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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Enchantment summary
Re-awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age
18 mins
Brief summary
Enchantment by Katherine May is a moving memoir that explores the transformative power of nature. Through personal anecdotes and scientific research, May shows how spending time in nature can provide solace, inspiration, and a renewed sense of purpose.
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Enchantment
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Key idea 1 of 5
Ground Yourself in Earth
Worn down by the challenges of working and parenting her way through a global pandemic, Katherine May began making a daily pilgrimage to a circle of stones in a field close to the English seaside village where she lived. She didn’t know what drew her to the stones – unlike the ancient cairns and stone circles created centuries before, this stone circle was a newly constructed public art initiative. And yet she kept returning to it. The rhythm of the daily walk began to feel like a ritual; the ritual began to accrue its own meanings and significance. What had once been a walk, she realized, was now a pilgrimage that, without being religious, still felt spiritually nourishing.
At the same time she had been making her daily visit to the stone circle, she had also been struggling with a lack in her life. A lack of what? It was hard to articulate. The poet John Keats’s concept of negative capability seemed to gesture at what she was thinking about, though. Keats described negative capability as a mode of thought that allows us to accept – even sink into – mystery, uncertainty, and ineffability without trying to rationalize anything away. In other words, it is the ability to perceive and accept – even embrace – magic. The ability to be enchanted by the world, without trying to break the spell. May realized she had lost that capability. How could she reawaken it? The stones seemed like they might hold at least part of the answer to her question.
Ultimately, on her quest to re-enchant her relationship with the world, May looked to the four elements of nature: earth, water, fire, and air.
Let’s begin this Blink with the element with which May herself began this journey – with stone, soil, grass: the element of earth.
The Romanian philosopher Mircea Eliade describes a phenomenon he named . Hierophany is a kind of magic trick whereby if you look at something attentively and worshipfully enough, the power of your gaze can transform it into an object of reverence – something sacred. It works for anything: a tree, a shoe, a loaf of bread. But we have fallen out of this practice. In ancient times, Eliade contends, humans turned this worshipful gaze on everything, and the entire landscape functioned as a hierophany. Now, we spend our time in what Eliade would term shallow terrain: office blocks, suburbs, shopping centers. But there are still parts of this Earth that are deep terrain – places like forests, where the landscape has functioned as a hierophanic site for centuries and is imbued, even now, with generations of reverence, memory, and meaning.
May found that spending time in deep terrain allowed her to cultivate her own hierophanic capabilities. If you’d like to do the same, try this: carve out time in your day and head for deep terrain. For May, this was a forest. For you, it might be a lake, a hill, or a field. Then simply walk. As you walk, pay worshipful attention to what you see and sense. Notice the pattern of the branches against the sky, the sound of birds chirping. As you walk, try to move through layers of perception. What can you see if you really look? Beneath the layers of birdsong, what else can you hear? You are performing hierophany, casting your own spell over the landscape, and transforming it into something magical and sacred.
May found other simple strategies for connecting to the Earth and grounding herself in its possibilities. For example, she grounded her body to the Earth by going barefoot. At first she did this only while meditating. Later, she went barefoot wherever she could and noticed how the feel of earth or floor beneath her feet became a kind of moving meditation. She also looked for pebbles and stones on her walk, and often carried one in her pocket – a simple reminder, whenever she put her hand in her pocket, to stay connected with the earth where she and the stone both came from.
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What is Enchantment about?
Enchantment (2023) asks how – in a world of toxic social media, rolling news coverage, burnout, stress, and anxiety – we can spark feelings of wonder, magic, and miracle. It suggests that discovering a connection with nature and rekindling our connection to our own inner selves will awaken our ability to be enchanted by the world.
Enchantment Review
Enchantment (2021) by Katherine May is a captivating exploration of the power and magic that can be found in everyday life. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Its fascinating anecdotes and personal stories make the book relatable and engaging, allowing readers to connect with the author's experiences.
- Through beautiful prose and thought-provoking observations, May encourages readers to embrace the enchantment in the ordinary, leading to a more fulfilling and fulfilling life.
- The book offers practical tips and exercises to help readers cultivate a sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around them, making it both informative and actionable.
Who should read Enchantment?
- Anxious scrollers who can’t seem to tear themselves from their newsfeeds
- Burnt-out workers, parents, and carers who have lost their spark
- Anyone who feels disconnected from nature and community
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Enchantment FAQs
What is the main message of Enchantment?
The main message of Enchantment is embracing the wonder of everyday life and finding magic in ordinary moments.
How long does it take to read Enchantment?
The reading time for Enchantment varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Enchantment a good book? Is it worth reading?
Enchantment is an insightful read that reminds us to appreciate the beauty in small moments. It's definitely worth reading!
Who is the author of Enchantment?
Katherine May is the author of Enchantment.
What to read after Enchantment?
If you're wondering what to read next after Enchantment, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Wintering by Katherine May
- How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz
- Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
- When You're Ready, This Is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- The First 2 Hours by Donna McGeorge
- How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
- Nothing Changes Until You Do by Mike Robbins
- The View from Ninety by Charles Handy
- AI-Powered Leadership by Dave Silberman