Magic Squares
MAGIC SQUARES have fascinated humanity throughout the ages, and have been around for over 4,000 years. They are found in a number of cultures, including Egypt and India, engraved on stone or metal and worn as talismans, the belief being that magic squares had astrological and divinatory qualities, their usage ensuring longevity and prevention of diseases.
A MAGIC SQUARE is a square divided into equal squares, like a chess board, where in each individual square is placed one of a series of consecutive numbers from 1 up to the square of the number of cells in a side, in such a manner that the sum of the numbers in each row or column and in each diagonal is constant. From a very early period these squares engaged the attention of mathematicians, especially such as possessed a love of the marvellous, or sought to win for themselves a superstitious regard. They were then supposed to possess magical properties, and were worn, as in India at the present day, engraven in metal or stone, as amulets or talismans. According to the old astrologers, relations subsisted between these squares and the planets.
Witch and Wizard
We were doing a little research and happened to run across this bit from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica under WITCH:
WITCH and WIZARD. These two words are now generally used of an ADEPT (if used as a substantive pronounced adept, if as an adjective adept; from Lat. adeptus, one who has Attained)
