o 15 Ocus Pocus (see hocus pocus) Origins: Ocus pocis was used by the Ancient Romans to mean "quickly, at few words, the conjuror's word of command, as præsto." Facts: This is a variation of the magic phrase hocus pocus. In Literature: • "'Ocus pocus!' it was saying. 'Come ghoulie, come ghaestie, come longleggedy beastie!" -- Edward Eager, The Time Garden (1958) • ". . . a lot of smoke to conceal the ocus pocus, the magic of the substitution." -- Iakov Levi, "John the Baptist; Father and Lover" (2004) Odin Odin! Odin! Odin! Come here when you are needed. -- Yves Kodratoff, Nordic Magic Healing 1:1 (200 ) Mystique: "In the time before man, Odin was, and Odin was wise, but he wanted even more wisdom. He wanted the wisdom of the mystical knowl edge and power that he knew he lacked. In order to achieve this, he must offer sacrifice, so he hung himself from the eternal world tree for nine days. At the end of the nine days, wounded in the side by a spear, without food, without water, and at the cost of one of his eyes, he fell from the tree screaming. And as he fell, the magic of the runes was suddenly revealed to him. And Odin gave this knowledge to men."4 Meanings: • All-father • Father of the Runes • God of Wisdom • Heaven -- Herbert Spencer, Works (1892) • The High One -- William Vollmann, The Ice-Shirt (199 ) • Master Magician -- James Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion (1912) Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen (1826) 4 James Richard Larson, The Eye of Odin (200 )