Closer to Fine
Recently, I’ve been going through some turbulent times involving religion, spirituality, history, and reconciling it all in my head. Everything I’ve written about magic I believe. But I’ve also believed in the Christian God and Jesus almost all of my life. I still pray, “In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen.” It’s automatic, like breathing. Almost every time—scratch that, EVERY time I get on the highway since the one time I didn’t do this and totaled my car—I say, “Dear God, please protect me, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.” If I’m getting onto 128, I say it three times or more. Is that praying? Is that magic?
Can’t it be both?
Think about it: there have been so many different cultures, religions, gods, goddesses, heroes, saints, morals, practices, how can we possibly say that one is correct over the other? It also seems impossible to say, “Well, they’re all correct.”
What I think I’ve come to believe (but wait a week and it will change) is that somewhere in the midst of all of those beliefs is a connection to something. I don’t know if it is God, Allah, The Universe, or Energy, but there is something we can connect to if we want to. Some people tap into it for evil things some for good, some for selfish reasons, some to help others. Some completely ignore it, or turn to it only in their hour of need. Some struggle their entire lives trying to tap back into what was so easy as children.
The Key, and the main point in our books, is that you have to possess a strong imagination to connect. When I was a kid I had no problem whatsoever believing in God. I could imagine His arms around me and I could feel His light shine through me. Then I went to college and took World Civ and realized that Christianity is only a small slice of pie on this earth and it killed my ability to believe in the words of men who sought to control the masses. What about all those other cultures who believe their beliefs so fervently?
From what I’ve experienced, both Christianity and Magic tell you to visualize the outcome you want firmly in your mind and release it into God’s Hands or The Universe. Both practitioners of magic and prayer have obtained impressive, sometimes miraculous results: because they can Imagine.
In high school, I had no idea where I was going to college, but I could visualize myself sitting in college classrooms. I managed to get there with pretty much a free ride. In college, I had no idea how I was going to get to England, but I could very easily imagine myself in Oxford classrooms and drinking in pubs (actually, the pubs were a huge stretch for my imagination!). I got all of the paperwork and loans taken care of with surprisingly little hassle. I have no idea how Joey and I are going to get these books published, but I can picture the two of us holding the finished product in our hands and grinning at the camera. I know it’s going to happen.
As for my relationship with God? I believe he must exist, considering the vast numbers who worship Him. Who wouldn’t want a loving, caring God to get your back? I know I’ve felt the connection to Him, or whatever energy/being it is out there. When I release my prayer into the wind, I talk to Him, the universe, my personal dragon, Phylquestrial, and I feel slightly closer to fine.
Title inspiration (and relevant topic): Closer to Fine – Indigo Girls
Tags: Being a Wizard Means, Faith, Magic
Rhiannimated Mind | Rhiannimated | 
3 June 2010 12:02 PM
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By Liz, 8 June 2010 @ 6:40 AM
Belief is a powerful thing. If you believe in something strong enough, no doubt it will come to fruition, be it good or bad. So it’s nice to know you’re believing in the good.
I’m a firm believer that all roads lead to Oz and that the truth isn’t missing, it’s just buried beneath point of view. I had a strict Christian upbringing that was steeped in hellfire and God’s wrath. I never could understand why anyone could love a God who was that vindictive, or why they would even want to. It was a long long time before I realized it was the interpretation, not the teachings, that were incorrect.
I absolutely believe in God and Jesus. And I absolutely believe in magic and fate and destiny and karma. And if that isn’t contradictory enough, I think organized religion is a scary thing. I feel God’s presence more when I’m in my garden than I ever did sitting on a church pew.
That could be because I spend most of my time praying the bees don’t get me, though.
By Rhiannon, 21 June 2010 @ 9:17 PM
Thank you so much for commenting! I agree with you one hundred percent about gardening: I helped my mother with hers this weekend and prayed every time I turned over a rock that a spider wouldn’t jump at my face. Thankfully, He listened!
Since I’ve written this post, I have come full circle in my search for faith. A friend of mine said she believed Jesus was just a groovy dude who had great ideals for the world that no one wanted to listen to. My whole mind rejected the idea of being “just a dude.” When I realized that, I discovered I don’t need to know for sure if anything else in the Bible is correct. If you seek Jesus, you’ll find Him, and eventually He will give you answers if you listen long enough. Already I feel like a new person!