| ABRA | Beginning of a magical spell... |
| CAST | To contrive or send forth a magical spell; a rigid plaster of Paris shell; the dramatis personae of a drama or play; a throw of dice or anything else; or, a group of bees, crabs or falcons (4) |
| VEX | Synonym for "annoy" that becomes a magical spell if its first letter is changed to an H |
| IAN | Forename of a novelist whose subjects include a bridge cheat, a diamond smuggler, a secret agent, a trapeze artist-turned-aviatrix and an eccentric inventor of a magical flying car called Chitty-Chitt |
| POCUS | End of a magical incantation |
| POOF | Sound of a magical disappearance |
| PRESTO | Hey ___ , phrase announcing the completion of a magical trick (6) |
| CHARM | Word, from Latin's carmen "song, verse", for an amulet, little trinket, magical spell or sprig of shepherd's-purse, said to bring luck or ward off a curse; one's attracting fascinating power of allure |
| HEX | Kind of magical spell |
| HOCUS | Start of a magical incantation |
| CANTRIP | Magical spell |
| INCANTATION | Magical spell or charm |
| INDIANSIGN | Fantastic innings receiving support over magical spell |
| CURSE | Evil magical spell |
| DAHL | Author who wrote about a magical peach lifted by a flock of gulls, a chocolate factory, a cunning anthropomorphic fox and a girl with telekinetic powers (4) |
| OPENSESAME | Term, alluding to a magical command used by Ali Baba, for any successful means of access, admission or of achieving a result (4,6) |
| AMULET | A trinket or piece of jewellery thought to be a magical protection against evil (6) |
| POLAR | Middle word of a Hanks/Zemeckis movie about a magical train ride |
| ARGO | Jason's ship of heroes that was a magical timbered tongue and sailing oracle on a gilded voyage and quest for the Golden Fleece (4) |
| THETALISMAN | Stephen King and Peter Straub novel about a boy seeking a magical artifact that can heal his sick mother, featuring a Michigan college |
