Fascination
"Intensely interested, deeply attracted, in awe, even terror. An old concern to the point of fear in the ancient word, stemming from the timeless fear of being out of control. First recorded in the 1590s, it stems from the Medieval French fasciner by way of Latin fascinare, bewitch or enchant. A tantalizing possibility is that its roots stretch back even further, to Greek baskanos, sorcerer, and reflects the ancient belief that witches, warlocks, and certain species of serpents could cast spells over people with a single glance. By 1815 the word had reversed direction, shape-shifting from terror to delight, fear to attraction. There is a marvelous Irish expression, take to the fair, which holds centuries of folk fascination with 'the fancy life.' Psychologist James Hillman writes, 'The sexual fascination is the soul trying to get out and get into something other than itself.' Companion words include fascinator, a headpiece, whether a fancy feather or a lacy headdress used strategically to attract — or fascinate — a possible suitor."
