Most Dreadful Moans

A line taken out of context, from our dictionary of magic words:

To my amazement, he turned perfectly white, covered his face with his hands, and burst out with the most dreadful moans.

Attitude

'Attitude' is universal and it is the magic word. 'Magic' means a manifestation of order.
—Clever Zulu, Absolute Abundance

Pif and Paf

A line taken out of context, from our dictionary of magic words:

In British folklore, Pif and Paf are names of “the country where cats are made,” homeplace to the Breton fairies.

Discarding the Spell

"In the war of magic and religion, is magic ultimately the victor? Perhaps priest and magician were once one, but the priest, learning humility in the face of God, discarded the spell for prayer." -- Patti Smith, Just Kids (2010)

Of East and West

A line taken out of context, from our dictionary of magic words:

The knowledge of the East and the West is mine, and the secrets of the mysterious cults of Africa and India!

Alakazam

Alakazam’s power lies in its mystery. The word is the very definition of secret. It’s something beyond understanding, something we can never get to the bottom of, something so wondrous it should only be whispered, if uttered at all. Alakazam expresses something unobservable, hence its appropriateness for sleight-of-hand. It describes a contradiction—a paradox—hence its appropriateness for illusions demonstrating the impossible. It’s an ephemeral word, gone almost before it can be fully spoken: the initial ala is a distant echo by the time the zam takes a powder. It’s also an ethereal word, inherently otherworldly.

Alakazam retains an aura of mystery—and therefore magic—even as most other words have become mundane with usage.

Attempts to Change the World

Lines taken out of context, from our dictionary of magic words:

"Unlike concrete poetry, these shapes are not clever linguistic games but attempts to change the world. Dismemberment of language produces enigma; but at the same time a performative act is being brought about. Language is simultaneously ruined and employed."