Some people will say they practice "white magick" - benign, benevolent, helpful; truth is, there is no such thing as "white magick"... It would be akin to a "Christian occultist/witch/shaman" - mutually exclusive. It all has to do with from whence the invoked power comes. imho

Thanks MG..... Sure it is that I hope you and my other friends are with me .....although I do seem to traverse all bunny trails that I find..

gravitas (GRAV-uh-tahs), noun:

High seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of a subject).

" At first sight the tall, stooped figure with the hawk-like features and bloodless cheeks, the look of extreme gravitas, seems forbidding and austere, the abbot of an ascetic order, scion of an imperial family who has foresworn the world."
- John Lehmann, "T.S. Eliot Talks About Himself and the Drive to Create", New York Times, November 9, 1953

"And we want to tell our readers about sharp, clever books, utterly lacking in gravitas, that we know will delight them on the beach or the bus.
- Benjamin Schwarz, "(Some of) the best books of 2001", The Atlantic, December 2001

Gravitas is from the Latin gravitas, "heaviness, seriousness," from gravis, "heavy, serious."


from - http://www.dictionary.com

atelier (at-l-YAY), noun:

A workshop; a studio.


A garage in Montparnasse served as Leo's atelier, and there he labored on his huge triptychs, mixing his paints in buckets and applying them with a kitchen mop.
- Mordecai Richler, Barney's Version

After Groton, he would attend the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School, then settle in Paris, rent an atelier and paint.
- Benjamin Welles, Sumner Welles: FDR's Global Strategist

His atelier was the headquarters of a lively little cottage industry.
- Rollene W. Saal, "Listening for Voices That are Muted", New York Times, January 25, 1987

Atelier comes from French, from Old French astelier, "carpenter's shop," from astele, "splinter," from Late Latin astella, alteration of Latin astula, itself an alteration of assula, "a shaving, a chip," diminutive of assis, "board."

- http://www.dictionary.com



RIJCKAERT atelier

quixotic (kwik-SOT-ik), adjective:

1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals.
2. Capricious; impulsive; unpredictable.

Some of his plans were quixotic and much too good for this world, but he never wavered in a cause that he considered just and he commanded the respect of all who opposed him.
- "Dr. John Dewey Dead at 92; Philosopher a Noted Liberal", New York Times, June 2, 1952

He is buying up commercial buildings in his hometown of Archer City and filling them with used books -- hundreds of thousands of used books gathered from all over the country -- as part of a quixotic scheme to turn this sleepy rural community into a mecca for book lovers.
- Mark Horowitz, "Larry McMurtry's Dream Job", New York Times, December 7, 1997

I was amazed to learn that he didn't have much experience climbing mountains and that he wasn't intending to do any intensive training for his quixotic expedition.
- Michael D. Eisner, Work in Progress


Quixotic refers to the eccentric, generous idealism of Don Quixote, the hero of a satiric romance by Miguel de Cervantes.
-Dictionary.com

Word of the Day: Hobbledehoy (noun)


Pronunciation: ['hah-bêl-dee-hoy]

Definition: (Colloquial) A youth at that awkward age between boyhood and manhood, a clumsy or unsophisticated youth.

Usage: There are two nouns, hobbledehoydom "the quality of a hobbledehoy, hobbledehoys collectively" (the most awkward boy in all hobbledehoydom) and hobbledehoyhood "the age or condition of a hobbledehoy, adolescence" (errors of one's hobbledehoyhood). An adult who has an awkward moment might be said to be hobbledehoyish, using the adjective.

Suggested Usage: Here is the word you have been looking for to describe nerds who can't add or plug in a computer: "Oh, mom, my blind date was a hobbledehoy who thought Chardonnay was a French actress!" You have to begin using the one noun simply because it is so fun to say, "I might have found her sophisticated in my hobbledehoyhood but not now that I am a suave, sophisticated man of the world."

Etymology: Today's word is of uncertain origin and form. Its current shape may well come from an association with "hobble," a device that would cause an awkward or clumsy gait. However, this word has assumed so many forms since its emergence in the 16th century, it would be difficult to decide which to track backwards: "hobbard de hoy," "hobidehoy," "hobberdy-hoy," "habberdehoy," "hobby de hoy," "ho-body hoy," or "hobberdehoy." It might just as easily be related to "hobby" or hoberd "hawk" as "hobble."


–Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

irritable male syndrome n.

Anger and irritableness in men caused by a sudden drop in testosterone levels, particularly when brought on by stress. Also: IMS.

Example Citation:
Feeling anxious? Irritable, too? Has the stamina that used to fuel days and burn up the nights hit the road? ... Check your engines, gentlemen. There are thousands of males out there in the same sorry state, but now — thanks to a research scientist in Scotland — the condition has a name. "Irritable Male Syndrome," that state of hypersensitivity, frustration and anger is now used to describe men who suffer from testosterone deficiency. And while the condition may have been around for ages, the diagnosis suggests that men may be just as vulnerable to the complexities of biology as women. "This is very common," said Dr. Philip Aliotta. "Low levels of testosterone manifest in irritability, depression, weak muscles, loss of self-esteem. Men have no interest in the joys of life. Their libido has dropped. Their interest in intimacy is declining. Sexual function diminishes. Work performance suffers. Oftentimes they are misdiagnosed as being depressed.
—Jane Kwiatkowski, "Goodbye, testosterone," The Buffalo News, January 28, 2003

Earliest Citation:
It has to be said that her husband, Prince Philip, hasn't helped the monarchist cause by asking an aboriginal leader: Do you still throw spears at each other? The Prince, bored by more than half a century in the passive role of royal consort, specializes in this kind of remark. On a visit to China, he once referred to the Chinese as slitty-eyed. The Australian tribal leader, William Brin, to whom he addressed the enquiry, said he wasn't offended but surprised. I just told him: 'No, we don't do that any more', he said. There has been the predictable outcry, but it doesn't seem an altogether unreasonable question, given the tendency of some Australian aboriginals to emphasize their tribal roots by dancing semi-naked, painting their bodies, and doing other old-fashioned things. Who knows? They might easily still throw spears at each other. But obviously it was unwise of the Prince to ask the question. It may be that he suffers from the newly identified irritable male syndrome.
—Alexander Chancellor, "The Good Prince," Slate Magazine, February 25, 2002

- found at WordSpy.com

Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon portrayed victims of IMS on the big screen and on TV.

Word of the Day: Orthorexia (noun)

Pronunciation: [or-thê-'rek-si-yê]
Definition: An uncontrolable obsession with eating the right food, especially health food. From orthorexia nervosa "right-appetite neurosis," parallel to "anorexia nervosa" or "no-appetite neurosis. "

Usage: The contemporary drive to eat the right food has reached the point that it is making some of us neurotic, so many, in fact, that we need a word for the neurosis. Those suffering from orthorexia are "orthorexics," based on the adjective from today's word, "orthorexic," as in "Gary Loop has a misguided orthorexic fixation on chicken and mashed potatoes."

Suggested Usage: If Gary truly suffered from orthorexia, he would eat a few lightly cooked vegetables with his meal, back away from the potatoes, and be careful to remove the skin from the chicken. And what about Sue? "Sue's orthorexia is such that she won't eat naturally fertilized vegetables unless she is sure the cows that produced the fertilizer were raised by a kind, enlightened farmer."


Etymology: Today's word is a recent combination of Greek orthos "right, true, straight" + orexis (orek-sis) "appetite," the noun from the verb oreg-ein "to reach out for." The Greek word is akin to Latin regere "to lead straight, guide, rule," the past participle or which is rectus "right, straight," found in English "rectitude," "direction," and "correct." The root of the verb is visible in "regulate," "regular," via regula "rod, ruler," which French helped us convert into "rule."


—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

Very useful word!

Could be, in our circles!