Curses are like young chickens, they always come home to roost.

The fear of the Lord is true wisdom, and he who hath it not can in no way penetrate the true secrets of magic.

Men willingly believe what they wish.

There is nothing that man fears more than the touch of the unknown. He wants to see what is reaching toward him and to be able to recognize or at least classify it. Man always tends to avoid physical contact with anything strange.

There is not so contemptible a plant or animal that does not confound the most enlarged understanding.

To blow and to swallow at the same time is not easy; I cannot at the same time be here and also there.

Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business.

The believer in magic and miracles reflects on how to impose a law on nature—and, in brief, the religious cult is the outcome of this reflection.

The Mughal’s nature is such that they demand miracles, but if a miracle were to be performed by some upright follower of our religion, they would say that it had been brought about by magic and sorcery. They would strike him down with spears or would stone him to death.

Nothing worth knowing can be understood with the mind.

To ensure the adoration of a theorem for any length of time, faith is not enough; a police force is needed as well.

I shall curse you with book and bell and candle.

Any serious attempt to do anything worthwhile is ritualistic.