· Marianne Williamson
The Mystical Path and Magical Wands
When I was a little girl, every August my mother would take me to the store to buy school supplies. First there was the important decision to be made about my lunch box. Did I want Cinderella on the front of it, or ballet shoes, or Snow White, perhaps? And then, of course, there were the notebooks, pencils and pens, erasers, and myriad other accoutrements, such as index cards, Marks-A-Lots, and notebook dividers. Only when I had all my supplies together was I prepared to go to school.
Ultimately I realized that tools are essential to almost any worthwhile endeavor. You don't go to school unprepared, you don't try to climb a mountain unprepared, and you don't walk the mystical path unprepared.
Each of us carries, in the depths of our consciousness, a boxful of mystical tools. And central to our tool kit is the magical wand. A wand is not just silliness from children's literature. Fairy tales are rife with archetypal truths that teach not only children, but open-minded adults as well, deep and fundamental truths about the nature of our reality. A wand is a medium of power, not just for wizards, but also for you and me. A wand is essentially a principle, an intention, a focused thought. When focused thought is negative, it creates ill. And when focused thought is loving and enlightened, it creates miraculous breakthroughs. A mystical wand is the illumined power that emanates from the mind when it is married to the heart.
The mystic path is a journey of personal transformation, and while the goal of the journey is to become our true selves, we can only do this by letting go of who we are not. If we wish to experience the fullness of life, we must cut through layers of illusion that hide the truth of who we really are. The mystical path runs through a very deep forest-the forest of our own psyche-and we need our supplies in order to walk through it.
We meet monsters and demons on the inner path. We meet humiliation in order to grow to the point where our behavior would not lead to humiliation; we meet rejection in order to grow to the point where our behavior would not lead to the pain of rejection; we meet the pangs of deep regret in order to grow to the point where our behavior would not lead to regret. We meet the monsters in order to slay them. The only way to rid ourselves of darkness is by bringing it to light.
Until we have met the monsters in ourselves, we keep trying to slay them in the outer world. And we find that we cannot. For all darkness in the world stems from darkness in the heart. And it is there that we must do our work. The universe is holographic, which means the whole is present in every piece. Therefore, as we address the shadow within us, we are addressing the shadow of the world. The mystic does not deny the darkness, in ourselves or in the world, but affirms a light that lies beyond it. And we have faith the light will prevail because we have faith that light is our true identity. Our task is to remember that.
We invoke the light by actively acknowledging it is there, standing as Harry Potter stood on platform 93Z4, knowing the door would reveal itself because of the nature of who we truly are. Being magic, Harry lives in a magical world. And, being magic, so do we.
by Marianne Williamson -
About the Author
Marianne
Williamson is an internationally
acclaimed author and lecturer. She has published eight books, four of
which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers. Ms. Williamson has been
a popular guest on numerous television programs such as Oprah, Larry
King Live, Good Morning America, and Charlie Rose. Ms. Williamson has
lectured professionally since 1983. Please visit her
website to order her outstanding
books online.
· Donna M. Gershten, author of Kissing the Virgin's Mouth
Finding the Happiness That Was Never Lost
Jack Elias, a hypnotherapist and author of Finding the Magic Within wrote, "We do not create happiness through modifications of our lives. Our being is inherently happy, and, through our attempts at self-improvement, we may create gaps in our mind-trance through which we experience the happiness of our innate purity. As long as we identify these experiences as the product of the mind, the product and creation of our efforts, we will miss the fullest appreciation of our lives and ourselves."
The "mind-trance" he speaks of is regarding individuals allowing their experiences to define their thinking, rather than seeing experiences as models over which one has power as their creator. The object of his course on transpersonal hypnotherapy is to teach the concept of "a living, moment by moment heartfelt sensitivity to the limitations of the thinking mind as supporter and director of our lives." In other words, there simply must be more than an absence of unhappy thoughts in order to be happy.
As he states it, his concept of where happiness can be found is "based on the presumption of inherent, basic purity and goodness of my life force, and a basic identity of that force with its Source, God (or whatever term one may choose to point at the ineffable)." In this respect, I agree with Mr. Elias.
Abraham Lincoln said, "A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be." True, for the most part. Yet, while it is important to have a cheerful demeanor, there must be more to happiness than a "mind-trance" decision to be happy! I am certain that happiness lies beyond the mind, and making exterior modifications to my behavior is only part of the process of finding true happiness.
With my happiness as the object of my quest, it should be a joyful excursion. My journey to wholeness will lead me to it. The real challenges to my happiness, as well as the ultimate goal of self-realization, lies within. Just as in the trek through the Land of Oz, there are "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" along the way. Obstacles to my happiness are those I may have placed there myself.. And like those who spoke with the Wizard, I have come to know that there is an inherent and powerful place within me that is the true source of my personal happiness. Like the companions on The Yellow Brick Road, the journey leads back home.
The "lions and tigers and bears" on my journey to wholeness are formidable. They are the stumbling blocks that humanity has wrestled with since the first formation of enlightened society. Listed in no particular order, they are: Lust , Hatred, Avarice, Self-indulgence, Self-seeking, Vanity, Pride, Doubt, Dark belief, and Delusion. These things compose the dark side of human nature, and are the very things that may be found within me which I despise when I see them in others!
The lessons to be learned, the virtues to be gained in my quest for personal happiness are attributes that define the Light within me. These virtues are inherently within the reach of everyone, and the quest for them requires nothing more than to open my eyes, and to see that they are there. The very source of happiness is comprised of: Purity, Patience, Humility, Self-sacrifice, Self-reliance, Fearlessness, Knowledge, Wisdom, Compassion and the crowning virtue of Love.
In my quest for happiness, it is the search for that which was never lost that provides deep, real and enduring lessons of life. They are more than lessons of the mind - they are lessons of the heart, and the refinement of the spirit. It is there, beyond the illusions of the mind, that the real magic takes place.
email: Michael@N-Spire.com - or,
send your 
Peace and Light, Michael
to me right now!
