h ture of Jewish magic was predominantly an anthology of magical names." -- Joshua Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition (19 9) • Art of conjuring -- Michael Chabon, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (2001) "[S]ome hocus-pocus of conjuring priests . . ." -- G.W.F. Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit (1979) "A new and improved hocus pocus." -- The Conjurer's Guide (1808) "Hocus pocus in perfection." -- The Conjurer's Museum (1800) • "Bring about a change" • Confusion "There's no need to confuse poor Achilles (or the rest of us) with hocus-pocus about what 'almost' happened." -- Douglas R. Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, 20th Anniversary Edition (1999) "Amid all the hocus-pocus, confusion reins. We have made a mystery out of something that is simply a practical, unamazing exercise in self-sufficiency." -- John Rosemond, John Rosemond's New Parent Power (2001) • Deception, sham -- Jeffery Paine, Adventures with the Buddha (2004) -- Kim Daniels, Clean House, Strong House (200 ) "They concern themselves only with deception and hocus-pocus, and spend their time in vain cleverness and dazzlement . . ." -- Israel Zinberg, A History of Jewish Literature (1975) • Distraction "Call attention to the seemingly impossible conditions under which you have subjected yourself. Caution each man to hold tightly onto your wrists, then go through the necessary hocus pocus as you pretend to make the coin pass." -- J.B. Bobo, Modern Coin Magic (1952) Figure 23. The hocus pocus formula of transmutation.