Hocus pocus, 

abracadabra, alakazam! These are the words we invoke when

magic is at work—even if it might just be a card trick at home. While a few of
these words and phrases have wholly crossed over into entertainment magic
or originated there from the start (e.g., presto change-o), some of these words
are rooted in older commands that called upon higher powers to influence the
material world.
Whether called hexes, hymns, prayers, or simply spells, the words we invoke
to communicate with a greater power to work our will all require an intangible
force that can be universally described as magic. Take a look and decide for
yourself if magic is real or if it’s just a bunch of hocus-pocus.
 A magical quiz
If you’re a real “wiz” at card tricks or have a deeper fascination with charms and spells,
you might already know the words on this list. When you’re ready, you can demonstrate
your knowledge of magic words by taking this short quiz!

abracadabra
Perhaps one of the oldest and most recognized magical
phrases, abracadabra has been around since the second century BCE and
has famously appeared in the Harry Potter series. Its origins are contested as
scholars posit that abracadabra emerged from Late Latin or Late Greek,
reflecting the recitation of the initial letters of the alphabet (abecedary); others
hypothesize that it could related to the Hebrew Ha brakha dabra, which
translates as, “The blessing has spoken.” We do understand it as a word
generally meant to invoke magical power. Abracadabra is classified as a
reductive spell, which means it would have been written out as a complete
word on the first line, then with one letter missing on the next, then another
letter removed on the following line, and so forth. The idea behind reductive
spells is that by making the word shorter so would a pain or illness gradually
diminish.
Recorded in English in the late 1600s, abracadabra is used in incantations,
particularly as a magical means of warding off misfortune, harm, or illness,
and for some, is used as a nonsense word, implying gibberish in place of
supposedly magical words.
alakazam
Often used as the finale word in the presentation of a grand stage
illusion, alakazam is intoned as a powerful command.
While the origins of the word are unknown, according to Magic Words: A
Dictionary, alakazam may have ties to a similar-sounding Arabic phrase, Al
Qasam, which means “oath.” Therefore, a conjuror invoking alakazam may be
calling back to a promise made by a superior being to help complete the
miraculous feat they are presenting.
One of the earliest printings of alakazam in an English text is the poem
“Among the White Tents,” first published in the Chicago Herald
Tribune in 1888. While the poem uses alakazam in the context of
entertainment and as an excited expression (“We’re goin’ to de cirkis! /
Alakazam!”) there is oddly no connection to magic.
hocus-pocus
Immortalized in a ’90s cult classic family film, hocus pocus may be both
invoked as an incantation and might also be used to refer to an act of trickery.
For instance, one who is dismissive of fortunetelling might call the act of
reading tarot cards “a bunch of hocus pocus.”
First recorded in the 1660s, hocus pocus is likely a corruption of the Latin
phrase used in Catholic mass, Hoc est corpus meum (“here is my body”).
Discover more about hocus-pocus and other bewitching words here.
voilà
Maybe you’ve seen a magician conclude an amazing feat with this little
phrase. She’ll flourish a sheet over a table and voilà, where there was no one
a second ago, her whole assistant will appear!
First recorded in English between 1825–35, voilà is used as an expression of
success or satisfaction, typically to give the impression that the achievement
happened quickly or easily. Combined from the French
words voi (“see”) and là (“there”), voilà is used to direct attention during
performance magic.
open sesame
First recorded in English in the late 1700s, open sesame comes from Antoine
Galland’s translation of One Thousand and One Nights. These are the magic
words Ali Baba speaks to open the door of the den of the 40 thieves.
Perhaps one of the greatest magical commands to survive from folklore, open
sesame today may be used as a noun to refer to a very successful means of
achieving a result. For instance, you might say an MBA is the open sesame to
landing a competitive job in finance.
sim sala bim
These magic words were made popular by the famous professional magician
Harry August Jansen (1883–1955), also known as The Great Jansen or
Dante, who used sim sala bim as the name of his touring magic show. Jansen
was born in Denmark and immigrated to Minnesota with his family at age 6.
Jansen used sim sala bim at the end in his show, saying the words meant, “A
thousand thanks.” (They are actually nonsense syllables from a Danish
nursery rhyme.) He would tell the crowd that the larger the applause, the
bigger the bow, and the more thanks that the sim sala bim symbolized.
mojo
 While mojo can apply to the magic influence of a charm or amulet (usually
positive), the term can also refer to the influence or charm an individual can
have on the people around them. A popular Muddy Waters song, “Got My
Mojo Workin’,” alludes to the degree to which the singer is able to charm the
women he encounters. Mojo is less of a spell and more specifically an aura of
power. An Americanism first recorded between 1925–30, it is believed to draw
from the West African Gullah word moco, which means, “witchcraft.” It is
probably connected to Fulani moco’o, or “medicine man.”
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calamaris
Similar to abracadabra in popularity and structure, calamaris is the word that
Scandinavians would invoke to heal a fever. Also like abracadabra, this word
was a reductive spell, meaning the full word would be written down on one
line, then each successive line would have one letter removed.
miertr
In ye olden times, having a decent hunt to provide for one’s family was critical.
The incantation of miertr was spoken aloud as one walked backward and then
left the house. After reaching the forest to hunt, the spellcaster was advised to
take three clumps of dirt from beneath the left foot and throw them overhead
without looking. This will allow an individual to advance without making any
noise and capture birds and animals. Definitely a process, but hopefully it led
to some successful hunting.
micrato, raepy sathonich
One of the most iconic scenes in the Bible’s Old Testament is Exodus 7:8-13,
which tells of Moses and his brother Aaron as they go before Pharaoh and are
challenged to perform a miracle as a sign of their god. When Aaron throws
down his staff, it transforms into a snake that consumes the snakes conjured
by Pharaoh’s own advisors and sorcerers. According to the Semiphoras and
Schemhamphorash, an occult text published in German by Andreas Luppius
in 1686, micrato, raepy sathonich were the opening words Moses spoke
before changing his staff into a serpent.
daimon
A variant of the word daemon, daimon [ dahy-mohn ] appears in some Greek
charms and holds the meaning of a “god, deity, soul of a dead person, or
genie.” In this context, it does not necessarily correspond with the Christian
interpretation of a demon—it is more akin to a spirit. This word might be used
in a spell to summon a daimon attendant, who would the