In this part of the article we talk about music and love, as manifestations of magic. We also answer the last question of the opening paragraph "Did Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or similar come to replace the "Open sesame" and do they hold the same power?"
In the first part of this article, which you can find following this link, we gave our definition of magic and started to explore its simple presence in everyday life. We spoke about the power of words and explored its further mastery into poetry.
We defined magic as "any purposeful or non-purposeful engagement with the great mystery, or consciousness, that leads to experiences outside of reason and are often accompanied by awe and wonder".
We mentioned, that mastering one's word can completely transform the life. We said, that with poetry anyone can create magic.
In this part we touch upon the topics of music, songs and love, and their simple ways to create real magic. Again, stay sceptical but true and real. (#magic #shamanism #love #music #song #consciousness #paveltimashkov #theseconddream)
Magic 3: Music and song
I have spent long time in the Nordic lands. From my personal experience, I know that in those lands singing is one of the ways of creating magic. In Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, the mighty mage Väinämöinen plays the kantele, a Finnish folk harp, and makes all his magic by means of music and songs. He even builds ships with songs, created specifically for the task.
While it is seemingly impossible for a modern day human to build a sea-vessel with a song, many of us have direct experience of the ancient song magic, the lullaby.
Lullaby is one of the oldest simple forms of magic. It is blending together strong incantation, enchanting music and parent's love. I would encourage you to do the task below or at least to listen to the song, so you could experience the enchantment of the words and music.
Task: First, read the words of the ancient Finnish lullaby in its original language. You don't need to understand them. Give weight to the words. Experience solidity and power of them. Words in Finnish: "Nuku, nuku nurmilintu, Väsy, väsy, västäräkki. Nuku nurmelle hyvälle, Vaivu maalle valkialle". Now, listen to this lullaby in the video below. Feel how the strength of the words and the magic of music work together.
Similar to Väinämöinen from Kalevala, shamans use the power of songs extensively. They go "hunting" for songs and usually find them in the wild nature. Yet, a power song can emerge in a shower or a busy city street, not just in the wild. Personally, I find songs for healing, journeys, and other ceremonies in different settings, both in the cities and in nature.
I often use songs that I learned from my teachers to call helping spirits in, to send them back home, to bring light, to heal, to bless, to strengthen the heart, to connect with the power animal.
The way I perceive it, all the music that has been or will ever be written is always here, somewhere in the air, in between the particles. It is a mystery. Bach, Mozart, Stravinsky, Debussy were magicians, who could follow a thread of whisper into the unknown and bring that invisible music being into our physical realm. Still intangible and invisible, yet so deeply touching. Each music being attuned to a very unique human being.
"If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music", Gustav Mahler
Magic 4: Love
I will share one more personal story. My mother is an ordinary woman and the most extra-ordinary mother. She has never claimed to be a healer, yet performed two healings, both within the family, when nothing else worked. About 30 years ago, she performed the first healing on my younger brother. The other one on my little nephew, her grandchild about a year ago. In these healings, she worked with physical ailments and used incantations, prayer, but above all, her love. In both cases ailments were gone as a result.
As a healer, I have a big toolbox of techniques. All of these techniques are living tools, they adjust themselves in the presence of a situation at hand. There is no stronger or weaker technique amongst them, there are only the right ones for a given time and space. Yet, I believe that there is an ultimate healing force beyond any them, and that is love.
“There is no mystery about love. It comes from life”, Paul Atreides, from Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
I personally agree with Paul Atreides. Love comes from life itself. At the same time, I also perceive love as the most mysterious of all the human powers. Paradox, but not lack of logic. We can believe in love, but it's different when we know it.
Alexa, time to wrap up
In the opening paragraph to this article we asked a question - Is Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or similar came to replace the "Open sesame" and do they hold the same power?
See for yourself. With honesty. From my point of view, however helpful Alexa is and will become, she doesn't bring qualities of awe and wonder of the "Open sesame". It is that power of the word and will which is present in the "Open sesame", its truth and pulpable mystery, that overpowers advances in technology.
To Amazon Alexa: Alexa, we don't mean to undermine your beauty, mind, efficiency and ease, with which you help so many of us. You are beautiful and were born through dreaming of many. We respect you and thank you. You are magical, however not magic in our definition of it.
To bring this article to completion, let me ask you this final question: Do you believe in magic? But before you answer this one, please contemplate another one: "Do you believe in poetry, do you believe in music, do you believe in love? … is there anything in here to believe in?"
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Exercises
In case you want to explore this work further, I am offering a couple of exercises. These exercises are deep in their simplicity and might not be easy. Try them.
(music) Go for a long walk and start to search for a medicine song that could bring you peace at a time of emotional disturbance. (Hint: these songs often have sounds, without words and bring positive sensations within the solar plexus area.)
(love, word) Sit comfortably, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths. Now, if it feels right, firstly say "I love myself", experience and feel it. Then, say "I love you", to yourself. Experience and feel it. Contemplate the difference.