"The world is full of mystery and magic.

We just need to look, listen and believe that wondrous things are still possible.”  - Vonnie Winslow Crist 

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Exploring the realms of mystery and magic is an adventure. A mystery is a story in which strange things happen

that are not explained until the end; if then. The domain of magic looks to invisible forces which seek

to influence events or to present an illusion of change. Both offer fertile ground for storytellers and poets. 

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A mystery is something that baffles our understanding and cannot be explained. It, like magic, can

have its ‘dark side’: the inexplicable. The giant slabs of Stonehenge remain a mystery to this day.

In the same way, crimes and thrillers retain a mysterious quality until they are solved, if ever. 

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People can sometimes be a mystery to us, beyond our understanding. They may also live in a way

that seems to be beyond the "norm"; there is a sense of “the magical” about them. 

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“Magic and mystery lie on the edge, just outside the comfort zone.” - Amit Ray 

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Mystery and magic permeate the world of nature as well. They are encountered from the vastness of the

universe to the depths of the oceans. These "final frontiers" are only two areas that present the poet

and the storyteller with untold opportunities. It is when we explore the woods, experience the wilderness,

scale the mountain tops, or trek through harsh deserts that we recognize the wonders around us. 

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Humans, too, are beings of wonder. The workings of our bodies and minds still hold many secrets

despite the efforts of scientists and doctors to understand each and every cell. 

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Relationships are a total mystery. What is it that causes people to fall in love? Why are some optimists and

others pessimists? What makes a person an introvert or an extrovert? Powerful forces are at work

in our world today.

What about other areas of these realms? The purpose of magic is to manipulate people and events to

suit particular needs. It can involve powers of good, used to heal and to protect. It can also

be used to harm others by misusing knowledge and power. Yet again, it can provide entertainment or work to

encourage spiritual transformation. Magic holds all sorts of possibilities within it,

allowing free rein to the imagination.

Throughout the ages, ’Mystery and Magic’ have drawn wonderful works out of artists, composers, 

poets, and writers. You are now invited to join that vast multitude as you, too, respond to this

theme and share your writing with us. 

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"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery.

There is always more  mystery.” - Anais Nin

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