Magic Words & Symbols Spotted in the Wild

Color

"How many times can I emphasize that color is the magic word this season. Reds, Greens, Blues, Yellows. You name the color and it is in . . . as long as it's bright and bold."
—Fashion Secrets


Color by COLOURlovers

Green

Is the color green a magic word in its own right? It is for blogger Pia Taylor, who recalls: "I saw that magic word that somehow never fails to get my attention—'green.'" Indeed, green shifts the gray areas in life into the limelight. Green recalls the "Green Man" vegetative deity found in cultures all over the world, symbolizing the cycle of rebirth.

"Green things, green things, green things, green things. Magic, magic, magic, magic, word magic, word magic, word magic, word magic." —Geraldine Dimondstein, Exploring the Arts with Children, 1974

Mother

“The old man half-recalls his wandering thoughts. He mutters: ‘Mother, mother.’ It is many years since he has spoken that word, and she who bore the name has long slept beneath the sod. Ad yet it is a magic word, for it speaks of the tenderest, dearest love. A tear runs down his furrowed cheek—a tear from a fountain long since dry. But that one word, ‘Mother,’ makes the old man a child again.” —Anonymous, “Day-Dreams,” The Knickerbocker (May 1857)

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By the way, here's a collection of some of our magic-related guest blogs.

"Octarine," the imaginary color of magic.

A profile of Loïe Fuller, illusionist of light and color

The colors of ancient Egypt

Beguiled by a mystery