Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Practical Magic or DIY: Love Potion #9

" When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly 's done, when the battle 's lost and won "


Macbeth - William Shakespeare


(Act I, Scene I)

     Suffice to say, lately I’ve been feeling a little, well, witchy. (Ha,ha- I know, when am I not? Ok, get it out of your system. You done now? Thank you.) Anyway, I don’t mean witchy in that sense. I mean..witchy, magicky, earthy. My life is pretty normal, somewhat dry to tell the truth. But occasionally, there comes an instance when I can feel the presence of magic in my life, be it the sight of a beautiful ocean, a gorgeous full moon, or the feel of wind in my hair during a storm. Life is magical and energetic. And we could all use more of that. But it takes being open and willing to receive- to be sensitive means being open to being hurt as well as being open to ecstasy. In Greece, women who opened themselves to ecstasy were sometimes called Maenads-followers of the god Bacchus, who ate and drank themselves into a frenzy, (and sometimes tore their lovers to pieces.) They were rightfully feared...and also envied. Men who went into a frenzy in battle were called berserkers-violent warriors filled with bloodlust who were held in fear and awe. Prophets and oracles too, like the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, lived their lives hoping for the ecstasy of communication with their gods. Over the ages, people have tried and tried again to find a way to sustain the ecstasy of being outside themselves, (The seventies and peyote- I’m just sayin’),trying magic, drugs, alcohol, and sex to get out of their own skins; to escape the pain of being alive. Perhaps they didn’t understand, we have never understood, that being alive is magic- and therefore is pain and pleasure all wrapped up in one. Like love and marriage, you can’t have one without the other. (I know, stop laughing. You’re so cynical!) Magic is the ability to see and feel things- not beyond the ordinary- but to perceive the ordinary exactly as it is- as wondrous. Humans are made to take in information-through sight, and touch, emotion, and logic. We are conduits for life, and therefore for magic. We don’t have to be outside ourselves. We don’t have to be separate. We don’t have to be alone. We can just be. Now, how hard can that be? (Yeah, I know.)
Okay, so here are some instructions for how to invite more magic into your own life.

Ritual #1

1. Slow down-you’re missing it. What is it? Whatever is happening right now- even if it’s boring, this moment in your life will never come again. Think about that for a moment and..

2. Breathe-deeply, slowly, tenderly. Feel alive. Hold your breath for a moment. Doesn’t it feel good when you breathe again? Memorize that feeling...and

3. Move-however you want- just move-walk, dance, tap your toes, move your pinkies. Ain’t it grand that you have them? Pay more attention to your body. It protects you from a lot more than you know. Take care of it. And, last but not least...

4. Sense-in everyway you can, use the sense(s) God gave you- think, see, hear, feel, taste as much as you can. Make it a daily ritual. Have you ever looked at your hand- I mean, really looked at your hand? (Bad pot joke? Sorry! ;>) Exercise your brain, taste new foods, see beautiful sights. Condition your body to be open to new sensations, then enjoy the rush.

Still don’t feel open to the universe? Then there’s always the backup plan.


Love Potion #9


Instructions

Gather the following ingredients into an ice cold cauldron (er, shaker) and mix well. Serve on the rocks. Give some to the love of your life (yourself, silly!)-then have a second. Give the rest to anyone else you think needs a little love. Best when imbibed under a full moon with friends.


Ingredients


1 oz Absolut vodka


1 oz Amaretto almond liquor


1 oz Peach schnapps


1 oz Orange juice


1 oz Cranberry juice


Shake well-serve on the rocks

1 comment:

  1. Awareness! Sounds like tai chi to me. *grin*

    ReplyDelete

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