I had a moment with Magic...

Can you feel it too?

I was lying on the floor of a yurt in Western Portugal when it hit me. 

The one thing I want to teach my future child. 

The one thing that makes life meaningful. 

The one thing that we miss way too often.

Magic. 

I had just attended a two-hour ecstatic dance session with 30+ other people. 

The air was thick with sweat and emotional release. 

I was lying down with my hands on my belly, feeling a strong connection to a sense of empowerment and joy within myself. 

At that moment, I felt zero insecurity. I felt connected to an inner knowing that has been passed on to me by generation after generation. 

A knowing that is not learned by my brain nor available on ChatGPT. 

It’s an embodied sense of wisdom and trust.

At that moment, I felt a sense of certainty about my path and everything that is coming my way. 

I felt carried by a sense of magic. 

***

I’m pregnant with my first child. 

He will be born in the spring. 

It’s a confusing time and a transformative time. 

All the bits and pieces of my life are being recalibrated. 

Some of which I have power over. Others that make me feel powerless. 

For 38 years of my life, I’ve had control over how I spend my days. 

I’ve had control over my body and my wellbeing. 

In the last months, my body has become inhabited by a force bigger than me.

Nature. 

I’m no longer in charge of everything since I’m two instead of one. 

I’m sharing my life, my decisions and future plans with someone else in a way I’ve never done before. 

There’s no other option than to surrender. 

Surrender to the magic that resides within me and within this world—whether we choose to pay attention to it or not. 

It’s there.

At our disposal if we welcome it.

***

What I refer to as magic is a spiritual connection without any specific story or context. It’s not defined by labels, gods, or belief systems. 

Magic is what happens when life has other plans for you. 
Magic is what happens when you feel connected to a bunch of strangers you’ve never met before. 
Magic is that moment of connection with another without words. 
Magic is the sense of knowing you have when you make a wild decision. 
Magic is the certainty of leaving a familiar path or situation without any real plan for the future. 
Magic happens when meeting the love of your life and knowing it instantly.
Magic is you standing in the middle of a strange new city, knowing it will once become your home. 
Magic is the ability to wake up one day and see your world differently. 

I believe magic is the most powerful thing we have. It defies the realities of the world we live in. 

It doesn’t care about who won the election, whose stock is up, how expensive a cup of coffee has become or whether we get promoted or not. 

Magic is interested in heightening our experience of the world, regardless of our circumstances. 

Magic thrives in soul wisdom, embodied practices, free expression, creative pursuits and natural experiences. 

Magic suffers in goal-oriented pursuits, overthinking, copying other people’s logic, social media marathons, envy and competition. 

Magic finds you by invitation. Not by forcing.

***

So, if I can pass one thing to my unborn child, I hope it will be a sense of magic. 

It is created through practice. 

Taking notice of the beauty around us. 
Sitting down to take deep, conscious breaths. 
Dancing to whatever music you can hear. 
Touching and being touched. 
Exposing oneself to conversations that go beyond the tangible reality. 
Having days without any concept of time. 
Spending time in silence.
Creating from emotional expression.

***

Our sense of magic is what sets us apart from AI.   

Our sense of magic is what makes us thrive when others lose hope. 

If we choose not to believe in magic, it won’t serve us. 

If we lean into it, we may get surprised. 

***

When have you last felt connected to your magic?

***

***

Thank you for your time and presence.

Let’s remember that hope is not given to us but created within and by us.

Magic and hope belong in the same sentence. They thrive on each other.

So let’s make space for them. And forget about the world for a while.

With kindness,
Aurora

***

About High on Hope

Want a career where purpose comes first? This newsletter is a mix of personal growth, meaningful work, and big ideas. No fluffy self-help, no societal cynicism. It gives special attention to generalists, creatives, and multipassionates trying to pay the bills and leave a mark.

I, Aurora, am a multi-passionate soul with various creative pursuits, from improving work-life to merging spiritualism with science. I’m an eternal optimist and want to believe in a better future, regardless of the odds. I’m a coach for creatives, a freelance writer, a published author, a creative, a consultant, and a yoga teacher. Originally from Finland, I spent years trying to become location-independent and achieved that milestone two years ago. Now, I spend most of my time in Portugal.