I believe in dreams, I mean the kind that come while we slumber.
Recently I dreamt of a powerful woman who appeared, stood before me, and imparted a message .
She told me that my name was no longer Nicholas Emery, but Nicholas Magi.
I argued with her, and with a degree of petulance I insisted I already had a name.
Bemused, she looked at me in a way that imparted my resistance was meaningless. Dream time passed, and she disappeared leaving me to myself.
I remained in the dream and could not rid myself of a feeling that I had somehow betrayed myself. The feeling possessed me. I felt a deep sense of regret.
Still in the dream state, I made a point of telling myself to accept this name, Magi, and uncover its meaning when I awoke.
magi, acrylic on canvas, 30” x 30”, 2020
The next morning I looked the word Magi up. It appears to have manifold meanings and a very long history, dating back to Persia and the Eastern Mediterranean, predating Christianity and the three wise men tale.
The word may originally have meant a practitioner of magic, or someone interested in esoteric knowledge, such as astronomy, astrology, mysticism, and alchemy .
I like that interpretation, who wouldn’t?
Nicholas Emery
August 23, 2020