List of Spells

This is a list of all known spells mentioned in both the television and the book series.

Spells

Alice's Ward-and-Shield

A warding spell invented by Alice Quinn that protects the caster's hands from the intense heat released by molten matter.

Amelia Popper's Practical Exercises for Young Magicians

A series of movements created by an 18th-century magician named Amelia Popper. These movements serve as educational practices and introductory techniques to the physical complexity of magic and spell casting. Popper's work has been used throughout Brakebills' curriculum as a structured, refined method to spellcasting.

Anasazi's Vision Spell

A spell used to reveal something invisible. It is similar to the Mann reveal.

Bujold's Sorcerous Nail Extraction

This is the opposite or counter-spell to Legrand’s Hammer Charm. Instead of hammering a nail through a surface this spell extracts it.

Chkhartishvili's Enveloping Warmth

This spell generates internal warmth within the body to ensure survival in extremely cold environments.^{[citation needed]}

Cholmondeley's Stealth

Assumably, a spell that offers the caster amazing stealth, rendering them difficult to detect.

Dixon's Charm

A common charm that can be used to freeze water.

Dempsey's Silent Thermogenesis

This is a spell that enforces a phase change in a matter by heating molecules past their boiling point.

Fergus' Spectral Armory

A working that summons a silvery, phantasmal armor to protect the caster from harm.

Fergus's A Whole Lot of Other Really Useful Combat Spells

The name given to an assortment of Fergus spells used by Eliot Waugh in his duel against Vile Father. Together, they increase the caster's strength, reflexes, and perception of time several times over.

First Flash

A level one hedge witch spell that causes a quick burst of light to appear between the caster's fingers. Its command is Işik.

Harper's Fire Shaping

A spell considered to be useless, as its only purpose is to shape flames into patterns in the air with an aspen twig.

Incorporate Bond

A spell that locks an object with a four-dimensional point rendering it almost impossible to move.

Indian Night-Vision Charm

A Hindi charm used to enhance the caster's vision in the dark.

Legrand's Hammer Charm

The Hammer Charm of Legrand is a standard teaching charm that ensures a nail is hammered into a surface in a single smooth strike. The accompanying incantation, which further ensures success in the endeavor, is "Ein saat schlug tief". (German for "The nail strikes deep!").

Lesser Cavalieri animation

A spell that gifts small inanimate objects with a facsimile of life.

Magic Missile

A battle magic spell created by Josh and Penny based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. It was later adjusted and perfected by Quentin during his time at the centaur Retreat in Fillory.

• TV Differences: Magic Missile is renamed Majikku Misairu. A magician can execute this powerful battle magic upon an adversary, which takes the form of a small, pointed dagger of light beaming out from between the casters enclosed hands. This spell was used to great effect by Alice Quinn in her battle with the Beast, knocking him back several feet; and later by Kady, who used it to blow a fortified door slam off its hinges.

Mann Reveal

A spell used to reveal something invisible. The spell is performed by the caster making a small window with the thumb and index finger of their hands.

Miller's Flare

A spell that, to an onlooker, causes the caster to glow with an intense light. When adjusted, the spell can also generate heat, as used by Alice Quinn during her final trial at Brakebills South in Antartica.

Persian Fainting Charm

A charm that causes the target to lose consciousness.

• TV Differences: The spell was used on Dean Fogg by Mike McCormick (under the possession of The Beast) after he killed Jane Chatwin and attempted to escape.

Polaski's Mending

A healing spell used on Penny's broken nose after his fight with Quentin.

Revelation Charm

A charm used to detect the presence of magic. The caster makes a circle with their index finger and thumb and looks through the hole. Its variants include the Mann Reveal and Anasazi Vision Spell

The Magician's Land

Described as primordial, with a feel of Old Magic to it, this spell is an ancient Fillorian work of magic designed to create a a pocket world - small enough to fit in the crack of a sidewalk, but "full of life and stars and physics". The spell is written in archaic Fillorian script, and was incredibly long by normal standards, consisting of at least twenty pages. The spell itself was, in fact, fifteen or twenty spells meshed together, required a number of exotic materials, as well as the magical equivalent of a clean room at a semiconductor factory. Parts of the spell could be cast in advanced, but most had to be done on the fly, with some even requiring to be cast simultaneously. The larger functionalities of the spell consisted of thousands of practical details, most of which concerned space: fabricating it, expanding it, and reinforcing it. There were spells that summoned matter into being, removed entropy from the system, and forced it into obscure transforms - some of which appear to do nothing, or canceled out previous ones. Other spells dealt with botanical details; weather, water, wind, and the shaping of living rock. Higher level spells reset basic physical parameters of the universe: elementary charge, the speed of light, gravitational constants. The spell was designed for Master Magicians, stated by Quentin Coldwater to accept nothing less, as it would force the casting Magician to become one.

Ugarte's Prismatic Spray

A spell that creates a trail of rainbow light in the air from the caster’s fingers. This spell was found by Julia Wicker on the Internet and is the first spell she cast successfully. The word "Ugarte" is derived from the Basque uharte, meaning "island", from ur "water" and arte "between".

Woven Strength

A spell used by Janet Pluchinsky against Foremost in The Magician's Land. The spell grants the caster amazing strength, as Janet was able to send Foremost flying into a wall with a punch, despite her being physically worn out from her time in the desert.

TV-only Spells

Accuracy Spell

A spell taught by Penny to Quentin during his hunt for the White Lady. The spell is used to make an arrow fly straight.

Ars Deicidium

Known as the Art of Killing Gods (Ars Deicidium in Latin). this spell was written in a book that was previously stored in the The Library's Poison Room. It allows the user of the spell to turn metal objects into 'God-Killing weapons'. The magical power needed to work the spell is tremendous and no ordinary amount would suffice. The amount of magic Kady extracted from the death of the demigod John Gaines as barely enough to make one God-Killing bullet. The death of Umber was utilized to extract the magic to create a God-Killing sword by Julia, which Quentin used to kill Ember and seemingly save all of Fillory.

Atsuko's Spectral Refraction

This spell was mentioned by Julia Wicker in an alternate timeline. The spell was referenced when she connected it to the sequence of another spell. Dean Fogg stated that the Spectral Refraction was, in fact, a spell learned by second-year Brakebills students.

Alonso's Reverse Thermogenesis

A spell used to freeze corpses through the reversion of the heating process that all warm-blooded animals use, known as thermogenesis. Julia Wicker used it to freeze and preserve Marina's corpse.

Une Chaleur Temporaire

A spell used by Julia Wicker and Marina Andrieski while locked in the meat locker of a safehouse. This spell enabled them to withstand the cold temperatures long enough to escape. The spell, written in a mixture of Latin and French, requires the preparation of a concoction, along with alchemical symbols, the ingredients including crushed rocks and animal fat. Once the mixture is burned, it must be applied to the skin. It is possible this is the show's version of Chkhartishvili's Enveloping Warmth.

Coptic Illusion Spell

Emily Greenstreet used this spell on both herself and Quentin Coldwater to manifest the illusion of Alice Quinn and Mayakovsky, respectively. Though she noted it a 'party trick', the illusion spell only works while the skin is wet, and can be used to take the appearance of whomever the other person longs to see the most, or presumably, anyone they wish.

Contact The Other Side

A ritual Alice Quinn attempted to use to find out what happened to her brother, Charlie. The spell requires the active participation of four "magical adepts", candles, bones, sand, Cardamon and must be cast within the timeframe of Midnight. Being a Niffin, Charlie did not answer the call, but rather the Beast, who orchestrated the situation to open a gateway between worlds, giving him temporary access to Brakebills' campus.

Czechoslovakian Unlocking Charm

A spell Marina Andrieski taught to Julia Wicker at her Hedge Witch safehouse. The spell is comprised of an unlocking gesture with the fingers and is accompanied by the incantation "Odemknout", forcing any iron or mechanical lock open. It can be assumed the Czech spell to seal locks would be the opposite, "Zamknout".

Emotion Bottles

A Hedge Magic spell utilized by Penny and the Physical Kids to physically isolate their emotions from their bodies in order to practice Battle Magic. The spell's incantation is spoken in Japanese and requires a small vessel that can be worn on the body. This enchantment will literally "bottle" one's emotions, rendering them completely unfeeling, logical beings. The spell should not be succeeded for longer than three hours as it can take a toll on the body, and the emotions can be overwhelming when they return. The spell's incantation reads as such: 私の過去を[見た事]が出来るように[まず]仮にしてください.

Fish Hook

A spell invention of Julia Wicker and Kady's mother, Hannah. The spell, which harnesses energy from a large floor-drawn sigil in the shape of an anchor, can be used to pull an object from one location to another by looping it through dimensions, theoretically being untraceable. The spell requires at least two magicians to perform, and the chanting of an incantation. The duo used it to steal the file cabinets concealing all of the magical knowledge of Marina Andrieski's Hedge safehouse.

Koyosegi's Ward

One of various magical wards which can shield a space and offer protection from outside forces. Upon "picking", or breaking, the weaker ward Julia had placed around her safe house, Hannah suggested this one; implying it was a stronger version and not as easily infiltrated.

Golem Spell

A spell used by Lasaro, a jealous ex-boyfriend of Margo Hanson. Using a rare substance called 'Living Clay', a magician can create an exact flesh-replica of a person, known as their Golem. The process is complicated, and if done inefficiently, can cause the actual person whom the Golem resembles to become weak and unstable, as the spell draws from the subject's life force to shape the clay. Utilizing an adjusted mind control spell, originally taught by Professor Mayakovsky to First-years, Eliot Waugh was able to swap consciousness with his Golem while asleep, allowing him to be in two locations at once, though only one body can be conscious at a time.

Love Spell

A powerful spell cast by Professor Lipson on an entire city park, causing everyone in it and anyone who entered it to become overwhelmed with strong sexual desires and engage in a mass orgy.

Lucier's Cleaning Charm

A charm used to clean a room or a place. As mentioned by Henry Fogg, rose water is used in that charm. Julia casted that charm in a dining room of Brakebills after the Fairy Incident.

Matarese Summoning Spell

Used to summon the Matarese, a bug spirit from the Underworld. Typically, the Matarese is summoned to reverse the effects of the Scarlotti's Web hex. The spell's incantation: "Daemonium Matarese, ecce vocavi te in carcere liberare mens est. Imperio Scarlatti telem nobus"

Along with the summoning spell, placing a totem of the Matarese upon the victim will cause the bug spirit to awaken and inhabit the magician's body, shortening out the cerebral cortex and breaking the illusion. It is then up to the victim to release them from the spell.

McNaughton's Unstealable

A powerful charm that enchants an item so that it is unable to be stolen. This spell is applied to the Alumni Keys of Brakebills graduates.

Modus Hex

A hex used to gain control of another person's body. It was used on a Librarian named Howard in an attempt to steal from The Library's Poison Room.

Musical Spell

A spell to influence spontaneous music, song and dance in all those nearby. Utilizing a tut emulating the waving of a conductors baton, it was used by Margo in to make Eliot Waugh sing "One Day More" from Les Miserables in an attempt to inspire courage in the High King before he has his duel with the King of Loria.

Necromantic Resurrection

A mysterious spell found in the Brakebills Library, this dark spell allows a magician the power to temporarily raise the dead. Though the effects are highly unstable and only last a few minutes, a spirit of the deceased may momentarily return to their corpse, as seen when Julia and Kady resurrected the lifeless body of Marina Andrieski. The spell requires a relatively fresh corpse, and the last known ingredient of the spell is to burn the book from which it came.

Osseus Confervium

The Osseus Confervium is the first step in building a new body with magic, called 'bone-knitting'. The process was started by Alice Quinn for Penny, who was trapped as an astral remnant after his body died during astral projection.

Paralysis Spell

A spell performed by Martin Chatwin during his initial assault on Brakebills. The spell is extremely potent, capable of incapacitating a large crowd, and on one occasion, a deity. The spell is shown to immediately freeze its target, leaving only their eyes being able to move, and has an adjustable area of effect, as Penny had immediately succumbed to it once in range. Master Magicians, such as Dean Fogg, are able to stave off its effects when stepping into the affected area. Persephone has been shown to be able to adjust it, so as to allow whomever she chooses to be unaffected by the spell, as she did with Julia, freezing Reynard and Kady.

Poll Spell

Originally created by Nate Silver, an Earth magician, Eliot uses an adjusted version of it to find out how popular he is in Fillory as High King.

Portal Spell

A basic, though still somewhat advanced, utility spell used throughout the magical community. Professor Mayakovsky creates portals for students at the end of every semester to return them to Brakebills' main campus. Richard Corrigan drew a phosphorescent outline of a door onto the surface of Julia's apartment wall and recited the spell: "Aperio nobus ostium ad annecto procul". With a momentary flash of light, the wall became a door to the location of every member of Free Trader Beowulf, no matter their distance from each other globally. A Shadeless Julia Wicker used this to ambush Reynard at a park.

Prayer to the Harvest Deity

A supplication prayer to a shy, earth goddess. While sitting inside a large, chalk-drawn sigil (the goddesses symbol), Julia Wicker recited the words: "I beseech and devote myself, I plead and promise myself to you, she of the grain, that you will raise me up above the chaff. Amen." The prayer was by the goddess, who let her magic flow through Julia, momentarily levitating her into the air. The prayer was also sensed by Reynard the Fox.

Probability Spell

A powerful psychic ritual that can send one of any number of individuals into an astral state of being. While under, the participants can decide how best to go about their course of action, and whatever decisions they make will affect the outcome of whatever end result they desire. Using a double sided coin, candles, and some hallucinogenic herbs, the spell will take effect, and the illusionary situations will play out as if they were real. This can appear to play out for weeks at a time, if necessary to answer the questions for which the spell was cast (though upon breaking, the magicians return to the exact moments the spell was cast originally).^{[citation needed]}

Rhinemann Ultra

Presumably, the most powerful battle magic spell known, the Rhinemann Ultra can only be successfully executed by a master magician. The first known usage of the spell was in December 1944, when Rupert Chatwin used it during the Battle of the Bulge to win World War II, having petitioned the Fillorian Gods Ember and Umber for enough power to perform it^{[citation needed]} . It was later taught by a Pixie named Bigby to Alice Quinn, after the latter acquired the strength of a Master Magician from Ember, to attempt to destroy The Beast with. Not only was the spell casted by Alice Quinn, but it was also casted by Julia Whicker. Julia once described the spell being hard to control at first because there were "too many moving parts". It is recommended that no one, save for the target, is within 20 feet radius of the blast when the spell is detonated.^{[citation needed]}

Romanian Flying Enchantment

A spell, spoken in Romanian, used to presumably enchant object to fly. The parchment the spell was written upon was kept in the Physical Kids Dormitory for practical uses. The spell's incantation reads as such: "Pierde legaturile de gravitatie si plutesc liber. Ca praful, chiar pietre avanta pe briza. Ca vapori, un rau curge inapoi la cer. Deci, prea acum va aceasta mutare obiect mare pentru a acoper."

Scarlotti's Web

Scarlotti's Web is a powerful hex that traps the caster's intended target inside of a dark prison within their own mind that shapes itself to psychologically destroy the target, with the intention of permanently incapacitating them. It is "high-end, designer, cooperative magic", according to Marina Andreiski. The spell, however, can also be used for benevolent purposes, as explained by Richard. As such, the spell was utilized in creating a psychic medium for Julia to communicate with a catatonic magician in a rehabilitation facility. The hex can only be broken by summoning the Matarese, an evil bug spirit of the Underworld.

Sumerian Shield Charm

First-year students at Brakebills University are required to learn this simple but powerful shield charm, which can be used to protect its caster from projectile such as glass, debris and presumably spells (as it was used in an attempt to protect Quentin, Margo, and Elliot from the blast effects of the Rhinemann Ultra, an extremely powerful battle spell). This charm can be strengthened greatly through the use of cooperative casting.

Tesla Flexion

A spell invented by Fred Flexion. The Tesla Flexion is a fold between realities, requiring an array of Tesla coils, ultraviolet lamps, and a tented area for the realities to meet. It was successfully performed by Dean Fogg and Julia Wicker, connecting two different realities temporarily together so that Quentin could speak to an Alice Quinn from a different timeline that survived The Beast's attack and became an expert on Shades. In the procedure, people from different timelines were prohibited from interacting physically, as the collision of matter from different realities occupying the same space can create a paradox, i.e. an explosion. The Tesla Flexion has only been successfully employed once before, as it was deemed too volatile when three people died in an attempt to shut it down. Due to the forces at play in the spell, maintaining a connection for longer than two minutes would result in the death of anyone in the vicinity.

Teukolsky's Locator Spell

A spell to find the spirits of the deceased. The spell will locate an active spirit still tethered to the physical plane, directing a magician to the location where the spirit had originally died. It requires an unlit match, which will flare up brightly when the correct location is approached.

Thibodeaux's Planar Compression

A spell that manipulates dimensions in order to allow a large space to fit inside a much smaller space. The spell is used on Alice Quinn's parents' house, a moderately-sized home, but its interior is much larger than would normally be possible given the house's actual dimensions.

Turkish Binding Spell

The spell magicians use to seal a rogue Niffin into a Niffin Box, a small, coffin-shaped wooden box etched with special sigils. A magician will recite the spell "Seni baglamak emrediyorum! Sana dönmeni emrediyorum!" and permanently seal the Niffin within. The rite will not work on a greater skilled, or intelligent, Niffin, such as Friar Joseph, as they have learned to escape the box's binding and are no longer affected by the enchantment.

Voltaic Transfer

This spell was created by Henry Fogg to transfer the magical energy from one subject to another. The spell was stolen from Fogg's collection by Marina Andrieski, a former Brakebills student, who used it to steal magic from a faun. The procedure is described as "incredibly delicate" by Fogg, as attested by Penny, who once witnessed a group of Magicians attempting the Transfer, only to end with everyone becoming set on fire.

Weizenheim's Third

A "tiny little weather suspension spell" performed by Emily Greenstreet. It can be cast through a number of hand motions to enchant one's lips, enabling them to become a 'smoke artiste' and manipulating the movements and shapes the smoke takes.

Word as Bond

The sigil received by the second party in a Word As Bond

This spell was used by Julia Wicker on The Beast, and later by Quentin Coldwater on Niffin Alice, to magically seal the terms of a pact between the two. Accompanied by a sigil drawn onto a piece of paper, the intended parties then place the base of their thumbs onto the sigil, branding the spell onto themselves. It is stated to be impossible to break the Bond, though one can find loopholes if the terms aren't worded properly.

References

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