The Magic of the Season
The Magic of the Season
I just read an article by a woman who looks for the magic in every day. It is inspiring this month's post, although a sillier one will appear on Halloween. Poof! Magic.
Waking Up to Magic
As you all know, I have been waking up to the magic around me. I am obsessed with it, and it is the stuff of my newsletters and blog posts. As I’ve been on this journey, I’ve found my tribe, at least online, in other content creators and a few people who respond to my writing. They are inspiring and affirming. One of them, Rebecca Barry (click the link and read what she wrote; you won’t be sorry), inspired this newsletter.
She wrote about how she wakes up and asks the Universe to bring magic her way. Brilliant. I’m stealing that. But in the telling of her story she demonstrated something that I’ve also discovered: the more magic you recognize, the more is shown to you—magical moments, magical encounters, magical synchronicities, magical intuition (that you really should follow, and not second guess, for the magic it will release).
Yesterday, I think it was, I walked into my living room, which has a 2-story wall of windows that look out into the woods. Leaves were falling from the trees, bathed in sunlight, creating a dance as they cascaded from the top windows to the bottom windows. Yellows, oranges, rusts. Moments like these take my breath away—so simple and beautiful, a magical gift from the trees this time of year. This gift of their beauty brings people from far away to the places where it exists (I’m in New England) to drink it all in. That’s powerful magic.
The most stunning example of the power of magic I’ve experienced is this seemingly ordinary story I’ll share….
I was in a grocery store line and, as is wont to happen, there was a holdup at the register with the person checking out ahead of me. I watched the man in line in front of me begin to get agitated, and I asked the Universe (or whatever you want to call the benevolent invisible force that brings us all this magic) to send him some calm. A split second later, he turns to me (we had not interacted before this) and says something to the effect, “You know, I’ve been wanting to slow down, and here I’ve been given the opportunity to do so, and instead, I was getting impatient.” I’m glad he realized that, but the bigger gift may have been for me! It was a lesson of the power we all have with our thoughts and words.
So, I invite you, this season, to ask to see the magic. Then, recognize it, let it bring you joy, and ask for more. And make magic! Bless someone with your words or thoughts. I find that striking up a conversation with a stranger has brought me some of the most wonderful lessons and insights. Two of my favorites happened while waiting for my car to be serviced (at two separate times). From one lady, I learned of an herbal/medical book that is now one of the most treasured in my collection. From another older woman with a wonderful attitude, I learned that accepting aging and being the best we can be while adjusting to a bunch of new normals along the way is the best way to go through my elder years. Pure magic!!!
Lastly, I’m looking forward to enjoying the magic of Halloween. We used to live in a neighborhood full of kids. My husband would walk our kids around trick or treating, and I would hand out candy. I would have fun seeing all the little neighborhood kids in their cute and creative costumes. And a couple of times, I created a little Halloween mischief/magic for them to experience. When my oldest grandson was younger (he’s ten now), I was invited by my older daughter to trick-or-treat with them. One year, I made him an Elmo costume (it came out pretty great if I do say so myself), and as we walked around, a bunch of little kids kept saying, “Hi, Elmo!” in their sweet little voices. And my son-in-law kept telling people, “My mother-in-law made it!” as he was getting compliments on his son’s costume. All of this is to say that my effort in making his costume paled compared to how fun it was to see how well it was received. And I would have missed that if I hadn’t been invited along. Say yes to opportunities—they are full of magic! This year, my youngest daughter has invited my husband and me to give out candy while they trick-or-treat with their kids. I jumped at the ask because who knows what magical things will happen!
From the Website…
Gasp! Nothing from the website this month. Boy, has the time flown by. What have I done instead of writing? For one thing, I traveled to Prince Edward Island this month, which I have wanted to see ever since Megan Follows starred in Anne of Green Gables (and its sequels) in the mid-80s. That was almost 40 years ago! And it did feel magical. I have ancestors from Nova Scotia (which means New Scotland, so that makes sense), and I feel like they must have traveled to this nearby island. It is a farming community that is very into sustainability—a HUGE wind farm, compost/trash/recycle bins for waste, no plastic bags. And, of course, we went to the Green Gables house, which was the house of the author’s cousin, and she traveled there and back via a path in the woods from her home not too far away. I also learned that there were a few scenes filmed on PEI, but a replica of the house was built in Ontario for the movie, where most of it was filmed. Which explained my feelings of “this doesn’t feel quite right” as I walked up to it. That’s okay. It still didn’t steal my magic because when I walked into the house and saw the pantry, I was brought back to the scene where Anne served Marrilla’s “raspberry cordial” to her friend. So, they did a decent job with at least that part of the replica. I also bought a copy of Anne of Green Gables in hardback to add to my collection of books for my grandkids. I hope they find it magical, although they’d probably prefer the movie, I’m guessing. That’s okay; I’m up for watching it again, myself!
Peace and herbal blessings,
Chris
Photo Credits:
Leaf photo by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash