As I've been going through long-ignored documents and books, I've found some interesting messages from my past self. My high school yearbook quote, for example: Remember that the Mirror shows many things, and not all have yet come to pass. Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their … Continue reading Wise words from myself
As we forgive
When I feel attacked, I don't want to feed the other person' negativity by adding in my own anger and hostility. That means I need to forgive. But how can this be rightfully done, when I feel truly threatened? It doesn't seem correct to "forgive" a hurtful act in the sense of saying it wasn't … Continue reading As we forgive
Letting go
Preparing for an international move is quite a process. For much of my life before I got married I was a student, and moved to a different temporary residence every few years. I was used to living out of a suitcase and discarding or storing whatever didn't fit into a single room. But since setting … Continue reading Letting go
It’s not the end of the world
Suppose you had never known anything but winter, never known the trees and shrubs around you as anything other than smooth, bare branches. Then suddenly one day they were covered with a sickly greenish sort of excrescence, that grew and spread until it completely obscured the familiar structure you were used to. Wouldn't it be … Continue reading It’s not the end of the world
Spinning a tale
As I get things started here on my new blog, I'll occasionally be posting essays that I wrote for other publications. This essay was originally published in 2011 in the online journal Cabinet des Fees. When Rumplestiltskin offers to spin straw into gold for the miller’s daughter, he reveals himself as an initiate of one … Continue reading Spinning a tale
Beyond words
Words have always been magic for me. From the time I learned to read (well before my first conscious memory), they have held the key to my understanding of the world around me and of my own inner experiences. The realms of enchantment and wonder spoken of through fairy tales, myths, poetry, and works of … Continue reading Beyond words
A new life
Last year, my life fell apart. Or exploded. It was all up in the air for a while, anyway, and I didn't know where it would come down. It was a good opportunity to try to practice inner peace, because there wasn't much of it outwardly. I realized that this is the only security we … Continue reading A new life
How tidying up changed my life
When I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I found the author's assertion that cleaning up your stuff could have life-altering effects quaint and quirky. I wasn't a total skeptic -- I believe in the relationship between our outer and inner lives, and I could see how synchronicity could cause mild changes to occur … Continue reading How tidying up changed my life
The way of the wise fool
We put a high value on being smart in our society. Intelligence, defined in a "get-ahead, beat-the-others" kind of way, is rewarded in school and required in order to get a high-income, high-status job. The thing is, this kind of intelligence is not very smart at all. It's pushed us to the brink of the … Continue reading The way of the wise fool
What is the enchanted castle?
Why did I name this blog Entering the Enchanted Castle? One of my favorite books from childhood is The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit. The theme has been described as "Be careful what you wish for" -- a common thread in Nesbit's fantasies. The four child protagonists start out by playing at magic, and end … Continue reading What is the enchanted castle?