It never ceases to amaze me how much magic infuses our lives. Most of the time, it goes overlooked, as we rush around too caught up in our tasks and to-do lists to notice. Or we’re lost in our thoughts, mobile phones, and Netflix, so tuned out that we become oblivious. Sometimes, we are so focused on getting somewhere that tunnel vision blinds us from perceiving its presence. Or perhaps we are so consumed by our struggles and conflicts that life becomes just one big problem to solve.
Yet, at any moment, all we have to do is pause, even briefly, and if we so choose, we can encounter/discover magic everywhere. For me, it has always been easiest to find in nature. Although, practicing Mindfulness has helped me to see it anywhere and everywhere. In that way, the simplest and most mundane becomes majestic. And our inner and outer Worlds become the most awesome and mind-blowing places to explore.
No matter how much difficulty we may be experiencing or how busy we may be, this shift in awareness can help us tremendously. It changes our experience of life from ordinary to extraordinary.
The awe and wonder we experience as children often get covered over by our stress, exhaustion, worry, and depression. Yet, the capacity to un/recover it is always at our fingertips. Just a breath, a blink, and a step away.
Recently, I had one of those days where Magic jumped out and grabbed my attention. Luckily, my Inner Child was able to listen and let it lead.
When we celebrate her arrival, cheer as she pulls aside the veil and gratefully savor her potion, then her visits become more frequent. And when we follow her lead, not arguing with the path she has chosen for us, then there is no limit to what she will reveal.
The Summer Solstice is a day celebrated by many wise ancient cultures such as the Celtic, Druid, and Native Americans. They say it is a day when the veil between worlds is a bit thinner and those who wipe the cobwebs from their eyes may catch a glimpse beyond the illusion.
On this particular one, a few weeks ago, I drove with my partner to find a swimming hole that we had been to several times before. At one point we realized that we had taken a “wrong turn”. We had come to a fork in the road and both of us felt strongly to veer right. As we drove along the path, we both started to realize that it was not the path we had intended.
We stopped to turn the car around and suddenly caught a glimpse, from quite a distance, of what looked like a circle of standing stones. Puzzled and curious, we continued along the road which led us right up to an open gate, with this incredible place inside.
I could feel the awe and wonder ignite within my Soul. Delighted, we spent some time calling in the 4 Directions, meditating and connecting with the energy of this magical place and the Summer Solstice.
All this because we took a “wrong turn” and paid attention to where it led us.
May the energy of Summer (Summer Solstice Magic:) re-ignite the fire within, that sense of awe and wonder, of miracles and magic. May you celebrate the journey, no matter how off track it may sometimes seem to lead. May we trust the path, ourselves, and The Great Mystery.
And so be it, and so it is.