14 MAGIC WORDS O Tarot Nizael Estarnas Tantarez Origins: O Tarot Nizael Estarnas Tantarez is an antiquated magical phrase for "reading the thoughts of all persons." These words come from an Egyptian book of magical talismans entitled Treasure of the Old Man of the Pyramids, "translated from the Language of the Magi" in the eighteenth century.1 Facts: In the original manuscript, the would-be mindreader is instructed to place a talisman with the magic words on his head and chant the phrase. Common Magician's Applications: Mentalism. When a magician holds to his forehead a prop in the form of a papyrus talisman and intones the mysterious words O Tarot Nizael Estarnas Tantarez, he can imbue his mentalism routine with an ancient Egyptian mystique. Figure 30. Emblazoned with hieroglyphic symbols, this mind- reading talisman has an occult appearance but not an infernal purpose. It is based upon the research of Arthur Edward Waite in The Book of Ceremonial Magic (191 ). 1 Arthur Edward Waite, The Book of Ceremonial Magic (191 ) Ibid.