The Magic Circle

My sister, 2 foster brothers and I grew up on 120 acres in upstate New York. We had 5 horses. Our house was in the middle of the property, so we had a long driveway to walk every day after the bus dropped us off. (My Mom would drive us in the morning.) And when I was in middle school and my sister still in grade school and the boys in high school, we all went to school at different times. I started very late (noon time and went til 5:00), everyone else went to school in the mornings like normal. So I used that morning time to be at the barn to ride my horse. I had a challenge for myself to ride every day one year. NO matter the weather.

I set out each morning riding the same path from our barn down many wooded bridle paths to this big open field, where I would ride in the self made ring. Dreaming, thinking, clearing my head, setting the tone for the day… It was a time of connecting with myself. My horse. Life. A time when inspiration came to sort out challenges, dream and learn about myself. It was a magical time in my life as a teenager. I loved that time of day.

Because the property was so big, we had lots of room for a few houses besides our house, there was another at the time, my God Fathers house was just a bit down the road. My God Father was more like a 3rd Grandfather to me. He was wise. He brought a calm to our home when he came for dinner. This one particular evening in the warmer months, my God Father had a friend visiting from England. They both came to dinner that night.

His friend announced, in his very English accent that, he “was out for a walk on property that day and he found a very peculiar thing.” We asked about what he found… he said, he “got to a field, and there was circle in the it… just a circle.” He went on to explain where the field was but he was confused as to why it was there and what it was used for. He said, “It’s like a Magic Circle - just there in the middle of the field.” I knew in that moment, he was talking about ‘my circle’ where me and my horse, spent hours and hours each week. Loving life. Getting grounded for the day. And from that day on, I thought of it as the ‘Magic Circle.’

My Dad still lives on that property and he had a sign made for the ‘road’ into the field, called Magic Circle. (see pic below). I have been back there not so long ago and it;’s funny how the field is so much smaller. The path is gone. But the magic isn’t.

Life has magic in it every day, your life! Don’t miss it! It is every where.

Westerlo, NY