12 Magic Wands: The Art of Meeting Life's Challenges [Paperback]

Gregory G. Bolich (Author), G. G. Bolich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

Magic exists. It surrounds us and infuses us. It holds the power to transform us. It isn’t always easy to see, but then again, it wouldn’t be magic if it were. Counselor and educator G.G. Bolich has written Twelve Magic Wands--a unique and insightful guide for recognizing the magic in our lives, and using it to improve our physical, mental, and spiritual selves. Here is a step-by-step program that empowers the reader to meet and conquer life’s challenges.

The book begins by explaining what magic is and where it abides. It then offers twelve magic "wands" that can transform your life for the better. Each wand provides practical tools and exercises to gain control over a specific area, such as friendship and love. Throughout the book, the author presents inspiring true stories of people who have used the magic in their lives to both help themselves and point the way to others.

The world can be a difficult place. Losing the magic in your life can make it even more difficult. Twelve Magic Wands provides real ways to make it better--first inside, and then out.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

G.G. Bolich, PhD, received his master’s of divinity from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, and earned his PhD in psychology from The Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. Currently a teacher at Webster University in South Carolina, Dr. Bolich also provides private counseling, specializing in trauma resolution. He is the published author of numerous articles in the fields of psychology, religion, and spirituality, as well as six titles, including Psyche’s Child, Introduction to Religion, and The Christian Scholar.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Square One Publishers (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075700086X
• ISBN-13: 978-0757000867
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,736,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Magic Wands as Self-Help, May 23, 2011

By 

ohiojoanne - See all my reviews

This review is from: 12 Magic Wands: The Art of Meeting Life's Challenges (Paperback)

12 Magic Wands is not going to teach you the magic of Hogwarts and Harry Potter. I was a bit disappointed. I found the idea of meeting life's challenges with a white-ash wand and rhymes very appealing. The wands that G. G. Bolich offers are wands that cultivate a deeper awareness of self in order to better meet life's challenges.

Gregory G. Bolich is a professor and psychologist, and writes in the fields of psychology, religion, and spirituality. 12 Magic Wands falls into the self-help genre, and brings to bear the author's experiences as a professor and therapist supporting people by tapping into magic. "Magic is just one path," Bolich writes, "that offers aid along the challenging journey of life."

After opening the book with a discussion to differentiate magic, science, and religion, Bolich proposes that we engage in some `as if' thinking. That means that we read the book `as if' magic is real even while suspecting it is just a metaphor for an imaginative psychological perspective. That worked for me.

Bolich divides the realm of magic into four arenas; Physical, Instrumental, Imaginative, and Sympathetic. Within each arena are three `Wands'. Within each Wand's chapter, Bolich provides vignettes from his experience where waving the Wand worked magic for the situation, and then he offers practical suggestions for enabling yourself to the use the Wand.

For example, in Physical Magic is the Wand of Breath. The author relates the story of a student hyper-ventilating from stress. The shallow breathing led to feelings of panic. The magic of breath brought attention to the breathing patterns of the student allowing her to slow her breathing. Cupping her hands over her mouth and nose then allowed the blood chemistry to return to normal. The exercises offered by the author under the Wand of Breath included activities around posture, body awareness, and breathing patterns; and help solidify the magic of Breath into the practitioner's life.

This book worked for me and I am applying the concepts here and there. I have been playing with the Wand of Sanctuary; valuing quiet places that offer a sense of being set apart to help me quiet my very busy mind. This morning I walked to Lake Erie and out to the end of a stone jetty. It was just me and the lake. My brain rested. I slowed. I left feeling more centered, at peace yet energized, and ready to face the day. It felt like magic.

I found the concepts of 12 Magic Wands to be a unique and creative frame to shift behaviors and increase awareness. And, though familiar with some of the concepts, Bolich's use of them as magic freed me to `play' instead of `try'. I say, go for it and wave some magic wands! (Originally written for the Luxury Reading website.)