Fredrick Turner

Reflections

Performance

  • Revisiting: The Quarterly Issue 1

    I can’t recall exactly how I learned of The Quarterly – probably from a friend who also loves small run magic magazines. No matter as I am grateful, it was a delightful publication. The Quarterly was the brainchild of the award winning magician, Helder Guimarães. It was edited by Dr. Will Houstoun who I was… 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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  • Book Notes: Don’t Look Now

    In the vast archives of magic literature, there’s much written about tricks, the sleights and the techniques to accomplish them. There’s a handful of books on presentation and scripting. However there are not many that cover misdirection. There’s some chapters or articles here and there. Dariel Fitzkee, Roberto Giobbi, Tom Stone, Juan Tameriz, Tommy Wonder,… Continue reading

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  • App Trap

    While wandering through the IBM Dealers Room, I made eye contact with a dealer selling a few magic apps. He asked me if I had seen them. I said no and, in retrospect, should have said that I don’t like app magic. He proceeded to go through his pitch, asking me to do one thing… 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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