Magic Is Real

…and I'm tired of pretending that it's not.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

– John 1:1

Magic is real. No, not that kind of magic. Not the magic of TV and video games with lightning bolts and fireballs, not even “black girl magic,” but real magic. The sort of magic with which, through word alone, a spell’s caster may create or destroy, may shut down another or elevate him to a higher form. We understand that there exist many magical words and phrases in this world. Our very own Dave the Distributist identifies words such as racist and sexist (among others) as magical words. What, exactly, is meant by this? These are words and phrases that have lost their original meaning yet, somehow, still arouse both feeling and action by their utterance alone: racist, sexist, fascist, communist, transphobe, homophobe, the “N-word” (both versions — the one you’re thinking of, and the one that rhymes with Yahtzee), White supremacist, etc. Give it a minute, and you will certainly be able to think of a few yourself.

These are words used not to convey meaning, but to control any who hear their uttered syllables. Depending on the ability of the speaker (magician), the use of those words can evoke an irrational anger in the listener, incite him to action, get him to denounce a group or individual, shut down a conversation, or rally a mob to a target’s door. There have always been words of power, words that make one go wild-eyed with fear upon their utterance, and they have always been used to control others. There is no regime that has not utilized this form of control. Indeed, we may be able to call it “black magic,” as it exists to negate, destroy, and confuse; to damage the logos. The real power of these words does not exist in the syllables of the word, but in the consensus of the people hearing them. Someone not steeped in a certain political or philosophical milieu, or someone who does not speak the language, is unaffected by the power contained within these words.