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J is for… Jadoo

Writer Zen Garden Posted on by

jadoo, n.
Magic, conjuring.

Pronunciation: /ˈdʒɑːduː/
Etymology: Hindi jādū, enchantment.

Oxford English Dictionary, March 2020

Every time I turn on the news, it seems like we’re even deeper into the Bad Timeline. Economies crashing, plague spreading, terrified people locked in their homes. It’s a whole lot of awful, no good, very bad days.

And this is where we need some magic, because we have to figure out how to make it through this madness. Now, Magic (big M) is for things like miracles and sorcery and other things found in all my favorite fantasy and sci-fi books/films. Perhaps also in my favorite Wiccans, but that’s another story. Mostly I’m talking about magic (little m). The magic of ordinary people, living average lives. Ordinary and average don’t sound exciting, do they? There’s no thrilling heroics or saving the day. There’s just getting on with all the things that make you, well, you. Then again, in an age of quarantine and social distancing, maybe a little bit of normal sounds downright miraculous.

So, magic is all the wonderful, tiny things in your life that you love. Maybe even things that no one else would notice. But you do, because it’s the magic you conjure. Reading a good book that makes you happy-sigh (hint: romance novels are awesome), wearing your favorite fuzzy socks, ticking things off your to-do list that you never have time for when you’re allowed to venture outdoors without a mask.

The last few weeks, I’ve been working from home (and I know I’m hugely privileged to be able to do so), and I’ve had to focus on those things that make my strange new normal pretty damn wonderful (because, let’s be honest, the other option is going stir-crazy). There’s the cup of tea my husband makes me in the morning before we start work, the fact that I can be in a meeting with a professional blouse on top and my comfiest yoga pants on bottom and no one knows over Zoom. There’s the spendy yarn I scored online on clearance that’s knitting up into a beautiful sweater. There’s raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens…you know, the good stuff. To me, focusing on that instead of the whole world going pear-shaped…that’s magic. That’s enchantment.

That’s jadoo.

Wishing you all a little bit of jadoo today and every day.

~Crystal Jordan

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