Magic
Today?
It is a magical life! What does that even
mean? We have all been informed that
fairies and elves don't exist. That
Santa is our parents. That a bunny does
not lay colorful eggs. Is there still
magic out there? Some people build fairy
houses. Children still leave out
cookies. There must be magic, somewhere?
My
Nordic ancestors had a life full of harsh simplicity during long, bitter
winters and hard work on the farm. Many
men and women went into battles and travels dying for supplies, land, food, and
resources.
However, among the unpleasantness, there was a lighter side. They also enjoyed playing games, contests, and
competitions. By the Viking Age,
Norsemen regarded skiing as a productive way to get around during battle or
recreation. They even worshiped a God of
skiing, Ullr.
Their
pantheon was full of Gods, Elves, Goddesses, Giants, and Dwarfs. Dozens of land spirits, elves, ancestors, and
more were a daily part of life. There
were no individual temples and priests; ordinary people maintained it in their
homes. During the Viking Age, when
people were away from home, they probably worshiped outdoors. And many saw the house spirits as being
associated with the hearth or fire in the home.
Elves
were originally thought of as beings with certain magical abilities capable of
helping or hindering humans. Brownies
inhabited houses and aided in tasks around the house. Trolls were known to live under bridges that
had been constructed in the depths of the forests and mountains. And don't forget the dragons, giants, and
other celestial animals.
Their
elves have become popular today thanks to novelist J. R. R. Tolkien. But has their magic survived the centuries?
Today,
you may start the day with an alarm clock or maybe a Smartphone app. You then, with a groan, crawl to the
bathroom. Afterwards, you head straight
for the coffee. Thanks to a timer, it is
ready and waiting to help wake you up.
With a slow shuffle and you are on the couch watching the news and
sipping your drink.
Suddenly, there is a crash and thud. Three children come running in from the hall,
flying through the air and onto the couch.
Screaming at each other and waking the neighbors. You rush to get everyone dressed and
fed. Running to the car, you then drop
the children off at school and finish the morning dash at work.
No
magic there. Just an average, every day
morning. No trolls to pay before
crossing the bridge. No dragons or
giants to run from as they throw rocks and fire. A brownie to help with house chores might be
nice, but there are still dirty dishes in the sink. No magic.
Or
is there? My ancestors never saw a
watch. To them, a buzzing flashing black
box could have been seen as evil magic. Something
that a white-bearded old man waved into being with a stick. Or indoor plumbing might have been a
miracle. And could you imagine a Viking
with a talking GPS unit? Break out the
fire wood, time to burn someone at the stake.
It
might be a three-day walk for my ancestors to get any news. Now, in an instant, we can get news from
anywhere in the world. And a few ancient
people might have had one horse to help with that walk. But today you can use a hundred horsepower
car to get to work. Like magic, you are
instantly there.
No,
let's stay connected to reality. I
cannot wiggle my nose, and magically have a typed paper in a flash of smoke. This computer to type this note has no
magic? Created from bits of carbon,
nitrogen, copper and sand. Merged with heat
and water to form chips, wires, shells and more. Mysteriously, this hard lump of materials
lets you talk to grandma across the globe.
Or type notes, that charmingly spell themselves correctly.
Maybe
it is the point of view. Maybe there is
nothing supernatural about magic at all - it's just the harnessing of natural
energy that is around us. The very life
that surrounds us is magical - in the birds, phones, rocks, plants, books,
humans, stars, computers and more. Magic
is everywhere! It is a magical life!
Magic is the manipulation of energy through our will to
create and manifest change. Working with
spells, ritual and ceremony is certainly one way to do this, but there are
other ways to work with energy, both our own and that in the world around us,
to help us create the life we want that goes beyond the altar and into our
daily lives.
Close
your eyes and take a deep breath. (go
ahead, breath before reading on...) Decorate
your home with colors that make you feel energized. Take ten minutes every morning for
meditation. Hang a crystal in your car. On a cold day, stop to watch the exhalation
of warm air leave your mouth. Make your
computer background a forest. Say 'thank
you' to the rising sun. Consider the
impact of your words.
Exercise
often, but don’t ever feel anything except proud of your breasts or your
stomach or your arms. Always have a full
bookshelf. Wear heels that make you feel
like a sex goddess. Sit outside and read
a book. Always have music playing. Stop to appreciate a full moon. Do you see the bird sitting on the wire? (go on, look out the window now, see the
bird, tree, sky...)
Give
someone a compliment. Grow an herb
garden. Put money in an expired meter. Sweep your floor and visualize brushing out
the negative energy. Wash off the day
with a bubble bath. Use color magic to
pick your nail polish shade. Eat
consciously. Every day is magic. Magic is everywhere, in everything.
One
of the biggest mistakes we can make when we’re trying to live a magical life is
thinking that everything we ask for through prayer, meditation, intention and
ritual is going to happen exactly as we visualize. As Mick Jagger so beautifully sings it “You
can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find, you
get what you need.”
