It is so easy to forget the magic and miracles that persist in life.

Lately I have had an uneasy feeling on and off — like I am in a rut; a kind of routine that does not invigorate me. So, I wondered whether it was time for me to switch gears, and get into a more active mode. Then I naturally thought that what I needed was clearer direction, focused action, and a timely decision. Subconsciously, I was being pulled into a very familiar terrain that calls for crisp, clear, and concise answers and solutions.

It is amazing how quickly I become boxed in and bogged down when I tell myself to “get your act together!” My stomach and chest tighten, my breaths turn short and shallow, and my heart feels heavy and contracted. I feel like a rubber band being stretched out of its comfortable, easy, and relaxed state.

I turned to the Medicine Cards for “a message from Universe” in case I am missing something. As I wrote previously about this set of cards and accompanying book, I have been using them when I feel a hunch that the Universe has a message I need to hear — almost like medicine as the name suggests. The card I pulled was “Raven” which symbolizes magic and the raven’s image on the card was shown upside down! When a chosen medicine card is pulled upside down, there is usually some cautionary or advisory message involved.

When I read the following words, I was surprised and grateful at the same time because it was exactly what I needed to hear:

“Contrary [upside down] Raven may also portend a time of smoky, confused messages that you cannot see or hear because your ‘intellect’ is insisting that magic is not real. If you cannot imagine or pretend due to your lack of faith in magic or miracles, healing cannot take place. Raven may be pecking at the door to your consciousness, but you will not receive unless you clear the smoke and seek the other realms of imagination and awareness where magic lives.”

Indeed what I need is to believe in Life’s magic, not so much to get my act together! I forgot to “practice magic” as I wrote on Day 41 — more than 150 days ago! How I need reminders, repetitions, and rituals to keep my practice alive. And today was a perfect day to practice magic when I was blessed with gorgeous blue sky, bright sun, and feathery clouds as the spring was proud to be in her full bloom. I recommit to practice magic more frequently.