“Abracadabra!” the magic of poetic healing

ABSTRACT

The author explores the connection between magic and poetry therapy, examining the two key principles of magic, the isoprinciple, and the principle of opposites. Other components include imagery, condensation, and displacement. Examples are given to demonstrate the magic of metaphor. “Abracadabra” is an age-old incantation, the roots of which may hold significance for magicians as well as poetry therapists.

KEYWORDS:

• Abracadabra
• isoprinciple
• law of similarity
• magic
• metaphor
• principle of opposites

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 This article is drawn from the 2014 Keynote Address at The National Association for Poetry Therapy Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.