1945 "How to Solve It."
Putting things is order, even if it isn't the right order, can be soothing and relieve some of the stress you may be feeling. If I am feeling a bit of writer's block I go back through my notes or organize my desk. That often lets an idea percolate and I am able to get back to my creative work.
I tutor in a lab for community college students preparing for a test they have to pass to get admitted to a certain program they want. I assign them books from which to study and they have to keep them in a drawer in a file cabinet in the room. I had been noticing that it was taking a long time for students to find their assigned book. I was wondering how I could use the numbers marked on them to make this easier. But one of the students took it on himself to lay the books a certain way, with the numbers showing as a brand, or identifying mark, not as being in any special numerical order. Since then no one has had any particular problem finding their book. His simple system of making the books lay all the same way was all it took.
You can use this idea of using systems to bring magic into your life. Make a list of the joys you are experiencing, of the magic you already have brought to yourself. Make a list of your strengths and how you can celebrate them to bring more purpose, joy and flair into your life or to others. Tweak a bit here, pat a bit there. A system must always serve the greater purpose, never be in place just for the sake of being a system. Find your own system, your own sense of purpose and order. Perhaps you are highly visual and need shelves rather than file drawers. Or perhaps clear pockets hung on a wall would work for your office. When you sense a problem reach out to the magic that surrounds you, take a breath of comfort or fun, and drop a bit of system on that problem. If a simple system doesn't solve it you may find that you have gotten a start on it at least. May the spark be with you.