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Fortunate indeed is the child who never gives up the original impulse to bring forth from silence words which not only name and give meaning to the unknown, but which, in their wondrous way, take on, like the child itself, a life of their own.

Richard Lewis“The Wind of the Marigold.”

Compounding this decline

in literacy is the ongoing debasement of the English language not only through misuse but also through intentional manipulation. The net result is an increasing loss in the ability to think, reason and communicate among the general population.

Here’s something George Orwell said on the subject:“…One ought to recognize that the present political chaos is connected with the decay of language, and that one can probably bring about some improvement by starting at the verbal end.”

WordMagic is an innovative, educational entertainment designed to elevate levels of literacy and accelerate the evolution of heart-full human consciousness—simultaneously—through a new kind of wordplay that turns youngsters into punsters and punsters into pundits and makes Self-discovery as easy as A-B-C.

What I Offer is an infectious enthusiasm for words and a novel approach to playing with them that penetrates surface meanings and brings the language to life.

Through WordMagic assembly and classroom presentations, students discover the Secret Spells of the English Language through which we write our own Life Sentences. They also encounter the Sacred PathWords embedded in ordinary speech that can lead us to live more enlightened lives. They are then invited to speculate on the origins and significance of these ‘linguistic synchronicities’ and to share how they relate to their own vision of reality and deeper sense of self. For instance–what can we make of the fact that we have ­–

YES in our eyes and NO in our N0se,
OUT in our mouth and IN in our chin?

How is it that –
our EAR so central to our heart
and SILENT is an anagram for LISTEN?

And given that
the EARth is an anagram for heart
(both our heart and our ear possess an auricle/oracle)
and LOVE – turned around – initiates EVOLution

What do such words imply about the deepest purpose of our Lives?

Encountering these meaningful co-incidences elicits interest in treasure hunting through English—and any other language that a person happens to know. It also fosters philosophic inquiry about our reason for being and about our power, place and purpose in the Cosmos.

The net result is a heightened interest in playing with words leading to a greater facility in using them.

And because WordMagicemphasizes the power of the Word to heal or to harm, participants are inspired to become more conscious, creative and kind in their use of language and in their treatment of others.

And here’s another important reason to stimulate a love of language learning in young people: SUPERIOR LANGUAGE SKILLS in your late teens and early twenties may actually protect you from dementia many decades later, according to a new study of 38 Catholicnuns who donated their brains to science.

In addition to covering in greater depth the topics touched upon in a presentation, we will play with words in a variety of ways that –

  • Promote visionary thinking
  • Inspire unique storytelling
  • Facilitate greater language mastery, and
  • Reinforce self-esteem.

Students will learn to decode the ‘secret spells’ that re-sound within the ‘cymbals’ of the alphabet, attune to the resonant rhythms in words and the melody of intonation, sense the magnetic pull of puns and the electro-poetic attraction between rhyming words, and reflect upon the multiple reverberations within a single sound.

WordMagic Objectives

  1. Demonstrate the magical power of words – to create or destroy
  2. Explore how words cast ‘spells’ that can influence our thinking and behavior
  3. Reveal the hidden philosophy in The Secret Spells of the English Language
  4. Reflect upon the worldview hidden in the overtones of this “meta-language.”
  5. Prove that We DO Come With Instructions – in the very words we speak
  6. Show how to Use the Word for the World’s ReCreation
  7. Encourage participants to speak and write with greater consciousness and creativity

Components of the Program

  1. Explore puns, anagrams and self-defining words as ‘cultural Freudian slips’ to help participants identify the concepts they reflect and/or the wisdom they impart
  2. Delve into the magic of ‘linguistic synchronicities’ as well as etymologies
  3. Decode the symbols of the alphabet as reflections of the Western mind
  4. Share obscure, yet fascinating words – to see what they inspire us to express
  5. Examine the relationship between our words, deeds and life experiences
  6. Create new metaphors to replace such outmoded ones as ‘needle in a haystack
  7. Invent new words and create new meanings for existing words
  8. Explain why keeping one’s word ultimately endows us with authentic Word Power.

Benefits

  1. Increases interest and excitement in mastering English – and other languages through a unique form of wordplay
  2. Heightens pleasure, fluency, wisdom and creativity in writing and speaking
  3. Inspires the desire to look more deeply into words – and one’s own worldview
  4. Encourages imaginative, out-of-the-box creative thinking
  5. Promotes positive values – via wordplay – including honesty, love and kindness
  6. Through the perspective revealed by our examination of language symbols and sounds, participants will be encouraged to explore and share their own insights, perceptions, feelings and beliefs about the world in which we live, the crises that we face, and the special gifts each are born to contribute.

We will use our linguistic discoveries to spark discussions; write poetry, prose and aphorisms; and begin inventing and circulating new words and phrases that can captivate the imagination and inspire our best qualities.

By these and other entertaining means, students will gain the capacity to make the language dance and sing in polyphonic compositions and conversations that can create powerful, positive repercussions in their world.

WordMagic Performances and WorkShoppes Are Tailored to the Interests, Abilities and Time Constraints of Participants.