Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Thaumaturgist – Wordplay Wednesday™ 10/06/2021

 Ready for a Wild Night Month?  

Our favorite spooky night is looming on the dark horizon! Wordplay Wednesday’s Halloween words traditionally applied to the mysteries of October each week. Now that it’s a monthly blog, rather than just one word, let’s conjure up a 2-fer for the price of one!

Abracadabra!

THAUMATURGIST (ʹthȯʹmɘ-,tɘr-jist; 1829) n. – a performer of miracles; esp. magician. [WW #310/1-M ~ Monthly Edition]

THAUMATURGY (ʹthȯʹmɘ-,tɘr-jē; ca. 1727) n. – the performance of miracles; spec. magic. [WW #310/2-M ~ Monthly Edition]

Magic performances have fascinated humankind for eons. Although the secrets to many tricks of thaumaturgy have been revealed over time, there are still thaumaturgists who manage to keep their magic mystical.

As Halloween month unfolds, more magicians will emerge from the shadows (of Covid!) to amaze and bemuse. Or maybe they’ll just wear the costume. Either way, thaumaturgists’ tricks seem even more profound and bizarre around Halloween—even those exposed as less than mystical, when performed with flare, can trick the unsuspecting mind.

Did you hear that? The wild night is callin’ around Halloween fifty years ago, Van Morrison sang of wild nights and crazy times. Get wild with our Monthly Song of Note* and create your own thaumaturgy spectacle in your writing, or your living room!

Word Challenge: THAUMATURGIST. Give this word and its bag of tricks, thaumaturgy, some comprehensive thought—its definition could apply to a saint or a sinner—as you fit them into your week of spellbinding writings and casual conversations.

* PFP’s Monthly Song of Note: “Wild Night,” by Van Morrison, quickly climbed to #14 on the KFRC/San Francisco music survey, October 4, 1971 50 Years Ago this Month.

Wordplay Wednesday is currently created for your literary pleasure every first Wednesday of each month. Thank you for stopping by! Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t harmful to your health! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and Wordplay Wednesday comments below.

Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle) 

Cheers to learning a new word today!


@PenchantForPen
@Irishwriter

[LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books in her Blast from Your Past series (of three) about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. True behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday and anytime Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!]

LR Notes: 1) Dictionary definitions are quoted from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – Eleventh Edition, unless otherwise noted. Yes, we sometimes present them out of “official” context—but that’s half the fun! Think of it as “creative context.” 2) a] Recent dictionary additions to definitions include a date of first use, if known; b] words in small caps indicate “see also.” 3) Neither I (LinDee Rochelle) nor Penchant for Penning are responsible for how you use information found here, that may result in legal action.
               
And please note, I do not receive compensation from any company or person for commercial or commodity links I may include in my posts.

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz