Be the Magician – Merlin magic

I’ve talked before how fiction can influence our lives – both in terms of our spiritual journeys and in helping us succeed by providing us with insights into how characters we relate to, coped with similar issues. There is power and magic contained in books that can inspire and teach us about the world we live in – even in fictional stories, as best-selling author T.A Barron has discovered.

Barron is the author of the immensely popular 12 book Merlin saga series which is aimed at children and young adults. However, it’s been discovered that Merlin’s influence goes far beyond this readership, and now in response to this Barron is bringing back Merlin to work his magic for anyone seeking answers to questions they may have whenever they are experiencing a shift or big change in their lives. ‘I have written so many books about Merlin that sometimes, I feel like I’ve actually met the great wizard and who knows, maybe I have’ Barron said in one of his YouTube videos. ‘If I met Merlin in his crystal cave, I’d ask him What is the meaning of life? And if there is any meaning, how can I find it?’

These thoughts led to Barron giving a celebrated speech on this subject at Oxford University in 2013 which in turn inspired him to write a new book – The Wisdom of Merlin: & Magical Words for a Meaningful Life.

In the book and writing in the voice of Merlin, Barron explains how each one of us can discover and travel along our own unique life path. Through Merlin he revals how magic surrounds and lives with each and every one of us – we just have to be willing to seek it out. According to Barron – and Merlin (!), there are seven magical words that hold the key to leading a meaningful and magical life, plus one more that like the one Ring in the Lord of the Rings saga, empowers them all. To those of us already on the journey towards our soul purpose, many of the words will be a familiar part of our spiritual practice while others may surprise you.

1. Gratitude: Being grateful helps us appreciate all the good things in our lives. The more we notice what we have to be grateful for – be it the people in our lives, a place, a beautiful day or a smile from a stranger. As we do this we become aware of the opportunities around us that we may have been blind to before.

2. Courage: Life takes on a new meaning when we take action. This often means leaving our comfort zone which in turn takes courage. We have to earn our soul path and in doing so we discover what we’re truly capable of. Don’t stand still, summon the magic of courage and don’t be afraid to go look for your life.

3. Knowledge: We should always strive to learn more and come from a place of humility where we acknowledge that we may not know it all after all! We have the entire universe to explore – the one outside of ourselves and the one inside. Both are places of limitless possibilities and magic. Make a cradle-to-grave commitment to continuous learning and open yourself to wonder.

4. Belief: To follow your beliefs, whatever they are, is to swim in a spiritual ocean. The more you seek a higher awareness, the more meaningful your life will become. Also, understand that belief can be very personal and one person’s experience of God and/or the universe can be different to another’s but both can be equally valid and equally spiritual.

5. Wonder: Wonder is the place that borders knowledge. We can approach the world with a sense of wonder and this can in turn stimulate the desire to know more about it – which is turn creates more wonder! Never lose the ability to look at the world through the eyes of a child who finds wonder in every thing! Wonder opens the door to our imagination which in turn leads to increased creativity, awareness and appreciation of our life here on earth.

6. Generosity: Generosity is not about giving others what they want – yes, it can be but it is more about you giving away what you yourself want. It’s not about the gift it’s about the sharing of you and whatever you give being wrapped in that invisible and magical element of the heartfelt desire to share. Generosity requires empathy. You can afford to be generous no matter what you circumstances – even if it’s just with your time.

7. Hope: Hope requires that we tap into that resource of courage I mentioned earlier. Don’t erode hope by becoming cynical which can be all too easy if we are faced with disappointment. Cynicism says that things can never get better. Open your mind to fresh thinking and hope will follow.

And finally, one word to rule them all:

8. Love: If we want the love of another person we first have to explore deep within ourselves – that magical inner universe that so often we are encouraged to ignore as we are told it is ‘selfish’, ‘self-obsessing’ or even ‘narcissistic’. The opposite is true. When we go deep within we come to a better understanding of what others need form us and are in a position to give that unconditionally. That’s the magic about love. That and the fact that the more you give, the more you have to give! When we love we go deeper within ourselves – and expand further out than we ever dreamed possible/

Why not take this Merlin magic and apply it to your life. We are all magicians and the wisdom of this book and the Merlin myth, hands us that power.