Jul 3, 2014

Tell Me There Is No Magic

Tell me there is no magic, and I will smile and tell you that I might have believed you once upon a time.

I might have believed you if long after my grandmother passed I hadn't picked up the scent of her perfume in my bedroom, day after day for months.

I could have been suspicious of enchantment, in the days before I learned to love stories and luxuriate in the company of books, the sorcery of words spilling across uncountable pages.

The idea of magic may have seemed ridiculous if I hadn't born witness to a few tiny seeds and a meagre amout of soil and water, producing the most magnificent oasis of food and medicine and breathtaking, flowering beauty.


Perhaps before I noticed the stars echoed in flowers and fruit, I would have agreed with you. Before I wandered through the forest listening to the voices of the trees, and climbed the valley hills and lingered in the dry scrub desert. I might have agreed if I hadn't lost myself following a trail of strange, muddy mushrooms.

There were times during the greatest heartaches, the harshest losses, and those moments when I called out for help and none came, that I might have whispered there is no magic

But I don't believe that is true.

There has been much magic of late.

An old friend who faded into the distance, answered a call to return to the bonfire nights that only a summer evening can offer up.  After having missed out on her company for nearly two years, she will be rejoining our horde of wild women around the flames this weekend.

The land is offering up raspberries, kale, and fat onions sweet enough to eat as if they were apples.  Enjoying meals right out of the garden is an immensely satisfying sort of witchery. And the land beyond my garden gate has given so many charms. Yarrow for healing and divination. Goldenrod for tea and to attract gold, of course. Cinquefoil for luck, protection, love, and so much more.


Funny little fascinations happen daily, it seems.  The perfect song on the radio - exactly what I needed to hear.  A call from a friend I was just thinking of at that very moment.  My intuition hitting on a few things I shouldn't have known. Grabbing something on my way out the door and wondering why, because I couldn't possibly need it - and then, naturally, an hour later needing it.

And then today, there was magic in my mailbox.  An old-fashioned letter - the kind that is hand written (and illustrated!)  And not just any old letter, but one packed full of woven charms, natural treasures, and bewitching words that took me someplace else entirely.


We are walking into the heat scorched arms of summer this weekend, and as some of us keep our heads toward the earth, watching for signs and faerie rings, others are looking skyward again to that opulent display of rocket-fuelled magic.

Tell me there is no magic, or that these enchanting moments are not evidence of real magic. I will simply smile and say...

"I might have believed you, once upon a time."





19 comments:

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

This post made my heart sing, just when I needed it most. What a blessed sharing. Oma Linda

Debra She Who Seeks said...

A lovely post! Dare I say . . . a magical post!

Joan@CopperCreeker said...

this has picked me up and reminded me to always see the magic no matter how lost i may feel. thank you

Andréann said...

This post made me feel good :)
Thanks for posting it.

jaz@octoberfarm said...

what a fantastic post and much the way i try to live!

Jeanne said...

Magic....it is everywhere. It is much like a butterfly. The more we seek it, the more elusive it becomes - flying just out of reach. But when we allow the busyness of Life to subside from our soul, Magic will find us. Alighting on our shoulder and showing itself.

Sarah said...

This was beautiful! It definitely lifted my spirits. I desperately needed that today.

Rue said...

Thanks for your lovely comments! I'm so grateful that magic finds us when we need it - and I have needed it lately as well.

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

Fantastic post! I thought almost the same thoughts last night as I sat out on the deck, listening to a robin serenade me and thinking, magick is all around me!

Unknown said...

This may be my favorite post of yours yet. Super beautiful, beautiful!

Aidan

Carolina Gonzalez said...

Such beautiful, true, and wise words! You are so right - there are moments when we may feel magic is gone, but they are just moments. Life reminds us every second of its own tremendous power.

Toni said...

Your writing is enchanting.

The Artful Gypsy aka Wendy the Very Good Witch said...

Good evening Rue...although I've been reading through different posts here, I chose this one to land on and bid you a fond hello! Because I enjoyed, and whole-heartedly believe, in every word you wrote...how very lovely indeed. Actually all of your posts are thoughtful and well spoken...just another part of your own personal magic! I had been thinking of you recently too. I'd come here and read some the other day, but was called away before I could say hello. But I thought about you a lot that day, I really enjoy the honesty and wisdom in your writing. I'd been away for a year, and it's been tough catching up. Sadly, some people I can't even reply to now since they switched to Google Chrome. So I was glad to see you still here, it was a comfort of sorts. And this spring I bought a Rue plant to add to my herb garden...of course when I did, I instantly thought of you. I hope you are well, and that life has been treating you kindly. I will be checking in on you more now that I finally have time to blog again after a very long year. Thank you for sharing the magic! :o) ~ Wendy

Rue said...

Hi Wendy! Thank you so much for the kind words. One of my favorite things about this time of year is that I know you will be back posting about Halloween tricks and treats - it's nice to see you again!

T.L. Merrybard said...

Beautiful, thank you!

Rommy said...

I think I need to bookmark this one. <3 This touched me so very strongly.

Rhissanna said...

Oh, Love, there's always magic. And like love, sometimes you can't see it but it's still there, sometimes you have to give it rather than receive and sometimes, you just have to make it.

Sharon Rawson said...

So very beautiful!

Rue said...

Thanks, you lovelies! And thank you to T.L. whose comment this morning reminded me of this post!