Halloween, the spookiest time of the year, is just around the corner. It's a night when witches, ghouls, and all things eerie come out to play. And what could be more iconic than a witch rocking the night away on Halloween? Picture this: a cackling witch, broomstick in hand, flying through the moonlit sky to a haunting tune. With her flowing black robes and pointed hat, she creates an electrifying spectacle as she rocks back and forth in perfect sync with the music. Her eerie green eyes glimmer with mischief as she casts spells to make the night even more enchanting. The crowd, dressed in their spooky best, can't help but join in the festivities, dancing along to the witch's hypnotic rhythm.
Sign up to receive new posts and updates via email and receive my free meditation download as a gift.
Here We Are takes its title from Ronnie s foster mother s very nice way of saying whenever she proffered something, or sometimes for no clear reason at all, Here we are. In Mothering Sunday, a love song to the transformative possibilities of language and literature, the former housemaid managed to cross class barriers to become a celebrated author at a time of seismic changes in English society following World War I.
The crowd, dressed in their spooky best, can't help but join in the festivities, dancing along to the witch's hypnotic rhythm. The atmosphere is electric, filled with the sounds of laughter, screams, and the haunting melodies of Halloween. The witch, a bewitching maestro, commands the stage with her captivating performance.
Liz Gilbert’s Big Magic in Action: A Conjuring Story
I promised in last week’s post that I would review Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (affiliate link). It was released three days after I saw Liz speak at the Omega Women’s Leadership Center’s Women and Power: Being Bold retreat.
Instead of a blow-by-blow of the book (which is amazing and thought-provoking and a must-read for anyone in need of creative inspiration or a kick in the pants to live life more fully), let me give you a real-life example that I feel proves the truth of Liz’s theory that enchantment is all around us if we open ourselves up to receiving it.
As background, you need to know that I spent several weeks before the retreat obsessing about how I might meet Liz in person. With roughly 400 people attending the event, I knew my chances were slim. I might have a quick opportunity to shake her hand, but I wanted just a couple of minutes to tell her that she had inspired me to fully embrace my creative side, the culmination of which is my upcoming book, Blooming into Mindfulness.
Think I’m exaggerating about my obsession? Here are just a few excerpts from my journal in the days leading up to the Omega Institute event:
September 6, 2015: “Hoping Margaret Roach (accomplished author, former Martha Stewart Omnimedia executive, and provider of wise advice on my book journey) can give me some guidance about how best to connect with Liz Gilbert and other thought leaders.”
In our phone conversation the next day, Margaret had this excellent a suggestion: “If you have the chance to meet her–and be prepared, you’ll need to stand in line for sure–put something beautiful in her hands, like a box of your greeting cards.”
September 14, 2015: “Need to prepare for the upcoming retreat at Omega. Leaving on Friday. Should really research all the speakers. Especially hoping to have a few minutes with Elizabeth Gilbert. What an amazing leader she is. I really do want to be her when I grow up.”
September 17, 2015: “Soooo excited for this weekend’s Women in Power retreat at Omega. Even if I don’t get to meet Elizabeth Gilbert there will be so many other awesome women to connect with. Sent a note to Elizabeth Lesser (Omega co-founder, author, speaker) just to say hello in advance and thank her for her work. Maybe weird? I don’t know.”
Once I was actually at Omega, though, I knew immediately that the weekend would be much bigger than the potential of meeting Liz Gilbert. But I had my greeting cards in my bag just in case.
Liz’s keynote speech was scheduled for Saturday morning. I headed out from my tent cabin to get breakfast in the dining hall beforehand. As I waited in line for the buffet, I looked around the large room wondering where I should sit. I had decided to come alone to the retreat intentionally, to force my introverted self to meet people. My plate of food now in hand, my eyes fell on a friendly-looking woman sitting alone at one of the 100 or so eight-person round tables.
I asked if I could join her. “Of course!” she replied. “I’m Laurah.”
“I’m Martha,” I said, not sure if I should sit right next to her or leave a space or two. I decided to leave two spaces just in case a friend was joining her.
As I took my seat, I said, “Is anyone else sitting here?”
“Um…only Liz Gilbert.”
I stared at Laurah in disbelief, tingles making their way from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.
“You’re kidding,” I said.
“I know, right?” she said, a beautiful smile spreading across her face. She was just as astonished as I. Laurah had overheard Liz ask someone where the dining hall was and offered to show her the way.
Now, I want to reiterate here—I did not choose the table because I knew Liz Gilbert would be there. It was Laurah who attracted me there, so she now has permanent BMFE (Best Magic Friend Ever) status.
And sure enough, a minute later Liz Gilbert sat down in the chair next to Laurah. I was hyperventilating by this point. My friends and family will tell you that I’m not a person prone to hyperventilate in the midst of famous people. I got to shake Bill Clinton’s hand once, one of the most charismatic people on the planet no matter what your politics are. That handshake was nothing compared to meeting Liz Gilbert.
“Would it be OK if I moved and sat right next to you?” I said to her.
“If you didn’t, that would just be weird,” Liz said.
I slid over to the chair on her left. In bumbling fashion, I told her about how I had been consumed the past few weeks with wondering how I might approach her respectfully if I got the chance.
“Well it seems you’ve conjured me up!” she said. That’s exactly what it felt like.
“And guess what?” I replied. “I’m even prepared!”
Hands shaking, I opened my bag and pulled out a box of my garden photography greeting cards. As I placed the box in Liz’s hands, I felt totally engulfed in the enchantment that Liz talks about in Big Magic.
It was as if the universe was rewarding me for following Liz’s advice to embrace my creative identity—first through my writing, and more recently through my photography, despite my lifelong fear of doing so.
The irony is, in her talk about an hour or so after our magical encounter, Liz cautioned the audience about the dangers of meeting our heroes in person. She intentionally did not make an effort to meet her literary idol Jack Gilbert out of fear of being disappointed. The opposite was true for me.
Liz’s gracious handling of my slobbering adoration only served to raise even higher the pedestal upon which I keep her. And I’ll never forget what she told Laurah and me during our intimate breakfast together:
“I never ask people what they do. I always ask what excites them. You always get a better answer that way.” Another Liz Gilbert lesson that I’ve already started to implement.
And since this is technically supposed to be a “book review,” I’ll leave you with just a few quotes from Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear that resonated with me:
- You do not need anybody’s permission to live a creative life.
- You want to write a book? Make a song? Direct a movie? Decorate pottery? Learn a dance? Explore a new land? You want to draw a penis on your wall? Do it. Who cares? It’s your birthright as a human being, so do it with a cheerful heart. (This one spoke to me directly, since a friend of my son’s did, indeed, spray paint a picture of a penis on my front lawn several years ago. I forgive him now.)
- I want to live the most vividly decorated temporary life that I can. I don’t just mean physically; I mean emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.
- If you’re alive, you’re a creative person. You and I and everyone you know are descended from tens of thousands of years of makers.
- The guardians of high culture will try to convince you that the arts belong only to a chosen few, but they are wrong and they are also annoying.
- Instead of taking out loans to go to a school for the arts, maybe try to push yourself deeper into the world, to explore more bravely. Or go more deeply and bravely inward. Take an honest inventory of the education you already have—the years you have lived, the trials you have endured, the skills you have learned along the way. (I debated for years whether to go back to school for my MFA, but took Liz’s advice here instead.)
- Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.
I could go on and on, but you’ll be better off reading the whole book yourself.
More Big Magic:
I’m writing this blog post on an airplane, on my way to watch my son’s soccer game in Chicago. The woman sitting next to me is reading The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. “I’m SO enjoying this book!” she tells me. “Have you read it?”
“It’s one of my all-time favorites,” I said, feeling that tingly thing again since I had already set myself the task of writing this piece on the flight.
“Have you read anything else by the author?” she asked. I pulled out my copy of Big Magic, then showed her the photos of my magic friends.
If you enjoyed today’s entry and are not yet a subscriber, I’d be deeply grateful if you signed up for free delivery of new posts and other updates to your email inbox. (I promise to never share your information.) Social media likes and shares are always appreciated as well! And do let me know if you find typos in any of my posts so that I can correct the mistake. Thank you!
One small change to the site is that I’ll be starting to use affiliate links from time to time. Sales via these links provide a small commission, but you have my word that I will only include affiliates that I have tested out myself and believe will benefit my readers. Each will be noted in the post for full disclosure.
Comments
- lisa says October 5, 2015 at 2:03 pm
Hi Martha, That is so exciting that you met Liz Gilbert! I haven’t read anything of hers except for Eat, Pray, Love, but I have really been feeling like a need some, Big Magic lately! So will be buying it today (& maybe even the, The Signature of All Things). Miss you! Lisa
Welcome!
I'm Martha Brettschneider, a mindfulness consultant, Search Inside Yourself Certified Teacher, speaker, author, and nature photographer with a passion for inspiring and supporting mindful living through my products and services. As a former stressed-out economist and cancer survivor, I'm proof that anyone can transform their life experience from chaotic to contented. Learn more here.
Subscribe
Sign up to receive new posts and updates via email and receive my free meditation download as a gift.
I slid over to the chair on her left. In bumbling fashion, I told her about how I had been consumed the past few weeks with wondering how I might approach her respectfully if I got the chance.
As she rocks, the audience is transported to a world where magic is real and anything is possible. They become part of the show, losing themselves in the music and the thrill of the night. It's a Halloween celebration like no other, a mix of frights and delights, all brought together by the witch's enchanting rock and roll. And as the night comes to an end, the witch takes her final bow, leaving behind a spellbound audience craving for more. This Halloween, let the witch rock your world, and experience a night you'll never forget..
Reviews for "Witch Trials and the Dark Legacy of Halloween"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Witch Rocking on a Spooky Halloween" because I love Halloween-themed books. However, I was disappointed with this one. The story lacked depth and the characters were underdeveloped. It felt like a rushed attempt at a Halloween story rather than a well-crafted tale. The illustrations were also not very impressive, and overall, it just didn't capture the magic of Halloween for me.
2. Michael - 1 star - I found "Witch Rocking on a Spooky Halloween" to be incredibly predictable and unoriginal. The plot followed the typical clichés of a witch story during Halloween, and there were no surprises or twists to make it stand out. The writing style was also quite basic, and I expected more creativity from a book with the theme of Halloween. It felt like a generic story that lacked imagination and failed to engage me as a reader.
3. Emily - 2 stars - "Witch Rocking on a Spooky Halloween" had potential, but it fell flat for me. The plot felt disjointed and rushed, and it didn't flow smoothly from one scene to another. I also found the dialogue to be unrealistic and forced, making it hard to connect with the characters. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and was not satisfying. I was left wanting more closure and a stronger resolution. Overall, I think this book needed more polishing and attention to detail to make it a truly enjoyable read.