Egypt was the mother of magicians.
—Clement of Alexandria, c. 200Quotes
The mind is led on, step by step, to defeat its own logic.
—Dai Vernon, 1994Any serious attempt to do anything worthwhile is ritualistic.
—Derek Walcott, 1986To ensure the adoration of a theorem for any length of time, faith is not enough; a police force is needed as well.
—Albert Camus, 1951The fear of the Lord is true wisdom, and he who hath it not can in no way penetrate the true secrets of magic.
—Abraham the Jew, c. 1400Appearances often are deceiving.
—Aesop, c. 550 BCMan is always a wizard to man, and the social world is at first magical.
—Jean-Paul Sartre, 1939Once something becomes discernible, or understandable, we no longer need to repeat it. We can destroy it.
—Robert Wilson, 1991One thing alone not even God can do: to make undone whatever has been done.
—Aristotle, c. 350 BCThe Mughal’s nature is such that they demand miracles, but if a miracle were to be performed by some upright follower of our religion, they would say that it had been brought about by magic and sorcery. They would strike him down with spears or would stone him to death.
—Fr. Antonio Monserrate, 1590There is not so contemptible a plant or animal that does not confound the most enlarged understanding.
—John Locke, 1689Have you ever, looking up, seen a cloud like to a centaur, a leopard, a wolf, or a bull?
—Aristophanes, 423 BCEverything that deceives does so by casting a spell.
—Plato, c. 375 BC