“Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Tahir Shah

This book is a story of initiation into the secrets and mysteries of magic. It is a fable, written in autobiographical form. The author-hero finds himself, like Alice down the rabbit hole or Dorothy in Oz, in a strange, wonderful and at times dangerous world. He must somehow navigate this new territory and, with the help of some colorful companions, find his way home. The story begins when Tahir...

The Mask & Mirror Act

We talked about the mirror sequence. You mentioned that the underlying meaning behind the mirror sequence is that you’re trapped in your own creation, and the removing of masks you have created. Is there a deep underlying overall meaning of your entire act, or was that it? My full-evening show is an initiation through the elements of magic: air, fire, water, earth and spirit; and it has to...

Cultivating Our Imagination

How little in our culture do we cultivate our imagination! We treat the imagination as if it were a poor relative of the rational mind. A somewhat distracting side journey on the larger logical journey of life. And yet, when we look at it, we realize that through the centuries most of the important discoveries and innovations in art, religion, and even science, were generated not so much by...

All Linking Rings Are Not Created Equal

I have often seen magicians using any old linking rings in their performances without paying attention to their many variable qualities. I learned a great deal about rings in my research last year, so here are some “key” factors to ponder as you make your decision. WARNING: Whatever you do, try out the rings first. Make sure they are really what you want because you will probably...

Mystery & Unexpected Transformation

You mentioned magic experiences with the shamans and other people that had a great deal to offer. Were these discoveries made during your travels? And is this what contributed to you losing your “cockiness?” I think what led me to that quest was disappointment. I was supposedly at the pinnacle of my career. I was headlining in the Vegas Hilton “Bel de Moulin Rouge.” I was...

The Magician’s Wand, Part 4

THE WAND OF THE CONJUROR During the middle ages, conjurers began using wands to imitate their religious counterparts. They began assigning great powers to their instruments. Magic wands were commonly used by European conjurers by the 15th Century. In fact, a gaffed wand, loaded with a rolled-up playing card, was first mentioned in 1740. Since the 19th Century, tarot cards featured early...

Sound Advice, Part 4

SOME EXCEPTIONS Thus far we have discussed the sound system needs of solo magicians working for audiences with 50-500 people. The “portable PA” systems by Anchor and Apollo are excellent. I also shared two wireless remote music systems: one based on a simple switch and a Sony Walkman purchased through Radio Shack and another professional mini-disk system, Remote Commander IV by...

The Power of One Coin

What was the first magic trick you remember? If you’re like most people, it was probably a favorite uncle pulling a coin from your ear. Do you remember how you felt? For many people it is clearly a key experience – they remember it all their lives. Recently, I put “The Aerial Mint” back into my platform show – and was astonished at the reactions it got. When I went...

Imagination, Solitude and Creativity

Selecting the topics for these [articles] hasn’t been an easy task. But I’ve been guided in the selection by some of the questions that typically are asked by the magicians who attend the seminars that I’ve conducted. I began doing small seminars in January of 1983. I suppose in large part because l had lost faith in the educational value of the traditional magic lecture format...

“Inside Magic” by George Boston with Robert Parrish

Years ago Eugene Burger loaned me a book by an author I’d never heard of. It was Inside Magic by George Boston, a wonderful portrait of magic and magicians in the early part of the twentieth century, a time when Chicago was often at the center of magic in the United States. I devoured every word and thoroughly enjoyed it. There was just one problem: Eugene wanted his book back. After sadly...