Keep Making Magic! — Shaun Jay

Michael Jackson is no stranger to the world of illusion. Besides being an incredibly talented musician, he was a master stage entertainer and would often support other magicians by seeing their shows and even consulted with them to add unique illusions and effects to his own stage productions. One of the most notable and frequent magical collaborators was a good friend of Jeff. His name is Franz...

Year One — Tim “Santiago” Converse

All The Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Started 30 Years Ago When I first started magic I had a brief case I carried around with all my magic tricks in it.  That battered case has now sat unused in my office for three decades. Its leather is worn, and its brass latches have long lost their shine, but the memories it holds are as vivid as ever. The journey from that fumbling enthusiast to...

Magic through the Side Door by Chris McCauley

I’m going to tell you something shocking that you may not know. Houdini wanted to be a magician. But he couldn’t. That’s right: the greatest magician in history (reputedly) wanted to be a magician, but he wasn’t able to do it, at least not the way he wanted, and not right away. The history of Houdini and his act is as follows: he began in vaudeville as the King of Cards. But there was a huge...

Sound Systems for Magicians 2023

By David Reed-Brown Welcome to the wonderful world of sound systems for magicians. When audio doesn’t work well in a show for me, it’s my nightmare! Audiences, in fact, will forgive many things, but not poor audio, whether it’s live or online. Unless you are a silent act, what is the point of all your preparation if they cannot hear you? Good audio can make magical performances by 2 or even...

The Sorcerers Apprentice by Derek Selinger

Mickey Mouse Tried to Warn Us About A.I.The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is one of the most popular Disney animations of all time, based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  In the Disney version of the story, the master magician is growing weary from performing his magic. Turning bats into butterfly’s to be precise.He goes for a nap, leaving his hat behind.The apprentice (Mickey) takes the...

“Seasonal Sorcery” from Lynn Miner

Dear Mystery School Students, Can you help us help you? We are excited to announce that we are currently accepting submissions for our upcoming book, Seasonal Sorcery: A Mystery School Almanac.This compendium will include a collection of magic routines and effects submitted by you–Mystery School students and faculty. It focuses exclusively on incorporating magic into the public and...

The Therapeutic Effects of Magic

by Mark CarbonaroI am writing this article for a few reasons. One reason is to shed light on the fact that many artists, including magicians, suffer from mental illness. Another reason is that I want to be an advocate for people struggling with mental health and introduce my magic therapy program for those who suffer from mental illness. I have been a magician since I was eleven years old and I...

The Meta-Magic of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz by D. Michael Smith

“Like all great stories, The Wizard of Oz provides a template that allows us to open ourselves to the hidden capacities we had forgotten we had; the creative potentials we didn’t know how to use; and the deeper knowing . . . that is within every one of us. We are so much more than we thought we were.”  (The Wizard of Us, Jean Houston, 2012, p. 12) When I was five years old, I saw the movie,...

Magic Words by Daryl Rogers

“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.” – Albus DumbledoreWords Create RealityAs magicians, we use words to create a reality for our audience. We carefully craft and edit our scripts to say exactly what we want to say in the manner we wish to say it, with no extraneous verbiage. The...

A Different Kind of Magical Fire

by Judge Gary Brown Charred remains of a Friedlander panel In the world of magic and collecting, cautionary tales abound: magicians and enthusiasts need to protect rare and expensive equipment, books and collectibles from numerous threats: light, moisture, water, mold, rust, theft and neglect.  This is a slightly different story, but one laden with important lessons. In 2019, a power surge...