The Price of Magic

All magic comes with a price, or so I've heard.  That's been a popular saying since Once Upon a Time hit the airwaves last year with trickster Rumplestilskin.  I tend to agree with that for the most part, but as with all things Disney it's been oversimplified.  Magic is not simply muttering the right words, or gathering the right ingredients.  One definition of magic is:  the art of causing change in the self or the world through the use of will.  (In my words using intent to cause change...people tend to confuse will with willpower).

So what about magic words you say?  Well words are often the outward guide of intent.  When you order food in a restaurant  it is your words that determine what meal you receive.  Yes I know you want to know about "magic" words not everyday communication.  Well imagine you're on a date with someone you really like (dare I say love), but they aren't lit up yet like you are pretending not to be.  Here the abracadabra of dating would be the pick up line.  Like incantations they are rote and rhythmical and just about as effective.  Why?  They lack any soul or originality, and they turn feelings into a game of clever double speak. The real magic words would be the words that help that person feel the same about you as you do about them.  (Hint: open sesame does not work and casts dispersions as to your intentions).

The price of magic is usually time and effort.  It certainly requires paying attention to both the world within you and the world outside of you.  It is particularly important to notice the connections between the two.  I was recently talking to someone about the Law of Attraction, and they expressed their doubts that simply imagining receiving checks would cause their fortunes to change.  Personally I haven't tried it, imagining checks coming in the mail to me for one is kind of boring I can't get excited about it.  What I told them is that by keeping a positive mindset and focus on abundance often makes you more aware of the opportunities around you, and therefore you're more likely to take advantage of them.  I can't tell you how many times I've looked back and just been surprised about how much more I could have accomplished if I had just had a different outlook.

Another toll on the road to magical adventure is being self aware and reflective.  Most of us are projective in nature.  We see other people's part in things but not our own (well we see the parts we're proud of).  We don't take responsibility for ourselves.  So often when people want magic it's to banish away a problem without having to do anything, change, or look at themselves.  I call this the vending machine approach to magic, "I say these words on the full moon and light a green candle and my boss will like me from now on."  People want the whole universe to rearrange itself around the current whims of their ego, but might be unwilling to set aside a few minutes a day for silent contemplation or deep breathing, and then get upset because the "magic" didn't work.  Well they didn't really put in any effort did they.  This is the reason diet pills are so successful (monetarily not in actual results), because they promise results without people changing how they eat or their activity levels.  Those few that actually do that generally do so in dangerous ways that are harmful to the body.  Magic that causes that kind of change without the person putting in any effort or risk can often carry the same risk usually to the spirit.

That last line of the previous paragraph got you thinking, "Aha so there is a shortcut!"  There is a shortcut yes, but it goes through some really bad neighborhoods.  Spirits that will do the heavy lifting for you are of dubious character.  Most spirit guides do just that they guide you and give advice.  They are your back up not your workforce.  When I go talk to guides about a problem I usually get homework.   I currently have more homework than I ever did when I was in college.  Trust me do your own work, or you'll be paying me a lot of money to clean up the mess later.  (I really mean a lot of money, piles and piles to clean up that mess).

So why do it?  Well it does require time, effort, and self reflection, but it also can be fun, freeing, and wonderful.  Haven't you ever enjoyed a task that took a lot of effort?  Also some things take a lot of effort to learn and then become easy, like riding a bike or swimming.  I do a lot of things that take a lot of effort to do initially, but then bring continual returns.  When you work with magic you get to peer  under the hood of the Universe.  It does require you to be willing to change and grow.  Magic is a living thing and it can only grow in proportion to your growth.  The work that I do, I do because I love it.  The effort and time required for it would be too much if I didn't love this work.  So are you willing to pay the price of magic?  Are you willing to make changes?  Are you willing to learn new skills?  Are you willing to look within and be honest about what you see?  Are you willing to not simply accept the reality that the mainstream will hand feed to you?  If you are willing to do these things then you have paid your price, now come aboard we've got a carpet ride to get to.

Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle

To Give Back

Greetings all,

I'm back from my travels this week.  I'm glad to be home, but I am making the commitment to travel more frequently.  I had so many expansions of energy due to all the people I interacted with on my week long journey.  It was a working trip, but I love the work I do so working on a trip is a good thing.

A lot of the times when I am traveling I do give aways.  I give gifts to my hosts for their hospitality, and sometimes I offer my services for free to certain people on the road.  I do see paying clients too, but often what I do for free is different from a paid session.  It is looser (if you can imagine that since my sessions are pretty off the cuff to start with), and there are some things I just don't do for money.  It's not because it is wrong to charge (if it is wrong to charge for healing insurance companies have a lot to answer for),  it's just that some kinds of ceremony and energy work are too intimate for me to charge for.  Some things I wouldn't even know how to price.

There is a funny thing about me when it comes to gifts or offering something for no charge.  I'm happy to do it if I offer it.  If it becomes expected or an obligation I won't do it.  Guilting me actually is counterproductive.  I feel it as a form of manipulation.  Giving back is important to me, but I set the terms.  For me if I give out of obligation or a feeling of guilt it has that energy attached to the gift as opposed to when I willingly choose to give from my heart.  When I choose to give the gift it has the energy of love behind it, which is a much stronger and healthier energy.  I believe it does more good to give out of love even if it is the exact same thing, for one it is a lot more enjoyable on the part of the giver.

So back to my trip.  I was able to do some phenomenal healing work while I was away.  It pushed me beyond what I had done previously with ceremony.   It was also what I call "heavy" work.  This kind of work is why I keep studying and taking classes with shamanic practitioners.  (Sidenote thanks to all three of my shamanic teachers ).  I did the work and the next day as I was on the road again I made the decision that this particular kind of work would be my give away to the universe.  I'd do it for those that had a bond with me (or through someone who did), it was just too solemn for me to do for strangers.  So when I arrived home the next day my inbox was flooded with orders from my web site.  It was odd. You might call it coincidence, except midweek I did some give away work and again new orders came in through my online store.  In the Q'ero shamanic tradition there is a principle of reciprocity summed up as, "I give to you today, you give to me tomorrow."  This principle is also behind the concept of tithing.  For me this changes things, I no longer feel guilty about not giving to everybody or not giving everything they want.  I feel like as I give out and share my gifts the universe is rushing in with support for me, and the giving is not an obligation it's always been something that I can do and want to do.   (Even when it is difficult I've want to do it, or just been compelled by the need of something being done).

In the wake of these realizations I've had one of the most successful months to date with my healing practice.  So can you take away from this?  Well start with your concept of giving.  Is it always money when you think of giving back?  I'm sort of disorganized when it comes to structured giving, so that isn't my primary way.  Do you offer your time to friends, loved ones, strangers?  Giving back doesn't have to be through an organization, someone in your life probably needs you right now.  What about your skills, talents, and or spiritual gifts?  For me I love to share those.  How about you?  Is time, treasure, or talent your comfortable mode of giving.  Do you think giving has to be unpleasant, or burdensome?  Many of us have martyr complexes when it comes to giving.  Really, suffering is the opposite of the point here.  Remember when you give with love and joy that gift is more powerful.  Give with love, receive with gratitude...rinse and repeat.  The world needs you, yes you, even little old you who thinks they have nothing of value to add to the world.  Believe me if that were true you wouldn't be here.  Give a smile sometimes just that can change someone's day or their life.  Don't give because I tell you to, give when your heart tells you.

Peace & Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle

I see you

Greetings everyone,

I am in a rush today typing this blog before I hit the road.  It has been a week of travels for me.  I am currently hovering around the Cleveland area.  I leave today for Dayton.  It is good to get out and about now that I am not worried so much about getting caught in an ice storm (although a few months back getting caught in one was probably one of the best things to happen to me).

This past weekend I was working at the Victory of Light psychic fair in Cincinnati.  It is a quite large one and thousands of people come through the doors looking for the magic.  Some find what they are looking for, and some find even what they weren't looking for either.  Saturday morning we drove down to the convention center and the hint of spring in the air had me feeling well a bit mischievous.  So I donned my horns.  You're thinking, "Did he say horns?"  Yes I did.  I got them last spring at a huge faery festival when I went out to Baltimore to see clients and help a friend on their book tour.  I love these things too, they are just so adorable.  They are not devil horns, they twist a bit like little baby satyr horns and are a dark purple.  On occasion I have worn them to my workplace.  The funny thing is that many people don't even see the horns during the day.  When the sun goes down they tend to notice them more.

Well if you ever decide to wear horns to a psychic fair be prepared to be noticed.  Everywhere I went that day (when I was away from the booth for breaks) people noticed me.  Most were amused, some where shocked, and others were wondering if they were seeing things.  It probably didn't help that when people remarked on my horns I tended to say, "What horns?" (I did say that I was feeling a little mischievous did I not).

The second day of the fair I just wore my healing scarf.  Everyone kept asking about my horns.  It didn't dawn on me until later that day how visible I had become.  I tend to have a habit of fading into the background or blending.  I mean I've people look right at me and not see me.  I was once in a meditation group and had answered a question for somebody and one of the facilitators turned their back for a moment.  When they turned back around again she said, "Where's Thomas?"  She was looking right in my direction too.  It's sort of a natural gift, and one that I have practiced as well.  It can be a good skill to have to get out of a sticky situation.  However it tends to be one of those things that tends to go on automatic if I am not paying close attention.  Which is fine I suppose unless I am trying to promote my services or expand my social circle.

The thing is I had become so comfortable in being invisible or unnoticeable.  It felt safe.  It was familiar.  The treasures of life are rarely found in that space though.  What my horns gifted me with was a way to be noticed.  Do I need them to be noticed?  Probably not, the second day I was noticeable to all sorts of people even those who hadn't seen me horned.  (Insert lascivious horny joke here).  I even had someone recognize me from my YouTube channel.

So what does this have to do with you?  Well many of us are trained to not stand out in any way, just to keep our head down and keep quiet.  However if you want to realize your dreams you have to stand out, you have to shine, you have to dare to be seen.  If you don't your dreams will remain just dreams.  So go on put your horns on (or whatever makes you feel special) and prepare to be seen.  When it is a choice it becomes empowering. Don't be afraid to wear something that says "Look at me."  Just remember when they look at you to look right back and smile.

Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle

Dreaming in the Deep

Greetings dear readers,

This post should have happened several weeks ago, but topics collide and I get sidetracked.  Today I am going to talk about dreams.  Now many people have told me they don't dream.  Poor dears, I'd be lost without my dreaming life.  I can tell you when I am going through a hard time my dreams really help reveal what's going on below the surface.  I've kept dream journals for over 20 years now.  It started with my less than successful attempt to learn to lucid dream.  Not that I haven't had those, but they are rare for me.  On the upside the recording of my dreams helped me to remember them more clearly and have access to a lot more information.

You think I'm talking about dreaming the future?  I've had a scant few of those types of dreams as have most people.  What I've found more valuable is the ability to dream true about the present.  What we see on the surface is like seeing the iceberg on the surface of the ocean.  Most of what is really going on is hidden beneath the surface of the waves.  Dreams have a way of diving deep below to see the under belly of what's going on.  I can't tell you how many times I've had dreams where the actors are people in my life and I've had what they are really up to pointed out to me blatantly.  Personally I sometimes think I am a bit slow on the uptake.  These days I tend to view my dreams a bit more seriously.

The dreaming self though sometimes cloaks the meaning of our night time holidays in weird guises.  Nightmares are a very good example of that.  The most terrifying dreams though can yield the most useful information.  It usually takes some digging to figure them out (why oh why did it have to be zombies again?)  and other times it is crystal clear.  I'll give you an example.

A few weeks ago I was having a dream and there was something down in the basement.  It was absolutely pitch black down there and I felt like something was coming up the stairs.  I panicked and threw my tea down the stairs.  Now later I felt bad about this, what if it hadn't been an intruder.  It could have been someone hurt or injured, or I may have killed the intruder (I didn't know their intentions even asleep I generally tend to frown on homicide).  As I was waking up another dream character was very generous in that they interpreted the dream for me, I mean you can't ask for better service than that.  She told me, "Your fears are not real."

Now you are  thinking wow cool end of story right?  Nope because a week later I had another nightmare which touched on one of my primal fears.  I have had plague dreams on and off for years.  Past life during the black death in Europe could be a culprit there, but there is generally a theme of helplessness and fear, and being cast out.  Well like all my other plague dreams I was terrified and I woke up in a rotten mood, but then there was that voice that reminded me, "Your fears are not real."  I was able to step back and not go on the downward emotional spiral that usually accompanies starting my day waking up from a  nightmare.  In fact I was able to analyze the dream and see that the underlying factor wasn't so much fear of the plague, but the shame of being judged by the townsfolk.
Shame was the underlying core issue.  Since then I have been looking at the role shame has played in shaping my life.  It's been profound to say the least to look at that.  So my nightmares have given me a direction for my own inner work and healing to focus on, so much so that in the coming months I will be offering an energetic download to help transmute and heal shame.

What does this have to do with you?  If you pay attention to your dreams maybe you will find something that you'd missed before, some key to your inner life, some silent hand writing scripts for your life story.  Maybe you will see clearly your motives or the motives of other people in your life.  Well my dears it is late and I have an early morning ahead of me.  So I wish you if not pleasant dreams at the very least useful ones.

Peace and Blessings,
Thomas Mooneagle