gician must make a magic word his or her own, so that its utterance flows comfortably and seamlessly -- though nonetheless impressively and mysteri ously -- from his or her lips. However, with unfamiliar words, it is generally recommended that you vocalize as much vibration as possible, "as you would any mantra. Emphasis on each syllable, so that you can hear it resonate and feel it vibrate within you, is the key. The sound of any power-word or name seeks and harnesses that power. When this sound is combined with concentration and visualization, you stir the energy and power to which you are heir" as a magician. 7 The very act of "speech is the 'Open Sesame,' the magical power." 8 Note that the act of speech is where the magic is. Kabbalah scholar Phillip Cooper reminds us that "No word or statement contains power -- power lies within the mind of the person who speaks those words." 9 Following are several additional pointers to help spark one's oratorical imagination: Respect Consequences Speak magic words with all the mystery, wonder, and sense of danger of saying "I love you" for the first time. The lover who is about to make that critical verbal leap speaks with a courage that is, ideally, tempered by a healthy respect for consequences beyond his or her control. Lauri Cabot explains: [B]eing in love can remind us of the power of the word. Say ing "I love you" to someone for the first time, for example, is an act fraught with mystery, wonder, and danger. How will she take it? Am I saying it too soon? Should I wait? For what? To let him say it first? Saying those three little words is a highly charged act of power. It brings consequences.40 Accordingly, a magic word spoken with a vivid awareness of consequences would sound courageous but not haughty, determined but not sanguine, adventurous but not reckless. Perhaps the deliberate introduction of just a hint of hesitation beforehand might dramatically suggest some intriguing inner dialogue: "Am I saying the magic word too soon? Should I wait just another moment? Should I be concerned about unexpected results?" Such a hesitation need not detract from one's air of mastery -- for one clearly knows the magic word and how to say it properly -- but rather would impart a strong sense of the awesome responsibility inherent in wielding such power.41 And 7 Eleanor L. Harris, Ancient Egyptian Divination and Magic (1998) 8 C. Van Ripper and L. Emerick, quoted in Everybody Belongs by Arthur Shapiro (1999). Similarly, "Words are open sesames to secret caves" (Frank Lentricchia, Intro- ducing Don Delillo [1991]). 9 Esoteric Magic and the Cabala (2002) 40 Love Magic (1992) 41 "Words are powerful. Being powered projections, spoken words themselves have an aura of power." -- W. Ong, The Presence of the Word (1967), quoted in The Taste of