abracadabra Archives - The Bohemian Star

Mumbo Jumbo: The Curious History of Magical Words

Magic words like Abracadabra, Hocus Pocus, and Mumbo Jumbo sound playful today—but their histories are layered with ritual, translation, performance, and cultural transformation. Explore how their meaning has shifted through ritual, stagecraft, and cultural power.

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February 27, 2026

The House at Place PigalleApril 22, 2026
A building once stood at 1 Place Pigalle whose history mirrors the restless evolution of the neighborhood itself. It passed from atelier to spectacle: transformed into the themed restaurant l’Abbaye de Thélème (a knowing nod to François Rabelais and his rule “Fay ce que vouldras” – Do what thou wilt). During the First World War it served as a meeting place for the French League for Women’s Rights and hosted charity sales for soldiers. In the years that followed, it emerged as a vital hub for the Black American jazz community in Paris, before shifting again under the German Occupation into the circus-themed nightclub Le Chapiteau. In its final incarnation, it became the exotic striptease venue Les Naturistes. Along the way, it bore several other names—Restaurant Albert, La Noce, Chez O’dett, Le Coup de Patte—each reflecting a different moment in the building’s life as well as the city around it.
The Prophets of MontmartreMarch 20, 2026
Montmartre stands above Paris as a place where myth, blood, and vision converge. Once sacred ground, later a crucible of revolution and bohemian life, it became the stage for Les Nabis—artists who rejected imitation in favor of color, symbol, and inner meaning. Their work marked a turning point, where art no longer reflected the world, but reimagined it.