The importance of magic

Lauren Richards
Jul 16
3 min read

When I was a little girl, my grandmother introduced me to magic.

The magic lived in toadstools that hid fairies in the woods, in tiny presents left just for me and in the quiet certainty that something unseen yet wonderful, was always nearby. When we left England and moved to live in the desert, I remember worrying that there wouldn’t be any fairies because there were no woods for them to live in.

But it didn’t stop them from visiting.

My mum carried on the tradition. Sometimes the fairies would leave me letters in tiny handwriting; sometimes small, thoughtful gifts. Magic could travel!

Until one day, during a game of hide and seek, I made an unfortunate discovery. Hidden under my parents’ bed was a stash of letters and drawings I had sent to the fairies. Despite my mum’s explanation that they were too heavy for the fairies to carry back to England, my belief in those little magical creatures began to wane.

Yet, somehow, the magic stayed with me.

Butterflies appear when I need uplifting. Certain people feel like guides. Woods still hold a quiet fascination, as though they remember something I once knew, or just maybe those fairies are still there.

Belief in magic is closely linked to the experience of awe: a profound emotion that arises when we encounter something vast, surprising or beautiful that stretches our understanding of the world. Awe and magic are interwoven; both encourage a move away from rational thinking towards a more intuitive, enchanted perspective.

Awe changes us. It boosts well-being, reduces stress and increases generosity. It fosters what psychologists call a “small-self” perspective, reminding us that we are part of something larger, which deepens our sense of connection and purpose. Awe is self-transcendent; it shifts our focus away from ourselves and toward the wider world, often making us kinder and more open to others.

Although the scientific study of awe is relatively young, beginning around 2003, research already points to a wide range of benefits. Physically, awe can bring changes in heart rate and has been linked to reduced markers of chronic inflammation. Psychologically, it creates a sense of expanded time, increases connectedness, enhances mood and well-being and even decreases materialism. People who experience awe are more generous, more compassionate and more present.

Then I had my own daughter and it was time for me to become the fairies.

I wrote her letters, left her little gifts, and later did the same for my son. But, as these things often go, my daughter eventually discovered the truth. I had done such a grand job of “fairying” that she felt deeply betrayed. The magic had been so real and now she was so upset.

The solution? A magical ceremony for the two of us. We lit fairy lights, gathered crystals and tarot cards, and I showed her the collection of magical objects I had kept since childhood: butterfly wings, a model orc, a snakeskin (I did grow up in the desert after all!), seashells and more. I explained that the magic was still real and deeply important. Its purpose had never been the fairies themselves, but what they opened inside us. First, magic looks like fairies. Then it becomes butterflies. Then it becomes people.

Believing in magic is really about believing in possibility. It’s about hope. It’s about taking opportunities because there might just be a kernel of gold hidden within them.

My grandmother cultivated in me a sense of awe. My mother continued it. And now I pass it on to my children. These days, the magic lies in watching them grow into beautiful humans. Sometimes the magic is in those moments when everything aligns so perfectly it feels like the universe is speaking. Sometimes the magic is just sitting in my garden watching tadpoles become frogs.

Magic (or awe) is not something we outgrow. It is something we can cultivate and nurture to nourish our bodies, minds and souls.

Lauren Richards GMBPsS, MSc, EMCC, HGDipl, Cert Ed., BSocSc

Positive Psychologist, Coaching Psychologist and AuDHD Coach

www.larkcoaching.co.uk

larkcoaching@gmail.com