And just WHERE do you suppose the "powers" come from?

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a hundred times.

"Oh, I wish I had powers to (see the future, read minds, talk to the Gods, move things with my mind - take your pick)!"

Ahem.

Well...ladies and gentlemen, has it ever occurred to you that there might be something the magicians are doing which we aren't?

Essentially, "powers" are the ability to do unusual things. They may be considered "gifts", but I believe everybody can access them. The difference is in the how. And this is where most wannabes fall flat on their faces.

Why? Well, they want the powers to drop right out of the sky into their heads. Oh, and if we could add some wings and a halo or two, that would be fine too. Has it ever occurred to these fine people that these powers might "cost" something? Since powers are ways which create different results in experience, it stands to reason that they arise when people relate to their experience differently.

Shock horror. Oh yes, folks - if you want to do unusual things, you have to relate to things in unusual ways. Can you honestly say you're surprised? Yes? Well, you can't have given it a lot of thought, then. Which is fine. But before you go lusting after earthshaking powers, be careful what you wish for - you may not like the price.

Consider what Aladdin's genie had to say:

"PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS!...

...itty bitty living space."

P/S: For those who don't get what I'm talking about - it's about identity. You can only wield certain powers when you abide at certain identity levels, and to do that you have to obey the laws governing those levels. For most, the getting there and the rules are more than enough for them to give up the dreams of power. That's why they largely remain dreams...until the next magic show comes along.

PPS: To belabour a rather old point with me, let me remind you what Fagin, the leader of the rubble of boy thieves, said when Oliver and the boys sang that song "I'd do anything for you": "ANYTHING?"