Magical sticks have been a topic of fascination and wonder throughout history. These sticks, often referred to as wands, hold a special power that can only be accessed by those with magical abilities. In various mythologies and fantasy literature, these magical sticks are a prominent tool for sorcerers, witches, and wizards. The concept of a magical stick can be traced back to ancient times. In Egyptian mythology, the god Thoth is often depicted with a staff or wand, representing his control over magic, writing, and knowledge. Similarly, the Norse god Odin is associated with a magical staff called Gungnir, which grants him wisdom and power.

Monsters and Magical Sticks: There's No Such Thing as Hypnosis?

If you want to know how hypnosis really works (and, no, it has nothing to do with waving of hands or other similar nonsense), you will want to read this book. If you want to know the "magic" behind Ericksonian techniques and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, you have to read this book. From one of the true masters of hypnotherapy, this is one book that can really change your life!!

Genres PsychologyNonfictionMagick

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Steven Heller

Similarly, the Norse god Odin is associated with a magical staff called Gungnir, which grants him wisdom and power. In popular culture, magical sticks have gained significant attention through the Harry Potter series by J.K.

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I consider myself a fairly logical person who tries to find reason behind everything that's presented to me. So when I came to know about this book (it's rated pretty well on amazon), and that it deals with the subject of Hypnosis (or not), I had to read it. I have so many other books in my to-read list and with so little time, reading this was a make or break deal for me. If I found the whole system of hypnosis working (or logical and reasonable), I'd add similar books on my to-read list; if not, then I'd close this subject for a long long time, maybe forever.

Turns out the ratings on amazon are not fluke, neither is hypnosis; depending on how we define the latter. If we go by what we've been seeing in movies and other media, then actual hypnosis isn't much like that. The author goes out of his way -- I believe he had to, for similar reasons -- to declare that hypnosis isn't like what we've been hearing and reading. It can be something as simple as you wandering off in your head while talking to someone. And it can be something much more complex that can change the lives of people around the hypnotist, like sowing the seed of confidence in someone's heart or turning them from being gloomy and dejected to cheerful and full of life.

The first few chapters include author's ramblings (that's what I thought). But since I had to read the whole book, I kept going forward and turning pages. These chapters included a chapter on metaphors (called Meta4 here; that, apparently, would hypnotize the reader or something to that effect), a few chapters about his patients and one on belief system and/or self image. In these chapters, I was trying to find something that would hold my interest. Test cases are all right, but I wanted something that worked in real world.

Then the interesting portion of the book started. I didn't turn a hypnotist after reading the next few chapters, but I did find that the external and internal communication systems defined in these chapters work well in real life. Immediately after reading these chapters, I went to my first test subjects: my roommates. Turns out that the way a person fetches some information in his/her mind, and how he/she deals with visual, kinesthetics or auditory experiences can be figured out by reading the eye movements of that person. I also tested the theory on some other people. Though these movements are quite subtle, you can learn to read them like a pro if you're chatty and can hold the conversation long enough. And once you learn how to communicate in the same system as that of the other person, holding conversation for longer periods shouldn't be a problem. I've not become a pro in this as of now, since I'm not that chatty, but on those people whose eye movements I really noticed, this turned out to be true. Looking into other people's eyes and trying to find something can become creepy pretty fast, so I only use this on people I know until I have some more experience with this.

Following these are a few chapters about the brain's structure and working. There's not much related to actual hypnosis in these chapters, but the author has now created so much rapport with the reader that everything turns out to be interesting here as well. Either that, or author hypnotized me. ;)

At the end, the reader is introduced to anchors. This is a pro thing wherein you can evoke a negative or positive response from the other person just by touching him or her (not that simple). Though I could try and test the techniques outlined in previous chapters, anchoring is something I've yet to test. Though given the correctness of internal and external communication systems, I think this might work too.

So overall, this is a entertaining and informative read, not a deal-breaker in any situation. If you want to have *some* understanding of how people communicate and are ready to put in efforts for the same, this book can be a good place to start. And, as the author pointed out, your creativity can help you in finding out new and interesting ways of using hypnosis (if there's such a thing).

I picked up this book because, in recent months, I've developed an interest in body language and communication, and I must say this book didn't let me down. While again stating the fact that I'm still not a really great at this stuff, since I've not had a whole lot of practice, the kind of pleasure this understanding provides is really great. I am now turning my boat of self improvement and continuous learning towards the waters of Body language and NLP. While there's enough proof about Body language, Wikipedia says that there's some mixed evidence if NLP works or not, but that's something they said about hypnosis, isn't it.

MAGIC STICKS

Over the years we have made various versions of magic wands. These wands, inspired by the book PLAY MAKE CREATE, are part wand and part mixed media assemblage.

Packed with joyful and educational art experiences for kids, the book PLAY MAKE CREATE offers fun and engaging imaginative activities focused on the fun and reward of creating, not just producing a final project.

Founded in a process-based philosophy, this unique book includes more than 40 activities set up as invitations, or thoughtfully designed prompts to explore, create, and play. Author Meri Cherry has more than 20 years of teaching experience, and her blog mericherry.com is full of fun process art activities for kids.

You can find out more about the book HERE >>>

MATERIALS:

• Sticks
• Paints (optional)
• Yarn and cord
• Items to decorate like wooden beads, feathers, fabric scraps, gems or pipe cleaners
• Scissors

HOW TO:

For us, this was a 2 day project. We began by painting our sticks one day and then making them into wands the next day. You can skip the painting part if you like!

Once our painted sticks had dried, I set out a range on materials to decorate including yarn, pipe cleaners, beads and feathers and the kids set to work decorating their sticks. Just tie on the yarn and start wrapping!

SHOP OUR RANGE OF BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN'S ART & CRAFT BOOKS

On our website, we stock a small range of hand selected kids art and craft activity books. Each book has been tried and tested by myself and my little ones. We only stock books which are beautiful quality and I highly recommend.

Apple’s Magical iPhone Stick Revealed

It might not be a stunning breakthrough, but the secrets behind the magical sticks you can see in your local Apple Store have been published.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 22: iPhone 15 handsets go on sale at the Apple Store on September 22, . [+] 2023 in London, England. After Apple's announcement of the iPhone 15 series on September 12, including the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the highly anticipated lineup is now available for in-store pickup starting today. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Details on the display stand are in the recently published patent titled “Product Display Stand With Reduced Movement” (PDF Link). It relates to the long poles found in displays primarily found in Apple Stores worldwide.

The patent describes multiple features designed to keep the product at the top of the display stand in the same place. These include dampening any movement, quickly reducing any oscillations, and reducing the moments when a consumer interacts with the product.

The key to all of these is the damping chamber that can be found below the visible base of the stand. Typically, this will be under the surface of the table at an Apple Store—and with the traditional deep sides of these tables, there’s more than enough room to mask the patented assembly.

With most patents, there’s no guarantee that consumers will see the ideas in a physical product. This is not the case with Apple’s display stand. It’s on show in the Apple Store and has been visible at product launches.

Rowling. In Rowling's magical world, wands are an essential tool for every witch and wizard. Each wand is unique and chooses its owner, establishing a deep connection between the magic user and their wand. The wand serves as a conduit for the wielder's magical energy, allowing them to cast spells with precision and control. Magical sticks are often portrayed as having specific properties and abilities. They can be made from various materials, such as wood, bone, or metal, each with different magical properties. For example, in Celtic mythology, the wood from certain trees, like oak or holly, is believed to possess inherent magical qualities. It is also believed that the core of the wand, often made from materials like dragon heartstring or phoenix feather, is what truly amplifies its magical capabilities. The use of magical sticks extends beyond just casting spells. They are often used to channel or focus magical energy, enhance one's abilities, or even serve as a symbol of authority. In some folklore, it is believed that breaking or stealing someone's wand can render them powerless, highlighting the significance and dependency on these magical tools. Despite their fictional origins, the concept of a magical stick has captured the imaginations of many and become an iconic symbol in various cultural contexts. Whether it is the traditional staff of a shaman or the wand of a wizard, these tools continue to hold a special place in the realm of magic and fantasy, captivating audiences and sparking their creativity..

Reviews for "From Harry Potter to Merlin: Famous Magical Sticks in Pop Culture"

1. Sarah - 1/5 stars - "I found Magical Sticks to be extremely boring and unoriginal. The plot lacked depth, the characters were one-dimensional, and the writing felt amateurish. I couldn't connect with any of the characters or care about what happened to them. The magical elements were also poorly executed and seemed forced into the story without any real purpose. Overall, I was greatly disappointed and would not recommend this book."

2. John - 2/5 stars - "Magical Sticks had an interesting premise, but it fell short in its execution. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked tension or any real sense of stakes. The dialogues were wooden and unrealistic, making it difficult for me to stay engaged with the book. Additionally, the world-building was not well-developed, leaving many inconsistencies and unanswered questions. While there were a few moments of intrigue, they were overshadowed by the overall mediocrity of the book."

3. Emily - 2/5 stars - "I had high hopes for Magical Sticks, but unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The writing style was uninspired and lacked any sense of creativity. The plot was predictable, and the characters were cliché and lacked depth. The author failed to create any genuine emotional connection between the reader and the story. Ultimately, Magical Sticks felt like a wasted opportunity and left me feeling unsatisfied."

4. David - 1/5 stars - "I struggled to finish Magical Sticks due to its poor writing and lackluster storyline. The book was filled with grammatical errors and awkward sentence structures that constantly pulled me out of the narrative. The plot was disjointed and lacked cohesion, leaving me confused and uninterested. The magical aspects of the story were not well-explained or integrated into the plot, making them feel out of place and unnecessary. Overall, I found Magical Sticks to be a poorly written and unengaging read."

5. Jessica - 2/5 stars - "While Magical Sticks had a promising concept, it fell flat in its execution. The pacing was uneven, with slow sections that dragged on and failed to hold my attention. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked complexity, making it difficult to care about their journeys. The dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic, hindering my ability to fully immerse myself in the story. Overall, I felt disappointed and unsatisfied with Magical Sticks."

Unlock Your Potential with the Magic of a Wand: Exploring Magical Sticks in Fiction