Synchronicity As Magic

     While living in England my junior year of college, I went to the Mid-Lent Fair in Grantham. An old Gypsy woman was reading palms and telling fortunes inside her van. The young woman I was with had to have her palm read. I poo-pooed the notion, but she insisted and so we went inside to learn about her future.

     Turns out the old woman had over-heard my remarks. She was none to pleased to have to read my girlfriend's palm in my presence, but my girlfriend insisted and her future was revealed. The old woman told her that she would be married, but not to me and she went on from there. When the Gypsy had told her everything she could, my girlfriend paid to have my palm read. Despite my protests and advice to save her money, the money was paid and the old woman frowned and took my hand. 

     "You will not live to see your thirtieth birthday. That is all I see for you. You must leave now." Turns out, she was half right. The young woman did marry someone else. College kids out for a good time are not in any way committed, at least we weren't. The other part, my dying part, obviously did not come true. If I had, anyone who knew of this experience might have rushed out to have their own palms read. The magic of the synchronicity has faded over time.

     Mark Twain wrote about synchronicity as trickery in his book A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court. I have never read the book, but I remember seeing the film starring Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, Cecil Hardwicke, and William Bendix. Briefly, Bing Crosby in on a tour of a castle when he is knocked out and dreams of being in King Arthur's court. Since he has 20th century knowledge, he is able to talk himself into the king's court. Jealous enemies finally seem to triumph and Crosby is to be burned at the stake. He pulls a Farmer's Almanac from his pocket and confirms that there is about to be a solar eclipse. He uses the privilege of 'last words' to stall the burning. When the time is right, he announces to the crowd that when he dies he will take the sun with him and they will live in darkness. They laugh and the eclipse begins. As the sun grows darker, the people become truly afraid. The beg the king to cancel Crosby's execution and to free him. The king does so and Crosby returns the sun.

     Knowledge is power. Knowledge combined with wisdom produces magic. The power of magic is synchronicity.