Yes, that’s a reference to one of my favorite Queen songs, but that’s not what this post will be about.
Everyone knows Disneyland is a magical place, right? Well, as a kid at heart and one who had never been to any Disney theme park until the ripe young age of 22, I have finally experienced the magic. Of course I know that (SPOILER ALERT) the characters are just actors in costume, but I put that aside for three days while I let myself fangirl out and revel in the fact that I was meeting my childhood friends: Pooh, Eeyore, Snow White, Belle, etc. I let myself accept the unbridled awe and excitement of new discovery and exploration; I allowed the tears and shivers well up during the fantastic shows in the full moonlight. I let myself feel everything because that freedom is a kind of magic.
Magic is the shiver that runs down your spine like the pinprick of a static shock when you listen to an amazing song and it washes over you (“You Are Not Alone” from the Into the Woods movie comes to mind). Magic is the warm swell in your heart when you first realize you’re in love, and every time after when you are reminded of that love. Magic is the soaring quietness of your mind in the full moonlight at midnight, meditating on the cool ground as you inhale the damp coolness of late-fall air. What people don’t often realize is that magic is an everyday thing: no matter how fleeting. It’s in the constant routines of our most mundane tasks and it’s in the grandeur of a sabbat ritual.
Whether you’re gathered around a candle-lit Yule log in a cauldron or you’re brushing your teeth and planning your day, magic is there. Don’t ignore that unnamed feeling tugging at the corner of your mind when you catch a glimpse of that magic. Pause a little longer outside and smell the air around you, feeling in that moment the senses of the earth and world around you. Stare into the fire a little longer when you light your hearth or candle, and notice the electric blue fade into the pale yellow-orange that dances with the air. As you wash your hands, watch the water flow a little longer and notice the rivulets streaming around every curve of terrain on your palms and knuckles.
Noticing these little moments of magic allow us to appreciate the less-than-exciting parts of everyday life.
Breathe, calm, and ground. Blessed be the New Year.
Finding Stability: Grounding Amidst the Chaos 