Living the Magical Life.

Magick abounds in the world all around us. It is always with us and always at work in the unseen workings of the universe. Most people never notice, or only acknowledged what science has named. But there is so much more, ancient knowledge once handed from father to son, from grandmother, to mother, to daughter…It is the path taken by shamans, Taoists, nuns, druids and witches. It is a path that requires study and intellect that affords one the ability to tap into the powers of the earth, the mind, the body and the spirit, powers that healers have tapped into for thousands of years. It is a practice that has been handed down through time because it works.

Magical living is skillful living. The magical path is a path of self-discovery. It is knowledge applied to gain understanding of the workings of the cosmos. It is a bridge that furnishes the connection we all long for. It is stepping out into the world alive and awake. It is noticing, observing, applying and appreciating the power of the cosmos and its daily workings in and through our lives. The magical life opens our minds. It shows us that each and every one of us is a crucial part of the global journey towards a Higher Consciousness and that by practicing kindness first toward ourselves and then to each person and each creature we meet on our daily path, and to feel empathy for all living things, we strengthen our interconnectedness. For stepping away from ego and fostering empathy is an essential part of the human existence and that when we love and help one another, we not only mend our lives and heal ourselves, we open ourselves to fulfillment and forge a connection to a world that is so much larger than we are.

And it begins with getting up and going outside. When was the last time you immersed yourself in nature and forged a connection with the natural world? When was the last time you went outside and let your spirit quiet and your heart swell with awe and gratitude? Modern life is filled with distraction. It is easy for one to become disconnected in this modern, indoor age. It is easy to lose track of your days, your months, yourself. So wake up. Do not live like a zombie. Aspire to live a magical life. Step out of your routine and slow down. When we slow down and come awake to acknowledge the natural world, something big begins to happen. We make a connection and as awareness grows, we become aware of the interconnectedness of life. Adopting the slower, more harmonious rhythms of life, opens a portal and allows contact with the something so much bigger. Life takes on meaning.

When I began walking the magical path I began to see the magick in the natural world around me, in the beauty of the setting sun, in the glory of the full moon, in the wonder of a butterfly sipping nectar from a blossom. The insight transformed my world and transformed my life, as my perception opened and I became aware of the energy that had been at work in my life all along.

Try it. Just unplug and go outside. Find a comfortable place and sit. Quiet your mind and allow yourself to come awake to the moment. Move your thoughts to what you can see, to what you can smell, and to what you hear. Notice the creatures sharing the space. Marvel at the beauty all around you. Let your well of inner peace fill. Nature holds a sacred restorative power. All we have to do to access it is to go outdoor, tune in and acknowledge the connection. Start by going outside on a daily basis. By taking time out to tune in to nature, you will begin to notice and attune to natural patterns, cycles and changes in nature. The place around your sit spot will take on new meaning and put the rest of your life into a larger context. You can expect to feel a connectedness and familiarity with your sit spot. You will start to see the lives of the trees, bugs, birds, and rocks of your backyard acknowledging the trees in your yard. Spend time with them. Get to know them. Sit in their shade. Place your hands upon their trunks. As you begin to spend time in nature you will gain insight and feel a connectedness.

Start with quieting your mind. Every morning no matter what is going on, I take time for meditation. While 30 minutes is ideal, 15 minutes is acceptable and, in a pinch, 10 will suffice…but I can't say enough about how important it is to go inward and listen to the world, yourself and your guides before taking on your schedule. My best days begin with morning energy work to rejuvenate my aura, energize and open my chakras or a simple meditation to ground myself. The practice of meditation is an elixir for the spirit that allows us to slip the bonds of our body and communicate with the spirit within. When we begin a daily practice, we are giving voice to spirit and this conscious intention is the first step on our quest of becoming the person we were meant to be.

Meditation is the practice of focusing and quieting your mind to achieve a heightened awareness of your inner spirit. When you shift your attention to each breath slowly and deeply drawn and released, you shift your mind into a quiet mode, releasing your mind clutter. The result of this shift is calmness and inspiration. Most of us have active minds that are prone to worry. The practice of meditation allows for one to turn off the chattering monkey mind in favor of becoming grounded and centered. Through the practice of meditation we can cultivate a well of peace within, a place of calm centered strength.

New to meditation? You can begin by finding a comfortable spot where you will not be disturbed. Sit down and close your eyes. Now get comfortable and focus on your breath as it enters and leaves your body. Keep your mind only on your breath. If a thought intrudes, notice it and let it go as you move your attention back on to your breath. Soon you will notice a deep sense of relaxation fills your limbs as your awareness begins to increase. Now, like anything, the more your practice the easier it will become to slip into the meditative state. But the benefits of utilizing this technique are many and a new study from Yale University suggests that meditation appears to even change the way the brain works and could give meditators a leg up not only on handling stress and finding happiness but also with dealing with mental disorders.

Enrich your meditation with a small morning ritual. By incorporating ritual we can set a trigger to facilitate our meditation process. Ritual adds meaning. It add layers. It lets us make our practice sacred and adds meaning to our lives. There are many simple ways to incorporate ritual into our daily lives: lighting a morning candle, whispering a morning prayer of gratitude, silently focusing only on your breathing as you visualize what you want to accomplish during the day… all of these are examples of simple morning rituals and all of these work to pull our awareness from the mundane and shift it to the sacred. Through daily rituals we are able to recalibrate our energy and connect with the divine.

Life is a journey from foolishness to fulfillment. By nurturing the Divine inside us we not only develop a deeper connection to all that is sacred in the world, we cultivate within ourselves: gratitude, empathy, understanding and confidence, traits that allow us to become more godlike. When one consciously chooses to connect with and nurture the Divine spark within, the ego quiets and the spirit, or higher self, is giving voice and our existence is transformed.

French philosopher, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience.” Indeed we are all Spiritual Beings having a human experience. We are here on this plane of existence, on a human journey, all of us caught up in different cycles of our lives as we work through life lessons until the lesson is learned and a new cycle begins recreating us into the person we were meant to become. The speed of your evolution is up to you. Make the needed changes today. Start small. Take on a new practice. Empower yourself. Transform your routine into a fulfilling, sacred life.