“Now is the moment of magic,
when the whole, round earth turns again toward the sun,
and here’s a blessing:
the days will be longer and brighter now,
even before the winter settles in to chill us.” -Victoria Safford, from The Moment of Magic
What are the blessings of the solstice for you?
The third kind of magic I’ve experienced is the most powerful of all. That’s the magic of a child, of life itself. How is it possible that a squirming, squalling, smelly, little bundle can become a person, with wants and desires of their own? To go from laying there to running rampant through your heart? To go from just existing to creating ideas that can change the world? To see the world through their eyes, all the newness and wonder? It is a joy, it is magic all its own. -Robert Brien (a CLF member incarcerated in MA)
When have you experienced the magic of a childhood? How did it fill you with wonder?
“I’ve come to appreciate different miracles [than the ones celebrated in the winter holidays]. When a couple expecting a child has nowhere to stay, the miracle is the Innkeeper who makes room for them. When people struggle to maintain their home and faith, the miracle is the loved ones who support them. When the days turn short and the air cold, the miracle is the warmth of community and connection. These ordinary miracles happen because we make them happen, for ourselves and for each other.” -Kim Mason, in the Braver/Wiser reflection “Ordinary Miracles”
Make an ordinary miracle happen today.
So what does Magick mean to me? Most definitions of Magick use the word “intent” in them, and I feel that is accurate. For decades now, quantum physics has shown over and over the responsiveness of the Universe to human intent, specifically to human observation. Somehow, our conscious act of looking at and measuring a system fundamentally alters that which we observe. This is, to me, merely Magick on the micro-scale. -Sean Owen (a CLF member incarcerated in UT)
How have you understood the universe to respond to your intent or observation?
“For the children who find such magic in this season;
for the brave birds who stay with us all winter;
for the scent of greenery:
Blessings and praise!” -Florence Caplow, from “Winter Solstice Litany”
To what do you offer blessings and praise today?
