ABRACADABRA – Is Gaga casting a spell on us?
Abracadabra isn’t just a catchy song – the word is incredibly ancient and powerful. Some people are trying to claim that Abracadabra is Gaga casting a spell on us all… that the lyrics are devilishly enslaving us to love her, oh, and Satan too.
Nonsense.
If anything, she’s woven a lyrical protection for us as we sing it, protecting us from current attempts to take our power. The other lyrics;
“cast your spell on the night”
“dance or die”
“death or love tonight”
All reminding us of our own power to choose whether to live or die in the wake of hardship or struggle.
Explaining the meaning behind 'Abracadabra' with Elle, Gaga said:
"The song is about facing the challenge of life and the challenge of the night and finding the magic in it all. When you have to face the world, the people around you, your life, your unique circumstances, your unique fabric in the world."
She added: "And when you feel challenged with really showing everybody who you are."
Gaga also references a lady in red in the song's lyrics and video: Like a poem said by a lady in red / You hear the last few words of your life. Explaining who she is, Gaga said: "The lady in red is all of you that puts you to the test. Your internal monologue. 'Can you do it? Can you do it? Will you do it? Are you good enough? Can you handle it?'
Gaga continued: "In a lot of ways, the song is about dealing with that challenge to yourself and very often the world around us can reflect it back to us as well. I wanted to explore the question, 'What does it feel like to thrive and not just be surviving all the time?"
She ended by saying: "I wanted this song to be about resilience in a way the song Disease was not. That track was about inner torture and being trapped. And so with this song, I wanted to crack open what it means to persevere."
It’s a song for these times.
So let’s look into the word abracadabra and how it became watered down over the ages, disempowered, throwaway.
My own first experience of the word “abracadabra” was while watching a magician doing a silly comedy skit on Saturday night TV in the 1970s. I loved it, found it hilarious, went around saying it for a while… completely unaware of the ancient power behind the words.
It's believed to have originated from either Aramaic or Hebrew phrases related to creation through speech, meaning
"I create as I speak".
Most language historians agree on 3rd century Aramaic spoken in Mesopotamia as the origin.
Aramaic:
The phrase "avra k'davra" (אברא כדברא) meaning "I create as I speak" or "I will create as I speak".
Hebrew:
The phrase "abreg ad hābreg" (אברג אד האברג), meaning "I will create as I speak.
Historical Context:
"Abracadabra" first appeared in the second-century work of Serenus/Severus Sammonicus, a medical text, where it was used in a healing charm for “fevers, ague, flux and toothache” and to be written in a structured way on parchment, worn around the neck.
The term was later associated with magic and incantations, possibly due to its connection with the concept of creation through words, which is a theme in Jewish and other religious traditions.
Magicians used it as a catchphrase in more modern times to emphasise a reveal of some kind, to the point where it lost meaning in a spiritual sense.
History has shown us that words can shape futures, inspire movements, and transform lives.
When we speak with mindful intention, meaning and purpose, our words possess huge power.
We express our desires, feelings, share knowledge and can ignite profound change.
