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Introduction
he Oxford English Dictionary defines magic as ‘(1) The art that,
by use of spells, supposedly invokes supernatural powers to
influence events. (2) Sorcery. (3) The practice of this art.’ And it
defines a spell as ‘(1) a verbal formula considered as having magical
force. (2) Any influence that can control the mind or character.’
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There is little with which those who weave magic spells today can argue
about these definitions. The word sorcery, perhaps. To anyone who has
seen Walt Disney’s delightful The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the word
probably conjures up an image of a desperate Mickey Mouse ignoring
his forbidding and formidable master’s instructions and getting into all
sorts of trouble. What lingers in the mind is the unforgettable image of
the sorcerer’s shadow, cast on the wall of a spiral staircase, winding his
way down to his workroom.
That apart, the only other word in the dictionary definition with which
one can take issue is ‘supernatural’. In the past, certainly, and maybe
today in developing parts of the world, superstitious people continue to
believe in the supernatural powers of their wise men.
Had the compilers dropped the ‘super’ from ‘supernatural’ and deleted
the word, ‘supposedly’ they would have come up with the perfect
definition of modern magic: ‘The art that, by use of spells, invokes
natural powers (the power of nature may be better) to influence events’.
Old wizard with potion
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