Abracadabra

From the very beginning of time, as we know it, words have been instrumental in creating and shaping societies. The ancients understood the power of spoken words and used them in ways that our modern minds don’t fully comprehend.

Spoken words are powerful. The words we speak literally have the power to change things for the better or the worse. Without getting all weird and wonderful, it is worth considering solid research as a scientific basis, but don’t discount ancient wisdom that often transcends science.

The first time I heard the word ‘abracadabra’ was from a magician performing tricks or magic, as I believed when I was a kid. Wearing his black tuxedo and long top hat he would utter the words ‘abracadabra siemsalahbiem’ while tapping the cloak with his wand and suddenly his assistant would disappear. Smoke and mirrors? Probably. It wasn’t until fairly recently when I saw the word floating around on socials that got me thinking about it. Not so much as the word specifically but more so the concept that it embodies.

Abracadabra is an interesting word. It’s almost whimsical and nonsensical, something you expect to hear in a Mary Poppins song perhaps. Like a dog with a bone, I couldn’t let it go and decided to do a bit of digging. Where did this word originate I wondered? Was it a word with real meaning or something silly made up?

The Online Etymology Dictionary states:
“magical formula, 1690s, from Latin (Q. Serenus Sammonicus, 2c.), from Late Greek Abraxas, cabalistic or gnostic name for the supreme god, and thus a word of power. It was written out in a triangle shape and worn around the neck to ward off sickness, etc. Another magical word, from a mid-15c. Writing was ananizapta.”

Other theories suggest similar meanings:

Aramaic origin: One theory suggests it comes from the Aramaic phrase “avra kehdabra” meaning “I create as I speak” or “it will be created in my words.” This would align with its use as a magical incantation.
Hebrew derivation: Some scholars suggest it may come from the Hebrew words “ab” (father), “ben” (son), and “ruach hakodesh” (holy spirit), though this etymology is more contested.
Greco-Roman connections: The first known written record of “abracadabra” appears in a 2nd-century CE medical text called “Liber Medicinalis” by Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, who prescribed it as a magical cure for fever and malaria when written in a specific triangular pattern. (This one lines up with the Online Etymology Dictionary the closest).

The power of words in religion and beliefs

The idea of creating through the use of spoken words is rooted in several religious beliefs and spiritual traditions.

Abrahamic religions

Judaism and Christianity: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). The entire creation narrative in Genesis emphasises God speaking the universe into existence. In Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), this is explored through concepts like the 22 holy letters used for creation.
Islam: The creative power of divine speech is captured in the Quranic concept of “Kun Faya Kun” (Be, and it is). When Allah intends something, He merely says “Be” and it comes into existence.

Ancient Egyptian beliefs

The god Ptah was believed to have created the world through speaking and thinking intentional words. The Memphite Theology describes how he created through his heart (thought) and tongue (speech).
Words were considered to hold such power that the names of deceased pharaohs or dangerous entities were sometimes erased to take away their power.

Hindu traditions

The concept of “Vac”, known as divine speech, is prominent in Vedic literature. The Vedas describe Vac as a creative force that gives form to the universe.
The sacred syllable “Om” is considered the primordial sound from which the universe manifested.

Norse mythology

Words and runes were believed to have creative and transformative power. The god Odin is said to have gained mastery over magical runes by sacrificing himself to himself, and runes were used for both practical and magical purposes.

First Nations Australians

In many First Nations Australian traditions it is believed that ancestral beings created the world through:

Singing the country into existence – creating landmarks, waterways, and living things through song
Naming things as they walked the land, bringing them into being
Speaking sacred words that became a physical reality

Native American traditions

Many tribes, like the Navajo, have creation stories where divine beings sing or speak the world into existence. The Hopi describe the creator deity Taiowa as creating the universe through “vibrational songs.”

Esoteric and mystical traditions

Hermetic philosophy teaches “as above, so below”, essentially the creative power of divine speech and thought.
Various magical traditions incorporate spoken words (incantations) as tools for manifesting change.

Contemporary manifestations

Some New Age philosophies incorporate the idea of “speaking things into existence” or using affirmations to shape reality.
Certain branches of modern metaphysical thought believe in the power of words in creating personal reality.

What is common across all of these religions and beliefs is the concept of creating a reality via spoken word.

Mysticism and religious beliefs aside, words do yield far more power than we realise. The words we speak over our lives, our bodies and the people around us have an impact. If you continue to tell yourself that you’re useless, stupid, no good, worthless, incapable, then that is exactly what you’ll become. Your self will begin to believe this narrative and form the myth of who you are. If the words you use with the people around you are harmful, the psyche of people in your circle will be affected negatively and ultimately cause strain on relationships – possibly even relationship breakdown. The reverse is also true. If your words are positive, uplifting and encouraging, your whole world begins to change.

The power of words according to science

Your brain is your body’s incredibly complex control centre. When you hear different words, especially words that are emotionally charged, it’s like several buttons being pushed at the same time.

For example, when someone says something mean to you, your brain instantly releases cortisol (stress hormone). Your heart rate starts climbing, you may feel a knot in your stomach, and your muscles begin to tense. These feelings aren’t ‘all in your head’ – they are physical processes happening in your body.

On the flip side, when you hear something positive, kind words or praise, your brain releases dopamine (feel-good chemical) and oxytocin (sometimes called the love hormone). That’s why a genuine compliment can give you the warm fuzzies.

Ready for something mind-blowing? Your brain processes negative words differently from positive or neutral ones. Negative words get priority treatment in your temporal lobe, kind of like a warning signal. This process made sense for our ancestors because they needed to pay extra attention to dangers threatening their survival.

Where it gets really interesting with self-talk… When you tell yourself “I can’t do this,” your brain starts to believe it and can release those stress chemicals. But if you reframe and rephrase the words to “I’m learning to do this” or “I can figure this out,” you create different neural pathways that support better performance.

Studies have even shown that people who regularly use positive self-talk have:

Better immune system function
Lower levels of anxiety
Better problem-solving skills
More resilience when facing challenges

Uttered words have a real impact on our minds and bodies. That’s not airy-fairy mumbo-jumbo, that’s scientific fact. Speaking negative words over yourself can literally make you ill while speaking positive words can kick-start a healing process. I am not advocating for living in a name-it, claim-it, frame-it dream world, but rather a more awakened one where we’re conscious about the things we tell ourselves and speak out in general.

A real-life example: Luke’s story

I once knew a man several years ago named Luke, whom I met when he was in his mid-50s. He had worked at a major airline for most of his career and during the big recession in the early 1990s, the airline started offering voluntary redundancies. I wouldn’t call these golden handshakes, more like a bronze handshake – essentially a severance pay lump sum that was enough to entice you. Luke decided to take the package out of fear that he may lose his job anyway, so taking the package seemed like a safer bet. Little did he know that decision would begin a sequence of events that would spell disaster.

While Luke was still working at his airline job, he and his family enjoyed a middle-class life. The family were never wealthy but they were able to build a large new home in a nice up-and-coming suburb and enjoy a certain stability. Luke’s decision on that fateful day may have been catalysed by years of destructive word use. Luke was a talker, he always had something to say, often repeating meaningless mantras. The problem was that what seemed meaningless or harmless words to him carried far greater weight. One of his famous chants was ‘I’ll never smile again’. Guess what, he never really did smile again. I don’t mean the occasional smile or bit of laughter, I mean smile in life. Life got considerably harder for him and his family and didn’t improve.

By continually speaking innocently negative words over his life, Luke created a new reality, one that was rather sad. Circumstantially, times were tough in the early 90s with interest rates peaking at 23%. Many lost their homes and Luke was one of the unfortunate ones. To make matters worse he used his severance package poorly and as a result, a couple of really difficult decades lay ahead. Luke never changed his speech, he kept the negative chants going and things went from bad to worse. He never managed to hold up a solid job again and snuggled to contribute financially to his household. His wife became the primary breadwinner, working religiously at a job she didn’t particularly enjoy, just to ensure basic bills were paid and food was on the table. Luke eventually became a diabetic, resulting from a trip and falling onto a spike. Perhaps one of the many wake-up calls he may have had in life, however, he neglected his health just as he was careless with his words. Unfortunately, Luke died a premature death, broke and leaving his family in debt. His poor decisions, poverty mentality and constant negative proclamations trapped him in a vortex of negativity that he never could escape.

This sad but true story breaks my heart because he wasn’t inherently a bad guy. He was likeable and had so much wasted potential. I know there were other factors at play and the words he spoke only made up part of the problem, but those words shaped his reality and he started to live them by never smiling again.

A word of caution and encouragement

The words you use have an impact, whether you believe it or not. I urge you to do a little audit of your daily conversations and unbeknownst affirmations. Take stock of the type of words you’re using, their meanings and possible results. Changing the way you speak may just save you from ruin and despair. More positively, your words may just create an awesome life where things turn out way better than you had even hoped for.

Abracadabra! It’s time for a little magic.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Abracadabra – the lost art of creating with words