BLACK MAGIC23/10/21
There are many versions of Black Magic in tribes and peoples of all nations. Even in our own Aotearoa, there is a local version kept in traditional folklore.
Black Magic was like a well-kept secret only a few knew and used it to their advantage. It's like a mystery that kept on coming back to keep us bewildered.
This was in the days of the great All Blacks that captured the psyche of the nation. The whole nation stopped to listen and watch the All Blacks play. A win generates a happy consumer mood, the opposite is true of a loss. You know, the blame is shared by everyone. Just like the disappointment in those who break alert level rules.
But what kept me coming back is when fans started to chant Black! Black! Black! At that very moment I kept a watchful eye to see where the soul of Black Magic is appearing. You can feel every ahh! and ooh! of the crowd response, as the guys on the field shift the pace of the game.
I began to wonder if Black Magic was a Maori Taniwha visible only to Maori people. After a little while, I took an interest in finding out what Black Magic really was.
So, I looked up YouTube and learned that Black Magic is a spirit of a black person possessed by a white one. And that's it, those white guys in the All Blacks have black souls why the team is called All Blacks. It makes sense to me because those white guys run and tackle like black persons.
I couldn't figure out why they are white on the outside and black on the inside, but I guess I was happy with the Black Magic phenomenon that they are all black.
It was a symbol of organisation and everyone has a say on the coach, the players and who should play or drop. Everyone was happy to do volunteer work for the All Blacks. It's a childhood dream to become an All Black. I didn't have a black T Shirt but it was like everyone has something black in their clothing.
It was when the game transitioned from national sports to professionalism that things began to change. Well, I guess players have to earn money but as they do, they slowly move away from established links to the community.
The legend of the Black Magic was rubbed on to Kiwi 7 in the America's Cup series. But again, the modernisation of the national psyche gave way to the corporate dollar and it was gone to the highest bid.
This time I understand that the guys and girls who possessed black souls are actually called Albinism. Their parents are black Africans and for some freak of nature they are born white. The local tribes believe Albinisms are magic creatures. They are hunted for their body parts believed to possessed magic that would make them fortunes.
Recently in negotiation for a contract I believed it had included the local communities, the players are now legally represented by unions or some form of administrations. They actually argued against the communities.
And this is very much up to date with modern reality. Our once old trusted national psyche is now captured in the symbol of liberal freedom. Black Magic as we used to know in KZ7 is too rich for us it has to sail some other sea land; the great All Blacks of old can still be remembered although liberal freedom is the entity's right to satisfy his/her own desire.
I remember making a suggestion in an article somewhere before the last America's Cup defence not so long ago, to invite a Chinese company to sponsor training our young children to sail and play rugby. I think I head a reaction in a statement from somewhere that they too are planning on the same thing. So, they backed their gear and sailed away.
In the words of our Prime Minister, 'we are a team'. Our struggle to keep everyone vaccinated and save their lives has truly transformed Black Magic once again in the nation. The team of 5 million is Black Magic and we are going to make it in our time of need.
The truth about the colour thing, it means whether you are black or white, if you are one of the team of 5 million, then you are magic. It is magic that you, in the team of 5 million know about. The ground up movement is shared among team members as they equally participate in the practice of making connection and reaching out. It is magic in saving a life especially among the vulnerable.