I've mentioned this a few times over the last few weeks, but today I'm going deep into Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Last fall I saw that Liz (we are on a first name basis - she doesn't know that, but we are) was putting out a new book. At this point in my life I am living in the world of fictional novels and online articles, so reading a self-help book (which I was drowning in years ago) is a stretch for me. (Trust me. I've read them. Many of them.)
Something about this book grabbed my attention. Maybe it was the cover, maybe it was just that my soul said, "This One". I don't know, but I hopped over to Amazon, read the reviews and promptly ordered the darn thing. My soul wasn't finished and it said, "You cannot do this alone". I'm still not sure if that meant I cannot accomplish on my own or maybe that I shouldn't do it alone. Regardless. I received that message as well and invited a whole bunch of women via FB into my sacred circle to create Big Magic in their own lives.
I broke the gathering into 8 weeks. They looked like this:
Week 1: Meet and Greet and discussion of what creative living looks like for each of us
Weeks 2-7: Tackling a chapter a week, we came together over wine and snacks with a creative project to occupy us and discussed how the book related to each of our lives
Week 8: Finale, Winter Solstice Circle, Guest Tarot Reader, Food and Wine
There have been times when I have sat in circles and seen lively discussion and times when I have seen extreme discomfort. For this group - some who knew each other, some new to us all - we had both of those things plus the quiet and reflectiveness that I think has to come with this type of work.
Okay, what's Big Magic about and why should you read it? I am a Priestess. There, I said it. I have been to the fire. I have been the initiate. I have been the leader. The point to that is that I have been around the spiritual block (knowing I have SO SO SO much left to learn) and have studied with master teachers and read the books and chanted and done all of those things. If you are looking for THAT book. This is NOT it.
This is another book. It is the raw, in your face, practical approach to getting into your creative space and getting out of YOUR OWN WAY! This is the book that doesn't say "let go of your fear" it is the book that ACKNOWLEDGES your fear and knows that it's probably always going to be with you and to get over it. This is the book that tells you how to walk in step with those dark places in a real and often humorous way. This is the book that says, yeah, you might be a tortured soul, but don't live in that space. Honor it and hold it's hand but then keep moving (Liz tells that part of the soul to "get in the back seat, it's days of driving are over"). This book is so much that I cannot even tell you what it is.
What I can tell you is it is not a book going to the used bookstore. It's one I recommend to my friends. It's full of "a-ha's". It's, well, Big Magic.
A little more on what we did as we worked through Big Magic:
We colored (looking for a fantastic and spiritually filled coloring book? This is it!).
We made candles (each person made two candles for the Winter Solstice, one for home and one for the gathering).
We made pictures of our spirit selves or an image that represented our self, then we traded with another person who added more detail of how they viewed the person. It was profound.
We had a gifted tarot reader come on the Solstice to do a soul reading for each of us.
There are so many things you can do around this book to bring Big Magic into your life. What are you waiting for? If you don't read anything else this year, this is it. Not sure? Below are some of my favorite Big Magic quotes:
"We know that when courage dies, creativity dies with it."
"You can measure your worth by your dedication to your path, not by your successes or failures."
"....what keeps you from creative living IS your self-absorption (your self-doubt, your self-disgust, your self-judgement, your crushing sense of self-protection)."
Create big magic in your life today!
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