By Marianna Sheldrake
Ask yourself, what is magic? According to the Chambers’ Dictionary, who credit themselves with the words ‘The Authority on English today’: “Magic is a process, which produces results which cannot be explained or which are remarkable”. Let us begin a journey to attempt to understand or explain ‘the remarkable’. In this monthly blog I will be sharing with you what I have come to understand of ‘Magic’ in some of its oldest forms. Magic is the reason behind our desire to summon the Angel, our Gods, the Divine, the Matrix our higher selves or whatever name given to something greater and perceived more powerful than ourselves. It is described as: “The power to effect change by means of one’s will.”
Even in simple prayer this is exactly what we are trying to achieve. When we try to focus our energy on healing ourselves or another we are attempting to cause change. So ‘Magic’ is still all around us in everyday life. It is not the strange and fearsome topic that caused the terrible scourges of the middle ages – nor is it only practised by misshapen old crones with warty noses and broomsticks. Miracles are magic, just as magic is a miracle of the wondrous energies that surround us. When we plead our cause to the powers of the universe – however we may visualise them – we are asking them to ‘help us’. We cannot ask them to take over the responsibility; that would be about as rational as poisoning someone and then expecting the potion to be put on trial – or the plant that it was made from. In our very busy and chaotic world we live in at the moment, I am sure you can all think of loads more similar relevant analogies.
Taking responsibility for our actions and our intentions is the very essence of enlightenment and the root of all Magic, for those not prepared to accept that responsibility perhaps the time is not right of you to venture further. The Gods, the Divine, the matrix or higher self we summon – the elements and energies you invoke – must be accounted to. We do not disturb them naively without respect.
A Magical Journey Begins – Understanding Energy
One of the first things necessary to any magical journey is the certain knowledge of who we are. This identification may sound obvious but it is extremely important to be clear, “This is who I am!” in any spiritual communication. How can you yourself command respect and be taken seriously if you are unsure of exactly who you are. Here is an example of a useless communication and one I am sure we are all guilty of:
After retiring for the night we clasp our hands together and recite a little prayer finishing with “Dear Universe, please watch over my mother and father and all members of my family. Give me the strength to…” By now we are already thinking of tomorrow’s workload, the dinner, the children etc. etc. At best a half-hearted attempt at prayer, at worst an insult to your intelligence. Why? Well there are a number of issues. Firstly, because you have failed to identify yourself in a way that the Universe can understand, and secondly because there is little concentration of will. The other thing, of course, is the implicit insult in such a lack of respect. No offering – but worse then that not even your undivided attention.
Your spirit emits a unique energy. The stronger the collective vibration sent out, the easier it is to identify. If you are unsure of who you are, your uncertainty dissipates that energy. If you are ill it can have the same effect due to your energy being used to heal the physical body. Other people first recognise you as an individual by your energy. How many times do you hear someone say, “She/he’s always laughing-singing – talking – crying – fighting – angry. “? What they are identifying about that person is the emotion and the emotion is the energy. It can be strong, weak, hesitant, arrogant and so on. They are attracted as like attracts like to that energy. If the energy is weak or low and matches yours you have something in common, an attraction. This happens on a subconscious level and very often you are unaware that it is happening. It is merely a comfortable situation. Recognition of the battle of energy in this way also happens by ‘spiritual vampirism’. A weak energy attracted to a strong or positive energy. The weak energy goes out to embrace the strong energy. It draws a positive charge from it just as if it had punctured a blood vessel and was indeed a vampire bat. It feeds. This can happen subconsciously within relationships and is not particularly healthy. A strong male energy may feed off a weak female energy; a mature, strong, motherly female may feed off an insecure, weak male energy. One feeds the other. A balanced relationship is one where the two energies can feed from each other offering mutual support. It does not mean the ride will be smooth but it does make the relationship interesting and alive, because one pushes the other and so they both grow.
Now let’s take this hypothesis to another level – communicating with the ‘source energy’. We exist because this source gave us energy in the first instance. It is this ‘original’ energy that is our identification and if the output is timid and weak then it is easy for it to go unnoticed. If, on the other hand, it is strong direct and assertive then it is much easier for it to demand attention and for the source to respond and relate to.
In the physical world we have the opportunity to experience whatever we can imagine. We can use our mind and body to achieve our wants and needs as long as we know clearly what they are – and we clearly communicate them. When we pray or communicate with the source we will be given what we need as long as we are clear about what we wish to achieve. If we transmit a low spiritual output, a mumbled message or request we will receive likewise. If, on the other hand, we transmit a clear command, summoning hell-fire itself, then that is what will be returned. But never forget that nothing is free. A weak message may not produce spectacular results but at least there will be little to deal with in return. Conversely, a clear and powerful command would cause a disturbance, would attract attention and would require strength – alertness and knowledge to know how to handle the backlash of energy and channel it correctly to where it needs to go. Imagine plugging an electrical appliance directly into the grid. You need to be very sure of how to use it once it is switched on, taking great care not to hurt yourself. Here are a couple of everyday situations that must happen to all of us: You’re worried because you are late for an appointment. Try and stay calm and put out the thought that you are going to be held up and, therefore, late. Or; you need to park your car near a certain place within a few minutes. Send out a clear request that you need a parking space and where you need it. You may be surprised but, more often then not, you will find that your appointment was ‘running behind’ and you were not actually noticeably late or that there is a parking space just becoming available as you approach your destination. In psychic development it is known as letting your spirit helpers aid you by telling them what it is you need. ‘Ask and you shall be given’.
Healing is energy manipulation and, not so long ago, would have been considered witchcraft. Today many people are studying healing in all its many guises and, through their studies, are becoming more aware or ‘awake’. It is making people think differently and grasping one new concept can often change the whole way you look at everything. Suddenly people are taking control of their lives in a way unimaginable a few generations ago.
For instance: When you are run down, your energy is low, your output weak and you’re feeling generally disgruntled though not physically ill. Many more people today will go to a healer. A healer will give them time to gradually work through how they feel and, together, look for the source of the problem. They will give the healer something of value in exchange and then allow the healer to use their connection to source to plug them into the grid for a recharge! The role of the healer, in this instance, is an interesting one. A caring, compassionate person who can help restore balance.
The desire to heal is an extremely worthy and compassionate quality however it can also be a reflection of our very own being. Before we can heal another we must first heal ourselves and this does not necessarily mean physically mending broken limbs. What we see in others can sometimes be a reflection of ourselves – it is what we recognise and can therefore relate too. This, I believe, is a contributory reason to why there is such an interest in the natural healing fields at the moment. There are many studying the practises of spiritual healing driven by the desire to heal themselves. We would learn much by paying respect to this feeling for often it is this discovery that enables us to do something positive. To create change and do something for ourselves, which of course is manipulation of energy and therefore the use of magic.
The next issue is the empathic desire to help another to relieve their suffering. Wonderful miraculous healings do happen but healing is not necessarily a cure. We do not know someone’s path or past, and, we do not want to contaminate our own energy by interfering with another’s karma. The very best we can do is connect to the universe, ask if it is karmically allowed that the person receives healing in true and righteous ways and then channel the energy threw ourselves and out into the earth mother. Ultimately we need to encourage them to help themselves make the brave changes required for healing and ultimately a cure to take place. Doing it for them is doing them no good at all; you will only untangle one mess whilst they strive to recreate something similar because it is in their nature. It is what they know and become accustomed to – therefore the lesson, in a way, is repeated. Only when they realise the pattern and decide to change it will they have learnt the lesson, enabling them to heal and move on.
The last issue is the contentious question of remuneration. Firstly an exchange of energy needs to take place in order for healing to work. Actually, it is enough for the patient to thank you sincerely and mean it or to do something in return. I have had many such experiences where the patient has baked me a cake or helped with the children in return for healing. If someone comes for healing on a professional basis an exchange of energy in the way of payment is acceptable. This is a healthy transaction and one in which respect is being paid to both healer and patient. However, a situation whereby the healer just receives self-satisfaction by doing something that he or she perceives as being good is unbalanced and less likely to achieve the desired outcome on behalf of the healer or the patient.
An interesting point about illness and imbalance that is often overlooked. Once one has established the cause of the illness, the honourable thing to do would be to mentally thank the illness for the message. By the physical body creating an illness it has made you aware that something was wrong.
