I'm entitled to an animated .gif once in a while.
To add to my image of long-suffering but borderline dorkdom, I had the thought to add the text of incantations I’ve seen in Bleach episodes somewheres online (probably Facebook), not because I think fictional magic is cool, as I have no strong affections either way for it, but because those particular ones are nicely written.
I did think it’s a little off center given my religious belief system to be posting words to a magic spell, though they only exist in the minds of a show’s/book’s writer(s). It wouldn’t matter, though, to some religious people. The fact that the magic in Bleach is not anything like what the Bible describes as magic would not deter criticism from that camp. Bleach’s magic is a string of spoken words that cause something to actually, really, truly, observationally happen in the physical/superphysical Bleach universe (explosions, points of light, wounds being healed, voiceover artists getting a steady paycheck, etc.). It’s simple, quantifiable cause and effect, like pouring gas to make an engine run, not a plea for phantoms to show favor. No religious belief is needed.
The magic in Bleach also doesn’t have anything to do with God/Jesus/the devil or Christianized versions of fantasy worlds from the approved list of Christian authors (Lewis, Tolkein, Peretti, et al.). This is another point of contention for people who want to look for points of contention.
Here’s the story background. Feel free to skip down to the actual incantations—I put four of them—or if you’re feeling especially languid simply hit the video at the end for a quick visual fix:
Bleach is about a teenager, Ichigo Kurosaki, who becomes a shinigami/Soul Reaper—basically what we know as the Grim Reaper—and his workings between the world of the living and the world of the dead. He works alongside other Soul Reapers from the Soul Society, a group of spiritual beings that protect the world of the living from souls held back in the physical world and gone sour (Hollows), escort souls to the world of the dead, and maintain the balance between the two worlds. The Soul Society, stuck in feudal fashions and carrying huge, unique swords, practice a form of magic called Kidō in which their “Spiritual Pressure” is channeled, using words, to do magic-y looking things.
Here they are. Be sure to cross yourself and douse your monitor or iPhone in holy water after you read each one.
Senjū Kōten Taihō (Thousand-Hand Bright Heaven Culling-Sear):
Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired.
Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin):
Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness!
Sōren Sōkatsui (Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down):
Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens.
Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Sear):
Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!