![]() The idea of words and language having the capacity to affect our relationship with the material world is fascinating given that there are over 7000 languages spoken globally. When this magical incantation is spoken before the mouth of a closed cave concealing treasures within, the rocks part allowing the speaker to gain entry. Also, of the famous phrase, ‘Open Sesame’ originating from the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. This puts in mind tales such as Rumpelstiltskin in which the eponymous villain devises a challenge where he can only be beaten if his name is correctly guessed. It is in giving the correct names that he is able to proceed. In the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, the journey of the god Osiris into the Underworld contains many challenges in which Osiris must name things, from the parts of the boat he is conveyed in, to the names of other deities. In his book Magick in Theory and Practice, Crowley states that members of his movement, “…are well aware of a Word whose analysis contains all truth…a word indeed potent for any which dares to use it.” Within his practices, Crowley instructs his followers to call on the names of deities as a means of manifesting their will. Whilst Crowley himself rejected the definition of ‘Satanism’, he was strongly influenced by it as well as by a variety of ancient and contemporary religions ranging from ancient Egyptian practices to Kabbala and Islamic mysticism. Occultist and controversial figure, Aleister Crowley, referred to as ‘the most wicked man in the world’ founded his own belief system described by scholars as a “magico-religious movement”. When looking at the nature of prayer within some organised religions, there is a shared practice in the recitation of are specific words in a specific order, often deriving from verses within sacred texts. ![]() Whilst there is no word involved, written letters being a password of sorts makes an interesting comparison. Words as a driving force of creation is echoed in the Hebrew folktale of the Golem a figure moulded from clay, inanimate until three Hebrew letters are inscribed onto its forehead, giving his creator influence over the Golem’s will. In the third verse of Genesis in the King James Bible, Earth is described of as a dark void without life of form, and then “…God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” In this translation it is interesting that emphasis is put on God speaking His commandment rather than willing or intending the light into being. ![]() Words having the power of manifestation can be found in ancient texts. This is the contract that is made that on uttering this magic word, the magician will be in possession of a supernatural power allowing them to manifest a creature out of thin air.įor a long time, I believed that this magic word had no distinct meaning outside of performance magic, however, although the word itself is of unknown origin, within Hebrew etymology, ‘Abracadabra’ translates to ‘I will create as I speak’ and in Aramaic to, ‘I create like the word.’ Both of these definitions place an emphasis on the relationship between spoken word and manifestation. Anyone who is familiar with the rabbit-being-pulled-from-the-hat trick is aware that the rabbit cannot appear unless the magic word has been spoken. When we think of ‘magic’ or ‘magic tricks’, the archetypal image of a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat after saying the all-important magic word usually springs to mind, and when it comes to magical lexis, ‘Abracadabra’ tops the list. ![]()
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