In the past, men created witches; now they create mental patients.
—Thomas Szasz, 1970Quotes
God is alive. Magic is afoot.
—Leonard Cohen, 1966Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business.
—Tom Robbins, 1976Egypt was the mother of magicians.
—Clement of Alexandria, c. 200The 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.
—Friedrich Nietzsche, 1878Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear.
—William Shakespeare, 1592To ensure the adoration of a theorem for any length of time, faith is not enough; a police force is needed as well.
—Albert Camus, 1951I shall curse you with book and bell and candle.
—Thomas Malory, c. 1470Nothing is so easy as to deceive one’s self; for what we wish, that we readily believe.
—Demosthenes, 349 BCAny serious attempt to do anything worthwhile is ritualistic.
—Derek Walcott, 1986Superstitions are habits rather than beliefs.
—Marlene Dietrich, 1962Nothing is so easy to fake as the inner vision.
—Robertson Davies, 1985One thing alone not even God can do: to make undone whatever has been done.
—Aristotle, c. 350 BC