The Mastery of Magic

When does ones action or desires become a part of a persons being, or become them? This is a question I posed to myself in thinking of behavior modification both of others and of myself.  One of the reason this question is an interesting one is it goes back to the very essence of can a man change who they are? Can we change our base desires and shackle our very nature becoming who we desire to be rather than who we are by nature?  I think those are very important questions to ask oneself whenever a person is striving to morph themselves into a better or different version of themselves. One person once told me that it is harder to change the will of a man than to will the moving of a mountain. In many ways I think this statement is very true for ourselves and others, if we don't have the will or want to to do something then simply put we won't.  Nothing short of magic will set us from our coarse.
Through study and personal experience I know that one can change themselves down to their very nature.  This is however very difficult and takes a large amount of Will and discipline which is why very few people can  master this "Magic".  To illustrate how it is done I will use an example of the circle of mastery.  This is Merlins Three Degrees of Wizardry.

The Three Degrees of Wizardry(classes)
1. Incantation: The medium of their spell casting is speech.
2. Hand Wizards: The medium of their spell casting is gestures of the hands.
3. Will Wizard: The medium of the spell casting is thought.

Looking at these three degrees Incantation is the least skilled form of wizardry, Hand Wizards are the more skilled, and Will Wizards are the most.  This is rated in the matter of of time it takes each to cast a spell.  The Incantation wizard must recite long spells in order to cast a spell which would not be ideal when things get hairy.  The Hand Wizard simply has to do a form of movement or gesture with their hands and their magic springs to life which of coarse can be quite fast.  The highest form of wizardry is the Will Wizard which over time and practice needs only to think of a spell to cast it.
These degrees exemplify how a person can know that they have changed who they are. It all starts with a person beginning to tell themselves they want to change (speech) and letting others know as well.  Over time and after making some of the mental preparations involved in making a change the person begins doing the things which denote the change they want to make (hands).  They begin taking the actions they need to for instance if a person wanted to live a more healthy lifestyle they would first have to tell themselves of the changes they need to make(incantation) and then start making those changes (hand/action) such as exercising and eating more healthy.  This leads us to the last stage and the one in which one knows they have changed.  To use the example I gave earlier the person has decided they want to live more healthy so they decided what changes they need to make and then they put those decisions into action, then over time they begin to stop craving the unhealthy foods they used to, they begin doing the stuff without much thought or action which points to the fact that they have changed (thoughts).  Over time of doing the thing that which was so difficult in the beginning the person becomes the change that they wanted to make.  The "Magic" of it all is that it is easier said than done.  People tend to forget that all change requires work on their part.  For the caterpillar to change into a butterfly it must go through the anguish of working its way out of the cocoon it has wrapped itself in.  Finding that reason to put yourself through that pain is the spark of magic one needs to make it through the change which they seek. If they can find that reason that motivator they will realize that they are able to Master Magic.

Chasing White Rabbits

You have probably noticed that I quite enjoy Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, and that it has many lessons which can be learned from that one story when comparing it to life and the way in which people think and behave.  Therefore I have decided to do a few post outlining certain characters from the adventure and what parallels they have in the real world.  We will do this as is explained in the book" Start from the beginning and when you come to the end stop," as if there were any other way in which to examine and tell a story.

In the beginnings of the novel everything seems normal in Alice's life she seems to be an ordinary girl with ordinary thoughts and problems.  Suddenly something catches her attention, enter the White Rabbit which is one of the most discussed and misunderstood symbols in the whole story.  The white rabbit seems to Alice the perfect distraction from the cares and troubles of her everyday life.  There is nothing to peculiar nor notable about the character himself other than the anomaly of him wearing a Pocket-Watch and being late for something.  The fact that she decides to follow this rabbit to the extent that she is, tells us more about Alice then anything else and the fact that it leads her to the drama and perils of the adventure is also telling.  Alice would never have even noticed this White Rabbit if she weren't looking for it in the first place.  Moreover the rabbit wasn't looking for her but she for the rabbit, the distraction to take her away from the seriousness of life.  

The Rabbit itself is a symbol of spring which signifies change.  For we know that rabbits procreate and a fast rate and have the potential to change their population size very quickly if not kept in check.  The pocket-watch that he wears is of coarse a symbol of time and the fact that Alice is chasing a white rabbit wearing  a pocket-watch alludes to the act itself being something to fill the time.  If we further delve into the White Rabbit and what he is in the story he serves as a herald to the queen which also furthers the symbolism of him being connected to change.  For why does one chase Which Rabbits? It is because one is looking for a change in their state of mind, or even in the physical life.  The fact that the White Rabbit is late and seems to be in the state of urgency during most of the story is another telling thing, for we know that a rabbit in the real world would have no such sense of urgency except when perhaps escaping a predator.

Knowing the before mentioned symbolism of the White Rabbit and tying the two together we get a better picture of what is alluded too.  Placing importance and urgency on the distractions of life ties up time which considering how short life is is urgently needed elsewhere.  Many such things exist in our lives whether it be drugs, video-games, TV, or other manner of recreational activities which are meant more for minor distractions in life yet end up oftentimes becoming the major subject of some peoples lives. Don't get me wrong It is good to chase White Rabbits now and then but when that becomes the major focus of a life your life takes no more psychical meaning in the temporal world then a white rabbit dressed up in finery with a pocket-watch.

In life many a White Rabbits will catch your eye, yet knowing how long the chase them, and when not to at all becomes the challenge.  Until our next adventure in wonderland here's to finding that balance in our lives so they not only end up being a children's tale.