There is a three-stage plot that feels almost universal.

In Zen, 1. Mountains are mountains, waters are waters; 2. Mountains are no longer mountains, waters are no longer waters; 3. Mountains are once again mountains, waters are once again waters.

In Christian mysticism, 1. The Purgative Way; 2. The Illuminative Way; 3. The Unitive Way.

In Alchemy, 1. Nigredo (blackening); 2. Albedo (whitening); 3. Rubedo (reddening).

In Kuhn's account of scientific revolution, 1. Normal Science; 2. Crisis; 3. Shifted Paradigm.

In Nietzsche's metamorphoses of the spirit, 1. The Camel; 2. The Lion; 3. The Child.

In the Hero's Journey characterized by Joseph Campbell, 1. Departure; 2. Initiation; 3. Return.

One day I talked to a dear friend about what happens when you study something closely and for long enough. You may discover that it is not as intriguing or enchanting as you once imagined. Then you become disenchanted, and you start searching for another source of wonder.

I agreed, but added that there is a third stage which I call “re-enchantment”.

Here's the three-stage plot again: 1. Enchantment. 2. Disenchantment. 3. Re-enchantment.

(I do not claim that these plots operate at the same scale: Some stretch across grand scales, some trace localy repetitive patterns.)

My friend loved the idea and asked: How do we re-enchant ourselves?

What follows is the word-bomb I dropped on her, reshaped into a long poem.

by opening your eyes
by listening
by walking
by pausing

by not retreating
by wisely retreating
by holding the paradox
by inhabiting the in-between

by staying as a form of moving
by leaving as a form of returning
by lessening as a form of gaining
by releasing as a form of grabbing

by resisting
by building walls
by peeking over the walls
by dismantling the walls

by insisting
by not settling for bullshit
by creating bullshit
by throwing noise into the void

by breaking the silence
by befriending the silence
by expressing honestly
by expanding relentlessly

by not knowing
by quietly knowing
by not believing in magic and fairytales
… by believing in magic and fairytales

by tiptoeing
by zigzaging
by leaping
by diving

by saying no
by saying yes
by not justifying
by existing inside-out

by doubting
by not doubting
by descending
by being picked up

by falling
by wandering
by dreading
by showing up

by starving
by devouring
by drowning in the waves
by surfing the waves

by drifting
by darkening
by gazing into
by noticing light

by being bruised
by being disenchanted
by humming
by going far ......