Magic For a Nobody

Self portrait inspired by an artwork from Laura Proietti.

There are some really incredible, remarkable people out there on the Internet. And I say that sincerely and with admiration. I have heard some really wonderful stories about people who have naturally-inherited gifts of magic that go back generations, people who have been talking to faeries since they were small children, individuals who can see auras, or who read the tarot and give remarkable insights into a stranger’s life.

Moreover, there are those who can conjure nostalgic memories with one bite of their delicious creations, who can take you to other realms with the songs they create by pulling a few strings on an instrument. There are magicians using so many tools these days, skilled and naturally gifted and wonderful.

And then there are those of us who are none of those things. The world tells us that because of this, we are less-than. It seems as though even in the magical community, the human need to start a conversation or tutorial or article with one’s credentials remains intact, and after a while, it seems almost as though if someone wants to give advice, have an opinion, or make observations of any kind in a formal, written capacity, those credentials must first be mentioned and approved, and the opinion or observation they want to share is then justified and legitimate.

This leaves those of us who have no credentials, who can’t say that we know how to read auras or have conversed with a fairy since the age of five, feeling like perhaps we have no seat at the table. Perhaps we should be quiet and learn instead of ever contributing, let alone teaching.

But here’s the thing. The people who have been blessed with these incredible experiences, who have worked hard to gain knowledge and skill in their area of expertise, are impressive and I applaud them. But they do not have exclusive access to magic.

Magic is for the mediocre too. Magic is for those of us who may never fully excel at one thing, or who have no natural talent for it. It’s ok if you go to the woods every week, spend hours there, and still cannot identify some of the most common wildflowers. It’s ok if you love to garden, but the weeds in your yard still outnumber the flowers that survive.

We can all strive to better ourselves, and I am not encouraging anyone to cease ever striving to be better or learn more. But the idea of radical self-acceptance doesn’t just apply to loving yourself where you are now physically or mentally. It can also apply to magic. There are so many, so very many, daily magics out there available to all of us, no matter our background or skill levels.

I still struggle with this constantly. As the senior editor of Enchanted Living, I get to proofread articles written by a plethora of remarkable individuals, and as a result, I also find myself sometimes beset with imposter syndrome. When I first considered spending the investment of time and money to have a talented friend redo this website, restart my blogging life on a regular basis, and perhaps even start a Patreon page and put myself out there more in this corner of the internet that would literally be stamped with  my name, I was unsure. What made me think that anyone was interested? What made me think that I would have anything to contribute? Why did I think I deserved any sort of a seat at the table?

Thankfully, I have kind friends who are also very wise, and encouraged me to write down lists of things I had accomplished, talents and skills I had developed, and I realized just how deeply I had embedded my instinct to downplay anything that I had achieved or created. But even if that list had remained at zero, even if my life up till now was a blank canvas, magic would still exist for me, as it does for all of us. We all have unique ways of looking at the world that are entirely, utterly, one-hundred percent our own. And we all have things we can teach each other about how to approach the world with wonder. Regardless of one’s skills, pedigree, or background, or total lack thereof, no one is a nobody. Everyone has the right to open their eyes to the wonders and enchantments of the world, and everyone has the right to share their joy and observations with others.

I look forward to reading your own observations and experiences here as well as my own.