Magic and Mysticism 2 of 9


Above: Schemhamphoras

Magic Circles to Discover Treasure

Above: Schemhamphoras (also spelled Shem HaMephorash) is an explicit Hebrew term meaning “the explicit name” or “divided name,” traditionally referring to the sacred 72-fold name of God in Jewish kabbalistic tradition. Derived from three verses in Exodus (14:19–21), each containing 72 Hebrew letters, mystical commentators combined these verses to formulate 72 three-letter divine names, each paired with an angelic entity. Over the centuries, Western esoteric and ceremonial magic traditions adopted and adapted the concept, mapping the 72 angels—and later, corresponding demonic entities—to astrology, tarot, and ritual practices.

“We all have magic inside us.”

J K Rowling

FAMOUS MAGICIANS

Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805–1871) is widely celebrated as the father of modern stage magic, transforming conjuring from a crude fairground attraction into an elegant art form fit for respectable theatergoers. Originally trained as a precision clockmaker, the French illusionist applied his mechanical ingenuity to craft intricate, seemingly miraculous automatons and stage illusions—such as the famous “Fantastic Orange Tree” and “Ethereal Suspension”—that mesmerized Paris. Dressed in formal evening wear rather than traditional robes, he shifted the illusionist’s persona toward sophisticated showmanship, relying on natural mechanics, hidden electromagnetism, and psychological optics rather than cheap trickery. His groundbreaking innovations and writings on sleight of hand so deeply transformed the craft that decades later, a young Ehrich Weiss adopted the stage name Harry Houdini in his honor.

“Promise to stay wild with me. We’ll seek and return and stay and find beauty and the extraordinary in all the spaces we can claim. We’ll know how to live. How to breathe magic into the mundane.”

Victoria Erickson

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