gandalf (Photo credit: williamcromar)
I’m not talking about classical wizard.
I’m not talking about an old man with long beards, making weird potions inside a tower. Neither a modern wizard like Harry Potter; using a magic wand, shooting spells and curses and transforming toes in cats. Wizard I’m talking about has characteristics complete different; magic he uses has nothing to do with wands, spells or cauldrons.
Let’s take two great wizards with the powers I want to talk about: Gandalf from Tolkien’s universe and Merlin from King Arthur’s legends.
Gandalf is a messenger sent by the Valar (the gods in Tolkien’s universe). His mission is to help middle earth inhabitants in their fight against darkness (Sauron). He has a great power to call and unite different races; giving them courage he turns Sauron’s 3rd age into man’s race 4th age.
Merlin or Myrddyn Emrys in wales, where Merlin legends has begun, also has a great mission. After Roman Empire left Britain, to defend Ynys Prydein (Britain) against barbarian invasions, he turns Roman Britain into one unified country: England. Riding from one kingdom to another he created right conditions to allow the born of a miracle called Arthur.
Both possess a great vision and talk to men’s heart, making a mark inside them. They make born new worlds, transforming their environments in a better place.
I have the sensation of being witness of born of a new world, every time I hear the song “Men of Harlech” performed by Charlotte Church. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0mFAVr9Uf8&list=FLgtd_A0JTjHzycOv8cmrdIA&index=44&feature=plpp_video When she starts to sing in Gaelic language, is like the soul of a nation, calling from darkness and silence to men with the will to produce it; then chorus sings in English like a reply, presenting themselves to the battle field, to create this new world.
Even in organizational psychology, archetypes of Warrior, King and Wizard are known. In a company, King’s Archetype gives plans and directions, Warrior’s archetype executes the plan, and when a problem comes, Wizard fixes problems, and adapts plan to new reality.
The wizard has existed throughout history. We can always find this special class of women and men who transform their environment: Socrates, Scipio Africanus, Catherine the Great, Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, Marie Curie, Nelson Mandela and many others.
Carte de visite photograph of Florence Nightingale, by Kilburn, circa 1854. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
How can we be wizards?
We have to change ourselves. We need to change our paradigms, our words, our actions.
In 416 B.C. during Peloponnesian War, Syracuse in Sicily was attacked by Athens and their allies; in consequence Sicilians asked for help to Sparta. Spartans didn´t send an army, they sent a single man: Gylippus. He organized and encouraged Syracuse people in a way that Athens was defeated. Since very beginning they were able to win. Gylippus just changed their paradigms, their way of thinking.
We need to become seed man, and like Gylippus be able to turn afraid men to heroes. We need the ability to awake the best inside every person, creating a new environment.
We need the Wizard.
