Have you forgotten your magic?
Magic unfolds when we truly open our hearts and surrender our defenses
Hocus-pocus. I recently had to fly across country, turn off my electronic devices and create a bit of open space in my life…in order to simply allow some magic to saunter back in. I hadn’t actually realized it had departed until an old familiar friend called whimsy returned. It felt like a gentle breeze of playfulness – a reunion with a former self, one who had a more inquisitive and wondrous nature. Surely I could have done this without taking a trip, yet the reality is that we rarely do.It presented itself under the guise of a workshop. I had gifted myself a creative journey – a 4-day immersive experience with a very small, intimate group. It was one of those things that just happened – crossed my path and came together with remarkable ease (or as one of my new friends deemed a God-idence, the colliding of the Universe and coincidence.) Those are the moments when the stars align and we know it is right. That isn’t to say that I didn’t take myself through some mental gymnastics beforehand – telling myself things like, you’re nuts – it’s right before Christmas, you shouldn’t be spending that money, what were you thinking? etc. But that’s the way a bit of wonder works – when we reach for something that lights us up and simultaneously terrifies us…it is time to stretch and move in that direction.So as I checked off exhilaration and terror from my list, I moved towards connecting with myself on a deeper level. I packed my bags and off I went.
The deep dive into our truest selves is often fraught with the unknown…but this is also the wondrous land where we connect with our long-forgotten magical selves.
This beautiful group of strangers that individually came together in this experience arrived from all over, from different backgrounds, with different reasons for being there, yet were united by a desire to dig deeper into their own seeking.There is an alchemical reason that people cross paths – and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this experience availed me of this knowingness. I’ll concede that this kind of a result is achieved more easily in a setting such as this one – where we were all away from home, work, and responsibilities. The only obligation we had during those 4 days was to ourselves and to this exploration. It was my early Christmas present to self. I had no idea that the gift would extend far beyond those reaches and that each of those individuals would leave an imprint upon my heart.We literally fell in love with one another, effortlessly and almost instantly – love at first session — soon recognizing the magnificence of each other.
When we open our hearts – we not only allow the magic in, we become an instrument of it.
The resonant takeaway beyond everything else was that if 6 strangers with open hearts could come together and create such supportive and sacred space for one another, couldn’t we bring this back to our respective lands and become ambassadors of this very same love? This is how we shift the world within and around us.Aside from the power of camaraderie, there was a more significant message that we were divinely positioned to bestow upon one another. As a matter of fact, the youngest in our group was there to remind us of magic. When I first heard her tell of her travels to “Elf School” in Iceland, I really wondered what I was doing there. She wasn’t actually training to be an elf, she was learning about an entire culture, which the Icelanders refer to as “hidden people.” Initially it all sounded a bit farcical, but the more I listened to her story and witnessed the light in her being as she recounted it all, and the more I took note of how much it was delighting our group…I thought to myself, well, why not? She enchanted us with stories of elves and being served the most delicious pancakes and cream.Of course in the ensuing days, it became evident that her gift to us was to reconnect us all with a sense of wonder, to rekindle our inner magic.Regardless of a lifetime of travel – each and every time that a jet takes off, barreling down the runway – I feel a surge of wonder. Yes, there are all kinds of hydraulic, scientific and mechanical reasons why a plane weighing 50 tons can take flight like a bird. But could we just allow ourselves to settle into some of the magic involved?Ordinary becomes extraordinary when we open our eyes to it. I’ll admit, I’m the first to get caught up in the day-to-day drudgery of routine and obligations. When we live life in that mode, we dull down the sparkle just waiting to shine brightly within. So how do we return to magic? We simply need to insert delight into our every day – some how, some way. Only you can define it for yourself, but start by asking yourself – what would make me giggle, add a little skip to my step, help me see things a bit lighter?Do that! And then do some more of it – hopefully flexing that muscle will help guide you back to your inner magician so you can see the magic within you, others and the beautiful world at large. Perhaps you will even bump into an elf or two?