This is already a really busy month for us in the Magical Living community!
We started implementing a Productivity Buddies date for those who wanted to virtually work alongside other members. Our first PB date was a hit and we have several more this month.
I will have a Power Hour workshop on Aug 30th, 10am PT – The Force of Choice: Mastering Your Emotional Reactors
Join us as a Talisman’s Apprentice, for $7 a month and enjoy all these activities, Monday Meditations and the whole Magical Living community!
We definitely are enjoying the last full month of summer.
See you soon!
New! Magical Living Open House
Subscribe to my Youtube channel by clicking here! Watch for new Open Houses from the Podapalooza Extravaganza. Coming Soon! Please subscribe to be notified of fresh content.
LIVE Power Hour Workshops:
Saturday August 30th 10am PT – The Force of Choice: Mastering Your Emotional Reactors: Register HERE for your spot!
Sunday Sept 14th 10am PT – Plot Twist: Rewriting Your Past to Unlock Your Future: Registration coming SOON!
Your Morning Motivation
This section will be a thought to help you set yourself up for a more purposeful day. It can be a very simple thing to add a bit of focused intention to your day.
How to use this section:
- Pick one thing to focus on today. I’ll make a suggestion below, but it can be whatever is right for you.
- Write it down somewhere you’ll see it several times a day. Bonus if you add in why you chose it and how it will make a change in your day/life.
- Set a timer on your phone, 4x today to look at your intention.
- At the end of the day write down how it went, what did you notice, and what you might want to try tomorrow.
Good morning! You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. Today’s goals: Coffee and kindness. Well, maybe two coffees… then what is today’s goal? How do you want to feel?
Article of the Month
The Power of Meaning: Rewriting Your Origin Story
A young man approaches a wise wizard, frustrated by his friend’s self-imposed isolation. The friend refuses to leave his house, trapped by past trauma that seems to dictate every aspect of his present life. But the wizard’s response challenges everything we typically think about healing and moving forward, revealing a truth as profound as any found in the greatest sci-fi epics.
The Matrix of Our Own Making
Like Neo discovering that his perceived reality was actually a computer simulation, we often realize that our limitations aren’t as real as they seem. The wizard’s insight cuts to the heart of human psychology: trauma itself isn’t what holds us back. It’s the meaning we attach to our experiences, the code we’ve written for our personal matrix, that determines their power over us.
When we assign certain interpretations to our past, viewing ourselves as permanently damaged, the world as inherently dangerous, or trust as impossible, we create mental prisons far more confining than any dystopian regime. We become both the architect and the prisoner of our own psychological construct.
The friend in the story had constructed anxiety as a protective shield, keeping him from having to cope with the world. What began as a tool for survival had become a burden that poisoned every aspect of his existence. The wizard suggests that this anxiety serves another purpose: it provides an excuse to avoid engaging with a world that feels as overwhelming as Mordor itself.
Time Lords and Present-Moment Power
Perhaps the most radical aspect of this perspective is its emphasis on present-moment responsibility. If only we had a TARDIS! We might think we need to travel back in time to fix our past. But the real revelation is that all the power we need exists right here, right now.
Our past experiences are fixed points in time, they happened, and we cannot change them. But the story we tell ourselves about what those experiences mean is as malleable as reality itself in the hands of a reality-bender from Marvel’s cosmos. We don’t need time travel; we need narrative control.
This doesn’t minimize the reality of trauma or suggest that healing is simply a matter of “thinking differently.” Rather, it points to a liberating truth: we are not passive victims of our history. We are the authors of our own legend. Doesn’t that feel different?
The Hero’s Responsibility
Hang in here with me, because this is freedom! Taking full responsibility for our lives isn’t about self-blame, it’s about claiming your role as the protagonist of your own story. Every great hero, from Luke Skywalker to Katniss Everdeen, faces a moment where they must stop seeing themselves as a victim of circumstances and start taking active control of their destiny.
When Aragorn finally accepts his role as king, he doesn’t do it because his bloodline compels him, he does it because he chooses to give his heritage a meaning that serves others. When we accept that we cannot control what happened to us but we can control how we respond to it, we move from being side characters in our own lives to becoming the hero of our journey.
The Origin Story Rewrite
In comic book lore, heroes often get their origin stories retold and reimagined. Batman’s parents still die in Crime Alley, but different writers find different meanings in that tragedy. Sometimes it’s about justice, sometimes about protection, sometimes about the fine line between heroism and vigilantism.
We each carry moments of pain, disappointment, or trauma, our own version of Peter Parker’s spider bite or Bruce Banner’s gamma radiation exposure. The question isn’t whether these experiences affected us, of course they did! The question is: will they be the origin story of a hero or a villain? Will they be the source of our superpowers or our kryptonite?
The Probability Engine
Humans are like Isaac Asimov’s psychohistory computers, (have you watched Foundation yet?) constantly calculating probabilities and outcomes based on past data. We cannot stop ourselves from running these mental simulations, but we can become conscious programmers of our own predictive algorithms.
Consider the moments in your past that still carry emotional charge, triggers, like radioactive material in your personal Fortress of Solitude. What story have you been telling yourself about what they mean? And more importantly: if you were debugging the code of your life, would you keep these limiting beliefs, or would it be time to patch the system?
The Quantum Leap
The most hopeful aspect of this philosophical insight is its quantum nature. Like Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap (okay, that was an old reference), we don’t need to fix everything about our past to change our present. We can start right now, with whatever we’re facing, by asking ourselves: “What could this mean that would transform me from victim to victor?”
This isn’t about positive thinking or denial. It’s about recognizing that we have reality-shaping abilities that rival any superhero. In the Marvel universe, Scarlet Witch can rewrite reality with the phrase “No more mutants.” We have similar power over our personal reality with the phrase “That’s not what this means anymore.”
The Final Boss Battle
The friend who won’t leave his house is facing his final boss battle, not against external enemies, but against the limiting story he’s told himself about his own capabilities. Like every great hero’s journey, the real enemy was never the dragon or the dark lord, it was the voice inside saying “you’re not strong enough, brave enough, worthy enough.”
He has the same power available to him that we all do: the power to choose what his experiences mean, starting right now. The question is whether he, and we, are ready to level up and claim our role as the protagonist of our own epic tale.
After all, every hero’s journey begins with a choice: remain in the ordinary world of limitation, or step through the portal into a reality where we author our own meaning. The TARDIS is waiting. The portal is open. The only question is: are you ready to rewrite your origin story?
➡️ Join me on Sunday, September 14th at 10am PT for a free mini workshop! Register HERE.
Our Quest Travel Adventures
From Oamaru (last month’s feature), we continued into the Catlins Coast, a place we were eager to explore. Not many people we knew had made it around to this point. New Zealand is full of incredible places and even in 5 months we didn’t see it all, but many Kiwis said we had seen more than they had! Finding places to stay was a challenge. There were few hotels and even fewer Airbnbs. Many travelers had campervans and I could see the appeal in the flexibility it gave them. However, my body was not interested in contorting in and out of a van even for a week. We stayed in some pretty strange places but the beds were pretty good, we had a bathroom and kitchen, so all in all a win!
One highlight for us were the super quirky stops along the way. It might be tempting to skip these funky roadside coffee bars and cafes, with attached shops but it’s part of the fun. We still talk about Gypsy Coffee and its accompanying art show/museum/steampunk contraptions! I cannot attach videos but I will post on my Quest Retreats social media pages.
Among the many amazing things we have seen, the massive round rocks at Moeraki Boulders are pretty crazy! According to local Maori legend, the rocks at Moeraki Boulders Beach are the remains of eel baskets, kumaras, and calabashes that washed onto the shore after the wreck of a large sailing canoe, the Arai-te-uru.
Kaka Point has a large picturesque lighthouse and a view that cannot be beat. You can see the coastline for miles, pure blue ocean, wide skies and sandy beaches with rocks dotted with basking seals. After being in clean air like this I don’t know how you can go back.
Curio Bay is full of views like this but this one was my favorite.
The Waitā sculpture, a recent addition to Curio Bay in the Catlins region of the South Island, is part of the Matariki Way Finding project across Southland. Waitā is one of the stars in the Matariki cluster, which marks the Māori New Year. In Māori pūrākau (storytelling), Waitā is associated with saltwater and all the creatures and food sourced from the sea. Artist ~Steve Solomon.
I may be struggling with a very hinky hip, but nothing would keep me from visiting Waipati Beach with the massive caves.
The Cathedral Caves are two huge connected caves at the north end of Waipati Beach in the Catlins. You walk about a 1 km through the spectacular ancient native forest and across the beach where you’re greeted by a volunteer. The tide has to be just right or you can get caught by big waves and strong surges.
My eyes had to adjust when we first entered the awe inspiring caves. In the very back of a long tunnel, a penguin chick was grooming itself! The volunteer said its parents were off fishing at sea and would return at night. Evidently the tide didn’t reach all the way back to this point. The chick was quite happy in the darkness of the cave and didn’t seem bothered by the tourists who mostly didn’t notice him.
Continuing along the coast we visited a truly amazing and unusual beach: a Petrified Forest!
Yes! A rare petrified forest on the beach, estimated to be around 180 million years old, only visible at low tide. It was really stunning to realize what you were looking at. Hundreds of logs strewed about. It’s also interesting to note that even though these spots are amazing and we were there in the high summertime, very few visitors are around. It’s not unusual to be alone on these beaches!
Finally we got to a place we both were dedicated to seeing: The Gemstone Beach (or Orepuki Beach). We stayed nearby and a weird Airbnb that was at least super clean. There was nothing around this beach area. New Zealand has a lot of coastline and beaches are available everywhere! This place didn’t have the lovely coast line of Curio Bay. The locals would drive up and down this huge wide flat beach in trucks, which made having a relaxing picnic not so relaxing.
But the next morning we got up early to meet the low tide at Gemstone Beach.
On Gemstone Beach the surf has been known to wash up semi-precious gems such as garnet, jasper, quartz and nephrite for those who know what they are looking for. No matter! Just find what looks pretty to you!
Glenn and I are rockhounds and we filled a bucket knowing full well we couldn’t bring them all home.
The rugged and remote location of Gemstone Beach means it is often deserted and the wild Southern Ocean feeds magnificent surf on to Orepuki Beach.
We were sad to leave this extraordinary Catlins region. But I’m also excited for the next part. Heading inland!
Next up: Queenstown!
Journal Prompt
(Each month I will give you a thought to fire up your mind. Use journaling prompts over and over again and see how the result changes.)
- What does a magical life mean to you? Describe it in vivid detail.
- When do you feel most alive and powerful? What are you doing in those moments?
- What patterns from your past are you ready to transform?
- If you could wave a magic wand, what three things would you change immediately?
Member Result of the Month
“There’s always a personable and personal element to what you teach and share, in ways that are so uniquely Pat, that the courses, community, and correspondences you create feel more like a connection. A conversation on a shared journey. I know that I and many others in the Magical Living community have been helped by the wisdom and the experiences of your own journey that you’ve shared, often able to see resemblances and recognise our own experiences paralleled in yours.
Which is also what I love about what you’re doing with Magical Living. That it can be both a platform to read, learn and reflect on what you share, and also a community of people all on their own journeys, sharing and supporting one another. Especially since you created the focus groups for members to ask and share things in dedicated spaces… And with hosting viewing parties and game nights, too, it truly fosters a sense of community.”
– B. J., UK
Store
My book Pleasure Thresholds is on Amazon! You can get it here: https://amzn.to/3TUBily
Dark Legacies Double Issue, both autographed! https://b5events.com/store-2/comic-dark-legacies-bundle-autographed-by-claudia-christian/
Get a personal video message from me! https://b5events.com/store-2/a-message-from-patricia/
Babylon 5 Series on Blu Ray HERE: https://amzn.to/3tDABnO
Babylon 5 : The Road Home (animated- various formats): https://amzn.to/47icXe7
❣️We get a little percentage from Amazon when you use our link for shopping. Thank you!
Stay in touch!
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Love,
Patricia, founder of Magical Living
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