Learning
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Mixing It Up
Reflecting recently on the magic books I return to often, I realized that they tend to be ones that have a mix of effects and essays by the artist. The essays can be philosophical, advice, or an interview by the artist. Here are a few examples (in alphabetical by artist): The Magic of Michael Ammar… Continue reading
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Details
The small details in magic make a huge difference to the experience we are providing our audience. I like to say, when talking about magic, that it is an art form that relies on carefully controlled, yet broken, communication. It must be carefully broken so that the audience receives the correctly constructed message for the… Continue reading
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Convention Reflection
The annual 2024 IBM convention was held recently within commuting distance and I took the opportunity to attend. I hadn’t been to an IBM convention since the early 80’s when it was in Pittsburgh. I hadn’t attended any conventions since the 2020 SAM convention in Las Vegas right before the world shut down. One of… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – XIV
Samadhi The eighth and final limb is Samadhi. Samadhi has been described as bliss, nirvana, self-realization or union with Spirit or Source. It is the expanse of meditation. Magicians can think of it as the point where all of our work bears fruit in a performance that has the magic that we are looking to co-create… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – XIII
Samyama Patanjali brings together the final three limbs under Samyama. Samyama is Sanskrit for holding or tying together. It consists of the three inner practices of Dharana or concentration, Dhyana or absorption and Samadhi or union. These three limbs also tie together all of the previous limbs and are why the yogic meditator has worked… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – XII
Pratyahara The third and fourth Limbs are in preparation for the fifth – Pratyahara. This is where the meditator consciously withdraws from external stimuli. This is accomplished by closing one’s eyes, shutting off the outside and withdrawing from the day-to-day. The meditator moves from focused breathing like the Even Count Breathing to simply allowing the… Continue reading
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Yoga of Conjuring – XI
Pranayama For the Rauto [people of Papua New Guinea] much of the power of magic is thought to be carried on the breath of the magician. When a leading magician begins to age, people will sometimes say that the magician’s breath has gone … or that the breath has lost heat and has become ‘cold’… Continue reading