Consider that magic is concentrated soul change that occurs in our deepest being. We create magic every day by transforming our emotions, especially anger, into a source of energy and a prompt for action. Each time we free ourselves of shame and freely express our feelings for the good of all we free our souls a little bit more. As we free our souls the ripples of this freedom spread out like magic and touch everyone we know. Magic is a way of understanding the unknown force that actually catalyzes change in us and the world. We can describe this energy as the creative intelligence of wrath or choosing to channel your passion.
As Spiritual people we often hear that anger is 'bad' and we need to overcome that feeling. In Thich Nhat Hahn's book Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
he tackles this most difficult of emotions. Nhat Hanh tells us that, fundamentally, to be angry is to suffer, and that it is our responsibility to alleviate our own suffering. The way to do this is not to fight our emotions or to 'let it all out' but to transform ourselves through mindfulness. Being mindful is the first step to acquiring an ability to make magic with our emotions.
What drives us crazy and makes us mad may be the seeds of our passions. We often become angry when we feel that someone is taking something from us, or that we should receive something we think we deserve. When we reflect on the last time we were charged up about something instead of reliving that incident, we can ask ourselves what we gained instead. Maybe we can learn how to refocus our energy? Or perhaps what we think is important does not matter at all? An emotional charge is a cosmic battery we can tap into whenever we choose. The first step is to see this charge as a source of energy we can tap into for the greater good, and then imagine that we can create deep change in ourselves. The next step in making magic is turning over our anger to the power of the unknown, or the unexpected. The unknown relieves us of our burdens of pain, sparks our imaginations into full blaze, and gives us gifts we did not know were possible.
We are blessed! Life continually offers us opportunities to choose. Are you going to be mad, or use this energy to make the magic of transformation? Deep soul change doesn't come easily for anyone. Often we find ourselves in rebellion until the pain of resistance becomes so great we must let go.
A friend suggested that we are diamonds in the rough, and the challenges we face are the polishing cloth that smoothes out the rough edges. He then suggested that when we encounter crisis, or deep change that it's our Higher Power's belief that we are ready for her chisel to descend and take a chunk off that rough diamond. Bam! Change happens whether we 'think' we are ready or not. Once that chip is off the diamond we find ourselves breathing freer, seeing the possibilities we were blind to before.
Recently at the farmer's market I went flying down to the pavement. I landed on my hands and knees, sprained my wrist and bruised myself badly. My body was the chunk flying off the diamond of myself. At first I was mindful of my fear, and did my best to land as best as I could. Then I was mindful of the shame I felt as the circle of watchers and helpers rushed up to my aid. The shame that came with falling was not my idea of who I am now, as I am sober. Then I was mindful of rage at having hurt myself so badly. I spent that day on my feet at an outdoor art fair.
I wasn't until the next day that I saw the magic my Higher Power created out of this 'accident'. My Sacral Ileac joint was bumped loose and freed. For years I have had lower back pain that adjustments and acupuncture would manage but not heal. Today I no longer have that pain. Magic? A miracle? I am happy that I am recovering from the 'accident' as a chip off the old block, and will be walking in the world in a whole new way.
This week's exercise is to make some magic happen in your life. When was the last time you felt charged up about something? Your co-worker took credit for something you did, or a driver shoved their car in front of yours in a traffic jam. Does the charge still linger? Can you feel that charge in your body still? What is the sensation, or the felt energy? What is the shape and density of that energy? Does it have a colour, sound or taste? Is the energy moving or still?
Now ask that energy what it wants from you. Are you willing to listen, to ask, to change? Are you willing to give that energy what it needs? Maybe it has a request that will actually bring your dreams even closer. What is it prompting you to do, or say?
This charge of energy is a catalyst, the seed of magic and yours forever. Imagine that you can make this charge of energy into a ball of light, or fill a container with the energy. Use it to change your life. Afterwards write up what you experienced the feelings, the request, and the change you are going to make. Congratulations! You just made magic.
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