Increasing Your Experience of Magic

Posted on Jan 9, 2017

Dear Friends in Magic:

Happy New Year! We have a special treat for you today—an article by Katherine Rettke. Katherine has been our volunteer administrative assistant for several years now, and she is a treasure. I know you’ll enjoy her piece, and those of you who have come to know her (mostly through attending Magic & Meaning conferences these past few years), won’t be surprised at the deep heart-centered approach to magic she offers below. Magic should enrich lives, both those of the magician and audience. This piece should help you do that.

INCREASING YOUR EXPERIENCE OF MAGIC

By Katherine Rettke

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“…I am always ready to do magic anytime, anywhere, with whatever I have on hand. I do not need to be on stage or prepared in order to delight people and bring magic into the world.”  

-Jeff McBride, Magician 24/7

I believe that the magicians who truly live the life of “Magician 24/7” are not only ready to do magic anytime and anywhere, they are also experiencing more magic and living magical lives 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Is it possible that you are at risk of limiting the magic you experience in your own life because you are limiting your idea of where magic can be found? Take a moment to consider the following questions:

  • Have you gone for more than two months without spending time in nature?
  • In the past year, have you gone only to magic-related live arts performances?
  • Is every single friend in your life somehow connected to the world of performance magic?
  • Do you use the word “muggle” (or other words which signify “mundane” or “boring”) when discussing people who are not magicians?
  • Is performance magic your only life passion?
  • Do you feel less awe and wonder as you learn more and more secrets about how performance magic is done?

I suspect that magicians who answer “Yes” to most of the questions above are more at risk of limiting their experiences of magic. If you are reading these words it is because you have found your way to the mailing list of the McBride Magic Museletter, and I know that means your answers are more likely to be “No.”

Regardless of how you answered the questions above, consider that it is a good idea for all of us to see if we can expand our ideas of where magic can be found, and what it means to be magical. Challenge yourself for 24 hours to find new ways to give and receive magic. Would you still be every bit as much of a magician, able to inspire, amaze and delight others even if you were not providing any sleight of hand during this challenge? Absolutely! Following are four ideas to help you get started:

Idea #1: Look for magic in your environment:

“Behold, there is magic all around us”

      – Abbi Spinner McBride, Fire of Creation [CD]

Spend time in nature. Notice lucky coincidences when they happen in your life. Look for reasons to feel gratitude and give thanks.

Idea #2: Look for magic in other people:

“A wizard is someone who has amassed wisdom through experience. Wizards learn to think for themselves and  to  question  everything. They are agents of change, unafraid to explore and think differently.”

– Tobias Beckwith, The Wizard’s Way

Some of the most magical people I have ever met would never consider themselves to be magicians, and yet they create magic everywhere they go. Look for that spark of light in everyone you meet.

Idea #3: Look for new ways to share magical experiences with the children in your life:

“Magic happens when grandparent and grandchild together step outside the everyday world and enclose each other in a world of their own where adventure, discovery, and exploration are commonplace.”

– Charmaine Ciardi, Cathy Orme, & Carolyn Quatrano

The Magic of Grandparenting

Even if you are not a grandparent or a parent, you most likely have friends and family members who have children, or you have community service opportunities in your area which benefit children. The gift of your time can change the life of a child, and how can that not be described as magical?

Idea #4:  Look for new ways to give a magical gift to someone else: 

“Believe in the magic of kindness.”

-Sonia Harris, Being Encouraged [Blog]

Random acts of kindness, especially when done anonymously, can feel like magic. These acts do not have to be expensive and they do not need to involve a lot of effort to make an impact in someone else’s life.

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