Magic wand
As wand (or Magic staff ) is called a tool of caster, a magical implement that especially in itself the occult , fantasy films, -Büchern and -Computerspielen, and in fairy tale finds, is also to be found in reality.
The magic wand in occultism
The magic wand is used by the magician in the ritual. He wants to direct the special magical energies in the desired direction. For example, it is used to point to a photo of a person who is to be enchanted. The wand also symbolizes the will of the caster.
The modern wand
The "classic" wand, as it was and is used by magicians , and as it corresponds to the cliché of stage magic , is a wooden wand about 30 cm long and 1 cm thick . It is usually completely black, only both ends are white.
The “modern” wand, on the other hand, is more commonly used nowadays, and is up to 25 cm long. Only one end is white, namely that from which the “magic” comes. More recent illusionists , however, tend to have smaller wands.
Such a wand serves an important purpose for magicians in that it draws the viewer's gaze to a certain point or away from it.
Over time, however, the magic wand has also changed, so that the strictly cylindrical shape, but above all the colors, can vary. The production material, previously only wood, has also been expanded or replaced by metals and plastics.
Magic wands in the fairy tale and fantasy genre
One of the oldest magic wand traditions is provided by the Old Testament legend of Moses. Here the leader of the Jewish people impresses with various miraculous acts in which the work of YHWH through his staff plays a central role. Among other things, his staff turns water into blood and his brother's staff turns into a snake, which some court officials of the Egyptian pharaoh also have their "wands" perform.
In fairy tales and fantasy literature (as well as in fantasy games and films) the magic wand is the essential (but not always exclusive) tool of magically gifted beings such as fairies , wizards and the like. a. Thanks to him, in most cases they can only work magic, so that only then will their spells work in the first place.
The wands can vary greatly in shape and color. In addition to short, straight sticks that glitter or glow, there are also almost man-sized gnarled sticks, like old branches, known.
The wand usually has a close relationship with its owner. If it is lost or destroyed, the owner often loses his magical abilities or parts of them.
Some examples of wands
In Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, for example, Gandalf's wand is initially a walking and supporting stick that can be equipped with a magical crystal to provide light.
In the Harry Potter book and film series , it is a short, tapered wooden stick with a core made of phoenix feather, dragon heart fiber or unicorn hair or other magical materials that chooses its owner itself. Harry receives his wand - made of holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches long - in Diagon Alley from Garrick Ollivander (store label: Ollivander - Good wands since 382 BC).
Using the magic wand
The wand is mainly used to work magic (conjure up). It can be used on the one hand to aim at a target, as well as to channel magical energies. The magic wand is also spun into (often very symbolic) movements, often parallel to speaking a magic formula. Direct contact with the wand can already have the magical effect.
Magic wand tool in the photo editor
In programs like Adobe Photoshop, you can use the Magic Wand tool to select complex areas that belong together, for example to copy a person from an image.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hugo Gressmann : The magic wand of Moses and the bronze snake. In: Journal of the Association for Folklore 23, 1913, pp. 18–35.
- ↑ helpx.adobe.com: Quick selection of areas