Lesson 16 Mystery and the Occult 1. alchemy a method of miraculous change of one thing into another.

. In the Middle Ages, the chief aim of honest and dishonest experimenters was to change base metals into gold and to discover the elixir of eternal youth 2. arcane beyond comprehension; mysterious; secret. The Latin word arcanus means shut up or hidden 3. conundrum a riddle; any puzzling question or problem 4. demonology the study of demons or of beliefs about them. 5. exorcise to drive away an evil spirit by charms or incantations 6. inscrutable mysterious; completely obscure; unfathomable 7. pallor lack of color; unnatural paleness 8. phenomenology the science that classifies and describes unusual happenings. 9. polygraph an instrument that records changes in blood pressure, respiration, pulse rate, etc; a lie detector 10. purloin to steal 11. ritual a system of rites, religious or otherwise; a prescribed form or procedure; ceremony 12. shamus private detective. The caretaker of a synagogue is also called a shamus 13. soothsayer one who predicts the future. Sooth is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning true, hence, a soothsayer is a sayer of truth 14. thaumaturgy magic; the supposed working of miracles 15. warlock sorcerer; conjurer; male witch. From the Anglo-Saxon word for traitor or liar. A warlock was supposed to be able to cast a magic spell because of a compact he made with the Devil. Exercises I. Which Word Comes to Mind In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind 1. The last page of the murder mystery, with all the guests in the living room (thaumaturgy, demonology, shamus)

2. As I gaze into my crystal ball. (warlock, soothsayer, arcane) 3. Man, your face is as white as a ghosts (pallor, conundrum, inscrutable) 4. A pickpockets nimble fingers (purloin, alchemy, ritual) 5. Would you be willing to take a test to prove your innocence? (exorcise, phenomenology, polygraph) 6. A good poker players face (alchemy, inscrutable, thaumaturgy) 7. With the IQ of a genius, Luz can solve any mathematical puzzle (conundrum, warlock, ritual) 8. An alien warship was reported to have flown over Seattle (phenomenology, demonology, shamus) 9. We recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning (exorcise, soothsayer, ritual) 10. At the museum we needed an expert to explain the meaning of the strange painting (arcane, purloin, alchemy) II. True or False? In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false ____1. A warlock has military responsibilities. ____2. To wear your heart on your sleeve is to have an inscrutable expression. ____3. A cattle rustler is on who would purloin a sirloin.

____4. When we say, Its Greek to me, we are referring to something that is arcane. ____5. Abracadabra is the start of a familiar ritual. ____6. My fathers stockbroker practiced alchemy by converting our assets into debits. ____7. I was shocked by the shut-ins pallor. ____8. After months of exorcise, Tonio was in great shape. ____9. Accused of theft, the bank teller offered to submit to a polygraph. ____10. Macbeths witches area subject for demonology. III. Fill in the Blank Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below. 1. Harry Houdini, the celebrated magician, was a master of ______________ 2. As part of his morning ____________, Andre shined his shows, pressed his trousers, and put a flower in his buttonhole. 3. Many employers would like their workers to take ___________tests, but the unions oppose that procedure. 4. Helen may know several ________languages, but that hasnt helped her to earn a living in todays society. 5. A famous mathematical ____________, which has stumped the experts for a century, recently was solved with the aid of a microcomputer. 6. Through some amazing ___________, the shy reporter became Superman. 7. The Edison Hotel hired a ___________ to deal with recent thefts. 8. A waxen ___________had come over Audras usually florid face. 9. Colonel Snyders mission was to ___________the enemys atomic documents. 10. Awaiting the announcement of the Academy Awards, the composed actor maintained an ___________ expression.