You're welcome DaveO. I'm not going to attempt *your* little posers, though. It's actually been the best part of ten years since I sat down & read the book. I can think of plenty of magic items, such as rings, palantir, the battering ram Grond, swords, blah, but actual spellcasting (which I assume is what you mean)?

Off the top of my head (alright *BG* I will have a go!), Gandalf's fireworks (although that's, strictly, enchanted items again), Gandalf's wizard light in Moria, the breaking of the bridge in Moria, Galadriel's Mirror, the sight granted by the High Seat at Henneth Annun (if I've remembered the name right - the Falls of Rauros, if I haven't!), the breaking of Saruman's staff, Saruman's voice (& charm spells, which this effectively is, are non-physical), Treebeard doing his Ent-draught thing, the blasting of the culvert at Helm's Deep, the Black Breath, & the unnatural darkness at the Siege of Gondor.

They're all the instances of overt magic that come immediately to mind, but they're not necessarily all 'physical, objective magic'. Take yer pick.

Incidentally, after the last reply, I actually checked the Istari chapter in UT. Alatar was a Maia of Orome, & Pallando (who Alatar took 'out of friendship') was originally assigned by Tolkien to Mandos/Lorien & Nienna (& not Gandalf!), though that was at seem point crossed out by the Prof & he was also made a Maia of Orome. Gandalf himself was a Maia of Manwe, the Chief of the Valar. I'm bloody sure hr had some kind of association with Mandos & Nienna, it's where he got his deep compassion from, but I can't remember where I read it...

The actual quote on the Blue Wizards, interestingly, is along the lines of "they went to the East with Curunir, but they never returned with him". Strike another one for Saruman! Lastly, the number of Istari is "at least 5" - only those who came to the North West of Middle Earth & therefore have some kind of connection with LOTR ever get mentioned, but it seems deliberatly vague. There may have been others sent elsewhere...