Abracadabra ?

Witches and wizards are often shown as mysterious or frightening-looking characters.

They might be fortune-tellers, healers or spell-casters. To cast a spell, they need the right objects, the right words and the right gestures. Everything has to be done at a specific time, often at night and sometimes on a particular date.

The devil himself was sometimes believed to have helped write certain spells or to guide the actions, words or gestures of people who behaved badly.