Zi-Ana

This Sumerian phrase, meaning “heavenly life,” was uttered by Incan priests in their incantations to invoke the divine.

Homoousios

Of Greek origin, “The magic term was homoousios, a word that may be translated not only as ‘of the same substance’ but also as ‘of the same existence,’ ‘essence,’ ‘reality,’ ‘being,’ ‘form,’ ‘definition,’ or even ‘truth.’” —Gunnar Olsson, Abysmal (2007)

Curiosities

"Curiosities—a word of magic meaning."
—The London Quarterly Review, April 1865

Image: a Cabinet of Curiosities from 1599.

Magic Words to Obtain Confessions

Magic words of rationalization, projection, and minimization help interrogators obtain admissions of guilt. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin explains:

Investigators often ask, "Do any magic words exist for obtaining confessions?" The answer is an unequivocal yes. Certain words and phrases, such as "accidents happen...," "anyone in this situation could have...," "everybody makes mistakes...," can give offenders a dignified way to admit their involvement in a crime and provide investigators with a proven approach to obtaining confessions. After identifying the appropriate words to use to obtain confessions, any investigator can become adept in using the magic words of interrogation.

See the full article here.

What Magic Word is Best For You?

The best magic word for you depends upon what kind of magician you are: Trickster, Sorcerer, Oracle, and Sage. Jeff McBride explains these archetypes in the Mystery School book. A quick way to determine your type is to think about how you'd organize a friend's birthday party:

A trickster type is mischievous and would be inclined to throw a surprise party or a hire a novelty singing telegram. "I can't believe you did this" would be a typical reaction. The trickster's magic words are likely to be funny-sounding tongue-twisters or irreverent wordplays.

A sorcerer type likes to make huge impressions with grand gestures, such as arranging a lavish, elegant dinner party. "I'm speechless" would be a typical reaction. The sorcerer's magic words are likely to be weighty and mysterious syllables from Egyptian and European wizards of old.

An oracle type would take a psychological approach and snoop out the ultimate gift as if through mind-reading. "How on earth did you know I wanted this?" would be a typical reaction. An oracle's magic words would be friendly, familiar words like "vacation" that cause us to spirit off to a fantasy world.

A sage type would take a philosophical approach and act as a wise one or guide to give a friend symbolic wings; the birthday would be an ordinary day made extraordinary by awakening the inner child to see with eyes of wonder. "Only you could have made today so special" would be a typical reaction. The sage's magic words are likely to be mystic chants of Judaism's Kabbalists, Islam's Sufis, Christianity's Gnostics, Buddhism's Lamas, and Hinduism's Gurus.

Language is Magic Stuff

"Language is magic stuff that needs to be consciously pushed into shape and form to ensure that it works exactly the way you want it to work." —Wilfried Hou Je Bek, "Graffiti and the Obelisk"

Hmmm

“One magic word can increase a salary offer by thousands of dollars, according to one salary-negotiation expert. That word is ‘Hmmm,’ preceded by a thoughtful, pregnant pause, followed by a question, says Jack Chapman, author of Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1,000 a Minute (Ten Speed Press). Here’s his formula: ‘When you hear the figure or the range, repeat the figure on the top of the range and then be quiet. Change “OK” to “Hmmm . . . is that the best you can do?”’" —Sharon McDonnell, You’re Hired! (1999)