The Magician

THE MAGICIAN

Once upon a time, a daring and carefree young man took a journey into the unknown. He flew high in the sky in a bright multi-colored hot air balloon towards a distant land looking for promised vast opportunities. After some time, just as he was about to reach his destination, an unexpected and violent strong wind blew him completely off course.

When he finally landed, it was into a location that was not included on his map. He checked out his balloon and found it was in still in pretty good shape for such a forceful landing. He could always try again to launch, but he decided to stay awhile to explore his surroundings. Why not, he was always up for a new adventure.

He made note of where he landed and started walking through a beautiful forest that was eerie on one hand and had a sense of magic on the other. Beautiful flowers and plants that he was not familiar with dotted his pathway and strange vines crept up from the forest floor around the trunks of odd-looking trees.

As he came out of the thickest part of the forest, he noticed brightly colored chimney tops with wisps of smoke wafting up from several houses positioned together in what looked like the outskirts of a small town or village. As he got nearer, he heard sounds of laughter and felt an excited buzz from bits and pieces of conversation. He could smell food cooking as he went towards what looked like the marketplace in a town square.

The people he saw looked different in a sort of different kind of way. From the animated gesturing he observed; something exciting was happening and he wanted to know. He walked up to a man and a woman that were standing together near a cart heavily ladened with an assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables. He asked them what was going on? They turned to look directly at him, there was a long pause, the couple’s eyes widened, and their eyebrows went up suddenly at the same time. Then they both smiled the grandest and brightest smile he had ever seen. Strange, most people groaned when he walked into a room.

The lady started yelling in a loud voice towards the others gathering in the marketplace, “He’s here! He’s here!” Puzzled, the daring young man asked, “Wait. What? Who’s here?” As he tried to make heads or tails of the situation, an excited and animated crowd started to grow quickly around him. The couple that he met pointed at him and said in unison, “you are here, you have finally arrived!”

Mystified, the daring young man looked around at the people coming closer to him while clapping, jumping up and down, and holding their hands to their mouths like they were all the winners of a beauty pageant. They were all touching him, slapping him on the back, and shaking his hand. He didn’t even know where he was, why were they acting like they had been waiting for HIM?

An older man that introduced himself as the village Vicar told him in detail about a long-told prophecy about a man that would come to them and have solutions to all their problems. This magical man would, at will have the power to immediately fix whatever was wrong. The pesky detail that made him the chosen one is that this person would arrive in a magnificent flying machine. Did these folks think he was magical because of how he got here…the multi-colored hot air balloon lying in the middle of a field on the other side of the forest? What? No way!

This detail started a series of events that caused his life to spin out of control. The townspeople were sure he was the fulfillment of a prophecy. He had arrived, so they gave him the title…the Magician.

Flabbergasted, the daring and carefree young man, Copernicus Thalamus Ptolemy, a scientist of alchemy from Marietta Lebanon, Ohio found himself in a place where the word magic cannot describe what he is now feeling.

Copernicus has a decision to make, does he tell the truth and make it perfectly clear that he is not a magician; or does he exacerbate this weird set of circumstances he finds himself in and utilize his skills in science to meet the conclusion that these kind folks have come to by creating a narrative that fits.

Needless to say; Copernicus, was a frustrated mild-mannered guy that wanted more out of life. He was used to a simple midwestern lifestyle where the trees grew so tall and produced the perfect sap for Saturday pancakes, choosing to build an illusion around what they believed. He would take a leap of faith and become the Magician. Perception is the key to success…right? So it began, he would use his scientific skills in alchemy to create what he believed to be true so he would wear this new and exciting ‘god-like’ persona to the fullest. The sky was now the limit!

First things first, somewhere to live. It had to be a place that would hold his magnificence as a magician. A castle…that’s it! He always wanted one of those! A large space with fortified walls, ramparts with high stone walkways, a horse wash, and at least seven large fireplaces! He had to have beautiful expansive gardens, apple, peach, and orange tree orchards, and a massive pond that could hold a hundred different types of species of fish.

Carriages, carriages, and more carriages of all kinds from small to large, embellished with precious stones, with rare, dried flower wreaths, and all adorned in every color in the rainbow with horses to match. The formula for changing the color of a horse he had with him in his little black book. He’d have to be careful though to avoid that small, well rather large situation that happened to Mrs. Haversham’s horse. Rainbow was not what she ordered. At any rate, how else would he travel about the countryside in style visiting and granting wishes throughout his kingdom?

Next…he ordered beautifully liveried footmen, servants, and guards to give the perception of honor. Pomp and circumstance had to be added to his visitor’s protocols. One could not just go see the Magician…there had to be gateways of security. How else would one keep the truth from being known?

As time when by, Copernicus began living the life he’d created in his head. Nothing was out of reach. As he consistently wrote in his journal things that were above his imagination, they came true every single time. No matter how large he dreamed, or what he thought was impossible, the dreams manifested…sometimes right before his eyes. Case in point, the family of giraffes wearing red trucker caps, red ties that were too long, don’t forget the blue and white tutus. That happened.

For seven years he kept up the fake façade. He began to genuinely believe he was indeed a magician. When he was told that he was known far and wide throughout the kingdom, he walked a little taller. He began to live his life with unchecked arrogance and bravado, so he spoke a little louder. With an air of fake majesty, he even began to look down at some petitioners that came to see him as not worthy of his time and effort. On some occasions, right after a request was made for one thing or another, he would immediately forget what was asked and move on to a task that had more importance to him.

One day while out in the countryside in his beautiful carriage, Copernicus haughtily passed up an elderly, sad sunflower seed farmer who was well known in the land. You see, the farmer recently lost his horse to sickness and was traveling to town by walking six miles for supplies. He did not want to ask his neighbors for help so he reasoned that he would be able to make his way on his own.

The farmer blamed himself, told himself he was not worthy, and miserably cried all the way. Once he arrived at the town square, feeling downtrodden the farmer shared what the Magician had done with those gathered at the fountain. The townspeople then became suspicious of the Magician and visits to the castle became scarce. Slowly but surely, the local folks began to avoid the Magician.

Copernicus became lost in his own self-made glory. He forgot where he came from not to mention, who he really was. He failed to recall his original purpose coming to this place and became in his mind something he wasn’t. Not surprisingly, increasing paranoia that the secret would be revealed started to slowly set in. Hiding behind a façade started to show.

This fear began increasing steadily and gained a feverish momentum once he was told by the Vicar’s wife’s sister’s son’s friend that the folks in the kingdom were losing money at their produce stalls. The folks decided they needed something to draw folks from outside of the kingdom to bring in revenue for the items the Magician could no longer provide.

The folks strategically started building a method by which those seeking him out could travel directly to consult with Copernicus. They were not proud of this plan, but they went ahead with it anyway. Their marketing and advertising claims were that the Magician could only be found by following a road…a special road. The Magic Road to the Magician.

Copernicus was livid! Oh, no! A magic road would lead folks directly to him, would they find out, is he now in danger of his truth bubbling forth from the shadows? Using his scientific skills in alchemy, Copernicus added a little something to the road by way of the clay that would be used to make the bricks. He added stress, worry, struggle, anxiety, chaos, and negative emotions to the magic road.

He made sure he left out hope. His Pandora’s Box formula would stop them in their tracks. What petitioners did not know is that travel along this road would contain tests of fear. The perfect mixture of terror to thwart them reaching him with their challenges that he knew he could not solve. This potion would buy him time. That should do it. He could relax now. The pesky dream seekers will be stopped.

What Copernicus did not count on was Divine Intervention. Previous visitors wanted grain, a cow, a new thatched roof, or blockage removed from the river so their crops could be watered. He never had to fulfill dreams for items one could not touch.

His mastery of alchemy worked for a very long while. Until they showed up. What Copernicus did not foresee when bewitching the clay for the bricks to build the magic road was steel determination and that thoughts become things. His own negative thoughts would soon materialize into his worst nightmare.

You see, this set of four visitors did not set out on their journey through this magical land to see him together, they met along the way. One traveler did not know how they arrived on this road and was lost; one did not care if he saved himself or anyone else and was indifferent, one could not come up with the solution if he should take the right fork in the road or the left fork in the road, he was indecisive and the last was frozen in fear to move forward to find his way out, this one was scared.

Lost after stopping in the village to get directions home came across a beautiful and kind lady that told her to follow the magic road to reach the Magician. Even Lost did not know how they got here; Lost vowed to keep going. While walking, Lost sees Indifferent standing in the middle of the road…just standing.

Lost paused a moment then quietly asked for directions to get to the Magician. Indifferent, says, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Lost says, “well I’m lost and I’m looking for the Magician to help me find my way home.” Come and go with me, maybe we can find out why you don’t know what you need to know and find out why you don’t care.” Indifferent immediately said, “Ok…but I still don’t care, and I still don’t know how to get there.” “I do, a beautiful lady in the village told me to follow this magic road,” says Lost. “Let’s go.”

Lost and Indifferent kept walking for a time, up ahead, they began to see dark shadows looming and hovering amongst the trees. Floating here and there, but watching them just the same. The two would cower behind bushes when a shadow would get too close to them making screeching and moaning sounds. They began to question not only their sanity but, all the same, they held on to each other.

They continued on holding hands to give each other confidence when out of the blue, a bush that had red eyes skittered across the magic road in front of them and stopped suddenly. Lost screamed, “we are not afraid of you! Move out of our way!” Red eyes unexpectedly opened wide and what looked like eyebrows started to glow; the bush seemed surprised and agitated. It did start to slink across to the other side of the magic road, very slowly. Like a teenager with an attitude walking across the street in front of you when the light turns green.

Once the menacing bush was on the other side of the road, they could see they had reached a fork. It was here that they came upon Indecision. Lost and Indifferent watched as Indecision walked from the left fork in the road to the right fork in the road murmuring to themselves as to which way to go.

After some time, Lost speaks up and asks Indecision, “um excuse me, what are you doing?” Indecision spins around to see Lost and Indifferent and with expansive eyes screams in frustration, “I don’t know, I can’t pick which way to go!” Indecision sits on a large rock and starts wringing their hands. Lost with soft concern, “this is my friend, Indifferent and we are going to see the Magician.” Lost continues, “I’m Lost and need to know how to get home; Indifferent doesn’t know how to get to the Magician and doesn’t care. You seem to not know which fork in the road to take, would you like to go with us to get some answers?” Indecision doesn’t answer.

Indifferent surprising Lost steps up to Indecision places a hand on Indecision’s shoulder and gives him a slightly agitated smile and says, “what’s it gonna be, we have to get out of this forest.” Indecision replies, “well, I…just don’t…know.” Lost, taking control of the situation pulls Indecision by the hand and winks at Indifferent and says, “you are going with us to see the Magician. We are taking a leap of faith and we are taking the right fork because it’s the right fork.”

On the winding magic road, through the dark forest with trees that yell and throw things, bushes with red eyes and attitudes, flying rapscallions wearing uniforms that are too small, moaning dark beings, and moving shadows that only want the visitors to become stagnant on their journey and stay stuck, the three who are now friends in fear, hear uncontrolled shaking and whimpering coming from behind a very large rock that was mostly covered completely by the mossy overhang of branches from a nearby tree.

They discover Scared. He violently cowered backward in alarm as Indifferent pulled back the curtain of vegetation. After what they had experienced using willpower to stay on the magic road, they understood why Scared was scared. They were now a little collective with a mission to accomplish and all felt safe in each other’s company.

It cannot be overstated the amount of relief Scared felt when he saw the three travelers. He breathed an exhausting sigh of relief while stuttering loudly, “Please help me! I’m going to see the Magician, and I’m so afraid!” The three knowingly glance at each other and all nod in unison. The unspoken agreement is that Scared is going with them.

Indifferent who had nothing much to say except “I don’t know, and I don’t care” surprises everyone by stating, “look we don’t have all day, I don’t like this place, can we just keep moving? I’d like to get there before dark…well it is dark. I don’t like the dark. Let’s go.” Confident, feeling safe and secure with each other, the four move forward one precious step at a time down the magic road to seek answers from the Magician.

The four friends finally reach the end of the dark forest and emerge out into the light. They see in the not too far distance…the Magician’s castle. Tired, hungry but happy that they have left the dark behind, they finally reach the magic castle and pull the door handle. An irritated and gruff gate sentinel asks, “who are you and what do you want?” Not one of the four said a word.

The question laced with impatience made them all hold their breath and hesitate. Indecision with newfound confidence in a just as stern voice replies, “we want to see the Magician! Now!” The sentinel with a puzzled look asks, “whaaaaaaat? This hasn’t happened in a very long while, hold please.” The sentinel calls out to the other guards and excitedly exclaims, “we have visitors here to see the Magician!”

A flurry of unabashed activity follows. Old moldy furniture drapes were yanked clear, barber and beautician chairs are dusted off, the castle clothier that created the grand liveried uniforms, who at the time was enjoying a cheese sammich is urgently called, the official castle carriage that needed wheels mended is put back together with masking tape and chewing gum and lastly, the Vicar’s wife’s sister’s son’s friend is notified to inform the Magician that there are guests waiting to consult with him for his precious knowledge.

The four now fed, rested, cleaned up, and properly attired are waiting at the entrance to the Magician’s chambers. Copernicus is presently losing his mind. “How could this happen? How did they find their way here? Not possible, not at all. I put the most heinous formula together to avoid this. What to do? What to do? As his expressions of incredulous and disbelieving outbursts get louder and louder, Lost, Indifferent, Indecision, and Scared overhear him and look at each other. How could this be?

They creep closer and closer to the slightly ajar large ornate jewel-encrusted door that now has some jewels missing and peek in. The four friends see not a ‘magician,’ but an overweight middle-aged man that has long unkempt hair, and oh my does he smell bad. Scared cloaked with righteous indignation with both fists, slams open the doors to the chamber and demands an explanation as to where is the magician and who is he? Copernicus, turning slowly to face them, stammers and stutters and can’t quite find the right words.

Reality sinks in, knowing he has been found out, screams uncontrollably as the truth bubbles forth, “I am not a magician! How did you get here, I made sure to bewitch the clay used to make the bricks to build the magic road? I put in lots of stress, worry, struggle, anxiety, chaos, and negative emotions. It was perfect!”

Realization dawned slowly on the travelers. They now knew they had been hoodwinked, bamboozled, and all of the emotions they felt while traveling through the dark forest were not true. It was all an illusion of their mind placed there by Copernicus' bad intentions to hide the truth.

The power of their soul kept them motivated through the dark even though one didn’t care, or know exactly what they wanted, one was frightened, and one because of fear could not move forward to save themselves. But what about Lost how could they help her find out how she got here and where was home?

Copernicus feeling fully ashamed, told them the whole story of how he arrived here and how the Magician came to life. He was lost too. He did not know how to get home and had never tried. Crestfallen and sad, Copernicus sat down on a pile of old papers and began to cry.

Genuine tears from a broken ego caused his body to heave to and fro from the heaviness of what he had done to himself and to the people that at one time trusted him. He even caused the town folk to lose their way to survive his treachery.

Suddenly, a small pinpoint of light appeared in the middle of the chamber. It slowly began to grow then filled up the entire room. The beautiful lady that Lost met in the village was now standing before them all as the Angel of Temperance.

She was adorned in a swirling gentle light that filled all of the space in the chamber, the light had moving beautiful geometric patterns that glittered with what seemed like precious gems never-before-seen by human eyes. What looked like a crown was really a halo of indescribable colored precious stones that had no name heard by human ears. She had a glow that emanated from an unknown place and the sense of peace that fell into the room had no measurement.

Copernicus finally stopped crying then stopped breathing and the small collective was in awe. No one moved, no one spoke.

The Angel spoke to them but did not use words. Using thought vibrations she said, “you three, Indifferent, Indecision, and Scared came here to see the Magician with Lost to find answers to what you thought you did not know. You each started out on your journey by yourself, but you were never alone.

Dear Ones, you came here with the answers already in your heart. With bravery and resolve to move forward, you found what you were looking for. By taking action you have aligned yourself with your dreams and wishes.

Indifferent, your feelings made you want to get out of the dark because you realized you did not like it. Indecision at a time of indecision from your companions, you found the power of your voice to demand to see the Magician. Scared, you were not afraid to burst into the Magician's chambers after you overheard his confessed rantings of wrongdoing. All of you stood in your power. You now know you were not what you thought you were but much more, the answer you were looking for was with you all the time.

Copernicus stands up with his belly sticking out of his dirty t-shirt, but his chest is held high, is now resigned to make things right states, “I was unfair to the people of this land. I will apologize and promise to tell them the truth of what I have done and why.” “I will fix the hot air balloon and go home after I undo all the wrongs I have caused.” The Angel of Temperance says, “once you have kept your promise to the people of this land, I will put you on the path to home so that you can heal.”

Lost asks the beautiful lady, “but what about me, I don’t know how I got to this place, and I don’t know how to get home either.” The beautiful lady states, “All you have to do Dear One… is wake up.”