Practice
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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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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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Revisiting: Man On Wire
This past weekend, I rewatched the Academy Awards winning documentary, Man On Wire. It had been awhile but since last Wednesday, August 7th, was the 50th anniversary of Philippe Petit’s coup – wire-walking between the World Trade Center, it felt like the perfect time. Creating an engaging and entertaining film about an event that the… 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