The Ma ic Rainbow JU N TAMARIZ Translated from the Spanish by RAFAEL BENATAR Spanish edition edited by GEMA NAVARRO Revision of Spanish contents by CARLOS VINUESA First Spanish revision by JESUS ETCHEVERRY English edition edited by STEPHEN MINCH _lt__ HERMETIC PRESS Photo: David Linsell CONTENTS Inner Worlds (Rafael Benatar) Thanks Preparation of this volume was aided by the proofreading skills of Mike Henkel, Martin Kaplan, Maxwell Pritchard, Will Randall and Mike Vance. The following pages show the benefits of their generosity and their devotion to our Magia. xvii 1: MAGIC 1 CHAPTER Magic What Is Magic? Magic-A Minimal (and Inexorably Failed) Attempt to Approach The Emotion-Miracle An Attempt to Comprehend the Magic Miracle Notes Toward a Theory of Emotion in Magic-Pursuing Our Goal Origins and Evolution Printed in the United States of America. ISBN 978-0-945296-90-4 FIRST EDITION 7 9 9 13 19 On the Essence of the Art of Magic 23 Some Provoking Questions (Also Self_-Provoking) 25 Magic as Art and Magic as Show 26 Dream, Magic, Reality Magic in Movies, Theater, Television ( and Close-up Magic) Magic and Surrealism To Whom Is It Addressed? Magic Is Only for Children CHAPTER 2: How Is IT PRODUCED? How Is It Produced? The Process of Creation and Interpretation in Magic CHAPTER 3: THE MAGICAL EFFECT AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE The Magical Effect 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 3 19 Dreams of Magic All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Convention~. Published in the United States of America by Penguin Magic, Inc., Rancho f~ordova, California. 3 Magic and Art The Material: Dreams English edition copyright© 2019 by Juan Tamariz and Penguin Magic, Inc. xiii Foreword Acknowledgments a Definition and a Delimitation Spanish edition copyright© 2016 by Juan Tamariz. ix How Should It Be? 29 29 32 35 39 43 43 47 49 49 59 61 61 Classic Effects What Are They? Which Ones Are They? Why Are They Classics? Symbols Magic and Symbolism Example of a Practical Application of the Theory of Symbolic Magic 65 conflicts in Magic and Their CuIVes of Interest 239 65 The Curves of Interest: Notions to Remember 239 71 Magic: 'I\vo Conflicts 242 71 85 The Logical-Rational Conflict-Climax without Reso~ution The Magic Conflict and Its Dramatization 242 254 The Magic of the Spheres 85 Time 285 A Study of a Truly Magical Effect: "El Cochecito" 92 285 97 Rhythm The Time of the ,Performance 303 97 More About Effect The Fascinating Effect The Beloved Art of the Pause 310 The Effect and the Secret Method (A Love Story) 102 Timing 328 Variety in Effects 105 339 That Effect, in Effect, with Affection 109 Patter Patter (A First Approach) 339 More About Patter (Second Approach) 347 CHAPTER 4: MAGIC AND MEMORY Introduction 113 115 CHAPTER 6: THE SECRETS 355 The Memory. Generalities 116 The Seven Magic Veils Card to Order 120 On Magic Energy: A Minimal and Impossible Attempt at an Unveiling 363 127 The Little Monkeys 365 127 A Beautiful Profession of Love 369 Encoding What Is Perceived Features Storage of the Memories 139 A Preliminary Digression 139 Altered Permanence 142 Evoking Memories 147 The Comet Effect 147 Other Factors That Improve Memories 158 CHAPTER 5: DRAMATURGY 185 CHAPTER 7: THE MAGIC PYRAMID The Magic Pyramid CHAPTER 8: STYLES IN MAGIC From the Inside Impromptu Magic 357 375 377 395 397 397 The Magic of Accessories 403 From the Outside 407 187 Magic and Comedy 407 Kind of an Introduction 187 Some Laws of Laughter 409 A Human Analogy 190 Various Positive Combinations of Magic and Comedy 419 Analysis of the Emotions in Magic 197 Other Pairings 424 The Emotional Scheme 223 Manipulation 447 About the Variety of Emotions: .A.n Example 225 Mental Magic 450 Emotions CHAPTER 9: ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SESSION About the Construction of the Session CHAPTER 10: CREATING ILLUSION To Create Illusion 457 459 485 487 Technique in Service to the Effect 487 About ... the Art of Technique 490 In Order Not To Disappoint Outs and Resources-The Art of Fixing Mistakes in Magic CHAPTER 11: CONFESSIONS 495 495 501 About the Author: Highly Personal Comments 503 About the Preparation of the Session 511 Chapter 12: NOSTALGIA II 515 The Spectator Facing Magic 517 The Spectator on the Other Side of Magic 521 APPENDIX 1: MAGIC AND OTHER ARTS (NOTES) 525 Magic and Magical Narration 527 Myths of Creation, Gods and Heroes, Fairy Tales Magic and Film 527 II Rafael Bena tar TiiROUGHOUT my thirty years of friendship with Juan, I have witnessed, from a privileged seat, the development of his magical thinking. He usually I put his thoughts in writing for the exclusive Circular of the Escuela Magica I de Madrid, and he has shared them since 1974 at the J omadas Cartomagicas :t, del Escorial, of which he has, from the beginning, been the main force. I 531 lNNER WORLDS ;~ Magic and Drama 535 Magic and Music 539 Magic and Painting 543 ''i 549 i meeting with fellow magicians and sharing ideas, whether when dining APPENDIX 2: TRICKS, SYMBOLS AND MYTHS Background (A Brief Personal Story) 551 time he might dish up his superb fried eggs. Some Phenomena of Card Magic 555 j f Some Classic Tricks of Card Magic 561 APPENDIX 3: HIDDEN WISHES ··~ 1\ i ti J, it - Human Wishes 573 Wish List of Mankind 575 Wishes and Their Corresponding Tricks 581 . out or d,,uring late-night sessions that can last until breakfast, at which Juan seems to organize his life instinctively to allow himself to spend the majority of his time on the most substantial aspects of magic. He cuts out I As a result, he spends a high percentage of his time sitting at a table with a I I -~ 'If' tances and spectators is another way he refines his thinking. He_ enjoys 'i I 571 Expressing his thoughts to friends and checking them with acquain- any trivialities, as well as many common tasks and celebrity appearances. deck of cards, working on card magic. He extends his passion to all aspects of magic in general and expands it to his enjoyment of allied arts; mainly film, music, literature and painting. All that experience is poured, both N consciously and subconsciously, into sleights and moves, and into all the As we saw in the introductory pages of The Magic Way, he some- principles of stagecraft, body language, scripting and construction, striving times uses metaphorical images of winged horses flying through the to reach the deepest philosophical as well as symbolic, meanings of things. universe in search of The Magic Way. Such images are not always easy When out for dinner, as he is an icon in Spain, he is approached by to understand, let alone to translate. Juan had concerns tpat some read- people of all ages who want to shake his hand, request his autograph, see ers might not connect with this poetic imagery. He told me it is okay a trick or have any reason to be near him and exchange a few words. He with him if you prefer to skip those parts. I confess, I have occasionally usually complies gracefully. Most people are kind and pleasant, and some become lost in following the logic in some of his stories 1 as has the edi- say something funny or something interesting to the rest of us. Yet, once tor and perhaps some readers-but I'm glad he didn't omit them. Who they are gone, Juan subtly refuses to be distracted by such incidents. Our has not become lost in a Dali or a Bosch painting? Those words are conversation promptly resumes as if nothing had happened, like a film edi- the reflection of Juan's dreams, and dreams have elusive elements. So if tor's cut. He doesn't let anything throw him off his cherished conversation. you're not interested in such symbolic imagery, it's okay with Juan; but Maybe there has been a show or a late dinner made longer with magi- I suggest you read through it anyway, if for nothing more than to experi- cal moments, until the tolerant restaurant owner gives us a hint, or more ence the depth of his passion. than a hint, that the staff needs to go home. After leaving, when the night The text as a whole is admittedly opinionated, but those opinions have would seem to be over, a few friends will sometimes accompany Juan to grown out of many years of experience and many thousands of perfor- his home-and then the visit starts, at 1:00 or 2:00 A.M. But people don't sit mances for audiences, for friends, for television and for people from all back on the couch with a drink and talk; not at Juan's. He has cleverly set walks of life. the scene, with the help of his beloved wife Consuelo (also a magician), to In all this, Juan has practiced what he preaches: Throughout this entire lead you smoothly to a table graced with a few close-up mats and chairs. , book, he reaches us by showing us his inner world-all the magical things Everyone is positioned for a productive session. And Juan always has an he really cares about, everything that occupies a substantial portion of his amazing number of new things to show, fresh even to those who sat at a thinking time, all he has learned from others, from watching others and similar session as recently as a week before. from reading. He opens the doors of his inner world for us. That's also A restless thinker, Juan is always looking for the meaning of things, for the secret of how he engages and holds our attention throughout what the most profound reasons for artistic things to exist. But he doesn't stop appears a very long text. If you don't agree with something, I'm sure Juan there. He investigates all aspects of the performing arts, always nurturing his thinking with a variety of arts and crafts, and exploring the mysteries predicted as much and even finds it desirable. In that case, though, he raise~· the issues for your consideration. of the art of communication, of reaching an audience, one of his favorite What really matters is that you have here a rare opportunity of looking topics of conversation. ' with a magnifying lens into the mind of a genius, who allows your inspec- When discussing that topic throughout this book, Juan often refers tion and invites you to do so. He hangs it all out in these pages, just about to the artist's inner world. He sees this as one of the most important ele- everything he thinks, every opinion, everything he has mentioned in con- ments in communication with an audience. That's one of the true secrets versations over the years, everything he has learned, although it's easy to of his success: not being afraid of being sincere, of showing who he really imagine that the process goes on forever. is. He holds nothing back ~ xii Working with my good friend Stephen Minch has always been an enriching experience. I cannot imagine a better editor with whom to collaborate. In this case, we faced a major challenge together. It is also a mammoth project made possible by the commitment of Penguin Magic, to whose support and confidence in the project we should all be grateful. Stephen has spared no effort in pointing out anything that is unclear or ambiguous, and we have exchanged many hundreds of questions, in both directions. Some ambiguities were instantly resolved by my acquaintance with Juan's thinking and my many conversations with him through the years. I have occasionally needed to consult with my friend Camilo Vazquez, who has known Juan much longer than I have. Camilo is a co-founder with Juan of the Escuela Magica de Madrid and has provided invaluable insight. We then ran even the slightest doubts that remained by Juan to get his input and blessing. FOREWORD With our editorial decisions, maybe Stephen and I are also sharing something of our inner worlds, in a quest for keeping Juan's voice-collo- J WAS seven years old. The sun ofEgyptilluminatedmypath. The Phoenicians quial, engaging, humorous-as we have on previous occasions. carried me toward the confluence of the two seas, from the sea within the A good portion of this material was originally written for the limited earth to the mythical ocean, land of the Atlanteans. It rained all the way membership of the Escuela Magica de Madrid and published using a simple through the journey, and the sun and the rain formed their exciting Rainbow. method of distribution. For this group, there was little need for referencing After dark, the beautiful moon, protected (as was magic) by Isis, mag- each trick or article mentioned. Stephen has, when needed, checked and netized the gazes of all sailors and formed-oh, miracle!-a mysterious and exciting night rainbow. researched references; and during the process, I asked Juan some questions about his sources. In certain cases, he supplied additional information, which we have added to the text, (now Astarte), goddess of the moon and of magic (only 3000 years ago). Now that the work is over, the relief is fading away and I am beginning And that's where, on that night, at the age of seven, I stayed awake and to miss the exchanges with these men I am proud to call my friends. The newly founded city of Gades (now Cadiz) was dedicated to Isis '> followed the hypnotic phases of the moon, and I traveled The Magic Way under the night rainbow to find the wonderful palace-castle, castle-palace of magic. I sneaked through the slit under the back door-Father Ciur6 offered his books to show me the way-and I discovered the fabulous world of parlors and drawing rooms in the castle, which was looked after by Mnemosyne (four clubs and nine diamonds embroidered into her mantle) and her nine daughters, the nine Muses. And there on the floor, other :xv children-in groups of seven, fifty-two and a hundred-played with cards, balls, white doves and their pretty, lacquered, wooden boxes. The three fathers (Robert-Houdin, Hofzinser and Frakson) were in charge of, and inspired, the games that the oldest son (Dai Vernon) orga- The moon of Isis blinded me and guided me. The sun of Gades warmed me and' made me drunk with passion. T_he rain that descended from the sky and ascended from the sea refreshed me. The night-and-day Rainbow, that was formed among all this, made me marvel. I nized, while nephew Ascanio walked the parlors and analyzed their rules It makes me marvel and will still make me marvel in the s~venty-timesseven coming years; and I hope to find you, dear reader who is holding me with passion. I often came out, with some of the other children in the enchanted palace, to invite along children and adults of nearby fields and distant towns. With some of the group made up by the playful and curious, we discovered doors and spaces, some empty, others full of signals waiting to be deciphered for the enjoyment of new and beautiful ways to play with cards, balls and little boxes. It was Paradise. I have spent my whole life visiting this castle-palace. I live in it. ~ Here I tell you what I saw there and felt and feel and will feel, and what the beauties of the parlors that "lazy chance or the precise laws that rule this dream, the Universe" (Borges dixit) made me discover, with which I was able to begin a playful exploration and passionate journey. The castle-palace palace-castle still possesses unknown comers, secret doors and hidden passages that lead to new and fantastic halls and gardens strewn with minerals of wonderful colors (the seven colors of the rainbow). In it, the charming Muses guide us and, while two sing and play their harps, the other seven dance and extend their translucent veils that cover, or allow, a faint glimpse of hidden spaces and gardens with their beautiful and delicate decorations. At times, during these last forty years (the number of cards in the Spanish deck) I have taken a break and written on papyrus with my sweet diabetic blood what I gradually saw, enjoyed and felt in the castle, and what my little and maybe (but only maybe) interesting discoveries told me and taught me how to feel and enjoy. Here you have them at this moment in your hands in the shape of a magical book (what a redundancy!). in your hands, in our palace-castle-house of magic. In our home. THE MAGIC RAINBOW. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Tii.1s book is little more than a mosaic made of articles and essays I've written throughout a period of almost forty years. It is also a mosaic because of the quantity and quality of people who have invested their -~ffort, knowledge and care to help to polish my thoughts (Jose Puchol, Roberto Giobbi, "Alan" [Alfredo Marchese] and my daughter Super Ana, to whom magic in Spain owes so much); and those who transferred my always handwritten texts, the early ones through a typewriter (Mary Pura Mirelis, who gave me so much) and later ones into a computer (Alicia my magical daughter, Pedro Hernandez and my companion and support in life and magic, Consuelo Lorgia); and those who made precise and pains- taking t~xt corrections (Carlos Vinuesa, Jesus Etcheverry and, above all, Gema Navarro, who has also been the continuous engine that typeset and carried out the almost eternal editing of the Spanish edition). To all of them goes my total and heartfelt gratitude, which I realize can be only scantly expressed in these lines, when I consider the magnitude and quality of the effort, the patience, the dedication and the passion they have poured into it. Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! MAGlC What Is Magic? In the beginning, it was magic. /2PROXIMATELY 52,000 years ago, a man and a woman emerged from ' a group that was sitting there, on the floor of the cave, next to the fire. Dressed and made up, the man and the woman moved their bodies rhythmically, let out shouts that increased in speed and shrillness and, with their sooty hands, made drawings on the cave walls; they picked up mud, still moist, wrapped it in a large tree leaf and, molding it with t};leir fingers, fashioned a head; then they picked up stones and placed some on top of othe:a;s to build a primitive altar in front of which they imitated the growl of the lion and the bear, and ran after one another; they related something about a legendary man who, with only his hands, caught the bear and killed the lion; they simulated the rain with their fingers and imitated the zigzag flash of a lightning bolt. The man in the cave threw his pine-branch wand into the air and deftly caught it behind his back, showed his dry hand and suddenly it was moist; the imaginary lightning bolt burnt his hand and, upon his passing the pine wand near it, the red bum disappeared. 5 N The expressions on the faces in the group changed from astonishment to thread from which their life hung was cut and subsequently restored); the fear; they huddled together. The man and the woman pointed toward the joyful feeling of levitation, the flow, the rising to the heavens; and finally sky outside the cave and fell to the ground, exhausted by the frenzy of their three brains-saurian, mammalian, hominid-softened and melded the dance. Those in the group shouted and beat their open hands against into one. They felt like children and were able to play. their bodies for a long while, after which they too were exhausted and fell asleep on the ground. To play the artistic game, useless and extremely beautiful, with life and death, the power of the gods; and miracles: card divinations, invisible And some dreamed ... travelers, single and multiple changes, here and there, to be or not to be They dreamed that approximately 52,000 years later, what they had in a single moment. And the irradiated playful and positive energy became love: They met started there, that night in that cave, would be called dance, music, ballet, singing, theater, sculpture, painting, religion, medicine and magic. The man's magic of that night was now art (and science and religion) Frakson. Some among those who awoke approximately 52,000 years later exer- as well as magic-the magic that spoke of and imitated the power of the cise their voices in singing, their bodies in dance, their speech in theater gods, of rites and myths, of desire and dreams, in an ancient, universal and and storytelling, their words in poetry, novels and tales, their fingers on the profound symbolic language. piano keyboard, their steady hands with the brush and the palette knife, A young man woke up about 52,000 years after this and met Vernon their gestures in pantomime. And some among some, not many among so and Slydini, saw Lavand and Frakson, visited Fu Manchu and Ascanio, many, exercised at one and the same time their fingers, their gestures, their communicated with Robert-Houdin and Hofzinser through the written words, their chatting, their bodies (forward and back, tum, relaxation and word, saw in a little magic box how Copperfield flew and how Doug tension ... ), their gazes crossing with their hands, their hands coordinat- Henning went back to childhood. He played with the ghosts of Leipzig and . ing with their words, their voices and even their psychology; all to create Malini, read the Tarbell Course and Stars of Magic, got together with Juan and perform their extremely beautiful and difficult tricks with four Aces, Anton, Alfredo Florensa, Jose Puchol and Ramon Varela at the Sociedad with ten thimbles, with an Okito Floating Ball, with doves created from Espanola de Ilusionismo (Spain's main magic society), admired Chung nothing, inexhaustible coins and their triumphs, and the Triumphs of their Ling Soo's posters, enjoyed the effects of Fred Kaps, felt the emotion of astonishing card magic. the impossible when a pocket knife changed color, a sponge ball disappeared (dis-a-ppeared!) and cards separated into blacks and reds. An extremely complex art that demands control of fingers, hands, body, voice, eyes, words and psychology; an extremely beautiful art that And he was not the only one who woke up. Others attending that initia- speaks of myths and symbols (with the depth of play!), that enchants and tory evening in the cave awakened thousands of years later and were able haunts and fascinates and excites every layer of the brain, that brings to see the magicians of the time, and revive the emotions that combined us headfirst into mystery, that speaks to us of desired dreams-that imi- to tickle the inner layer of their saurian brains, to arouse the profound tates, not the human being as does theater, not the interior rhythm as sensations of their mammalian brains and the astonishing intellectual does music, not the trill of birds as does singing, not nature (landscapes, admiration of their external hominid brains, of thinking beings. In a sec- people, sensations) as do painting and sculpture, not dreams as do mov- ond, they felt the arcane power of myth again; the ancestral horror vacui ies. Instead it imitates the power of the gods (no less): the fascinating of disappearance; the horror of death and the victory of resurrection (the total art of magic. That's why it reaches everyone. Its universal language touches children (who don't question its veracity) and adults (who are aware of its Magic-A Minimal ( and · to Approach a Definition_ and a Delimitation unreal reality); the educated (who appreciate its complexity and depth), the ignorant (who feel its power), the young (who delve into the adven- What is it? ture of the unknown and mystery), the old (who take joy in their new Magic is one of the performing arts that represents at a simbolic level, childhood); to men and women, foolish and wise, intellectuals, artists, through rites and spells, our myths: the archetypal desires and dreams of scientists and merchants, strippers, aristocrats and lawyers and tramps man. It makes those myths come true (or poses them as r,eality), makes and ... and ... and ... the impossible possible (the impossible for humans). Thusjt imitates the I All of them, all, can feel its power, the call to their inspiration, to their intellectual freedom (first challenged, then surrendered), to their desire gods or superhuman beings. Magic utilizes an artistic approach with a highly complex technique of for play, to that beautiful and enchanting art of the impossible, of imitating fingers, body, eyes, words, etc., which is kept concealed while beguiling the actions of the gods that will continue for a long time to enchant and the senses and the mind through the psychology of perception, attention poetically to bring back to childhood all those who fall prey to its games and memory. It is based on dramatic structure-exposition, rising action, and dreams, its mythical effects, its spells and rituals-its magic. climax, resolution-but without resolution in the usual sense, but rather And this for at least another 52,000 years, approximately. a resolution/solution such as: The magician has supernatural powers or And we, the magicians, the magicians, will transmit it. conjures up those powers. It is addressed, in terms of a fascinating effect, to the inner child of pre-logical age. The young receive it as the adventure of encountering an emotional mystery, and the logical adult as an impossible " effect experienced as possible. It first challenges and defies the Bull of Logic. It provokes it, teases it; then fools it, mesmerizes it and puts it to sleep. Finally it plays with the Winged Horse of Imagination, fantasy and enchantment, employing metaphorical and surrealistic poetry (the key?). It charms the Horse, makes it enjoy its flight, letE? it live its dreams, projected in the power of the magician, invites it to participate, transforms it from a spectator into an "expect-ator". And it plays and dances with them, the Horse and the Bull. The Bull of Logic bellows, from beyond, its belief: "It's not possible." But now to no avail, because the expect-ator is in awe at witnessing and living the impossible. He plays and enjoys in freedom, pleased with his condition of being a god, or being one who shares experiences with a god. Magic mixes mystery with fascination, reality with dreams (impossible dreams made possible within the artistic reality). It mixes surrealistic N and poetic games, spells and enchantments dramagical 1 emotions secular miracles and wonders without end. It's magic. ' ' And then comes the awakening of the Logical Bull. And the peace of mind, the rest, the serenity granted the owner of the beautiful and human power of reason. Lucidity is recovered through the lmowledge of ignoring the how but not the natural and artistic foundation of what has been experienced. The expect-ator now feels more complete, more lucid, richer, a better person. And no one can take that from him! I. Dramagic is a word I owe to my friend, magician and great connoisseur, Armando de Miguel. THE EMOTlON-MlRACLE An Attempt to Comprehend the Magic Miracle MAGIC is fascination. Magic is the art of enchantment. It's wrapping the audience and the magician in a cloud, a mesmerizing atmosphere, like the ' sibyls with their sulfurous fumes. It's not about putting into the known as real something that is not so real, but about creating an enclosure, a temporary space, where the real has another dimension. And that enclosure should feel, even physically, like a cloud or like a stage filled with smoke, as if the energy surrounding the magician became ectoplasmic and were gradually expanding to reach the onlookers. Yet you can breathe and allow yourself to be invaded by the cloud; or you can cover your nose ,,,,, and mouth with your hand, with a handkerchief or with an anti-magic mask. You can even stop breathing. That's the shortest route to settle into the anti-life. Because magic should be, and is, life. Love for life, passion for life, despite everything and against that everything. Life, more life; a more and more powerful life; a vital magical energy that exudes through the pores of the skin, the hands and the fingers, that spills out of the eyes and mouth of the magician .... Such an inner, intense N energy, so concentrated that E = mc2 seems to be a black alchemical for- labyrinths of the brain in search of a comfortable answer.... It is possible? mula opposed to M = al 2: Magic= abracadabra times life squared. The •only possible answer has already arrived. The mind also dissolves. Captivating magic, fascinating magic, not numbing but invigorating, the There is no longer an It is possible or It is impossible. No, it simply is. magic of enchantment and spells. Magic that transports us to a more real The magician, more familiar with the road, guides and conducts. His here and now. An enclosure for living and dreaming. For dreaming our life. For living our dreams. Where Descartes either regenerates or dies, where hands, separated, fly and come to rest on the floating hea~s of others. And something new is· produced: The hands penetrat~ the heads. This the emporium of reason becomes the Arcadia of communes, and feelings seems to be the signal for the humid, hot and shapeless a,nns, feet, breasts and emotions are set free; where tight lips relax and open in a mix of wows and thighs to cross and intertwine and melt into new and fantastic limbs and smiles, where the body levitates, floats and spins, where gravity (real- taking whimsicalBhapes (a hazard): a heart with fingers, a stomach with ity) disappears, magic pushes, minimizes and finally cancels the formerly almighty force of gravity, that power which pulls our feet toward reality. No lips, penises with eyes. The combinations of forms, colors and smells are continuous and ever more with our feet on the ground. No more of the almighty and universal law changing. The kaleidoscope constantly turns. There is no more fixture, no of gravity. Or Newton and his dreams, or Einstein and his love of mystery. A more calm, no more tightness, no more ties. The nervous system grows meeting with Breton, with the best of Freud, with Magritte and Bosch. like a vine and vibrates and makes all around it vibrate, mixing sensa- But what is the image of the new reality? Let's visualize the phenomenon, describing it minutely, just as it takes place. tions: red smells, sweet-and-sour sounds, touch in B#, peppermint visions. Memory overflows all remembrances, those we would like to know· and In the beginning were the Words "Hocus Pocus" and the Playing Cards. ones that are censored, those of the recent past and those of the warm Fed up with wisdom, they start their games and daydreaming among the maternal breast. Imagination loses its fear, mixing with memory, and pro- magician's skillful fingers. Their eyes open wide and wider. Their feet duces the memories of as long ago as once upon a time, of years past and begin to rise from the floor. days ahead, of centuries ago-now I remember-and of centuries in the Feet up! This is a holdup waged against stability, against the established. A laborious and slow levitation of the magician's body. He rises, clinging to a deck of cards. All the fluids in his body begin to pour from his eyes, nose and ears. The blood, first red, turns green. Then, uncontrolla"" bly, lymph, urine, plasma and semen. The liquids, free of tension, become red vapors, purple vapors, white vapors. They dissolve the rigidity of the bones, allowi~g the magician to bend without twisting. Eventually they tear off his limbs. ThesR vapors reach those who attend the magical transformation, if they don't escape and this magma with a softened body and ethereal fluids helps them untighten, untie, free themselves. And what about the mind? This way.... Is it possible? Between anxiety and admiration, the mind still doubts. But it finds itself wrapped in the magician's cape .... Is it possible? The question turns soft and enters the future. Now I remember what will happen. Playing cards provide the music. They are the fish that inhabit this sea 1 of magic. They are those who-blushing and transforming themselves, disappearing and reappearing, becoming larger and smaller, by themselves, in a fan, in a ribbon, or forming butterflies, rising from the pack, sneaking into cases, pockets, bags and wallets, calling to the colors, playing •'; princesses and cannibals, creeping up sleeves, turning over triumphantly, tearing and restoring themselves, dissolving into oil and water-keep this magical universe alive. Then, at the end, the end of only a phase, fluids evaporate, limbs come together, some intermingled with others, enriched with new powers, disguised as normal to survive to the next session, until the next, and hopefully near, magical space-time enclosure arrives. at the limit, at the ultimate climax, lies a continuous field without distances or cracks, without borders or clocks, a universe of hazard, of joy, of emotion, of feelings, of games, of imagination, of pleasure and life. And that's where we are heading .... Are you coming, Alice? Notes Toward a Theory of Emotion Pursuing Our Goal Magic- The Secular Miracle more emotion there is in the magic, the stronger the magic is. Emotion can be, at times, intellectual. But only at times . ~ The enigma of How did that happen, of It seems impossible andJ can't.figure out how is a good thing, but .... Emotion may also be aesthetic, but then only as companion to the main or essential emotion. The essential emotion that is specific to magic is the emotion of mystery. The emotion of mystery is what is felt when we confront the unknown, the unfathomed, the enigmatic, the unfathomable or the impossible. Perhaps these are the degrees or various notes creating the scale of the emotion of mystery, from a puzzle to sawing a woman in half, passing through the How did he manage to bring the selected card to the top, the Where did the ball come from or the How can that ball.float in the air. However, all these are in themselves,· for now, intellectual emotions; tpe head, the brain, crumples, the mind is in tension; it searches, it is surprised at the unfathomable, at the not possible ... and that applies to-and is specific to-magic. Our first efforts are directed toward boosting that intellectual emotion of mystery to the maximum, to the limit, to achieve a mental shock, a headfirst collision with the totally impossible. Although that purity of the emotion of mystery, attained only at the maximum degree, is very challenging and rarely achieved, when reached it shoul<i be strong enough to have the same impact as a miracle for the believers of any religion. We could be talking of secular miracles. That purity and maximum power of a secular miracle is strong enough-or it should be-to represent a whack on the spectator's head, leaving him stunned, dizzy, making his common sense wobble, making him rub his eyes, making him think he's dreaming, causing him not to believe himself, his senses, his logic, his mental structures .... He's witnessing something that can't be. A magical effect is, at first, unsettling. Magic is in a certain way, and only in a certain way, a mental bout in the chill down my spine and the goosebumps. The emotional which the contenders are, on one side, the spectator's logic and reason, and on the other, his fantasy and imagination, aided by the magician in also remembers. Such should be the case with magic. But the dead play with an edge. cooperation with him. It's a gentle bout, with no harm. It's about the magi- I have it all within me, regarding death. The horror stories, 1the fears and cian and the spectator's imagination overcoming or convincing his reason anxieties our culture has woven, filling us with them, are vtry strong and to take a break and let his playful, cheerful and imaginative side play joy- the firm belief that the ·dead are truly dead. I The cemetery and the night. An appropriate atmosphere. It's hard to fully and freely. 2 However, the intellectual emotion of mystery can be strengthened by the sensitive emotion of mystery. That's the magical atmosphere. It's the sensation that something abnormal or out of the ordinary happens or is happening, despite the belief that it can't happen. achieve the same atmosphere in a theater, but it is achieved in the movies. A cold atmosphere? No, but we do feel horror in good horror movies. But it also suffices to listen to tales of the afterlife told by people who believe in them, as happens with the "cantos de meigas y aparecidos" I know that a dead man can't rise up at night in the cemetery and do (stories of witches and apparitions) told in Galician villages on winter me harm. I know it. I'm positively sure of it intellectually, but emotionally nights; stories about something we don't believe in, told to make us feel it's another matter. I feel fear. I physically feel it. A simple leaf falling from a tree onto my face can startle me, make me yell, frighten me, horrify me ... disturbing fears ( and how!). The magician needs to create his own magical atmosphere with music, in fear of something I don't believe possible, of something I know for a lights and shadows, colors; but, above all, with his performance. What he fact cannot be possible. says, the sound of the words, the gestures, his general attitude, his pace, Can we, through magic, make people who don't believe the impossible should all lead to the creation of the magical field required to embrace the possible-people with solid Cartesian minds who know that that can't spectators and make them readily feelthe ineffable, the unsettling, the possibly be-feel the impossible? When I come out of the cemetery, I might not know what it was that touched my face. Was it a bird? A leaf? A piece of paper carried by the , beautiful, fascinating and wonderful emotion of mystery. 2. The Desired Goal wind? Or was it, perhaps, a deception of my sense of touch? Did I believe We are already on our way to achieving the dual magical emotion of the I felt something that didn't exist? Did my daring imagination play a sick intellect and the senses. A magic field has been created, and it involves joke onme? the spectators. But only the spectators? The magician is also absorbed into this magnetic field, and he will also In any case, later, at home, in the daylight, I smile as I remember it, perhaps aided by my logic (I know it couldn't have been a dead man), but 2. However, fair play should not admit low blows. Stooges and marked cards are low blows, because the spectator, aware of their existence, doesn't protect himself against them. Those are implicit rules of the game. The spectator is aware that someone could be a stooge or that the cards may be marked, in which case there would be no mystery, but he takes our artistic honesty for granted and trusts us in believing such low ruses are not in operation. He believes us. suffer its consequences or, rather, enjoy them. But how long does the field live (or last)? It has begun, but when does it end? Let's remember: The Sorcerer's Apprentice unleashed certain powers that later escaped his control. We are sorcerers' apprentices. When the magician, with art, sincerity and soul, has managed to achieve the 0 N essential atmosphere of mystery, he will have generated a cloud of glittering magical powders. Because by now the effects of the sleights, tricks and routines are no This brilliant and beautiful cloud, shimmering between visible and invisible, floats and embraces us. And it is a lasting embrace. reason are broken, we experience them as creation, meta~orphosis and · productions, transformations qr disappearances. Once logic and evanescence. The magical emotion affords us knowledge and feelin~ that what we I Because the magician, as midwife of the cloud, must have, from this point on, two certainties: The :first is that he is also inside the cloud, within its atmosphere, inside its field. From this point on, there is no more I do (performer) and thought impossible, unthinkable, is thinkable, is possible. Jt exists. That's why all our strength and effort-the alchemical rite of learning the techniques, of living with the cards awake or asleep, the psychological subtle- We watch (spectators); the me here and you there is over. Now we, communicants of the dual magical emotion, have embarked upon the same magical, vital adventure. And what an adventure! in which we present them-are directed toward the achievement of an atmo- The second certainty is that this new intellectual-emotional experience has no end. again, too, that it is intellectual and sensitive to time. That is its specificity.) the structural knowledge of effects and routines, the brilliant wrappings sphere that makes the tremendous emotional storm possible. (Let's remember Needless to say, we could, we can, settle for less, for much less: entertain, amuse, intrigue or amaze our friends. That's fine! To search, perhaps, for a bit of food for our egos. Why not? Feeling closer to others. No doubt about it! With all those bricks added to the cement of narcissism and exhibitionism, the wish to have a good time, and other amalgamating circumstances, they have constructed-we have constructed-many magic sessions. And of good quality. No one can, I believe, argue against that. From that point, every authentic secular miracle, whether ritualized 3. The Ideal Goal with playing cards or numbers or little pocket knives or colors or thoughts We can settle for that. But I believe that, as an ultimate goal, only those or gazes, will acquire the shape and presence of a lightning bolt, a lively who, loving the art of magic to the marrow and believing in its power, and glimmering light accompanied by thunder, a deep rumble and a high vital potential. have wished for, hinted at and almost come to participate in one of those The ex-spectators and the ex-performer will be forever present. Inextinguishable. Because it has become part of them. the emotional-magical enclosure and have been touched, shaken, rotated, The magic storm will touch us, perhaps in a different way, and surely by imagination and mystery; only those who have enjoyed the possible with a variable quality, but undoubtedly with tremendous power. Whether reality of what they had imagined to be impossible, the profound reason it blinds us or illuminates us, deafens us or opens our ears, throws us of incoherent dreams, or the internal and true sense of wishes formally against the ground or levitates us to the heavens, will depend on each of us. On how we are. And how we feel. rejected for being impossible; only those know, only those have managed orgasmic and orgiastic magic sessions; only those who fearlessly entered elevated, transformed, blinded and illuminated by the strengths created to see, only those have found out through emotions, what magic truly is. ORlGlNS AND EVOLUTlON Magic and Art Thoughts The "magic of art", "as if by magic", and "the art of magic" are expressions that refer to the effect of magic, excluding its original sense with esoteric and occult connotations. We are talking about magic as illusion. The Magic of Art But can there be art without magic? When we say of a painting, a dance or a piece of music that there is magic in it, we are talking about magical fascination and magical enchantment. However, aren't fascination and charm, in a certain way, part of our aesthetic pleasure; or, in other words, art? As Ifby Magic 3 This refers to something that doesn't seem natural, that doesn't seem to obey the laws of nature. But this expression refers mostly to the means, the execution, the technique, and is equivalent to "through magical means". 3. The original Spanish expression "par arte de magia" is a commonly used phrase. The author makes a point of the inclusion of arte in this saying. The English equivalent, "as if by magic'; doesn't include the word art, but art is implicit in the expression, meaning "as if by artful magic".-TRANS. N The Art of Magic This is where we talk about our magic as illusion, of the authentic art that ~e certainly artistic differences _between large illusions ( close to is capable. of expressing beauty, of conveying our own world, our personal and mentalism ( close to theater), as there are differences in the vision, to others. This is done through a specific language that makes the performing conditions and individual nuances of manipulttion ( almost aesthetic emotions resonate, and that is charged with a huge symbolic visual poetry) and close-up magic with coins, knives-cards/ ( an exciting, potential: the art of the emotion of the impossible, of the supernatural. An at times provocative, intrusion of the absolutely impo~sible, of mys- as participants art that plays-a key word here-with wishes and dreams, a first cousin ·~-~,..,.,·,"' secular miracles, into our everyday reality, with us of dance and drama, a brother of poetry and surrealism, the father of mov- in the rite). Analyzing those differences would require much more space ies and the son of mythology. It is, in a certain way, the art of making us witness myths and their symbols as living things. Something beyond a performance, much more than a show, a thousand leagues beyond entertainment. A very beautiful and fascinating art, needless to say, much more time to meditate on. Wishes, Petitions Pleas ( to Others, to Myself) May we experience the extremely beautiful art of magic. May we join Hofzinser, Fu Manchu, Slydini, Vernon, Ascanio, Kaps and the art of illusion. Rene Lavand. May we respect our art. Definitions Magic: Dreaming while awake. May we love it. May we find the way to express, to reveal, ourselves through it. Magic: Wishes, dreams and myths that we consider impossible (still), May we more and more enrich our personality, our inner world, with Magic: The art of lying to create illusion, without true deception. experienced in reality (apparently). the assimilation of words written, music performed, images that appear to move, the shapes and colors that impregnate canvases; and then our per- Requirements sonal experiences: joy and pain, laughter and sadness, fears and loves ... The art of magical illusion also needs its talismans and objects of power (the all these to express later through our games of illusion and our artifices magician's wand when used with due artistic respect), its rites, gestures and spells (when executed and spoken with artistic credibility) and by all means, of fascination. May we study the craft with the humility of an artisan, may we come a symbolism (visible or concealed) that charges it with truth and power. to master it, or be left on the road to mastering: digital technique; the Nothing is further from the See what I can do or the J bet you don't techniques of the body and the gaze, their coordination, their tensions and know how I did it. It is, in tum, very close to causing the exciting chill relaxations; the feelings that trigger words to suit them and that will enrich of disappearance-death, the joy of appearance-creation, the amazement the magical effect; the handling of pauses, rhythm, timing; the fine-tuned, of paradox (something that is and is not at the same time) and the gasp subtle, as well as powerful, control of attention, both physical and men- of astonishment at experiencing (for a time, at least) the impossible, the tal; the ever-changing, eternal study of the spectator's psychology, of his miraculous, the supernatural, the logical, without being tied to physical mental reactions, his perception, his memory; the combined management laws. As a dream. As the untouchable, unreachable and unreal Rainbow: of the parenthesis of forgetfulness and in-transit actions; the evocative an illusion. Beautiful. Exciting. Art. hooks that enhance the luminous Comet Effect, cancel false solutions, 1 n N guard against the spectator's becoming lost in the true solution and make On the Essence of the Art of Magic him willingly join us along The Magic Way in our journey toward the fas-cinating effect. The true problem, in my judgment, is not answering the questions: Is magic And. all this amidst the party, like a game, with the joy and happiness an art? Is it a high art? A low art? First there is the diffifulty of defining of the creator, the artist, achieved at times through dramatic, continuous art. (A classic definition is: an expression of oneself throu~h beauty.) Then there is the near impossibility of clearly distinguishing high art from low art. What is the real importance of magic's inclusion academically among the arts, whether they be high or low, grandiose or minimal? We will not consider this most difficult problem, not only because of the reason just given, but also for a more valid one: As always in life, the human factor is the most important thing-to us humans, of course-and although the human factor does play a key role in the constitution of the audience, the recipient of our magic, there is another human factor of utmost importance in our art-for, as you can see, I take for granted that magic is an art. That factor is the guide, the issuer, the artist: the magkian. That's where I believe our art sometimes fails. The performer, the magician, doesn't believe his art is art, and doesn't attempt to express himself and reveal his inner world and his way of living within his outer world. He doesn't feel, in the deeper meaning of the word, like an artist. That's where the root of the problem lies: not so much in the recipient (the public, the social viewpoint on magic, etc.) as in the transmitter. Do magicians feel that their art is art, and therefore wish to express themselves through it; or do they simply regard it as entertainment (for themselves and for the audience), as nothing more than fun (and nothing less, by the way)? Heel that for something to be a work of art-independent of its quality-it needs someone isolated from reality Gust that?) who invites us to appreciate the beauty of that something by expressing himself through it; through that something, through the work and through his election or creation of it. At one boundary, illuminated by Duchamp and his readymades (objects would be transformed into works of art by the sheer will of selecting them and isolating them from that reality they inhabit, presenting them as works of art, as objects of arts, not real any more but and dedicated work in search of the precious stone, the jewel, the diamond, which we then extract unharmed from the rock, to polish it and shape it and fix it into an optimal mounting, allowing it to shine more strongly, purely and beautifully. May we achieve with our magical art the maximum expression of ourselves, a maximum of suggestions, a maximum of causes for emotion and poetry. All with our deeply loved art of magic. ex-real), we all know and have agreed that that is almost the only condition required to regard something as a work of art. From the urinal-fountain Some (Also Self-Provoking) to the tableware, tablecloths and leftover food stuck to a vertically hung tabletop, modern art (modern for today) supports and enjoys a beautiful Do we consider that art has no objective or practical use other than sheer and fruitful creative freedom. And the human factor in the authorship is, to my understanding, absolutely essential to the artistic consideration of pleasure and aesthetic joy? The simple photo we took as a souvenir while on vaca~on or at a gather- something. Not even the most beautiful sunset, or the abstract paintings ing with friends, is it art? What if we took it carefully, caring for the framing, that a chimpanzee could produce on a white canvas (beautiful as they might be) can ever be regarded as works of art, because they lack expres- focus and lighting? Is it art? How about the trilling of birds? Is it art? Would the photo be art if-independent of the conditions and our sion from a human being. They might cause in us observers emotions and objective (objective as in goal, not as in lens)-we hung it in a photogra- profound and joyful sensations, but I don't believe anyone can regard phy exhibition? Note: In the questions above we are not judging the quality of the result. them as works of art. Still, without reaching that boundary (one that is certainly valid), I Or perhaps it might not be thought of as art when we can evaluate its believe that our "magic games" (a beautiful combination of words) will quality by objective criteria. If our aim, for example, is to remember the be artistic the moment they convey the inner world of the magician to the faces of those who got together that day, it is essential that they are in spectators. This is not done by chance-for any action, gesture, word or focus, so that we can recognize them; while, if it was taken with an artistic attitude of a human being expresses something about himself, whether aim (expressing ourselves through that picture), an almost absolute and he wants it to or not-but through the free and voluntary will of the magician (now artist) conveying feelings, emotions, his deepest and richest intentional blur could have considerable artistic value. Having said the above, would it be possible to assess a work of art inner world, his innermost being, his persona, his own personal or com- objectively, or can it be valued only subjectively: "It moves me," "It tells munal loves and fears, his wishes and his dreams, through his "magic games", his impossible and fascinating miracles, told in a beautiful and me something," etc.? Is there a minimum level of quality in magic below which it is not magic harmonious language. any more, when we define magic as the "art of the impossible and fascinat- Summing up, I think that to elevate magic to an artistic level, the first ing"? Would that minimum level be when the trickery-the cause that turns requirement is that the magician believes in his magic as art and tries to the seemingly impossible into the perfectly possible-is seen or perceived? express himself through it. To express himself, not just to be liked, and not Wouldn't it be the same level for movies-which are after all a game just to fulfill the wishes of his audience for amusement and entertainment, ofillusion, a magic trick-if we were to see on camera the stage elevators, regardless of how well that is accomplished and of how highly interesting the microphones, the technicians or the artificiality of a rear projection? that function could be in the context of our vital and social destiny. And, Would this take us out of the supposedly intimate and loving atmosphere of course, the richer our inner world, and the more intensively and harmo- and prevent us from regarding it as artistic by not allowing us to feel and niously that inner spiritual world in us is expressed, the higher the artistic quality our beautiful, mysterious and symbolic magic tricks will have: a believe the artistic truth of the scene? Does any other art share the existence of this essential minimal level? quality they will acquire-as if by magic. Is there, then, an objective valuation of quality in art? N as and Magic as Show Let's remember how a painting, a poem or a movie that is barely comor is a total commercial failure can endure and be exhibited, and The only goals of certain magic venues are making money and entertain- such lasting works continue to b(t created, when they express ( or at ing. The show must be liked by the audience. It's a requirement. If a trick from the show continuously receives little or no applause, the producer least attempt to express) the author. Otherwise, the enriching and marvelous works of Ka:q<:a, Kandinsky, and the magician himself will agree to remove it from the program, or at Monet and Orson Welles-to name a few that are classics today but were least improve or alter it to please the audience. Only the taste and sensitivity of the performer will dictate the lower limit he will accept to make damned in their time-could not have survived. So a possible approach to a personal criterion as to whether we want a trick be liked. Such limits do exist in these venues and for the dignified to be artistic performers (I insist yet again, without comparing the worth performers working them. of our work as a human activity) would be this: If we agree to include in 1 The lower limits defining a minimum level of quality barely exist, or our show or performance only those tricks that are liked by the audience, are very near zero, for television networks, producers and many entertain- and we remove all those that are not liked-even if we feel them and they ers on worldwide commercial television. express our sense of self-then we are not artistic performers. But the final verdict on whether something can or cannot be in a show On the contrary, we are artistic performers if what guides us in the will rest on its entertainment value for a majority of the audience. The public rules. composition of the show is our desire to express ourselves, even if our That is not the case with movies, theater, painting or music regarded as "artistic", but it is so with such forms as the so-called ( often wrongly) "commercial" modes-popcorn movies, music for the masses, hit songs, etc.-even though these could be dignified works by wonderful performers worthy of admiration, performers who amuse us and entertain us and leave us endearing memories. true expression might not appeal to or be liked or understood by some or all of the spectators. There is, naturally, no clear division of attitudes; we all, in varying degrees, have a part of each in us: "artist" and artist. We can still be, most certainly, good or bad artists, capable or failed artists. But who is to define and decide? To continue playing with such themes, we could aim above all for In those other arts just mentioned-and I believe the same is true in applause, for the external brilliance, the amusement, the sensationalism, magic-it is the will, above all, of the author, the creator, the performer, the glamour or commerciality; or we could be more guided by the attempt that transforms, through his wish to express his inner world, a performer to express ourselves, by the richness and depth of our inner world, by our into an artist. (I continue to avoid judging the quality of the final work.) way of looking at the external world and conveying our dreams expressly sculpture and literature: Although we take into account the reasonable or symbolically. We can choose either one set of values or the other, although I believe desire of the artist for his work to reach and move his audience, that will and expect that it will almost always be a combination of the two. But not be the final arbiter of artistic communication; neither will it be appeal here my concern is with which values end up dictating our priorities, the that determines the permanence of such work in a show, which by now is essential values of our creative and performing process. We can choose, an artistic one. The important thing, the essential thing, will be the expres- I repeat, either harmonic and beautiful construction or the cocktail that sion of the performer through the language specific to magic. "works"; either the truth and authenticity of what we communicate or It will happen in magic just as it happens in movies, music, painting, 0 N an acceptance, within limits, of the demands of the audience; either sensitivity in communication or a certain sensationalism; either the quest for knowing and enriching ourselves or that of the public knowing and "enriching" us; and, finally, either the desire of feeling and communicating ourselves through beauty or the concern of I hope they like it. The answer and the choice lie within each of us. It's -your turn. Post Scriptum: I am very conscious of the danger that lies in big words like culture, art, graveness, seriousness, and of the disastrous consequences to which they can lead us, making us rather arrogant at times, paralyzing us at others and occasionally deceiving us. And I needn't tell you how I find myself in that continuous quest and choice, often in combination, of values; nor do I want to hide that, in recent times I have become more and more aware of my most intense desire and my innermost truth. THE MATERlAL: DREAMS Dreams of Magic A magician enters a dream. What prodigies can he conjure up? What astonishment can he cause? The universe of dreams is the kingdom of the prodigy taken for granted (how to open your eyes in astonishment as you sleep?). There is no room for "How!" "Impossible!" has no meaning. But, in turn, the pleasing, the fascinating, the fantastic and the wonderful are the very essence of the dream. The amazement and the astonishment occur on awakening with a How is it not possible? The "reality", during a few moments, is flat, limited, small, Somewhat miserable and, needless to say, and perhaps because of it, 31 30 incredible. (The sensual and exciting knowledge of dreams.) Open your eyes in order not to see? Tum on the light to blind ourselves? Wake up completely, for what? The usual oblivion of the dreamed is forgiving; it spares us the comparison with reality. To sleep is not to die if there is dreaming. To live is to vegetate if there is no dreaming. A portion of dreams is served to us by magic. And an air of life. Magic, then, like ... memory of the dreams, rebellion against oblivion, freedom for the dreamed wishes. Magic doesn't imprison the dreams in reality to transform it into dreams. Perhaps a certain magic is a memory of an old ancestral and forgotten reality? And, perhaps, yes, an evocative kind of magic but also a foreshadowing of other possible dreams. And, of course, a kind of magic that generates dreams yet undreamed. Thus a freeing, liberating, Houdiniesque magic. Opioid magic? Quite possibly a magic that boosts the sense of the wonderful not-yet-possible. The dream sends magic to reality for it to announce its forthcoming arrival. (Magic as . an advance of the dream.) In any case welcome, dear magic. moving toward, from and parallel with the action, through the air To wit: Theater represents, is, the reality of everyday life, the great theater of the world. Actors, flesh-and-blood people, represent-act-are. They are really there. And our positions in our theater seats are felt by us as en inside the brain. Spatial unifo~ity and temporary continuity ver·umps and mixtures of geographic locations, condensations of time, J el actions, flashbacks, etc. Features of reality against features of dream. And ' w1 as witnesses. 1 dramatic, sad, cheerful, interesting or very touching. But these are events \.\\l!itI1tes:se1:, of the reality. Witnesses of the dream. How does magic, our illusionistic magic, fit into all thii3? Magic, as does film, deals with dream; yet, like theater, it takes place that could have happened; events we could have experienced as witnesses the realm of reality. Real people carry out actions extracted from a testimonial to what is happening there. We feel c;mrselves witnessing what is happening in front of us. And that which happens could be lyrical, or spies when they hypothetically would have taken place. In that case, U ..Ll..,U,ALU.J, and are witnessed from a unique, normal, physical point of view, we are witnessing something belonging to reality, although perhaps to an in an outrageous and fantastic environment where there is no place imagined reality that never happened, that never will happen-but a pos- the laws of space and time (for example, ubiquity, predictions ... ). sible reality nevertheless. Theater is, therefore, a mirror of reality. Magic is produced in an environment like that of theater ( close-up On the other hand, there are movies. Inside the theater, in the dark, we magic is something else; we'll get to that later) but with contents like feel carried away, immersed in what happens on the screen. And we forspectators. I am not saying that, like Buster Keaton's extraordinary mov- those of movies. Magic presents us with dreams spun into reality. There are two distinct styles of magic: stage magic, which has us play ie-projectionist in Sherlock, Jr., we live the actions of the movie inside spectators, witnesses; and close-up magic, which allows us to be actors, the screen and take part in the development of the story. What I'm saying is that the combination of darkness, the huge size of the figures, the participants. But whether we are spectators or participants, the reality is the same: power of sound and lighting, etc., produces in us a kind of hypnotic fas- the dream. When we say magic presents the impossible, we mean and cination that prepares us to feel like witnesses of a dream. Movies are a should say: the impossible in reality but the possible in dreams-things like mirror of dreams. appearances and disappearances of characters, sudden transformations get about ourselves; or more precisely, we forget about being witnesses, We find ourselves as witnesses of two different events: the theatrical of one character into another, contents that are larger than thetr container, reappearances of characters who have just died, walking through the air, event, as a possible reality; and the movie event, as a possible dream. Real people versus shadows, images of people. Actions extracted levi~ting, flying, absolute disregard for physical laws (gravity, impenetra- from a more or less everyday reality versus actions extracted from bility of solids ... ), gratification of conscious and subconscious wishes (an dreams. Events we ,could have witnessed-conversations movement abundance of goods, money, food; creation; resurrection; knowledge of ' ' actions that occur or are simulated on stage-against events that we the future; divination of thoughts; total control of risk and fortune; X-ray could have never, or hardly ever, have been witness to-incredible gallops, the flight of Superman, the burning of Rome, etc. A regular, natural, vision; instant translocations; ubiquity... ). That's why we are so interested in knowing what dreams are, how normal and unique point of view from our seats versus multiple, unusual, they develop and why. That's why we are so interested in knowing their outrageous, at times impossible viewpoints from above, below, amidst the measure and the true nature of our most private wishes. And so we begin to glimpse something of the true essence of illu~ sionistic magic and its huge power to fascinate: its ability to make us be genuinely present, at least for the duration of suspension of disbelief, in the experienced environment of dreams and desires. Therein lies, in part, its specificity within theater, movies and other arts: to see our most wanted dreams and wishes ma~e possible in reality. We are talking about the magic of desire. We are talking about the magic of dreams. Finally. Magic Movies, Theater, Television . (and Close-up Magic) of my first more-or-less theoretical articles (written over forty years I said that illusionistic magic didn't work in movies. lt produces no 1 t. Hitchcock had already said this. 4 One reason to explain this is that the people in a movie audience feel think, for obvious reasons, that there will be camera tricks: cutting editing, special effects, CGI, etc. Furthermore, in fictional movies, we know and feel that what we are ...·,,.,.,.n,,ncr is a set story,.events that were not genuinely happening at the time .u..1..L• ......... 0 ( unlike documentaries) and that never happened. We're viewing work carefully and laboriously crafted through many days or months shooting, with images later manipulated and edited. The impossible cannot survive this process and our knowledge of it. It disappears immediately. It is not even presented. We can see that the same thing can happen to magic on television. Camera and editing tricks are too easy to believe. And yet magic on television does reach us and touch us, sometimes in a powerful and lasting way. The best-known magician of recent times is David Copperfield, thanks to his television specials. Two of my favorite stage illusionists are Richiardi, Jr. and Kio. Another two are the Pendragons and Moretti. I have been touched by them, I have felt the fluttering of mystery, the extremely strong impact of the fascinating It's not possible. And yet, I haven't had the joy of seeing any of these performers live. Nevertheless, the memories of their wonderful and powerful miracles (Richiardi Jr. 's Vanisrung Lady and Broom Suspension, Kio's Telephone Booth and The Lion) live in me, and every time I recall them, I feel a deep and delicious chill down my spine. Such wonders! Such beauty! 4. Hitchcock/Truffaut by Frarn;ois Truffaut, 1966, Simon and Schuster: New York Since my first encounter with this book, I have consistently recommended it to magicians, for its monumental teachings, imparted by "the magician of suspense". The concepts of suspense, a rigorous script, artistic honesty, control of attention on screen, control of interest, etc., are perfectly defined. It is an essential text. 0 36 '27 UI Another example is the enormous number of people who have been touched by Lavandian magic-only through television. So magic on television does reach and touch people, while in movies it doesn't. Why? And in theater? Magic within a musical comedy-such as Beauty and the Beast, with its magnificent effects (The Talking ~ead, the transforma- . more depth in the section on "Conflicts in Magic and Their ' 1Il of Interest" (p. 239). I refer you there. Television, in turn, is only a means: an instrument to see reality, much sophisticated than, but not essentially different in its use from, a 0f opera glasses. Television brings us near somethin$ far away. We . ' ·ve it as a transmission, not as a representation. Even -When we know tion of the beast into a prince), brilliantly solved by Jim Steinmeyer-are the program we are watching (not a fictional work, not a series and perceived as special effects within the play. No one perceives them as a movie) is not being broadcast live, we perceive it ,as being in the something impossible. 5 They are simply integrated theatrical effects; they t or at least"as a preservation of something recorded live. We look UJ.ll:;;.::,.._..u) are part of the drama, of the story and, although we don't know how they at reality through the television and that's where, in that reality, that the are done, we don't wonder about it. We are not there to respond to the ,tmpossible can hit us. Needless to say, we need to be able to trust that logical challenge, to the challenge of reason. We are there as passive spectators ("watchers"), not as active spect-actors. ·neither the magician nor the director is using camera tricks. This is why trust is necessary in magic on television; but no more so The question persists: In movies, why doesn't magic touch us, why tltan in live performances, where we need to take for granted that stooges doesn't it reach us? And why is it received, as are magical effects in a are not being used. Otherwise, how interesting can half of our impossible theater play, with I don't know how it works and I'm not interested now · tricks seem, especially those in the category of mental effects? This leads, because I'm absorbed in the story? ' in a lateral way, to another related theme: close-up magic. Now we can In the case of movies (the representation of dreams) this happens better understand the strength of the impossible in close-up magic, the because, as I said earlier, 6 there is nothing impossible in the realm of dream, the kingdom of anti-logical transformations. real close-up magic, which takes place not only close to the spectators but among the spectators and with the "spect-actors". This close,..up magic Besides that wholly sufficient reason, there is another that movies and has, as we have all tested as performers and spectators, a huge impact, theater share: Our magic is a presentation of the impossible in reality. But incredible, brutal at times. movies and theater are representations, the former of dreams, the latter of Here I am talking about the true close-up magic, 7 which utilizes and takes reality. Magic, then, would be, within them, a presentation within a repre- advantage of all the options and features of this specific art wit~ the art of sentation, which is to say a re-representation, distanced a second or third level from reality. It is a severely weakened reality. magic: maximum proximity of all spectators, the capacity for spontaneous participation, spectators' physical contact with the objects in, or with, which ,.,, And the ,impossible within a near nonreality has no power, it doesn't the magic is produced. Sometimes they experience even physical contact move us, doesn't se~m impossible to us, but is only a representation of with the magician; they touch the miracle maker, the one with "the power", the impossible. I will analyze this point of magic and theater, magic and the prodigious one. Close-up magic can allow them to be a "live stage" on 5. See the very interesting analysis by Iurgi Sarasa in his essay about magic viewed from the standpoint of social psychology, published in the Circular of the Escuela Magica de Madrid, Feb. 1999, p. 73. 6. See "Dreams of Magic", p. 29. which certain "miracles" occur: The coin changes in a spect-actor's hand!- They tell you what you 're thinking!-The cards in a spect-actor's pocket 7. Or parlor magic that turns into close-up magic when the magician moves around and performs among or with the spectators. multiply! ... That's why it is so fascinating and wonderful and makes you feel experiences that are unforgettable and indelible. That's why I almost always Secret search only for close-up magic situations, even when I present shows in a Miracles theater. I try to get as close as possible to the sensation of reality, an.d I use the same lighting for the stage and for the house, to avoid creating two different spaces. There is, rather, one continuous spac~, only one, to make the spectators feel they are within an everyday reality, and to remove them as What is Magic? 1. Reconciling in the individual the imaginary and t11e real. 2. When the paradise that is offered merges with desire. far as possible from the sensation of a show. 8 And that's also why I attempt a 3. A time when there is a longing for the pre-logical attitude. maximum of interaction with the spectators who come onstage, who partic- 4. When the isolation between actors and spectators, creators and ipate (and dance!), the spectators I approach and with whom I mingle where contemplators, is broken. they are seated, those who come and go, and those who shout the name of 5. An event full of symbolism. 6. Searching for the wonderful to free us from logic. a selected card in unison, throw clouds of cards into the air and yell, "Out!" exorcising the most feared demons (war, death, poverty, grief... ). 9 7. A special sensitivity in facing the poetic power of myths. But back to our original subject and to summing it up: 8. An intention to play freely with the identity of objects. The presentation of magic in movies (dreams) is not perceived as impossible. Magic in movies and theater (re-representation) has no impact, while magic on television is perceived as tele-viewed in reality 9. To call tobacco what is ear. 10. Reaching the Supreme Secret: where life and death, past and future, the real and imaginary cease to be perceived as contradic- and can be very powerful. tory elements. But live magic is the one form that, logically and naturally, presents the impossible and the fascinating in reality and with maximum impactand that is a lot! 8. I do have my problems with theater directors who, with the best intentions, want to light my stage performance in a way that creates two spaces, two realities, and who wish to produce an "atmosphere of magic" with lights, colors and effects, while putting the audience in total darkness; all of which is theater. They tend to regard me as an eccentric, ignorant of the theatrical art. And they are right. 9. This is aµ approach opposite ( only in this) to that of the great Rene Lavand. He almost always pr~sents stage magic, even if he performs it close to the spectators: his diction, more theatrical, his expression through gestures, his stories, his magic, all with scarce participation by the spectators. I clearly remember the time I said to him, during one of my television series, "Rene, we '11 rehearse now with cameras, and this afternoon we'll shoot, when the audience arrives." To which he answered, "No, I prefer to do it now, alone with the camera." These are, I believe, two equally valid artistic approaches. Material required Books on surrealism by Jose Pierre. Quotations from Benjamin Peret and Rene Magritte. The second surrealist manifesto of Andre Breton. Secret The ten phrases I used for responding to "What is magic?" are actually '\ paraphrases of answers by surrealist painters and writers to "What is surrealism?" I have only substituted the word "magic" for "surrealism". It's useless trying to demonstrate a greater parallelism, or rather convergence, between magic and surrealism. If you read the phrases again, you will experience it for yourself. But even without such demonstrations, the parallelism is proved when looking at Victor Brauner's painting "The Surrealist" and the paintings of 41 N 40 ~ Rene Magritte, the objects of Man Ray, the movies of Cocteau and the ~ ~ writings of Breton. ~ l sensitivity in facing the poetic power of myths. ent: Echo and Narcissus, <;}alatea, Pandora, Thor, Siegfried, Indian, Chinese and Aztec mythologies .... What are they if not dra- Comments f enormous poetic beauty? When will they be broug~t to the stage? ~ ~ I Nevertheless, here is one comment by me on each of the ten answers above: Reconciling in the individual the imaginary and the real. Comment: In magic, "It is or it is not; that is not the question." · present, again or finally, a levitation like the Ascen~ion. (Brachetti done it), ventriloquism like the legend of Echo, a fa~r feat like The of the Nibelung, a play of mirrors and flowers like the,' transformation cissus? Can there be a good magician, a truly good magician, who When the paradise that is offered merges with desire. Comment: From here arose the theory of the magic of desire. 't lean on mythology, whether he is conscious of it or not? Universal logy: a classic of good magic. Passionately recommended. The time when there is a longing for the pre-logical attitude. Comment: As with very young children, before the grid of logic traps our minds. As with a very primitive place, before culture and civilization restricted our freedom, reduced our fantasy, limited our imagination and killed our intuition. intention to play freely with the identity of objects. Comment: That's what Magritte said about his painting. That's how the When the isolation between actors and spectators, creators and contemplators is broken. Comment: Magic is an art in which the spectators participate actively, with physical actions, and can alter the development of a trick This is fully applicable to close-up magic. Isn't it beautiful? Magical objects (wands, boxes, cards, cups ... ) are or will be surre- An event full of symbolism. Comment: In Conjured Up, S. H. Sharpe wrote: "All magic is symbolical, even when the artist is not conscious of the fact." This is demonstrated by Luis Garcia, Eugene Burger, Robert Neale, myself and others, in our search for magic symbols hidden in classic tricks. Searchingfor the wonderful to free us from logic. Comment: A spectator who saw Slydini's Helicopter Card: "It is not possible! ... but it is." It's a paradox; logic is useless. Magic is an escape (temporarily) from the ties of the sometimes excessive and almighty reason. "Magicians: Surgeons of the absurd crowned with a top hat."-from an interview with Juan Tamariz by Quico Rivas in El Pais Semanal. Long live the absurd-the e~d of the impossible! ,cian works. A ball that is a handkerchief that is a flower that is a smile a goodbye. Or a Hello! full of hope. Are surrealistic objects (Duchamp, Ray, Picasso ... ) magical objects or do they ask for the magical? alistic when they fulfill their function: to be and not to be, to change, to transform, to grow, to be, to disappear, to be again, not to be again. At the same time: not to be and be. Example of a surrealistic and magical object: Clayton Rawson's egg- beater used as a thought transmitter. To call tobacco what is ear. Comment: Magritte says it, Magritte does it. The magician makes you see that what is an ear is tobacco. Reaching the Supreme Secret: where life and death, past and future, the real and imaginary cease to be perceived as contradictory elements. Comment: Words of Breton in the second manifesto of surrealism. If that is not magic-and the objective of magic ... Magic is the harmony between contradictory opposites. And then ... The humble craft of making possible what was said to be impossible. N p2 42 ~ ~ The sane art of showing a utopia achieved, which makes us live our ~ dreams (to fly, to be invisible, to create ... ), which helps us go through the ~ mirror and enter the paradise of granted wishes, which liberates us from ;::s the force of gravity. Like this: I) From Force """l Beautiful weapons were those that the magician transformed into inexhaustible taps of wine, into orange throwers, hempseeds, atomic soap bubbles, nice tanks, three-cornered neutrons. When the magician turned them into frogs, soft snow and large beds with mattresses. 2) From Gravity Frogs that sing and jump over the snow, which melts into white meadows that half cover the inviting bed: joy, laughter and love. 3) From Magicians Oh, magicians! Jugglers of reality and dreams, escape artists from all jails, shackles TO WHOM lS lT ADDRESSED? and cells of physical and mental torture. Ventriloquists with a thousand voices, some false, many real, all nonexistent and free. Mockers of Cronos, with their Cortazar-style mirror, which foresees and reflects the future. Supplanters of Zeus, no Zeus left standing, neither a Zeus with a head, no Zeus who can deal with them. From Zeus, Zues, from Zues, Suez and Nuez, which is Nut in Spanish. And inside the nut, the rolled-up banknote that is missing the precise corner being held by the stunning lady in the third row... You may check: Yes? Exactly!! Wonderful!!! Amazing! Presto! Like (Ex-)Zeus, they create and uncreate, Magic Is Only for Children Preliminary thoughts: From what they tell us, due to the evolution of our species, each of us has several layers in the brain, each covering another: the saurian brain (instinct), the mammalian brain ( emotion), the primate brain (intellect). With this there would come some form of memory of what we have been throughout the evolution of our species. And our species would be a summation of all previous phases. We would retain instincts, emotions and4ntelligence to constitute our present species: the human species. Likewise, I believe that we as individuals keep memories of all the phases of our personal evohition. We are made of several layers: the newborn, covered by the baby, the pre-logical child, then the logical child, they believe and disbelieve, the teenager, the young man or woman, the youngster in his twenties, the at will, but without a reason, for its own sake, without aim or measure, for fun. dawning of our first maturity (thirty to forty), etc. I also think that each of these "persons" covers but doesn't dissolve Magicians. the others. We are all of them. N Each of us, each personality, is made of the last visible layer, but all adult is someone who possesses a viscous, impenetrable layer that our previous persons are there, sometimes in a latent state, some loving themselves, some struggling to come to the surface. 'and suffocates the young adven~er, the lyrical teenager, the magical leaving them choking inside. An adult is someone who seeks security You also get a feeling that human activities capture the interest, call ' power, money and power, politics and power. Magic attemfts to dissolve attention to or fascinate different layers in a person. Here are general penetrate the layer of ma~ty (it can barely do so with the /adult layer) to examples, perhaps interchangeable and subjective, .and suggested only for us fo understand each other: h the pre-logical child, excitable, imaginative, a dreamer of ~possibilities. I believe poetry is especially addressed to the teenager within us: feeling, emotion, lyricism .... Sport as a show brings out the child possessing vitality and energy, the child we were around the ages of eight to twelve. ; Magic is addressed to mature people, in addition to youngsters, so that can also laugh and feel the child they are. If, on top of that, the magic carries poetry, it will strike the sensitive in the impossible dreamer (love), the teenager. If it includes play and participation, it will appeal to the child from to eleven. If it carries intellectual adventure (how is that possible?), Trips re-experience the taste for adventure that the youngster has from the age of fifteen to his early twenties. reaches the restless twenty-year-old. But essentially, it will search for Science, research and discovery are intellectual adventures that fasci- the innocent, the intelligence unaware of the concept of "impossible", the nate the young person from twenty-five to thirty who lives within us. Different styles of music and painting call and awaken different people-layers: the baby (rhythm, African dance ... ), the teenager (Chopin, impressionism in painting ... ), the child (rhythm, Klee, Chagall, Calder, Kandinsky... ). What about magic? pre-logical child. Only by letting that child within us breathe can we savor and enjoy magic in all its marvelous wonder. -If we leave our imagination free to fly, liberated from logic -if we joyfully accept to play with little colored balls, handkerchiefs, little boxes and little wooden cars: toys It obviously appeals to and fascinates the pre-logical child; fantasy, -if we can repeat the magic words and spells aloud, along with the imagination, eagerness to play, the wish to fly, of being invisible, of trans- magician -if we cherish the abracadabrian gestures and sprinkle magic dust, forming things, of making whatever you want to appear or disappear without the interference of logic and so-called reality. To dream. The Three Wise Men, fairies, dwarfs, genii, witches, magicians .... That's why the prestidigitator, the magician, never fails to fascinate and enchant small children, those not yet seven. Their faces whenever they watch a magic show tell us that. That's why, at every children's party, always and everywhere, kids most often ask for a magician, along with other forms of magic such as puppets and balloon modeling. So, does magic appeal to adults? Adults, an ugly concept, an ambiguous little word sometimes .... feeling it in our fingers -if we are capable of looking and feeling with innocence 0:aly then will we be able to enjoy the immense fascination of magic, no matter whether we are the magicians or the spectators. It makes no difference, if we agree to dream, to mix fantasy and reality, to play, to be enchanted, as we did with the Magi and Santa Claus when they deliver gifts to us on the Feast of the Epiphany and Christmas, without asking ourselves how these workers of wonders could know our wishes and requests, or how they can be everywhere on the same night, or how they can enter through the locked door of a house. Only then will we feel the lost emotion of pre-logical and magical innocence. Therefore, only if the magician is capable of finding that child in others-and in himself!-will the magical spark occur. And for that, I believe, he should be able to address and fascinate with his tricks and demonstrations and miracles the young dreamer, that adventurous boy who loves mystery, the mature person who is amazed and enjoys having lived the impossible, momentary and joyful liberation of reason-and he will have to do it (careful!) in the appropriate language for each of them, in the language understood by the teenager, the youngster and the mature adult, to be able to invite them all to discover, to show them (and have them show themselves) the hidden child, the tender and magical child that is perhaps dormant and is bored, lonely and forgotten inside. Magic casts its spell when that child revives. That unveiling, almost at times a resurrection, is the magic act. That's when magic appears. 2 ED? HOW 1S lT PRODUCED? The Process of Creation and Interpretation in Magic I believe this attempt to approach the subject can be very useful for clarifying ideas and can serve as an analytical tool to understand magic and its creative process better. Let's attempt it in a schematic way. 1. The author of a trick possesses an inner world (ideas, beliefs, defined personality, etc.), which has been shaped by his experiences, his character, the acquired culture (artistic, historical and philosophical) and surroundings (his external world). We will diagram it like this, willingly ignoring the innate, inherited part of his character: N ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,--., 50 51 2. The author also possesses a magical wisdom, a specific part of his culture, which could be divided into two large zones: technical wisdom (effects, sleights, methods ... ) and a magical culture (magic history, magic philosophy, psychology... ). influerces Author Trick 3. Points 1 and 2 give us this result: 5. The more magical wisdom or intuition this trick embodies, the more it incorporates the inner world of the author, the more it expresses about the author, the more traces of life there are in it, the more artistic it will be. There are, therefore, many tricks that are amusements or pastimes (no less than!), which express only the general magical emotion of an apparent impossibility, of mystery. Others are more expressive and gather certain expressive intentions that are clearly transmitted: multiple productions of coins and banknotes, the production or creation of living beings, gambling demonstrations, escapes, decapitations, etc. In certain cases the intention, the expressiveness of the trick is less clear, more obscured, or is simply suggested, such as the Cut and Restored Rope (resurrection) and Four Ace Assemblies (reunion of the four elements). On the other hand, as examples of tricks that are limited to the expres'\ sion of the general emotion of mystery, an impossibility adding barely 4. The author devises or creates a trick In that act of creation all I ) anything else, we have productions of thimbles, colored disks, etc. the elements are included: his magical, technical and cultural wisdom, It is my belief, I'll repeat, that the more traces of life there are in an and his inner world. If we believe in muses, the collective unconscious effect, the more expressive and artistic it will be, and the more deeply it or any other form of human or divine inspiration, we could add that to will touch the spectators when they receive it or witness it at the end of the scheme. I prefer to include it in the external world, to simplify things. Then the creative act would be as shown next. the creative and interpretive process. It will be a trick that impresses them more, and therefore will last longer in their memories. 52 53 6. The trick at this point consists of two fundamental elements: \the effect and the secret. In other words, the magical effect and the deceptio m~th od, ruse, etc. Example: The disappearance of a coin up the slee:, usmg a Pull. e But if the trick contains a minimum of complexity, it will also carry a ~o~d d~se of magical structure-parentheses of forgetfulness, mental m1Sd~rect10n, etc.-and an important dose of dramatic structure, with conflict, dramatic curves, a climax .... These components constitute alo ·th h ' ng WI t e patter and certain indications for the interpretation of the trickrhythm, pauses, attitudes, etc.-the dramagic script, as follows: Effect Technical method the author or others. 9. The author might transmit only the bare bones of a trick--'--effect and method-to the future interpreter; or he might provide a fuller form by including the dramatic script, partial or complete. He might also transmit information about the creative process. 11 We'll leave for a later time the assessment of the advantages and possible disadvantages in transmitting to the interpreter the bare bones of the trick or including more elements, and the pros and cons of the means of communication (lectures, books, videos, etc.) used to convey the different elements. At this point, the scheme is: Effect Technical method Magic structure Magic structure Dramatic structure Patter The transmission can take place through written means (book), visual form (video, DVD, Internet), a lecture or through personal instruction by Dramatic structure Dramagic script Teaching ,( Dramagic script . )I jPerformerj Learning Patter Indications for interpretation Indications for interpretation 7. In general, the possibilities of the technical method have been studied tho~oughly and deeply-moves, sleights, gimmicks, hand gestures, body ~otwns, gazes, etc.-and the effect to some extent, although a lesser oneits expressive possibilities, its communication of different emotions from the basic ones present in every magic · al effect (mystery, impossibility).10 But let's continue with the process of the trick: 8. The trick devised by the author must be transmitted to the interpreter and learned by ~im. (We will assume author and interpreter are not one and the same.) 10. Always without forgetting the advice about the elements of magic structure (Robert-Houdin, Vernon, Ascarno · .. •) , ofdramat1c · structure (Fu Manchu, Slydini, perhaps myself... ), of patter (Rene Lavand, Jose Carrol Armando d M" l ) e 1gue .. ~ , and ef1.ect (Sharpe, Delord, Burger, Neale ... ). . 10. The trick has reached the interpreter from the author. The inter- preterwill have his own inner world and his own magical wisdom (technical and cultural), different from those of the author. Now the trick must be adapted by the interpreter to fit his personality, his technical knowledge, his capacities. So a process of re-creation of the trick is initiated. The degree of re-creation can be slight or thorough, depending o~ how many elements of the trick, as it has been received, are maintained (though they will q,lways exist). Sometimes the re-creation can be as essential as the creative process. Ascanio's "The Restless Lady" is obviously as deeply personal as was Tenkai's "Card Flight", its model. There are three elements participating in this process of re-creation: the original trick, with whatever it contains from the world of the author; the inner world of the interpreter; and his magical wisdom. It looks like this: 11. For an example of that, see the attempt I made in "The Hypnotic Power of the Jokers" in Sonata, 1991, Editorial Frakson: Madrid, p. 192. 55 RE-CREATION reter Re~created Rehearsal trick Rehearsed trick I 13_The trick now need~ to be performed for one or morf other persons: spectators. They are the receptors of the trick. But let'~ remember that also receive many other things through the trick, enriched by a series expressive and emotional elements. There are traces i:t;1 the trick of the r worlds of the author and of the interpreter, traces of their respece cultures, of their magical knowledge, of their magic culture, and even .t>f the dramatic wisdom of the author, interpreter and magical director. In ·.;~ther words, if this process is sufficiently rich, expressive and artistic, it Js not just a simple puzzle to solve but something much more interesting, 11. The interpreter now possesses an adapted (enriched?) trick and is ·tornplex and exciting: a magical effect created by the author, re-created by prepared to rehearse it. This rehearsal is a long and sometimes complicated ·the interpreter and staged with the help of the magical director. Behind the 12 process. It includes the staging of the trick, the elements oflighting, music, rhythm, blocking, acting, etc.; components that could not be included in prtef minutes occupied by the presentation, there are hours, days, months ~. . and sometimes years of creation, transmission, assimilation, adaptation, their entirety by the author. That's the task of the interpreter, aided by his ;e-creation, rehearsal and study by two or three people. There is a whole world of creativity, efforts, study, expressiveness and emotions. In such magical director, who can be the interpreter himself or someone else. 13 12. A trick, once studied and staged (still without an audience), is what we will refer to as a rehearsed trick, in a broad definition of the word rehearsed. t cases, the magical effect can eventually turn into a work of true art. Let's now look at the second phase of our schematic: Diagrammatically, it looks like this: 12. See a very interesting approach to the subject in The Magic of Ascanio: The Structural Conception of Magic, Jesus Etcheverry; 2005, Paginas: Madrid, pp. 266-70. And while you are there, read the whole book. And learn. And enjoy it. 13. I would like to differentiate the magical director, who is acquainted with and lives and knows and feels the magic and its features as a theatrical art (very different from theater or drama), from the theater director, who comes from that field of the dr~atic arts and is able to make magic theatrical, to transform the presentation into a representation, and in doing so weakens the magical impact. A few of the good magical directors are Eberhard Riese in Germany, Henk Vermeyden in Holland, Georges Bell and Roden in Spain. And I've done a bit of that work as well. .--------, Presentation Magical director 14. We must remember that in this process of presentation, at the time the effect is performed for an audience, other variables come into play: the conditions of the venue, the positioning of the spectators (around the N magician, far, near, standing), the position of the table, the type of stage, the number of spectators, the composition of the audience, its cultural level, the current condition of the magician (happy, sad, healthy, sick ' sleepy1 hungry, full ... ), interruptions, etc.; in other words, all the elements that in magic, and more so in close-up magic, make every performance different and give every trick a unique presentation. That's where the performer also expresses and transmits all his values,· his energy, his inner world, his personality, his ability to improvise, his truth, his persona. It is impossible to elaborate here on the previous point, given its · and complexity We will have to talk about the capacity of the 1mess · .futi.e"1.'f'Jf':)rpi to provoke varying moods in people, of creating a playful feast, communicating the rich inner world, of emanating energy, of receiving, the spectator's reactions, of resonating with them, of expressing turn, ' 81\d transmitting their truth, their capacity to create a communicative atmosphere, of transforming the magical presentation into an ~ct of ~o~e (see, Chapter 6, "The Seven Magic Veils", p. 357). I want to stress my opm1on that Thus, there is a specific way to transmit the inner world of the inter- those who disregard this fundamental aspect of a magical presentation, preter, one not so much through the trick as through the performance though that presentation may be admirable, transform it into a cold, tech- itself. Let me explain: Jose Frakson performed a trick in front of an audience and in it he naturally expressed elements of his personality. But nical, almost lifeless and scarcely artistic transmission of a trick 16. Having reached the last component of the transmission (the spec- independently, Frakson also revealed himself in an even more evident tators), it would seem we have finished our analysis. But something of way through his performing style, his movement, his speech, his way of utmost importance is missing: The trick has been witnessed by the spec- addressing the spectators, of looking at them, of smiling, of loving them. tators and has produced certain sensations in them. The trick seems After all, "Magic is love" and "You should love what you do." if, instead of magic, he had been singing or telling stories. In fact, when unmodifiable; it is as it was during the presentation, period. But that's not the case. Not even close. At least I believe so. Given the characteristics of magic-with its elements of mystery and Frakson gave a talk about magic, in which he recounted anecdotes of his surprise, the spectator's possible search for solutions, the impact of the life and miracles (quite literally), he conveyed his inner world, and we impossible on his logical mind, etc.-the magic trick is re-created and were all completely receptive to this transmission of joy, wisdom, humil- re-elaborated by the spectator in his memory. The trick is, in fact, altered. ity and goodness. The conditions the spectator believes to have coalesced during the trick, Frakson's communication of his inner world would have been similar I am convinced that in this communication lies the true secret of the its vicissitudes and even the magical effect itself are altered and trans- interpreter, the reason why, regardless of the trick performed, he manages formed in an exaggerated form by the spectator during various mental to reach, captivate and move the audience. That's the ultimate reason for processes: first, when he perhaps tries to understand the why, to find a the success of some magicians, not discounting, of course, the more evi- way to embed it in his logical grid of thought without its grinding; second, dent quality of their magic. when he remembers it in order to appreciate and enjoy it; third, when The two· means of communication between the interpreter and the spectators could be diagrammed as follows: Human communication (energy, feast, love ... ) for some reason, after time, from minutes to years later, he evokes it for himself and tells it to others (and they usually hear something amazing). During this phase of permanence in the memory, tricks can vary notoriously. This phenomenon of the changing process of a trick in the Interpreter Re-created trick Rehearsed Presentation Spectator trick memory is sometimes as fundamental as the whole preceding process of creation and interpretation. It can be like a second re-creation of the trick. n N \ I believe a good trick should be a comet, a brilliant point: the during its presentation. And this comet has a long, luminous, beautiful and gradually broadening tail: the trick in the memory of the spectator and in his frequent and amazed evocations of it over time. This enhancement of the memory is what I refer to as The Comet Effect, which I will analyze in Chapter 4 (p. 147). Thus the diagram broadens: 17. To attempt to push this process nearer its completion, I should point out that there are at least two elements we have forgotten. The first is the cultural disposition of the spectators during the presentation of the trick. I understand cultural disposition as the mental attitude of the spectators toward the magic, their willingness to be moved, to perceive the inner world of the magician, to make an artistic reading of the magic feat and not simply to watch a more or less ingenious pastime. This will obviously depend, for each spectator, on his or her personality. On a general collective level, it depends on the attitude of the magician: Look at this trick or See the beauty! It also, to a great extent, depends on the cultural environment's perception of illusionistic magic. When presenting a magic trick, we are not putting ourselves into the same mental attitude we assume for listening and watching a musical concert, classical or rock, a circus performance or a basketball game. The second forgotten element relates to impromptu, or seemingly impromptu, magic. 14 With this kind of magic, the author, the director and the interpreter quickly gather for a very short time. The magician creates an effect and presents it almost immediately. To do this, he must rely on his magical knowledge, which must be deep and rich, and on his imagination and capacity to improvise. Here, not without some fear that I may have forgotten an element of major or minor importance, I conclude (for now) this analysis, hoping that it serves as a template to better understand and assimilate the process of creation, interpretation and reception of a piece of artistic magic. 14. See "Impromptu Magic" in Chapter 8, p. 397. AN THE MAGl CAL EFFECT How Should It Be? A LONG time ago, in the beginning, all my interest was focused on how to conceal the secret of a trick. Later, I gradually became interested in the presentation, on making the development of the trick interesting. Later still, I concentrated on making it seem impossible, truly impossible. More recently, I grew interested in the effect: His Majesty, the Effect. Nowadays my attention is centered on the emotions, the experience, on what the spectators feel during the development of the trick: before the trick begins, during it and after it is over, from a moment later, a day later, a month, perhaps even several years after. I will now outline some of the values that make a good Magical Effect for me. N A magical effect should be (for me, I insist): Initially . . . . . . . In its development. At the climax. . . . . Dramatic And intellectually . Impossible Which produces . . . a Fascinating Experience In such a way that it's . . Memorable And over time, more and more. . Magical That makes the magician . . . . .a Legend And makes magic and the magical effect almost. .. a Myth Let me explain: Initially: Interesting. That is, it must be appealing and should make people want to see it (the magic of desire). In its development: Exciting. It should touch us and relate to our lives (sensations, people). At the climax: Dramatic. Thanks to the emotional development, thanks to the art of the pause, thanks to the patter and to suspense (dramagic). And intellectually: Impossible. Thanks to the technique, to the method, to the psychology, to the ingenuity (False Solutions and The Magic Way). Which produces: a Fascinating Experience. Thanks, above all, to the magician's personality, which is expressed through the art of magic (the magic of dreams). In such a way tl{,at it's: Memorable. Thanks to the evocative hooks, to the power of internal experience, to the fluttering of mystery. And over time, more and more: Magical. Thanks to the desire of making it that way and to the affective distortion of memory (The Comet Effect). tmakes the magician: a Legend. . arration ( sometimes made aloud to others, sometimes anks to ora1n voice to oneself). makes magic and the magical effect almost: a Myth. . hidden symbolism of classic effects (sY/ffibolic magic) . Thanks t o the , y it be so. Amen. O CLASSlC EFFECTS What Are They? Which Ones Are They? Why Are They Classics? Magicians and audiences like them, they are moved by them. Their appeal is long-lasting. People have liked them and been moved by them for many years, even centuries. And it seems these effects will continue to be liked and continue to touch people for a long time. Examples: Cut and Restored Rope, Linking Rings, Multiplying Billiard Balls, Rising Cards, Miser's Dream, Six-Card Repeat, Egg Bag, Cups and Balls, Coins through Table. These are some of the many classics that come to mind. Many? Well, I woo.Id call almost forty card tricks ( or more) and just as many non-card tricks classics. I am deliberately excluding stage illusions, comedy magic and mentalism from this essay. (See my personal and subjective list of card classics in Appendix 2, p. 561, and a discussion of other branches of magic in Appendix 3, p. 581.) But what do these seventy to eighty classic effects have in common? On reviewing their titles, the first thing that comes to mind is that they are simple and direct. Simple in the sense that they are not intricate, and N direct in that they are not far-fetched. If coins are to go through a table ing or difficult is not enough. Having been loudly proclaimed an ' they penetrate it without further ado. If rings are to become linked, they link. There aren't any additional, minor or supplementary effects to dis. · .bility, it should be perceived a~ such. ll we are moving forward, but something remains to ,be mentioned: 1 The mere attempt to describe the effects makes me aware of another a~le to repeat the effect, we recognize it should b brief without · g· but that condition is fulfilled automatically by the effect , bonn, simple and direct. It also needs to be seen as an "impossible" effect feature of them (perhaps a consequence of their simplicity and direct. spectators are to be interested in seeing it again. A puzzle intrigues ness ): They are easily described in a few words: Four balls come out of impossible effect truly interests us. · But haven't we said for centuries that the same effect should not be tract us. There are always six cards, the card rises, the egg is in the bag and then it's not. one, a dove appears from a handkerchief, coins appear from everywhere. While the first trait-a simple and direct effect-can be subject to individual judgment, the second trait-described in a few words-can almost be measured in inches, the length of the text describing the effect. However, if I observe carefully, I see that something special happens in almost all the effects on my list: The effect is not performed just once but is repeated several times. It's never just one dove or just one coin out of the ear. Neither is it just one multiplication of a ball. Two rings are ed twice, let alone several times? What of that? It seems like a contradiction or, better expressed, a small technical . It turns out that it should not be repeated; but it also turns out that, be a classic, it should be repeated, even several times. Let's try to untie the knot. Should not be repeated doesn't have a magi- ~al function but a defensive one. It should not be repeated, not because the ect isn't improved by repetition, but because in the repetition there is no This third feature seems to give a hint of why these effects are classics. and spectators will watch more closely. They know the result, they more time to think, they have more information, they watch every- They are classics-which were, are and will continue to be liked- more carefully and might discover the secret and be disappointed. ii"'t.1...,. r,'£'.~"J.a'"'' never linked and unlinked just once. because a simple, direct effect often means it is brief and, as such, the effect can be repeated without wearying the attention of the spectators; Ah! Then it isn't that an effect should not be repeated but that you must be careful when you repeat it that the magic doesn't disappear. More and more, the magic conflict increases, interest increases, the Now it has become clear to me: Repeating is better. In fact, every time you do something magical that is strong and brief, impossible becomes magically possible. But a doubt now arises: Can any you are usually asked directly or indirectly to repeat it. How many times simple and direct effect be repeated? I don't think so. It should be interesting the first time, and it needs have you heard, "Can you do it again?" Alurther trait then of a classical effect is that, for some secret reason, to be a truly impossible effect. The simple and direct effect of a wrin- it may be repeated without being discovered, retaining its magic. But what kled handkerchief that becomes unwrinkled would not work because it is that secret reason? I see an important point here. I'll begin by saying it doesn't depend on with repetition, the mystery gradually increases, though not the surprise. . ' doesn't seem impossible enough. There are intriguing puzzle-like effects, that will never be classics, no the effect but on the method. In other words, the method should be inge- matter how simple and direct they are, or how clever their methods are. So, to the trait of simple and direct effect, we could add another: nious, indetectable and repetition-proof. I am about to be satisfied with this· thought when, reviewing the list truly impossible (we might add miraculous, strong, etc.). Just curious, of classical effects, a new thought occurs: In some cases there is not a n N single method, but several methods used in succession to achieve the djust as I am about to declare this short study :finished, a new doubt same effect. The ultimate example of this is the wonderful Linking Rings. : These characteristics of met~ods and effects are certainly neces- Its only effect is solid through solid, which is sometimes achieved through but are they sufficient? think that, if a trick were to comply with all of t~ese conditions, ·ng effect would be a good one, even excellent. This is rational result1 . But is the trick sure to become a classic? MaybeOnable reas · ; a false ring count, other times by the use of the "key"-a ring with an opening-other times through an optical illusion of the rings being linked ' others by switching loose rings for linked rings, and yet others by secretly adding a key ring after all the rings have seemingly been examined. This i brings me to the idea I explain in detail in The Magic Way: Each repeti- be not. Let me explain. I believe that, aside from all the conditions cited, the tion of the same effect with a different method can be complementary; it should have a certain special appeal, equivalent to sex appeal or can cancel weaknesses or solutions of other repetitions. In other words ' repeating an effect (which complies with previous conditions) with different methods increases its apparent impossibility. 15 Needless to say, if the effect is repeated more than twice, the condi- a magical allure. But what does this appeal consist of? To begin with, I lean toward thinking it should be emotional (like :d:l~imc>ur, handkerchief that is accidentally tom); but I immediately see many in the list of classics that offer no emotional aspect, such as the Ace tions and the dramatic build-up should be varied. I will conclude for now my meditations on the issue of repeating or not repeating with this: You must either have an absolutely indetectable method (like the Han Ping Chien sleight with coins) or use different methods for each repetition. A.ssembly. Perhaps the trick should possess visual beauty, like the ColoriChanging Handkerchief; but only some of them possess that attribute. So what produces the proper appeal? I am comforted to remember that the same question occurs when peo- With this we have reached a point in our discussion in which it seems ple try to define the causes of sex appeal, glamour, charm or duende. They convenient to take a break and contemplate what we've found: A class'ic are concepts that elude reasoning and logical constructs. They are slip- effect should be simple and direct, describable in a few words, truly impossible-seeming and have one or several methods that are indetectable and, if possible, complementary. Stating this makes me feel we've reached certain valid considerations. It seems to me that all the tricks on my list of classics comply with these conditions. I think I have come to a conclusion. pery, sneaky, playful; and perhaps that's where part of their essence, their charm, their appeal, lies. We have entered a circular reasoning: the charm of "charm" and the appeal of "appeal". But is it really impossible to pin down a practical definition? Is it impossible to explain that quality? I don't think so. I believe a certain correspondence of an effect with '\ 15. This resource, known and utilized by magicians, relates in some way to the famous assessment of Bruce Elliott: that it is better to know one method for a hundred effects than a hundred methods for one effect. He refers to the use of a single method to produce different effects at different moments, comparing it to a certain uselessness of knowing many methods and using only one. He also refers to the monotony that could arise when the magician repeats the same effect over and over, believing each repetition will be perceived as a different effect, only because the method used for each was changed. the wishes of man and woman has something to do with it. That correspondence can be found at a primary level (money production) or at a secondary or tertiary level (Cut and Restored Rope: resurrection; the Egg Bag: creation of life, birth). They are conscious or subconscious correspondences, but always correspondences. I find myself returning to the same point: the magic of wishes, the magic of dreams and of myths. N I would add, then, one last feature: The classic effect must have h. a myt ical and desired component. In summation: The effect should b simple, direct, impossible, repeated and mythical. But that's another story~ .ilim~eoo~ · SYMBOLS Magic and Symbolism maybe not. That's how the preceding study on the classic effects ended. I searched for the duende of magic, the hidden charm. I suggested the magic of desire. I wrote, without saying as much, about the magic of symbols-of the symbols that fulfill the archetypal desires of humanity. After all, part of the essence of artistic magic is to produce and share the experience of the impossible we desire. That's the sap that nurtures our art, a metaphoric art that is expressed through a perceived symbolism, _sometimes at a conscious level, other times at subconscious and more concealed levels. But let's take it in steps: What were the steps I took, the road that led me to these conclusions? I'll tell you through some examples: During the study of classic effects, I found that the Cut and Restored Rope was a wonderful trick that has been performed and enjoyed for centuries. The magical impact it produces is very strong and it is one of the effects that is always included in the repertoires of both professional magicians and amateurs. But-and this is a big but-its magical construction has a weak p~int; in settle my own doubts about the truth of this understanding of fact, a very weak point. It's nothing less than the initial situation: The rope k and to make sure it wasn't just a mental construction of mine, C ' has been cut in half. In the methods commonly used, the rope is never shown clearly cut in half. The magician goes only as far as showing two little ends d happen if the effect were the opposite? A rope clearly shown in one of the alleged halves of the rope, held next to each other, which are then tied together in order to display a rope with a knot in its middle. This is done in an ' attempt to convince the spectators that the rope has 'been cut in half. appears to break in two. i I effect would be very weak, and when the two pieres of the rope ;t e handed out at the end of the trick, perhaps it wouldn be long before After some analysis, it became evident that a real proof that the rope has been cut in half would be to show the two pieces at a distance·, ior ~ example, with one in each hand. If we were really to cut the rope in half . t from reality, I thought of an artistic, practical experiment: What of the spectators gave them back with the request, .'"Can you put it k together?" They want to feel the hope of resurrection, not the painful and then forgot to show the separated pieces, any magic friend seeing ·dence of death. The artistic intuition of magicians throughout the centuries has this would undoubtedly indicate that oversight as something that strongly evented the presentation of such an absurdity. 16 Remember what undermines the conviction that the rope was cut in half. Remember the openhauer observed: Intuition is the true and powerful means of insistence of Maestro Ascanio on the clarity of the initial situation. owledge for the artist. I asked myself why an effect with such a grave weakness could have From all this comes an observation I've felt, both as a performer and such a magical impact. Then I remembered that, in almost all cultures a spectator of magic: The effect is far superior when the rope is cut and their mythologies, the rope symbolizes life: Atropos, one of the three the magician with a large pair of scissors, compared to a mimed snip Fates, cuts the thread of life in Greek and Roman mythology; in Indian the fingers simulating scissors. If to that you add the simulation of an mythology the rope-life brings the heavens and earth together; in many other cultures a circle of rope represents the circle of life. ,accidental cut, one made by a spectator and apparently unwanted by you, The symbolism of the effect became evident: death and resurrection ' the greatest, the most powerful of man's wishes, immortality. doubly dramatic situation, a conscious drama plus symbolic drama-in So that hidden symbolic meaning made spectators subconsciously which you appear scared by the misunderstanding, which results in all an accidental death-the effect acquires an emotional impact of the ' highest degree. feel an immense pleasure, and this entirely subjugated the weakness Fortune (the vague Borgesian chance) granted me a book I've always in the method. The spectators were not just passive witnesses. They been a reader of the great Romanian historian of religion, Mircea Eliade. became, at times, spect-actors who cut the rope themselves and kept the "resurrect e d" rope afterward, feeling the powerful magical impact of an His Mephistopheles and the Androgyne fell into my hands, and in it is an impossible wish fulfilled, realized, lived in the artistic reality. throws a long rope into the air. The rope becomes rigid and a child climbs essay on the Indian Rope Trick In this legendary effect, a yogi or fakir And that experience, like many artistic experiences, was transmitted, it, pursued by a man with a knife. He eventually catches the boy and cuts was felt at a subconscious level, metaphoric and symbolic. It didn't need him to pieces. The parts of the boy's body fall to the ground, but the yogi restores the child and brings him back to life. to enter the level of consciousness. Furthermore, it would probably be experienced, if the symbolic meaning were verbalized by the magician, as something pedagogical rather than artistic. 16. Even though this reverse effect appears in an early magic book, it never caught on with magicians. I have never seen it done. symbolic explanation came once more to my rescue. The selected In Eliade's essay, the rope was identified, through symbolism, Wi life. Furthermore, it became evident that what had given this magic effect its great impact and legendary status-even though it has probably never been seen or performed-resides in its symbolism: rope-life, a union of earth and heaven. Let's remember, in the simplest version of the effect, it's only a rope the yogi throws into the air. The rope becomes rigid, the child climbs and eventually disappears at the top; heaven in its physical and symbolic shape. Even though the Cut and Restored Rope doesn't appear in this trick-legend, Eliade found that its appeal and magical impact lay in the existence of a symbol. That symbol was the rope-life, union of heaven and earth, of reality and the beyond. And if I had reached a similar conclusion to his-discovering the impact and symbolism of a magical effect-even though his starting point (sociological) was different from mine (artistic), I thought I could congratulate myself for being in excellent intellectual company. Of course, my conclusion came much later than the great Eliade's. Another example of how I reached this belief is the Ambitious Card. Being an unquestionable classic and one of the essential tricks in the repertoire of any professional card magician, it also has a very weak point. In this case it wasn't the initial situation but rather the effect itself. If I were to say that a magician made a signed card travel to his pocket, or that he changed the identity of a card in my own hand, the listener would be amazed at both of these narrated impossibilities. But if I were to tell him instead that the magician made the card move a few positions in the deck (twenty, twenty-six cards, half an inch-it makes no difference) while he held it in his hands, the listener, aware of the magician's skill, would probably remain politely indifferent to the "little miracle". And yet we all know that the effect produced by the Ambitious I Card is very strong, and that spectators request that it be repeated. In some routines, such as Vernon's, with its wonderful emotional structure others (power); loose, not trapped (liberation); and in view, not d anonymous among the others (individualization). iThe fulfillment e four wishes, reaching us via symbolism, afford~ the trick masWe love it, we ·enjoy it, and that's why we want to experience , to feel again and again the great inner satisfac~ion, the joy, the and the overall fascination. then carried out more tests, this time in performance. If the card doesn't 1 but rather descends, the reaction is not even a tenth as great. Perhaps, I t, when the card descends, it remains hidden and very near the hand magician. Maybe that diminishes the clarity of the effect. So I next performing the standard Ambitious Card effect, making the card rise the center to the top of the deck but while holding the deck in a verposition. The physical impossibility is exactly the same, the card ends the same place, with equal clarity; yet a great part of its charm is lost. you try performing it for yourself, you will see that it doesn't look nearly good. Of course! Because there is no position of power, no ascension, no sation of freedom. The card goes from one position to another, but it's one more card in the deck. Even its resulting position is ambiguous: it be perceived as lying in front or behind, first or last. A third example: For years, I performed another classic among the classics, the Egg Bag. I used a bag made of black cloth in the style of Malini, and with it I achieved the success this wonderful trick_ usually produces. Then one day I lost my bag. Months later, I attended a lecture of the ,...creative Sam Berland. He performed a trick with a bag and a watch. The bag was gimmicked in a similar way to the egg bag, but the effect different. I bought it to replace my lost bag, but when I worked with it, making the egg appear and disappear-same effect, same routine-I noticed I and my spectators liked it less. Something was not clicking, ' the effect can be repeated ten times! It is a weak, almost mediocre effect that everyone, magicians and laymen, like and savor to the maximum. How can you explain that? er having been lost in the deck, rises (ascension); ends up on top something was wrong. One day I figured it out: Berland's bag was made from a Scotch-plaid cloth. If the trick symbolizes (can there be any doubt?) the creation of () life, then the black symbolizes the mother's womb where th \. . . e miracle creat10n 1s developed. A Scotch-plaid womb? After that, I went ba Mr ., bl ck a m1 s ack bag, and my and the spectators' liking for the trick w back But the symbolism goes further. All the versions of the Egg Bag with the appearance of the egg (creation or resurrection) after its dis: pearance (the void, death). That must be for a reason. That's. why it's necessary, artistically speak1ng, to do it with an eg and not with a wooden ball or any other object It would lose the 1· . · mp11ci symbolism, and the effect would be weakened. It would sacrifice emotional content. But one might think: Yes, the effect would be weaker but not because ction. symbolized the creation of abundant food from nothing, ve that's how it was experienced: two dozen eggs and a hen empty bag! That meaning hasn't the same resonance for modem es. Eggs have become cheap, and a hen amazes above all for its and the difficulty of concealing and handling it tithout telltale ents and clucking. ·Because the hen is alive, we feel the creation (eggs: symbol; hen: reality), but we do not have the disappearance ) and reappearance (resurrection) that are always part of the comg Bag routine today. en came to me the revelation, in flashes, of the symbol of so many ~f the !oss of the alleged symbolism. The cause would be because the egg tricks, some more evident than others. Linking Rings: To magically undo a chain of metal rings is an act of is fraglle, and ha~dling it without breaking it, while hitting and crumpling ation. What would the effect be like if done with wooden rings, no mat- the bag to prove 1t empty, seems nearly impossible. Doing so while con- how thick and solid they were? What if it were done with metal squares? cealing an egg inside the bag carries serious risk of a disastrous result: If the egg breaks, the bag and the magician's hands will be a mess. test proposed, imagined or real: Show two loose rings. Link them It's a good point, I admit. But what if the trick were done with a hea cally. Hand them out and wait. When the spectators return the rings, 't you hear them ask if you can unlink them, separate them, release lead ball? That would be much more difficult to conceal. Or what if the tri: from each other? You now show the two linked rings. You unlink were done with a thin, glass light bulb? That is even more fragile than the em magically and hand them out separated, free. And wait. Wait. Wait .... egg and more dangerous, should it break The magician's hands might be cut. u can wait forever; you will probably never hear anyone say, "Can you If anyone wants to try performing these ideas with a lead ball or a light kthem again?" We want to be free, not chained. bulb, I'll bet that, although the trick will be effective, it will lose a signifi- If I am right in regard to the symbolism of this trick, every routine should cant amount of the charm and fascination generated by the classic trick: not with the striking image of a chain of rings, all linked together, but the production of the egg (the creation of life), which then disappears less dramatic image, totally faithful to human desire and symbol, (death), then triumphantly reappears (resurrection, renaissance). I finish by cracking the egg into a glass-it's real! the rings loose, representing liberation. The artistic intuition of magi- There is a reason why this is still the classic version, the one that routines, from Odin to Slydini, from Farelli to Vernon, and they all end with has survived through the centuries, outlasting the other early version as the chain undone, with the rings separated, with the dreamed freedom. We I through the centuries has worked once again. I studied all the classic ) presented by Fawkes and others, in which many eggs, then a hen, were like to feel that the chains are broken. In Slydini's wonderful routine, the produced from a large bag. In that version, there was only the symbol- unlinked rings are thrown into the air and fall to roll loose and haphaz- ism of creation, and the number of eggs became more important than ardly around the stage. Can there be a better, more artistic way to show the the symbolism. From the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries this destruction of a chain, the beautiful sensation of total liberation?17 . ' vers10n was often presented at rural fairs. In those more agrarian times, 17. "Down with chains!" has always being the quintessential exclamation of freedom. 78 79 In the Coin Assembly we have the reunion of four coins placed int four comers of an imaginary square. Why four? Assemblies have alwa practice is to use four and only four coins, which is what the been done with four elements: four Aces (of course, since there are ed. Once again, my analysis consisted of recognizing the path and artistic attitude of magicians through the centuries have 0 four!), but also four sugar cubes, four little cones, four coins. Not five. N three. Does it have anything to do with the universal metaphysical SYmb of the reunion of the four elements? Four elements, four cardinal points the four winds, the four ages of man .... 18 But after further thought I wondered if this eagerness to look :'beyonctn' is merely midnight fantasizing. Does it really point to a deeper truth? traveling it, to reach the same point that the intuition of artistic I s had long known. companying these ·examples, I had a disquieting /sensation when ht of certain magical effects that had been veryrpopular but are g ' . seen in today's repertoires, such as the Miser's Dream or the magi- iconic production of a rabbit from a hat. Let's check: If we did a Coin Assembly with five coins, laid out in the That continuous and inexhaustible production of coins from the air or form of a pentagon or in a square with the fifth coin in the center, the effect would not have the same charm. Why? What if it were done with spectators' ears was enormously popular, having T. Nelson Downs its supreme exponent-until the 1950s. Obviously the production of three coins, in a "divine" triangle? No! The effect would be too brief- for y from the air, caught at the fingertips, fulfills a desire in a great num- looking past symbolism, there is a reason of dramatic structure that' dic-' tates the use of four coins. Although four coins are brought together, there of men and women. To watch someone who has that power satisfies and evokes admiration. are only three magical translocations, and we know how a structure of Frakson's idea of depositing the coins in a champagne bucket to amplify three is so attuned to life (pim, pam, pum) and to art (toe, toc ... tocotoc). noise of their arrival made the effect more dramatic, although it may be So it may be that the insistence on four coins is only to exercise the reso- t the older use of the magician's hat (with a plate inside to dramatize the nance of coins magically traveling three times, and has nothing to do with the four elements or any other symbols. und of the coins as they fell) contributed a more personal touch. We can keep the number at three by using only three coins and leaving the fourth comer of our imaginary square empty, to serve as the place gold coin, in past centuries, was worth a considerable amount, 20 maybe a month's salary. Therefore, the production of dozens of such coins could where the three coins assemble. But once again, the effect is weakened. make you rich. But with the increasing use of paper currency and the Try it for yourself. In this case, there is no reunion of four elements and the symbolism is evidently lost. ;continuous devaluation of money, coins are now regarded only as "loose Let's remember Empedocles's observation that the reunion of the four elements is equivalent to the sensation of cosmic union (love), and their dren, to whom they are like bags of candy. So, despite its inherent meaning, the'\effect has become noticeably diminished, and the trick has gradually later and cyclical separation to that of a break-up (hatred). 19 Therefore, lost its capacity to excite. It has been humbled to a demonstration of mag- 18. Luis Garcia first suggested to me the idea of the metaphoric value of the ical skill, always surprising but lacking symbolic power, appealing to the effect of the reunion of four objects (the four Aces) implying the reunion of the four elements. coins or Aces-has so little magical strength. It barely affects the spectators, and it is often presented as a mere embellishment of a direct assembly or, when performing for magicians, as something novel. 20. The symbol here is the evidence. 19. This explains, too, why the Reverse Assembly-the separation of the four coins that have gathered, the separation of the four elements, whether they be That aside, I gradually began to understand-or to believe I did-that change". Today, producing dozens of coins seems important only to chil- desires only of children (note that Flosso used ~.....,u,_,,_,,.__,..._. as particip\ ant s, beliefs and feelings of mine convince me that tricks become does Jeff McBride) and of the very poor and unfortunate. Yet the symbou value of inexhaustible creation from nothing remains. and remain classics due to the factors I outlined earlier but also . On the other hand, the production of a rabbit out of a hat, when Pre · trinsic pa:rt of the symbol is its ability to be polyvalent: It can m , sented at country fairs and in times of hunger, represented food for on even several, days. Whoever had the gift of making rabbits appear from hat had his daily nourishment assured. Once magic entered theaters and parlors, middle-class audiences felt· of their symbolic and metaphoric power. And remember here es have several meanings, even contradictory onys. This can be any mythology. Hermes-Mercury is the god of my~tery and at the time of commerce. The night can symbolize poetry, but also death the lack of certain things in their lives, but their basic needs were satis- sun), etc. This means tha,t a single magical effect can symbolize different things. fied. Hunger was not a problem. The decline of the Rabbit from Hat thus must bear that in mind. We are not practicing an exact science. becomes comprehensible. Nowadays, the little rabbit produces maternal A new question .arises now: Do the magician and the audience need to instincts and tenderness, especially in children, for whom it continues to be a wonderful and fascinating trick 21 conscious of the implicit symbol in the effect to feel and enjoy the magic? The examples above raise certain considerations: Magic is an art that bodied in the magical effect; we are talking about art, not philosophy. fulfills the impossible wishes of human beings within an artistic reality. more than enough if spectators perceive the symbol, feel it, through Those impossible wishes may change with time or circumstance. What, ir artistic sensitivity, subconsciously. That will of course depend largely for instance, would be the effect of the Okito Floating Ball done in an orbiting space craft? (I am writing this in 2015.) each spectator's sensitivity and intuition. But this is true of all the arts. thout a sensitivity for painting, we could perceive a painted image as A reduced metaphoric or evident value, and a direct devaluation of cold and simple representation of a landscape, a situation or a person, symbolic value, are both felt by the magician and his audience as a loss in 'thout it moving us or touching us. In magic, I believe that, aside from his magical power. Consequently, his fascination decreases, leaving only e playful capacity in spectators, related in some way to their attitude the residual value of the impossible and the surprising (which is not negligible but is also not great). ,;toward wonder, we should add the facility, or lack thereof, to let their If the magical effect more robustly expresses the power of the symbol son, their anxiety or taste for mystery, their eagerness for adventure; and metaphorically, it produces a better emotional experience and a greater · we must not forget their intuition for capturing the deep and polyvalent degree of fascination in the spectators; and it is also felt intuitively by magical artist himself. ·• Significance of the symbol or symbols that fulfill, subconsciously, their 21. On the other hand, in the origin of the trick, said to be based on the popularity of the story of Mary Tofts, who in 1726 claimed to give birth to several live rabbits, the trick possessed a sense of the creation of life, which I believe it hasn't entirely lost. See Edwin A. Dawes's exhaustive analysis of the Tofts story in A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities, Parts 1 and 2, 2010, Peter Scarlett Magic, pp. 646-54. I don't think an audience needs to be consciously aware of the symbol ''inner child" emerge and live, the capacity of their well-structured rea- impossible wishes, the dreamed wishes of mankind. As far as the magician is concerned, I don't think it does any harm for him to be conscious of the symbolism of his magic, since feeling it internally can make his interpretation more sensitive, more suggestive. Suggestion and sensitivity are virtues of any art. We'll leave "demonstration" to science, "profundity" to philosophy and "transformation of knowledge" to pedagogy. n the creation of life-or perhaps rebirth, when the egg reappears after ese lists as an intellectual game. Complete them and transform ·king Or you can ignore them, even close this book, and con~m l1 . . . true artistic enjoyment that includes thinking about, rehearsmg, disappearance ( death)-why exchange the egg for a lemon, a lead ball experiencing and then bringing others to experience, through a light bulb, even though those are more visual, heavy, fragile, dangero ances and presentations, the beautiful, impossiblr, dreamed and or difficult to conceal than the egg? ing effects that constitute our wonderful art of m<\1,gic. Awareness of implicit symbolism can also help the magician to av spoiling it or fighting it. If I know that the symbolism of the Egg Bag Does the fact that the effect has been done for centuries with an e mean that magicians have been aware of its symbolism, which is why th haven't changed it for another object? I don't think so. Rather, I believ that the artistic intuition of magicians has led them to esteem the effec more highly when it is done with an egg, due perhaps to a subconscious sense of its symbolism. There is also a factor of Darwinian development ' an evolution common to all arts and to cultures. Magicians have tried per- forming the effect with a lemon, with a crystal cup, a Ping-Pong ball. I have seen their attempts. But all those versions faded away, because they weren't as successful as the original version with the egg, which transmits the beautiful symbol of the creation and re-creation of life. Magic is an art that deals with reason and intuition. After all, the aforementioned sensitivity to the wonderful depends to a high degree on the undefined intuition that symbolically makes us feel the dreamed wish. The true beauty of magic doesn't lie, or perhaps just lie, in graceful execution; or in staging; or in the aesthetics of decoration, lighting and costumes; or in the comedy or poetry of the patter. It is rather a com~ bination of the logical impossibility of the effect with the fascination it produces. Above all, it grants and fulfills the experience of an impossible dreamed wish, making it feel possible. And that sensation often comes to us in metaphoric form, through implicit symbolism. Should it be of interest, suffering and friendly reader, in Appendices 2 and 3 you will :firtd a detailed history of my comprehension of the value of the symbolic way, as well as some lists, more or less subjective and more or less complete, sketches really, of the desires of mankind and of some symbols that might be contained in some of the most frequently performed tricks and effects, among which are most of the classics. Please n AN EXAMPLE OF A PRACTlCAL APPL1CAT10N OF THE THEORY OF SYMBOLlC MAGlC The Magic of the Spheres Written and published in 1984 in the Circular of the Escuela Magica de Madrid, the following mini-essay is an attempt to apply the knowledge of the symbolic value of magic to a specific case: the Multiplying Balls. Playing with freeing the mind, I begin with ideas and down-to-earth "advice" iforgive the arro.gance) that I chose not to censor, to later elevate myself in an aerostatic trip (in a spherical globe, of course) to the region of metaphor and symbol. I hereby transcribe: "\ I remember the beautiful multiplying-balls routine, done with white balls, presented by the superb Pepe Carrol as part of his act "The Four Seasons". He began it by picking up some snow and kneading it into a ball that materialized in his hands. Then the one multiplied to thirteen snowballs, as the music of Vivaldi ( of course!) played. I did a multiplying-ball routine myself when I started in magic. The balls always attracted me in a special way: their shape (the beautiful sphere), 86 87 the life they acquire as they rotate through the fingers, and undoubte their symbolism. until the routine happens by itself, but avoid over-practice, the Here are some ideas drawn from the experience of those years from ~dvice r~ceived, both spoken and written. I'll begin with some Pure practical details, and then interlace them with other ideas and . . cons1de at10ns, some logical, some crazy, in a sort of personal brainstorm. I'll te them to you and to myself (I am aware that some are obvious). oint at which you don't feel what you're doing: You do it because p . you can, but it becomes boring. And then perform it as if you were doing it for tl\e first time. Be surprised by the color change, or seem doubtful a9out the produc- tion, or anxious about the vanish, or feel fear at t~e inexhaustible multiplication, or enjoy the effect achieved with the risky flourish 1. Use hand cream for dry hands. that succeeded, etc. 22 The Theory of the Little Monkeys (p. 365): Talk to the balls, get to Wherever it is permitted, use a cigarette and smoke it for mi·sd· . irection, naturalness of the hand when palming something, and use of the smoke to make productions more magical, etc. personal: the playful ball, the serious one, the restless one that 3. Combine sequences with and without a shell (thanks, Buatier de always slips away, the lazy ball that no one can move, the bashful Kolta!). Very deceptive. Consider using a double shell-one fits one that blushes when you talk to it (Thank you, Frakson!). Talk inside the other and pivots to close into a complete ball, thanks to to them during rehearsal and in performance. Communicate with gravity-an excellent gimmick, almost forgotten today. Two shells properly handled and cleverly used are a deadly weapon. them mentally, ask them for help, get upset with them, thank them ~truc~e a routine with a single accumulative effect (multiplication), rncluding details to escape monotony. In another routine ( or part of 10. Don't overdo one single flourish (the ball roll) unless you master the same one), look for diversity of effects: color changes, increases in speed. Instead, sprinkle the routine with varied flourishes: slipping size, ball to silk, endless production from mouth or silk, ball through silk, etc. Create variety in effect without losing u:n:ifonnity. over the fingers, throwing and catching between fingers in front of 2. 4. 5. know them individually, paint them yourself to make them more for their collaboration. it to a high degree and can do it with an attractive excellence or you and behind your back, rolling between the forefingers, making two balls rise from the palms to the fingertips, etc. Combine balls and other props in this second type ( or phase) of routine: silk, hat, wand, rope, ribbons, cards ... 11. Also add some semi-magical flourishes here and there: balancing 6. Regarding color changes with the balls, you can find my thoughts a ball on the brim of your hat, or on a rope, or over the edge of a in my book Magicolor discussing contrast, misdirection, visual quality, aesthetics, psychology, etc. silk, or floating a ball, propelling a ball (by a hidden rubber band), 7. Practice with somewhat larger balls than those you are going to talking to someone or watching TV. Go through the motions only, "'12. Front loads. Remember the wonderful teaching of Frakson. Watch Kaps, Frakson and Calvert over and over on video. Aim for an indetectable, safe, automatic, unsuspected technique; don't stop until you achieve perfect technique (which will never happen, except for Ascanio). without props. Rehearse mentally in the subway, on the beach, in 22. Study the beauty of this kind of approach to ball manipulation in the lyrical use. And practice without hand cream. The real performances will then be easier. Do the riskiest and most difficult moves in rehearsal. Practice at a faster pace. Execute the routine while bed. Practice to make all gestures and movements second nature ' or spinning one on a fingertip or while balanced on another ball ... writings of Jacques Delord, especially his books. 13. Topit! 14. Pull! 15. Jack Miller's Holdout. 16. Blu Tack. 17. Threads! 18. And the ten assistants!!! wish? Play with the sphere? Do balls represent planets? Magic of the spheres? Symbol of creation: the appearance and multiplication of planets and stars? Sphere = ball = world? Sphere: infinite and one? Creation of life, reproduction of cells, ?f the primitive egg? Multiplicity _in the unit (pre-Socratic)? Sp/here = whole? Man in paradise, androgynous and spherical (Pl~to and the ban- _19. Above all, on top of everything else, your head (as round as the balls and, let's hope, not m~de of wood). quet), because "the sphere is the image of totalitJ" and perfection" 20. Angles. Practice with friends, with critics, with video. A good round shapes? Breasts, buttocks, balls, the sensuality of curves? example is the routine described in Mosaico Magico by the great Perhaps the geometrical perfection and undeniable beauty of the Roden from Argentina, which is streamlined for special conditions like parlor and stage. sphere are attractive in and of themselves? Evocation of nature 21. Outs: Shoe with Blu Tack in the arch of the sole to pick up dropped (Cirlot's Dictionary of Symbols). The eroticism of spherical and (most fruits are spherical)? Micro- and macrocosms; atoms and suns? The alchemic egg, the alchemist's rotundus? balls. Extra balls to load when balls are dropped. Elegant kick 24. Look for presentations that suggest, are connected to or involve (with the heel?). Cane production and using it to hit a ball on the two or more of the ideas mentioned above (billiards, planets, floor as with a golf club, and sneak it into a top hat conveniently alchemy, geometry, geomancy, sensuality... ). Be aware of the huge placed on the floor. Cane with Blu Tack, etc. Think · meditate magical power (the naturally inherent power) of these extremely ' ' imagine, foresee, mentally improvise, express horror (comically beautiful, mysterious and unique objects, the spheres. exaggerated), charisma. Pick up the ball from the floor with sur- 25. Experiment with different materials. Combine them. Or choose reptitious actions, as if trying to avoid being seen (looking in the the one that is best adapted to the techniques and symbolic sub- wings first, then winking at the audience in complicity). Think, ject: wood, marble, rubber, crystal, sponge, cloth, plastic, celluloid, think, think, trick, trick, trick Relaxed and loose: attempting to achieve mastery. cork, leather, soap bubbles, lead, steel. ... Do the same regarding 22. Study or at least get acquainted with what the minds of other cre- front of a white handkerchief and suit (demoniac), w:hite in front ators have achieved, the history of ball manipulation: Buatier de of a black suit and handkerchief (purity), of fire like the sun, of Kolta, David Devant, Clement de Lyon, Roden, Martinez Muro, rubber like balloons, of Blu Tack, with colored wedges, balls as Adrio, Gamar, Hausson, Ron MacMillan, Geoffrey Buckingham, little world globes, bright as stars, silvery like the magic, green Edward Victor, Richard Ross, Peter Marvey, Peter Gloviczki, Norbert Ferre .... or red as fruit, soft, rough, flat, fragile, light, heavy, with drawings 23. Search, think, imagine, reason and figure out why magic with color, brilliance, touch, size, etc. Opaque, with sequins, black in of faces, of planets, with numbers on them, with small letters, medium, large, huge or tiny.... balls has been done and is done. Beginnings of flourishes and 26. Role of the manipulator and of the balls: Do we control the balls? small manipulations with billiard balls in English billiard rooms. Do they rule us? Are they magical? Are they annoying? Do they (David Devant and others before him.) Do they respond to some revel? Do they obey us? Are they aggressive? Do they escape, slip 90 91 away or want to go? Why do they turn? When do they tum? Whe :n) A Ping-Pong ball to golf ball, to billiard ball, to petanque ball, to do they change color, shape, size, material or relative positions · the hands? And why? What do these changes make the manipula tor feel? Is he a magician? Does he master his magic? 27. New ideas, new effects: bowling ball, to soccer ball .... 0 ) A crazy ball that makes strange rotations on the palm or on a transparent table. Its path is mentally controll~d by the magician with verbal commands: Stop! Turn! Continpe! a) Elastic ball. p) Ohl-a surprise· in the routine. b) Eyeballs. Iris changes color: Hazel eyes turn green, then black q) A bomb ball: final explosion of one, of all, a chain reaction. ' then blue (but never surpass the beauty of those of the author' r) A ball transforms into smoke of the same color. of this book). s) Balls on a board decorated as a music stave. Each ball is a c) Fireballs. musical note that makes the appropriate sound. To finish, the d) Broken; disintegrated and restored. magician plays a melody by touching the balls. e) Fusion of two into one, of several into one, at once or gradually; of two colors into a bi-colored ball, a lemon plus a tomato equals a tangerine or a small orange; separation of the colors in · a mixed color (blue and yellow from green). t) A weightless ball that suddenly becomes heavy and falls on a spectator's hand. u) A black hole that engulfs everything and makes it disappear. v) A lead ball to feather ball. It elevates-a balloon-disappears. f) Rainbow: A white ball multiplies, or seven colors emerge from w) "Magnetic" crystal balls. They stick to the hands, to the face. it. Every one turns into a fruit of that color: plum, apple, lime, lemon, orange ... and all meld into a white egg. g) Ball to storm of little balls. x) Sexiballogy. Wow! h) Ball to cane knob, comes and goes (this effect has been done). y) Buatier de Kolta's "Expanding Die" done with a ball: from little ball to huge ball with the production of a person inside. Extreme: to a ball the size of the world and we all come out of it. i) Gas or smoke condensed into a solid ball. Ball to water foun- z) Zzzzz! Don't fall asleep, man! Wake up, woman! Let's think, tain or transformed into a liquid ( cherry wine, for example), it flows to fill a small glass. Cheers! think, think, have fun, enjoy and obtain the maximum pleasure j) Impossible balancing of two or three balls to form a little spinning from the wonderful magic of the balls, the magic of ~he spheres. tower, all rotating in the same direction or in opposite directions. k) A fortune-telling ball that speaks, or answers questions with little bounces, turns or movements. 1) A ball that goes up a ramp, or goes up and down, up a cane, down a cane. A ball that falls to the floor, and then climbs up your leg to your hand, or rises inside your sleeve. m) A ball that spins around another ball on a crystal table or, better, in the air. Planetary: a sun ball that is luminous, a moon ball that waxes from new moon to full moon. with these ideas and with others that occur to you, old and new, 92 93 A Study of a Truly Magical Effect: ''El Cochecito" "Can you do the trick with the little car. "Did you bring the little car. . ts • That's as close as it gets to creation. Creating something obJeC . ,, . d· and then giving it life and soul! And "El Cochecito thing, goo , . · tion one that reaches us visually and tactilely, ouble amma ' .and that reaches · us intellectually and conceptually. We see the little and, in the best of cases, we tactilely feel that wf cant make it farther, no m atter how · hard we push with our finger. On the other 1 I have heard those questions, and other similar ones, hundreds of tim over the past forty years. When, in 1971, Albert Charra excited emotions me as I watched a red, wooden, toy car stop when someone tried to pus it farther, I felt the urge to try pushing it myself-and when I did, what incredible sensation! The wise little car refused to continue, indicatin to me where the chosen card rested. What true wonder that memory sti produces in me. Infinite thanks to Dick Koomwinder, its creator! , • ,i · i·ntelligent· No matter who pushes it, it stops · exactly over the car is the deck, front of the Chosen card' no matter how· much we shuffle . er how muCh W e change the location of the selectmn on the table ong the other cards, even with their faces hidden. It knows what selecte d card is and always knows where it is. It knows more than the sentation, applied the Method of False Solutions and The Magic Way, tators themselves , who chose it but don't know its location (the cards 6huffled face down during the last phase of the trick). It knows more · · who doesn't know its location either-or its identity! the magician, sometimes combining these with Morlas's transparent car. little car, now alive, is more than intelligent. It's wise. It's psychic! That's the sensation I've attempted to transmit ever since with this trick Year after year I've added psychological subtleties, details in pre- But let's analyze: What does this trick have to make it one of the most So the effect is one of animation and the creation of intelligent life~ fascinating, one of the most memorable (ask any professional), one of the most magical? re than intelligent. A little toy car with a life of its own, wise and psychic! To begin with, there is an extremely clever secret, of course! If the Cavern ons we discussed earlier that must be met for an effect to be good or a of the Secret had an easy entrance, that would prevent us from continuing sic: The effect is clear, direct and easily described (the car stops at the along The Magic Way. After the first effect, the spectator could think of magnets or stooges. But there are no magnets or stooges! The attitude and reactions of the various people who push the car stop the false solution of stooges. And even on Tv, even for TV viewers, the possibility of examining the table or of using a transparent tabletop stops the false solution of magnets. Further, is there anything on the card, filings or something? No, because he handed me the deck and asked me to remove any card-and the car stops when passing near or far or on top of the card-I'll continue along The Magic Way. So there are nb magnets, no threads, no stooges. The spectator can go directly to the effect: The Magic Way leads him and he enters and-what does he find? The effect, The Rainbow. We can see that the effect produced is one of the strongest in magic: animation; giving a soul, giving life, to objects that don't possess it, to ), Koomwinder's little car also complies, needless to say, with the con- cted card). It's a strong effect (the car recognizes the card and refuses move). It's repetitive (the car stops over and over at the card). The secret very clever and indetectable, and is strengthened by a good card control of the selection. And the effect possesses symbolic value ( childhood recov;red, animation of objects); it's mythical, beautiful and very po':"erful. Aside from that, consider how fascinating the object itself is! A little wooden car, an authentic toy that returns us to childhood, that clearly makes us fe~l the innocent, imaginative, playful child that still lives within us. 23 See "Magic Is Only for Children" (p. 43). This is why I prefer doing the trick with the wooden car rather than a transparent one. The latter is more of an object, modem, ornamental. I did use the transparent car a long time ago, in certain circumstances only: as a complementary resource in the middle phase of the trick, or when the wooden one suffered a mechanical failure. That's how I used it on the live-broadcast French TV show, Le plus grand cabaret du monde. The effect is full of fascination. It's equally amusing and puzzling. Th car seems to rebel against us. We want it to move and it refuses. It's Wi and knows more than we do. It's an effect that allows us to actually play. " Cochecito" prolongs our excitement during the good seven minutes that go by during the various repetitions. It has a perfect dramatic structure, like detective story. The car locates the card by narrowing the field of possibili.:: ties more and more until one card is isolated and proved to be the selection. The revelation happens exactly when the dramatic tension is at its peak: Will it be it or won't it? This is totally memorable, because it has lasted a sufficiently long time, because it has touched us and almost broken our logical core (it's impossible!), because it's emotional (suggesting the creation of life) and because it's fascinating (recovering childhood with a toy). It doesn't contain any complex moves; only a very good control or glimpse of a very freely selected card, and careful, subtle handling of the car in its preparation and the measurement of distances each time the effect is repeated. But the trick needs to be presented by one of us, a magicianillusionist-prestidigitator, to make the spectators feel the magic and not simply to leave them searching for a solution to gimmicked apparatus. We need to love the trick, to feel it ourselves as well, to enjoy and play with the car, to fascinate and be fascinated by this beautiful and exciting magic trick. 24 By the way, this is a trick I prefer to do in the second half of a session, when the minds of the spectators don't feel overwhelmed by the questions of "how" regarding the logical solution, and when they have surrendered completely to the magical and marvelous solution-when the logical part of the brain surrenders (tired, defeated, asleep?) to the imaginative part. For a time, at the end of the trick, I used to switch the "Koornwindered" car for an ungimmicked duplicate I had made. I then handed this out for examinati<;m. What a silly mistake! They took the car and touched looked at it or kiss~d it, but they didn't search, even slightly, for trickery or gimmickry. They wanted to continue enjoying the marvelous. Sometimes I felt like asking them, "Make the car roll, look at it, check it out carefully. 24. For more comments on the emotions in this trick, see my DVD, Lessons in Magic, Volume 2: "El Cochecito". abandoned such an artistic mistake (and an no .,_._.._,._,~~--., "I . al . switching the car served no purpose). Now, at the end of nc one. . e hand out my beloved Koornwindered car so that people can, 1 tlll ' . . k' ·t wish, look at it, talk to it, ask it something, touch 1t,. 1ss 1 • UU.J•'-'~~~., ,,,_~..-..-.. 1 r 1v up: It is an authentic, artistic, magical, vital jpy! MORE ABOUT EFFECT The Fascinating Effect ere I will discuss, in the form of a temporary summation, thoughts comnted on in the previous pages, but in more detail and occasionally with ~omewhat different approaches that enrich them and lead us to other approaches that will be commented on later. This is, then, another relaxed attempt to analyze the conditions that make an effect fascinating. And let's remember that the effect is the only thing that. reaches the audience. It's the effect it has on them. If the method is ingenious and subtle, new and technically perfect, but the effect it produces is that of a clever ~ puzzle with a difficult solution, the whole is clearly incomplete, made so by its base, its essence; because everything-psychology, misdirection, synchronicity, opportunity, digital and body techniques, ultimately the whole Magic Way-exists because of and for the effect, because of and for The Rainbow. Let's now look at some of the conditions that, in my opinion, help achieve that magical fascination. N 98 ~ Impossible Miracle ~ scinating Miracle Obviously, the first thing needed is a miraculous appearance. If this was ping in mind the previous poin_t, without forgetting it even for a ~ not limited to appearance, if it were a true miracle (if such a thing existed), ment, without losing sight of it .. .is there anything else? Yes, a lot more, ~ we wouldn't be in the domain of art but in that of religion and mysticism. elieve: Fascinating emotion-:-The effect should touch me. It should not only ~ ~ 99 In other words, we require the Impossible. This is what we are trying to achieve, with the help of all the elements n:i-entioned earlier. That's what is specific to our art. An effect is magical because of its impossibility. Therein lies the beginning of the authentic beauty of a magical effect: It should be impossible, and the more impossible it is, the more beautiful ' the more artistic, the more magical it will be. It should be astonishingly impossible. Its impossibility should trans- port us to another dimension. It should be so strong, so powerful, that it tears your logical structure apart, at least during the moment you receive the magical impact, and perhaps also throughout the session and while its echo lasts, inviting you to suspend your disbelief and dive into the magical bubble-The Rainbow. I think one can never insist enough on this point. The power of the logical impossibility, I repeat, is the unique quality of our art. Without it, without that requisite, we are not, I feel, in the domain of magic but in those of other arts (whether they be mime, drama or dance). They are as respectable, as desirable, as beautiful, but still they are not ours. The logically impossible is as essential to our magic as music is to opera. If the words are beautiful, if the script is dramatic, if the decoration, lighting, costumes and performances are magnificent, none of this matters if the music, the musical quality and its interpretation through voice, choirs and orchestra are mediocre. As a potential receiver of the beauty of the opera, I can't ignore the music to admire and enjoy the other qualities. Only if the music is beautiful, and only then, can I take another step and ~njoy the other qualities that, put at the service of the music, have enhanced its beauty. So I stubbornly insist and repeat again: The logical impossibility, the power of the impossible, is the primary thing, the prior condition, for an effect to be magical. It's the quintessence of our art. 1 address my ability to reason but also my feelings. It should awaken or stir ;in me feelings through, always through, that logical impossibility. That which makes me momentarily push aside the Bull of Logic and sets the <Horse of Imagination free, to feel alive, joyful, happy to fly. And those feelings, those emotions of the Winged Horse, should allow me to experience the beauty of the illogical impossibility, by now a logical possibility, magical emotion, which is to say: fascination. 25 But how is this emotion achieved? How do you feed the Winged Horse to give him the strength and the drive to fly? I can identify some elements which, expressed succinctly, would be: 1) Fascinating patter-Well balanced, with the power of charm, vari- ety in tone and expression. Improvisation. A connecting thread. Voice technique. 2) Spoken presentation-Begin with a foreword, a promise of the effect (magic-catalog style) that arouses interest, whether it concerns the situation presented, the difficulty or the impossibility of the goal, or some other element. 3) Interesting props-The objects used in the effect could contribute interest in themselves: surrealistic, gifted with power, outrageous, beautiful. .. 4') Creation of atmosphere-Tone of voice, words, spells, added elements, lighting, space. created through pantomime, a magic bubble, etc. Dreamy atmosphere, unreal. Physically and psychologically joyful. The atmosphere that would surround the realization of a miracle. 5) Suspension of disbelief-But not from the beginning, as in the theater or movies. It should occur after the first stage, during which 25. In The Magic Way I explain this more clearly and thoroughly. 0 the of Logic has attempted to comprehend and eventually gives up. It is an anti-logical, pro-fascination battle. b) Communication. Techniques. (The Five Points in Magic) c) Truth and authenticity. Adapt these to the magic and the magi- 6) Opportunism-Performing the effect when it is really desired or cian. Patter is better when seasoned with facts and authentic when it doesn't "bother" the spectators. Being announced, having sessions requested, avoiding breaking up a party to show our stories. d) Depth and richness of the inner world. The performer. e) Love. Love yourself. Love the spectators. Love what you do: tricks. Duration: always a little shorter than desired . . 7) Challenge, Conflict-Careful handling of the elements of the challenge, conflict between the security afforded to the spectator by his logical grid and our proposal. Be his guide in the insecure, slippery but fascinating world of the magical. Help him in that time that he can't control. Transform a chaotic lack of control into a voluntary and joyful lack of control (in the style of a sexual orgasm). 8) Rhythm-Cadence, rhythmical structures, downbeats and upbeats, changes of pace, crescendos, tempo, beat, pauses! 9) Dramagic structures-Curves of interest. The dramagic conflict: its presentation and development. The dramagic climax. Tricks, routines, sessions, their structure. I will enumerate three additional points that help make the effect fascinating. 10) Beauty a) Gestural, manipulative, body language and pantomime. b) Visual. c) Literary. d) Musical. e) Humor, irony, comedic situations, intellect. 11) The Search for Innocence-Childhood Recovered a) Games and toys. b) Playful things. c) The pre-logical. d) Magic paraphernalia. e) Game situations. Roles. 12) The Magician-The Person a) Energy. Emission and physical transmission. The solar plexus. magic. The session as an act of love. We will be looking at these thoughts and points in more depth in the chapters to come. 103 102 The Effect and the Secret Method (A Love Story) Presentation and Approach Se,cret method and effect, a couple in the magical triangle ( completed by the personality of the magician-but that's another story). The beauty of the method affects the effect ( or its perception by the spectators) through the emotion the interpreter, the magician, feels and produces. r Distancings es it can be just an excessive ~implicity in executing the method, a . al simplicity26 that prevents the sensitive interpreter from acquire t te of grace wherein his spirit vibrates and makes the spirit of thats a • spectators experiencing the miracle resonate. It will lack the fire, the trembling beauty of myste,ry, the necessary • SJ.OU. Oh , that terrible and deceptive simplicity! If the secret method is elegant, beautiful, clever, intelligent, and if t~e interpreter knows it and feels it in that way, he can recreate himself in it- e are, occasionally, other dangers, not the least of which is an exces- his intimate knowledge, his personal secret-and communicate, transmit e self-complacency of the interpreter with the method, a method not not the secret but the emotion of its beauty. equately balanced with the effect perceived, with the beauty and impact The inner happiness, the pleasure of the interpreter who knows and loves how the miracle is being accomplished, will let itself be perceived; the effect: good effect, poor method. The spectators, confused, can't really understand such complacency and the spectators, without really knowing why, will feel immersed in that the interpreter. They are outside and left cold, no longer wishing to contagious joy, an inner joy. The trick may be sad or dramatic, unsettling or ~company the interpreter-guide any further along The Magic Way that distressing; it makes no difference. It is all within the realm of art. The joy is will lead them to such plain and discolored semi-mystery, a gray substi- part of life and therefore part of reality-or of that thing we call reality-the tute for The Rainbow. 27 It is, then, appropriate to continue rendering maximum worship to His joy that emanates beauty. The effect is thus perceived as more beautiful. Distancing Simplistic methods, excessive trickery, flat ingeniousness, a clumsy or sloppy structure lacking elegance; these things don't satisfy the interpre- Majesty, the Effect, but to have it served by good vassals (methods). May it not be said, either, of the method what an anonymous poet sang in memorable verses of The Poem of the Cid: "God! What a good vassal, if •· he only had a good master!" tive artist. What can he transmit? Encounter, Harmony, Symbiosis Yes, I know: Perhaps he's the only one who knows the flatness of the Frqm lines and between the lines it begins to emerge (I hope, I wish): method (marked cards, stooges, others). the possible, although hard to achieve, coordinated dance between subtle Just him? effect and method-king and vassal, in a democratically cheek-to-cheek If he's a good interpreter, a good communicator of emotions and pirouette, tracing in an air of artistic representation the immense beauty experiences, if he is really an artist, how could he not transmit the discomfort caused by the use of simplistic methods and ungainly tools to achieve the effect? And if he's a bad interpreter-what else matters? 26. I am referring here to all techniques: of the hands, the body and psychology. 27. The opposite case-average effect, good method-is very different when included in a lecture or a demonstration for fellow magicians. But that, if it were art, would be another art. N of ~ystery, to the tempo of astonishment, with an air of impossibi)ity, th music of dreams and desires and words of cleverness inte111·ge nee au . ' , elegant, excited beauty-magic. Variety in Effects "Please, t}Ot just card tricks. That's boring." And Ole! heard this and similar phrases said with the best of intentions by magicians. Advice from good friends regarding a future close-up . Written while flying over the equator, now in magical transition from autumn to s:pring, c session, or a future television show or series: "Not ~11 cards." on the 10th ( and here already 11th) of October 1997 Variety-that seems to be the magic word, the final objective of such during hours repeated or lengthened' ·ce and comments, based on a laudable wish that the audience not while traveling from east to west- me bored. Variety-and in its name a manipulator is followed by a stage-illusion thus in a magical time. then by a comedy magician, etc. Variety-and in its name a card trick, two coin tricks, one trick with ·ves and three with ropes. Variety-and in its name two vanishes, one color change and a multication to conclude . .Although not totally opposed to this idea, I'll express my thoughts, Variety, yes-but a variety of emotions. Variety, yes-but uniform. Not inconsistent. Not a mosaic. Variety, yes-but within the essential in every work of art. Within the unit. I'll explain. There is no variety, for me, in a session only because it begins with cards, continues with coins and ends with ropes. Because, if the card trick is a color-changing deck, the silver coins change to copper, andthe ropes are magically dyed, the sensation for the audience will be of monotony. The same happens in certain manipulation acts in which the magician ,,,. makes a ball become two balls and continues to produce eight; he then makes a thimble tum into two thimbles, progressing to ten; and then produces some cards, which he multiplies at his fingertips. True variety, I insist, lies in the types of emotions you convey, rather than in the props, as long as the requirement of a stylistic unity is fulfilled. For example-and here I will exaggerate greatly to make my pointlet's say a session begins with the production of a deck of cards and N continues with one or two routines in which spectators participate the cards traveling from one person to another or assembling in some~ ental effects, astonishment· and charm induced by others, shared e and laughs while playing and feeling part of a group in the egg- the whole audience yelling the name of the card to the astonished person er gag and in its final "choir". We should strive carefully for such variety, yet maintain an orderly · n of emotions and avoid jumping haphazardly from one emogress10 . r Such erratic changes would create a sen.se of confus10n m nto anothe · spectators. I believe a spectator should know, consfiously or subconthe nature of what he is watching and the emotion he is sharing 1 usY, 'th the rest of the audience. It wouldn't make sense to open with a mental effect, follow it with a who chose it, he unaware that it is being shown to everyone behind his ual one, go back to mind reading, then do a comic effect, then a visual back. This session (one of many the huge variety of effects with cards e, followed by a demonstration of skill, another mental effect, a visual makes possible) will be infinitely more varied than the ones we just men- e, etc. Spectators would feel they are being swung from one emotion another, back and forth, jumping from here to there, without having a one's hands; then comes a Rising Cards effect, after which the cards are transformed several times at the fingertips ( color changes); then some flourishes are performed, including card spreads, fans and fancy cuts With multiple packets; then a little car, pushed by a spectator's finger, stops repeatedly at a chosen card; then two cards are predicted, followed by the divination of cards in packets held by three spectators; and the set closes with a gag divination involving thought projection using an eggbeater and tioned, consisting of only productions and multiplications. ! . . Needless to say, this variety of effects produces a variety of emotions chance to settle into a particular mood. They will end up totally absent, that, without a doubt, would better be integrated into a unity: a harmony emotionally and even physically. They will feel tired, even bored, by such of props and an accordance of style governed by the personality of the magician. It doesn't matter if Rene Lavand does the card transformations ,Jnisarranged variety. Therefore, in my judgment, the emotions transmitted by every trick of his "Pygmalion" routine or continues with the travels of "Perhaps, a session should be carefully sequenced. In the varied card session Some Day"; there will always be the unity of that extremely beautiful and previously outlined, we begin with laughter and move into more magical impressive style that Rene imparts to his effects. and powerful effects, sprinkled with little gags in the spectator-participa- respected, even if you choose to open the session with a gag. After the tion routines (Cards Across). The cards continue to move, now visually, in the Rising Cards. A sort of intermission is produced as the spectators humorous introduction, you can continue with impossible translocations, r,elax while watching skillful juggling and flourishes. The s~cond portion then visual effects, demonstrations of skill (card juggling and flourishes) of the session moves into the area of mental effects, beginning with "El and finish with mental effects, wrapping them up with a comic end- Cochecito" (laughs, tenderness and divination by an "animated" object), ing, the humor relating in its emotion to that in the introductory effect. th;n progressing to predictions and the divination of groups of cards. The Respecting unity here consists of maintaining the personality (the stron- style of the presentation has evolved without sudden transitions, from the ger the personality, the easier this is) and preserving the style (we can do lighthearted first portion of the performance to a more dramatic second a comedy effect, a mental effect and a visual effect without altering or half, with the magician becoming progressively more serious. Everything losing the style). is summed up in a final mental effect with a strong element of comedy, the And that unity of style and personality should always be carefully Naturally, that variety of effects will produce a variety of emotions in eggbeater. This ends with laughs, the joy of living and fun shared with the the spectators: amazement at the skillful flourishes, mystery invoked by whole audience. It reprises all the emotional elements presented, and it (') relieves the tension that the mental effects demand. The result is an apotheosis of magic, humor, joy and pleasure. The steps from the first part of the performance to the second have Effect, in Effect, with Affection (In Memory of Jose Frakson:·a Magical Effect in Himself) etimes I still think_;continue to think-about method; in other been made smoothly, with intermediate effects (flourishes) and transitional effects ("El Cochecito", which begins as a joke but btcomes an extremely mysterious and magical divination). rds, about how to con~eal the secret of a trick. And I forget about the . Another marvelous effect for achieving this type of transition is the er the King of Card Effects: the Rising Cards. For this trick, I search for "Invisible Deck". It is funny and poetic in its first half, then becomes grad- method to make the cards rise in a way the spectators, cannot discover. ually more serious and dramatic in the second, resolving in an experience of poetically impossible magic. en I realize, by myself or with help, that the most important thing is that, So you see, we must exercise variety with unity. For that you need ect is in itself attractive. Even I feel it is fascinating, charming. When a harmony of personality, requiring a style, possibly with evolution in the style while avoiding sudden transitions. Stay away from inconsistent e see the card rise by itself, both magician and spectators enjoy that -...,-..m.c.... during which the card, with a soul of its own, moves by itself; it jumps in style and don't be concerned with a variety of props; instead, and rises and rises, and thereby becomes free from the prison of the look for an essential variety of effects and the emotions they transmit. It rises slowly, without hurry, and stops at request, or by its own will, st important thing: His Majesty, the Effect. 28 AB an e~ample, let's con- long as the secret-how the cards are made to rise-is concealed, the I am leaving my opinion here, just in case it should be of use to anyone; pleasure, obedience or revelry, as the case may be. It then continues or at least to encourage reflection on the subject, since such reflection is by no means less important. rise, rise; rising, standing out, individualizing itself in a beautiful, slow, rhythmical, unhurried, almost majestic ascension (to the heavens?). It's a small rise, almost spiritual, as it escapes earthly ties, almost smiling as it overcomes the severe, serious and heavy Universal Law of Gravity. And that's what we· should feel, we magicians; and we should know how to be touched by it and transmit that emotion, helping the spectators to be fascinated and blinded as well. And let's not forget that it's the card that ·was freely selected by, and represents, the spectators. The power is in the word, when the magician or the spectator names the card; in its will, whe,p. it rises when called, when asked; and in the magic of the magician, when the magical passes of his open hand seem to attract the card, helping it to emerge from the others and stand out, unique, alive. Better still, it is the magician who brings the card to life. And it is the card, animated by the magician, that responds to the call of the spectator and appears, exhibits itself, ascends. 28. I use the words Majesty and King without their political-monarchical connotations, which I repudiate. 1 N Animation. Its own life. Liberation. Individualism. Improvement. Ascension: a Glorious Ascension. If this is not magic ... Can anyone offer more? . And who will think now about how the card moves? Who wants to break the doll to see its viscera of wheels and gears? Especially after having seen the proof that there is nothing to move it. Of course, merging joy and pleasure, we are saturated in amazement mystery and astonishment, the specific keys of our art. ' Here then is a possible itinerary of our thoughts and emotions: Surprise (It moves!). Amazement (It rises!). Astonishment (It is the card named!). Mystery (It's impossible!). Acceptance (It really does rise!). Pleasure (What beauty!). Charm and fascination (It's got a life of its own!). And inside, subconsciously, there is the joy and happiness of seeing and attending to the liberation and ascension of the named playing cards, or of ourselves, represented by them. Is it, perhaps, the liberation and ascension of our own souls, our own spirit? All that, and we haven't yet mentioned the suspense felt when waiting for the rising of the second, third, fourth ... cards. Let's not forget that the beautiful phenomenon of the ascension is repeated over and over, with different cards, under different conditions: isolated, in the spectator's hands, inside the card case or in a glass, or with the deck covered by a handkerchief that is pushed up by the card in its unstoppable ascension. Nor have we mentioned the challenge we feel in the repetition of the impossible. And we mustn't take for granted the tricks played by the disobedient card, the playful card that rises when we're not looking, the King that rises only when we bow and give him the royal treatment, the shy card, the aggressive card, the deaf card to which we must yell its name, the card that only rises when it hears its song, the card that rises back outward and magically turns over.... I If this is not drama and magic, a dream lived in reality, with playfulness and beauty, the impossible made possible, wishes granted, myths come true, symbols transmitted subconsciously, and all of that experienced in a group, guided by the magician, yet participating directly in the rite-if this is not magic, what is? f this is not a subtle and complex, fascinating and poetic, exciting and 1 ,werful, playful and beautiful art, "Yhat is? What is? 0 RY lNTRODUCTlON ALMOST all the magnificent writings that deal with the psychology of magic-by Robert-Houdin, Maskelyne, Fitzkee, Vernon, Ascanio, Ortiz and so many others-have addressed important aspects of our art: the rhythm, the grammar, etc. But their overriding focus has been on one thing: misdirection, the art of diverting, weakening or eliminating the spectators' attention toward some point or aspect of a trick But there are other ways to produce illusions in the minds of spectators, such as producing failures in their senses (visual, tact~le, auditory, etc.) and in their memories (visual, auditory, conceptual, etc.). Laws of perception and the failures caused by certain optical, aural ?\ and tactile illusions have been applied in magic and explained in its literature. A few examples are the Phantom Tube, Coin on Forehead, the Click Pass with coins, the Ball Shell. But my task here will be an in-depth study of errors produced in the memory, a subject of maximum interest, yet in our analysis of it virginal (may this unpretentious essay act as a metaphoric, but not painful, deflowering). Please forgive some of the pedantic aspects I may not have managed to disguise. psychologists maintain various.hypotheses about the nature of mem- The Memory. Generalities Some are compatible, some contr?'dicto:ry. I will not get into that here The function of memory is to evoke something that belongs to the past l)ut will refer those who are interested to texts on the subject (see my such as facts, sensations, ideas. But to remember something from the ' micro-bibliography below). For my part, I will apply those ~pects that are past, it must have been encoded in our memory when that thing was in useful in each hypothesis ,for causing weaknesses, errors, or mistakes in the present. In addition, during the entire time el~psed, that thing must the memory of a witness of a magic trick. If you are a stu~ent of psychol- remain in the memory. Encoding, storage and retrieval of the memory are ogy, please don't rend the garments I've woven at the unorthodox loom the three necessary phases for what we call remembering. of hypotheses taken from Bergson, Luria, Schacter and others (some of ' Memory relies on a very complex system. We know there are different types of memory: memory for skills, memory for habits, memory used for recognizing everyday objects, memory for names, semantic memory, conceptual memory, memory for specific events, short-term memory, long-term memory, etc. Each of these is located in a different area of the brain. What I will use here is a practical scheme that is as simple as possible, yet sufficient for our intention of using memory, its evocative capacity which, by the way, are still evolving). Throughout this study we will examine the possibilities of weakening memories or even preventing the recording of a fact, idea or sensation in memory. We will then study techniques that can weaken the permanence of a memory. Later we will deal with techniques that weaken or prevent the recollection of a fact from memory; partial or total oblivion of the fact. Finally, we will study in depth how to acquire techniques that can and its science, to create better illusions both during a trick and after make the recalled memories partially inaccurate or totally false-or even it. Minutes, months, years later, spectators will remember having expe- create a memory of something that never happened. In other words, we rienced the magic, and in the experience of remembering, the magic will will study how to erase, blur and "rewrite" memories of events, and how grow better and better, more beautiful, more mesmerizing. In total, we to create new "memories" of events that never took place. All this will be presented in the context of its use in magic and from an will learn how to ensure that the magical effect doesn't end (die) when the trick is over, but remains alive and growing for a long time, until the essentially practical standpoint. I'll express it in a way I hope is pleasingly moment it is evoked with augmented, luminous joy and fascination. clear and welcoming to other opinions, observations, criticism and, above cuss come not from analysis or reflection but from artistic intuition- not all collaborations intended to revise and complete it. ' The great interest this subject holds for us is evident, as is the huge only mine, of course, but from many magician-artists who came before promise it offers for our knowledge of techniques capable of causing fail- us. Ernst Gombrich already said it in his wonderful Art and Illusion: ur~ in memory. Such techniques are seldom used by magicians, despite Psychologists should ask prestidigitators, who have centuries of experi- the fact-and it's interesting to explore this-that memory is one of the I should point out that several techniques and principles I'll dis- ' ence in these matters. Daniel Schacter wrote something similar: Artists precede scientists in knowledge. And a similar idea was captured before weakest and most fallible of human functions. In this regard I should mention that all the practical studies (propositions, tests, surveys, testimony these two men by the ingenious philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. This is of experiences, etc.) agree at least on one thing: The objectivity and verac- why I will analyze, explain and systematize (with humility) the knowledge ity of any memory is the exception, not the rule. By the way, as Daniel Schacter rightly points out, the great flaws or of psychologists and the intuitions of artist-magicians, past and present, along with a little intuition of my own. mistakes-which he calls "sins"-of human memory (forgetfulness, 0 N et memoire, Henri Bergson, 1968, Presses Universitaires de recording only what is important, etc.) are not really negative. They are .'France: Paris. necessary for living, the positive products of the evolution of the species. La Memoire, Jean-C. Filloux, 1969, Presses Universitaires de France: And, I will add, they are wonderful for our objective of producing illusions (our magic). I believe something even more interesting needs to be stressed: Even though what we remember can be wrong, often very wrong, we still do not doubt or distrust our memory. We magicians know the truth of this all too well! How many wonderful effects, never performed, do our spectators remember having seen! And the best part is that they remember them with "total and absolute certainty"! We then will use the weakness of the memory to make those fantastic effects the ones our spectators always remember. And those memories may be evoked after months, weeks, days, or at the end of the performance, even during the effect, by inducing false memories of facts and In all, an ample array of possibilities is presented to us. Let's use them to our advantage! ' tested in practice, for the public and for magicians of the most diverse countries and cultures. I've been trying to get to the bottom of this subject for about forty years and, above all, to find its practical applications. I have extracted many of the ideas, both on my own and with the help of others, from practice. I believe this is an almost essential requirement for any theory that aspires to more than being beautiful, profound and solid, though in reality far from the truth. For the sake of the simple explanation I promised, we will now examine a trick that will serve as a practical model, since it utilizes some of these possibilities, even though in an elementary form. Bibliography Art and Illusion, E. H. Gombrich, 1969, Princeton University Press: New Jersey. de France: Paris. The Natural History of the Mind (second part; "Consciousness: Theories of Mind and Brain"), Gordon Rattray Taylor, 1979, E. P. Dutton: New York. La psychologie sociale (Chapter 8: "La memoire"), J. Stoetzel, 1963, Fiammarion: Paris. Searching for Memory, Daniel L. Schacter, 1996, Basic Books: New York. The Seven Sins ofMemory, Daniel L. Schacter, 2001, Houghton Mifflin: Le souvenir, A. Bridoux, 1956, Presses Universitaires de France: Paris. » The Working Brain, Alexander Luria (Basil Haigh, trans.), 1973, Basic Books: New York. Originally published as OcH0BbI Hei'iporrrnxononu1 long established or new, that I am about to present have been proven and » 1 I New York. circumstances that occurred during phases prior to the climax. But not without stressing something very important: All the theories Paris. La merrwire collective, Maurice Halbwachs, 1950, Presses Universitaires by Mezhdunarodnaia Kniga: Moscow. n preparation can be easily carried out at any moment, even in Order (A Practical Example) 0 f the spectators during a prior effect. - This is one of those effects that truly impresses spectators. However, it apparent simplicity and the absence of manipulation make it one of those tricks usually neglected by magicians, especially the "technicians" or "experts" in card magic. I learned it, adapted it and polished it over forty years ago, and have been performing it regularly ever since. It's one of the few tricks I often include in any type of session. Effect Someone freely selects a number and another person names any of the four card suits. Without the magician ever touching the deck, which li~s on the table, the selected card is revealed in an incomprehensible way that has been previously announced. Secret All magicians know that, when you ask a layperson for a number between five and ten, ninety percent of the time seven will be chosen. For the remaining ten percent, I have devised various solutions, which I will explain after the main description. The central idea is to set the four Sevens at certain positions in the deck You then make the Seven of the chosen suit appear in a specific place and in a specific way, giving the impression that you have made the "freely" selected card appear in the precise way specified from the start. In other words, it's a trick with various possible outcomes, something Vernon was fond of. Since psychology plays such an important role, after describing the positioning of the four Sevens, I will go into a detailed study of the trick, pointing out the psychological subtleties of gestures, words, etc. Preparation Put the Seven of Hearts on top of the deck. Insert the Seven of Clubs face up in the center. Set the Seven of Diamonds on the bottom and leave the Seven of Spades inside the card case, which may be on the table. e deck next to its case on the table. If you are sitting, scoot as far I from the deck as you can. If you are standing, move }t few steps away. Ask someone to name a number between five and ten ( don't ask him noose). This is how I ask: In a loud voice I say, "Pleas:e give me a numquickly.. . " I pause briefly and then continue in a softer voice, almost talking only to him and barely audible to the rest: "... between.five and for example." It doesn't matter if any of the others hear it. It will go oticed. (This is by no means a case of an impromptu stooge.) Let's assume the spectator says seven. Halfway through the word en"-as soon as you are sure the number is being named-continue ·ng, raising your voice to call the group's attention to the conditions: J It's important to observe that I never touch the deck; that I stay well ay and don't get anywhere near it!" Immediately address the spectator again, as if you hadn't heard his swer because you were talking: "Say a number, any number. " He will peat, "Seven." Observe that this second time you don't say: "between e and ten." This is one of the ways I use what I call the "Deaf Man's 29 chnique", which I developed years ago and use all the time. "Seven? Are you sure?" Look the spectator intently in the eyes and serve his pupils. If they are fixed on you and he holds your gaze, you A variation is to pretend not to hear what the spectator says and make him repeat it. This gains you time while performing a secret maneuver. Yet another "variation is to misinterpret what the spectator says as you repeat it, which causes him to correct you, thus gaining more time. It also creates a slight momentary confusion in the minds of those who heard the spectator the first time and your response (Did he get it wrong?). This confusion creates a subsequent mental-blurring effect and decreases attention on your actions. The pretended mistake you make when repeating what the spectator said can be made immediately after hearing what was said or after an interval, when you remember his answer. There are other ways to use the Deaf Man's Technique that are more complex but no less effective. N ber, as if you can be certain he will not change the number. In this case, you'll obsel'\t: announced the effect earlier. No one can com- insist, "Don't you like nine better? Nine is such a beautiful number!" t even mentally, because your statement may be taken as an no . ative, equivalent to "Don't forget" or "Remember it." he continues to meet your gaze, not moving his eyes in doubt or as if seek ntinue: "The deck was shuffled, away from me, that his face is free of tension. He might even nod slightly. Now you c ing another number, you continue while always looking at him intently "What about six? Or ten? Nothing? Okay, seven then." You now turn to l.ook at a second person. 1 never got any- near it during the trick, right? And the nam;e of a card was .tructed by two people. One selected the clubs suit; it could have been or diamonds or spades. And the other selected,,'.a number that he 8 to answer. Instead, tum your attention to a second person and talk to him· 't want to change. It could have been another suit rind another numand the card could have turned out to be the Eight of Hearts or the of Spades or the Ten of Diamonds-but they selected and formed preventing the first spectator from answering you or changing his number. Six of Clubs .... " (The father of magic theory and psychology, the master, Robert-Houdin, in They will not let you finish. They will object, "Not the Six, the Seven." his marvelous compendium Secrets of Magic and Conjuring, explains all have instilled several false ideas in the spectators' minds that they will the theories of magic psychology that have since been repeated, including r remember as true. One is that the deck was shuffled (it's not very On the other hand, when you ask him, "Seven? Are you sure?" if he moves his eyes and his gaze becomes restless, doubtful, don't wait for him ) his theory of the gaze, which he compared to fencing.) portant, but it enhances the effect). By the way, it is good if in prior Tell the second spectator, ''Now choose any suit of the deck: spades, ks you or, better yet, the spectators shuffle the deck several times. clubs, hearts or diamonds. Choose any one, with complete and total freedom. "Let's say he chooses clubs. Say, ''Are you sure?" Pause briefly, but don't look at him intently. ''Don't you like another one? You don't want to change, do you? Don't you prefer hearts-or spades. You don't?" Normally he will not change, en the spectators later remember the trick, they will be confused and ur (false!), implying that he chose a number between one and ten. Finally, it but since you are taking it for granted that he will not, and since you are ;appears as if he had chosen a number and didn't want to change it. (You didn't not looking him in the eye, there is a chance, though it's unlikely, that give him a chance to!) Your verbal "error" ("Six" instead of "Seven") focuses he will change his mind. If that happens, it will enhance the effect if you spectators' attention. They correct you and let the rest of your statement take advantage of it. Say, ''So you're changing to hearts?!" Pretend to be unquestioned. The facts and concepts in it are already in their minds. surprised, even puzzled. Pause. This usually gets a laugh. Without altering your attitude, say, "Well then ... okay, hearts. " No matter how the suit is decided on, tum back to the first spectator: "It's very important to observe that, up to the last moment ... " Continue talking, but now address everyone, without looking at anyone in particular. "... you had the chance to change, but you didn't want to. Okay, remember that his card must turn face up in the deck." (Or rise to the top, or go to the face-as the suit dictates.) Observe that you are saying lieve the shuffles were made by one of them during this trick Imagine strength of that. Another false fact: that the first spectator could have named the number After they correct you, you appear a little confused: "Seven, are you sure?" They are. Pause. Display slight doubt. (Careful, don't overdo it!) Mumble. "The Seven of Clubs should turn over?" You seem a bit puzzled. Without much conviction, say, "Well, in theory any card, whether it is the Ace of Spades, the Jack of Hearts or the Ten of Diamonds, should obey the magical laws. Why not the Seven of Clubs?" You get brave, more assertive. "I'll try but ... I need to get closer... only this much. " Extend your arm to bring your hand about a foot above the N deck and point at it with your forefinger. From this point on, keep Yo bs, you pick up the deck in position for the Glide (you haven't yet eyes focused on the deck. But don't touch it. Get no closer than six inch d you won't touch it) and begin to slide cards from the bottom, deal- Keep the tension, being serious. "Look, the card slowly leaves the dee thehl without turning them over. When you reach the named Six (in It turns face up-and goes back into it. All the way in. Done." Pau Maximum tension. Silence. Stay serious and undisturbed. Feel the effe yourself. Move your hand away. It is done. Don't look away from the dee Instruct the spectator, "Spread the cards."· "Face up: the Seven of Clubs!" Live and let the effect live. Climax. case of the club, fifth from the bottom), do the Glide and say, "But Notes » » » they select seven: e , say stop whenever you want!"When the spectator palls, "Stop," you out the selection, the Six of Clubs. It's not a great trick, but when with confidence and assertiveness it's quite ef~ective. Believe in and in the wonderful Glide, which is nowadays absurdly neglected. effect of }'Card to Order" is so strong, the next time you meet any of the spectators, they will surely ask you to repeat it. If you antici- In some cases, though very seldom, the spectator will name a number pate that happening, be prepared with an Invisible Deck A memorized other than seven. Immediately, as if it were planned, say, "You may deck or Card Indexes can also come in very handy. I wish you success! change the number once, but only once. What number are you chang., ing to?" You ask the question with a tone of authority and immediately follow up with: "Say ... " as you look intently into the spectator's eyes. If he changes to seven, which is the most likely option, continue the trick as described above. In the less likely case that he doesn't want to change, or he changes to a number other than seven, it is not a disaster. Keep in mind that the spectators don't know what effect you are going to do. If the final number is, for example, eight, simply ask the spectator to take the eighth card from the top or from the bottom of the deck. Then do any trick from your repertoire with it. If you don't present this as an impromptu trick, you can have the four Eights of the deck inside the card case and the Seven of Spades seventh from the top of the deck (TOP-7, in my notation) or in your pocket Should the number eight be chosen, you make the four Eights travel from the deck to the card case, without touching anything. It's a different trick but_:_what a trick! And, although I don't think it's necessary, you could have the Six of Spades third from the face (BOT-3), the Six of Hearts fourth from the face (BOT-4), the Six of Clubs above it (BOT-5) and the Six of Diamonds sixth from the face (BOT-6). If six is named, and then a suit, for example Let this trick be only an introduction to the subject of memory and ic. We will look at many more possibilities. 0 ENCODlNG WHAT 1S PERCElVED Features now get into the analysis and study of the psychology of memory. I will adopt an ancient but very useful differentiation in the three es of the process followed by memory: encoding, storing and retrievwhat is remembered. We will refer to these phases, when convenient, the less technical terms of.fixing, maintaining and evoking. It is evident that we remember anything better that was strongly coded in our memory when we perceived it. But we should bear in 'nd that the existence of encoding (as well as storing) can be proved ly through retrieval. In other words, we can be sure something has been coded in our memory only when we are able to retrieve it. If we don't ·"' . trieve it, we can't possibly know if it has been encoded. It is therefore difficult to clearly and neatly separate the study of ncoding from that of retrieval. For the sake of analysis, though, we will ake a clear distinction between the three phases that is perhaps convenonal but useful. Let's begin with the phase of encoding and its elements. I will base these thoughts on the work of Jean-C. Filloux-following very closely and quoting at times-and also on that of Daniel Schacter. I should note that the continuing advance of science will often \render names, and sometimes the thoughts repeated here, obsolete. Therefor will try when possible to refer more to psychological concepts rather • 5 case, misdirection was not used to prevent my actions of taking g the deck from being seen, but to weaken the encoding of these in the spectator's memory. to physiological and neurobiological ones. I am aware that any such atte will inevitably fail, so I ask the reader to ignore any out-of-date infonnation I might find. I believe, in tum, that the applications to magic (because they that are objectively' of little importance will be strdngly encoded in ,based on experience) will continue to be useful from an artistic standpo· emories if their perception is accompanied by embtional elements The Degree · ectly affect us and therefore make them subjectively important. during a conversation someone laughs and makes fun of me when There is an immediate memory, which is, according to Henri Bergson, wh a small verbal mistake, the mistake, objectively unimportant, will automatically encodes memories of everything it perceives, just like t ly encoded in my memory, as it has become subjectively important. shadow accompanies the body. After a brief time, a few seconds, the me person had simply corrected me without embarrassing me, I could ories obtained in this way vanish without a trace. Then there is long-te memory, which encodes any facts considered important. These are stor easily forgotten what happened. an effect occurs within an emotional situation, it will be more strongly for longer periods, sometimes forever. All short-term memories-every ded in the memory, since the degree of emotion and the intensity of feel- thing we do and pay attention to without our brain considering it importan will help in the encoding. In such cases, we can appreciate in a particular an application of "stressing the initial situation", a concept wonderfully ribed by Ascanio in his magnificent book on the theory of magic. 30 Examples of tricks that intrinsically contain emotion and are therefore y encoded are large illusions like Sawing a Woman in Half and the et Catch, and smaller effects like the Cut and Restored Handkerchief, enough to store long-term-fade away and vanish after a few seconds. I will later explain how to keep what is observed a short-term memory, not allowing it to pass into long-term memory, so that it is forgotten (the creation of a memory draft). An immediate memory is affected by the degree of attention with which it is perceived. If you ask someone to retrieve immediate memories-such as "What did I just say?"-the more attention he has been paying, the easier it will be for him. We magicians know too well that when we cause the eneral Framing of the Mind attention of our spectators to diminish at a given moment (misdirection), at falls within the general framing of our mind is more easily fixed in we are also weakening the encoding of what is perceived, and that ening can be practically total: oblivion for that memory. For example, everything related to or concerning our profession, our Shies or our worries is easily encoded in our memory. For example, a spectator is holding the deck, and I need to take it in order If I perform for an audience of tailors on the day of their annual trade to double cut two cards from the top to the bottom. If, after taking the deck , and ask one of them to cut a handkerchief with scissors, the fact for a justified and natural reason, I create good misdirection to weaken the spectator's attention to my cutting the deck and setting it on the table, by at one of them cut it as a prelude to the effect of the Cut and Restored end of the effect he might forget that I had the deck in my hands for a few seconds, and this lapse in memory makes the effect that much cleaner. andkenfaef will be more strongly encoded in their memories than it •The Magic of Ascanio: The Structural Conception of Card Magic, Jesus Etcheverry, 2005, Paginas: Madrid. would be for another type of audience. It's a fact that is within the gen simple and symmetrical geometrical shape is encoded more framing of their minds (cutting cloth with scissors). The same would a than a group of random curves and straight lines. if I performed a manipulation routine with thimbles, the Gypsy Thread the Needle Trick. 1 show three cards having a clear structure-for example, a red Six and Eight: Seven of Diamonds, Six of Hearts and Eight of nds-and after a few intervening events I shm,y another group Connected Facts-Group of Facts ee cards with the same structure but different dbtails-Seven of Six of Diamonds and. Eight of Hearts-I can pa~'.s them off as the .Facts holding a low importance are unlikely to be encoded in the me ory if they take place by themselves. They are more easily encoded 'oup displayed. The reason is because the simple ~tructure is easily they are part of a chain, connected for some reason to other facts greater importance. bered-red Seven, Six and Eight-but the details are not encoded herefore are forgotten. Sometimes a slight disruption of order- If I want spectators to remember that one of them has shuffled t n-Six-Eight rather than Six-Seven-Eight-increases the confusion. deck before the trick begins, I can ask him to raise the deck above hl the structure were the Ace, Too and Three of Hearts, it would be head and shuffle it there, as if it were a workout. The unusual and som to pass them off as the Ace, Too and Three of Diamonds, because it's what grotesque posture will be strongly encoded in everyone's mind. J simple structure (A-2-3), and hearts is part of it, while our previous after many intervening events, we make the spectators retrieve that ele ple used mixed red suits. ment of the action-hands over the head-they will also remember th On the other hand, if the three cards feature no recognizable struc- element associated with this posture, which is our objective: shuffling th e-for example, the Three of Hearts, Queen of Spades and Seven of cards. They will have no doubt that one of them shuffled the cards. onds-and three similar but different cards are later shown-Three As every student or practitioner of mnemonics knows, the stranger, Diamonds, Queen of Clubs, Seven of Hearts-two things happen: First, weirder, more absurd the image of an object is, or the crazier, more gro- difficult for the spectator to remember the three cards with any accu- tesque the relationship between two objects is, the easier it is to encode it in the memory. y. Second, the spectator is conscious of the difficulty of certainty in the emory and therefore won't be sure that the second three cards are the Naturally, if I want an event to be very weakly encoded in spectators1 ~•e as those in the initial triplet. His suspicion that the cards may not be minds, I should try to keep it isolated from facts of greater importance; e same negates the magical effect. Alternatively, to avoid f9rgetting the isolated in the sense that those more important facts are not associated or linked to it. ee cards, he looks more attentively at one or more of them and later 11 perceive that the second group of three is different. I'\ Structure As we can see, simple structures help us remember with ease and ccuracy something more complex, but only in reference to that structure According to the "Psychology of Form", facts and events with a structure d not to the external details of it, which we erroneously believe we are more logical, simpler, more rhythmic and more organized, are fixed more strongly in the memory. Conversely, a lack of structure or an excessively detailed structure A poem is more firmly encoded in our mind than a piece of prose. The melody of a song is encoded better than a sequence of random musical prevents us from handling or manipulating memories of it. The balance, always in art and in life, is delicate and subtle. 0 Standing In a group of elements, those that have a special attribute that ma them stand out from the rest will be better encoded: a small handkerc •among larger ones, a red card among black cards .... If all the elements have the same set of features , th.e wh o1e group elements may be en~oded, but not the isolate_d elements. A group of eig . cards, all of them picture cards, is better remembered than a packet random cards; but it's difficult to remember the individual cards i •t n I. all the stunts of a trapeze artist are done to a drumroll, they will be bett encoded in memory than if they were all done to background music· b ~t ~ill be ~ifficult to remember each of them individually. That is w~y 1s mterestmg to apply different ways of underlining effects in a sessio or show: underlining at times with emotions, sometimes visually, or Wit sound, with rhythm, etc. If our trapeze artist did only her last stunt to drumroll, has another stunt seem nearly to fail, has a second trapeze artis participate in only the third stunt, etc., all will be remembered as a whol as well as individually. If the climaxes of all of a magician's large illusio are accompanied by similar sound and lighting effects, they will be better encoded in memory than they would be without that accompaniment· but one climax with a sudden and dramatic silence, another with sensu~ choreography and another done in a delicately lyrical mood (avoiding the bathetic) will individually encode each of them and make them stand out in the spectators' memories. Premises A premise is remembered first, and then the details that complete Therefore, tricks with effects based on a simple premise persist longest in the spectators' remories, which is equivalent to saying that their effects last longer. "A card lost in the deck rises to the top" or "the solid metal rings link and unlink" are simple premises, and therefore are easy to remember and more powerful, memorable, in the long run. 31 :t's the reason why several simple effects may be routined, bound r, constituting the parts of a whole, the premise of which is easily bered, not only for the performing magician but also for the speca2 Needless to say, if we desire that a trick not be well encoded in emories of our spectators, we should complicate/ its structure and sure it lacks a simple premise. This occurs with cJrtain "automatic" ;thematical principles. A good magical application iof such principles es that they be camouflaged by adding moves, ph~es and operations, ent in themselves but employed to make backtracking and remembere actions and operations carried out more difficult. I applied this idea uously, and I hope successfully, in all the tricks of Verbal Magic. 33 etition is an obvious factor for contributing to the encoding of facts in ory, but that makes it no less important. This holds not only for the al mechanical memory (used to remember things like text, even text don't understand) but also for specific memory (used to remember crete facts and immediate sensory experiences) and for memories of as. Repetition creates favorable conditions for the organization of the ory, the linking of the elements a memory consists of, and the cren of structures and schemes. If an effect is repeated several times, it l be remembered better by the spectators, not only because it has been n more than once, but because each time it will be better defined within e structure in the spectators' minds, helping them to encode it better. A simple premise and its repetition is an essential combination in ·cks that are easily remembered and that persist in the memory for a ng time: Six-Card Repeat, Ambitious Card, Linking Rings, Coins through able, etc. Repetition is a factor that can and, I think, should be used by the agician when he wants something to be strongly encoded in spectators' . Ascanio pointed this out in the foreword of my first bookMonedas, monedas ... (y monedas), 1969, Editorial Cymys: Barcelona. 31. This also enhances the power of the implicit symbols in the effects. 3. Verbal Magic, Juan Tamariz and Gema Navarro, 2008, Hermetic Press: Seattle. n mem~r!es. If I want people to remember that cards have been s way to leave a memory is by making all types of memory contrib- fled, 1t 1s bett~r to shuffle them several times and, if possible, at differ moments dunng the trick, including those in which shuflli · that all are directed toward t1:te same end. That's the idea behind . . tiple-methods system for memorizing a deck Achieving this task hours with certainty would be otherwise unirqaginable. 34 The ~IB~ irrelevant. For example, Harry Lorayne's magnificent trick "Out of Universe" is greatly enhanced by the repetition of shuffles, some of Whi senses involved in the memory (sight, hearing, touih, smell ... ) and e methods used for encoding ( conceptual, rhyth~ic, muscular... ), points there will be for encoding and the strong~r the probability I feel, should be carried out when the last three packets have been se rated. Shuffling the cards of each of these packets separately doesn't al the result, but it's three more shuffles. The repetition factor makes it t . e 1er to remember that everything happened even though the deck has bee for better encoding. t's the interesting thing about special sounds when they accompany well shuffled. You can also have several people shuffle in succession ct: noises made with the mouth, by clapping, slapping, finger snap- a single point in the trick The fact that the cards were shuffled is mo etc. Visual aids also help encoding: something red to mark the position memorable than if only one person had shuffled. Here, however, we mu red cards, and something black for the black cards in a transposition be careful not to overdo it, altering and slowing down the development t; or the geometrical representation of a woman's body on the front the trick, and making it monotonous or boring (a deadly sin in art). Zig-Zag Illusion. Music and fragrances (sandalwood, incense, etc.) can 'bute so much to effects in addition to helping create a more magical Gestures such as those of showing the hands empty throughout a rou~ tine-clapping your hands or letting them be seen empty-as Frakson di in his cigarette production or Ascanio in "Cards up the Sleeve", give the trick, when it is remembered, a characteristic cleanness. By the way, the s~und of a hand clap, so often used by Frakson, contributes to the impres~ s10n of empty hands and fairness both during the routine and when it is remembered later. I must stress that an abuse of repetition can produce a response of · bore_dom or distrust or, in some cases, the phenomenon of hyper-encoding, makmg excessive repetition counterproductive and contrary to the principle of economy, so valuable to good art. sphere. These elements help to make sure the effect is better captured, r encoded, better remembered-is more memorable. We all know that as we grow older, the capacity for encoding reases. But we should also bear in mind that the physiological con·ons of the moment may have a clear influence on that capacity. An essive consumption of alcohol, certain drugs, great increases in altide where oxygen is less plentiful, as on a high mountain or during a ane flight; such things can impair or prevent the encoding process. On e other hand, stimulants such as coffee and tea can aid encqding. These actors should be kept in mind when performing for certain audiences hose capacity for encoding is likely to be hampered or boosted. Collaboration of the Various 'lypes of Memory ,.\ We might also look into the possible influence on encoding of collec- As I mentioned e~rlier, we can talk about visual memory, auditory memory, ·ve states of suggestion, in varying degrees. For instance, how reliable are the memory of ideas, conceptual memory, etc. Sometimes, though, they don't exist discretely, isolated in reality. They are instead parts of a whole. e memories of participants in spirit seances, performed in darkness and likely to arouse intense group emotional states including fear and anxiety, sometimes verging on hysteria? There can be no doubt that, in addition But for the purpose of analysis it is useful to treat them separately. Present studies of the brain and memory (like those on implicit memory) are in to such factors as the deficiencies in perception of what really happened, constant evolution, but for us as magicians, it's enough to understand that .34. See Mnemonica, 2004, Hermetic Press: Seattle. N serious difficulties are created for encoding and the eventual ace retrieval of memories concerning what was perceived. These are issues of great interest that need separate studies. believe that sometimes, if the group is mixed in terms of age y ·ultures etc it is quite possible that emotion "through tastes, c ' ., will not be produced, at least in the same desirable sense prohomogeneous audiences. Social Conditions of Encoding The memory of a group can be, in certain respects, superior to that of isolated individual in the ease of encoding, perhaps because the retri and a certain suggestive disposition help to fix the memories. This is so thing to keep in mind when performing. Are you working for one or isolated spectators, or for a group? Are the members of the group m· or homogeneous? Experience teaches us the enormous difficulties differences that exist regarding effect, comprehension, response, attitu etc., when performing tricks for a single spectator, for a small group or f a large audience. Aside from other factors, perhaps the different capaciti for encoding possessed by these different audiences exert an influen It is also helpful to consider the interaction between spectators d · and after your performance, before they return to their everyday lives . .As spectator perceives the gestures of amazement and admiration made by oth spectators, or their reactions of joy, happiness, discomfort or fear evoke by an apparent mistake or accident, the repetition of those emotions in group increases the emotional reaction in the spectator-generally in th same direction as that perceived, resonating with what is felt and expressed by the group-and fixes emotional, physical and psychological hooks that allow him to better encode, store and retrieve what was perceived. Obviously the first effect produced, the increasing intensity of tions, also contributes to a more lasting memory of the performance. This resonance of the spectator with other spectators is added to his resonance with the magician, and with the attitude and emotions the magician transmits: joy, satisfaction, pleasure, even surprise and astonish~ ment, which may not be simulated but actually felt as real. 35 35. In Chapter 5, I discuss how such emotions can be felt in a real and authentic way by the magician; see "The Attitude of the Magician during Pauses for Drama and Assimilation", p. 321. ant a perceived fact or event to be strongly encoded in the spectads, we should strive for the perception ... take place during a time of maximum attention. be accompanied by emotional elements. d the perceived facts and events should ... within the general framing of the minds of the spectators. ~ be •.. be linked within a logical (or anti-logical) chain along with other ,.. have a simple and organized structure . .have a special feature that makes them stand out from the rest of elements . ...adjust to simple premises, easily deductible from the complex develent of a trick. ... bear repetition (same effect, different methods). ... be encodable in memory through different ways and types of mem: visual, auditory, conceptual, etc. And the physical, physiological and circumstantial conditions (comrt, noise, temperature, fatigue, tiredness, oxygen, size and expressiveness the group, etc.), as well as other positive social conditions, should be n STORAGE OF THE MEMORlES A Preliminary Digression elieve that, in the mind of the spectator, a magical effect goes through least three phases. These correspond to three tenses: the present (It's possible!), the simple past (Was it impossible?) and the present perfect has been impossible and wonderful!). In more detail, these would arise: When the spectator is experiencing the effect, in the present, and astonishment caused by the impossible is produced. When, immediately after seeing the effect, during the paus~ in which it is assimilated, the spectator recalls it, sometimes trying to find a solution to the logical conflict, and other (many) times trying to confirm for "" himself the impossibility of the effect (Was this impossible?) so as to savor the wonder and fascination of the experience (present perfect). And later, he encounters a fourth and very long tense: the future. If the effect in fact impressed and astonished him, and once the impossible had been accepted and enjoyed, in the future (minutes, days or years later) he will remember it, evoke it, either for himself or by commenting on it with others who witnessed it too, or to acquaintances who N ~ 141 140 ~ ~ didn't. In doing so, he brings the effect back to life and makes ot enjoy it, feeling the emotion of the marvelous, of the magic. ~ It is my belief that in artistic magic ... and happier. . the three objectives, the corresponding mental comments •ther mentally or verbally, come together: It w~ and it is impos~ ;j ~ ck to reality. I'm with.you again, dear reader. I can continue, >> » A strong magical impression, both intellectual and emotional, must produced in the spectator as he watches the trick Those steps of the trick that interest us should be easily remember but not the ones that we are trying to conceal or that we wish to unnoticed. This way the spectator doesn't perceive or discover what I believe a good magical effect should ~m for: a strong 18 ~motion in the present and recent past, and what I call a Comet 36 Very bright light followed by a long, white, growing, brilliant tail. here are elements that can modify the memories while they are solution, and he believes he remembers clearly and certainly what Let's look at them. happened, that he is in possession of all the facts. The collision horoughly convinced that, among the many applications to magic a study psychology of memory can afford us, achieving these Comet Effects is reason is thus stronger and the effect more incomprehensible, mo mysterious, more impossible! And now that he is calm, he is ready enter a state of enjoyment and wonder. » I 1t,as been wonderful and fascinating!-and will c?ntinue to be. The effects are memorable in the long run, not just in the sense th they can be remembered, but also in that they are worth rememberi that people want to remember the magical experience and perha tell others about it-and that such a desire remains with the spectato for the longest time possible. During the :first days of May of 1956, I had the experience of watching th great Fu Manchu make an obedient twelve-inch golden ball float in a wonde ful way. It rotated around him and flew quickly several feet from him befo it majestically returned and ceremoniously entered a wooden box held by an assistant. I was not only amazed after I recalled the impossible conditio (the ball, in its magical flight, passed several times through a solid metal hoop), but was also fascinated by the poetry of the deception, of the impossible, mythical and beautiful effect. Because of this, that effect was clearly engraved in my ~emory and I've evoked it many times since (for myself and for others). I have relived the joy and emotion I felt. And I may possibly, probably, have enhanced its already huge magical power, its impossibility and its exciting beauty. Even todaY, over half a century after having watched it, as I write these lines a pleasant chill goes down my spine, then up the steps of my vertebrae to settle nicely at the nape of my neck, producing such pleasure.. of the greatest. We will discuss this later and at more length. Altered Permanence Let's remember the statement made near the beginning of this chap The objectivity and veracity of any memory is the exception, not ~ rule. Furthermore, the subjective sensation of certainty ("I'm snre") by means guarantees the objective value ("That's how it was") of the eve Curiously, the sensation of certainty has no relationship with the ti elapsed between the storage of the event and its retrieval, although tes monies about a recent occurrence tend to be more accurate. We'll begin with the fact that memories are altered although we mig often be convinced they are accurate ("I remember perfectly, as if I wer watching it right now"). As Jules Lemaitre puts it: "We never remembe things exactly." Our observations, the events, the sensations we expert,,. enced-we believe we know them, but we inevitably invent them. Although we are aware that many of the alterations of memories ma happen because they were not well observed or encoded, very often memory of something is altered even though it was well encoded, because it wasn't properly stored. This can happen for the following reasons. Elapsed Time The more time that elapses between perception-storage and retrieval, the more confusing and fragmentary the retrieval will be; and we will see, when we study the evocation of memories, that we always try to fill in gaps in the memory, making up whatever is needed and then believing with certainty what we have invented. This is why Proust said that remembering is not only searching for memories, but also "creating" them. The time elapsed increases the number of gaps and their size, facilitating the involuntary and at times subconscious creativity of the memory. •·(mayb e subconsciously) everything that is necessary to make it 37 hensible. • . . to lean on logic is a double-edged sword for the magid t the nee . . us boost the conflict between logic and hand it can help Onth eone ' • that we present to t~e spectator. On the other hand,; it can be harme spectator, eager to find a logical explanation, mig~t make up steps didn't happen and believe he is remembering them. 1;his is one of the est problems of performing magic for children. ere are multiple ways to fight this danger in magic: flawless execuclarity of action, strong encoding of the conditions (the ones we want mbered, not the others), making the right things easy to remember, g the impression that there couldn't have been anything more than is remembered, and good (concise!) recaps before and after the event. .eferences and Tendencies have seen how general tendencies in our thinking and preferences can r the encoding of events. Also, their storage is affected by those facts, transforming the events to fit our interests and preferences. . We have the tendency to forget what is unpleasant and to make up emories that are suitable to our wishes. Here, once again, The Comet fect comes into play. 38 In magic, it is very common that someone who is strongly impressed a trick and enjoys it, when describing it to another person, will embelsh ·the effect, improving it to an impossible level. After all, if he was oled-or rather, amazed-it is because the cause of the effect was comtely indetectable and the effect itself was full of charm. He will then ecount it to others in a manner that causes his listeners to perceive it in the same way. From that point on, that's how the narrator believes the trick 87. This behavior can also be part of the retrieval of memories, because it is when The Desire of Logic We want everything we experience to be comprehensible, logical and coherent. If something isn't, we try to adjust it, even if we must evoking memories that the desire arises to impart logic to the story. We'll study retrieval more deeply in the next section, "Evoking Memories". Although this subject is specifically addressed below, in the study of the evoking of memories, I am previewing some of the ideas here. n happened-just as he has told it. If the listener, in turn, tells it to some forms with very simple and regular forms, as well as highlight- else, he will improve it even more; and, if the impression he received u significant. details." Thus, memories tend to become schematic in hearing it was vivid, in time he will begin to repeat the effect as a li , experience and will even come to believe he was a witness to the effect of simpler formal structures, toward "forms of balance". ause of this process, a complex routine of card productions, van- read it in a newspaper, etc. The capacity for self-deception (self-illusi color changes, translocations, etc. will probably pe remembered as is enormous, and I believe the magician should bear it in mind and use uous production of cards, which, even if it dir/ninishes the effect to improve his art. (It has long been used for·advertising, commercial ain way, makes it easier to remember. It is more memorable and But the phenomenon described above-and this is very important- ore a better effect in regard to the Comet's Tail. example: Jose Florences Gill's and Frakson's creation (production) be produced only if the impression of the first person was favorable. If dreds of lit cigarettes is memorable, if we remember correctly. With impression of the trick or the magician was unfavorable, the phenomena n there are also effects of the creation of smoke, vanishes, the incom- will work in the opposite direction. Thus, a spectator will be able to descri ility of a handkerchief, etc. It is, though, the single, repetitive and simple a trick he watched as miraculous if, and only if, aside from having felt a stro pt of continuous cigarette production that remains in the memory. political, with objectives very different from ours.) magical effect, he found the personality of the magician pleasant; if there w chemistry and sympathy between performer and spectator; or if the pe former is a loved one: a son, friend, girlfriend .... On the contrary, the spectat er factor of great interest for the magician is the phenomenon of will diminish the quality of the effect, filling it with augmented imperfectio densation, through which facts and images remembered and several if he finds the magician unpleasant, if he didn't like him, if the performer's s retrieved are merged, giving birth to compound, condensed images, selfish or pretentious attitude made him feel attacked, if he is an enemy or competitor in some field, etc. Also, if the spectator feels negative emotions details of which are doubtful in their accuracy. This knowledge provides a magnificent weapon for the magician. (frustration, insecurity... ), the quality of the effect will be diminished in his example, in the construction of routines in which the same effect telling of it to others: It was just skill, it was slow, he put it up his sleeve, etc. repeated, we can and should change the underlying method, so that a Therein lies the importance, above all, of the Comet's Tail (remem- ment that was less clear in the first version can become entirely clear brances of the trick); of empathy with the magician's personality, as well the second, and vice versa. The memory of the specta~or condenses as his capacity for communication, and his charm, his honesty, his atti- th versions and, given our tendency to believe that the same effect tude and his humanity. been produced by the same cause, he will remember an effect that For me, the best effects I have ever seen were undoubtedly those per- extremely clear in all its phases, in all its moments-a totally magical formed by my daughters Ana and Alicia, and that's how I describe them, to ect. Hofzinser and Dai Vernon are undisputed masters of this type of whoever wishes ( or doesn't wish, it makes no difference) to listen. plication to the structure of their routines. (Let's remember the great ofzinser's "Everywhere and Nowhere" and the equally great Vernon's The Normal Factors-The Gestalt Gestalt psychology has reached the conclusion that "the processes of deformation of memories consist, in general, of replacing the more utine for the Ambitious Card.) And with that we reach the third phase of the process: the· evoking of n EVOKlNG MEMORlES The Comet Effect the previous section I've commented on what I call The Comet Effect, uality I believe a good magical effect needs. There is a bright point, the feet as perceived by the spectator in the first place, followed by a long that increasingly grows in size and brilliance, which is the effect as it's ing felt and remembered by the spectator, and which is then perhaps ld to others, during its life in the memory, with the passing of time. We mustn't forget that the magical effect is not what the magician presnts. It's not a factual impossibility, but rather what the spectator believes sees. If I, the magician, divine a card selected by a spectator, but I say, 'The card you saw was ... the Two of Diamonds, " the real effect is not tlfut a physically selected card was divined, but that a card just seen-or maybe only thought of-was divined. And here is where the growing and luminous tail of the comet appears: lf you can make the spectator, in his memory (a few hours, days or years later), believe that what you divined, a card he saw, was a card he thought of, without his seeing it or touching it, the effect, augmented in his mem- ory, is better, more powerful, and the magic more wonderful. We magicians have the everyday experience, after our performance of noting how enhanced memory is the general rule rather than the e:xce tion. How often are we asked to repeat that trick in which the coi magically travel from one of the spectator's hands to the other, witho the magician being near or touching the coins-and we find ourselv unable to repeat it under the marvelous conditions remembered. In such situations, I confirm the fantasy· narrated by the spectator. Keep in mind, if that is what he remembers, that is his truth and the effect a he is experiencing at the moment. In my early days as a magician, it felt little awkward accepting and confirming such memories. I felt I was being unfaithful to the truth. I later realized that if people had told me the external truth they had perceived-"! freely selected a card and you named it; it was incredible!"-! would have confirmed it without the slightest qualm. But this version of the trick is as far from reality as the improved one because the card was not freely selected; it was forced; and of. course I' didn't divine anything at all. That's how I came to understand that the enhanced version is just as truthful as the one adhering more closely to reality. When a spectator narrates the magical effect he experienced, both he and those of us listening know that we aren't talking about the actual reality but about the artistic reality within the scope of art. And yes, right then, at that precise moment, what is narrated is actually true, because it is what the spectator feels, built on what he felt and then improved on while evoking it. All that is lacking is to thank him for his invaluable cooperation in co-authoring the trick. Isn't that beautiful? What I'm trying to analyze here are the causes of this enhanced memory of the effect and how it is possible for the magician to influence its Is The k that, above all, The Come~ Effect is produced by the desire of ·tor to revive or transmit the sensation of miracle, of wonder. spect a . . . . nishment and fascination of the senses produce a Joy that mvolves him of his astonished brain andjpyful soul. And he sUIVI·ves in some comer . , s to tell others about it, to share it. Often, when he.tells it to a friend, better transmit to him the impossibility and the joyfql sensation experied, he exaggerates almost subconsciously (and we ,will later see what "almost" is about). He exaggerates the final effect and the conditions: ens of cigarettes appeared! (Frakson was introduced as "The Magician the Thousand Cigarettes"; yet, in his longest routine, he produced-nine!) The almost in the previous paragraph refers to the fact that this exagger. g of the effect is not totally conscious or voluntary. It's not that we, as ctators, are lying when we recount what we saw-we are trying to transmit hat we felt, the magical emotion, mystery and wonder. So we augment and hellish the narration, because we can't accurately remember the details. We relive the experience as we narrate it. In other words, we feel "-what we narrate. It's not a cold scientific description. We relive the astonishment, the joy, the sensation of wonder. And this experiencing of the enhanced trick is, from now on, the true reality for us. The next time we remember it, we will begin from this improved version and build from there. We will remember a further enhanced variation, and this process of augmentation continues with each retrieval. I think we are now in possession of the facts needed to reconstruct the sequence that forms The Comet Effect for the spectator: » » formation and boost it. Doing so will increase the magical effect in the long run as mu~h or more than a good manipulative, physical or psychological technique. Or it could be that technique, dramatization and presentation, in addition to the elements our analysis might discover, will be the causes and the enhancers of the tail of The Comet Effect. Let's see. 'IL.../V ........ ...,.., ~•:::!:~~~-::; .,..,.,,~r'1rLIL'-''--•'UI. » The magical emotion was wonderful. It wasn't told to him, he experienced it. He infused himself with that experience. His physiological sensations (nerves, anxiety, holding his breath accelerated heartbeat, etc.) were recorded in his sensory ' memory and make him, or allow him to, remember and repeat the experiences when he evokes the effect. He wants to recreate or transmit the emotion of the magic he experienced, to share it. » » » He doesn't remember the details perfectly, but believes he does. He feels a positive effect and an empathy with the magician's person · His verbalization of an improved version of the trick becomes t starting point for future remembrances, perhaps further enhanced. Let's look at some everyday examples: The beautiful play of the center-forward of our team is often reme bered and then told, considerably improved. •If, on top of that, the pl ·was the final goal that won the Cup against the eternal rival of our te and we were in the stadium to experience it, among our team's fans, w will probably remember it as an epic event in which the forward dribble past three players, made an outrageous heel shot and, barely having angle, slipped the ball past the hands of the rival goalkeeper, thanks to the subtle spin he put on it. The review of the play on TV the next month can show us the reality: He dribbled past only one opponent, he had a reasonably good angle to make the shot, it wasn't done with his heel but with his instep and the ball ricocheted off one of the defensive players. A classic example in the study of memory that displays its low reliability notes the different versions given to police by witnesses of a gun assault that affected them profoundly: -There were two tall, dark-skinned men with machine guns. -There were three men. Two were short and one of average height, and they had guns. The truth is that there were two short men, one with a gun, the other with a sawed-off shotgun. And if these men put us through a nightmare, it's logical that we feel an aversion, almost a hatred, which may cause us to remember them as having unpleasant faces, selfish manners, twisted things that might not be true. With the passage of time, it's possible we will remember details we didn't see-things we were told and facts altered by other witnesses~ perhaps even spiced up with details from an old movie. Now we can answer that interesting question: How do we make the spectator improve the effect in his mind when recalling it hours or days after having seen it? I think certain factors need to be maximized. We will call them: an s ormous and Positive . the essential factor of the magician's personality appears. If a am, athizes with the person who is the magician and with what orsymP . : ·t from his inner world if the spectator hk~.'S that person or, snn s . ' : . charmed or fascinated by him, the battle is w?n. The spectator • . . 1· h e and tend to evoke the person who charmed ,rhlm with de 1g t, 'IS . tend to improve the effect he saw. If he tells others, relatives and 11 ds, about that effect, he will act like a mother talking about how well .son sings. have experienced, in myself and with people very close to me, the 1 t to which the perception of the magician and the memory of his perality are influential in a positive way, and occasionally in a negative on~. remember attending with my partner-a woman well versed m c-the performance of a good magician who presented a series of ng effects, well executed in every way. I liked it, but when I asked her, at did you think?" she answered, "Well, it was so-so." Me: "But didn't you see how impossible it was when the cards traveled the envelope and when the ring appeared on the rope? Did you see any t of how he did it?" She: "Well, he must have put it in there at some point ... or the rope was roken ... I don't know." I insisted: "Didn't you see that he gave the rope away at the end?" · And she cut me off: "Yeah but, come on, I don't care. I didn't like it. I 'dn't like him. Period." I should point out here that there are certain exceptions: certain niuses of magic who have not perhaps been simpatico, yet have posessed a very strong personality, enormously interesting, at times ,f:ascinating, and they've transmitted a rich and attractive inner world, perfectly conveyed through an artistic path of magic. 39 Of course, they are blessed with that gift, so mysterious and, for me, indefinable that we call charisma or duende or charm or aura or appeal or ... ' 152 153 The Power of the Magical Effect ire of Recreating the Wonderful Experience To be remembered, the effect should be truly powerful That's one the factors (we'll discuss others later) that make the spectator want . remember and evoke the effect. He will do so if he has experienced as totally "impossible" and "fascinating", the two key· words in our And the astonishment felt when perceiving the impossible should be j that: authentic a-s-t-o-n-i-s-h-m-e-n-t. Like fascination, it should cont charm, dream, poetry.... Also, the more powerful the effect, the better the chances that t spectator will want to evoke it repeatedly in the future. And as we ha seen, in each evocation and narration to others, the effect will improv Symbolism After a gambling demonstration, every time any of the spectators play watches or refers to a card game (especially if it's the same game), h will want to recall the effect presented, because he would like to hav the magician's power. In this case, the conscious, explicit meaning of th effect is what encourages the wish. Most classic effects have the power 0 ebrating It ;· g experienced during a trick (or session or show) has been posof joy and pleasure, of amazement, impossibility and fascination; roent is felt for the power and wonder in what ~as been seen; if a atmosphere, a bubble of illusion, has been created; if everything has e a beautiful and incredible dream shared by the group, the audience, · g relatives, friends and those who came to the se~sion with us; if the here of the theater, hall, pub or private home where everything took helped us feel the experience was unique and unrepeatable; there is no that the desire of recreating it, telling it, sharing it and celebrating it will e and on certain occasions be almost irresistible. though this boosting of the desire and pleasure of sharing with ones the joy we felt, the beautiful artistic experience, is common e other arts, it is in our magic that the experience of astonishment is tained by unresolved logical, rational conflict that notably urges us to e recreate and augment the artistic effect we felt. ' evocation in themselves, either in their conscious significance or in the· subconscious symbolism, which is metaphorically expressed: letting g or becoming free of the ties of life (metaphoric but felt as real), healin wounds (curative), having power over objects, mastering time (knowing the future, abbreviating the wait, going back to the past), producing metamorphoses between objects and people, multiplying wealth, etc. 40 Therein lies the enormous importance, in the most artistic kind of magic, of having a strong and fascinating symbol implicit in the trick: An impossible wish, sometimes not a conscious one, fulfilled by the magical effect within the artistic reality, is latent or expressed in good tricks. 41 40. See more on the subject of symbolism under the heading of "Emotions" in the next chapter (p. 187) and in the earlier chapter dedicated to classic effects and symbolism in magic (p. 71). 41. Which, by the way, do exist. There are good and bad tricks. Very good and very bad. Don't doubt it. There are some tricks that, no matter who does them and re are still other circumstances that encourage us to recall and tell 0thwhat we have seen. One of them is that we were there and actively 'cipated. Our participation in a trick-which, as we all know, increases effect for us as well as for our friends, and even for those sitting next to m-awards us, when we tell it to others who weren't present, a certain portance, because we were in the spotlight, as direct and active particts in a secular miracle: "I thought of the city myself, and the magician n named it. And I made it difficult for him because I thought of Istanbul how they do them-presuming they don't butcher them-will produce a great effect (Linking Rings, the Invisible Deck, Ambitious Card, Levitation, Cut and Restored Rope, Egg Bag, etc.); and there are others that are confusing, with weak effects, without an implicit symbol: little technical trifles that not even the likes of Frakson could make live and transmit magical emotion. Selecting tricks with good judgment is, I think, the first step for a good magician. N and not Paris or Madrid or London." "I lmow the guy who checked the kn He works in my company." "I had those rings that linked and unlinked in hands, and they were absolutely solid and unbroken." The pleasure of this astonishment is multiplied if the magic has h pened in our own hands: "I was holding the copper coin very tightly in fist, and it changed to silver." "The sponge ball multiplied in my hand." . had any four cards between my palms and the four Aces gathered ther "I and other people guessed the color, red or black, of each and every c in the deck." "I checked the whole process from less than a foot aw Everything happened in front of my very eyes. "42 Facility Evoking the Effect Improving It upon Its Evocation The effect, to begin with, must comply with the conditions of the so-calle Carlyle Criteria: 43 It must have maximum clarity and power; the simple the more repeatable, the more direct, the better. It can be described as single idea in a few words (the Gypsy Thread, Multiplying Balls, a divi"" nation of a thought-of card, etc.). Complicated procedures and complex sequences in its development are avoided. We should point out that these criteria do not conflict with the constructivist style (Hofzinser, Vernon, the Madrid School. .. ) in which the effects are routined, combined and even made more complex. It's the task of the interpreter of this style to make the spectator experience each effect, one by one, even though they take place at almost the same time. The pauses for dramatization and assimilation are measured; the complex effect is given a clear reading. See, as a paradigmatic example, Hofzinser's "Omnipotence of Women". 44 Sometimes the facility of evocation and the 42. The continum;is and active participation of most of the group is just one of the specific, marvelous features in the powerful art of close-up magic. 43. Francis Carlyle, a magnificent American magician, known as the creator of "The Homing Card", a masterpiece of card magic. 44. Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser: Non Plus Ultra, Vol. 2, Magic Christian, 2013. Hermetic Press, Inc./Conjuring Arts Research Center: New York, p. 133. rnent of effect rely on making the effect embody multiple and .ed units, such as a continuous production of cards from the air d-manipulation act, while disregarding other effects such as disapCes n or translocations of the cards. it is evident that such simplicity or, rather, non-complicaany c ase , i the effect and its development facilitates its e~ocation, narration I nhancement. ncourage the spectator's repeated wish to evoke the effect, the magican create what I call evoking hooks: objects, actions, music, phrases, which the spectator "hangs" his memories and then, when s, etc ., On e hooks appear in his everyday life, they bring back the memory of magical experience. The strongest kind of evoking hooks are objects given as souvenirs one or several spectators who have taken part in the effect: the card ed by both the spectator and magician that magically traveled, the tored rope, an origami figure, the envelope in which a ring appeared, fruit that appeared under the cup, etc. It's not easy to exaggerate the ormous potential of objects that play an essential role in the trick; a pupt, balls, a safety pin, coins or banknotes-perhaps foreign ones of low ue. When the spectators see them and show them to others, they will 11 them the story and improve the effect. Furthermore, the aroused curi;sity in the listeners, as well as their active examinations _of the objects, · l make them feel more intensely the magic of what they've been told, ~ost as if they had experienced it and not just heard about it. Thus, The Comet Effect, with time, not only increases its light and brilliance for the spectator who saw the effect, it also illuminates, wraps and immerses the ;~rowing number of his blessed listeners in its magic. Evoking hooks can also be non-material-mime, sound, words, actionsthat may be left with spectators. For example, a magical curiosity that is shown to them during the trick and that they can repeat and present to their friends: folding a bank note to make it look like two, an easy :flourish with. cards or coins, the puzzle with two corks. There are all kinds 0 f games and ideas, as ~ell as words, phrases and magical spells, that are memorable because of their sound (Sim Sala Bim' Abracadabra, etc ·) and are repeated thro~~lwut the session. When they encourage spectators to remember the magician, they also help them evoke the effects he presented. Certain repeated lines are also useful for this evoking function: "What night!" (Pepe Carrol), "It's amazing!" (Frakson) and other phases that mi ha . h gt occur mt e spectators' everyday lives, as they hear acquaintances say them ffered a shot in a restaurant, he will probably remember your magic tell those around him about it, surely improving the magical effect, maybe the whole session. mporary Summation e effect must be a bright spot, but its magical strength can grow when membered by the spectators (the brilliant tail of The Cbmet Effect). For that: or when it seems appropriate to say them themselves. But they are effective The spectator should want to remember with pleasure or admiration only when they are not repeated excessively during the session, when they or interest the person who was the magician, the person who has fas- have ~t, duende or charm, and when they naturally suit the style and personality of the magician. In other words, they should never feel forced or artificial but are heartfelt and genuinely grow from the personality. It is well known that the music, lyrics or the odors (incense and scents) that accompany a trick are wonderful evoking hooks for a whole session or a particular trick. A third kind of evoking hook consists of memorable images. For exam- cinated him with his persona and artistic style. The magical effect should have been truly powerful, logically impossible, brilliant, exciting and mesmerizing. » The effect should carry the implicit or explicit symbol of an impossible, fascinating, magically fulfilled wish. The magician should strive to make the spectator want to evoke (for ple, you produce a giant coin and leave it in view throughout the session himself and for others) the extraordinary experience he lived. The wish to share should increase. That occurs if there is solid, active referring to it from time to time: "This is Gulliver's coin. If I pay with it' participation from the spectators in the process of the trick: They they give me five-foot sandwiches and double portions of everything.:, Then, only at the end of the session, you pick it up and comment on its size, the difficulty of putting it into your pocket, its weight. Then you add something like ''But it's worth it. What a dinner I've got coming!" In tricks that don't carry an implicit evocative power, try to devise . . ' imagme and search for some emotional hook. For example, in a card routine, I introduce a small Moorish tea glass on which are colored drawings. These drawings have the power to produce my magical effects-transforming cards, g~thering the Aces and Kings for a poker hand, even materializing coins and banknotes-when the tea glass is set on top· of the deck. After the routine, there are always spectators who jokingly offer to buy the wonderful glass. A good answer to this is: "Actually, some small glasses have this power. You can check for yourselves when you use one of them. " When, a few days later, a spectator has a glass of wine or tea, or think, examine, choose, touch, take, keep, respond, help, witness .... The more involvement there is, whether of one person, several or the whole group, and especially if the effect happens in their hands .or with their possessions, the more eager they will be to relate their experience to others. The effect should be easy to recall. Remember Carlyle's Criteria: sim"~ple, strong, direct, impressive and easy to describe. » Evoking hooks should be incorporated without difficulty: objects, phrases, music, odors .... We will later discuss another magnificent technique that boosts The Comet Effect: "The Work of the Magician after the Session" (p. 182). But for now, let's continue to study other factors that improve what is evoked. Other Factors Improve Memories There are some precise techniques, in addition to those already mentioned that can help improve the memory of the effect seen. For the morrient, will set three objectives for ourselves: w: 1. Reinforcing the positive conditions. We wish to cause all the positive conditions that made the effect seem magical and impossible to be remembered clearly ("The cards were shuffled by the spectators", "He showed the bo:x: empty" ... ) and even to augment those conditions. 2. Forgetting the negative conditions. We wish to cause all the negative conditions to be forgotten ("At the end, the magician touched the deck", "He put his hand into his pocket" at a time when it is suspicious ... ). 3. Remembering what never happened. We wish to form memories of positive conditions that never existed ("The spectator thought of the card" when he actually looked at it ' "Everything had been examined" when this isn't the case). Now let's look at some techniques that help us achieve these three objectives. First Objective: Reinforcing the Positive Conditions I use three specific techniques: » The Absurd or Exaggeration We add these features during the action we want remembered. We'll illustrate this with an example used earlier: I ask a spectator to shuffle the deck while holding his hands above his head, so that everyone can see. The image is funny and memorable. Or, to convey that a card case is empty, I tell the spectator to feel inside it and to be careful, because I sometimes forget my mousetrap in there. Sometimes I use an old verbal gag, still perfectly effective: "There is nothing and, above all, no one inside. "45 The same idea may be used for stressing that a card was thought of, rather than taken or seen: "Would someone please cover the eyes of our friend with your hand, so that he can concentrate and think of a card-but don't fall asleep. Have you thought of one already? Imagine it. You may uncover his eyes. Can you see anything now, other than· little colored stars?" But I must stress here that the verbal exaggeration and absurdity should be in balance with the importance of the action for the magical effect. Simply telling someone to shuffle the cards should suffice if the effect will be a transposition or a divination in which the initial shuffle isn't essential. We must be careful not to exaggerate our exaggeration. The Overview Prior to the Effect This is a technique the old masters, especially Robert-Houdin, used exquisitely. It consists of making, if possible, a verbal overview of the actions we want remembered: "One of you-you-shuffled the deck over your head," or "You thought of a card with your eyes tightly closed and blindfolded. You didn't take it or see it, you only imagined it. "However, we must be careful not to make these summations too long or to repeat them too often. A single, clear overview given prior to the realization of the effect is enough, and then only in certain cases, when it is really necessary. It's a magical tool that should not be abused, but it is enormously effective when used properly. It also heightens the drama prior to the effect and has positive consequences for the pause for.assimilation after the effect. 46 » Reinforcing with Gestures or with Whispers after the Effect Our idea here is to sum up the effect with gestures during the pause for assimilation, while the audience applauds. We can whisper, or even state in a normal voice (it will not be heard because of the applause), and mime the conditions of the trick, but only those that we want to fix in the memories of the spectators. An example will make this clear: 45. I use many examples from card magic because it is my beloved specialty, so I know them well. You can adapt these ideas to your specialty. 46. See "The Beloved Art of the Pause", p. 310. n N The tric~ i~ over, the spectators applaud, and the magician promptly says, pomtmg to the participant, "This is the card you thought of. without looking at it. " The magician covers his own ey 2 s. Then' pointing to the spectator who shuffled, he says, "This is the deck shuffled at the beginning. "The magician holds his hands over his 0 yo: . WU head, miming the action of shuffling. He doesn't have to pronounce the words. He can just think them or whisper them to himself. With all this-and always without exaggerating the gestures-we greatly help the spectators to recall quickly and easily the positive conditions of the procedure, so that they can immediately go on to enjoy the magical effect, its beauty and its symbolism. They will have the whole procedure of the trick clear and fresh in their minds, feeling its impossibility, and they surrender and enjoy it.47 Second Objective: Forgetting the Negative Conditions Luckily for us magicians, the most constant function of our minds is not the task of remembering but that of forgetting. We forget almost everything we see, feel or do. We retain only what our minds consider very, very, very important. We encode it, retain it, remember it. And only such things go into long-term memory. The rest is forgotten. 4s And that's what concerns us here: that the circumstances that work against our objective of creating illusion are forgotten. Logically, we want to prevent them from being noticed, from being seen; or we want them perceived with a very divided attention; or we want them to stay only in short-term memOI}\ 47. I have been employing this technique effectively for many years. Curiously, I began using it in a completely intuitive way. Only years later, when my dear brother in magic Gaetan Bloom pointed out, after seeing me use it, how powerful he considered this technique to be, did I become conscious of it and begin to use it methodically. It very often happens this way: The artist figures out something intuitively; then he or others analyze it and make it available to other artists-and the art is enriched. 1 48. It can't be any other way. Read "Funes the Memorious" by Borges to see the maddening consequences that remembering everything could have. going into mid-term or long-term memory-fading away after a few onds and becoming irretrievable, as if they had never existed, erased tt; m our memory. In other words, we don't want these facts to be encoded, or we don't t them to pass into mid-term or long-term memory. To prevent encoding, we should avoid or eliminate circumstances that elp the encoding of facts, as commented on earlier. Precisely how to hieve this lac~ of attention by dividing or physically and mentally misdicting attention is what magicians have studied the most thoroughly and is usually the objective of manipulative technique, of the various types of ·sdirection, and the whole psychology of deception, from false solutions in-transit actions, from the parenthesis of forgetfulness to controlling the gaze, from the secret technique for relaxation to conditioned naturalness. Therefore, I believe it's useless to go further into the subject here. I refer the reader to the works of the magical giant, Robert-Houdin (that contain the essence of all psychological theories), and to those of Vernon, Slydini, Hugard, Keith Clark, Ramsay, Darwin Ortiz, Burger, Kurtz and, of course, Maestro Ascanio, as well as· many others, among them, perhaps, some of my own works. But we should observe here that, to prevent negative conditions from passing to mid-term or long-term memory, we must not refer to those conditions verbally. We should forget them ourselves, ignoring them in our overviews and recaps before and after the effect, and we should maintain an attitude in accordance with their nonexistence: the powerful weapon of disarming looseness applied to this subject. A few pages down (page 173, to be precise) I will describe the technique of "emotional erasers" that can be used to prevent elements, circumstances and negative conditions in short-term memory from passing into long-term memory. Third Objective: Remembering What Never Happened This is something, in my judgment, of the greatest interest, because it notably increases the impossibility of the effect produced and the amplitude of wonder. n at was your card?" The spectator names it and the magician reacts Using precise techniques, we will attempt to make the spectato can simulate by using a manipulative technique, such as back-palming th joy: "Yes!" The spectators, vyho have followed the procedure of · k deep down confirm the impossibility that the card thought etnc , has been found by· the magician without his touching the deck coin to make the hand appear empty, but to actions that never took Plac d thanks to the repµtation earned by the magician during previous remember some positive conditions within the procedure of the tri conditions that never really existed. I am not referring here to those in the trick, yet are nonetheless "remembered" by the spectators. Let's look at these techniques: · . ' ·SO » happy when he hears the name of the card, that's ·an unmistakable Temporary Confusion signal that the miracle has occurred. The spectators relax, the magi- If I have the deck shuffled by the spectators in a trick and then shuffled cian relaxes and, without making it seem important, he picks up the again in the next trick, but not in the third (in which I might be using deck and shows the card on top (after a Pass, a Palm, the addition of a stack), I could state during the overview of the prior effect, "Now I'll leave the deck with the person who shujfied it. It was you, right?" The spectators, unaware of what the next effect will be and therefore of the importance of having the deck shuffled by a spectator ' easily accept my comment, which is confirmed by the spectator who receives the deck When, after the effect, they remember the conditions, they will include something that never happened. It actually did happen but not during that trick They are confused by the when, not by the what. In my recap following the effect, I can also include the spectator's shuffle that didn't take place. » . tricks, the spectators are amazed by the miracle, ev~n before seemg card. If the magician said he would not touch th~ deck and he is Impossible Promises Before the start of the trick, the magician makes assertive statements that will not be totally fulfilled or, rather, will not be fulfilled exactly as stated, but with slight, though essential, differences. Yet, the fact that these things are stated openly and confidently the magician produces a confirmation in the minds of the spectators of the circums~ances just as they have heard them. Later, if the difference between what was promised and what really happened isn't noticeable, it is more than likely that what was heard as a promise remains as an experienced reality in the minds of the spectators. Here is an example (in card magic again, sorry): "Now name a card. I'll leave the deck there on the table. I will not touch the cards again. the card on top, whatever). The spectators will confuse, in their memory, what they actually saw (the magician did touch the cards) with what they heard, believed and internalized (he will do it without touching the deck). Not out of vanity, but to support the concept with the opinions of great experts, I must tell you that this technique has flown by magicians of the caliber of Vernon, Jennings and Lorayne. After I later revealed the principle to them, one, amazed, told me he was sure that what I'd promised had been fulfilled. Opening a Parenthesis: Persistent Memories Carried Over Regarding this subject I will allow myself a momentary parenthesis: I will comment on a curious personal experience that I believe is applicable to everyone, and through this I will attempt to approach the explanation of how this phenomenon of confusion through false promises works. I have several times observed in myself a type of experience that perplexes me because I don't know its mechanism and haven't been able to find an explanation in the modern psychological literature I've consulted. This isn't surprising given that I'm not a psychologist, the body of psychological information is huge and always growing and, as the experts on the subject observe, we are very far from knowing everything about memory. N Here is an example of the phenomenon. Someone tells me, "Did y: know that Federico was in a car accident and broke his hip?" Federico a magician friend, and immediately I feel truly sorry about his accident; then think of the consequences: "He won't be able to perform in the sho on Thursday. I'm going to have to look for someone to fill in for him. I internalize this idea and others, similar and divergent, but all of the are consequences of Federico's accident. My brain relates the event Wit many things and circumstances: "His girlfriend will be upset. Perhaps h was a careless driver. If he ends up lame, it will be difficult for him to pe form stage illusions ... " And there are other things that don't go through my conscious mind. Hours later I learn the truth. He wasn't the driver when he had the the emotions and procedure of the effect. But in their will probably not modify all the imagined consequences of h zytcy . •tiallY promised event: The magiG seen was not based on manipulaersed -in .u.• the magicians performance was extraordinarily clean, etc. . don't really know why this happens, but with mor;e than a httle rity, 1 will jump to a possible explanation: I propose t~at several conons among neurons are formed, and neural networks are created. e produce sensations and ideas, so that later, when th•e initial event is cted, not all the chains of connections are modified, allowing those cted consequences of the initial event to remain in the memory. In case, I believe the important thing for us is that, applying it to magic, orks like a charm. I Close the Parenthesis.) accident, and he suffered only a light bruising to one leg. Naturally, I feel relieved, and I realize my friend will be able to perform on Thursday, so I turning to our subject of impossible promises, I think great care should don't need to find a substitute, his girlfriend will be fine, he won't be lame taken in maintaining the proper balance between what is promised and at is finally achieved. It's quite clear that, if it's easy to remember what promised and to perceive the differences from what was achieved, ' etc. So far, everything is logical. But a day later, strangely, I catch myself starting to look for the telephone number of someone to replace Federico, or I say to a friend, "Poor Federico, always driving so carelessly." In other words, even ifl erase or correct the essential fact that Federico did not break his hip when he was driving, it's hard to correct all the implications that grew out of the fact, especially those further along in a logical chain and recorded in my memory at a less conscious level. This has happened to me on many occasions and, through conversations and observation, I've discovered that it happens to others as well. I call them Persistent Memories, immune to the erasure of the fact that caused them. I believe that the mechanism producing this anomaly of memory is the same one at work in unfulfilled promises. When we announce that sorm.:thing will happen in a certain way-/ will not touch the deck-we do fumly and convincingly, and the spectators begin to construct direct, indirect, conscious and less conscious consequences. Later, as events develop, they may be able to correct the circumstance-He grabbed the deck-if they consider it an important point, although this is very unlikely, as they stration and a lack of trust will arise, which our spectators may even neralize, applying these feelings to other moments or statements by the 49 gician that were, or will be, truthful. Any citizen nowadays is aware of the cynical abuse-at times blatant, t others subtler-of this technique. It occurs to a large extent in personal and party politics and in the promised political programs. Note how, despite their repetition and manifest falseness, we keep fall~ng-sometimes, many times-into the same trap. A certain sort of advertising, the super-sales and the evening televised talent-contests are other examples we all know well. Luckily, our application has better ethical objectives: playful, artistic; we are producers of illusion and happiness. 49. See Chapter 5 on "Dramaturgy" and especially the section on "Emotions" (p. 187), where I analyze the use ( dramaturgic, in this case) of impossible promises and divide them into categories of fulfilled and unfulfilled (totally or partially). In those promises I intend to be forgotten, they are verbalized, not mentioned again and therefore are forgotten. n n of impossibility produced by the method and the circumstances I believe that one of the secondary effects of our magic lies\ · . . mge ating a healthy wanness by proving we are not as immune to deceptio e it seem impossible. I am referring to the sensation produced by t performed under the promised circumstances, since the spec- we tend to believe. If we can be fooled by things we see with our own should forget, not perceive nor fix in their memories, the actual while alert, after having been warned of their admittedly false nature, we stances that are encountered later, during the tripk. The promise To continue our examination of factors that improve what is evok d be made with certainty and assertiveness, taking for granted that from memory, I will now describe and comment on a technique prorms be fulfilled. This makes the spectators feel the pqwer and fascina- some paragraphs ago. It is a precise and versatile one that can be used f the effect even before they have witnessed it. T~at sensation will achieving our three objectives: the reinforcement of positive conditio corded almost as an experience in their sensory memory (the neural the erasure of negative conditions and the creation of memories of 80 ork?). And, except where there is strong evidence to the contrary thing that never happened. It's a technique I have fine-tuned for the p obvious failure to fulfill the promise, it will enhance what actually thirty years and constantly use with magnificent results. I call it: ens, the events later seen, amounting to a more impossible and fas·ng final sensation: adding what was promised and believed to what The Mnemosyne Staircase witnessed and perceived. Let's look at an example (From card magic? In homage to the goddess of memory, daughter of heaven and :rrect!). But please read it as if you are a total layman regarding magic. earth, Uranus and Gea, and mother of the Muses, no less! This technique, as I've just mentioned, is used to reinforce positive memories, make people forget negative ones and create positive memories of "I'm going to show you evidence of an incredible sympathy of thought. u will shuffle the deck as much as you wish. One of you will then think a card, and another will think of a number-and, without me touching deck, you yourselves will.find that at the number thought of by one of actions or events that did not occur. Its application begins before the start of the trick, by studying, conceiving and creating a structure for the trick that makes it possible and u is none other than the card thought of by the other." I suppose that you, dear reader, have noticed the sensation this promproduces just reading it, especially if you have managed to forget your desirable to use this Mnemosyne Staircase. The effect should be strong, owledge of tricks and moves . .The point now is not to disappoint or frustrate, which is to say not to powerful, desirable, fascinating; the method unthinkable, unfathomable within the conditions it will develop, and its structure capable of resisting logical analysis, keeping in mind refined and precise technique as as the psychology of perception (misdirection, timing, etc.). In short, produce disillusion, because several parts of what has been promised will remain unfulfilled: Two decks are openly used. One of them will be shuffled (falsely) by the magician, not by the spec- construction of this Staircase must be worth our time and effort. Let's then begin to climb the Staircase. On the first step we find the impossible promises that, as has been mentioned, could be totally or partially unfulfilled. Our objective is that tators, although they will remember having shuffled the cards. » The card will be selected and removed from the other deck, not just this breach in fulfillment avoids producing frustration or disappointment, thanks to the unfulfillment going unperceived, or part of the promise being forgotten by the spectators. The effect will be remembered as will the ' >> thought of The magician does touch one of the decks to false shuffle it. And he touches the other one for the selection of a card. the other hand, there are parts of the promise that are true or Will seem so: » One of the spectators will freely think of a number. » · From the moment he thinks of the number and names it, the magician >> doesn't touch the deck from which the number will be counted. The selection of the card will seem totally free. ocket and removes it from the case. The magician approaches to take p . di e deck-but he suddenly stops and steps back dramatically, remm ng ecyone that he promised not to touch it. The spectator then counts the ds himself, one by one, until he reaches fifteen, while holding the deck e down or face up, as the magician has suggested, and as is convenient the success of the effect. When he reaches the fifteenth card-or the ifourteenth, if he's counting face up-he is instructed 'to stop the count and Al Baker, and I believe somewhat enhanced by yours truly), I'll yVithout looking at or showing the card at number fifte~n. Always remain.ing well away from the cards, the magician sums up, concisely but clearly, describe it briefly. We'll get into its details later. what has been done so far (a prior overview of the effect). He then asks For those who don't remember the method (devised by Louis Gombert Two decks are used. One is handed out for shuffling. The other, set up the person to show the face of the card at the fifteenth position: it is the in Mnemonica order or in any other memorized sequence, is false shuffled exact card thought of! As we can see in this example, we have made a fantastic and impos- by the magician. 50 The deck shuffled by the magician is handed to someone. This person puts it into its case and keeps it in a pocket. Someone else sible promise that is only partly fulfilled. Yet, going up the Mnemosyne freely thinks of and names any number from one to fifty-two. The magician Staircase step by step, we attempt to make the final sensation correspond takes the deck the spectator has shuffled and, as he shows it well mixed, to the secular miracle (the wonderful effect), just as it was promised. Let's he secretly searches for two cards. These match the cards at the chosen take a look: number in the stacked deck in the spectator's pocket, counting from the top or bottom (my contribution). In other words, if fifteen is named,. he finds the cards corresponding to Positions 15 and 38 in the stack, 38 being the complement of 15, obtained by subtracting 15 from 53. If fifteen cards are counted from the bottom, we would arrive at Card 38 in the stack. The Foot of the Staircase: The rn1m,uu~ as described) Then come the three steps of the Staircase: First Step: True or False? (Ambiguity) These two cards are forced on a fourth spectator. It is announced that Here we will attempt to refer to the false facts in an ambiguous way. Say he will freely think of one of them and that that card will be found magi- something like this to the first spectator: "You shuffle this deck. Shuffle it cally positioned at the number thought of in the deck the first spectator is a lot. We'll shuffle this one." You false shuffle the second deck, then hand it to the second spectator while you ask the first: "Did you shuffle well and thoroughly? Yes? Please cut the cards and complete the cut." Then, to the second spectator: "Shuffling is not enough. Cut and complete the guarding, which is inside the card case and in his pocket. The person thinks of one of the two cards and names it. He is emphatically given a chance to change his mind and think of the other card. Once he has freely settled on a card, the guardian of the other deck takes it from 50. I have and perlonn other, more sophisticated versions of this trick in which ' the spectators appear to shuffle both decks, thanks to a subtle deck-switch. One of them is described in Mnemonica (p. 207), but for this example we will have one of the decks shuffled by the magician. cut as well. "He complies. You can see that all these statements are true-ambiguously true. You say that he shuffles or he cuts when the spectator actually does it; and you say we shuffle when you do it. No one will object, even mentally, to these statements. 170 171 Second Step: False with True (Stating Something False and Linking It to Something True) spectator, the "guardian", he should support your "right?" by a verbal This step on the Staircase is wide and long, almost a landing. You make he second step, again binding something false to something true. In link between false and true like this: "And now exchange decks ... like tlta tion, you will have made a false statement and the spectator will have very good. And each of you please cut the deck shu.ffted by the other." The do. "Perfect. Let's put one of them into the case. "You take the stacked dee the one now held by the first spectator, and cut the first card of the stack to the top (glimpse and cut or pass). Tell him: "You'd better put the shuffled deck into the case yourself. And put everything into your pocket. The first spectator, the one who really shuffled a deck (the unstacked one), puts the deck he now holds (the stacked one, false shuffled by you) into its case. You have already stated something that is not true: that both decks were shuffled by the spectators. They only shuffled one; you false shuffled the other. ation or by nodding. If all this is achieved, you will have continued edit-that he shuffled that deck-bringing everyone to the third Artistically, however, ambitious as we are, we want even more: ird Step: Only False (False Statements e Made an~ Confirmed) stead of looking at the first spectator for affirmation, you direct your estion, as if by mistake, to another spectator, a neighbor of the one who uffled. When you see his gesture of puzzlement or disagreement, you to him: "Oh, I'm sorry. It wasn't you who shujfied ... " Normally the t spectator, the one who did shuffle, will interrupt with something like: You ask the second spectator to thoroughly shuffle the deck he is holding. While he shuffles, really shuffles, his deck; you have a third per- twas me who shuffled." How wonderful! son think of a number: ''Please think of a number from one to fifty-two. ing: ''He shujfied thoroughly [you point to the "guardian" who has just Why from one to fifty-two? Because the deck you shuffled thoroughly · [you point to the first spectator], and cut, and have in your possession, contains fifty-two cards." You have said, "you shu.ffted thoroughly, and cut, and have in your possession" while pointing at the first spectator. But the "you" is only partly true. "Cut, and have in your possession" is true, but "shu.ffted" is not. You continue: "By the way, you [here uniting the first and second spectators] shujfied thoroughly, right?" They confirm, poor them! Still on the same broad step of the Staircase, you continue: A new (fourth) person freely selects two cards (which you freely force on him) and, while he chooses one of them (this time, really freely), you say: "Now think of one of these two cards, and the card you think of [precisely the card he chooses mentally] should be, or will position itself, at the chosen number in the deck that he [you point at the first spectator] shujfied, cut and kept in his possession, and which I've never been near, right?" If the last phrase, "which I've never been near'; is said while looking at the In any case, you now give your pre-effect overview, restating everyounted to the fifteenth card], cut, kept the deck in his possession, and didn't even get near. Have I touched it?" You point to the cards from ·.a distance, leaning back and extending both palms wide open in front of you. The answer is always, "No." In this way, you have established the "truth" of progressively less true statements. You have even achieved verbal confirmation from the spectators. It has been established with total certainty that the dee~ in which the card and number match was shuffled by the spectator and not touched afterward by you. The effect of a freely selected card-which included ,,, the option of changing it-turning up at a freely thought-of number thus becomes, I believe, an authentic miracle. A Few Additional Comments This same Staircase procedure can be used to establish that the card was thought of, which is true regarding the selection between the last two cards, although those were selected physically. N applause, I make a recap with gestures in which I include, among ot • warning applies to the overview before the effect, often con1s in the disastrous anti-contrasting parenthesis, as Ascanio called it things, the action of shuffling cards in the hands while I look at the magnificent and precise termiriology. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, at the end of the trick, during 51 spectator (the "guardian"). I also rub my open palms together and e:xte them outward again while I shake my head, signaling that "I didn't tou them". This reaffirms the most important of the false facts and helps t have just learned how the following three proposed objectives are spectators, during the pause for assimilation, to "remember" them. Qmplished: (1) Reinforce the memory of positive conditions (with With that, you will have established as true three false condition r overviews and after-effect recaps), (2) Cause negative conditions to while at the same time having reinforced through steps memories of th forgotten and {3) Cause what never existed to be remembered (impospromises, Mnemosyne Staircase). All these are also enhancers, along true and important facts. We needn't refer to those facts having little or n others from The Comet Effect. We come now to two techniques that importance, as we wish to keep things simple and interesting. To the technique (false shuffle, force of the two cards), the advanc plement those already discussed. One is the promised Emotional preparation (the stack) and the mental activities of the magician (know ers, the other is The Work of the Magician after the Session. Let's ing the stack, mental subtraction of the named number from 53), we hav katthem. added the Mnemosyne Staircase, which rewrites the process of the tric making people remember things that didn't occur and altering some 0 those that did to our advantage, in favor of the magic. Summing up: The Mnemosyne Staircase begins (though not always) with the impossible promise and ascends by three steps: ambiguous statements, verbalization of false and true facts together, then false statements by themselves. Now that we've gone up the three steps, culminating the Ascension, we have reached the Open Heavens. It's a triumph of imagination over reality to let us into The Rainbow. There it is. Should we go? e Emotional Erasers: an Encoder and Eraser of ort-Term and Long-Term Memory y years ago, I learned something that clarified for me a certain phemenon I had been observing in my. magical experiences: There were emories that, although well fixed, were forgotten by the spectators as ell as by me. Here are some examples: During my performances, it happens, as I suppose it happens to th.er magicians, that I think of something interesting for: the session; ometimes a detail for misdirection, other times a funny line or a clever . ~ A Warning I The danger I believe we should avoid like the plague is to transfonn the trick into a reiterative, complex quackery that creates confusion in the effect. ("Confusion is not magic," Vernon used to say.) The use of this marvelous escalator of magic, the Mnemosyne Staircase, should be strictly limited to special cases and essential facts. . By the way, I would like to emphasize here that the danger of excessive complication, of adding confusion and boredom, is amplified when using, without proper care or method, my system of The Magic Way, explained in my book of the same name. The Magic Way is extensively applicable to only very good complex tricks, the secrets of which are probably already concealed. Balance is the concept underlying the Greek classics. It can also be the solution for The Magic Way and for the application of the Mnemosyne Staircase-and for all other techniques and theories in this book. .. and perhaps for life. N phrase that adds drama or poetic fascination. I emphasize that t are things that come to me during performance. And here I ope parenthesis: ~ I consider the greater part of my session to be "improvised" as far as patter, dramatic lines and comedic ones are concerned. I never set out to think of or write these things do:wn. Instead, I gradually add those lines and ideas that I improvise in every performance and that have worked well. So it progresses, until I've formed a complete body of effective gags and dramatic lines. It could be truthfully said that almost all the jokes and patter are "improvised" ' ing techniques with the hands or body or executing other secret creating moments of tension and relaxation, including secret ' during the relaxation, etc. · ·zing this,·I decided then that, when I improvised something I felt od, I would pause briefly, if the trick allowed it, and fix the improviin my mind by mentally repeating the line or mumbling it to myself. suit was a persistent failure in evoking the memory. At the end of sion, I managed to remember that there was so~'ething to rememt not what it was or how the improvisation had occurred. e same thing happened when, in a particular trick, I tried to rememcards I had glimpsed a couple of minutes earlier. More times than in the sense that they grow or have grown out of improvisation. My objective in developing a presentation through improvisation d, I missed one of the cards. Either I couldn't remember it or I mis- rather than reason is to achieve and maintain the freshness that suits my persona and my performance style. End of parenthesis. bered it. he same thing happens occasionally, as we all know, to spectators. At most important moment of the trick, when you ask them for the name For years and years, I audiotaped my sessions so that I could recov the good improvisations later. Sometimes I used video recordings, that I could watch myself to critique my performances and learn. Late many years later (that's the good thing about being in magic for over years; there is time for a lot of things), I grew to prefer asking whoev came with me to the sessions (my girlfriend, a helper), and was famili with each of my tricks, to remember the ad libs I made, whether word or actions, and remind me of them afterward. This method is extreme fruitful, at least for my style. Sometimes, though, when I perform, I don' have a knowledgeable companion there to help. The first few times happened, I thought I'd try to remember the successful improvisation• myself. But at the end of the show, not only had I forgotten them, qui often 1 didn't even remember I had to remember something. I thought i was due to a lack of attention or divided attention during the . ~~.-.r,TTI ' sation: I thought of something and said it or did it, but at the same time I was alert to the regular development of the trick Magic demands, a we know, great concentration from the performer: watching and seein how the spectators react, feeling their amazement and astonishmen e card they saw, they have forgotten it. Thinking it over, I saw that the problem was not in momentary ding. It was that what I was trying to remember was recorded, as is rything we see or perceive, in short-term memory, and when I went 'th other actions or events that demanded my undivided attention that raised certain emotions in me (such as doing the Classic Force or ching, not without difficulty, for an appropriate spectator to help in 'ck), I was preventing the event from passing into long-term memory, ich, as we know, is the tool that fixes the facts in the memory. Despite attempting to encode the facts strongly through mentai repetition, I d I wasn't able to evoke them a minute later (as with, for example, psed cards) or at the end of a session (the improvisations of the day). I found a very practical remedy for remembering glimpsed cards. I y something aloud that will later remind me of what I have encoded impsed). For example, if the glimpsed cards are 19 and 8 in my emonica stack, I say: "Look at the cards. You should remember your rds for a short time, no more than eight years and nineteen days. " en I pause for several seconds while the spectators laugh at this. The n storage in long-term memory is guaranteed, thanks to the pause an auditory and muscle memory (the loud verbalization). 52 Everything is fixed in immediate memory and only goes into long-t memory if the brain decides it's important. But here we must be c ator (there was no video in the 1970s). Puchol filmed while I attenatched the act. On two occasions, little accidents occurred: At one e manipulator flashed a load uf coins, and at another some backcards. I mumbled an "Uh!" at each slip. Puchol, who had his eye of attention to. something more important occurs immediately after to the camera, could not notice these flaws throug~ the viewfinder. heard my almost inaudible "uhs". The act conclud~d. Puchol asked fact you need to remember. By "immediately" I mean within twenty Why did you go 'uh' a couple of times?" "Me?" I answered, surprised. thirty seconds, which is about as long as short-term memory holds t absolutely." "I can't remember." : took a week to have the film developed. When we received it, we ful, because this process can be derailed if an emotion or strong dem facts before passing them to long-term memory. A new or sudden emoti during those seconds will interrupt the process of moving the fact fr hed the footage together. On reaching the two flashes, I again said the one form of memory to the other. " and Puchol jumped. "Ah! The same 'uhs' as when we saw it in the This "discovery" has served me very well in magic, because it provid ter." My "uhs" had undoubtedly occurred during those same flashes a "sketchpad for memories". I can sometimes allow something strange . Yes-I realized-of course. That's how it must have been! Why d I have forgotten those mistakes by the end of the live performance unusual (but useful for the method or the magical effect) to be observ if I immediately produce a strong emotion, an unexpected surprise, astonishing magical effect, an intentional accident, something frighteni or very funny. Any of those emotions can erase the negative memory e manipulation act? Since then, I have verified the phenomenon while watching other perances, specifically manipulation acts, including my own routines, such not allowing it to pass into long-term memory. For example, let's say that the Paris Act. These acts consist of many specific effects, and many of a spectator doesn't take the card I've hoped to force. First, I give him m flow quickly from one to the next: Something appears, disappears, the chance to change it for the next card (the force card), but he doesn't ges, then comes a new surprise with something different, etc. Here is my analysis. I perceived the flashes or mistakes (the coin load, accept the offer. I then take his card from him and bury it in the deck without letting him see it, saying, "Don'tforget the card .... Oh, you didn't look at it? Well, take another." But before he can do so, I yell, startling him, and excuse this with some silly or funny motivation. This little scare causes him to forget my mistake, even if it wasn't perceived as one. We are not only employing misdirection, divided attention and cover, but a new tool: erasing certain facts, as needed, from the tors' minds. To confirm and elaborate on the above, let me tell you something I experienced that is related: I went to a magic festival with the late, great Pepe Puchol (my true mentor and magic father). While there we filmed the act of a magnificent 52. I even mentally repeat, during the pause, "Eight, nineteen, eight, nineteen." eback-palmed cards), but a new unexpected magical effect immediately lowed-and in a well-constructed manipulation act, that immediate ect will not be the one produced by the secret load, the one that was etingly exposed by mistake-and the emotional impact of that effect uperb! How wonderful!) prevented me from passing the memory of e perceived little flaw to long-term memory. Because the flash is not onnected to any effect immediately perceived, the brain judges it unimrtant, and the emotional surprise erases the mistake in memory. I didn't i'Ven remember having mumbled, "Uh." This happens in many cases in those acts that I call "sparkly", in which ere are many effects and surprises in succession, and therefore different otions are produced. And this forgetfulness doesn't happen just to me: N After watching a manipulation act, I have asked magicians and lay fri e future (improved) recollection. All of that, I believe, is equally in the audience about their memories of the act, and they recall few or ble to the pause for assimilation after the effect and the pauses of the mistakes and unnatural actions that they almost surely percei Those mistakes were erased or lost before they could be passed from n tricks. We will deal with this matter in detail in the section titled 8 term memory to long-term memory. When I watch the same act a secon third time, I'm not affected by the smprises, since I now expect them ' .see and remember the flaws and suspicious, urinatural gestures. This mustn't be considered an excuse to leave our routines unpolis Beloved Art of the Pause" (p. 310). t's now look at the promised experiment ... â– 11'111.. T""-"""'ill..,._•.... ~....... '"' Experiment now tell you about one of the experiments I have carried out dozens and unperfected. We should not say to ourselves, "It doesn't matter if•· es during the past few years, using laymen and very knowledgeable seen. I'll erase it later." Rather, this knowledge gives us an extremely po ians as my subjects. Its purpose is to test the strength of memory erful weapon that brings us some peace of mind in case of an accident g. I will be with a group of people (no matter how many). Without little human error (we only play at being gods, while we are human) t g attention to what I am about to do, and having used the cards in allows the spectators to see something they shouldn't. If the trick allo ·or trick, I take one face down between the tips of my right ring and it, we should follow up immediately, through actions or words, to creat fingers as I continue to talk about something. I then ask, ''Have you surprise or provoke some emotion, one different from that of the mista iced the strange reflection in my glasses?" I raise my right hand, with palm turned toward the spectators, to grasp the right temple of my ses. I move the hand and glasses together while I point with my other d to the left lens. Due to the position of the right hand, the face of the d it holds is exposed to the spectators. I wiggle my glasses again and eat the phrase, varying the wording: "Don't you see the reflection of window?" or "of that unusual lamp?" I do this another time or two. ring this, the face of the card is visible to the audience for ten to fifteen conds, in the center of their frame of attention, a couple of inches from lens being observed. I even use the card as a pointer, touching its corr to the lens of the glasses, always keeping the right hand and card in otion. I continue to talk and move, showing some amazement at the fact ey can't see the special reflection. I then lower my right _hand with the card. Barely looking at it and "thout giving it any importance, I leave it face down on the table. I immetely feign an accident: I have left a glass holding a little water on the le. I nudge it "accidentally" with my hand and catch it in the air, allowg the water to spill, as I yell, "Careful!" This creates fear and sometimes, hen people see the accident isn't serious, laughs. If I don't have a glass I will give an example of this in a few paragraphs, when we come to " Almost Incredible Experiment". There might seem to be a problem when applying emotional erase The magical effect will produce, we hope, a strong emotion, and we c tainly don't want that emotion to erase anything from the desired effe But this isn't a problem if it's an emotion that doesn't fight against wh was seen, the magical effect. As we have discussed, the complement emotion actually helps to fix the effect in the memory. The emotion be an "eraser" only if it is contrary to or very different from the sense an nature of the memory we want to erase. The reverse is also true. If we want certain conditions within development of a trick, as well as the magical effect they produce, to b left in long-term memory, we should be very careful not to erase the not to prevent them from passing to long-term memory. We should ma the necessary pauses (without other emotions, without actions or words right after what we want fixed and kept in the memories of the spectator We should leave the magical emotion alone, without interference, soth it immerses the spectator and allows him the enjoyment, the permanenc handy, I move foiward to hand my glasses to someone and I bump something. I drop my glasses onto the table, or the floor if there is pet, and I almost step on the spectator's foot: "Careful! Oh, I'm sorry 1 I hurt you?" I pick up the glasses. No harm done. explain to them that I not only showed the card, but I held it in tural position, between my ring and little fingers, that I moved that would normally attract attention and that it was facing almost fifteen seconds within the area to which I constantly I let a few seconds pass as I refer to the little accident. Then pausing, I say, ''By the way, looking only at the back of a card [I po·' eir attention: my glasses. In other words, all thf conditions were favorable for ·them to notice the card. ' the deck], we can't know what the card is: Logical. If I don't show face, we don't know. " Now I look the nodding spectators straight in eyes and address one of them who has shown his agreement with wh said: "You, for example, if I show you the face of that card [I point to card on the table], you would know what it is. But I haven't shown i you yet, right? No, of course not." Then I ask the whole group the same question. Incredible as it seem, most of them will not remember the identity of the card-an addition, they can't even remember having seen the card at all. They c firm that they are sure I have never shown its face and that I didn't e have the card in my hand! Sometimes there are one or two who do remember having seen t card and even remember what it was. It largely depends on how observ they are and if, by their nature, they were not seriously startled by pretended accident. Location can also affect things. If spectators are behind me or at extreme side-angle, where they can't clearly see the lenses of my glass there's a good chance they will note the card. When this happens, it· excellent for the experiment. It often happens that, since most of t group does not remember having seen the card, they become u,1.r'", o,. .,..,".,t-.,.. or incredulous when I tell them I did show its face. Still not having it, I ask, ''Did anyone notice the card?" If one or two people say 1 ',.,'-""' I have them name it and I show it. That proves to the other people in th audience that their skepticism is unfounded, and that I'm being trut even if they can't remember it. It therefore seems incredible to them. 53. One of the first times I carried out the experiment, during a lecture for abo a hundred British magicians, no one remembered having seen the card, and :e secret of the experiment lies, as you may hdve deduced, in the ' eraser, which is the spilled glass of water, my ~ost stepping on tator's foot or my dropping my glasses. Those unexpected events the passing of the memory of the card into long-term memory. The fades completely away. It is as if it had never existed, as if the spechad never seen the card. Isn't that incredible as well as marvelous! :understand the difficulty you will probably have in believing the I am reporting for this experiment. If I imagine reading a trick on the fact that, after having shown a card for almost fifteen sec(fifteen seconds!), held in such an awkward grip, the spectators d not remember it, I would think it was a mistake: The card facing dience? Fifteen seconds? Must have been with its back to the spects-or the author must be pulling my leg! So I ask you, dear reader, to try the experiment for yourself. If you w the instructions, you will be surprised at the result and, best n, you will absorb the knowledge of this powerful magic weapon. will also be able to verify for yourself that, when you ask for the , perhaps one or more spectators will close their ey~s or look up recover its image, which persists in their immediate memory, and respond with the name of the card or will at least partially identify f'Let me think. ..It was black, wasn't it? A high card, I think. . .! really n't watching carefully." The rarity of people who remember seeing card, let alone correctly recalling its identity, will prove to you the wer of emotion to erase a memory. could see the skepticism in their faces when I revealed the truth. Luckily, one of the group was videotaping the lecture. We rewound the tape, so that everyone could verify what had happened. I have been doing this experiment for years in my seminars anct I ask one of them, letting everyone hear me, "Which trick did you tures for magicians. I get the result described every time, and it cont· and it works! For example, after quietly ditching a palmed card in my b t? The one with the phone? How about you? The Spirit Cabinet? That gives me invaluable feedback on the four to six tricks that sed them the most. But here I employ the technique. we could call pants pocket, I briskly raise my hand with the palm toward the specta session chat", in which I drop comments in a voice f1,Udible to every- and yell, "Oh! I know!" startling the spectators a little. "Yes, I think t .signed card left the deck [I point to the deck] ·and should be-perhaps such as: "Good heavens! The cards are never exhau~ted [and I mime in my pocket. Please look for yourself. I don't want to bring my ha anywhere near the pocket. Is there a card there? Please take it out-Yo signed card!" The fact that I brought my hand to my pocket is tota erased from the spectators' memories. ... The other day, the knife changed color five times'in the hands of a in the audi~nce, without me even getting near it, cind then it turned a giant knife, and the woman was so scared ... And how did you age to get the deck in order? I never touched it myself, but maybe wanted to help me, but to tell you the truth, I didn't see you do it. 're so fast. Thank you ... You guys have such incredible power to be to think of a card and make it rise out of the deck! Yesterday-no, it was the day before yesterday, it was on Thursday-I walked ' my dressing room and there it was: the last card thought of in the sion was very slowly rising from the deck. " Intelligent readers (all of you, so don't be offended) will clearly underd that in this way we can achieve a huge reinforcement in the clarity the effects and lasting memories of them, and of the impossibility of method, an impossibility never referred to or directly evoked, but ggested, remembered in passing. Thus we rewrite some aspects of the sion, improving details of some effects, making others legendary. 54 All is is, I believe, of the greatest artistic interest because, let's not forget, e important thing is the magical sensation, what the spectators feel and erience; in other words, The Rainbow. Nor should we forget that, to to astonish me. Best of all, I often apply the principle in my magic sessi End: The the Magician after Session As we have seen, it is good to add the elements we've just studied to an: worthwhile trick, since they increase the quality, length and brilliance The Comet Effect. But we mustn't forget that there is another magnifice technique for enhancing The Comet Effect. Once the session is over, th magician can add certain comments, as if verbally recalling some part 0 what happened in it: "I still can't understand how you could figure out that the Six of Spades would be in the fifteenth position, and after you had shuffied .... " It's a technique of immense magical power, and I apply it time after time with magnificent results. This is the work of the magician once the trick or the session is over. If it's a session of close-up or parlor magic after which direct com- ments from the magician to the spectators are possible, it is very stures of Six-Card Repeat but with my palms to~ard the specta- and effective to employ such comments to influence the positive facts in the trick procedures and to stress the resultant effects. I always try to talk with the spectators and comment on the effects at the end of my sessions. Even in theaters, I come down at the end of the show, in front of the stage, to greet fans waiting there, sign autographs and have pictures taken with them (a gift of happy moments for them and for me, with hardly any effort on my part. Isn't this profession wonderful!). Between the autographs and 4. The incredible Jimmy Grippo was a master of this technique. With it he managed to transform himself and his narrated effects into truly legendary ones. In 1982, I experienced it myself, body and grateful soul. Ascanio, Juan Anton, Pepe Carrol and Anton Lopez were my joyful companions on a trip to Las Vegas, during which we found we were not immune to the power of the magic or to the fascination of the verb "magish" and that magnificent ·"magisher" who was the great Grippo. reach The Rainbow, they will need a guide to dreams, the magici lead them there, along The Magic Way (without False Solutions, L . Solutions or Illogical Solutions). The Bull of Logic should have go sleep (temporarily), letting the Winged Horse of Imagination so which we, aU of us, rode and enjoyed the illusion, the enchantmen the marvelous fascination of magic, now ( during the trick) and al ( after evoking it) and forever and ever. Amen. Chapter Summation Aside from manual, corporeal and psychological techniques (mis tion, parentheses of forgetfulness, The Magic Way, etc.), we have elem that are "boosters of positive memories" (persona, effect, symbol, evo hooks: The Comet Effect, including the prior overview, summation post-session chat), some "creators of inaccurate or totally false me ries" (impossible promises, the Mnemosyne Staircase) and a draft cop unwanted memories ( emotional erasers). Will we be able to create true secular and magical miracles in this w It's your turn. EMOTlONS Kind of an Introduction R many years I have studied, applied, practiced and reflected on emons in magic, which is to say its dramatic side, its emotional incarnation. .am referring not only to the magical emotion, which I've addressed ly in this book, but also to the different emotions felt by the spectars (doubt, surprise, amazement, anxiety, joy, fear of failure, etc.) that e part of the magical effects and are caused by them. I am disregarding e external emotions such as laughter, lyricism, drama, that arise and othe the trick from outside its development; those that the magician dd~ and that are not produced by the structure of the trick or the nature f the effect. As I began to study the intrinsic emotions, I found that the two most haracteristic ones, regarded as companions to the revelation of a magial effect, were surprise and suspense. I later went on to study others that :a;re very powerful and that leave a mark on the spectators, such as hallu:cination and the body of sparkling, magical effects, small and brief, that roduces a sensation of an ongoing rain of magical arrows. N Little by little, I studied and rehearsed practical applications of knowledge of other possible intrinsic emotions. Among these were ating apparent errors that unleash a momentary anxiety, followed by • .pleasure and a rush of maternal instinct; and situations in effects t build to excitement and frenzy. I also tried to ascertain how an effect be structured to produce these emotions, to provide an emotional van . that maintains and builds dramatic interest in a sometimes lengthy de opment of a trick but that, I repeat, uses emotions that arise from Wit the trick; they are not added Gokes, rhyming patter, storytelling) or p duced by stagecraft (lighting, music, visual elements). I eventually arrived at twenty-five types of situations that boo different emotions, all produced by the effect of the trick and its deve opment, as well as by the emotions the interpreter (the magician) fee and by his inner world. I later added emotions related to the hidde method (for example, when a spectator appears to discover the secret) the persona, the personality and character of the magician, and his rel tionship to the audience and with the assisting spectators; these asid from emotions of different types, always related to the inner elements o the structure of the trick or session. I eventually arrived at 165 different types of possible emotions that can be caused by a trick, or by several tricks or a routine or a session. I then tried to tame such an overwhelming storm of emotions into some kind of order. I sorted them and organized them. I grouped and synthesized them, through painstaking analysis. I tried it out in practice (so important!), added, removed, cropped, merged, selected and summed it all up. And I am now, full of "emotion" and writing and telling you about what I Obviously, some of the features I discovered are quite evident, but there are also many less apparent concepts that can make things clearer to us. There is admittedly some subjectivity in all this, but I have attempted to be rigorous in my analysis. There might be conclusions of little use, most have proved, at least in my own repertoire, that by clarifying stressing the emotional elements of an effect, an increase in the_ artistic quality is very noticeable, even outstanding. , t· "What is cinema?" the great film director Godard s ques 10n, "It's emotion in motion." The very clever Alex Fuller respond e d , . ·ct "Not a moment without interest" (emotional mterest, of sa1 , . . • l" . And the very profound Vernon said, "Magic m~st be emotiona . ). haps dear reader you are asking, like me,! "But why? What .t per , · ' . _·. . . f ? Isn't it enough to end with the 1mpos.s1ble and fascma• . ot1ons or. . of 'It can't be but it is! And it's wonderful, like t with the sensa ion ··· . I N Suppose they ask us to cast the actors and actresses for a movie. o ted to such a being with a body of Venus or Apollo and the head We need an appealing, gracious face, and eyes that are e1zebub · al, sweet or bottomless. agic is the same. A trick must have a secret skeleton, a method that of the characters is a woman who must be stunning. She is a charac •sible and unfathomable. This is the solid foundation of the effect. A that, at first glance, should make all the other characters and the audien od mustn't fall apart and must be well proportion~d; I am talking of feel an irresistible attraction. Obviously, the analogy would be equa valid if we had to select a very handsome actor. (I would not apply, to gi structure of the method. Then come its components: technique (manual, corporeal, verbal and others a chance.) chological), the false solutions, the in-transit actions, the convincers A Analogy Please allow me a parenthesis in the form of an analogy. 55 The audition begins: A woman walks in. What is most attractive abo ·ch I think of as "false witnesses"), crossing the gaze, the downbeats her? (Please take for granted that the same would apply to him.) H upbeats and a very long et cetera, all of which Vernon, Slydini, Robert- body? Her face? In general, even if we are not aware of it, what mo attracts us about her ( or him) at first glance is-her skeleton! If she has udin, Ascanio, Hofzinser, Ramsay, Frakson, Hugard, Fitzkee, Maskelyne many others (maybe even me) have tried to analyze and synthesize, magnificent, rounded, sensual figure, a beautiful face, but two extreme} n integrate and apply to the structure of the secret method of the trick, long arms that hang below her knees, she will seem, to begin with, no very attractive. (I want to make it completely clear that in this analo skeleton. And what about His Majesty, the Effect? And symbolism? In this anal- I am referring to her physical appearance, without mentioning her inne the effect and its symbolism are the face of the woman, her beauty d' all that shines in her gaze, everything her words reveal about her beauty, which could be endless.) So, the first thing is the skeleton, without deformities, flaws, defects is king, her inner world and her spiritual self (no less). But we continue to complete: Method-the skeleton, proportionate perfect, but we see it naked, without the flesh ... How scary! Oh, my God, d solid. Effect-the face, gaze and voice, enriching and beautiful. And? or excesses. Proportionate, solid. And hidden! Because if the skeleton how frightening! What would the body be? What would be its role in the analogy? So it is hidden, then. But hidden by a body that is also proportionate Because the skeleton is cold, even terrifying, it needs an attractive and and adequate to the skeleton. The smaller the skeleton, the less flesh. A teresting covering of flesh. The flesh serves two purposes . The first is to body not too skinny, not too fat, sensual, attractive, exciting. (I'm getting nceal the skeleton, not allowing it to be seen or even thought of. When a little agitated.) Enough of that? Well, no, maybe not yet. What happens if we see that this beautiful body, with its good inner structure, the ~keleton, supports a head with a horrible face: hairy warts, a misshapen mouth, pointed ears and a diabolical gaze? I apologize, but not even in the times of my greatest need would I be physically 55. Remember that an analogy is only an analogy is only an analogy is only an analogy. see a striking person, do you think of her or his skeleton? Are you even onscious of its existence? Does it arouse you? (In that case, don't reread ;Freud; you have invented a new sexual pathology.) The second role of the flesh in our analogy is to attract us to the uman being. So, there are two roles: concealment and attraction. We are talking of that harmonious and sensual body that helps to conceal, and even prevent us from thinking of, the skeleton, the secret N method. At the same time, it is an interesting body in all its parts, many them attractive and, as a whole, appealing. That's the emotional body. emotions touch us during the development of the trick, and the magici through his magic and persona, makes us feel them and allows us to s ' and experience, without distractions, the fascinating mystery of the rn ical effect (the.face, the eyes, the spiritual self). And the presentation? If it is understood to be all that which tends ·enhance the effect, clearly there would be elements of it integrated int the emotional body. But that is usually not the meaning given to the te "presentation". The common understanding of "presentation", fit into 0 analogy, would be the external embellishments of a woman to her per sona: her clothing, make-up, hairstyle, jewelry... all those things she c e mystical merge with the corporal, almost carnal, where mys. t .56 d joy coex1s et's look at a practical example. A magician, performing in a teleshow, says, "Count your cards. There must be about thirty." The tor awkwardly, slowly, nervously counts: "One, t\.'V;O, three, four, five -e are now already five thousand spectators who ehanged channels e~:pthe movie has started or the game has ended], twelve, thirteen, I to the contest een... twenty [142 ,000 s:pectators have stayed tuned , the attractive game host, another 200,000 have headed to the bath' half a million check their phones], twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one two remaining spectators snore peacefully; one is the magicians ther, the other his father]. put on or take off, that she can easily change and therefore are the leas personal. Obviously, such external elements can sometimes be used to Solutions? Create emotions and interest at these moments, at every ent: "If there are fewer than thirty cards, I will have failed and I will cover a flaw of the body or face, to highlight beautiful eyes, to insinuate certain curves (that slit in the skirt, ahh!). But, important as they are in ave my head completely, right here and right now." Pulling out a barber's ding razor, the magician opens it dramatically and brings it close to his p. Or: "I will prevent you from counting correctly. I'll make faces-ha, " Here the magician tries to fluster the spectator while he's counting cards aloud. There are even better ideas, easily devised, that your cre- the analogy, these elements would be less important than the others discussed earlier. In magic, these elements of the trick would be external to it: music, costume, jokes, gags, stories, etc. Yes, they have a certain importance, but they are the least important ( or the least very important things, but that's another discussion). Summing up: The skeleton (secret method): proportionate and solid, but concealed .. . Concealed by the flesh of an exciting, interesting and moving body.. . That allows us to see a beautiful face (magical effect) that conveys, through eyes and voice, an enriching and fascinating spiritual world ... And is memorable, like the tail of a comet. But, let's continue. All said, when the magic-the impossible, wished and dreamed, lived with fascination in reality, in the artistic reality-is complete, it will eventually infuse the spectators' experience. They, on the other hand, will be coauthors, spect-authors and spect-actors of that magic. The natural climax of a session would be an almost collective near-orgasm, a magical ecstasy, where the spiritual ·ty can dictate. There is a danger that these added external emotions could be disacting and break the magical atmosphere. They will be artistically valid tly if there aren't any internal emotions that can serve the same function. or example, in the effect of Weighing the Cards, the counti~g of the cards an interesting proof of the magician's successful estimation or of his dispointing failure. That emotional proof is intrinsic to the trick There is •~ need, then, to do anything. The procedure of the trick itself takes care f interest and the magical emotion. If the spectators are magicians, they might pay attention, as magical anatomists to the skeletal secret method and be excited by it, although it offers ' only a head for which tht body doesn't exist. But that, obviously, is not magic but amusement for magicians, or a forensic study. This is nonetheless very important for the development of our art. The point is, while the spectator's necessary slow counting ta place, everyone should feel interest, curiosity, fun, suspense, joy, ch admiration, even frustration, fear, sadness, challenge, risk or.... Our 0 ,goal, the only final artistic objective of all this is to make the spectat parent failure in the revelation of a selected card, or the sensation · • g a vision when a metal ball fl.oats in midair, or the fear produced unminent release of the guill0tine's blade that could sever the head join us, willingly, eagerly, excitedly, on our journey to The Magic Rainbo pectator. think the most thorough and rigorous analysis possible of these emo- to the magical effect, the fascinating mystery, a trip through drama can help us to make them stand out, to communicate them better .emotions to the final emotion of magic, turning the interesting and attra tive into mystery. to structure them in the development of our tricks S? that they convey ety, interest and poetic charm. As always with art, there are no dog- What we try to achieve through emotions is to make people e:xpe . Everything is debatable and variable. But I believe such an analysis ence the feelings of: Oh! Is that possible? He won't be able to do it. Ho be useful as well as provocative. is he going to do it? Oh, he missed! Oh, wait, he .fixed it ... but I saw t trick. Wow! He fooled me, he toyed with me. It wasn't that. Come on! much! So scary! He's not going to fool me! He's not pulling it off! Po The study of this subject has brought me to formulate it in a style that magician! Outrageous! That's dangerous! I'm amazed! How beautiful. How poetic! Am I dreaming? assionate attempt to transmit the accumulated experience of my many And end up feeling: Impossible! It can't be! It's incredible! But I saw it! How wonderful! TVhat a beautiful andfascinating experience! ting and applying these ideas, and observing the fantastic results they re made possible in my own magic-stage, parlor and close-up-for Which is to say, astonishment and fascination are experienced now gicians and, above all, for the public. This happens not just on special and remembered tomorrow, always, the emotions felt and magnified. And all of it deep inside. casions, but many times, in varying circumstances, for different audi- a scholarly semblance, with headings and subheadings. It may appear rious and dull. It is not. Despite its methodical, pedantic format, it is s of considering, analyzing, testing, studying, commenting on, cor- ces, while I am in various moods. 57 But also-and deeper-there is the joy and pleasure of the fulfilled This knowledge of what our spectators feel is not superfluous; it is wish, of the dream come true, even though it is in a recognized artistic extreme importance. Let's remember that it's not about what we do or reality, which is to say the fascinating experience of myth through symbolism. No more ... and no less! w we do it, but about what the spectators perceive and what they feel, d what we magicians also feel with an almost magical resonance. Let me comment further to better clarify the above. When I earlier referred to the dramatic body, I should have I realize that much of what I will explain has always been practiced by ,:xrreiTT..:n, od magicians, based on their artistic intuition or on their own analysis. dramagic body. We are dealing with emotions, dramatic emotions, grow out of, or come directly from, the trick, the magic. In other words, we are not dealing with emotions added externally to dramatize· the trick but rather those that are incorporated in its magical procedure. I say again, it's not about adding a romantic story or a joke or a dramatic presentation to the trick; rather, it is the (dreamed of?) emotion of a surprise caused by such effects as the appearance of a hen's egg in an empty bag, othis you can add the change (positive, I believe) that has taken place in . In this labor of analysis arid refinement of ideas and concepts, I have counted on the infinite patience of my friends and magic colleagues: from Manuel Cuesta, Aurelio Paviato, Pepe Dominguez, Antonio Malakatin, Ramon Riob6o, Alan Marchese, Manuel Llaser, Luis Trueba, Vicente Canuto, Pepe Puchol and others, all of whose enthusiasm for the subject encouraged me so much. My deepest heartfelt Thank you! to yotl all. my own magic throughout all these years, measurable by the spontaneo reactions and comments of spectators and by my own sensations. is due largely to the live, non-analytical application, and the sincere, b anced and (I hope) artistic handling of these dramagical emotions. I hope these ideas are not just illusions of mine but realities that c to some extent be transferred to your experience. Analysis of the Emotions in Magic otions ·(or the situations that cause them) can be related to the effect, method, the magician or other circumstances: audience, helpers, coheof the group, venue, music, previous atmosphere, etc. I will start with emotions that arise from the type of effect and the way they are transd by the magician. I'll divide them into those that are produced before the realization of magical effect, those that take place during the magical effect and that arise after the magical effect. The Emotions ( and Situations That Cause Them) in Relation to the Effect efore and During the Effect How Does the Effect Arrive? SUSPENSE eludes: Hope. Anxiety. Doubt. Mental tension. Waiting. Impatience .... And It can be Announced 58 Hinted at, foreseen 59 Wished for 60 Feared 61 Doubtfully believed Rejected as impossible62 Delayed63 Emotions ( expressed or felt) Can he pull it off? Don't tell me that ... that ... I hope so! I hope not! Really? How is he going to do it? No, I'll shave off my moustache if he ... I'd commit suicide. Come on! Let see! Let's see! ... 58. Card at Number (Gombert-Al Baker-Tamariz). 59. First moments of the final slow spread in "Triumph" (Vernon). 60. Final coin in Nest of Boxes . .fil. Sawing a Woman in Half (Blackstone, Goldin). 62. Vanishing Birdcage (Buatier de Kolta). Blackstone's version with children's hands touching the cage on all sides, and the forthcoming disappearance is announced. 63. Voluntary delay in revealing the face of the card at the end of a trick N 2. SURPRISE Includes: Shock. Sudden pleasure. Unexpected joy. Horror. Tensionrelaxation. Visual impact. Momentary doubt about the reliability of the It can be ;_I thought it was ajoke. 73 .a.-v-1n1-r,a«;;;t,;:,Pl'1 Visual74 or What ajoke! Wow! senses. Laughter or absurdity. It can be Emotions 64 a) Totally unexpected b) Different than expected: -Contrary to expected65 -Different in time -Before expected66 -After expected67 -Different in space (not here but there) 68 -Different in quality (I didn't expect that) 69 -Different in quantity ( a larger or smaller number of objects than expected) -Stronger, bigger 70 -Smaller71 c) Hesitantly expected: -I didn't think it would work (bluff) 72 ( expressed or felt) Wow! How an Effect is Presented CHALLENGE · eludes: Tension. Competitiveness. A certain aggressiveness. Self-assertion. Look at that! Ooh! (with a shock) Ooh! (with a shock) Come on! Look! Come on! Oh! Oh, ho, ho! Little laughs: tee-hee Pride. State of alert. Drama and great interest. Emotions ( expressed and felt) It can be due to What! The impact of the effect. 75 The Magician's expression (verbal attitude) Let's see if it's true! and promise when announcing the effect. 76 Like that? No way! Strict conditions. 77 78 Again?! Repetition (of the trick). I'm going to win. A bet (wagering money or prestige). 79 He's not going to fool me! Mental attitude of the spectator. Warning! If the threat is excessive, either in strength or in duration, Give me a break! there may be some memory of the experience left in the spectator's 64. Instantaneous dove production (the throw). mind-an unpleasant or very tense recollection of the challenge-that 65. Coins through Table: They came up! (instead of going down). will later be very difficult or nearly impossible to erase. 66. In the Rising Cards: A card rises unexpectedly, before you say anything. A card is divined and named while the assisting spectator is still showing it to the audience. 67. In the Rising Cards: A card rises after the magician gives up, following several failed attempts. 68. Cards to Pocket: They travel to an unexpected pocket. 4. IMPOSSIBLE PROMISE Includes: Doubt. Distrust. Expectation. Incredulity. And if not fulfilled: Laughter. Self-assertiveness. Disillusion and frustration. If· it's fulfilled: Surprise and admiration. 69. Different from what was expected. For example: you announce the transformation of a coin and-poof! It disappears. 70. In the Rising Cards: They rise all together in a fountain (Buatier de Kolta). Large ball produotion for the climax of the Cups and Balls. 71. Dai Vernon's "Climax for a Dice Routine": tiny die. 72. Snake Basket ("Margarita the Snake"). I announce, "And now Margarita the 73. Vernon's Brainwave Deck, when presented tongue in cheek as an invisible deck 74. Cane to Silk 75. Buatier de Kolta's "Vanishing Lady" (Richiardi, Jr.). 76. "This ring will link to the one you're holding, through the exact spot you indicate." her mouth, show it to one side, then to the other side, and then go away." Her 77. The Egg Bag with spectators holding the magician's hands. 78. Rene Lavand's "It Can't Be Done Any Slower". The Ambitious Card. little head suddenly appears with the card in her mouth. 79. Three-Card Monte. Snake will search and find the selected card. She will emerge with the card in 200 It can be a) Fulfilled 201 Emotions ( expressed and fel -Not believed (beforehand) 80 -Half-believed -Totally fulfilled 81 -Partially fulfilled 82 b) Unfulfilled I don't believe i Emotions ( expressed or felt) can be pparent failure: Later proved a ploy86 He missed. Oh, no! He fooled me. What a scare! What ajoker! I don't know.. .Incredibl I don't know... Come 0 -Solved with a gag 83 -Solved with another magical surprise 84 -Forgotten (memory erased) 85 The Magical Effect Is Preceded by Actual failure: ...;.Failure resolved 87 Ole! -Partially corrected 88 -Replaced (improved) Well ... 89 -Forgiven (gag, out, drama) 90 Better! Never mind. --Caused to be forgotten 91 -Made to be perceived as an apparent failure 92 I don't think he really missed. 5. FAILURE ( OF THE EFFECT) Includes: Tension. Fear. Slight awkwardness. Maybe anxiety. Doubt (Will it be true?). Maternal instinct. Perhaps perverse joy. Patronization. Compassion. Disillusion. Feeling duped. Expectation. And then: Contempt and Relaxation. But if the spectator didn't want the effect to succeed: Slight frustration (Hey, there are people for everything!). 80. "He'll make a lady from the audience fly" (Copperfield). 81. "I will cut my assistant in half," said in a tone that raises doubt. 82. "I will know just by looking at your eyes," followed by verbal fishing through questions and answers. 83. "I will eat a live spectator." The magician tries, but the spectator complains because the magician bites him. The spectator runs away. "If no one is willing to be eaten, I can't do it." 84. The magician takes a card from the deck, saying, "This card will be the card you name. " Someone freely names a card and the prediction is shown-a Joker. ''Jokers are wild" (gag and unfulfilled promise). With a Top Change, the Joker is then switched for the named card, which the magician has found using a stack or any other method. The card has transformed ( a magical surprise different from the promised effect). See "Prediction; E. A Stage Version: 'The Joker"' in Mnemonica, p. 94, for a handling of this. 85. "I will do the whole trick without touching the cards." No further reference is made to that promise. A while later, the magician deals the cards himself, but the effect of the promise remains in the memory. (See proposals by politicians in their campaigns.) Warning: great danger! If the emotion caused by the failure ( even if a simulated failure) lasts more than is dramatically necessary and goes long-term memory, the experience is strong and it may be difficult or ossible to erase the sensation that something went wrong, that there . Vernon's "Matching the Cards", "The Partagas Sell". . "The Three of Hearts? No? Seven of Diamonds? [Search and Top Change.] I blow on it and it changes into-the Seven of Diamonds." .. "Three of Hearts? No? Seven of Diamonds? But the two cards on top are a Seven and a Diamond." . "Three ofHearts? It isn't? Then I don't need any cards. The deck disappears." . You fail to divine the first of three cards. Without overly stressing this failure, you divine the next two cards with increasing emphasis on drama and magical effect. You then continue with the next trick. You could also, on the first divination, throw the failed card into the air and tell the spectator who chose it: "You missed! That's okay. I forgive you!" (Laughs) Just smile and continue. 'By the way, let's remember that in the circus it is quite common to miss a stunt on purpose in order to, when it is repeated successfully, achieve a greater dramatic reaction, seasoned by sympathy felt toward the artist and that causes the failure to be forgotten or forgiven. l. "The Three of Hearts? No? Well, wait, look at this trick-and this one ... " . You greatly exaggerate, overacting: "Oh, it's a pity I missed!" (Pause. Search and Top Change.) "But seriously, look: I blow and-poof!" You make it look as if there has been no mistake; you've done everything on purpose, been in control and feigned having missed. You don't allow the emotion of failure to be felt. 0 N was a mistake, even if it is later proved that this wasn't the case or that aoout the attitude of the helpers, a"?out an error, about noticeable nerves it was corrected. I think it is prudent to attempt to make the "failure" a of the magician. 98 Oh ... oh ... oh ... weak and brief emotion, then immediately to make it feel false (simulated and desired by the magician) or cause it be forgotten or forgiven. See the study on the techniques for outs in magic in Chapter 10 (p. 495). Warning: If done excessively, this will obstruct qu~et contemplation and a pleasant experien·ce of the marvelous effect and ~ts fascination. 6. ACCIDENT Includes: Shock. Fear. Anxiety. Solidarity. Compassion. Doubt. Maternal instinct. Expectation. And then: Joy, or frustration if it isn't fixed. It can be Emotions ( expressed or felt) 8. FEAR OF AN ACCIDENT OR DANGER Throughout the, session, and especially at delicate moments: due to difficult conditions, and due to the objects being used; and for the helpers or for the way the spectator is and feels. 99 Uh ... uh ... uh ... a) Apparent: -Proved apparent93 -Overcome 94 And now? ... Youjoker. Oops! And now? ... That's great! b) Real: -Overcome. Fixed The Emotions That Follow the Effect, Caused by It First reactions: at the moment immediately after the effect is produced, 95 Oops! And now? ... That's great! -Apparently fixed 96 Anyway.... Phew! -Shared (without fixing) 97 Well, never mind. deliberately by the magician, or spontaneously felt by the spectators. 9. AsTONISHMENT, AWE At the mental shock of the impossible.10° The Procedure of the Trick Is Accompanied by 7. FEAR OF FAILURE Throughout the session, at difficult moments that arouse concern: for the magician, about the great difficulty of the effect, about the circumstances, 93. All the cards fall to the floor-but an envelope arrives "in the mail" with thP exact solution. The three selected cards are inside. 94. A handkerchief is tom by a spectator and restored. 95. A spectator drops the deck on the floor. The magician brings out another deck (stacked or Brainwave) and ends the trick successfully. A billiard ball falls to the floor and rolls far away. The magician produces another and continues with the manipulation. 96. The Rising Cards houlette breaks. The trick is continued with the deck in hands. 97. For example, with a gag: ''J always drop the cards, it's part of the show." Continue with another trick The attitude of the magician is essential in the handling of this emotion caused by an accident. Another way of dealing with it is by being sincere with the audience: "Well, I'm human, too, but you are going to see this other wonderful trick." This is valid for "Accident" but not for "Failure". . .. !!! Includes: Great surprise. So stunned, people forget to react. Breathless. Silence and amazement. Exclamations. Incredulity. Admiration. Rubbing their eyes. Mouths open. Looking at the others. Shaking their heads in denial. Eyes open wide. Produced by effects of this type a) Normal (specific) bf Mental wallop (knocked senseless) 101 c) Visual blow102 Emotions ( expressed or felt) ?! Dong! I see stars .... 98. Sympathetic spectators, including fell ow magicians who see us struggle, or relatives or our mate. 99. The magician's mother is watching the Head Chopper. The spectator's girlfriend is to be "chopped". 100. Disappearance of the airplane (Copperfield). The Spirit Slates. 101. "Out of This World" (Paul Curry). 102. "Metamorphosis", Pendragons style. 204 205 Produced by effects of this type Emotions ( expressed or fel Oh! Oh! o Oh! Oh! Oo d) Sparkling (several short effects in succession) 103 e) In a cascade (in crescendo) 104 f) g) 00000000 0 h) In a frenzy (rhythm and excitement) 107 Oooh! Oooh! Oooh i) Accumulative (in a sequence, but at irregular intervals) -Routined108 identically109 Secondary reactions, during the assimilation of the effect No! No way! ... Ah! Hee-hee! No, no! Caused by etoscream. aroations. es. Little laughs. ding up. An ost Dionysian plea. greason inputtin Experiencing the unique, the extraordinary, the exceptional, the impossible, the outrageous. 112 mentarilY aside. -Repeated under increasingly impossible conditions and/or with somewhat different results 110 ,SENSATION OF .MYSTERY 10. INTELLECTUAL CHALLENGE Upon feeling excited logicm · eludes 000 Oh! Oh! o Rhythmical (at regular intervals) 105 Held throughout its duration 106 -Repeated CITEMENT (EXALTATION) Let's see: how did it happen? He must have ... Noway! How did he do it? udes: The spell of its atmosphere. Sensing and feeling its fluttering. e unavoidable attraction of mystery. Caused by: Adventure in search of the unknown (within the safety of ·stic fiction), the ignored, the elusive, the incomprehensible, the irratiothe secret, the occult, the magical. ' It will obviously depend on the style of the presentation, on what the gician feels (Luis Garcia in one style, Finn Jon in another, Max Maven yet another) . Warning: If this emotion is excessive and not resolved, it might cause frustration. This depends on the magician's attitude. 103. Card manipulation (act or routine). 104. The Kaps Chinese Coin Routine (Fred Kaps): the production of progressively larger coins. 105. Six-Card Repeat (Tommy Tucker). 106. The Okito Floating Ball. Or a rhythmic, fast-paced production of silks from a Phantom Tube. Or a vanish of a single object, without its immediate reappearance); the effect of the vanish remains. 107. Ending of "Total Coincidence" (Little Tamariz). 108. Rope routine, Cups and Balls. 1 109. Dove production. Kangaroo Coins. 110. The Linking Rings. 111. "Zig-Zag Girl" (Robert Harbin). . WONDER, FASCINATION (ENCHANTMENT, ILLUSION, MAGIC) eludes: Pleasure. Joy. Delight. Feeling the fantastic and the poetic. The nsation of finding oneself in glory. Heaven. Paradise. The Magic Rainbow. Accompanied by Poetic beauty113 Sensation of a joyful trance Surrealism (in objects) 114 Emotions ( expressed or felt) Ah! What beauty! Such poetry! Wonderful! ?! 12. The endings of knife routines (Kaps with handkerchief, Ascanio with miniature knives). 13. Vernon's "Brainwave". 14. The talking head of "The Sphinx" (Tobin), objects pulled from a movie screen (Goldin) and a very long etc. A great many magical effects produce surreal objects; for instance, Currency or Card in Bottle, decks that cut themselves, cards that move by themselves. N HALLUCINATION ·s also takes place at a subconscious level. Includes: Sensations similar to those produced by hallucinatory substanc States of sleep deprivation or hunger. Mirages. Hypnosis. Mystical tran Illumination. Reaching the degree of Emotions ( expressed or fel a) Mirages, optical or tactile illusions. 115 It makes me see or feel b) Suggestion. 116 I see visio c) Hypnosis. He hypnotized m d) Delusion (a loss of the sense of reality, with unreal images taken as real). -By continuing or repeating the magic effect, making it beautiful, very powerful and absolutely impossible. 117 -Through the rhythm, in the almost obsessive repetition of the effect. 118 I see it and I don't believe it... 15. CHILDHOOD RECOVERED. PLAYFULNESS Emotions ( expressed or felt) d) Free and competent imagination. Oh! I feel like a kid. It's so much fun to play! It's fantastic! I am free to dream! 115. The Color-Changing Knives, the Hot or Cold Ball. 116. The General Card: One card appears to be four chosen cards. 117. Slydini's One-Coin Routine. The Rainbow Knives, with three knives vertiginously changing colors (I mean my own-and you guys just pretend you don't know it). 118. Four blue-backed cards that change and change (Oliver MacKenzie's Drink Trick"). 119. The Koomwinder Kar (Dick Koomwinder). Productions of fruit, candy, col- ored silks, serpentines, rabbits, ducks .... EASURE, ENJOYMENT AND INNER Joy ugh fulfilled impossible wishes and dreams lived in rtistic reality. Includes: Satisfaction. Deep joy. Wholeness. 1 They can be r Conscious wishes (money, food, health, love, luck , h appmess .120 i Subconsciou~ wishes (through symbols): • ) · -Dreams and fantasies (not acknowledged). -Wishes of the collective subconscious (myths): flying, invulnerability, resurrection, knowing the future, impossible liberation, metamorphosis, ubiquity, control of time (going back in time), telepathic communication, cosmic unity, the origin of chaos, creation, animation of objects, miraculous healing, X-ray vision, penetration through solids, powers over nature (rapid germination, control of natural forces), etc. From Includes: Sensations of paradise regained. The Wise Men and Santa Claus. Fairies. Warlocks. Gnomes. Genii. Spells. From Aladdin to Merlin. From Melchior to the Wizard of Oz. Back to the pre-logical age. 119 Through a) Something plausible although non-existent and unnecessary. b) Play. Fun. c) Fantasy. m-eful: There is. a danger of bec~ming corny. Icarus to Orpheus, from Minerva to Zeus, from Thor to Siegfried, from Eros to Chronos, from Dionysus to the Indian Gods of Liberation. 121 Immediately after the assimilation of the effect. 7. CALM, RELAXATION, ACCEPTANCE, SURRENDER ncludes: Release of tension. Enjoyment. Peace (devotion and surrender 0 the magic sensation). State of grace. Joyful acceptance. This is magic! 120: A ten-dollar bill to a hundred-dollar bill. Miser's Dream. Production of a leg of Iberico ham. Winning the lottery. "The Good Fortune Routine" (Mnemonica). Gambling demonstrations. 12[ Cut and Restored Rope (resurrection). The Egg Bag (creation of life). The Linking Rings (release from bondage). Rabbit from Hat (formerly: food, fertility). Dove Production (creation, purity, innocence). Everywhere and Nowhere (ubiquity, disappearance). Going back in time and predictions (control of time). Coin assembles and Chink-a-Chink (gathering of the four elements). Triumph (order over chaos). Ambitious Card (rise, liberation, power). Rising Cards (animation, ascension). Inexhaustibility (the Hom of Plenty), etc. See Chapter 3 and the appendices on classic effects, symbols and myths. 208 209 Other diverse emotions ( according to the type of effect) Tension (impossible) without · 18. CONFUSION AND MOMENTARY DOUBTS . ) .128 relaxation (exclamat10n For a short time, upon feeling or believing for a moment that what ~ A comic situation in the procedure of the trick seen is a real phenomenon (telepathy) or a great coincidence, or that it beyond artistic fiction. 122 Is that true? -A magical effect is apparently ignored by the magician. · a pret ense. 129 are aware t h at 1't 1s I') Although the spectators . Irony. ii) The spectators believe that the magician 19. RESTLESSNESS, DISCOMFORT is truly unaware. 130 (Sometimes horror is raised by the subject of death or similar topics.) Includes: Sadness. Fear. Danger. Superstition. Anxiety. Horror vacm. Anguish. And then, occasionally: Joy. Relaxation. Glory. The effect presented as a) Apparent death 123 Uh! Hee-hee. _ Emotions ( expressed and felt) Uh! That's horrible! b) Real death ( animals) 124 c) Symbolic death (not always a conscious concem) 125 d) Gore magic (blood, amputations) 126 He has no idea. -The effect is apparently not intended by the magician. · a pret ense. 131 i) The spectators are aware t h at 1"t 1s How ironic! ii) The spectators believe that it is truly intended. 132 Warning: Misplaced and disproportionate comedy might hamper, destroy r almost destroy the magic. (Again see "Magic and Comedy".) 1. FEAR, HORROR Fear of the paranormal, esoteric magic, black magic, sorcery, voodoo, witchcraft .... Warning: Danger of an unintended sadism perpetrated on the spectators. Includes: Apprehension. Courage. Cowardice. Credulity. Doubt. Mystery. 20. LAUGHTER (SOMETIMES SMILES) Return to the infancy of the species (arcane fears). Sometimes: Dread. Terror. This refers to the laughs or smiles produced by the magical effect itself. Horror. But also: Peace of mind from the safety of living in an artistic fiction, Includes: Joy. Relaxation. Communication. Closeness of the group. Revitalizing energy. (See "Magic and Comedy", p. 407.) and being able to escape the fiction at will. Caused by Emotions 'fype a) Spiritism (the dead, spirits, the world beyond). 133 Uh! Emotions ( expressed or felt) a) The absurdity of the effect. 127 Come on! 122. The Center Tear (telepathy). Bending spoons by mind power. 123. Sawing a Woman in Half with a circular saw (Goldin). 124. A bird is genuinely decapitated when its shadow is cut (various eighteenthcentury magicians). 125. The disappearc\',nce of the deck, without its reappearance. The Gut and Restored Rope using scissors. 126. The Knife through Arm, with blood. Richiardi, Jr. 's Sawing a Woman in Half, with the close-up display of blood and cut organs to the spectators. 127. The eggbeater in Clayton Rawson's "Little Wonder Thought Projector". The Long Card (ten pips in a long row). 128. A coin vanishes from the hand. 129. Lewis Ganson's Color-Changing Knives routine (Ganson's Routined Manip- ulation, Part II, p. 19), in which the magician doesn't seem to be aware that the knives change color. 13;. The Rising Cards: A card rises while the deck is behind the magician's back. 131. Seemingly unexpected appearances of card fans by a tipsy Cardini. Zombie Ball that escapes (as performed by Juan Anton). 132. In an apparent accident, an envelope containing the spectator's money is burned. The inexhaustible salt pours out of Fred Kaps's fist (music stops and restarts). A spectator accidentally, or through a misunderstanding, tears a handkerchief. 133. Seances, perhaps making people aware of the artistic :fictional nature of what is presented. b) IJ-'-••u.,... ,c::i ... u and animal magnetism. 134 c) The maleficent, the diabolical, witchcraft, black magic. 135 d) Bizarre magic (the occult). 136 Mmm ... How scary! Yuk! .Warning: There is a danger of overdoing it. A danger that the power of the emotion overrides the magic. A danger of falling into the theatrical rather than into the magically artistic. 22 ..AMUSEMENT, FuN, ENTERTAINMENT Different emotions, apparently light but of great human value and therefore enormously positive. They bring happiness, a restfrom the everyday struggle, a break from personal problems. They bring joy and therefore encouragement for better facing everyday life (which is sometimes hard) with more strength and energy. They happen by themselves or when the artist-magician seeks them, whether this is his only goal-not believing in, feeling or wishing for other possibilities-or just one of his goals. Magic as a show. We are here to have fun! That is also wonderful! 23. AMAzEMENT AT SUPERPOWERS Almost magical effects: Heroic magic (lying between the divine and the human). Includes: Admiration. Incredulity. A wish for imitation and sharing those powers. Glorification of the hero-magician. A sensation of the "almost ' almost" impossible. There are several types of these powers. They span magic and the sideshow and extraordinary phenomena. Let's look at some of them. Type a) Super-memoryl37 Emotions Amazing! Almost incredible! (for all cases) b) Super-physical skill 138 134. Hypno~ic rigidity over two chairs. Animal magnetism (presented in the style of Lulu Hurst). 1 135. Voodoo done with people. 136. A simulated ritual of black magic. 137. The Thirty-Word Memory Test. Knowing the day of the week in any year. Memorizing a deck. Sometimes Book Tests. 138. Gambling demonstrations. Escapology. Dice stacking. Flourishes with cards. Super-psychological abilities 139 · Super-calculation140 Super-strength141 Super-digestion142 Super-communication143 Super-resistance to pain144 Super-mastery of hazard 145 Learned animals 146 Warning: There is a danger that the magician believes or feels that the effects, not being totally impossible and being more or less explainable, don't have a magical impact. This needn't be the case if you play within the zone between the possible and impossible. Most of the time there is doubt about the genuineness of the phenomena, although it is colored with admiration. In any case, these effects are a formidable resource for enhancing the personality of the magician, and they offer a powerful complement to magic, producing credibility, amazement and a certain dose of mystery. 24. SENSATION OF SEMI-MAGIC Produced by allied arts. Includes: Amazement. A mild sensation of magic. Sometimes doubt. Sometimes charm. Emotions ( expressed or felt) Among them Automata that are gimmicked to make them seem intelligent. Seems alive? Is it? 139. Prediction of one among five ("He made us choose it"). Musel~ reading. 140. The Magic Square. 141. Tearing a phonebook or deck of cards in half. 142.Eating stones (stone-eaters of the eighteenth century). Regurgitation of fluids, frogs and fish .... 143. Second sight, when presented as a dialog between two mindreaders (an effect at the limits of the magical). 144. Fakirism, being pierced by needles, impervious to fire. 145. Predictions that are not strong once, but when repeated (heads, tails, tails, heads ... ). 146. Munito the Learned Dog, psychic birds, calculating horses, learned pigs. b) Ventriloquism (especially if there are inexplicable moments)_ 147 c) Pickpocketing. d) False balancing. 14s Envy (loneliness) upon proving the brilliance among groups of friends and colleagues). Seems incredibl overload, fatigue upon experiencing the e) Physical Science. Experiments that work What about me? excessive mental tension that magic demands. in a way spectators don't understand and that seem to defy known physical laws. and social success of the magician (usually Does it taI Don't they notic That's enough, okay. Boredom after watching long, confusing, How can that be. messy, badly presented tricks or Enough! When will this end? What a drag. excessively long sessions. 25. NEGATIVE EMOTIONS FROM THE SPECTATOR a) b) c) d) (and that will linger if not neutralized by the magician and his attitude) Frustration and impotence upon feeling his logic destroyed. I can't understand. Insecurity upon feeling his logic worthless. I wonder if logic counts. Personal failure due to feeling inferior to the magician. How clever you are! Discouragement, upset at finding himself ignorant of the secret. e) Apprehension, instability upon How on earth does that work? finding that his senses are not reliable and competent. f) I see it and-it's not true! General Surrounding Emotions and after the Magic Session) Some wishes. . ILLUSION OF POWER eludes: The sensation of the possibility of achieving in the future, in real' the same effects just presented in the artistic session. Hope. Power. oleness. Feeling like gods (Wanna play God?). All of that is due to feelg the impossible as possible, even if only in the scope of artistic reality. metimes this illusion/sensation of power is subconscious. The power is felt as Only the magician's. Low self-esteem, tribulation upon Shared with the magician, as part considering himself not very intelligent, or feeling clumsy or stupid. of humanity (and the spect-actors). Am I stupid? g) Offense, feeling ridiculous and cheated ' fooled, even swindled. Everyone's in the future. Emotions ( expressed or felt) So powerful! Me too! Why not sometime? Warning: Beware of self-deception. He's pulling my h) Anger, upset at imagining himself as not worthy of the confidence of the magician (friends, rel~tives ... ). He doesn't explain it to me. Includes: Emulation. Wish to imitate. Amaze. Have power. Have the skills i) Play. Be the center of attention? Bad feelings, knowing that the magician knows the secret but doesn't reveal it. Why doesn't he explain it? 147. A live dog that opens and closes its mouth when talking (Marc Metral). 148. A ball (attached to an unseen thread) spinning on an umbrella. WISH OF BEING THE ARTIST, OF BEING THE MAGICIAN mid the beautiful artistic talent of the magician. Be admired. Enchant. If I could .. .I would like ... By the way, I, and all of you who are reading this, have felt this at some point. This was what brought you to the hobby or profession of magic. For some of us, it changed our lives. Now we are magicians and nothing less! N 28. REMEMBRANCES AND EVOCATION OF THE EFFECT AND ITS EXPERIENc (BUILDING THE EFFECT) . LUCIDITY. ENRICHMENT. WHOLENESS eludes: Return to reality. Knowledge that everything is explainable by rea- Includes: augmentation and glorification of the thing experienced and 3_ n, even if we don't know how to do it for lack of information; but there curious improvement of the conditions of the effect-as long as spec.; someone, the magician, who does know. Peace of mind. Security. Belief tators have liked and sympathized with the magician, as a person or an ain in reason and logic, tempered with humility and a healthy skepticism artist. Sometimes this is accompanied by thoughts about the impossibility manipulated logic and ·our capacity for analysis (we can be deceived, we of the existence of any natural cause for the effect. This boosts and multiplies its charm. e human after all), at the limited reliability of our senses (I saw it, I heard Upon feeling ( expressed or felt) Excitement about what was experienced. it, I felt it ... but it wasn't true) and of our attention and memory. Triumphant reason along with the immense pleasure, perhaps forgotten, of feeling the poetic perfume of mystery and dreams, of imagination coexisting with It was incredible and wonderful! lucidity. A sensation of feeling enriched by the experience of the magical, and the safety derived from the power of reason. Wholeness, a sense of hav- Warning: This emotion is usually linked to the next. ing gone through pre-logical childhood (fantasy), childhood (playfulness), 29. WISH To SHARE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH OTHERS adolescence (adventure), youth (emotional, poetic) and maturity (logic, defeated at first, eventually triumphant). AND NARRATE IT Includes: the elements of the previous emotion (remembrance), but with Upon feeling more power regarding the augmentation and improvement of the effect The humbleness of knowing we can experienced, because of the need to transmit and spread the sensation of be deceived, illusioned. the impossible and miraculous. People wish to convert it into something The lucidity of recognizing our mistakes in legendary. Vanity, a feeling of having been a selected one. Subconscious perception and the limitations of memory. Emotions ( expressed or felt) co-authorship felt by the spectator, especially if the spectator-narrator The healthy skepticism at the limited the spectator is in a group, this is preceded by comments on the natural ability of our senses. Upon feeling Emotions ( expressed or a) The insufficiency of lonesome pleasure. I have to tell you! Believe b) Having contributed to the miracle. And I chose it myself! In my own hands! The circle closes. I saw it, I heard it, but it wasn't true. d) The safety and peace of mind in knowing that reason triumphs. I know there must be a reason, and thanks to it I was able to enjoy the marvelous. me, it was impossible and marvelous! I thought I was watching and I didn't see anything. was an active participant in the trick, routine or session. Sometimes, if causes (secret) of the effects witnessed. But the conclusion, in general, will be one of wonder and pleasure. I was totally enchanted! e) Personal glory and enrichment and wholeness due to the artistic, What beauty! How artistic! magical experience (although How fascinating! How artistic, not real). impossible! It's magic, but artistic (not real). n The Emotions Situations That Provoke Them) in Relation to theSecret Method Warning! I feel the emotions included in this heading should be minimize by the magician and be used only to stop restless logic during the first p of a session or a routine and any logic still awake later. nanger: If the I-Saw-the-Secret Phase lasts too long, it will pass into term. memory ~nd will stay with the spectator. If the experience is . no one will be able to e'rase it. People might even remember orable , they "spotted the secret" even when the magician h~s clearly shown that it wasn't the true secret. It's similar to the ertjotional situation mistake. Curiously,· in manipulation routines, with effects that folclosely, one upon another, this negative effect is r~duced or entirely 31. I CAUGHT IT! I SAW WHAT HE DID! • ated, since the emotion produced by the trick that follows the Includes: Satisfied curiosity. Pity. Possible feeling of guilt. Disillusion. Compassion. Self-complacency. Maternal instinct. Doubt. Self-assertiveness. Pride for one's own intelligence and cleverness. And, of course, if the move supposedly discovered turns out not to be the real one: Joy. Sometimes frustration. A playful feeling. Admiration. Humbleness. When people believe they saw the secret, there are some variations: a) When there is certainty of having seen the secret. 149 b) When there is merely a doubt. 150 I know it! Uh! I think that. .. c) When there is fear that the magician might be exposing the secret. 151 Uh! Maybe they saw. He was right! What a pity! Then, when their suspicion is proved to be erroneous, not the true tely forgotten. (See more on this subject and its applications to magic Chapter 4, "Magic and Memory", p. 113.) . PSEUDO-EXPLANATION ·cks in which you pretend to explain the secret, or really do explain it, d then prove it was a false explanation; or the explanation is overridden a more powerful and unexpected effect. Includes: Curiosity. Doubt. Distrust. Interest. Fear of Disillusionment. ontempt. Playful feelings. Admiration. Refreshed amazement. Contains temporary phases Emotions ( expressed or felt) When the explanation is announced. solution: a) If it's known to be caused by the magician. t into long-term memory. As a result, the negative emotion is com- d then, once the false explanation is demonstrated: Surprise. Joy. d) When it is proved that the secret was revealed. 152 -the-Secret Episode erases or, rather, prevents the passing of that 153 b) If it was the spectator's mistake. 154 He was kidding! I was wrong! 149. The palmed ball is partially exposed and noticed. When the secret is explained. When it is shown that the explanation was false. 157 156 155 Good. Let's see. I don't think ... Ah! Of course! Ah.! I thought so! ( Or sometimes:) To hell with logic. Let's just enjoy it! 150. The magician pretends to hide four Aces, or an egg, under his arm. When the explanation is really shown but 151. Wheh other magicians or friends of the performer see that some spectators is later overridden by a better effect. 158 are whispering and commenting on possible solutions to others who want to feel the magic. 152. He brings from his pocket the card that was seen palmed in the same hand. 153. The arm pit is shown empty and the Aces are found on the table or the egg in the bag. 154. He thought he saw the coin in the sleeve, but it is still in the hand. Oh! Come on! 155. "The Backstage Illusion". 156. Silk to Egg. 157. The Chinese Sticks. <158. The "What's Next!" jumbo card with a changing number of spots; changes from a one to three, then to six, then to eight! N And according to quality and the cleverness of the solution: a) Ingenious, admirable. 159 How elev b) Coarse trickery. 160 Oh! That's what it w c) Obviously false. 161 Come on! What ajok d) Apparently false (but true ). 162 Yes? I don't know.. .I don't thinks y reasoning or guesswork, sometimes the spectator finds a false . ion that, unfortunately' seems like a real solution to him. This can 'bly result in partial disappointment. Making the false solutions dis- ar or, rather, preventing them from appearing, is the true objective of method of The Magic Way. 1 repeat: The danger that lurks in the emotions relat ed to the secret 1 33. CURIOSITY IN DISCOVERING THE METHOD 1 od is that too much emphasis may be placed on ~hat non-magical Includes: Interest. Curiosity. Challenge. Tension: Search for rest and rel of the trick that constitutes the secret. This could hamper the magi- ation after resolving the logical conflict. Wish for self-acknowledgme Search for safety. Fear of not trusting reason or the senses. emotion. It also depends, however, on the part of the session we find selves in. If it;s at the beginning of the session, when the Logical Bull Upon discover the secret a) Frustration. b) Wish of setting logic aside. Emotion ( expressed or felt) the foreground what the spectator already feels is attacking him: that I can't! re is trickery, that there is a secret reason, that it isn't that way, that it I don't need to know~: esn't exist. In my judgment, this helps the spectator to send his logical c) Eagerness of entering the realm of the illusion. n't yet been soothed to sleep, there can be positive effects in bringing e to sleep, so that later in the session, he can enjoy the magical effect magical emotion completely. 34. KNOWLEDGE OF THE SECRET AFTER THE TRICK Includes: Disappointment. Admiration for the cleverness, dexterity, psy- The Emotions ( and Situations That Provoke Them) in Relation to Others: the Magician, Helpers, Assistants, Spectators chological skill or creativity. Amazement and surprise at not having seen or thought of the secret, or for remembering the facts incorrectly. Safety. Rest. Relaxation. Emulation. And if the secret has been shared: pride of belonging to the initiated. Secretiveness. It can be Emotions ( expressed or felt) 5. ADMIRATION FOR THE MAGICIAN. SYMPATHY ncludes: Admiration for his personal qualities, his power, his magic. a) Leaming the secret accidentally, or ometimes accompanied by: Emulation. Healthy envy. Caring. There can because it is suspected, or it is in a so be an emotion of sympathy with the magician if he s~ows himself book, or it is told to them. b) Leaming it voluntarily because the magician told them or they found it on the Internet. Ah! That's what it o be sure, happy, joyful, as opposed to "doing a job", nervous, sluggish. here is also sympathy for the positive emotions the magician feels for the ~ Now I know it, too! magical effect, if they are genuine and not stiff or obviously acted. 36. CONTRARY ATTITUDE TOWARD THE MAGICIAN 159. Ajumbo card with moving pips; used as an explanation of the optical illusion. 160. Marked cards. Stooges. Animosity toward the magician or his personality (unpleasant, conflict- 161. "Inside the little wooden car there is a little man who drives it." mg) because of his attitude (arrogant, challenging), insecurity, unhealthy 162. ''I move it with a thread that is attached to the card." (Vernon's Rising Cards). envy, frustration. Includes: Reticence. Distancing. Threat. Intellectual and personal conflict. ;, n 37. TOWARD THE MAGICIAN'S HIRED ASSISTANTS, ONSTAGE AND ELSEWJ:IE is a of the highest importance, especially for those who Although to a minor or a lesser extent, these assistants can produce emoti borate. The collaborator will enormously influence the audience's similar to those described regarding the magician (favorable or negative). eption of the trick, the rest of the session and, of course, the attitude emotions toward the magician with whom he collaborates. 38. TOWARD THE SPECTATORS WHO ASSIST IN A TRICK They can also elicit emotions, sometimes very strong ones, in the rest the audience. Includes: Curiosity. Interest in the assisting persons and their attitud Sympathy toward them and their situations. Criticism. Positive identi:fi Includes: Joy. Shyness. Nervousness, sometimes great. Fear of spoilthe trick Sometimes eagerness to get the magician into trouble. Fear feeling ridiculous. Feeling observed. Joy in having been selected. Fun getting picked. Delight in sharing the power, the gi,fts. Insecurity. Joy helping and ,collaborating in the playfulness, the feast, the illusion. tion, if they are well-treated by the magician and they seem relaxed, safe piness derived in verifying the successful result of the trick Happiness and happy. Pain and compassion if they are mistreated (harsh jokes, etc.), being more amazed than in other circumstances. Huge admiration and Different possibilities a) Desire to participate and collaborate in order to experience the magic,' especially felt by children, but also by adults and gatherings of friends lasting impression upon witnessing the magic under his control and its ess (in his hand, in his mind, etc.). .,..,...,."" nu deD4~ncts on the role assigned him by the magician: or family. Largely depends on the culture, circumstances and countries. b) Desire to be called on to participate in order to help the magician and the success of the session, gathering or party. c) Desire to attend and collaborate because of: Narcissism. Exhibitionism. Suffering involuntary victim. Voluntary and playful victim (Paper Balls over the Head). Wanting to be the star or center of attention. Showing off before a Involuntary apparent heckler, through accident or error. group of friends. Desire to feel like the leader. Eagerness for notoriety. Magician for a moment or magician-magician (see Verbal Magic). d) Desire to participate for negative reasons: to heckle, win a presumed battle of egos, spoil the trick or reveal it to the others, and to demonstrate that "I can't be fooled." e) Desire to participate in order to search for the secret to find out to ' ' discover. f) Subject of the experience ("Think, name, choose ... "). Fear, horror and anxiety of the magician calling on us to help when don't want to, in fear of making a mistake, of creating a bad impression or of being the victim of an unkind joke. Witness, control, "notary". Impromptu stooge. Obviously, each role carries different and complex emotions. And the more people who ·collaborate during the session, the mor_e emotionally involved the rest of the audience will be. Incredibly strong feelings and emotions are of maximum importance When the magic happens to the assisting spectator (say, when his mind is read), when it happens in his own hands (the coin changes from silver copper) or on his person ( cards appear in his pocket, or ashes on his 39. EMOTIONS FELT WHEN ACTIVELY COLLABORATING When someone collaborates with a magician, either voluntarily or through his election, especially if it is in an essential role or on stage, in front of the audience. hand). It's impossible to exaggerate the power of the magical emotion felt the spectator when experiencing this. It is the task of the magician to transmit this emotion to the rest of the audience by selecting a good assisting spectator-someone 22;3 222 ? rrj The Emotional Scheme ment, surprise) by radiating or expressing it through sound and gestur ~ The magician focuses and concentrates his attention and everyone else (') expressive and playful-and then to amplify his or her emotion (amaz G") -..I on the emotional reactions of the assisting spectator. Remember, i example, the great sympathy produced when a child participates in show or session for adults: his reactions, his words, his gestures, his ve expressive emotions. 40. EMOTIONS FELT BY EACH SPECTATOR TOWARD THE REST OF THE AUDIENCE Includes: Belonging to a group. Resonance of emotions. Synergy with the. group. Softening of the possible negative conflicts and emotions, like feeling stupid or fooled. ore and during the effect: 1. Suspense. 2. Surprise. 3. Challenge. How it is presented 4. Impossible promise. 5. Failure. Preceded by" 6. Accident. 7. Fear of failure. During the trick 8. Fear of accidents. Since the audiences of magic performances are often active, expressing opinions about the possible method through words and gestures, some er the effect: spectators might feel negative and critical emotions toward such spectators, in defense of the magician. Alternatively, they might share their First reactions 9. Astonishment. fellow spectators' opinions and, therefore, the emotions that arise from 10. Intellectual challenge. that information. Or if fellow members of the audience feel positively 11. Excitement. about the effect, the other spectators could resonate with them, since the Second reactions strongest and most powerful emotion an audience can feel is the joy of a 14. Hallucination. 15. Recovery of childhood, playfulness. shared experience of the impossible and fascinating: the magical emotion. One further comment With this knowledge and analysis of these forty groups of emotions (which I suspect is incomplete), I believe we have an extremely useful tool (one more) to help us achieve the real objective of our beautiful At a subconscious level 16. Pleasure and joy. 17. Peace of mind, acceptance .. art: the joyful and emotional experience of our most desired and most impossible dreams. 12. Mystery. 13. Wonder and fascination. Other emotions: 18. Confusion, doubt (Is it true?). 19. Discomfort (death). 20. Laughter. 21. Fear, horror (spiritism, hypnosis, suggestion, etc.). 22. Amusement, entertainment. 23. Amazement at Superpowers: -memory. ~ zcd -..I 0 ~ -skill About the Variety of Emotions: An Example -calculation -strength variety of emotions can be achieved not only through different tricks in -digestion session but also in the development of a single trick or routine. The won- -communication constructions of Dai Vernon and Hofzinser can serve as examples. -resistance to pain -control of chance e Ambitious Card -wise animals e average Ambitious Card routine usually consists of a sequence of ris- 24. Semi-magic. The allied arts. To avoid gs of the chosen card to the top. That is an improvement, regarding the (automata, ventriloquism, ·ety of emotion, to the effect of the card rising only once. When the pickpocketing, etc.) ect is repeated several times, the emotions the spectators come to feel 25. Negative. During and after 26. Power, conscious wishes. the session 27. Imitation, emulation, inspiration, wish to be the artist. 28. Remembrance, Comet Effect, evocation. 29. Wish to share. uld be expressed like this (here I am considering only the emotions that 1within the scope of amazement and joy): Oh! (surprise) The first time the card rises: It's not possible! The second time the card rises: ( amazement and doubt) I'll watch carefully When the third rise is announced: (interest and attention) The circle closes 30. Lucidity, enrichment, wholeness. Incredible! When the third rise then occurs: (further amazement) IN RELATION TO THE SECRET METHOD When the fourth rise is announced: And it will rise again ... 31. I caught it. I saw what he did. 32. Pseudo-explanation. (surrender to the effect) . When the fourth rise happens: What beauty! 33. Curiosity. 34. Knowledge of the secret. (fascination) When the fifth rise is announced: What a pleasure to see it rise again! ( enjoying the effect) IN RELATION TO OTHER PEOPLE 35. Admiration for the magician. When the fifth rise occurs: (magic) 36. Against the magician. 37. Toward the magician's hired assistants. Miracle! The scheme varies, depending on the spectators, the routine, the 38. Toward assisting spectators. sequence of moves, the active participation of a spectator (he taps the 39. As an active participant. card and turns it over himself, which eliminates the easy solution of a 40. Toward the rest of the audience. ~uplicate), the manipulative clarity, etc. In other words, through the mere repetition of the effect of this wonde ful trick-one of the best in all of card magic, without a doubt-spectato gidan-artist, richness of his inner world, his capacity to convey it • g the performance, and the attr~ction he radiates to make us share with can experience a whole scale of emotions, taking them from surpri~e the unique experience of the true and artistic magical emotion. ~mazement to mystery to surrender to fascination and, finally, to magic, But let's go back to our analysis of the Ambitious Card. 164 Magic, let's remember, is a group of emotions that contains all the preceding ones mentioned plus the absolute sensation of the impossible, and the Stars experience of a beautiful dream wherein some of our more deeply rooted he first thing to point out is that the description in that monument to wishes come true in a subconscious form following a symbolic pathway. agic that is Stars ofMagic is just the bare bones of an explanation. It tells In this routine, the spectator's card, signed by him, representing him without elaboration what we must do, describing the stark actions of ' becomes a hero. Once lost in the middle of the deck, the crowd, it stands out how", "put", "cut", "take two cards together", etc., without guiding adjec- ' rising from anonymity and overcoming the pressure of those above, pene- tives. Its laconic style allows about forty tricks, most employing complex trating them. It escapes from the prison of the hand and the deck to arrive 'sleights, to be compressed into the pages of a book Yet all of them, all, are on top (liberation), above all the others (power), in contact with the air, individualized, visible, free. And it does this by rising (glorious ascension) time . · 165 ~bsolutely marvelous, many touch mg or reach.mg pure genms. This succinct explanation of the tricks encourages various interpre- and again, defying all physical laws, under impossible conditions, without ,tations of the whys of certain actions and the ways of presenting the effort, in a state of grace, against all logic, apparently outside reality; but 'tricks. 166 Therefore, I have allowed myself to interpret Vernon's Ambitious within reality. Freedom, individualization, penetration of solid through solid, Card routine according to my criteria, while remaining faithful to the text. power, ascension: a mighty combination that makes us experience our hero. The routine has nine phases, no more and no less. Not five, not Needless to say, to truly feel those emotions, to live those magical seven-nine! And not only does it escape being boring, but it doesn't feel adventures, consciously or symbolically, it is necessary that the path, the way, doesn't allow us to become distracted in our search for "the trick of the illusion", whether it be the true method or any other possible solution. And all this is achieved with the irreplaceable guidance of the magician. 163 The Bull of Logic should let himself be led by the Wmged Horse of Illusion, Fantasy and Imagination, but not without having fought and battle9- for a logical hold. He must be felled by the magician's manual and corporeal technique, the cleverness of the solution and its psychology (the control of spectators' attention, perception and memories). Only then should the Wmged Horse be the one the spectators ride, conquered by a mesmerizing presentation; of patter with charm, of gestural grace, of rhythm, harmony, the pace of performance, power, fascination and, lastly, of the persona and personality of the 163. See the opening chapter of The Magic Way, in which I expose my general thoughts on the spectator's emotions in his journey through The Magic Way. repetitive and it arouses emotions at all times. 164. By the way, the title seems inadequate to me. It has limitations, at least in conveying ambition as a desire for power, for being on top, elitism. And it is deceptive regarding its ability to arouse other emotions, such as liberation and ascension. It could instead be "The Liberated Card" or •'The Card That Rises" because, if we defined our hero as simply ambitious, without further attributes, feeling sympathy toward him would become notably more difficult. The title is used only as a general classification for this effect among magicians and should never reach our audiences. 165. It is in fact a collection of the best tricks of the best magicians of the best period of close-up and card magic. 166. In one of my chats with Ascanio in The Magic of Ascanio: The Structural Conception of Card Magic (see "Arturo and Juan Chat Again", p. 143), we wondered about the virtues and drawbacks of long, detailed descriptions of tricks versus concise ones like those in Stars of Magic. I refer you there. 0 229 228 First Phase The performer asks for the name of a card that is easy to remember an he removes that card from the deck. The spectator personalizes the car with·his signature. The fact that the card is freely thought of and named makes it less necessary to have it signed, but doing so helps to associate it with the person who chose it; and he is now, in a certain way, repre.., senting the rest of the audience. Having the card'signed also eliminates any suspicions of duplicates. 167 The card is clearly lost among the others in the center of the deck and ' with a Pass or Double Undercut, it is secretly brought second from the top. Since the effect hasn't been announced, attention will be less intense. We seem to be in the phase of introducing the elements, which is a good time to do the Pass, while relaxing after saying, "Hopelessly lost. Can you remember it?" Since we are going to use a Pass or Double Undercut, the chosen card is single (not a double) as you insert it clearly into the center of the deck. This will not be the case later, since you will bring it second from the top. The Pass is better here, because the cards don't appear to move; a clear example of how useful the Pass can be. Any substitute in this case will not be nearly as direct and magical. In short, the initial situation is presented with great clarity. With a Double Turnover, the card is shown to have risen to the top. This evokes magical surprise, an emotion usually experienced with intensity, which makes it memorable and beautiful. It is a non-intellectual emotion, more sensitive, more immediate, which sends a chill down your spine. It probably creates a mild and pleasant shock that might induce us to make a little exclamation of surprise, expressing and releasing the sudden increase of tension. The effect is two-fold: The card moves by itself and rises, penetrating all the cards above it. In other words, there is a penetration of solid 167. The question of whether or not to have the card signed lends itself to diverse opinions. I prefer to have it signed. This greatly helps The Comet Effect of this trick ough solid and an autonomous and magical movement of an object. We uld add animation to the symbolic elements discussed earlier. Second Phase e double card is turned face down on the deck, and ther;t the top card buried in the center. There should be extreme clarity a~d neatness in e insertion of the supposed selection into the center. A _magic gesture d the card is on top-and it is a single card this time. ';rhe procedure d effect are exceptionally distinct. Emotions are those, of amazement d mystery. The combination of using the Pass in the first phase and the ouble Turnover in the second cancels many possible solutions, true and se, in the minds of the spectators. They won't consider them again. Third Phase e spectators think the effect is over, and that is the case: The card has sen to the top twice, escaping from the center of the deck The spectators e now beginning to ask themselves (to better savor the beautiful moment erienced): "But how was that possible? He put the card into the cenr. Let me remember... " At this moment, when the spectators' attention n the card relaxes and their minds are busy with processing the "logical uestions", you perform a Top Change-the best technique for changing a ard, done during a pause for relaxation. The spectators are unaware of the tention of the magician to repeat the effect, and the magician has already one what is needed for that repetition. He is way ahead of them. The card is again clearly lost in the center of the deck The spectators, erhaps with their logic still actively engaged, think, "He did bury it in the enter...and he doesn't do anything to pull it out and put it on top. Let's ~ e ... " (Suspense) The magician makes his magic gesture. This is essential: It is the ritual lement that gives credibility to the illusion. It also raises the tension of xpectation and the desire to see if the effect is achieved. The card is shown to have arrived on top again! The surprise has given ay to suspense and stronger amazement: "How is that possible? It can't e!" The impossible, the specific component of our art. Fourth Now for one of the typical constructional elements of Vernon (which hi master Hofzinser often employed): pretending to do a Top Change without changing the card, in a surreptitious but detectable way. The spectators jump: "Ah! I caught it! I know! Of course!" The Logical Bull bellows With joy. And the masterstroke that levels and temporarily tames him is then delivered by the magician who, after inserting the card into the center of the pack, notices the reactions in the audience. "Oh no!" he exclaims innocently and na'ively. ''Another card is on top. Yours is here in the cen-' ter. "And he shows it. 168 The spectators get the joke. They laugh to relax and they understand the scolding of the magician-guide, accepting the fall of the Logical Little Donkey (a bull when attacking, a kind little donkey when surrendering). This phase has brought to life the emotions of I know! and Oh, he was playing with me! Here the skill and personality of the magician are essential to avoid feelings of challenge and frustration. They in tum generate those of joy and playfulness. But the spectators now feel helpless. The magician immediately comes to their rescue: "I'm going to explain it. "169 Some spectators believe the magician is really going to explain the secret. They feel curiosity and interest. Others don't believe it and think it's another joke: Magicians never explain. But yes, the magician does begin to explain the method. ''I did this." He slowly brings his right hand over the 168. In this Machiavellian fashion, Vernon cancels the possible notion that he is trying to switch the card for another before inserting it into the deck However, that is exactly what he did earlier and what he will do ~gain, late1: The spectators end up knowing the true secret but believing it is impossible to do deceptively and that it was never used by the magician. Was Vernon, perhaps, the ;devil incarnate? Some are tempted to believe it. I'll join them. 169. Please allow me, dearest reader, poetic license here. The phase of announcing an explanation, which I will next describe, is not in Vernon's original routine. I made it up or it was taught to me (I can't remember) when I began performing the routine, but I do think it fits Vernon's style. Feel free to skip it, if you think that's better. ck and visibly palms the selected card protruding from along with all those that are under it. He does this by using his left forefinger to push ese cards inward to an injogged position and then clips them in the fork the right thumb. He brings the palmed cards over the rest and adds them top as he squares the deck The spectators see the p~ming action and e replacement and believe they understand. The Logical Little Donkey · aces and brays: "Ah, that's what it was. Now I see!" , The magician says, ''But if I repeat it at speed you can't see it." And e does it again, faster, but this time he steals only the cards under the election, leaving it under the deck, aligned with it. 170 The left forefinger as pushed back only the cards below the ,selection, and the right fingers ave pushed in and squared the selection. ''Did you see anything?" The spectators nod: We saw it. The magician doesn't notice this. Innocently and na'ively, he says, "Oh, no! It's not on op. This time it went down. " He shows the top card. It is not the selecion. He then shows it on the bottom of the deck (another emotion: I made rnistake. It's playing games with me again.). This time the effect is accomplished in a magical way and while kidding around. Our hero-card not only escapes from the deck but also from all logic! Once again we have :the surprise, the pepper, the spice, the emotion of surprise, the seasoning of the magic banquet. The salt was the previous joke and perhaps also the kidding component of this new one: You thought you knew it, you trusted logic, but it's not that way. This is a game of fantasy. The spectator understands this and feels the surprise, the joke, the amazement: "Now what? This is incredible. I should put my logic aside. Little Rationa~ Donkey, you 17~. This action does belong to Vernon's original routine. I've now returned to it. 171. It's remarkable that, in this phase, Vernon has actually used the palming of the cards to bring the hero-card to the bottom, but in letting the palming be seen and recognized by the spectators, they are surprised that the card didn't go up as expected, but down, and they are amazed once again! In other words, the technique that produces the effect is exposed, and yet the effect is successful. The spectators don't understand anything anymore, unless they are in the realm of surrealism and art. To really clinch the sensation of the impossible, the magician appears squares the card into the deck, gets a break two cards · he has mastere d t h at s l e1g . ht .172 ove the selection and executes a Pass, 1f take the bottom card. He actually takes the second card from the botto The magician turns over the top card (after the ritual gesture) and- with a direct technique that is appropriate for the moment. It's a kind 0 orrors •' He made a mistake. It is not our expected hero-card. The spectators Downs Change that substitutes the second card from the bottom for th el the mistake, which evokes new emotions: deception, maybe sadness, bottom card. He inserts this card into the center of the deck and, after the erest of course, upon ·thinking, "How will he get out of this?" They iden- ritualistic magical gesture, he shows that it w·ent down again! The spec.. with the magician. tators are already living the adventures of this escapist and libertarian Needless to say, there can also be a component of playful revenge. The hero, sympathizing with him. The emotion of the illusion, of its artistic ectators may feel a certain satisfaction at seeing the magician's mistake. beauty, is already present. The Horse of Fantasy neighs and prepares for the journey. ut the more they are involved in the trick, the more they surrender, the Sixth Phase And in case there is anything left stirring in the Bull, the magician, inspired by the diabolical Vernon, begins to do the Glide, letting the spectators see him slide the bottom card back. Doubt attacks the spectators. The Logical Donkey looks up from the floor and stretches his ears-but the magician promptly shows once again (for the final time) that the card placed in the center and still protruding is indeed the hero. He actually took the bottom card! Once again, his strategy is that of explaining a strategy done earliertaking the second card from the bottom as if it were the bottom card-and "proves" it was false: a sure termination of this solution, which was a genuine one. The Logical Donkey, exhausted, loses his senses, faints and slips into sleep. We are ready to continue. The spectators surrender. The Magic Way has brought us, by way of the magician-guide's hand and mind, to the doorway of The Rainbow. Then clarity increases: The magician turns over the card and clearly inserts it again 'into the center, but this time face up. This positively rivets the idea in everyone's eyes and mind: The card that goes into the center is always the hero-card and not another. The psychological strategy of the construction reaches its peak here in quality and structural beauty. ore enchanted they become and the more they admire and feel the artis.c beauty of their hero-card and their magician-guide whom the mistake renders human, the more any satisfaction at his error will be mitigated and ejected. Feelings of protection and maternal instinct toward the helpless magician are even possible, likely and, I believe, desirable. The magician plays with this situation for the necessary and approriate amount of time, although briefly, to prevent the disappointment of the mistake from being recorded in the spectators' long-term memories. It must be erased and forgotten, so a couple of second s are enough .173 "Ah, I know!" says the magician-guide. "Since it is face up, it doesn't come to the top. It rises secondfrom the top. The top card [he shows and names the card, and sets it face down again on top of the deck] is there to cover the rising. " After the magical gesture, he lifts two cards as one, exposing the shining face of the hero-card. Surprise (more seasoning), magical admiration (more flesh, more magical substance), joy and rest. 17~. Or a Double Undercut, if he hasn't. In either case, it is good to create a period of tension-the magic rite, the tap followed by ''It's done!"-then a relaxation in gestures and attitude. It is at this moment that the Pass is performed. Many were the times I saw Vernon slap his hands noisily and unexpectedly over the deck and then, in the relaxation that followed, do the Pass. 173. In the extremely concise description given in Stars of Magic, it isn't quite explicit that showing the top card is meant to display a mistake made, but I think one can safely give it this interpretation. (') 234 235 And the Horse of Fantasy is already grazing as it trots along the valley of The Rainbow. the hero-card (he sets the double card over the indifferent card, then repi.oves the top card to expose the selection). The trick, the illusion and the magic continue; the Horse of the Imagination and the dream go wild. Seventh Phase The magician explains again: "So the top card covers the rising of our card." With these words he uses the double card to tum the next one-the face-up hero-card-face down. He leaves the double on top of it, then removes the top card and takes the next one (supposedly the hero-card). He puts it into the center of the deck and squares all the cards. After a ritual gesture without drama (we are already in the land of magic), he takes . the top card and uses it to tum over the next one: it is the hero-card once again (accepted surprise; the magician and spectators take this rise as natural). The Winged Horse starts to gallop, his mane blowing in the wind as he carries us off. We all feel the magical emotion. Magic is possible! Ninth and Final ~hase The previous phase has left two cards face up, which i~ to say that everything is prepared for an unsuspected and direct :final Double Turnover. Isn't it an absolutely wonderful stmcture! Up to now the magician has been the only one who officiated in the magic. The spectators watched and admired. Now, for the climax and grand magical ending, the assisting spectator will achieve the effect himself. "You try it. "174 The magician loses the cover card (the top card). He turns over the two face-up cards now on top as one. Then he takes the top card into his hand. All are convinced it is the hero-card just seen. He holds Eighth Phase The magician again shows the face of the top card, the one that covers the hero's rise, pointing out that it is always the same, a demonstration that the portions of the deck are not moved, for The Comet Effect. There is no Pass, no cut, nothing. The magician, through gestures or words, asks, ''Again? Of course!" to which the delighted spectators agree, wanting to enjoy themselves (they're not trying to :find out anymore) and make this sensation last longer. And now, here, there come new surprises, new emotions. After losing the cover card in the deck, the magician inserts.the "ambitious card" face up into the center (forming a break above the card above it and ex_ecuting a Pass or Double Undercut). The magician takes the top card-actually two cards as one: the top indifferent card, face down, and the next one, the face-up hero-cardand with the double, he turns up the next card, which-is not the one expected! But there is no more disappointment. The spectators tmst the magician. He is confident in his magical power and in the fact that, in this land of colors, everything is possible. He makes his ritual gesture (perhaps he forgot it earlier), and the wrong card visually changes into , out his hand with the deck and asks the spectator to cut it himself. The magician puts the card into the center175 and asks the spectator to replace the cut-off portion, burying the card, and to square up everything himself. He is then asked to hold the deck tightly between his palms. The spectator is now instructed to make a magical gesture himself (or in partnership with the magician)-and to turn over the top card himself to see that he has achieved the magical effect. He has become a bit of a magician and, as he is the representative of the audience, everyone is riding the Winged Horse, which has taken flight. The spectators are all feeling the delicate weightlessness and vertigo of the impossible, the fascination of the wonderful-the art of magic. l 7Ll. Once again, I'll allow myself some small poetic license in presenting this :final phase as a transference of power to the spectator, or a collaboration in exercising it. 175. Here I will take a chance, handing the card to the spectator and asking him to insert it into the center. 1. List A Pass, which proves that the card really goes into the center. · A Double Turnover, which proves there has been no Pass or any other moves after the card was placed in the center-even though a Pass has been done. A Top Change, which proves that the card ·is single before and after inserting it. A feigned Top Change, which proves that the Top Change is not the solution, even though, in the preceding phase, it was. A Palm, which proves a Palm is not the solution earlier, since the card doesn't rise, it goes down; but the Palm is indeed the solution to making the card go down! A kind of Downs Change done on the face of the deck A feigned Glide, which proves that the Glide is not the solution. The card is inserted face up into the center and controlled by a Double Undercut, which proves the card can even rise when face up. A Double Lift of cards that are not the "ambitious" one. Flipping the ambitious card face down with the double card. Double Lift of a face-down card with a face-up card beneath it. A color change made by unloading the bottom card of a double. A final Double Turnover prepared by the previous phase, which has left two cards as one face up on top of the deck Yes, Vernon is the demon, the devil, Satan, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles! 2. List of Emotions and Sensations Felt the Spectators First rise: Magical surprise. Clarity of the initial situation. Second rise: Amazement. It isn't possible. Third rise: Su~pense: maximum tension and attention. Seems impossible! False Top Change: Triumph of logic. I know. I caught it. It was still there: Joke. Deception, kind leg-pulling. Distrust of logic. Laughs. Playfulness. Fourth rise: Fake explanation. Excited curiosity. Doubt. Is he really going to explain it? Oh, yes! Knowledge. I saw it. Sees the , But the card went down: Big surprise. Logic is worthless. It was not the real explanation. More joking. More playing. It goes down again: This begins to feel like magic. Incredible! Impossible! But it happened. Sees the Glide: Altho.ugh perhaps ... I think ... Still in place: No, how silly of me. I'll set aside logic and get into the magic. I surrender. Face up and.".. it didn't rise: Disappointment. It will rise .... Oh! It failed. Rises to second from the top: Joy. Oh! The magician is my guide, I'll trust him. Rises to second from the top again: It always rises and it will always rise. That's what magic is. Great! New rise but .. .it's the wrong card! Security. Confidence. What happened? It doesn't matter. Everything is possible here. Visual change: Visual surprise. What beauty! It changed infront ofmy eyes. Invitation for the spectator to participate. Rises in his hands: Do I do it all? (If asked to do it himself: Will I be able to?) Rises in his hands: Miracle! This is magic! (If he participated in the rite: I did it. We shared the power. I have experienced-we have experienced-the magic.) 3. Excited Comments -Can there be more variety, more quantity and more quality of emotions? Can there be a better magical adventure with a single and simple effect? Can there be a better dramatic construction? Can there be a better magical construction? Can there be a better use of card sleights: Pass, Double Turnover, Top Change, Downs-type Change, Glide? Can there be more magic? There was a reason, Vernon, why we all called you, we all call you, endearingly, with love, Professor. CONFLlCTS lN MAGlC AND THElR CURVES OF lNTEREST The Curves of Interest: Notions to Remember We all know that in the classic scheme of any development of a dramatic structure, whether it is for a novel, a play or a film, there is a clear divi$ion of stages that makes this development precisely that: dramatic. The structure captures the attention of the spectator or the reader, keeps that attention, gradually increases interest and takes it to a high point of conflict; then the situation, the conflict, is resolved. That's how a dramatic structure ends, with the decrease and final cessation of attention, in relaxation. This is, of course, a generalization, completely valid for most scripts, with exceptions that certain artistic movements have established during certain periods. But the fundamental structure is still valid, and the trilogy of dramatic elements-exposition, conflict, resolution-still exists. In the exposition, the elements are presented to the spectators, introduced by the story. The more interesting the elements, the bigger and stronger the personalities (if they are people in, say, a movie script), the more the story will interest the spectators. N Then comes dramatic conflict, a problematic situation in which the characters are involved. Something is wrong, and we begin to become interested in how the conflict and dramatic situation will be resolved. That is the marrow, the essence of the dramatic interest of the story: Romeo and Juliet are passionately in love but find their love impossible because of hatred between their families. The more intense the initial situation is and the stronger the conflict that prevents or ~inders the normal development and successful outcome of the initial situation, the stronger the tension and the drama will be: If R and J had loved each other only a little bit, there would be no drama. But that situation of conflict is just that: a situation, something static. If it continues at the same level, the interest it has generated will gradually weaken and the situation will eventually grow boring. It needs to evolve, either because the characters evolve-some malefactor appears and plots against the lovers, and as a result one of them feels betrayed (this is my script now, not Shakespeare's)-or because the circumstances get worse-J's brother is killed by a relative of R. In both cases, the static situation is transformed into dynamic action and the interest is sustained or builds. The stronger the conflict, the higher the interest and dramatic strength. Finally we reach the resolution of the conflict, which is usually relatively quick and is accompanied by wit, laughter, logic, coherence or-as with the case of Romeo and Juliet-by the hand of the messenger of the Grim Reaper, that great and stanch resolver of conflict. It has long been recognized that conflict is the most important component of the dramatic pyramid, and this should always be kept in mind. It is the essence of drama, the interest and the emotion. The !graphic representation of dramatic development is a curve of interest in emotions. This is determined by the highs and lows of dramatic tension throughout the temporal development of the script or, in the case of magic, the trick or routine. We all know that the curve of interest shown in the following diagram is a good one: The classic curve of dramatic conflict 242 243 Magic: Two Conflicts e Symbolic-Metaphoric Conflict of the Impossible Wish The Logical-Rational Conjlict-Climax without Resolution better understand these questions and answer them, we will examsomething I firmly believe in: that aside from logical-rational conflict, Bµt is this true for magic? Elsewhere I have mentioned that in magic there is no resolution to the conflict that is created. 176 ·ch is external, magic .has another form of conflict, an internal one. cause it happens inside, sometimes it is hinted at and sometimes it isn't; t it is perceived, although not always at a conscious level. It's a sym- CLIMAX lic-metaphoric conflict that recognizes and evokes in us an impossible 'sh, which is resolved when the magical effect proves it possible. So e of the facto;rs that prevents frustration when How is the impossible Time The curve of logical-rational conflict in magic I am clearly referring here to the logical-rational conflict, to the conflict of: "What I'm seeing is logically impossible and yet I'm experiencing ossible? is left unanswered is the pleasure produced by the existence f a solution, in the realm of artistic magic, to the parallel conflict, the amatic (emotional) conflict between the existence of a wish and the ossibility of achieving it. Then comes, as I've said, the magical effect, ich makes us experience the impossible made possible! IMPOSSIBLE WISH it as possible. How can it be? The lack of resolution makes magic special among the performing arts. This feature, by the way, is not free of problems. It's as if a movie were interrupted, its projection stopped at the highest point of the conflict, which would be left unresolved. The sensation of dissatisfaction, of coitus interruptus, would be enormous. The unresolved logical conflict could arouse curiosity, the desire to know the secret cause of the apparently impossible effect. It could. In Time 'fhe curve of the coriflict of the impossible wish (symbolic-metaphoric) fact, curiosity usually does appear to a greater or lesser degree. Is magic then only or mainly a mere puzzle, a riddle, a pastime? the art of showing the impossible and the wished for-which is to say, of In a better light, is magic a show? A brilliant and entertaining per- the impossible and the fascinating-as possible. It deals with presenting formance that produces amazement at the skill, dexterous speed or s6mething similar to a secular miracle; something wished but impossible cleverness of the trickery? Or in the worst case, is it simply deception, a that is shown as possible and made possible in artistic reality, and that fas- mockery of the senses? Does it leave us unsatisfied, restless, even frustrated, because we can't discover the solution? Jnates us, charms us, astounds us. It's something we long for, although it is 176. See my little book Aprenda Ud. magia (1973, Editorial Cymys: Barcelona), later expanded with more tricks in Secretos de magia potagia (1988. Editorial Frakson: Madrid). . Let me digress briefly to remind you that, for me, the art of magic is impossible to achieve, because it is prevented by the laws of nature and of hysics: levitation, resurrection, learning the future, changing the past, etc. It is precisely that conflict between the wished for and the impossiility of experiencing it that is solved through magic. The magical effect n makes the granting of the wish possible by breaking and overcoming t laws of nature; and in a certain way, as we will see, it solves the logic rational conflict, providing a greater sense to magic · It's a secular m·1rac1 Religion, Esoteric Magic and Artistic Magic But what is a secular miracle? To attempt to understand it better.,~ 1 look at the similarities and differences betwee:r;i a miracle produced in th realm of religion or of the supernatural and a magical effect, which is t say a miraculous effect, produced within the realm of artistic magic. . A miracle presents a logical-rational conflict because a miracle is impossible. It contradicts logic and the laws of nature. In turn, it carries symbolic-metaphoric conflict: fulfilling an impossible wish (resurrecti . ~ ascension to heaven, fulfilled prophecy... ). This second conflict is resolved by the miracle making the impossible wish possible. And the logical-irrational conflict-the How is it possible?-is solved by faith, by belief in a god or gods with supernatural powers who, because of their control of the laws of nature, allow the violation of those laws, thereby resolving the conflict. In supernatural magic, belief lies in the existence of other laws, magical laws (the laws of sympathy; of similarity, of an intimate connection between the whole and the parts, an interconnected structure of the universe, etc.), which explain the whys and hows of magic, thus solving the logical-rational conflict. In the fields of religion and the supernatural then, there isn't any problem or frustration felt with a lack of resolution to the logical-rational conflict. But in artistic magic-which does not depend on the existence of faith ( other than a faith in reason) and does not lie in the realm of rational and logical reality-the logical-rational conflict presented by the existence of the magical artistic effect, of the secular miracle, remains unresol~ed: is the impossible possible? This can produce various forms of frustration: unsatisfied curiosity, the desire that everything fits within the structures of logic and reason, a sensation of having lost an assumed battle of wits with the magician-artist, a feeling of having been fooled, discomfort at experiencing the limitations of our senses (I saw it, but it's not true), our logic, of our reason, of our attention and of our memory. End of digression. f'Solution" to Fascination of the Granted Wish artistic magic, there is the conflict of the symbolic-metaphoric wish, it is resolved. The impossible wish is satisfied by the magical effect, ·ch fulfills the impossible wish by making it possible. This produces great intellectual, emotional and vital pleasure in usi; an artistic pleae, sometimes felt only in a subconscious form; and that pleasure (along 'th other factors we will discuss later) weakens or prevents the possible stration of the unresolved logical conflict, allowing us to release accuulated mental tension, as well as the related physiological tension (refer the diagram on p. 248). How is it possible? It can't be gives way to How vnderful! My wish is fulfilled. What a beautiful art! possibility and Fascinationhe Two Factors of the Art of Magic have now arrived at what I believe to be the essence of artistic magic, hich I introduced two pages back: that the art of magic has two essential omponents, the impossible and the fascinating. Any proposed magical feet should be impossible and also wished for. When that effect is fulJilled, when it reaches its climax, when it grants the impossible wish, when ;it appears, breathes and lives, it becomes fascinating. I think the two factors, impossibility and fascination, are necessary in the art of magic. If magic did not offer the impossible, it might be beautiful, harmonious, surprising, lyrical, but it would be theater, poetry or dance. It would be art, but another art. It would not be magic. For example, if a dancer makes a high, beautiful leap with a graceful and charming turn, it might be amazing and beautiful, but it is dance, not magic. It would be magic if the dancer remained suspended in the air in a totally impossible way, without support, without cables, nothing! Magic must also be fascinating. It is certainly true that defying physical laws is in and of itself a feat, a demonstration of superpowers. This is partially fascinating. But I believe that for magic to be art it has to be Fascinating With a capital F. Since we, as spectators, know that there is a natural secret, a .......\. .. U.'L•-'-' cause, that produces the miracle, making it impossible\ only • appearance, the fascination of the impossible can become a simple enigm ical effects, especially in those that we consider classics; and ting enormous power this offers to the magical and artistic value. . To give a very exaggerated example of a trick that is not fascinating, suppose a magician, at a distance and without touching someone, were Here are some examples of the syrµbolic-metaphoric conflict: We would to create something from nothing, to read other people's thoughts, to invulnerable, to escape in a :flash from restraints and troubles, etc.-but able to break that person's arm. It would be impossible, we would be astonished, but it wouldn't be fascinating (I hop~). It would not be art. can't. It is impossible through natural means to achieve these desired ams, archetypal to all humanity (Jung made us see tpis). Then along · Besides the fascination that produces the impossible experienced as es artistic magic-poof!-allowing us to .live our dreams as possible; possible (and our fascination with the demonstration of the magician's d that fascinates us and charms us. At this point, yes, magic is art. The magician· makes us live our dreams in reality. He invites us in, he or puzzle, perhaps amazing or interesting, but outside the realm of art. power), I think the feeling caused by fascination can be accompanied by other complementary elements: beauty in the magician's gestures, poetic patter, humor, joy, lighting, music, etc. troduces us to the realm of dreams, where everything is possible, where can live out our wishes of immortality, creative power, unlimited alth, ability to animate objects, ascension, transformation of people The Fascination: the Symbol At the risk of becoming repetitive, let's look in greater detail at the nature of the type of fascination that is specific to the art of magic: a dream wished and never fulfilled; something that escapes normal, natural, everyday powers (the usual ones of seeing, hearing, eating, perceiving the present, remembering the past ... ); an impossible wish made possible only through extraordinary, superhuman, semi-divine powers; a wish we would like to achieve, possess and enjoy, such as :flying, resurrection, knowing the etamorphosis), the gift of ubiquity, etc. Is this not fascinating? And as we have seen, this symbolic-metaphoric conflict has a solution: e magical effect itself, which makes the impossible wish possible. Here lies, in some way, I believe, the difference between the good effects f artistic magic and those that are simply puzzles. Good magic always olves the impossibility of something. strongly desired by everyone. (I will eturn shortly to the discussion of the quality of a magical effect.) ymbiosis of Conflicts: the Magic Conflict future, making inexhaustible wealth. Such desires are sometimes granted in a direct and explicit way in the effect of the trick: levitation, Sawing a Woman in Half, paper transformed into bank notes. But other times, as we've seen earlier, the desires are implied by the effect, given in symbolic-metaphoric forms. Sometimes So ... .The logical-rational conflict is not resolved (How is the impossible possible?). The conflict of the symbolic wish is resolved through the magical examples of the Cut and Restored Rope (resurrection), the Egg Bag (cre- effect that brings it to life. Compensation for the unresolved logical conflict is taken care of in ation of life), the Ambitious Card (power, ascension, liberation ... ). In the some way by the fascination produced by the experience of the impos- section on symbolism in magic (p. 71 ), I analyze in more detail the chronology and nature of the "facts" and "proofs" that have gradually appeared sible wish granted. This produces in us a sense of pleasure and joy that minimizes and almost makes us forget the possible anxiety or curiosity- along my path and have made me understand (or believe I understand) sometimes frustration-of the unresolved logical conflict. Not only does the existence and truth of the explicit and non explicit symbols in many it not matter to us, but we are even.grateful that it is not resolved. We are these are hidden and transmitted subconsciously. Let's remember the 248 249 grateful not to know how it was possible, because that would take us out of the beautiful dream, it would wake us and prevent us from enjoying it t:n ~ > G'.) CLIMAX ..... We can then say that the symbolic conflict (Is it possible that my wish which I know to be impossible, is fulfilled?) is resolved by the magical effect' (It is possible. Let's live it.). At the same time, the logical conflict (How was it possible?) is resolved in a poetic fashion by the art of magic. The possible frustration is forgotten, because of the fascination of t~e experience: The wish was ·granted and accompanied by various pleasures. Who wants to interrupt and awaken from such a beautiful dream, full of joy, pleasure and happiness? We are, then, dealing with a kind of symbiosis of the two conflicts: the logical-rational and the impossible wish (symbolic). Due to this symbiosis, from this point on I will refer to the two as one: the magical conflict (symbolic), which is an artistically resolved conflict that doesn't leave · frustration and that produces great fascination. Time Magical conflict (symbiosis of both conflicts) The symbolic conflict is resolved by the magical effect (the desired impossible has been made possible). The fascination produced diminishes and likely makes the tension of the unresolved logical-rational conflict disappear. As a side note, I'll mention that in cases where the symbol of the wish fulfilled does not resolve the conflict, spontaneous laughter at the absurd, at the illogical, at the physiological tension felt, could be what helps spectators relax their psychological tension. But there are, as I mentioned, other factors that help dissolve the frustration and "solve" the logical conflict. The first is the spectators' knowledge (and the magician's) that the secular miracle is not a true miracle, that we are in the realm of art and, i1 LJ r- cc ~ ..... ..,co cd 0 Ql C L'. :::r ~ Time· Relaxation by laughter at the illogical herefore, of illusion. It only seems like a miracle. So the How is it possi- e? It can't be! can also be answered with the inner sensation of I don't now the exact reason for its apparent impossibility, but I know one ists. Logic remains completely valid. If that knowledge didn't exist-which is to say, if we believed that ogic is worthless, that reason fails, and if we do not rely on the tranquiling solution provided by faith (religious or supematural)-we would e on the verge of some kind of senselessness, of logical discrepancy, of adness. It would unsettle us by breaking our logical structures in a permanent way. This is not the same as feeling that momentary emotion of a temporary liberation from logical ties, which would be joyful. And that's how another factor has already presented itself to us, without asking permission: pleasure. Let's begin with aesthetic joy and pleasure, the pleasure of art. We feel it from the harmony of the plot of the trick, its dramatic structure, the rhythm and the pauses; but, above all, from the sheer beauty of the magical effect: to levitate, to make inanimate objects acquire a life of tMir own, to divine what we don't know (the little car). We receive pleasure too from the emotions of surprise, suspense, astonishment, the final crescendo of effects growing progressively stronger and more magical, the experience of liberated fantasy, of artistic creativity made evident in the effect or hinted at in the method. We can almost hear the echo of the Muses whispering into the attentive and sensitive ear of the 250 251 On yet another level (magic is complex and multifaceted), what c sciously or subconsciously through symbolism. All these factors, I we say of the playful, festive pleasure we get from participating in a magic eat, constitute the magical emotion: feeling and living the wonderful. session? We are, after all, Homo ludens. There is a reason magic tricks are called magic games (juegos de magia) in Spanish. We don't hear, we don't listen, we don't even want to listen now, to the ice of astonished logic, as delighted as we are in enjoying the flight on the We also feel that festive, almost Dionysian, emotion through living the ck of the Winged Horse of Fantasy and Imagination, traveling through experience of childhood regained ( a return to paradise?), the sensation oms full of marvels and granted the dreams of The Magic Rainbow. of returning to innocence, to that state of grace of the pre-logical age. It is in this way, as a game, teasing and making fun, calling to the essence · of Homo ludens and the pre-logical child, that we experience seeing our dreams, visions, desires and longings. What a joy! And do not forget the innate pleasure of imitation when we play at imitating the gods. This pleasure leads to diminishing the gravity and seri- ~other factor that helps in the eradication of frustration is the attitude >of the magician. Let's dig a little deeper into this. We have seen that after the impact ;0f amazement and astonishment on our logic and reason-in which we ousness that remains in imperious, unsatisfied curiosity, and therefore reduces all possible frustration. ;believe and love, and which helps us so very much to live-reason (espe- Another pleasure that magic produces, one on which our art is in large we feel the poetic fascination) might give us its How is it possible! And part founded, is the pleasure of experiencing mystery, of having an adven- after not getting an answer, we might feel, as spectators, restless and dis- ture on the edge of the unknown, of exploring (in the joyful company of appointed in a way, or even somehow frustrated (this is more likely in all the surrealists who have ever been) the borders of the possible and the people whose inner balance doesn't enjoy sufficient self-assurance). cially in the first part of a magic session, with logic rearing up, and before impossible, of reality and illusion, of wakefulness and dream-a dream lived in reality, the artistic reality. tell us" or at the spectator himself: "Am I stupid? Did I get fooled? Are Even more, there is the pleasure of feeling that we are experiencing a my·senses reliable?" The resolution of this frustration can be aided by unique moment, a special event, unusual, sometimes highly so, and almost the attitude of the magician. That attitude must not be arrogant, challeng- always memorable. How many times have our spectators told us, "I still ing, condescending, but must share in the experience, accompanying the remember when, many years ago, a magician told me what I was think- imaginative half of the spectator's brain so that, between them, magician ing," and "I saw a magician link and unlink some metal rings. I had them and imaginative half, they overcome and leave the logical half of the brain in my own hands. They were completely solid! I remember it as if I were holding them now." temporarily defeated. This is something the magician can transmit and the All these factors-liberation from logic (but only in artistic reality), attitude toward the magician. And that transformation, expressed nonver- aesthetic pleasuie (beauty, harmony, creativity, emotions ... ), the plea.5ure That frustration could be directedat the artist "who knows and doesn't spectator feel, to avoid or nip in the bud possible frustration or a negative bally, is effected by the attitude of the artist. of play (''juegos de magia", "imitating the gods"), the pleasure of the party, the pleasure of experiencing mystery, the adventure of the unknown, the The Realm of Art-Safety pleasure of the "unique moment" and the supreme pleasure of the impos- A.s an interesting sidelight, we know deep inside that, as spectators, we are not fully in reality but in an artistic reality, that we are living a dream, and sible wish granted, finally experienced as possible, directly or indirectly, 253 252 that the magician doesn't really have supernatural powers. But also, we der all circumstances, such as the exact and certain knowledge of the would quite possibly realize that only after the astonishment we "suffered" and perhaps after having lived through the impact of symbolic fascination. ture. Let's look at yet other nuances. Tr~sforming a blue piece of paper into Furthermore, the knowledge that we are in the realm of art helps us in red piece of paper will not have the same magical strength as transforming some cases to feel safe and in a way secure. Just as in a horror movie we white piece of paper into a multicolored flower or into ~ bank note. The experience a pleasurable and safe form of horror ("It's a movie. There is t effect is close to a puz.zle, the others fulfill an aesthetic pr material wish. no danger."), as magic spectators we might feel f~ar when learning there Moreover, given that art is the domain of suggesti~n rather than of are "powers" that seem benign to us but are undesirable, even fearsome emonstration or of evidence, a trick that fulfills the desfre for liberty in a ' if others really possessed them. Wouldn't it be terrible if we believed there ,metaphoric-poetic way (a chain of rings that free themselves and become were a person who could read our thoughts? I would be frightened to ~eparate) will have a greater quality or artistic value than the more direct death to find that this last stronghold of freedom and intimacy is no longer one of fulfilling the wish for wealth (producing a bank note). The latter inviolable, and I would probably shout to the world, "Stop, I'm getting off!" may elicit more expressive reactions or reach more spectators (the wish Of course, let's not forget that art can sometimes have other objectives for money is rather widespread), making it more "commercial", but per- than providing us with a feeling of safety. It might make us feel restless or haps the symbolic suggestion ofliberty connects and enchants at a deeper, pose unanswerable questions about life, pain, death .... Art is free. more poetic and artistic level, even if the symbol is not consciously per- Thus, in magic, when a full deck of cards disappears and doesn't come back, if done in a convincingly magical way-in full view, in the magician's ceived by the spectators-they don't need to perceive it! To put my views another way, although the circumstantial effect of "I hands, with two spectators holding his wrists-it always produces a cer- want a glass of water and the magician makes it appear" would have an tain discomfort and at times an intense and lasting restlessness (I can tell undeniable magical effect, the universal wish-of everyone, any place and you from experience!). It's the experience of fear of the void, of the defin- always-for immortality, fulfilled in the symbolic-metaphoric way of the itive disappearance, the symbol of death. Cut and Restored Rope, possesses a poetic quality, suggested and felt on We can find magic effects in our literature that search to make the spec- a subconscious level, and awards the effect great refinement and exqui- subjects. 177 site artistic quality. History, the incorruptible judgment of time, seems tator feel alive or to question himself on those not so innocuous The Quality of the Effect-The Quality of the Symbol We have seen that there is an element that can provide artistic power to agree. Over four centuries of the Cut and Restored Rope-presented always and everywhere, by all amateur and professional magicians-tells to a trick It's the quality of the wish later fulfilled. If the impossible us something about its artistic strength. ~.. But as is the case with everything or almost everything in art, it can't is circumstantial, being impossible only because of the moment or the be achieved through absolute rules, but through attempts to approach the place-I wanted a. glass of water and didn't have one, so the magician made a glass of water appear to quench my thirst-the quality of the mag- significance of magic as an art. Magic doesn't imitate reality. Magic invites us to dream. It imitates the ical effect will be inferior to one involving something that is impossible gods. That's why magic is self-sufficient. Its beauty resides in making us 177. See Life, Death & Other Card Tricks by the always interesting Robert E. Neale (2000, Hermetic Press, Inc.: Seattle). Also see his theoretical books. live the desired impossible. It is, thus, an authentic art of enchantment (as I Father Barc6n so rightly called it). 254 255 The Magic Conflict and Its Dramatization ~ tTI The corresponding curve would bersomething like this: ~ > Until now we have concerned ourselves with the moment in which the magical effect is produced. But what happens during the previous deve_ . 1 opment of the necessary actions that lead to it? What happens if the procedure, sometimes necessarily long, is also unnecessarily tedious slow or boring? Quite possibly, some of the spectators, or all of them, Wi~ CJ ......1 arrive at the moment of the climax of the effect without being prepared to appreciate it, either because, by then, they are tired or uninterested, or because they have lost some of the important details that make the effect appear impossible. In any case the beautiful magical sensation will not be experienced as it deserves to be. ~ Because of that-and taking into account what was said about dramatic curves at the beginning of this section-let's now examine in detail how to achieve a good curve of interest, that curve concerning the magical conflict, for the development of the proposition of living the impossible. For a clear understanding, I will apply it to an exaggerated, almost paradoxical example. The magician takes a deck of cards from its case and shuffles it thoroughly. He then hands it to someone seated in the first row, who also gives it a good shuffle, taking his time. The magician retrieves the deck and has a card selected. The spectator looks at the card and returns it to the deck without showing it to the rest of the audience. The magician again shuffles the cards thoroughly. He then brings his hand to the front pocket of his trousers and removes a card from there which ' he shows to the spectator. The spectator nods; it is the same card. The magician begins another trick Let's assume that the control and the palming of the card were· executed with good manual and corporeal technique, and were therefore invisible. The method, then, has remained secret. But what about the spectators' experience of the magical effect? What did they feel? Probably, at most, a cold, faint curiosity about how the card made it into the pocket. They have been given an unresolved brainteaser or puzzle, but it lacks interest. n ~ .....I L'. oj 0 In other words, as a dramatic curve it is-a total disaster! Let's analyze it. When the magician takes out the deck, he begins mething, and that arouses a certain interest: He's going to perform a ·ck When the person in the first row shuffles and shuffles, interest is mewhat reduced, since no one can see his face and what he is doing. his causes a period of silence, of waiting, which becomes long and borg. The magician then has the person select a card and look at it without owing it to anyone else. This creates a certain frustration. If, added to hat, the magician doesn't talk, or talks only to the assisting spectator, the rest of the audience doesn't hear it or is not sure what's going on: "I think he asked him to take a card ... I think. .. I don't know." Interest increases somewhat when the spectator looks at the card and :returns it to the deck, and the magician shuffles. "He must be losing it." But since he shuffles and shuffles and shuffles and cuts, the whole thing begins to become long and boring. Then the magician takes a card from his pock@t; interest increases: "Is that the same card?" The solution doesn't arrive clearly, because the magician shows the spectator and he seems to nod his head, although neither the card nor the spectator is clearly seen. Maybe people think: "It must be the same one." And with no further clarification, the magician begins a new effect. As you can see, the curve is generally flat, with important dips-the spectator in the first row shuffles, his face isn't seen, he is probably clumsy, 256 and the shuffling takes him some time-and with certain deficiencies i the information received-the chosen card isn't seen, and people can be sure that the card that came from the pocket is the same one. If t procedure is not clearly followed, interest in the rest is likely to decrease and the trick may get boring. When the climax arrives, the potentially wonderful effect of the card traveling to the magician's pocket cannot be appreciated and its impossibility can't be felt. Neit~er can the symbolism that would theoretically produce fascination. All this is an example of bad communication, nonexistent dramatization, lack of clarity and terrible handling of emotions. 257 The second process consists of improving the dramatization through intrinsic emotions of the trick; not the external ones that are added, th'e ones that are built into the pro~edure of the trick Let's look at our ple effect again. We will attempt to make every moment of it interting, especially those that pull down the dramatic curve. ,' We start by assessing whether it is possible to remove, ,ito trim, superuous actions that hold little interest. For example: What's;the purpose of aving a spectator shuffle the cards at the beginning of the trick? The effect •is a "miraculous trip", and having the deck shuffled before a card is selected makes no difference to that journey. It's a purposeless, unnecessary action. External Presentation We can then try to make the beginning of the trick interesting. This can To correct all this, one might tend to search for what people have come to be done even before the trick starts, through an impossible promise. For call "a good presentation": perhaps a few comments that arouse emotions example, you point to a spectator: "Now I will make you travel through maybe a couple of jokes or comedic moments, possibly more elegance' space and take you inside my pocket!" There is no doubt that this prom- through gesture and attitude, etc. All these would undoubtedly "dress" ise, being absurd, magical, incredible and amusing, introduces the trick the trick better. People may laugh at the jokes and humor or be touched with an extra measure of interest. If the curve of the trick normally begins by the dramatic remarks and grace, but the magic, the impossibility of the effect and the fascination of its symbolism, would hardly improve. at an interest level of zero, the same curve will now start at a higher point; It would be embellished or become more "commercial" or "entertaining", but magically speaking it would still be weak and when the climax arrives, it will reach a higher level of interest as well. It will undoubtedly have a much more dramatic and interesting climax. If, before asking the spectator to choose a card, you ask him to stand up, his face is now visible to everyone and communicates to the general audi- Clarifying the Effect and Improving the Dramatization ence his incredulity or amused surprise or other emotions. This provides the Another option, much better in my judgment, consists of two processes. moment with feeling and interest. A question such as ''Are you willing to do The first is to improve the communication of the proceedings to the this?" would probably elicit an answer from him revealing something surprising and interesting. You could then say, "Please select a card with complete freedom; search and research. Show it clearly to everyone and, for it to acquire some of your identity, sign it. "As he proceeds, you address the rest of the audience: ''Since the trip is very dangerous ... "You pause and look at the spectator. "... would you prefer me to make just your identity, represented by your signed card, travel, instead of you?" nonparticipating spectators, through gestures, words, etc.: "Take any card you like. That one? You can change your mind; there are lots, there are fifty-two. Show it to everyone. Put it back wherever you want. I will shuffle tho11oughly to make sure the card is totally and hopelessly lost among the others. Now, a magic pass-and it's done! Yes! Look, here in my pocket there is a card, only one card. Which one did you take? The Three of Clubs? Well, this card is, precisely, the Three of Clubs!" In this way, throughout the trick you clarify the details of the procedure, the nature of the effect and how impossible it is. The spectator usually nods and gladly accepts this option. (If he prefers to make the trip in person, go ahead-and let me know how you did it.) "Put the card back wherever you want. We will lose it completely n with a very shuffle. " Mix the cards while watching your hands, As you do this, everyone must be convinced the card is hopelessly lost. The element of conflict is growing. (Normally it would be better to adhere to the classical sequence of having the card returned to the center of the deck, doing a Pass, then a Palm, handing the deck to the spectator for shuffling, then retrieving it and secretly adding the palmed card to the top. That's clearly superior to controlling the selection through cutting followed by an overhand shuffle, a procedure used so frequently nowadays; but that's another story. In this case, it would be enough to do the Pass and Palm, and then let the spectator shuffle and keep the deck. However, we intend to adopt a more nuanced procedure.) gaze. You gesture with your right as if catching something the air, which you then throw toward your right pocket, your right ' always turned toward the spectators. Pause while you show satistion. The spectators perhaps feel: "Well, so what? Is he still playing?" u get a little closer to them, where everyone can clearly see you. You slowly place your empty right hand into the right pqcket. This time, en , s, you seem to find something there. Bring the card only half way out of e pocket, its back turned to the audience. Carefully, with some anxiety, at the face of the card, bowing it slightly while keeping the other We continue: You make a gesture of throwing something from the half inside the p~cket. Name a card; not the one you see, but one very iunilar: "Is your card the Two of Clubs?" The audience says, "No." Your smile freezes. "What was your card?" They tell you it was the Three of deck into the air. Follow the invisible card with your eyes, all the way Clubs. The spectators' tension grows and they again feel an emotion, that to your left trousers pocket. This visual acting out of the effect and the f failure. This, by the way, should be sustained for only a brief moment, magical gesture that produces the illusion are essential, inescapable. prevent it from becoming fixed in memory without the possibility of Expectation mounts while you hold the deck in right-hand end grip, with asing the sensation that the magician truly failed. This is a danger this its back toward you and your empty right palm facing the audience. Bring your left hand to your left pocket and touch it .... You feel nothing there! emotion carries. Without further pauses, you look again at the protruding half card and Surprise. You have failed. openly smile. "Glad to hear it, because this card is-in fact-the Three The spectators now experience complex sensations from a combination of emotions. "Poor magician! I knew it was impossible. What is he going to do now? ... It was a joke." Some people will be feeling something more like: Clubs!" You pull the whole card from your pocket and display it high the air, turning it to make sure everyone can see it. "And with your signature, of course!" Hand it to the spectator who signed it, who nods in isn't." With this, interest builds and builds. Meanwhile, during the relaxation agreement. Then say, ''Magic!" Smile and look at the spectators while they enjoy the miracle. You enjoy following your apparent failure, you have executed a one-handed palm of it too, in sympathy with them. After the pause for assimilation has been the top card (the signed selection, which has been controlled to the, top) into your right hand. You transfer the deck to you left hand, look at your fulfilled, and only after that, begin the next trick. "'As you can see, the effect and its method are unchanged, but the right trousers pocket and then at the spectators, crossing your gaze with expository clarity, as well as communication with the spectators and motion of your rightihand, which goes to the right pocket. The hand briefly their emotional involvement have been improved enormously, making the enters the pocket, leaving the palmed card and comes out empty. At the procedure more interesting and the effect clearer, more powerful, mem- same time, perplexed, you mumble to yourself, "Not there either?" orable and poetic. In other words, the effect hasn't been simply dressed "Well, I'm almost happy. He wanted us to believe he is a superman, but he More tension. You let your right hand be seen empty while you look up up and embellished with external elements-something not entirely neg- into the air and smile. You seem to visualize something and follow it with ative, but not truly necessary-it has also been clarified, communicated, 260 261 dramatized, and its magical quality increased through the intrinsic erno--: tions (an impossible promise, apparent mistakes, suspense, challenge ... ) and the handling of the pauses: a dramatic one before the climax, the pause for assimilation afterward, and others after proposing the challenge of the magical translocation, etc. we have seen, magic is self-sufficient, but that doesn't mean it can't metimes be accompanied by a story or plot that adds to the fascinan of the whole and brings its own dramatic conflict and subsequent solution-or perhaps no resolution. Here we find ours/elves in a simsituation, though not identical, to adding comedy (tbkes, gags and morous bits) that is external to the magic, and which produces healthy ughter but can also, sometimes, weaken or castrate the rhagical effect. 178 But here I wish to deal with the addition of a story or plot of a specific The curve of the trick is now something like this: CLIMAX <l> en New Conflict: the Dramatic Plot Assimilation C: Q) a. More ~ mistakes? w type. Let's explore. The first thing to say is that a story can have a strong positive component, like that already mentioned: adding fascination to the trick-if the story and plot possess that attribute. They may also help to avoid possible frustration felt if the logical part of the logical-magical conflict isn't resolved. But stories and plots also present dangers-dangers to avoid. (As always, there is the difficult balance, walking the tightrope specific to art.) We find then that there is a tug-of-war between the logical-magical conflict and a dramatic conflict with a plot. (J) i5 (J) ·en cn·- cn E Oo a.1.. Ea. Time I repeat that the option just described is not incompatible with embellishment through the external presentation of the trick and its procedure 1 as long as the greatest care is taken not to interrupt or spoil the emotional development of the effect's magical impact. So, yes, if aside from being powerful and emotibnal, the trick is also, magically speaking, deliciously dressed up and embellished for a joyful party, so much the better! There is, in fact, a particular problem to solve: The danger that the story or plot can blur, divert, even eliminate the sensation of the impossible made possible, which is to say the quintessential quality in our art. By the early twentieth century,. John Nevil Maskelyne stated with certainty in Our Magic 179 (and not, in my belief, without foundation) that if magic and drama coexist (understanding drama as a plot, sometimes theatricc1Jized), drama will always win, and magic will always lose. Maskelyne experienced this first hand, along with his family. Recall the fiasco of the Maskelynes near the end of their very successful career when, with all their vast experience, they opened in London with a theater play containing their best and most successful illusions, thousands But there is a third possibility, one not incompatible with the two we've just discussed: adding a fictional plot to the trick that provides its own curve and dramatic conflict. 178. See "Magic and Comedy" in Chapter 8, p. 407. 179. Our Magic, Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, George Routledge & Sons: London, 1911. n 262 of times enjoyed and applauded. The opening was a huge failure with aud} ences and critics, and an enormous disappointment to the followers of Maskelynes' magic, which until then had been direct, pure and powerful. They invited the participation of the great David Devant, a long contrib.: utor to the company, but Devant refused (intuition?) to join this magical theatrical venture. They redesigned the show, using the same effects but presented without a plot. The magic was direct, moving, symbolic and powerful, and their artistic success was now fulfilled. 180 I believe, in general, that the problem is this: If there are dramatized effects, with a plot-and moreover, if they are acted out rather than narrated-magic, in its aspects of the impossible, becomes weaker. I have qualified this with "in general" because, as in every art, there are exceptions. Hofzinser, Slydini, Rene Lavand, Dai Vernon and Fu Manchu, among 263 ns1·ty, the logical impossibility of the experience they are having. If the t and its development are very interesting to them, they will not be able, the same time, to properly register the details of the circumstances that e the effect impossible, that make it miraculous, that make it magical. Let's remember that magic requires or, more precisely, !demands from ctators an almost totai concentration in everything that is happenwith no loss of details, so that later, when the magical effect arrives, ' ey can experience it as being totally impossible. They nptice the empty ands of the magician, or that he doesn't touch or get near the slates; they emember the name of the card or the number chosen, how many coins in each hand at every moment, the color and size of the balls held tween the fingers, the emptiness of each part of the box shown, etc. In other words, magic is extremely demanding on the memories and others, achieved a certain balance, difficult but possible, between drama, plot, narration and powerful magic. We will later discuss in detail how ttention of the spectators. If they get distracted for a second, if they miss they did it. But first let's analyze the dangers of and reasons for this serious difficulty of a coexistence between drama and magic. 181 hey will lose the impact and the sensation of impossibility! Destruction and Excessive Demands The smallest of these difficulties is the distraction the dramatic plot can cause, weakening or preventing the fixation of details of the magical proceedings that later, upon the arrival of the effect, need to be clear in the minds and memories of the spectators for them to appreciate, in all its single detail, if they don't remember a certain circumstance at the end, From this it can be seen that adding elements and situations demand:ing thought, emotion and memory, that asking spectators to follow a new dramatic conflict in the plot, can often be too great, too taxing or utterly exhausting. In the worst of cases, it creates confusion and the impossibility of appreciating the impossible. Only when the procedure of the magical effect is very simple and direct, and contains few elements to memorize and follow, can a dramatic plot avoid being distracting or hampering, 180. In my already long and abundant experience as a spectator and a performer of magic, I have seen in the work of others and my own many of the mistakes, problems and difficulties in attempting to bring drama and magic together. Most of these attempts were quite disappointing, though not all. 181. The Brazilian magician Ricardo Godoy Harada, whom I believe has a back ground in theater, presented as his doctoral thesis at the Universidad Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), in Brazil, a thoroughly documented work on the different approaches to this subject, including his own. I highly recommend it. By the way, Harada presents a beautiful act of theatrical magic, styled after Magritte, with the imagery and atmosphere of the great and magical surrealistic painter. thereby producing confusion. ("Confusion is not magic," ~ Professor Vernon used to say.) Even then, the plot should be simple and direct. Now let's look at other elements that I believe can cause such conflict. -'\ 1\vo Levels of Reality: Presentation and Representation The actions we carry out in everyday life take place, by definition, in reality. If we speak, move or interact to show something to others, we are presenting that something (ideas, situations, actions, attitudes ... ). And we are being ourselves, ourselves as people ( of a certain age, gender and personal experience) who do these things. On the actions we carry out in a dramatic or theatrical context, or within a scripted narration (a story), take place on a second level of reality, a fictional reality that is inside ( or behind?) the truer reality. Therefore, whatever impossible things happen in it, they have a connotation of fiction, of not being real. No matter how much we are impressed or moved by the death of a character in a piece of fiction, it will never have the same emotional impact on us as the death of s9meone in our reality. It is quite clear that, when presenting a magical effect, even though it takes place in reality, the spectators are aware they are playing; they are pretending that the miracle, the impossible, is not truly and really impossible, especially once they've recovered from the astonishment produced by the shock of the apparently impossible. With that we face a miracle that is first felt in reality, even though later it is understood to be an artistic reality. In other words, we have a miracle that is experienced as such, but that is later known not to be one, and is thus transformed into a work of art, a beautiful magic trick Aside from that, if the first reality is not the true reality but an imagined, invented, recreated, scripted reality of the second degree, it is evident that the impact, the sensation of a miracle, of impossibility, will be weakened: We haven't presented a miracle-we have represented it. And we have represented it in a world of fiction in which the impossible is weakened and is less impossible or doesn't exist at all because it feels possible. Its existence is "natural" within the fictional situation proposed by the magician and that the spectators have agreed to feel. (Understand that "fiction" here is unreality, which is different from the concept of fictional magic proposed by my esteemed friend, Gabi Pareras.) Person, Personality and Character This weakening effect is dramatically increased in those cases where the magician represents-or more precisely, re-presents, rather than plays the part of-the role of a sorcerer, a superhuman or a goddess. · This means that, if instead of witnessing an impossibility presented by a person in reality, we witness an impossibility presented by a fictional on a second level), it is not surprising aracter within reality (a the impact in this second case is considerably weaker. 182 This partly lains the virtually nonexistent m~gical effect in illusions that (being •Jllagnificent in their technique and perfectly embedded in the plot) are resented (re-presented) to us in a theater play (in music~ls, for example) ; actors who play the roJes of fictional characters. 183 When we perform and present magic, I feel we are ourselves (age, genpersonal circumstances). We are the same person. We are not playing I the role of another person. We only add the ability of doing something impossible (logically impossible). We are in the domain of play, but the trick is produced in reality, not in fiction. The chess player, the child who runs to catch another child before he strays into the lion's den, the poker player; they are themselves "playing" in reality. They are not playing the role of someone else; of a king or a beggar, of an older man, of a prostitute or a serial killer. They are themselves acting out the circumstances of play: The card player might pretend to have a very bad hand and to be annoyed by it, but we don't call him an actor playing the part of a card player. We play roles in everyday life. The driver whom a traffic cop catches crossing a solid line on the highway will feign innocence or absentmindedness. "I didn't see the line." But we don't call him an actor playing the part of a driver caught breaking the law. So, magicians are people, not fictional characters, who present something apparently impossible and pretend to have supernatural powers. Regarding the subject of person, personality, and character, 184 I have to add that, in my opinion, when we present magic, we choose that part of our personality we wish perceived: our more dynamic, elegant or cheerful 18:1. The same happens with the extreme weakness of magic in film (in a fictional movie, not in a documentary) or in a dream, a realm in which it is not possible for something impossible to exist. 183. It seems appropriate to advance here what I will discuss in the description of the Magic Pyramid, in Chapter 7: my disagreement with the phrase of my highly admired Robert-Houdin that "The magician is an actor who plays the part of a sorcerer." 184. More on this subject in Chapter 7, p. 375. side. no different than when we have a 1 n-i:-c,r,;nc,,,xr or are trying to ·sis something a theatrical actor does need to ~~,,,.,r,.TTr>• lHLI,v.u.,u•• Hitler woo a lover. We display those features we think most attractive to the "le having the convictions of a pacifist. One could argue that a magician person we wish to impress: for the job interview, seriousness, leadership, ho is an agnostic ot atheist could be playing God when presenting a a passion for work; for a lover, cheerfulness, charm, sensitivity, beauty, JUiracle; or a logical and rational magician might pretend to be a believer elegance, intelligence (Why am I describing myself?). Assuming that we in the supernatural. But here we are once more in the reflm of play, of don't lie or pretend to have these virtues, we could say that in those cases wake-believe, where there are powers, hazards, destinies, S:omething that, we have composed a character, which brings us close to theater or fiction. n0 matter how rational we are, will never, in my opinion, . be excluded We could say that, but I won't be the one to say it. I think it is rather a selection on our part, as authentic-although often improved by a dose of from our overall conception of life and the universe. If you allow me to give a personal example, I feel I am more my own exaggeration-as any other version of ourselves. self when performing magic than I am in many other circumstances of Therefore, in magic, I don't believe much in the "creation of a char- life, where my shyness prevents me from expressing myself as freely as I acter" for performing and representing, but rather in the selection of authentic components of our personality, not invented ones, to showcase would like. Returning to our general subject and summing it up, we can conclude our persona as we like or wish to convey and express it through the art that the realm of magic is not an entirely real place, but neither is it imag- of magic: the selection of tricks and effects, of gestures and attitudes, of inary or being represented. It's the world and the realm of play, which words and their intonation, of the relationship with our assistants or with belongs for the most part to a reality of the first degree, to the perfor- the assisting spectators, etc. mance, to the person. I think this makes it quite clear how difficult it is This doesn't mean you must limit yourself to the aspects of your to present magic in an evident realm of fiction or theater. The magic and personality generally considered positive. One may want to show an its effect (the impact of the impossible it carries with it) will be all the aggressive, melancholic, cynical or disappointed side of one's personality, stronger the closer or more within reality it is and the further it is from the but it should be expressed through the artistic magical language. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as it is carried out within the ample theatrical, the world of fiction. Sometimes, however, the addition of an external conflict provided by domain of art. 185 a dramatic plot can help tricks and effects that are not very powerful; or To give an example that clarifies my opinion, I think we would unques- that don't require much attention, being visual, fast, etc., but are some- tionably fall, in this case, into a theatrical fiction even into nontruth if what cold in themselves; or ones that have a lengthy procedure before the we were pessimists who felt life a tragic affair, in pure Unamunian style, but we pretended to be a vibrant example of optimism, glowing with arrival of the magical effect. R plot, patter and dramatic situation can make the procedure more the joy of existence, and we expressed this, or tried to express it, or we interesting. They can propose a situation, establish a frame in which the believed we were expressing it, through the vehicle of a magic session. trick is developed and make of it all something special within the whole ' ' session (an appreciation of how strange, poetic, surreal or imaginative 185. In London I once saw a magician whose aggressiveness toward everything, including the furniture, and even toward the spectators whose assistance he required, resulted in his audience gradually leaving the theater during the show, until he was left alone. the dramatic situation is). It can even help bring several isolated effects together in a routine, thanks to a connecting thread of plot. But in those cases I think it's convenient to have certain ideas in mind to help us make ' 268 269 the coexistence of magic and a dramatic plot positive, so that magi~ a anywhere near them until the end. He pulled the comer of one of them plot-that is, magic and evident fiction-don't fight between themselv · ou,t doing anything special and yes! The handkerchief that disappeared This is to say, the conflict of conflicts should be weakened as much possible. We will later see some examples of this. lier was there. Everything was very clear-It was a miracle!" But we have yet to approach a third feature to explain the reason for the difficult coexistence between magic and drama: Forward and Backward So, as you can see, the drama draws our interest forward and the ·c draws our interest backward. The former asks us What will hap? and the latter leads us to How did it happen? Therefore, if we watch magic that is within a dramatic plot, when the magieffect anives, we face a dilemma: The drama asks us to pay attention to the The dramatic interest contained in a plot of a story, novel, movie or play is tinuation of the action, of the plot, to learn the resolution of the dramatic based, as we know, on a dramatic conflict inserted into a static situation ·ct. However, magic, to be truly enjoyed, demands that we backtrack, that evolves into action that moves the plot forward and generates more if only for a moment, to remember the experience. But it also requires a interest within the spectators; interest for knowing how the conflict Will ment to feel the astonishment, and a longer one to enjoy and be pleased by develop (future) and how it will end. As a result, this interest pulls us, as spectators, forward into the future. So the stronger the conflict is, dramat- e beautiful sensation of a miracle, to delight ourselves, savoring it. What do we do? The dramatic conflict calls to us, "Go on! Don't miss what's coming. ically speaking, the more interesting it will be and the more it will pull us forward toward the resolution. u'll see how the dramatic conflict is resolved." Magic holds us back: In magic, on the other hand, when the impossible magical effect ait, go back to the past, so that you can see how clear the conditions arrives, which is to say when the logical-rational conflict is presented to re and, therefore, that you have experienced the impossible, the won- us, after the moment of astonishment, the How was that possible? (was: erful and magical; and take your time to.enjoy it." the past) shows up. Whether we are trying to discover that how and calm The normal thing would be: "I'll go on to see how this interesting dra- our logic, or whether we are confirming the circumstances that produced atic conflict is resolved, and later I'll come back to see what happened in us the sensation of having witnessed (past) something truly impossible and enjoy it." and marvelous, we think back briefly to what happened before the arrival But later is too late. When the drama is over, we relax and are no of the magical effect: liVhat was the initial situation and which circum- longer.in the mood to go back to that moment during which the magical stances were (always past) present in the procedure of the trick? Once we satisfy our desire to ensure the wonder, we move on to pleasure and delight, to the enjoyment of the secular miracle. effect occurred and start remembering. On top of that, we would proba- ,bly not remember all the details well, since some of them didn't go from Let's take the 1\ventieth-Century Silks as an example. The spectator ties brance phase and, therefore, we haven't experienced the enjoyment the ends of two loose handkerchiefs together. They are balled up and set immediate memory into long-term memory. We have missed the rememphase. Drama has won and magic has lost. aside. The magician makes another handkerchief of a different color dis- Thus, as you have seen, the better and more powerful the dramatic appear. When he pulls out the first two handkerchiefs, the vanished one tonflict of the plot is, the more interested we will be in knowing what will appears tied between them. The spectator thinks back quickly, "The hand- happen (future) and the less we'll be able to enjoy the magic, if we enjoy it kerchiefs were loose and separated. I tied them together. The magician didn't nt all. So I repeat, magic wants us to go back to the past, to reminisce, and N ~ it also requires a time, a pause, to let us enjoy the effect. And that' tirn When? In my judgment, when the effect is not that powerful, direct that pause, is not provided by the drama in the action, with its imperati Go on! Continue! Continue! fascinating, or when the method is not well concealed. I don't mean A Solution: Magic ~he secret is seen, but that it is susceptible to being suspected through 'tion or analysis. In these two cases, a dramatic plot can add charm fascination to a weak effect or cover to an endang ere~ method. (Note A logical (and drastic) solution would be: Let's leave magic alone; leave it parallels in these situations and those I comment on in "Magic and plain and pure! Keep the magic that astonishes us through an unresolved medy", p. 407, where laughs, also dangerous for magic, can help to conflict of the rationally impossible made possible, since this touches ost a somewhat weak magical effect, if well measured and positioned us and fascinates us by resolving (either explicitly or through symbols metaphor) the conflict of desire, a resolution possible only in dreams but' which we live while awake in the artistic reality. the right times.) Needless to say, to prevent the drama from weakening the magic, or ·ng it disappear altogether, I believe certain conditions of balance I believe this is the wisest road to follow when the magic is good st be met between the magic and the dramatic plot. Let's examine them. magic, when the effect is powerful, direct and seems impossible, when it responds to a wish that is only possible in dreams, when it escapes from onditions of Balance being a riddle, an enigma, a puzzle, and enters the category of a miracle, the drama, the plot and its conflict are presented and resolved before a secular miracle. Then, I believe, the additional drama in a plot or story trick itself begins, naturally they will not negatively affect the magic. that rules in theater, novels, movies and any other form of the narrative arts is unnecessary. ey would serve as an introduction or a situational frame in which the A Parenthesis (Not of Forgetfulness) ect will develop. Thus, Hofzinser, even before he began to take out the deck, tells us of friend who loved two women and was anxious because he didn't know Attempting to keep both myself and these meditations on the most prac- ich to marry and which to forget. Some days later his friend informed tical plane possible, while avoiding the discussion of technique, I mustn't ·m that he had decided. Before he could tell him his decision, Hofzinser forget to point out that everything that has been discussed is, of course, laimed that he possessed a gift of magically divining it. He named one of subject to all sorts of alterations. These are schemes that seek only to illu- he women, and the friend, amazed, agreed that he was right. Hofzinser minate for us, to a certain extent, the whys of our art, in order to be able ,then proposed to demonstrate his gift to the audience. Each of three spec- to put this knowledge into practice. It is nothing but an attempt, then, place theory in service to practice, extracting the theory first from practice, then applying the theory to the improvement of practice. t~tors selected a pair of cards. They remembered one of the two and forgot Other Solutions: Balance e ()ther. Hofzinser, with unfailing accuracy, divined all three cards that ere remembered. Finally, he visibly transformed the three remembered ds into the three that were forgotten. It's a wonderful effect with an ending full of metaphoric power: the It is true that in a few cases magic and dramatic plot can be combined. ecovery of what was forgotten, leading to a metamorphosis of memories. And why not? There are no dogmas. Art is free. But this must be done with great care, without reducing the impact of the magic. During the procedure of the trick, Hofzinser hardly referred to the ory of his friend. He presented the demonstration of his gift in the present, and not as a reenactment of a past event. the trick \v atic situation, which doesn't generate any interest toward the future ofzinser already told us he got it right) and not dynamic action. 186 over, he closed the subject with the following phrase: "Are these the for.; But, as we have already discussed, the more dramatic interest a plot- gotten cards? They are? And how do you know that? What you forget you don't know anymore." I say the subject, because the little dramatic' conflict of the introductory story had been resolved long before the trick started. Hofzinser and his friend knew which lady had been chosen and that Hofzinser possessed the gift of divination. In other words, the trick is presented as a verification of the magical part in the story (the magician's gift); a story and a plot that, by the way, is not presented as fiction but as something that happened to the magician. is telling us an episode from his life, not an imagined story. distant and wrapped apple. And this is not only because the more-or-less The same thing happens in the poetic scripts of Slydini. An example is tional story is of little interest in itself, but also because sometimes it "Adam's Apple", his presentation of Gene Elmo's "Silk in Apple". In Slydint's mains a static situation and isn't developed to produce dynamic action. presentation (which has remained unpublished, although an enigmatic A second consideration is that the less we are involved in the story and, to my understanding, somewhat incoherent version has appeared in d the more we stay in the present, in the here and now, the better it will Spanish), he tells how Adam ate the apple offered him by Eve, following for the feeling of impossibility delivered by the magical effect. story generates, the more problems the arrival of the magical feeling have. This generates a paradox in which we would have tr° manage the ion and patter for a dramatic story to make its dramatic tnterest weak her than strong. Little do we care where the serpent hid ,6r which lady fzinser's friend chose. What truly interests us (and touches us) is how meone could have the gift of knowing which card was remembered and w a handkerchief could possibly travel invisibly and wonderfully inside a serpent's suggestion to her; a serpent Adam didn't see anywhere and Slydini's story does create an interest in the future: Where did the believed was merely imagined by Eve. But Slydini offers to reveal to the rpent hide? But the conflict is resolved by the magical effect: the appear- audience where the serpent hid. Music begins, and Slydini, without speak- ce of the handkerchief inside the apple. ing, shows and cores an apple, which he then wraps in a napkin and hands So, through the examples of these two bona fide geniuses of magic, we to a spectator. He next shows a small handkerchief that he waves like a ser- can see some of the features that suggest possible solutions to the conflict pent. He puts the handkerchief into his fist, makes it disappear, then shows it hidden inside the apple. Pause. The music stops and Slydini concludes: » The story tells us something of the real life of the magician ( or of mankind), something that happened to him. It is a story represented as "And that's the secret of the serpent and Adam's apple." nonfictional. As you can see, the story (more or less fictional, depending on beliefs) doesn't get in the way of the magic. It is simply a presentational fram~ for >> sit\lation. the effect that, done without words, barely references the story. It's a trick with a handkerchief that disappears and reappears inside a cored apple There is no dynamic action in the story. Everything remains in a static ~ The dramatic conflict of the story is resolved either before the start previously shown empty. The spectators experience it in the present. Only of the trick (Hofzinser had already divined the result of his friend's later, after the pause for assimilation, do they return to the parallels of magic-plot and reality-fiction. dilemma) or at the climax of the effect, when the effect itself provides We have thus seen two approaches to solving the "conflict of conflicts". In the Hofzinser example, the story, presented as nonfictional, involves the resolution (the serpent hid inside the apple). 186. See "Forward and Backward", p. 268, for the concepts of static situation and dynamic dramatic action. 2 275 274 Other Solutions }Jeautiful synchronicity with the end of the poem: ''And my shadow But let's see how other great masters of magic solved this conflict: ws me. The conflict of conflicts is not rais.ed here at any time, since there is no emal dramatic conflict or fictional story. Rene narrated in the present at was happening. Plain and simple. And the magical sm;prise of the final I pearance was so powerful, after the three bread balls/ had gathered so y times, that the metaphor of the ending worked as a qelicate invitation a poetic universe that didn't pose any kind of conflict. ,The slight fiction oposed (bread balls as the moon, the poet and his shadow) was expericed after feeling the disappearance as music in words and poetic images. ,,188 Pseudo-fiction Rene Lavand usually proposed questions or conditions that directl boosted the conflict between logic and magic and at the same tim:y increased the drama. In his celebrated rendition of Oil and Water With, three red cards and three black cards, done with one hand (the left, his only and magical hand), he repeated, time and again, in a progressively clearer w~y, the phrase: "It can't be done any slower-or perhaps it can, perhaps it can be done slower." Every time he recited this, there was increased interest to see if he could truly do it slower, which is to say, more clearly, more impossibly, more magically. Let's also remember his masterpiece: "Three Bread Crumbs", a classic effect. Rene tossed two bread balls into an empty coffee cup and put a third into his pocket. That last bread ball then traveled magically to the cup to join the other two. The effect attained its maximum magical potential as it was repeated time and again, even when the bread ball was flicked far away, into the audience. A single phrase was repeated each time: ''And I always have three crumbs!" Interest accumulated with the "always", with the fulfilled promise of repeating the effect again and again to our amazement, which turned into genuine astonishment at the incessant miracle. 187 There is no story or fiction here, and no drama other than the authentic magical conflict of I am witnessing something that cannot possibly exist, but it does exist. Only when the trick was almost finished did Rene recite a poem by Li Po, which gave the three bread balls a metaphoric significance-the moon, the poet and his shadow-capping things off with the magical disappearance of the three bread balls from the cup 187. By the way, it could be understood that this trick changes its magical effect halfway through its performance, given that it starts as a translocation of a bread ball and ends as an inexhaustible appearance of new ones since the ' balls that are flicked into the audience remain there. At the end, the three balls disappear. But were there ever any balls? A poetic dream? A fading reality? True Story Brought to the Present · e we are talking of geniuses, Dai Vernon, the Professor, had clear inions on the subject under discussion (as he did on other magical and e non-magical subjects, such as his rare and admirable lack of conm for money matters in real life). One of his masterpieces is "Triumph", one of the best, if not the best, d tricks of all time, due to its beauty, its apparent simplicity, the directs of its effect(s), the wonderful cleverness of its method (a multiple nger!) and, above all, its enormous symbolic power: harmony from aos, individualization, triumph and glory. In it, Vernon told us (like his idol, Hofzinser) about something he apparently experienced days before. After having shuffled a selected card into the deck, a drunken man had mixed the cards face up and face down. ''How could ffind the selected card, lost among the others, in that chaos of the deck?" Since Vernon was illustrating a past event through matching actions in the })resent, the conflict of the story in the past became a conflict of the actions in the,present. How could he find the card in the current mess and chaos? And Yemon solved it-with magic! All the cards magically turned face down and among the backs appeared a single, triumphant, face-up card, the selection. The magic had then acted in the present. Although the story was narrated as having happened in the past, as something experienced by the magician, he ;:epeated it in front of the spectators in the present. 188. See Magic from the Soul, 1993, Magic Words: Pasadena, p. 216. It is my opinion that this trick can have the same impact (or more magically speaking, if the story is omitted, because of the enormo symbolic power of the effect, which takes it to the peak of an artisf Olympus: triumph over chaos. The dramatically lost card represents th spectator who selected it, who in tum acts as a representative for t group. It clearly symbolizes the possibility of our triumph over chaos, no matter how lost we are, or how confusing, dramatic and impossible it ma . r be to overcome the situation, or life itself. Isn't that a joyous sensation that fills us with true delight and a marvelous, vital energy? Weak Magic, Strong Fiction But Professor Vernon showed us once again the other side of the problem, with his "Cutting the Aces". Here a fictional one-armed gambler offers to show the magician his ability to cut the deck with one hand, finding an Ace with each cut, after the magician has lost the Aces in the deck Again, the narration involves something that happened between the magician and an antagonist. But in this case the story contains strong dramatic conflict (a challenge) and the static situation changes to dynamic action. The magician gradually increases the difficulty for the gambler to find the Aces, and the gambler seems to fail to cut to the fourth Ace; but this is not really a failure, because the gambler shows that he has executed an even more difficult control of the Ace. A new conflict arises when the magician attempts to win the bet by sneakily switching the Ace for another card and hiding the Ace under his palm on the table. The gambler pulls out a knife and stabs its point between the magician's fingers, pinning the palmed Ace to the table. The gambler's final statement is magnificent: "I palmed a card once too often, and I wasn't as lucky as you-I didn't have· my fingers separated. That's how I lost my arm." Here the story does pull us forward continuously. But the magical effect of this marvelous trick is almost negligible! Vernon knew this and expressed it on various occasions. Since the magician himself loses several cards in the deck and later cuts to them, this is simply a demonstration of skill, not of something impossible. That's why it doesn't matter here if the drama overrides the magic, because the magic is minimal. Vernon recommended that you never even consider presenting this effect out the story, because nothing would be left. on·Magical Objective ethlng different occurs in Clayton Rawson's version of a 1divination by spectators, when they shout out in unison the name of a/card selected one of them that has not been shown to anyone. I am referring to his elous, surrealistic presentation using an eggbeater as a nransmitter of epathic-mental waves". The magician secretly shows a jumbo card to the dience. It has the same identity as a card selected by an assisting spectator. en everyone shouts the name of the selected card in unison, the surprise, nfusion and puzzlement of the spectator produce great laughs and joy in e audience. The objective here is not the magical effect. No one wonders w the magician discovered the identity of the chosen card. Rather, the al is the comic effect of the spectator's perplexity, who has been kindly ·eked by the magician, in collusion with the rest of the spectators who are ansformed into "psychic magicians". Aside from the enormous entertainent value of the situation, there is the shared fun of returning to childhood, oup bonding, the union of audience and magician (playing on the same team" in the joke), collective catharsis and endless joy. It's a case of voluntarily choosing a sought-after sensation Goy), even ough the sensation of magic diminishes. I present it toward the end of my show, without caring about the loss, since the spectators have already experienced some powerful and wonderful magic (I hope). .Another example: When I added a story of centaurs and sirens to a powerful card routine I was doing, even going so far as to use drawings on the cards instead of playing cards, I realized the impossibility of the magic was Somewhat lessened, but the trick gained in poetic fascination and in the expression of my lyrical side, an aspect of my personality not usually shown in my repertoire. If I had to do just one trick in a session, I wouldn't choose "Los 189 Centauros"; but as an expressive complement, it serves me wonderfully. I 189. By the way, the comments the spectators make to me after this trick are along the lines of "How beautiful," while the ones they used to make after the original version with regular playing cards were more like "How incredible!" Two new elements for our analysis appear here. effect is weak or if impossibility is not the primary objective of the trick, the dramatic plot can and should be intense, powerful and fascinating. Bal(lnce But we still must deal with what I believe to be the most difficult thing: achieving balance between drama and magic when both are interesting. Luc.kily, we have two more geniuses left: Fu Mahchu (David Bamberg) and Cardini. Let's begin with Fu Manchu, the greatest stage magician I have ever seen. (Vernon shared that opinion.) Fu Manchu displayed an exquisite ability to achieve the desired balance. Let's look in some detail at one of his masterpieces: "The Death Chair". In the middle of the development of this theatrical show, a great success with audiences and critics, there is a terrible accident. The lights go out in the theater, leaving everyone in darkness, there is a gunshot and a scream, the lights come on again and a spectator in the second row stands up. Staggering a bit, he leaves the room. Before the frightened spectators can begin to leave, a police detective bursts into the theater with some of his officers. He commands everyone But in this (I'll repeat) masterpiece of Fu Manchu we observe certain a,i:acteristics, some already commented on, that allow the magic to proce its full impact. One is that the story is not utter fiction. It's something t happens in the experienced development of the show, something only utwardly real, something the attitudes of the participant~ and the tone of e dialogue make us see ·and feel as a playful joke, never expected to be lieved. In other words, the story of the police enquiries.into the crime is ot narrated but is lived in the present by the spectators: "totally" realut not quite! It's ,a theatrical presentation played within a context of the audience's reality. We will return to this point with other examples from Fu's repertoire and those of other magicians. Second, note that the actors, except those in the roles of policemen, play themselves. Fu plays Fu; his assistants play themselves; even the audience plays itself, as spectators of the show. Fu wisely talks to them at some point, recognizing their presence and making it evident; there is no fourth wall. A third aspect to note: The tricks presented during the development of the plot (of the "joke") are just that; magic tricks performed by Fu . to stay in their seats and summons Fu Manchu to reproduce the circum- .And the policeman and Fu always refer to them as tricks from Fu's show. stances under which the crime occurred. The detective discloses that the Pure reality. What happens, then, to the general conflict of the dramatic plot: Who spectator has died in the theater lobby. The audience immediately understands that the whole thing is a fiction, a sort of joke. killed the spectator and why? Fu dealt with the subject in the style of The last tricks performed are reviewed. Among them is the appearance in the dark of two fluorescent skeletons thatfly over the heads of the what Hitchcock called a McGuffin: a plotted theme of no true importance, spectators. The script requires some new tricks to be performed. These the tricks performed. The interest in knowing the who and the what was are intertwined with some very amusing verbal exchanges betwe~n the continuously dissolved in the enormous number of amusing lines and detective, Fu Manchu and his assistants. There is a Lota Bowl routine feigned situations. With all this, Fu managed to make the spectators take (inexhaustible water from a jar), the disappearance of two ducks that everything as it really was: a joke used to motivate the development of have been bothering the detective, an escape by Fu Manchu when he is magical effects presented (not re-presented) by people playing characters handcuffed by the police, a death trap Fu Manchu is forced to enter, but the detective instead ends up caught in it. Once the murder mystery is (themselves) in a real situation that was recognized from the beginning solved, the sequence ends with the production of a live duck from the detective's jacket. but solved at the end of the joke with very clever surprises related to as a joke. In fact, when the spectators entered the theater, they saw an armchair in the lobby, identical to those in the theater, in which slumped bloody mannequin dressed identically to the spectator who would later N be "murdered". Despite all this, they still felt a momentary shock dun the blackout, the scream and the shot. 190 ~tc: 1 ~:1~,fd·-n,..,... ...,.,......J ironic). The magician invents a character who, in a way ent to the spectators, is playfully pretending, without believing it, But let's look in more detail into the aspect of the solution commente out expecting the.spectators to believe it, with continuous winks and on earlier, attitude (something, by the way, essential in every magic presentation). ping out of character at times. Cardini proposed a clear example of a atrical situation: a tipsy gentleman who watches how objects play with I am referring to the attitude assumed by the magician during the (cards, cigarettes, balls), arousing his repeated surprise. There is no development of the trick, especially when he chooses to play a character elopment of the situation, it doesn't enter into dynamic action and, or dramatize a situation, producing dramatic action. If the conflict of the ause of that, it doesn't lose interest. No one asks, "What will happen? dramatic plot is powerful or interesting in itself, we will be watching a bat- w will it end?" On top of that, we all know that the magician is responsi- tle waged against the magical effect, with the drama having an advantage. for the appearances of the objects, but he's playing at pretending to be But if our attitude while we play at "representing" is one of stepping out rised himself. In this way, the conflict of the dramatic plot becomes of character by making comments addressed directly to the spectators weak, almost nonexistent, and gives free rein to the enjoyment of (breaking the fourth wall), winking in complicity as if telling them Don't e astonishment caused by the impossible and continuous production of believe this, I'm just playing, the spectators will lose sight of the repre- bjects, in the extremely beautiful and artistic presence of magic. sentation, becoming conscious of their situation as spectators, and the Fu, in "The Chinese Bazaar", another of his masterpieces, utilized the drama loses impact. Dramatic interest is reduced and the fight among the chnique of a theatrical situation full of finely tuned surrealistic humor conflicts is balanced or even falls on the side of magic. Thus, magic ends 'th a repeated breaking of character. Fu is the owner of the bazaar. A client up winning. It is not easy to achieve this balance, to soften the conflict of ·ves and asks, "Do you have those handkerchiefs that change from red to the dramatic plot without making it a little silly (better to eliminate it) or een?" as he performs just that with a handkerchief. Fu answers, "No, we into a childish story (which is not the same as a beautiful story for chil- y have a handkerchief that changes from green to yellow," and he demon- dren). How to get that balance is, as always, a question of artistic intuition atrates. "I like that one," says the client. Fu says, "Well, we don't have it." and sensitivity, of experience and testing in front of audiences. The whole dialog proceeds like this, with a variety of magical effects inter- But digging deeper into the subject, let's look at more possibilities. .laced with magical running gags (such as the production of bottles from Another way to prevent the magic from becoming weaker is by creat- the client's hat), and non-magical gags ("Remove your foot from the stool": ing a weak dramatic situation, in this case a theatrical one, character the client has absentmindedly put his foot repeatedly on a newly painted and all, and keep it frozen, static, without altering the circumstances of stool in the bazaar). The routine ends with the client making a telepathic the conflict or making it moribund. Some ironic humor can also be used divirnltion of cards while he's sitting on a chair in the middle of the stage 190. I experienced it firsthand. I attended a different show by Fu in Madrid. I was only thirteen, but I preseive it clearly in my memory. I vividly remember how scared I was when, in the middle of a magic show, a spectator in a box in the second balcony was heard having a heated argument. Then we heard a scream and a woman fell into the void, actually onto us poor spectators. However, the collective horror quickly turned into laughs. The woman was a cloth dummy. I covered by a cloth. When the doth is removed the client has disappeared de Kolta Chair), and Fu asks himself, "How could he know the cards I showing?" Now sitting in the audience, the client yells, "Because I have sitting here the whole time and I saw everything." I experienced the absolute magic of this sketch in May 1956,. when I only thirteen. I watched it on two consecutive days. What more could N one hope to achieve as a magician? I to live. know how or why I continue Overcoming modesty, which always produces a certain awkwardness in me, I will cite myself as an example. In "Tahuromagia", a series of twelve sketches or short, scripted dramas that I presented with the belovedI . aking, and therefore dangerous for the magic." And we almost always eed not to use it (not without tremendous regret for Pepe-and me). 1~11 dose this discussion with a re_cap of the solutions we have seen: mation of Solutions to the Conflict of Conflicts I admired and departed Pepe Carrol, there were plots with a certain dramatic interest: wagers on a game of poker between us, how.to cut to winning cards and other challenges. We also played characters: Pepe as a serious, distant, elegant and very skillful gambler; me as a sloppy, somewhat ludicrous gam- Very powerful and wonderful magic presented witho111t an external bler and a bit of a joker. But the key was that I was acting as myself. That's how I am in life, especially in a situation of intimacy and familiarity that overcomes my shyness. Pepe's personality also closely resembled his performing character. We built two characters that simply exaggerated and ent, in the her~ and now, with the magician in the main role or as a caricatured our true personalities. We also maintained a direct and continuous relationship with the spectators that is common in close-up magic. We talked to them, they took part in the effects, etc. plot or story. Sheer, pure magic. A triumph of the magi<;al art. A weak dramatic plot, real, in the present,Hved by the magician. No strong fiction is proposed. A real situation that develops in the preswitness (Hofzinser: "Remember and Forget"). The dramatic conflict, weak or strong, is resolved before the trick begins (again, Hofzinser's "Remember and Forget"). This variation consists of the magician demonstrating or illustrating a gift in the present, as a consequence of the story narrated and finished. The dramatic conflict is resolved with and by the magic. In other Another key was that the scripted, static situations became dynamic ones, but the actions occurred in the present; two gamblers who interacted for a real audience, and an audience that became involved in the action. There was little fiction. The final key was that we constantly words, the magical climax, the magical effect, solves the conflict of the dramatic situation. In some cases, the dramatic situation, narrated as something having happened in the past, is repeated with actions (Slydini: "Adam's Apple"; Vernon: "Triumph"). In other cases, a dra- escaped the scripted situation and our characters (devaluating and minimizing almost to zero the "re" of representation) through asides to the audience and comments between us ("This was not in the script, Pepe." Laughter and winks between us). All in all, it was a pretense of Pepe and Juan playing at being gamblers. Practice showed us, I want to believe, that the magic didn't lose any of its impact. (With a magician of Pepe's quality, this was easy.) matic situation is simulated in the present (the Tom and Restored Handkerchief, tom by accident and eventually restored-the res- I'll tell you a secret: When I conceived the scripts for these gambling sketches, I took great care that the dramatic situation was as weak as possible, without falling into scripted silliness. But at times, while rehearsing with Pepe, his wit produced a good idea for the plot, an idea that was forceful, timely and dramatically powerful. My comment was often: "Magnificent idea, Pepe. But in my judgment, it's too good, dramatically toration, the magical effect, doesn't solve the dramatic conflict by representing it but by presenting it as real). The dramatic conflict is virtually nonexistent. It is a self-imposed challenge or a rhetorical question about the conditions of the magiC'al effect (Rene Lavand: "It can't be done any slower") or about its causes (Rene Lavand again: "Why do the colors alternate?"), or it is a simple reiteration of the effect (always Rene: "And I always have three breadcrumbs!"). The final objective is not impossible magic-the story is allowed to win (Dai Vernon: "Cutting the Aces"); or there are comedy or other artistic objectives (Clayton Rawson: "The Little Wonder Thought Projector"). 7. o:aJlanc:e: a with very weak drama or a McGuffin ( Manchu: "The Death Chair") or a more or less powerful dramatic co flict weakened by attitude, good humor and irony (Cardini's act. ."The Chinese Bazaar". Tamariz and Carrol: "Tahuromagia"). Of course, there must be other ways to achieve this balance, which th artistic intuition and creativity of magicians have shown us and will ShO . us in the future of this, our inexhaustible art of magic. ·May it be so! TlME Rhythm ·me: Some Generalities and a Definition hythm is usually defined as "order and proportion in time". Its founda·on is possibly biological. Vital acts and processes are subject to an inner, ythmical process: the rhythm of breathing, of the heartbeat (from the fetus that hears the rhythm of the maternal heart), laughter (ha, ha, ha; it's impossible to laugh with a continuous sound), etc. And there are the natural rhythms, the rhythms of nature: the four seasons, day and night, the · lunar cycles, the tide .... In a certain sense, it could be said that rhythm is life. Without rhythm, one would be a lifeless being, a flat encephalogram. Rhythm can be objective or subjective. Objective Rhythm and Subjective Rhythm Objective rhythm: subject to mathematical rules. It is physically measurable; for example, by clapping the hands every two seconds. Subjective rhythm: the one we experience internally. Its perception varies. It is psychological. This subjective psychological rhythm is the N most important for us as artists, because the perception of artistic e:xpr sion depends on it. ssion, ways of understanding the art of magic and, quite possibly, nt world-views. Let's look at some examples of magicians, past and Control of the spectators' sense of the rhythm of a performance, wh ~t, with very different rhythmic styles. possible, enables us to attempt to achieve the appropriate and desire expression of our magic. d rhythm, broken at times, with long and dramatic P<}Uses that end Rhythm and Artistic Expression a sudden acceleration of the final rhythm, interrupted in turn by Rhythm is different from time and timing. It is also different from speed. However, I will sometimes refer to a fast or a slow rhythm. dden cut: climax and full pause. There were alternated moments Rhythm provides relief. It marks the expression of the action. At the same time, rhythm in itself is expressive. A slow rhythm produces a sensa'" tion of seriousness, poise and weightiness. A fast rhythm gives a feeling of al blow of the impossible-impossible-impossible. His actions and tures had a great musicality. In his patter, the last syllable in phrases joy, liveliness and lightness. An increasingly fast rhythm, in crescendo, pro- otal relaxation followed immediately (upbeat), which was used for duces excitement. And an increasingly slow rhythm produces a sensation of rest and peace. cuting the trickery (loading, lapping or any other secret technique). Strong Beats and Weak Beats (a Prelude) As we all know, rhythm is based on the periodic repetition of downbeats and upbeats, highs and lows. These downbeats and upbeats have a specific and an utmost importance in magic. The great master Slydini based all his marvelous and powerful meth- nsion and relaxation that kept the spectators alert and ended with eat downbeats (moments of tension in the body, eyes and attitude). en came a culminating downbeat to underline the effect. A highly dratic style. nervous and very lively rhythm. Continuous unexpected things that rise even him, the magician, who turns his head toward the wings if confused, seeking help. Fast hand movements. Joy. Dynamism. Few auses. Short tricks. A style of great liveliness. ods on the study and management of these downbeats and upbeats. This is a superb method, which I strongly recommend studying, even if it's tiresome and by no means easy. (Luckily, easy tends to be the opposite oised and calm rhythm. Relaxed pauses. Tranquil pace. Natural and of art.) It is incredibly practical for all types of magic: close-up, stage, tnooth gestures. Cadence held almost without variation; harmony, manipulation, etc. But we will defer the study and analysis of the subject of downbeats and upbeats in magic for a little while. beauty, coordination. A ballet of the hands that made playing, cards float Md almost dance to a waltz rhythm. Tricks or routines with several effects t;tatu¥tlly linked. Expository clarity. A style to enjoy. Rhythm in an Artistic Performance inn The voice, the pacing of words, the silences and the cadence of hand and ery slow and calm. Movements almost in slow motion. Creation of a very finger movements, of gestures, are some of the elements that shape the rhythm of a trick or session. mysterious and magical atmosphere. It feels as if a certain power or magic Different styles of magic correspond to different ways of understanding rhythm and to different personalities, performance styles, manners of :fluid emanates from his hands. That's why he moves them so slowly. Magical ~fleets that are sustained in time: floating a ball, a tie that is transformed mto a cobra, soap bubbles that materialize, etc. A poetic style. N There is a broad variety of other rhythmic styles: from the rampant Ott Wessely-moving quickly, almost running, constantly around the sta without stopping, from side to side, forward and backward, producing and sensation of near madness-to the theatrical Rene Lavand, using long dramatic pauses; from the lively Gustavo Lorgia and his sister Consuelowhose rhythm is full of little sprints and sudden st9ps, almost like a dance that produce joy and a Latin American mood-to the forceful Shimada-' who combines static and very expressive poses with brisk, unexpected motions to go from one pose to another, much in a martial-arts style; from the classic, dancing, Astairean movements of James Dimmare to the slow and elegant actions of Salvano; from the apparently confused and arrhythmical Lennart Green-whose magic emerges as wonderful and very visual-to the precise and intellectual Max Maven-whose rhythm is broken and composed of exact, ascetic movements accompanied by brief and articulate phrases, punctuated by short pauses. The correct rhythm, the rhythmic style that better suits a trick and its performer, is an essential element in the spectators' perception of the magician. It is not just the way he moves and gestures, or the speed of those gestures. It is also the expression of his personality through rhythm. I think this is what it's all about. 191 The Rhythm in Magic Rhythm has some specific characteristics when it is applied to the art of magic. There are certain secret techniques that require a faster or slower speed for us to execute them successfully. For example, sometimes we need slower gestures and movements to provide enough time to execute 191. A good way to learn to manage timing and pauses is by studying the fine comedians of film and television, from Keaton and Chaplin onward. For Spanish speakers, the great Gila is imperative to see and listen to. (Adapt the exam- d or to exchange a person covered with a cloth (as in the Asrah ' ion, in which someone lying on a couch is switched for a wire-form my). The Top Change with cards_ is another case. A certain speed is . essal'Y to cover the secret manual technique. Sometimes you need to reduce speed for the executio~ of certain false I ts that require a complex digital technique; the ted/mical difficulty es us slow down a certain action. For example, in the) Elmsley Count, hing over the second card is actually a double push-off. This can make slow the rhythm of the count without our being aware of it, after which recover the initial pace. As a result, the four cards are counted with a ange and possibly suspicious change in pace. We will later analyze this • I ample further. It can be easily seen that, if such changes in rhythm occur from time time, the performance will not have an established rhythm. There will a sensation of unwanted arrhythmia, a lack of the necessary artistic ony. 192 So it is helpful to study technical requirements and adapt the neral rhythm to them. Let's look at some resources to help us maintain constant rhythm during a trick or even a whole session of magic. The music that accompanies a stage magic act helps maintain the vhythm or a sensation of continuing rhythm. The music gives outward tnotivation to certain gestural variations, actions that are slightly faster or slower at given moments, wrapping them into its general rhythm. It also helps the performer to avoid getting carried away by fluctuations in his present mood-unless he prefers exactly that: to communicate and express himself through his passing mood. And it helps to. recover the rhythm when unforeseen circumstances disrupt it (a handkerchief falls to the,tl.oor, the rabbit refuses to curl tightly and get into the box, etc.). The music carries the magician on its rhythmic wings, forcing him to follow the rhythm, or to recover it; for the benefit of the harmony of the whole performance. Because of all this, stage magic performed to music is more ples, dear reader, to your own time and country.) Keep in mind that laughter 192. But let's look at yet another example, to illustrate there are exceptions to every is sometimes produced by simply generating tension, followed by a sudden rule in art: Ascanio had a version of the Hamman Count in which he used cer- relaxation. See the section on "Magic and Comedy" in Chapter 8, p. 407. tain precise changes of rhythm to cover the secret action. And it also works! 290 easily executed to an established rhythm, and is therefore perceived as, more harmonic, agreeable and pleasant. But what happens with spoken parlor magic and, above all, With 291 by all the artists who need a rhythmic aid: the metronome, which se days can be obtained in its classic mechanical form or as a smart- close-up magic, in which interaction with the spectators and their unfore- one app. I started using a metronome in the 1970s, in rehearsals (not in perfor- seen reactions-sometimes in the form of interruptions-are part of the ces, of ~ourse) of my close-up tricks, and found it t? be a good aid. "sauce" of this specific and wonderful artistic form? To respond to that, I e explained it in several lectures for magicians and, sin~e it might be of first need to explain what is, in my judgment, the essence of this art: the extremely powerful magical emotion produced by close-up magic. e to you, I'll describe it here. The first instance where it proved itself very useful was in solving For me, close-up magic, generally speaking, is an eruption of art into e problem I mentioned earlier regarding the Elmsley Count: keeping a life, of the magical, the impossible wish, into everyday life. It's not so ady rhythm. L~t's explore that problem in greater detail. The Elmsley much a show (though partly it is, of course) as it is a unique experience. unt (invented by Alex Elmsley, the great creative genius) begins by That's why most of the time it is performed-and I think it should be- nsferring one of four cards from the left hand to the right hand. Then with everyday objects, objects the spect-actors are familiar with or have 0 cards are transferred to the right hand as if they were one, while the in their homes, such as playing cards, coins, banknotes, cigarettes, safety d previously transferred is secretly returned to the left hand, under the pins, thread, dice (sometimes these items are even borrowed from the d that remains there. This is the secret technical moment that creates a spectators). Use of such mundane objects produces a maximum magical rtain difficulty in coordination, since both hands perform secret actions effect. Decorated boxes, fancy chips, etc. diminish artistic credibility and the same time: The left thumb pushes two cards over together, the right weaken the sensation of attending a demonstration of the power of magic in everyday life (an artistic demonstration, not a fraudulent one). gers take them while simultaneously unloading the card they are holdg, putting it under the one remaining in the left hand, which must take Keeping that in mind, we can return to the subject of rhythm. In every- lt without betraying motion. Then, after this difficult part is done, the last day life, there is usually no preconceived or studied rhythm. Consequently, two cards are transferred singly from the left hand into the right hand. there is no need for a strict rhythm in a magic session as a whole, but there Because of all this, there is a general tendency to transfer the first is within individual effects. There, the magician can and should control card (a regular action without anything concealed) at a certain speed, and the rhythm of his speech and actions. That control is more difficult than it then to slow down when counting the next one (a double), since we need is in a stage performance, since the situation includes the unplanned but more time to perform all the secret actions just mentioned. Then the pace desirable comments made by spectators (part of the greatness of this type is picked up while transferring the third card and the fourth normally. of magic). That interaction increases the difficulty of keeping the rhythm The,,result is usually: one ... twoooooo ... three, four. This arrhythmia could in control, during the procedure of the trick. You also lack an external arouse suspicion and call unwanted attention to the transfer of the second rhythmic aid to ke('.?p you on track, such as music provides in stage magic. card. Nothing is further from the objective of the magician, who doesn't An Aid for Rhythm and Magic: the Metronome want people to observe that moment or to pay much attention to it. When I set the metronome at a slow speed and practiced the count, I It was quite a few years ago that I discovered something that, at least for gradually began to see and feel the appropriate speed at which the count me, was a good aid to keeping rhythm. It's the most obvious tool, the one :flowed with a regular rhythm, one during which I didn't need to slow down 0 N on second card; a comfortable rhythm that also made it easy for me execute the secret techniques. I internalized the rhythm-that tick, to tick, tock-and when I performed, I felt it, and the Elmsley Count bee clearer, more rhythmic and relaxed. The same happened when I app}i the metronome technique to the Hamman Count and the Buckle Coun I then started using the metronome for complete tricks and this pr vided several welcome surprises. But let's not go too fast. The first thin to· do is to decide what rhythm or speed seems appropriate for the tric and its actions. Let's say we are dealing with a trick that isn't comple meaning that it doesn't consist of several effects or phases; it's a trick Wit a direct and simple effect. Three Practical Examples: First Example I will start with a classic version of Coins Across, because it was when I studied and practiced this trick with a metronome that I got the interesting surprise I mentioned above. I will first describe the version of the trick I was doing. Three coins are laid in a row near the table edge closest to the magician and toward the right. Another coin is also near the edge, but on the left. An extra coin is palmed in the left hand. The left hand picks up the coin on the left and closes (with two coins inside). The right hand picks up the three remaining coins, one by one, and likewise closes. Following a magical gesture, both hands are opened palm down, dropping their coins onto the table-except for one, which is retained in right-hand classic palm. The coins drop to their corresponding sides, two coins on the left and two on the right. The right hand now moves to the left side of the table and with its fingers draws the two coins on that side, one by one, over the table and into the waiting left hand. Upon drawing the second coin into the left hand, though, the right hand also drops its palmed coin, so that there are now three coins in the left hand, which closes into a fist. After a magical gesture, both hands are opened. Three coins fall from the left hand and one from the right (the other one remains palmed). is process is repeated to cause the fourth coin to pass, except that, picking up the fourth coin, the right fingers propel it into the lap and right hand forms an empty fist. Four coins then fall from the left hand the right hand is shown empty. Note that the right hand opens first time, followed by the left. , But we could decide to perform this trick in different fvays by altering y the rhythm. Let's begin with a slow rhythm. For tha~ we set the met- , me to sixty beats per minute. We put the coins into our pocket or a coin purse, and we activate the ronome: tick, tock, tick, tock. We now start trying to match the patto the slow speed. If you have just performed a faster trick, you can, ·ng the pause for assimilation in that trick, begin to talk and move grady more slowly, until you reach the speed marked by the metronome. I k it's important for the whole trick to have that harmony rather than ing the trick at a high speed and then switching abruptly.to a slower ,thm. I believe it's important to change the rhythm during the transition m one trick to the next. By doing so, we begin the trick while trying to ep that speed, that rhythm, and adapting everything to it: patter, geses, actions .... Thus we will find a rhythm and speed that give the trick nsiderable artistic uniformity and harmony, and this will probably be predated by the spectators. We will internalize that rhythm and speed every time we rehearse it Mth a metronome. When we then perform the trick in front of an audience, we will not need to think of the rhythm. It will come aut~matically to 11s. We will have it in us, associated with the trick; and the patter, gestures and attitudes will fall into place naturally. Even if the possible comments pf the spectators-whether required by the magician or spontaneousbreak the rhythm, we will be able, almost without trying, to recover it by following our interiorized tick-tock-tick-tock and can finish the trick at the proper rhythm (or with an accelerated or delayed ending, as taste dictates). In any case, the trick will gain beauty, harmony and magical quality. But what if we feel the trick is not suited to a slow rhythm? Then we can set the metronome to a faster speed while we rehearse, and then try n again with another speed and another until we feel we can dance, to b the dancing partner of that trick, to the rhythm of fascinating magic. such a change or variation of the rhythm, of course, perceived in different because of the change in speed and rhythm of the performance alone, But also-it's coming, it's already here ... 'ens in very few tricks. What does J:i.appen often, especially in repetitive A fascinating surprise: I found that, rehearsing the same trick at ave · that the change of rhythm in execution also produces a change in ts, IS different speed (going, for example, from sixty to 140 beats, much faste something unexpected, surprising, almost incredible happened: The effect of the trick changed. ·ons felt by the spectators. Let's look at that in mor~ detail. emoti : ndExample take as our second example the extremely cleve.r trick Six-Card · Let's see how. When you do Coins Across slower and, each time, you, eat, which I have used to open my stage shows, with improved ver- make a magical gesture before opening your right hand and then your s (I hope), for over fifty years. (My gratitude to its' creator, Tommy left, the effect becomes one of a coin disappearing from the right hand ker, is eternal.) In this trick, I usually vary my speed in counting the and reappearing in the left. The disappearance is felt. Its impossibility is cards for each performance. Some days I count them and throw them appreciated. It is savored. Then the appearance or reappearance is felt. the air with a very lively and rapid rhythm. Other days, I do it with a When the coin disappears we feel, as spectators, a certain suspension ain calmness. On still other occasions, I increase the speed gradually, of mood, even a certain anxiety: disappearance, symbol of the void and ·ng each count faster than the previous one. And sometimes I make death. 193 When it reappears, we fill that void, we sense a feeling of resur- h count slower. Occasionally, I decide to put pauses between counts. rection and we relax. That periodic and rhythmic alternation of emotions accompanies the temporary development of the trick, giving it a kind of emotional and artistic respiration, and the trick lives. etimes I don't, etc. This is how I prevent the presentation of the trick from becoming ed or automatic, also adding variations in patter, which I attempt to On the other hand, if you set the metronome to a much higher speed ., at least slightly, in each performance. This way, the trick, despite my and both hands are opened at the same time whenever a coin is shown to :vi.ng performed it thousands of times, remains fresh and alive in each have gone across, the coins are perceived to travel instantly and miracu- ormance, because I also feel what the spectators feel. I'm in reso- lously: nothing disappears and nothing appears. Nor does the alternation ance with them. Therefore, some emotions change from performance to of emotions occur: suspended mood, anxiety, relaxation. Instead, there is rformance, despite the effect being the same, and the method, and the a rhythmical rosary of visuals surprises, of magical flashes that lead us, ist. So, on some occasions the spectators applaud with equal fervor at through the speed of the repetitions, to a state of growing excitement. ch repetition of the effect of the inexhaustible six cards. At other times In the first case we have: Did it disappear?!... It appeared. Dis- e applause increases in intensity after each repetition, even reaching a appeared?... Appeared .... The equivalent of inhale-exhale-inhale-exhale ... , rt of final fever pitch. And sometimes applause is cut off by the irrime- or tensiop-relaxation-tension-relaxation .... In the seconq case we have: It passed! ... it passed! ... and it passed! This is equivalent to holding your breath and, only at the end, after the climax, releasing it and taking a rest. In other words: tension-tension-tension and a great, final relaxation. Try it yourself. 193. See "Magic and Symbolism" in Chapter 3, p. 71. acy of the repetition and is held back until it is unleashed in the final ·max: "There are six, seven, eight, nine-ten cards!" which are thrown to the air! A difference in effect also happens when the rhythm of the presention of Six-Card Repeat changes. If it's presented to a brisk tempo, 'thout pauses between its phases, it will seem to be an inexhaustible N multiplication of cards, a continuous surprise. If it's presented witfrbre and pauses between the phases, it feels like a phenomenon of going b in time, of returning to the initial situation (six cards), an eternal cy Third example Another aspect to consider is how to accelerate the subjective rhyth the one perceived by the spectators, when the hands' actions at a giv point in the trick can no longer allow acceleration of what we could c the physical rhythm. That's what happens in the marvelous "My D · Trick" by Oliver MacKenzie, which I use as a closer in many sessio of close-up magic. (It has also been one of the best-remembered tric from my many performances on television in several countries.) In brie four blue-backed cards are shown. The cards turn face up one by one They then transform into four different cards; for example, from Aces t Kings. Finally, their backs change color again and again, and each car changes more than once. Although six different backs are seen, the look like a thousand! 194 In doing this trick, I came to understand that the rhythm was essenti for its full success. I wanted to do it faster and faster, leading to an accel-" erated ending, in the style of the "Valse a mille temps" as performed by the wonderful and fascinating Jacques Brel. What I did was to use the words ' the patter, to change the subjective rhythm of the trick, which is to say the rhythm perceived by the spectators. 195 The speed of the count seems to be faster each time. I say "seems" because the same technique, the Buckle Count, is repeated every time, and there is a limit to how quickly I can count four cards. It is phrsically impossible to go faster in each successive count. But by accompanying 194. The f4'st time I experienced this trick as an absolutely amazed spectator still lives in my mempry. It was in 1960, on a special occasion the first time I attended a banquet hosted by a magic society (the SEI), and I was very excited. The fantastic magician, later a dear friend, Carlos Sayalero, presented MacKenzie's trick as a true work of art and made me feel excitement, magic and great joy. 195. Later in this chapter, under the heading "Patter", we will discuss this application of patter to increase the apparent rhythm of this trick I ) count of four cards with gradually longer phrases that are said ssively faster to make them fit four-card counts of the same time 'on, a sensation of gradually incr~asing speed in the counting is ereThis acceleration, added to the continuing magical smack of the ance of more and more and more new faces and: backs-there urteen changes, fourteen magical effects in only a Il}inute's times you to achieve a state of explosive excitement in bo~h the magician he spectators, and a sensation of almost endless changes, which is to of true hallucination. 1'hat's how spectators later express it when, still not recovered, still d by the effect experienced, astonished but happy, they comment, make us see what you want us to see! You make us see visions! We cinate." Those phrases, when addressed to a magical artist, are, as I rstand it, a partial but beautiful definition of our art. ut let's go back to analyzing the extremely important issue of strong and weak beats. ong Beats and Weak Beats in Magic · g agreed that there are strong beats and weak beats, let's examine · characteristics. It should be pointed out that they are not totally ·valent to downbeats and upbeats in music. ese are equivalent to some extent to the accents in words and to ments of tension and great dramatic interest in film and theater, and, refore, to moments that put us into a condition of maximum attention d concentration, a state of alertness. There are strong beats that are specifically magical; for example, the rnent of the climax, when the magical effect is produced. And there dramatic strong beats, such as a mistake, an accident, a moment that 0duces laughter (before the laughter), any kind of sudden surprise, abrupt increase in the level of sound (a scream, a stomp) or light (a h of fire), or a sudden gesture (the magician suddenly jumps or briskly 'ses his arms and hands or gestures suddenly in sharp pain), the sudden 299 298 appearance of a threat (for the magician, for the spectators, for an imp .s relaxation of attention is encouraged by the attitude and the restful ant or delicate object lent by a spectator, for a costly or fragile prop t es of the magician who is telling us, "It's over." It is also during these belongs to the magician or forms part of the stage scenery... ), etc. ts (weak moments as far as the_ intensity of attention is concerned) is appropriate to perform the secret actions we desire to render invisbecause those weak· moments are equivalent to hi"tFing the "pause" Some of these dramatic strong beats, but not all of them, are perfec suited to accompanying the magical effect, which would otherwise cat the spectators a little off guard. We should distinguish two types of these dram<;1tic strong beats. Some I n in the spectators' attention, if it is recording what is/ happening. his non-recording mode not only makes the secret /technique invis- produced by a gag, an accident, etc., that attract excessive attention, me · by helping to cover it, but also makes it indetectab'le by preventing that they capture all of the spectators' attention and therefore hardly all ,spectators from noticing any tension in the hands or in the eyes of the the magical effect produced at that moment to be perceived with clarity an ·cian, or any gesture or attitude that arouses suspicion that he is doing to be fixed in memory, or its impossibility or its poetic power of fascination thing covert, even if that thing is not seen. We have all experienced be felt. They are in a certain way antagonistic to the magical effect. as spectators when, watching the performance of another magician, Others, in turn, like those produced by an increase in the volume 0 perceive, without seeing it, that he must be performing some secret or music or voice, or the intensity of the lighting, or a dramatic gesture b the magician, etc., enhance the effect and give it greater value. They are} cult move. We don't see it, but we sense it. Therefore, placing techniques in moments of relaxation not only then, positive and can benefit, in my judgment, the magic effect. I say rds cover for the technique (sometimes impossible to conceal, such this with a certain wariness and reserve, since the abuse of such momen the Top Change) but also hinders the perception that something secret can make us fall into the practice of an easy sensationalism, so foreign t going on. Still another positive effect is produced. Since the mind is not "recording", the true and subtle art of magic. Weak Beats These occur when emotional tension and interest are reduced to a mini., mum and there is a relaxation and a rest in attention. Sometimes weak beats appear automatically after a strong beat. For example, a brisk and almost involuntary drop in tension, to relax, after a strong beat, often produces laughter. So laughter is physiologically a relaxation of tension. Another example: We know that after a magical effect, during the pause fo;r assimilation, especially in its third phase, the spectators' attention drops becarn~e after the astonishment (strong beat) and remembrance (in a tense search and recap of the incredible circumstances of the development of the trick) come joyful and pleasant rest and relaxation. 196 196. A few pages ahead (twelve, if you're counting) I will describe my views on pauses: dramatic pauses, pauses for assimilation, etc. · g in "pause" mode, not everything that happens enters mid- or longmemory. So when the spectators try to visualize what was recorded, remember the circumstances of the development of the trick, during the cond phase of the pause for assimilation (the remembrance phase), they ot remember what was not recorded. Therefore, the magical effect will much purer, because they will not even remember the external actions esponding to that period and will tend to believe that that time didn't t. In the analogy of a video recording, what happened during the time e recording was in "pause" mode will not exist when we play what was corded; neither will its existence be suspected. 7. But making sure, in case we use those upbeats at the end of the trick, that we don't. miss the marvelous, unique and extremely special pleasure that we, as magicians, can feel in resonance with the spectators: the fascination of the magical effect experienced. the secret action is not seen, not sensed, it's not remembere it is not even believed to have existed in that time. Is there a better offer?I Also keep in mind that weak beats may sometimes be followed by new strong beat created by the magician, as when he raises his voice, an that prevents us from " emb er' nee is essential here, as in life. it in the imagination. Almost Ethical Consideration indication of "But look!" If the weak beat is taken advantage of for execut.; garding the strong beats, I firmly believe it is im~ort3rt tha~ the di- ing a secret maneuver (Diagram 1 below), the actual procedure of the trick of an effect arrives a~ a strong moment of attention. :Sometimes the 1moment. This is perceived by the· spectators as the procedure ab.sent the moment when at preceding the climax should be turned into such the secret maneuver was made (Diagram 2), and will later be remembered aythe spectators will be alert when the climax occurs.;With maximum in yet a third version (Diagram 3). This, as we saw in "Magic and Memory" ention, the sensation of experiencing the impossible ,as possible will (p. 113), is due to the fact that, without being aware of it, we need to use more strongly felt. In other words, the magical power will be boosted our imaginations to fill in the gaps in our memories (gaps not consciously considerably. If an impossible effect catches us when we're not paying perceived as such). For this to happen, it is obviously better if the weak enough attention (at the limit, in a state of drowsiness), it will be very moment is brief (Diagram 1) and not long (Diagram 4), since a long gap '.t[if:ficult for us to notice that what we witnessed is impossible: It is, would be easily perceptible in a conscious form as "something we can't ftlthough it can't be. 199 The power of the strong beat in which the magical effect is placed CLIMAX should clearly be, in my judgment, determined mainly by the development of the plot of the trick, by the impact and magical quality of the effect produced and, if it seems necessary, by support from external elements: music, sound, lights, patter, gestures.... I've believed for a long time, though, in artistic magic and am aware of its impact and beauty. I believe that the effects of great magical quality can stand by themselves. They Time Time don't need additions or presentational patches, which is to say non-magical, external aids. The magic itself, totally impossible and wonderfully +,I en (I,) s... (I,) ® +,I en CLIMAX (I,) s... (I,) +,I +,I C C © fascinating, in its total naked purity, will make spectators' most beautiful CLIMAX and sensitive strings vibrate. Those vibrations will be the m<;1,gical meaning of the effect (its symbolism), its nature as secular miracle (as a lived and,,granted dream), and will impregnate the deep experience of the spectator (and of the magician) with artistic harmony and beauty. This doesn't mean that some magical effects-or under certain circumstances, all magical effects-could not benefit from some type of external Time 198. However, its use is so appealing, it lends itself to excess and abuse. Your artistic judgment will show you the limits. 199. In this regard, I recall the famous phrase of the great and witty bullfighter, Rafael "El Gallo": "What can't be, can't be, and it's also impossible!" which I would paraphrase as: "In magic, what can't be, can be-even though it's impossible!" n enhanc_ement (music, patter, gestures ... ), as long as they are treated With t~e dehca~y and care such magical effects deserve, and with the discret10n and ngor artistic purity demands. The opposite, the exaggeration or abus_e of external, non-magical elements, could make us fall, with no hope of return, into perhaps successful but deplorable and easy sensational• ism . . an d mto an anti-artistic emphasis. (Borges would cry.) ' Time of the Performance But let's get into something more ev~sive due to its subtlety: the time of the performance, meaning "the beat", what we refer to as "keeping time". Something between rhythm and speed, cadence and c~ordination, the tempo and the air. To better explain my idea of time, and to give a break to the reader of this dense text, I will allow myself the pleasure of inserting a short and very personal record, published in 1983 in the legendary Circular of the Escuela Magica de Madrid. 200 I hope it clearly explains what I think about an aspect of the subject of rhythm and time in magic. ~ Incredible Chronicle of Some Magical Patagonia And I am not kidding. I am writing this on the plane returning from Patagonia. It is February 15, and we are in the middle of the summer here. We have just flown over Rio de Janeiro after departing from Santiago de Chile, with a layover in Buenos Aires. To those not well versed in geography, I'll say that Patagonia is to the south of Argentina and that it is the most beautiful region of high-mountain lakes my eyes have ever seen. A kind of Switzerland but on a large scale. A unique and impressive sight. We are coming from there (Mary Pura and I). We spent a month combining shows with vacationing (which in the end is the same thing) in Chile and Argentina. A beautiful trip, enormously interesting and vital. Magically speaking, I'll tell you: My,. Work Those of you who usually read my little travel chronicles know that for a long time I've had three principles or guidelines for writing them: (1) I try 200. We founded the Escuela Magica de Madrid in 1971. It published a monthly circular for the members, edited by my "magical father" Jose Puchol, except for two years when Ramon Mayrata took the reins, and the last four when Jesus Etcheverry filled the position. It was an inexhaustible and inspirational source of quality material and deep intellectual thinking about magic. N to make it a read and to tell you about experiences, atmosphere I found myself becoming more "comfortable". I tended to do the most and information; (2) I write only about what I like: sights, magicians or ommercial tricks and, although the audiences were usually good, only magic acts, but only those that I like; and (3) I don't write about my own h~n one was really good did I do_ the most technically difficult stuff shows, or mention them only in passing, without evaluating them, to avoid sing palming, controls) and dramatize it. I was performing to an audi- falling into boring self-praise or, sometimes, into false and excessive mod- (ence that had come to see a variety show: comedians and: cute girls. I was esty. You guys know that in general I like what I do. I have fun with what i,commercializing" myself. P·'-'--•<MJ•""-LL.., I do because I love what I do. But the reason for .this whole preamble is The worst thing is that I wasn't enjoying the perfo:rrriances as much. that today I am going to break the third rule and enjoy doing it, because like to perform, yes, but I wasn't feeling that special, .:almost orgasmic it's nice to break the rules and the principles that are "unalterable in their pleasure that gives full meaning to being a magician and performing in essence" (dictator dixit). I will talk at length about my work because it public. Why? All the above doesn't mean that I was feeling bad. On the contrary, the has been an exceptional learning experience, a fundamental lesson for me that some of you can maybe put to use. human, marvelous, warm atmosphere among all the actors, singers (the My work, aside from television tapings, consisted of performing great Facundo Cabral!), female dancers ( cute, young, intelligent, charm- fifty-two times (one for each card in the deck) in a theater with five hun- ing) and managers (two) made the hours in the theater and dressing-room dred seats (three hundred spectators on average). Time was flexible from area more than pleasant. I stress that the audience responses were usually twelve to twenty minutes. I was closing the variety show (that's what it was good and at times very good. (My ego should have been feeling chubby.) about), following three very amusing performances by comedians that left Vifia del Mar (where we were performing) is a beautiful city. Summer the spectators exhausted from laughter. (Chilean comedians range from was very good, magicians competed to entertain us, the tours to different good to excellent, and the four in the show were among the very best from places were beautiful, the experiences of a sea storm, various mini-earth- Chile, truly exceptional.) The South American rhythm of the acts in that quakes and the gigantic waves of the ocean paradoxically called Pacific variety show (very fast and with high energy) made me adapt to working made us feel we were on a live planet (a beautiful sensation). The shows more lively, faster. The response was good. The management, the audi- I managed to see were excellent (Gasalla, Les Luthiers, Tihany's circus ... ) ence and the critics were almost unanimous in their praise. But ... and I had the good luck of becoming friends with some of the performers On the third day (two shows a day), my voice started to give out. My vocal chords weren't up to my screams. Dangerous. and sharing experiences and knowledge (Facundo Cabral, a vital anar- 1 I tend to give my all in each session and surrender completely, but by chist201; Les Luthiers: a wealth of imagination, passion for their work, absolute masters of the trade). sixth day I found myself physically and psychologically tired. I wasn't used She almost daily close-up sessions for magicians (who came to visit to that schedule, since I had always performed two or three times a week at us from Santiago, sixty miles away) and for laymen, fellow artists, friends most-but fifteen times a week (three on Saturday)! ... What do I do? and others, were authentically enjoyable, thanks to their receptivity and The patter of some tricks began to become automatic; particularly those that were more or less humorous. I suddenly began hearing myself saying words that left my lips without me really feeling them. How do I avoid that? love of magic. The sessions were often quite long. With magicians, they 201. Tragically killed years later, an innocent victim of a mafia settling of scores in Guatemala, on his way to the airport just a few days after I had traveled the same road. lasted the night. Mary was sensational, and everything, eve thing, contributed to make those weeks unforgettable. In addition, the Muses happened to be most generous and active. Eve this made me enjoy much more the preparation, design and ing of our act for each day, but I still wasn't feeling totally at ease g ~he performances. The special joy wasn't there. day they whispered something new to me. I was creating tricks, routine "Of course!" I explained to Mary Pura. "In the end, this isn't totally my even complete acts all the time; and I wrote a lot. I did not watch Tv, n :rrnance. They are coming to see a variety show, not ti° see magic. even a little, despite having one in the apartment, because life demande like it, yes, but they didn't come for it." Also, I am used t1b performing every minute. It was an idyllic time. r-at least half an hour, sometimes even forty to fifty minutes-and Everything was in favor of letting yourself be carried away, but ... r on consecutive days. This is preventing me from surrendering myself don't know... something inside me was itching, bothering me slightly, only letely from feeling the necessary tension before the show (not p ' " es, which, luckily, I haven't felt for many years). I don't "load and slightly... or maybe not so slightly? I could solve some of the problems mentioned soon after I detected ad". There is no climax ( as in the sexual act-I used the adjective them. It wasn't hard. To fight against my weakness of voice, I hung the microphone around my neck and trained slowly but surely in learning to asmic" earlier for a reason). There must have been some truth in these attempts I made, to explain breathe from the diaphragm to project my voice better. I didn't finish this yr was not achieving that pleasurable climax. And, of course, if I was not training, but I'm on my way to achieving it. To cure physical fatigue, more ·oying it completely, the audiences there-the other half of the couple in sleep and more relaxation time. To cure psychological fatigue, concentra- "magical act"-perceived it. Their feeling was not the same as that I am tion on what I was doing, how I was doing it and why. I also started to vary d to appreciating in audiences when I perform. Yes, some friends and my repertoire, seldom repeating the same act. ectators I met in the street (over 10,000 people saw me in Vifi.a del Mar, To fight monotony in my patter, I experimented with new tones and ity of 30,000) made the usual compliments: "I liked you very much,".or nuances. I changed the wording and stayed away from rote phrases haaaaan!" or "Very good!" or "How did you do the thing with the slates? ( except in some jokes and gags that required the same wording; but only at's impossible!" But curiously, no one said one of the things I appreciate in some). ost (along with praising the beauty of the magic, and the sensation of To avoid "commercialization", I demanded of myself ( and conceded) possibility and mystery). I am referring to something they often tell me, that I do tricks requiring more technical effort (Card to Pocket with a ;:ilways with a smile, full of admiration and happiness: "You have a great freely named card: using a memorized deck, glimpse, cull, pass and one- time when you perform, don't you?" The reason for the absente of that handed palm while talking to a spectator is not easy). I also spent a little nomment is obvious: I wasn't having a great time performing. time each day with Mary Pura, thinking of new touches for the tricks, An'tl then came my meditations: Is this experience of not having a great sometimes for their presentation, sometimes for their patter, sometimes time, of not transmitting the joy, something inherent to professionalism, a for their technique. We especially worked on those tricks that fell into the :result of repeated and continuous performances? Is that the reason why category of "very easy and very commercial". Thus, a freely named card some excellent magicians with acts of quality, which have been honed was used for the Joker gag, followed by a Top Change to transform it into and fine-tuned after years of nightly performances, don't communicate as the named card, and a second Top Change to make it a Joker again; a One- much and become a bit cold or worse; still admired but not as easily felt handed Fan Force for the long-card gag, etc. and enjoyed? n 308 309 Remembering some examples of this made me lean toward answe • d that's how it was. In the performing days I had left (they were the question for myself with: "In those working conditions it is impossi to achieve that feeling and that communication." siX, I believe), I did all the shows at that rhythm and-it was some, else! I recovered the joy. I could, recreate myself in the pauses (the But ... Kaps and Fu Manchu, Moretti and Salvano, and above all, Fraks have existed (some still exist), 202 and it was Mary Pura (as it was so m ry, difficult and beloved art of the pause). I could watch the spec- times) who gave me the solution, hitting the nail on the head: "You're p forming too fast. It's not like you." s (and me, wasn't I the one who wrote The Five Poi17:ts in Magic?), uld extemporize details and comments based on the ~eactions of the , tators; two-way communication had been reestablisl).ed. The perfor- ·It's not like you. Of course! The light came on. It is not like me. I am aJ ces didn't consist of demonstrating to a passive audience (almost as if who wants to please an audience and adapt to the rhythm of a variety show. spectators weren't there); they were dialogs. According to the specta- The variety show requires speed, dazzle, swing, a lot of swing, showbiz and ' reactions, and whether they were predominantly younger or quieter, that. And I remembered that something similar had happened to me before ording to their personalities, character and the psychological situation years earlier. I recounted it briefly in the Circular of the Escuela. It was with' he group, and according to my personal circumstances at the moment, my Paris Act. I was determined to keep the act under ten minutes, which came biorhythm, my performance changed. The result was excellent. It competition. 203 I ran and ran and-it didn't quite nt from a rushed masturbation to an extended period of love making. work When I got away from this obsession with speed, it became a differ".' Frakson was right (once again). I remembered him then: "Juanito: ent act overnight. Juanito Anton witnessed this when we were traveling to e! Time is the most important thing when performing. You should love Holland. Once again, it was Mary Pura who gave me the key. How easy it is to forget, how difficult to learn! I'd stumbled twice on the same stone. t you do. That's the first thing, of course. But when you are perform: Time! You can't lose track of the time. Did you see that magician last ht on TV? He was good, he did very well; but at the end the rhythm got ay from him, and that's terrible, Juanito, terrible." Frakson, beloved Frakson, who art in heaven and amongst all of us, ow I understand you better. I know, and I hope not to forget, what time , what it means, how essential it is for the art of communicating a love fwhat you do. There is no complete sensation of mystery, there is no true laughter d smile, and therefore there is neither magic nor humor nor anything Jse ,that will reach us, if there is no communication in both directions, if ne stupidly wastes one's time. from having developed it for a Back to the present case: Since the revue demanded swing and speed, and because I came on at the end when everyone was rather tired, I had to run. I already knew the true reason, and there was no solution. There was no solution? "Watch very carefully today," I asked Mary Pura the next afternoon, when I was about to start the first session. And for my own enjoyment-even if the spectators didn't like it or got tired or bored-I perfom1ed slowly, or rather, neither slow nor fast. At my own natural rhythm.· A session dedicated to Mary Pura. And ... oh, surprise of surprises! The audience reacted vv:onderfully. They didn't get bored, they didn't get tired and they seemed more ... how should I express it? They were happier. The applause hadn't ended when I entered the wings and Mary Pura arrived, radiant. "That's it, Juan, that's it." 202. I was writing in 1983. 203. This act won first prize at FISM in Paris, 1973-TRANS. All this makes it a dramatic pause aimed at creating a maximum draLet's now continue: The art of the pause-fundamental in magic, as it is in humor, musi and more. ·c tension to match the arrival of the effect, the magical moment. But ~use in tum should be preceded by a more or less rhythmic chain of ,:ents, circumstances, promises of the effect known to b~ impossible; I remember a magnificent tip from the remarkable Ken Brooke. H uence that makes the spectators' interest grow. :' ' . The chain is suddenly interrupted; it breaks, and the fl1.ental tension stressed to me the importance of the pause prior to the magical climax. t by the spectators spikes upward. They have been aski:qg themselves, Later, through my own experience and that of others, I have analyzed enlarged and, I hope, gone deeper into the concept of the prior pause, as' ' ow will it be possible?" v\7hen the chain is broken by an unexpected pause, tension rises well as the pause that follows the effect and other elements. ruptly: "What is going to happen?" The effect then catches the specta- I'll explain: Among the various types of pauses used in magic, I will focus for now on two of them. First ... The Prior Pause We have reached the end of a trick or routine. This is the high point, the magical climax. We reveal the card by turning it over-it is the selected one. We put an empty hand into the empty bag and take out-a hen's egg. We stretch out the hand we have shown on both sides-and capture a materializing playing card at the fingertips. If we execute the final action, the climax, in uninterrupted temporal continuity with the previous actions-asking for the name of the card, showing the bag empty, displaying the palm and back of the hand-even if the magic we want to communicate could be excellent, it is easy for it to "catch the spectators cold", therefore making the magical sensation weaker than it should be. Why? It lacks suspense, prior drama and the creation of emotion. There is a surprise but no suspense or other feeling. Simply put, the unexpected arrival of the climax, as I've said, can catch q rs in an expectant attitude, with a high level of mental tension. A known principle of physiology also plays a part. If we tap the table ghtly with our fist-tock, tock, tock-half a dozen times, with a steady ythm, and we suddenly freeze, that pause of expectation (the next tock at doesn't come), automatically adds mental and physical tension. If we then continue with a final tock, the body and mind receive e expected ( or unexpected) impact of the tap with a little shock that creases the emotional tension. Afterward, after the final tock, comes relaxation and a rest. Obviously, if instead of the expected tock ( a pleasant surprise) there came an unexpected patacrock! (the magical effect), the shock will be bigger and so will the increase in tension. Let's look at a couple of examples: The magician, after going through the procedure of the trick, arrives at a point where he is holding a card in his hand. He looks at the card without yet showing it: "What card did you take?" They answer. "The Three of Spades?" The magician looks at the card, then at the spectators. He looks again at the card. Pause (totally calm, brief)-then he turns the card over. It is There is a technique to prevent that coldness. It consists of placing the Three of Spades! Second example: In a manipulation act, the hand is shown empty, both a pause just before the effect; a complete pause, stopping all gestures, back and front. Pause (looking at the spectators, still, briefly)-and the sounds and movements for a second or two. card appears! the spectators cold and reduce the impact of the magical effect. 0 N Third example: The hand, clearly empty, goes a bag previously. shown absolutely empty. Pause (looking at the spectators)-and the hand comes out holding a hen's egg! .tin deck I shuffled! How ,,,,. .. ,_._'L,, "He created a hen's egg Joundl a totally empty bag! What beauty!" "He materialized a playing card at In all three examples, the difference between pausing and not pausing is very noticeable. In one case we can say there is emotion, drama; in the other, without a prior pause, the emotion is reduced. There is surprise but ' I repeat, it will probably catch the audience cold. er words: the impossible is followed by the fascinating. And all of that without spoiling the ~rior dramatic emoti~n. The goal is fingertips that was invisible and floa~ing in the air! How wonderful!" In avoid giving the spectator time to analyze coldly. Instead, "'r:hen he is conced there is no rational solution (see The Magic Way), he ;will have time This general rule of pausing prior to the climax is applicable to all specific internalize the effect, its measure of impossibility (maybe ialso of beauty, magical effects (with the exceptions pertaining to any art). Its simple appli- fhidden symbolic significance ... ), andjoyfully jump into the magical emo- cation increases the dramatic and emotional effect of the trick considerably. And its methodical application to the effect and climax of every trick, routine and session provides warmth, color, drama and emotion to our magic. But before analyzing prior pauses more deeply, let's "pause" to see what they are: 'uon of the proposed fascination: the final Rainbow of The Magic Way. That pause for assimilation (a total pause: stopping all hand gestures, Dramatic sound, foot movement and almost, almost, breathing) must be long enough (three or four seconds, depending on the specific weight and quality of the effect) and take place after Uust after) the effect. It is essential (aside from the usual exceptions-we are still talking about art) to use this after-pause systematically, especially at the end of effects and in proportion to their intensity and magical quality. The quick appearance of a handkerchief requires a short pause for assimilation. The journey of the wooden die from its box to a hat requires a pause that is little longer. A previously burned playing card that appears inside an orange selected by a spectator requires a long pause. Time Without a dramatic pause Time CLIMAX CLIMAX With a dramatic pause The Posterior Pause (the Pause of Assimilation and Enjoyment) We have already achieved maximum dramatic impact. The next goal is achieving maximum intellectual and emotional effect: allowing the pleasure produced by the sensation of the impossible and marvelous to be fully felt, giving time to savor what was experienced without disturbing the enjoyment and joy of the magic. We have achieved the Wow! and the Oh! The next thing to achieve is the It can't be and the "1hat a wonder! For that we need the spectator to assimilate the impossibility of the effect witnessed: "He named my card and he had no way of knowing! And Time Combined Action of the Two Pauses-Memorability Aside from what each of the pauses achieves by itself, there is a complementary and synergistic action when both are combined. (') N And all that just by including a few pauses. On the one hand, they multiply the dramatic impact and the magic By staying still. sensation of the trick. But the combination also causes the effect to be recorded in the spectators' memories much more intensely. It took place By doing nothing (literally). at a moment of maximum tension and expectation, and there was more Final pause. time to assimilate the impossibility of the effect, and more time to savor it. Pauses for Drama and Assimilation / It's an indelible experience that probably will long remain in the memories etter said, of temporary, not final, pauses. Because we pontinue, after ur deserved rest (my patient reader) with an in-depth $lalysis of both of the spectators, so that they will later be able to recreate it and recall it more easily, more intensely and more often. f these pauses, and others. I will first broaden the analysis of these two pauses. As a result, the spectator will +-I enjoy the magic longer, more often "' E Cl) and more intensely. And, as we all +-I know, the spectator will gradually 'he Dramatic Pause will start by asking myself some questions to which I will try to respond C increase the intensity, the impossibility and the exciting beauty of the o the best of my knowledge. What is the dramatic pause like? It is prior to the effect. Its purpose trick every time he evokes it (The to build emotional suspense and to ensure that we don't catch the spectator cold, ill-prepared for the effect. It's the tension of waiting for a promised and hinted-at effect. It also helps in fixing the effect better Comet Effect: a brilliant explosion in 0 the effect followed by a bright, long, larger and larger luminous tail). 204 Time in memory. When should a dramatic pause be made? Before each effect, unless A Quick Recap the effect is meant to be a surprise; that is, the surprise is that there is an Dramatic pause: effect! But it still should be present before an effect in which the surprise Prior and brief. Duration proportional to the power of the magical effect. Objective: more emotion, due to a maximum of tension and expectation. Pause for assimilation and enjoyment: Subsequent and long. Objective: more sensation of the impossible, more time to assimilate the beauty, more enjoyment and experience of magic. On the whole: 1 More dramagic. More likely to be remembered. Easier to recall recreate in your mind, more and more impossible, more and more exciting, more time and more intensity of enjoyment. 204. Discussed in detail in Chapter 4, p. 147. consists of the effect being different to the one expected. Are there any dangers? Yes, the length of the pause is not proportional to the impact of the effect. Let's look at an example. The dramatic pause in a circus stunt, such as a double somersault, is usually,. classically, a drum roll following the verbal announcement of the stunt: "And now the Great Gonzalez, the human eagle, will perform a stunt on the trapeze never before attempted and very dangerous." Drum roll: Rat-tat-tat. Gonzalez prepares ... Rat-tat-tat ... Gonzalez, muscles tensed, very concentrated. Rat-tat-tat ... All eyes are fixed on Gonzalez, who remains motionless. Suddenly, Wham! He executes a triple somersault with a twist. Everyone, after an astonished Wow! of admiration, bursts into applause, a vehicle that releases the accumulated tension. the drum roll (rat-tat-tat) Gonzalez's stunt would have caug the spectators unprepared. Someone might even still be looking at t announcer down there in the arena. In other words, without a prior dr matic pause, the effect is weak the U,.,L,,.,.,u,'l.A'"' of the magician during the pause have their importance. Let's see. ·There are numerous possibilities, but I'll begin with two classic ones. The gician shows his hand empty (and looks at it). The m~gician closes his But if the rat-tat-tat goes on and on-rat-tat-tat ... rat-tat-tat ... rat-tat~ d (he looks at the spectators and pauses). The magician/looks at his hand tat-the spectators, incapable of maintaining expectation under tension for that long, relax, loosen up. They need a rest. .Some might even look at their neighbor or at the rest of the audience, and Wham! Gonzalez jumped; It's a wonder, but ... he has caught the audience at a low level of attention almost relaxed. Some weren't even looking ("I missed it!"). This shows' that an excessively long dramatic pause will cause interest to diminish and the effect to weaken. run (brief pause). He opens his hand and a handkerchief has appeared in Three beats are marked: Look at the magical place-look at the spectars during the pause-look at the magical place again-magical effect. And there is still another beat, when you look at the spectators yet again · g the pause for assimilation. So the two glances at the spectators are 'oined to the dramatic pause and the pause for assimilation. But those two glances at the spectators (during the pause before However, it can also happen that there is a standard pause and drum d the pause after) differ from each other, and I believe they should be roll, after which Gonzalez does an elementary, easy somersault. Then frustration is produced: the drum roll promised more. ~ccompanied by different attitudes from the magician. For example, the Thus, the length of the drum roll (the prior dramatic pause) should be, as I've said, in accordance with the impact of the effect. nsion. Then comes the second glance at the audience, after the effect, accompanied by surprise or joy or astonishment ( or all three, or others). The appropriate length of the dramatic pause is also governed by the These are not mechanical pauses and glances made by a robot magician, degree of dramatic interest• generated throughout the development of the first glance at the audience is accompanied by concentration; waiting and but emotions loaded with life and feeling made by an artist magician. trick Think about television game-shows. If a contestant is playing for a small By the way, the first three looks (hand-audience-hand) during the prior prize, the host can't sustain a prolonged pause before stating whether the pause also help to control the spectators' attention and increase their answer is right or wrong. But if a large sum is at stake, say a million dollars, concentration. Through this we achieve more clarity and consequently a the wait can be ten to twenty seconds long, even longer. Similarly, a danger- stronger magical impact. ous escape stunt can sustain a longer pause before the escape is revealed,, It should also be kept in mind that an excessively long dramatic pause The other option, also classic and effective, consists of focusing the gaze the whole time on the magical place: the empty hand. The hand can become an anti-contrasting parenthesis (as defined by Ascanio), closes. Pause without taking the eyes off the hand. The hand opens-and parenthesis that makes people forget the initial situation: Two copper a 11all appears. Now, if you wish, look at the spectators. coins and one silver coin are in my hand. I close it. Long dramatic pause. I open my hand. There is now one copper coin and two silver coins-a 1 weak effect ("Were there two copper coins before? I'm not sure .... "). As we can see, this art of ours is complex, very complex. Great! And there is more. What do the magician's eyes do during the dramatic pause? So there are clearly different and varied possibilities, all of them valid. We are talking about art (let's not forget). Another issue: It is best to be cautious with a special type of pause that, even though it comes before the magical effect, is not a genuine dramatic pause. It is the pause made after an apparent failure of the effect. Although it is a pause that comes before the actual effect, it's not wise to N dramatize it much. It is better when kept brief, to prevent the sensation failure from being fixed in memory due to its strong impact. We must be in mind that failure is dramatic in itself, and there is a danger (very often manifested in reality) that the sensation of the magician having failed can.;; was not be erased later, not even with a demonstration that the failure a pretense, a tease, a fiction introduced by the magician. I remember comment by a kind lady at the end of a session .of mine: "It was all very good, and don't worry about the mistake you made. The rest of it was fantastic and marvelous." The mistake she was referring to was a simple sucker-bit, but the dramatic pause was excessive, and the time elapsed after the pretended mistake was longer as well. The spectators experienced the mistake and transferred it to long-term memory. The eventual revelation showed them intellectually that there was no such mistake, but they could not erase the sensation it produced (frustration, pity, distress). Keep in mind that facts can be changed or erased, but emotions already felt cannot be. If I'm told my house is on fire, upon which I have a heart attack, then a minute later they tell me it was a mistake ("I was wrong, the fire was in a garage next door"), no one will reverse my heart attack (especially if I die!). I repeat: Facts can be erased, but emotions cannot. If it is felt that something failed, it failed. Let's go on: Is the dramatic pause a static pause? Yes, to my understanding, it is. The magician's gaze fixed on the spectators, in the scenario described previously, as well as his gaze fixed on the closed hand, should remain stationary during the duration of the dramatic pause. You should also keep your mouth shut. By that I mean that the pause should be a silent one, to make it more dramatic. If there is music, it may be a good idea have the volume noticeably reduced, or have a note held, or even to have the musie cut to absolute silence. If later, when the handkerchief appears, you say, ''Here it is," or the music comes back, or there is a stronger chord (Chann!), the drama and final emotion will be unquestionably more powerful. But-careful!-we mustn't fall into easy and artistically deplorable sensationalism. Let's remember, the dramatic pause, the silences, music, lights, none of these can, in the truly artistic sense, replace the quality of effect, the impact of its inner symbolism or the beauty and fascination its magic. Danger lies in external fireworks, sonorous sensationalism d,the dramatization of emptiness. Even if you get an almost automatic tion or a "tickling" one, the volume, length and intensity of the applause not everything. The important thing is the quality of fhe magical sen;tion, of the emotion felt, the real joy and pleasure of /amazement and el, felt deeply and truly, whether it is expressed through applause or t. I believe this must be so. e Pause for Assimilation I observed earlier, this pause is held longer than the dramatic pause in der for the spectators to be able to assimilate the effect and its impossi·ty at both an intellectual and an emotional level, so they can dive into e fascination and feel the pleasure of the shared dream. s Three Phases: Astonishment, Remembrance, Enjoyment. will describe three phases that I believe comprise the pause for assimition, the time necessary for assimilation to occur. I think the spectators' 'nds and feelings must go through phases I identify as astonishment, emembrance and enjoyment. In the astonishment phase, the spectator, on being confronted with e impossibility of a witnessed miracle is left, sometimes literally, with his mouth open, his eyes fixed, unblinking, holding his breath, leaning forward, shoulders raised and tense; in other words, astonished. It's a brief phase, and ifwe look at the spectators we will see the signs just described. When recovered, the spectators go into the remembrance phase. In it thet backtrack in their memories what is recorded there about the conditions and circumstances of the procedure of the trick: "He showed an empty ox, the lady got in and she was sawed in half. The halves were separated, \head and feet in view, they put them back together and she reappeared alive ... a miracle!" They look upward, the standard "remembering" position .of the eyes. In this attempt to remember the situation, the spectators may searching for a rational solution ta the impossibility proposed; or, on the 320 321 contrary, they may be confirming the circumstances that made the eve impossible: "The halves of her were three feet apart." "I thoroughly shuffle that deck myself, and now it appears totally in order." It can also be a corn bi:n,ation of both objectives: a search for a solution, and a reconfirmation of the circumstances that made the effect a secular miracle. The spectators backtrack along The Magic Way and find every one of the solutions locked or nonexistent, except for the one that leads to The Rainbow: magic. We could say that both hemispheres of the brain travel The Magic Way together. One of them is left without a solution: the logical hemisphere. The other succeeds: the emotional hemisphere. Now the spectators are ready to enter the third phase: the phase of enjoyment, joy and pleasure found in what they are experiencing; the flight on the Winged Horse of Happiness and Imagination; the symbolism of the impossible wish fulfilled, felt at a subconscious level. The enchantment, the experience of magic. The spectators relax and feel. They smile or at least show their pleasure through their bodies, leaning back, relaxed. Their faces also reflect enjoyment, probably happiness, and their eyes look to share with other spectators those sensations of fascination and the possibility of the magical effect: suspension, coincidence, divination, magic happening in the spectators' hands .... CLIMAX: G) ASTONISH- . . MENT! ® ~ ~~~i~~? No. REMEM- , . Impossible cirBRAN CE cumstances? ...______ ~ Yes. I • ® r JOY AND PLEASURE (enchantment, fascination, marveling, miracle.... ) Pause for assimilation-three phases They also feel the beauty of the words, the plot, the gestures, the precise and precious handling ... and perhaps, without knowing it, without feeling it consciously, they experience the implicit symbolism and the impossible wish fulfilled, the dream come true: the resurrection, the return to childhood, the ascension to the heavens, the creation of life, the animation of objects, the liberation, etc. Summing it up, it is the enjoyment of the art of magic. Attitude of the Magician during Pauses r. Drama and Assimilation ehave traveled, in an inner trip, through what spectators probably expebut what does the magician feel and experience during 1' nee and ~eel , ; I t process? . i , It's a delicate subject. Every artist feels ... what he feels! There cant be y rules. But perhaps there can be reflections on what the magician does at helps or hinders the proper management of the spectators' experiences. The attitude of the magician before and during the dramatic pause can be, I've mentioned earlier, an accompaniment of the spectators' feelings. "Pay ention! Look carefully! Let's see if it happens. Let's see if the magic gesture oduces the effect. It seems ... Yes!" Obviously, if the magician feels this and resses it in this way, the spectators will feel it in the same way, and that's ow they will express it and how they will later react. There are, of course, rt.her possibilities. The magician seems totally confident in his powers and rtain that the magic will happen: or the magicienne finds herself wrapped in atmosphere of enchantment and the marvelous; or the magician .... Here·are some thoughts regarding the attitude of the magician during e three phases of the pause for assimilation: During the phase of astonishment, I believe a good attitude is to wait, ·thout moving or talking, and allow the spectators to experience their tonishment. And if the magician looks at the spectators, perhaps their xpressions will infect him. He might even feel, through empathy, a cersurprise or admiration for the effect. The magician can aid in two ways with the remembrance phase. One oqld come prior to the climax of the effect, by providing a recap of what happened throughout the procedure of the trick; but care should be taken ot to make it too long, confusing, boring or an anti-contrasting parenthe~is. If possible, there shouldn't be any explicit mention of moves or trickery. Another aid, coming after the effect, is to summarize it with gestures. 205 though this gestural recap is not a true pause, it is a pause in the sense tain 05. See what I wrote in Chapter 4, "Magic and Memory", p. 159. n N that it doesn't advance the magical plot. These are accompanying gest~res for visualizing memories. With these two aids, both optional, you make the spectators go quickly and has a small collection of them. 207 During my travels, ed spinning en I, find a new top, while buying it I feel the pleasure and excitement he enjoy when he sees it. I wrap it up nicely, using lots of tape, so that it takes through their memories of the path they traveled along The Magic WaY, ·lum longer to open his present and enjoy it. I then give it to him in person, not allowing them to enter the enjoyment phase of the magic, which is the true objective of our .art. l~aving it for him to open when I'm not there. I don't want to ~s the moment. want to be present to enjoy the suspense while he unwraps it, to feel that emotion myself, as well as his surprise (a musical top!) and;joy. Although I know what the package contains, I can empathize with Juan Diego's surprise and contentment, and then enjoy with him how the top dances, spins and plays its notes, appreciating its beauty and novelty: its "effect". I think this experience is totally applicable to our magic. The magician Nso, during the third phase (an encounter of the third kind in the Spielbergian sense: a direct and conscious experience of the fantastic the supernatural, the dreamed), the phase of enjoyment, there is noth-' ing left for the magician but to enjoy it himself as well, not shortening or interrupting the spectators' pleasurable moments given by the feeling of magic. I'll explain: can feel his own magic. Isn't that wonderful? Years ago, I used to make use of the time during the relaxation of the attention of the spectators to clean up ( ditch or switch some gimmicked object) or to prepare the next trick, etc. But since I read the beautiful There are other different pauses during the development of the trick, the books by Jacques Delord 206 and absorbed the concepts in them, I try to routine and the session. Let's look at some. live those moments with intensity, forgetting all trickery, not cleaning any- ..... .,,"."""'"'"' Pause Before starting the trick or session, maximum expectation and concentration can be achieved through an initial pause. The magician remains silent and quiet after coming out to perform or before beginning a new trick or new phase of his session. We all know the sensation this pause produces in spectators. There is a restrained silence, a calmness and a certain suspension of the rhythm of everyday life that prepares us for what is about to begin. I know all too well that it is not an easy pause to make, let alone sustain, since it demands a high level of self-confidence from the magician, as well as a strong personality. T'.here is a danger, as in all pauses, of making it longer than appropriate, but there are great artists who do it in an impeccable and very powerful way. In my judgment, there is another danger; that the pause is felt by the spectators as an act of pride or control, arrogance: "Here I am. Now all of you shut up and wait." Attitude, as always, makes the difference. thing up, with an open mind, while looking at the spectators, watching their joyful, happy and admiring faces, feeling their applause for what it is: their gratitude for the experience provided by this wonderful art of magic. I also resonate with the spectators, sharing their emotion, feeling the same pleasure I had (sometimes forgotten) when, unaware of trickery, I saw my first magicians. That resonance brings me a new joy and gives me artistic energy and a vital state of happiness. I.feel that all the effort, rehearsal and creativity put into that artistic magic trick provide true happiness, joy and much more. Look at them out there astonished amazed ' ' incredulous, enchanted and happy. (If, in addition to that and because it, we feel admired and loved, so much the better.) ' To attempt to explain that sharing of pleasure and enjoyment, here is one last personal example. My son, Juan Diego, since the time he was small boy, 206. Sais le Magicien, Sais l'Enchanteur and l'Eternel Magicien 1971 1972 and ' ' 1973, Editions G.P.: Paris; three wonderlul works full of poetry, fascinating pictures, texts and inspiring ideas. 207. Juan Diego was seven years old when I wrote this in 2008. N Another use of this pause is to convert it into a true moment, not faked one, of concentration for the magician. This happens during classi.: cal music concerts and in other kinds of musical performance. The pianist l the conductor or the orchestra concentrate. That waiting pause makes spectators feel the inner concentration of the performer, and they pre~ ile they give magician a chance to recover his energy, strength and pacity to feel the miracles he presents. There is a danger, though, of using the number of resting pauses: This can produce unwanted intertions of the magical sensation, break the general rhythm of the session weaken and possibly dissipate the magical atmosphere.: pare to communicate with the soul of the musical interpreter. Depending on the style of the show in which the magic is bnied (a show, a theater production, a recital of artistic magic), the inclusion of this form of initial pause will be more or less fitting. Time Without a dramatic pause Time With a dramatic pause Resting Pauses Aside from the obvious pause of the intermission in a magic show, a session can also be sprinkled with occasional resting pauses between tricks. Such pauses are seldom used in stage magic, but in close-up magic a careful and balanced use of them, with comments from the magician, or even brief dialogs between the magician and his spectators, will enhance audience's concentration on the next trick It will also help the magician to get acquainted with the spectators, to feel their moods and sense cohesion in the group. Let's not forget that music and stories, both dramatic and humorous, inserted between tricks can also give spectators a rest and time to relax, ere is another kind of pause that is of great magical interest: the oments of relaxation. They are very brief and make Spectators relax eir attention mo,mentarily. They are extraordinarily useful as opportullities to execute the secret actions of a trick And the more natural they e, which is to say, when the plot of the trick logically requires them or at ast seems to, the more artistic they will be. To better explain it, let's say we need to make a Top Change or remove e stairs that hide the girl who was inside the cage. Before the sleight or olling away of the stairs, we generate a strong moment of tension. This ight be created by an impossible promise, an apparent failure, a music r lighting effect, or an apparent near accident. Then we show that the ccident" was inconsequential, or we rectify the mistake with a gag, or e musical effect ends with a bing-bang. The pause of two or three secnds we exercise at this point will make an ideal relaxation pause. With e appropriate timing, it is an ideal moment to execute the Top Change or ave the stairs rolled away by an assistant; a visible movement that goes unnoticed by the spectators. Using moments of diminished attention caused by dramatic relaxation, pauses of relaxation, to perform sleights or actions we want to go unno.ced is a principle the importance of which cannot be stressed too strongly. Iaut, as I've already indicated, it is advisable that these pauses are erceived by the spectators as natural and not as artificially created or posed by the magician. Otherwise, they will arouse suspicion and break e rhythm, resulting in the loss of the artistic harmony of the whole. But when are these pauses natural? For years I have been thinking at pauses in magic can have an approximate equivalence to punctuation arks in a written text. n 326 327 +.J e. After a routine, there is a "period and new paragraph" pause. After CLIMAX w ~ 2E C:: ,in the session, there is a "final period" pause. After a question to spectators, there is a "question mark" pause. After a dramatic effect, e is an "exclamation point" pause. There are other eq~ivalences, not I I I much pauses in themselves, between the stimulants e Secret move Time It was like this with a relaxation pause Time The spectators believe it was like this Pauses and Punctuation Marks In a written text or speech, there are, as we all know, punctuation marks: the period, comma, colon, semicolon, question mark, ellipsis, parenthesis etc. These marks act as pauses of various lengths that aid in comprehend-' ing the written or spoken text. fof relaxation in magical plot (during which you ~xecute the secret mores} and other ctuation signs. For example, when counting nine cards in a Hamman unt, after having counted the first three, if you assume an attitude of tc., etc." while you count four, five, six ... , this kind of relaxation yields effect like an ellipsis. When an accident happens, either genuine or feigned by the magiit's like something in parentheses; for example, the switch of objects ' ·ng Double Crossing the Gaze. 210 And an in-transit action is equivalent, a way, to a colon. Let's try to find a structure for all this. With spoken text, they also have the function of offering rests for breathing. The sense and intonation of the text are affected by these pause-marks. In certain ways, this is applicable to magical patter. 20s I believe that, in magical patter, these punctuation marks correspond quivalences between Punctuation Signs and Pauses in Magic comma semicolon after a very simple effect after a simple effect trick. And when understood and properly used, they can help to conceal . period new paragraph after an effect after a full routine or a strong effect the secret or to improve and boost the magical effect. The mind doesn't . :final period after a session or an extraordinary effect goal, in-transit action exactly to pauses of different durations, inserted into the procedure of the record during relaxation. It is in "pause mode". Therefore, any unnatural or suspicious gesture or movement, even a secret glimpsed by the spec'tators, will not go into long-term memory and will not be remembered. 209 I think a session consisting of several routines, some in tum consisting colon ... ellipsis · ! exclamation point ? question mark etc. after a shock, surprise, drama or a great effect after a direct question to the spectators a small accident or mistake, something incidental of several tricks, and these producing several effects, should be punctu- () p~entheses ated by pauses of different intensity and duration for separating those And if these pauses, these moments, are used to contain secret actions, those actions will be better· concealed, helping to obscure the method effects, tricks or routines. After a quick effect (an Ace appears reversed), there is a "comma" pause. After a final effect of a trick, there is a "period" 208. Someone told me that Dai Vernon may have had a similar approach to the subject. I hope this is true! 209. See Chapter 4, "Weak Beats", p. 298. totally, ensuring that His Majesty, the Effect will reign, with crown and scepter on his throne. (What happened to my vigorous rejection of monarchy!) Final period. 210. See The Five Points in Magic. 2007. Hermetic Press, Inc.: Seattle; p. 23. N 'ch you I have . (a presentation). The conversation inates you and therefore amuses and distracts you, being part of a Generalities If we understand misdirection as the technique of misleading or distrac e~al distraction (an activating pre~entation, misdirection). But we are approaching a hill. I have already shifted gears twice and I ing, · timing is the technique of synchrony and opportunity. A broad d to do it again, unnoticed. So I d~op my hand onto my kpee and scratch category that includes both these techniques is the control of attentio (naturalness, a conditioIJ,ing movement). I raise my han4 again and ~ud- In the arts, misdirection is used almost exclusively by magic. (Outsi y tum to you and signal with my gaze for you to lo°:k to your nght, the· arts, it is used in swindles, military strategy, etc.) ough the window (misdirection through physical distraction, change of Timing, as synchrony, is not specific to magic in the arts. Coordination and management of the rhythm are necessary in plays, in conducting e) and I almost yell, "But what is that tiger doing?" ( a blurring question, . You look, surpnse · d an d scare d . "Where.?" Me·. "Oh'.... ental distraction). orchestras, in shooting videos with a crane, etc. But there is a certain . ..it's a wildcat that eats more than Amilkar." 212 Laughs (misdirection or aspect of timing and opportunity that is specific to magic: when something secret must occur at the right moment for it to remain concealed. We orous distraction). I have taken advantage of this moment of relaxation (timing, oppor- can then say that magical timing is the art of synchronizing the elements ity) to drop my hand and change gears, synchronizing the action of of secret actions among themselves and at the right moment for them y feet on the accelerator and clutch pedals ( down-up as the other goes to remain secret, concealed, imperceptible. (I will later elaborate on and p-down) and the gearshift (moving it exactly when the clutch pedal is analyze the functions of good timing in magic.) own), so that the gears don't grind (synchronization of technical actions), Therefore, magic timing is also a form of cover; it is a part, to an extent, of misdirection and, in that sense, is specific to magic. 211 An Example of Timing Let's attempt to see, in a non-magical example, what timing is and what it is not. Let's say we are driving to Cadiz in your new car. "You drive," you llowed by management of gradual pressure on the accelerator after the shift of gears to avoid betrayal by a sudden engine roar (technique). When I look forward, I say, "Careful!" and tum the steering wheel to ·. correct our direction, because when I got distracted I drifted a bit (new strong moment that prevents what happened during the relaxation or tell me, "but don't change gears too much. This car is very sensitive." (This. weak moment to be fixed in memory). I continue to chat about the safari, the fascinating adventure of the supposes that you are very fussy and fastidious. By the way, are you?) lion; and you, dear reader, you innocent and candid soul, haven't noticed I drive, trying to disguise every time I change gears. To do that, I start an interesting conversation: the adventures of our last African safari, from 211. From ,here arises the confusion in stressing misdirection in the magic of Slydini, who is. often referred to as the "Master of Misdirection". To my understanding, his magic is based, more than any other, on the synchronized coordination of actions, speech, body movement and the masterful management of strong and weak beats. These elements, as we will see, are all components of timing. "Sublime Master of Timing" would be my description of this absolute genius of a magician. my shift of gears. ,The objective of driving you without any disruptions to magical Cadiz, with its joy, its charm (and its food!), is being fulfilled. The Magic Way continues onward to The Rainbow. 213 212. The stage name of Amilcar Riega, a fine Spanish cardman from Barcelona who loves to eat and has a figure that testifies to this.-TRANS. 213. Take this car trip as only an academic exercise. I support the theory that we magicians, as experts in. the techniques of deception, are the people who n N We observe, that timing has two functions: 4. Body: -the position of the feet 1) Correctly synchronizing technical elements (feet and hands du:rin the moment of changing gears) and non-technical elements (phrases ) gazes, prior attitude, during and immediately after the shift of gears) to make the change imperceptible. 2) Creating or making use of a psychologically robust moment of opportunity for the change (combination of str~mg and weak moments, coordination of the patter and presentation, etc.). But let's look at this in more detail, as it applies to magic. Elements to Synchronize (Timing) Several elements need to be synchronized. In magic, they can be classified as follows (we'll use a Second Deal as an example). 1. Fingers: -position -movements -pressure (Both thumbs move in coordination, the moment the hands meet to execute a Second Deal. One exerts pressure, the other doesn't.) 2. Hands: -position -wrist turns -tension-relaxation (The hands tum toward us when dealing cards.) 3. Arms: -position -movement (They move toi bring the hands together, then separate them in making each false or honest deal, in a rhythmic and precise way.) should use these techniques the least or not at all in everyday life, just as a heavyweight boxer should never abuse his strength and power outside the ring, except in extreme cases of self-defense. · -position -movements -tension-relaxation (It relaxes upon dealiI;lg the last card.) 5. Eyes: -direction -movement -expression (They look at the hands and then look up, right before the false deal.) 6. Voice: -what to say -how -when (For example, you say, ''Have you heard of Threepoker?" just before ; false deal. Then, after the false deal, ''It's a combination of poker and three-card monte. I'll show you sometime.") 7. Attitude: -external psychological attitude (the expression of the face) -internal psychological attitude (I am complying with the simple task of dealing) These seven elements are the components of technique: fingers, hands, arms, body, gaze, voice and attitude (psychology). One of the proper functions of timing is this coordination (synchronization) of elements: synchronous timing. That synchronization tends to make secret actions effective (the Second card is taken smoothly and rapidly, instead of the first), helps to conceal them (turning the hands, moving the arms), makes them barely perceivable (distraction caused by a question and by moving the gaze) and ensures they are not suspected (attitude, facial gestures at a given moment ... ). N Synchronous timing has the specific function of coordinating ln f When I speak of synchrony, we should take it for what it really is- ( synchronizing) all the elements of technique and misdirection ( distr tion) to achieve their goal: the concealment of the secret. the coordination of several elements in time-and not confuse it But all this should be synchronized not only to ensure that the co ' with mere "simultaneity" (som~ elements go before or after others in time). bined elements don't "scream", but also to be certain they all take place an appropriate, and an opportune, moment. I think it helpful to <listing • Opportune Moment (Opportunistic Timing)/ this use of the opportune moment from the more aµtomatic use of synchr the function of timing to synchronize these element~, but that syn- nized elements. But before getting into the aspect of opportune timing, her nization must take place at the right moment. Not before. Not after. are some brief considerations that I believe are also opportune. what is the right moment? 1) Timing is not to be confused with tempo, rhythm, cadence, mood. Let's attempt an analysis of its characteristics: The opportune moment, It is a very different thing. Synchronous timing involves a spe.. mporary support of magical timing, allows the existence of a drop in cific point in time and the coordination of what is produced at ctators' attention to secret actions. that instant, just before and after. It is not something that develops We know there are strong beats and weak beats in the procedure of a over time, as happens with tempo, rhythm, cadence, etc. k. The alternation between them constitutes the rhythm. 2) If the seven elements are examined (seven, a magic number) they We are dealing here with a technique involving the fingers, hands or will prove considerably similar to "the five points in magic" that s that we wish to conceal within the weak beats of attention paid to I analyzed in a book of that title. I have just divided the point se parts of the body; when they appear less important and are less called "hands" into three elements: fingers, hands and arms; I have e, when they don't "telegraph". Thus, attention will fall lightly, if at all, brought the points of "body" and "feet" together under the single them, making it the best moment to execute a secret maneuver. We element "body"; and I have added the element of "attitude". h, then, to make that secret maneuver match a weak beat in attention 3) The first two elements, fingers and hands, comprise what is gener- the hands or arms. ally understood as "technique". But I will use this opportunity to But weak or strong is not an absolute condition but a relative one. indicate that the arms are often forgotten when discussing tech- omething can only be strong or weak when compared to something nique. People would say, "He's a good technician," when referring e. The degree that a beat will be, or will feel, weaker depends on the to some magician who has mastered his "fingering" and, perhaps, ~trength of the beats that come before and after it, especially those that his "manipulation", but who blatantly fails to exercise the potential ~ome immediately before and after. The opportune moment then will be a of arm motion or doesn't make appropriate use of it. Though in a wearo moment ( of the hands, for example) that is preceded and followed much more general way, we could refer to the necessary technique y a strong moment, or is made to fall between two strong moments. I for the good use and mastery of the other elements. Slydini was a 'remind you, the stronger the beats that come before and after, the weaker great technician, although his magic was hardly based on dextelity ;i:he opportune moment will appear. of the fingers. The same could be said of the corporeal technique of At first it would seem best that, at the same time we perform a secret Fred Kaps, the gaze management of Albert Goshman, the voices of maneuver on a weak beat of the hands, there should be strong beats Max Maven and Eugene Burger, and the attitude of Frakson. from other elements (the voice, eyes, body, attitude ... ). That's why, as (j N beginners, we tended to raise our voice or make a strong body motion we executed a move. Curiously, experience and the masters have tau us that this natural impulse isn't correct. The moment the move is m should be weak in all elements; consider Slydini's lapping moves, Vernon pass.es, Rene Lavand's palms, Frakson's and Cardini's loads. I believe the right time for a secret move is at the general we moments, when the spectators lower their level of ~ttention. There see to be a moment to rest, so they take that moment to relax or to think what they saw or are seeing; that's when they release their contained an sustained energy; it's a break from their prolonged state of alertness ' being on guard, which magic invokes. And at that moment all their conscious selves, their senses, temporarily relax their supervision. We are in the domain of a sort of misdirection or mental distraction that doesn't actually divert their attention (unless a blurring question has been posed, Ascanio style; which is a magnificent technique, too, of course!). Instead, it diminishes their general level of attention. It's a blink of the brain, a mental blink, and then Wham! Exactly at that instant, at that opportune moment, Wham!, the secret maneuver takes place and the spectators' brains, momentarily relaxed, don't read, don't register, those actions and therefore don't fix them in the video recorder of their memories, because it is on pause. This is, then, the moment good opportunistic timing exploits to insert the secret actions, performed with good synchronistic timing (opportunistic and synchronistic: the two types of timing that constitute good magical timing) to create or increase misdirective distraction. But before that, just before the weak beat, to make its weakness even more evident, there is a strong beat-as strong as possible (a tense voice, a direct question, a sudden, unexpected turn of the gaze). And then a nal to indicate that the strong beat is over, that we're taking a rest (mouth closed, relaxed eyes and body, resting attitude ... ), so that the spectators can, in turn, relax and take a break from their attentive observation of the magician and his actions. And that's how the weak beat is born, either because they share the break or because they concentrate, sometimes in search for answers, in the joy and pleasure of the marvelous acle just experienced. To be a little more precise, let's g_o back to what should follow the k beat, the opportune moment, during which the secret maneuver was de. Let's say it should be· a new strong beat that increases the sensaof a very slight pause produced by the weak beat and that, resuming 1 ntion (implying that attention was maintained) urgentlr summons the ctators' minds to continue their observation. Of course, the longer the "pause" needed, the stronger1 the strong beat ould be. In this way, spectators will promptly and surely recover their ention and will even forget the existence of such a pause. No record of existence of these pauses will remain in memory and, after the effect, ing the pause for assimilation, the spectator will not have the solution f "Of course! When I relaxed and stopped paying attention, something appened that I didn't observe." If a record of these pauses remained, e would have concealed the secret, but we wouldn't have managed to elp the spectator follow The Magic Way and reach The Magic Rainbow, our maximum aspiration: the convergence of all elements of magic cover (technique, misdirection-distraction and magical timing), dramagic structure (the emotional incarnation) and presentation. The structure is: strong beat / weak beat ( opportune moment as brief as possible) / strong beat (proportional in strength to the duration of the weak beat). So the perfect synchronization of the seven elements among themselves is the task of synchronous timing. Opportune timing must achieve the perfect coordination necessary to make the secret action match the weak beat, and the non-secret actions precisely delineate the strong beat and the end of it, the weak beat and the new strong beat. The conjunction of both is what we can call magical timing. Gags, in-transit actions produced on a weak beat that announce a strong beat, rests after the apparent ending of a trick (the end of the chapter) or apparent but deliberate unimportant accidents (I drop something, I bump into something, I can't manage to turn over the card on the table N a mat)-these are some examples, perhaps the dearest and\rn important, of structures that can provoke opportune moments. But there are differences between them. For example, a gag canies strong beat in itself, followed by a weak beat, laughter. Thus, it needs be followed by another strong beat added by us. weak beat) should be precisely drawn to make sure the ectators relax their attention. Structures opportune moments: Those that implicitly carry the needs of the beat trio: gags, in-transit tions, apparent accidents, a pause after ~n apparent entj.ing, etc. An in-transit action, in turn, carries a weak beat in itself, which is fol.: lowed by a stronger beat: the expected objective of the main action. So we need to add a strong beat prior to the action, in addition to boosting the strength of the final objective as much as possible. The subject, of course, remains open. How could anyone close a subject of such interest ' especially when talking about art? Recap I would like, even at the risk of seeming stubborn and repetitive (and I am), to sum up the subject as follows. Magical timing: Magical timing consists of synchronous timing and opportune timing. Synchronous timing: Strives to synchronize the seven elements-fingers, hands, arms, body, eyes, voice and attitude-to make them efficient in their function of concealment. Opportune timing: Deals with having the secret action take place at an opportune moment for its total concealment. Opportune moment: A general weak beat in the presentation, preceded and followed strong beats. Beat trio (strong-weak-strong): The weak beat should be as brief and as weak as possible. The strong beat after the secret action should be proportionate in strength to the duration of the weak beat. The ending of the first strong beat (and the I'll finish here. I think it's the opportune moment. PATTER Patter (A First Approach) fhe patter. The spoken text. Boniment. Charla. Whatever. The words that accompany the trick-that's what it is. Or is that what it is? Is it just that? Is that it? Is that it? What about sounds, noises, music, little screams, interjections, mumbled or unintelligible words? ... We will deal with all those and others. They make up a whole, hardly divisible into parts. They make up what we could call the soundtrack of a trick, routine or act. The term soundtrack comes from one of the favorite sons of magic-illusionism: film. And it sounds good. (What a lousy sooodtrack it would be if it didn't sound good!) And all of that sonorous whole should be a harmonic whole. Heard on the radio or audio-recorded to be heard at home, it should be at least an interesting soundtrack. One to which we would enjoy listening. If it's also clear, if it's also beautiful, if it's also exciting-so much the better! And from this comes the first idea, no less valuable for being an old one, well-known yet still very useful and wonderful: audio-recording our N 041 perlormances and listening to them, then trying to improve them. at analyzing Keep in mind that almost nothing I could write here, or that Nelrns wrote in his book, or Ferragut in his articles, or whoever talks or writes about patter, will be of much use for our act unless we make an active effort ourselves to improve our own patter. By recording ourselves we will learn, because every mumble, hesitation, strain, inaudible word, hackneyed phrase, complicated construction psychological atrocity and point or period of low interest will stand out as' we listen. Sometimes we'll hear the sloppiness of the patter, at others we'll suffer the tedium of listening to it over and over-unless our patter is magnificent or perfect or nearly so. Otherwise, we will hear a lot of "Eh ... , well, then ... , and now... , you understand? This ... , add to digits of the numbers that ... , I mean, the two digits of the quantities that ... , and it seems incredible ... , I don't want to force the card on you, please choose freely... , I put this card over here and when you do this, that happens ... , Isn't it wonderful?" No, it's not wonderful. It's a way to explain without saying anything interesting, of making words redundant with action, which in principle is not bad and can have an informative value but, as shown above, is likely to add nothing positive. But what is and was the patter of magicians like? How has patter evolved throughout the history of magic? Let's take a quick look at that evolution. Atmosphere and Spell In the beginning ... We know nothing or next to nothing about the beginning. So let's move forward a little ... To when thos~ who did magic (let's not specify what kind of magic), used words and spells, sometimes comprehensible, sometimes unintelligible, to accompany their magical effects, healing miracles, games or tests. But I used the wrong word; "accompany" is not the appropriate verb. In reality, those words and formulas were what made the miracle ppen-"Abracadabra", "Hocus Pocus", "Mene Tekel Upharsin" and so y others of so many types and styles: Latin, Egyptian, Mesopotamian. metimes they used long passages, _repeated and recited continuously, 'th a thundering voice; other times they chanted in a deliberate monone. In any case, they had a double purpose: creating a special atmosphere d provoking the magica~ forces to produce the desired effect. ttention: Quickly, Very Quickly ater the so-called white magic, artistic magic, illusionism, went one way .and ritual magic went another. The patter of those who perform ritual magic and religious ceremo- nies are the formulas and long spells. Evidently they have more time at "their disposal to achieve their objectives. A session of ritual magic can last the whole night. A religious ceremony can go on as long as desired. The devoted and faithful for either are just that: devoted and faithful to their beliefs. They are, then, believers; and therefore they are patient ( expunging from this word any pejorative or ironic connotation) in the sense that they are not in a rush. They can wait. The magician-illusionist of the middle ages who performed in the street needed to capture the attention of passers-by and hold it for the time needed to perform his "experiments" and, probably, sell something or win a bet such as "Where is the ball? Under which cup?" For that the magician needed first to attract attention with a loud, strong voice. Second, he had to use continuous patter promising marvels and astonishments, and that explained to those at the rear of the crowd what was going on, because they might not be able to see the performan.,ce clearly enough. Besides being an interesting patter, it was probably sprinkled with jokes. And it was delivered quickly. Above all quickly and abundantly. And there we have the charlatan. That patter, of course, also helped to distract attention from the secret. Recited patter was learned by heart through constant repetition, although there could be a degree of improvisation, prompted by admiring or humorous interruptions from those close to the action, children, drunks, etc. (j 343 Verse and Music: Illustration and Emotion fense and Credibility tle to castle, mandolin at the ready, the minstrel unfolded his verses and ater, having entered the theater, conjuring disguised itself in the mask of ie~ce in order not to be prosecuted by the almost almighty ecclesiastical song_s, sometimes narrating stories and legends, other times accompany- ass. Conjurers worked to distinguish themselves from warlocks, necro- ing his own juggling routines or those of the attending acrobat; juggling ancers and acolytes of Beelzebub (life and freedom we~e at stake), and routines that, as we know, were combined with legerdemain and demon- eir patter turned scientific and pseudo-scientific. Phys~cus. Professor. strations of ability, skill and sleight-of-hand. The first manipulations. tter makes a connection with the latest scientific disc~veries: the mag- On the other hand, from town to town, from square to square, from cas- small measure and was almost always a narrative. We don't really know etic properties of a lodestone, human magnetism, novel 0ptical apparatus (the magic lantern and its phantasmagorias, then photography), ether, which was the central entertainment: the story, tale or legend, nanated and clockwork, machinery, automata that move on their own and even appear illustrated by leaps, acrobatics, juggling and sleight-of-hand; or whether the to have intelligence, Pinetti, the acrobats' feats were the main attraction, accompanied by verse and song. Perhaps it was a balance of the two. In any case, the patter, which others, even unto the (magical?) appearance of the great Robert-Houdin. Now patter had two goals. Initially it was defensive, to demonstrate was important, no longer had the function of calling attention, maintain- that the Angel of Evil had nothing to do with conjurers' prodigies. Later ing it and misleading. The spectators got together to watch and listen to it was used to make the suspension of incredulity easier for audiences. jongleurs and minstrels in squares and fairgrounds. They had time. They came to enjoy themselves. They could listen more attentively. The verses and songs could narrate legends, lyrical or epic romances, or just exciting and interesting stories. Again there was a double purpose: for the performers to illustrate what was about to come, thanks to their legerdemain, and to move their listeners with their verses, songs and stories. ft leaned on science and its discoveries to achieve an astonished atmo- Parody, Buffoonery and Laughs lish our theater today"), outrageous pseudo-scientific explanations (such The jester or buffoon, meanwhile, had moved into the castle or feudal as optical rays that smell like jasmine and produce the transformation of house of the nobility, and had to make the not-so-cultivated dominant water into wine). He thus introduced a fashion of elegant patter with good class have fun. diction and grammar, discretion, politeness and a sprinkling of pleasantries. Even though the patter might have lost some emotion, lyricism, interest That patter, perhaps in verse, perhaps sung, was explanatory in very Let's r~member the typical and perhaps somewhat hackneyed image of a medieval banquet. The noble warriors had drunk abundantly and in Great Wizard of the North and so many sphere, yet to be to some extent believable. Elegance and Distinction But it was principally Robert-Houdin who modernized patter, freeing it from excess or what he considered excessive: tasteless jokes and exaggerated speed, verbosity, boundless mawkishness ("I will now address one of the most beautiful flowers in the orchard formed by the ladies that embel- and ability to capture attention, it still fulfilled its function and complied excess. The jester must entertain them. Betweenjoke andjoke, there was some sleight-of-hand trick But the jokes, the parody, the pranks, the fun with its objective: to bring magic closer to the upper classes (the lower and the buffoonery went first. These are the origins of comedy magic in and attracted. Intellectuals were becoming, to a limited extent, interested its spoken form. in conjuring, and prestidigitation entered the salons and theaters more and classes had always had it near). So other types of audiences were discovered N more surely, displaying more elegance and dignity, to appeal to the highe classes of society and their more discriminating values. Oh, Oh, -The intellectual plots of Flip ("The Invisible Hole", "The onusion, Ostonishment, Oh") and Ferragut (The Etruscan Shuffle) ... Psychology also entered the picture, in a much more methodical form. Psychology had always had its function in patter, but psychological Prin.. ciples were now being applied more consciously, by Guyot, Decrernps, Robert-Houdin and others. -The philosophical plots of Adriol! ... -The excellent.comedy patter of Juan Anton (Porompomp6n), Pepe Regueira (Cut and Restored Rope), Pepe Carrol (The Cannibals), This patter, I'll say once more, is less exciting,. but that doesn't mean it doesn't carry other artistic values. Stories continued to be told, as were jokes; and scientific plots were still exploited. Scripts were carefully con- Thousand Pesetas") ... -The beautiful, exciting and paradigmatic scripts of Rene!Lavand ("Maybe structed, perhaps learned and recited, but with doses of improvisation and the occasional lyrical touch or metaphor. I Eugene Burger (the Gypsy Thread), Armando de Migue~ ("The Fourteen Some Day", and so many others) ... -The magnificent scripts of Slydini ("The Mongolians", "Adam's Apple") ... -The lyrical premises of Luis Garcia. And those of Ignacio Brieva (his "solo" with a luminous rope) .... Everything and Nothing Patter continued to play a vital role through the remainder of the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth: the "Golden Age of Magic". But we then reach the mid-twentieth century. Previously, patter had had value in creating a mysterious atmosphere, for weaving a magical spell, for capturing attention, for its skillful use of psychology to deceive the mind, for illustration, for evoking lyrical and epic emotion, musical value in verse and the song, for increasing credibility and therefore illusion, for narration and legend. But for a time in the mid-1900s, patter almost ceased to exist. While there were a few outstanding comedy magicians who used patter to great effect, "international", non-speaking magic acts done to music dominated, in which magic (with the rare exception) lost-a lot! These acts were dull, insubstantial, neither lyrical nor exciting, without patter, either elegant or tacky. The truth that, sometimes, at some point, it was a mixture of everything and nothing, more nothing than everything. Some Light But, of course, at that time, there were some brilliant and luminous points. In the middle of the twentieth century and at its end I met and enjoyed some of them. Luckily, the scene has changed considerably. 214 New trends have arisen jn magic, especially in close-up and parlor magic, in which patter full of beauty, cleverness and depth is featured. There are some magnificent examples, from the very suggestive plots of Eugene Burger and Robert E. Neale to the very amusing ones of Pit Hartling, from the very clever ones of Luis Piedrahita to the original and creative ones of Juan Esteban Varela, from the classical and poetic ones of Miguel Aparicio to the profound and philosophical ones of Max Maven .... How lucky we are. Logically, I can't know the future of patter or what will be in patter in the future. But I do know what I would like it to be: a carefully studied patter '\ that is emotional; that transmits lyricism, fear, joy, horror; that is ironic or legendary, sweet or aggressive, scientific or fantastic .... But in any case, I hope it complies with these three functions: 1. It psychologically helps the illusion and is in service to magic. 2. It creates an emotional atmosphere and mystery. 214. I am writing this in 2013. 3. It expresses and communicates the inner magician, as richly as possible. of the artist' ' And it does all that without overshadowing the magic without b . . ' ec mg he~vy, without falling into being memorized patter recited mechanic as delivered by a bad actor, but is lived and felt. Who's up for it? We'll talk again. · More (Second Approach) ie the previous thoughts in 2013. Now I want to look at the other side coin. I will come close to contradicting myself-sorry-as I update oughts and ideas on the subject of patter, and I will use 1some more nal examples. e beginning was the word. We should not forget the magical value traditionally attributed, in · es and latitudes, to the word. Hence the magic spell. All religions their formulas and sacred incantations. From the "Hoc est enim cormeum"-which in the Catholic religion performs the miracle of the substantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of a god-to the "abracadabra" of remote magical origins, to the formulas recitations of shamans and the "hocus pocus" (thought likely to be a odic deformation of the preceding Catholic formula). But let's remember how the Catholic priest recites the words "Hoc est i'Yfi ... " His pronunciation is slow, solemn, deliberate, ritualistic. As is the nunciation of the shaman, the pope, the healer, the prophet. Our "abracabra" and "Sim Sala Bim" should be made artistically believable through our ay of reciting them. I believe, though, that we need new words, revivified rmulas, adapted to the magician's personality, to each of us and to our times. An example of the power of the voice and words is the magnificent and impressive patter (and its tone) of Eugene Burger in his "Cosmic Thread" presentation for the Gypsy Thread. I have written an experiment in the creation of atmosphere through voice and ,,. spells for Gustavo and Consuelo Lorgia called "The Magician against the Dark". In it, a voiceover, accompanied by music and sound effects, unfolds several spells .intertwined with the magical actions that take place in the scene. The effectiveness was ( and is) notable. The Function of Patter Although this may seem to contradict the opinions I expressed earlier, I believe, today, that patter can sometimes be very simple. Just a few words a card. The Two of Clubs? ShUJJte AnY involuntary visual distraction, any visual difficulty ("The spee- and make four piles yourself. Pick one. We turn over the top card of the r in front of me moved his head, and I missed something." "The coin pile. It's a Seven. I count seven cards and put the seventh aside. Did yo too shiny, and I couldn't tell if it_was silver or copper." "I am sitting say the Two of Clubs? We turn the card over and it is-the Two of Clubst' far away and can't really see that the box is empty."), is compensated In this example, I have purposely omitted the possible uses of patter to improve the conditions of the trick in the memory of the spectator (thor..: with verbal information. In this case, in all oth~r moments, the double means/ of communica- oughly discussed in the previous chapter on "Mag~c and Memory") and its n, visual and auditory, reconfirms what was witnessed. ;tt clarifies it and useto better dramatize the trick or effect (better adjectives, etc.), because cords it more firmly in memory, which will help, without a doubt, for I want to discuss the function of patter used simply to clarify the effect. er feeling and enjoying the magical effect. And isn't that the fundamen- Even if my example sounds cold, bare and not at all artistic, even ifit sounds objective of our art? So, I think this kind of patter, apparently redundant and hardly subtle, that actions show: obvious, unnecessary and redundant, I believe that is by no means the case. 1 215 demands an absolute concentration of the spectators' attention on anything ' sometimes very artistic. It makes people feel the art of magic. Obviously, I'm not proposing that this kind of patter always be used. I that happens during the trick Furthermore, that attention should be contin- convinced that its abuse can make the presentation of a trick unbear- uous, without the slightest moment of inattention, because at the end of the bly monotonous and confusing. And what I've said doesn't prevent trick that would permit a possible cause for doubt in the impossibility of the tter from carrying occasional components of literary beauty and quality, effect ("Maybe, when I wasn't looking or was distracted, he took the coins"). hether it be in the words themselves, in the story or in the significance of Spectators should also remember actions ("The box was totally empty, he e narration. When the actions in the procedure of the trick are visually showed it on all sides"), numbers ("They chose twenty-four"), details ("There ear and direct, they may not need patter, although music, perhaps, might are now two silver coins and one copper coin"), etc. On top of that, they added. Other actions may increase in fascination as a result of a meta- Let me explain: Magic, as I have already indicated elsewhere in this book 216 should observe that nothing secret occurs, there is nothing hidden, there is phoric, poetic patter, without it interfering with clarity. nothing they don't see. It is not easy. It might even be tiring. Or worse, people 215. Something similar happens in film. Dialogs of great literary beauty (like those in French films of the mid-twentieth century by Michel Audiard and others) revealed themselves as anti-artistic because they fought against image. Sometimes the best dialogs in film are: "Hi. Haven't seen you for a while. Look at these flowers." When Renoir read a script with dialogs that ""touched him deeply, he told the author, "I'm not doing the movie. Publish it." 216. The patter premises of Rene Lavand, thanks to his poetic recitation, sometimes have a function of sonorous, almost musical, accompaniment, in addition to the meaning of the words. Proof of that is the strong emotion they produce in spectators who don't know a single word of Spanish. On the other hand, we have all felt great emotion with the patter premises and phrases of the great Rene that, if put into writing, seem almost banal and cold: ''It can't may not be able to pay attention to everything and will miss the sensation of the impossible and fail to become immersed in the fascination of magic. It is here that merely explanatory and voluntarily redundant patter fulfills its function of helping the spectators. They receive the information through two complementary means: what they see and what they hear. And both clarify the actions. As a spectator, I see that the magician shows the top card of the ,chosen packet. It is a Seven. And I hear, "I'll show you the top card of the chosen packet. It is a Seven." I see him count seven cards and I hear, ''I am counting seven cards. " I see him tum over the seventh card. It is the Two of Clubs, and I hear, ''I turn over the seventh card and it is the Two of Clubs!" be done any slower." ''And I still have three breadcrumbs." 350 ;:351 Patter That Creates Rhythm (a Personal Example) As I've explained in the section on Rhythm, I found when pe:rfo Oliver MacKenzie's "My Drink .· Trick" 217 that I could not trul · Y Incre the .rhythm of the successive Buckle Counts. The actions have a ph • · But I wanted to accelerate the rhythm of the presentation. Y spee d r1m1t. figured out that, when I increased the speed of my speech, the rhythm the. effect seemed to increase. It only appeared to increase, since all t counts were executed at the same speed. 81 you can see, there is a progressive increase in the number of words first ten counts. The counts therefore appear to be done faster and due to the increase in the spee~ of my diction, as is necessary for to say the words in the same amount of time. There is a pause as the cards are turned over after the;appearance of Joker. The last four counts also increase in rhythm lea4ing to the final ax: "What do I see?" I put the cards away and get off i:ny chair mum"1 have no idea what I do see and what I don't see.: .. " initiating an that always brings applause, applause that is surely relaxing after the y produced by the patter and my actions. 218 This is only one example of the potential of patter. r, ' To increase the speed of my diction in a natural way, I progressive increased the number of words in the same time interval, the time it tak me to do the Buckle Count. Here is the patter I use: 1. Here I have one, two, three andfour blue cards. 2. If I tap, an Ace appears. 3. If I tap once more, I get another Ace. 4. If I tap a third time, I get another Ace. 5. And if I tap a fourth time, the fourth Ace appears. 6. But if I now tap once again, it transforms into a King. 7. If I give it yet another tap, if transforms into another King. 8. But if I give it yet another tap, it transforms into yet another King. 9. And if I give it afourth and last tap, it transforms into the fourth King. 10. Sometimes they ask me, ''But, aside from Kings and Aces, could, they turn into ... ! don't know ... Jokers?" Jokers? What do I know! (Pause. Generally applause.) 11. I see them all red. 12. Well, I see little birds. 13. Little red birds? No, little green birds. 14. Well, all I see are roses and other flowers. 15. And you? What do you see? What do I see! I have no idea what I do see or what I don't see .... -----217. Seep. 296. I provisation (Personal Applications) e above example, as well as the ideas I am about to explain, are strictly rsonal and their only value is as examples of practical applications to a le, my own. I am publishing them just in case they may contain infortion useful to you. I never write out my patter. I don't want to memorize patter. It would ow. I am a bad actor. So I try to have a very clear connecting thread, ich I then improvise on. Repetition of the trick, performance after .erformance, leads me over time to learn almost identical phrases. I try, ough, to alter each phrase every time, except in verbal gags, which require extreme care in the choice of words, rhythm, pauses and inflection. For example, when performing Six-Card Repeat, I introduce the trick ysaying: "We were in Malaga, magicians gathering at a convention. It was ... two months ... no, three months ago ... and we spent a wonderful night 218. By the way, I leave all the cards except the last four-those with fantasy backsin the outer breast pocket of my jacket or shirt. I bring my hand with the remaining four cards from my pocket and give them to someone. When the nearly exhausting patter ends, along with the no less exhausting rhythm of actions and the fourteen(!) visual effects, there is a release of tension that completely prevents the spectators from noticing that I put the cards briefly into my pocket. So they usually stay and look at the cards and feel them, truly a-ston-ished. n was a young thirteen years crystal box filled with handkerchiefs, and he transformed them into lit birds ... a wonderful night. And there was a beautiful lady magician. and we spent a wonderful night together, too .... I mean, thinking oft handkerchiefs and the little birds. And there was ... " But on another day, it might come out like this: "The magicians gathered together two weeks ago in Valencia ... an we spent a wonderful night together . There was a young magician .. . must have been, I don't know, eighteen, no more. He showed three cloc and transformed them into Iberico hams ... a wonderful night. And was a beautiful lady magician. We also had a wonderful night .... I mean speaking about clocks and eating ham. Eh? And there was ... " On a third day it could be this: ''A year ago, last summer, we had a convention of magicians. We get together once a year.... It was in Huesca and we spent a wonderful night together. There was a very, very young magician, almost a child ... ten years old or so ... who had a box full of shoes for the right foot. He threw it into the air, and when it landed it was full of shoes for the left foot! wonderful night. And there was this beautiful lady magician. We spent a wonderful night together, too .... I mean trying on the shoes and all that ... no? And there was ... " The details of when and where the convention took place, as well as the young magician's effect and his age, change. Sometimes I just pick one from several I have used before; other times I make it up as I go. My point is that, by having to choose, remember and improvise some of the facts of the naturally show some hesitation, some effort in remembering. That way, I cannot make it automatic. The patter comes out sounding fresh, spontaneous. I only repeat some phrases ("We spent a wonderful night together... ") the same way every time. They are verbal gags and have just the right words and pauses, which I have internalized to produce humor. adapted them to myself, fine-tuned and tested them through experience. cannot change them without running the risk that one day they will work another day they won't. But they are brief, and it is not noticed that eat them the same way every time. Or it shouldn't be noticed. Facial ·ress10 · ns and inflections of the voice - help me maintain a conversational 219 confidential tone, distant from a memorized one. . By the way, the joke about the beautiful lady magiciflll and the wonl night we spent tog~ther also serves as motivation ~or a gesture that nceals a secret action. I mold a spectacular woman's;' figure in the air, inning with my hands at shoulder level and bringing them down as I ax and continue the motion of my right hand toward the back pocket of y trousers, from where I secretly remove, always relaxed, the seventeen ra cards I will add to the six a spectator has been holding. My particular technique for developing patter is this: 1) Never write it down. 2) Never learn it. 3) Rather than studying it or creating it cold, I usually· improvise it (usually, but with abundant exceptions) during rehearsals and successive performances. I gradually construct it by accretion and repetition of improvisations. Making an audio-recording of the performance is very useful for this. 4) I follow a carefully considered connecting thread and try to have very clear in my mind what I want to say, what I intend to express, communicate and make people feel. 5) I improvise on it and vary the phrases as much as possible. 6) I gradually fine-tune the lines for verbal gags. I repeat those the same way every time, except for slight improvements. There are unquestionably many different and fantastic techniques for developing patter. Rene Lavand was an absolute master in this, as was 219. There is a curious thing regarding the techniques discussed about improvising over a structure or connecting thread. In some storytelling techniques, like that of the admirable storyteller Francisco Garzon, you also improvise over a connecting thread; but in these cases it doesn't matter, perhaps it's almost the contrary, if the inflection of voice and the gestures separate us from a strictly conversational tone and bring us closer to a tone of stage narrative. ,..... \ .1 Slydini. Max Maven and others also have magnificent techhiqu The important thing for me is to be aware of our final and artistic obje tive, to have it clearly defined and to adapt the patter-and the rest the performance: the tricks, gestures, attitudes-to this objective and our styles, tastes, personas, so that we enjoy the patter as we make it u when we write it (if we prefer) and, above all, when performing. And th we try to say our lines in such a way that, when combining them with th actions of our magic, they don't seem artificial, but rather it is noticed tha they are felt by us and are true artistic expressions of ourselves. THE SEVEN MAGlC VElLS HE veils that cover magical mysteries are seven. Magical mysteries and those artistic aspects that are felt by the audince despite the spectators being unaware of the existence of the veils. And are felt without knowing why. And this, not knowing why they are felt, their being unknown· is, in ach of the seven cases, a true magical mystery. Feeling, not unveiling, those mysteries is to dance to the true performg art of magic. Let's talk about those veiled mysteries. The Mystery of Love for What You Do The love of magic-it's useless if it's not passionate. You train, you :rehearse, you study, you read, you talk, you dig deep into magic, with'Out obligation, without an objective, for its own sake, for affection, for communicating with other magicians (men and women who enjoy and fove magic as we do). And that love for what you do, for our craft, for the history of our art, for those who devote themselves to it, is perceived 358 359 by the audience. They enjoy seeing our love for what we present. The immerse themselves in that joy, that love, that passion. They find the selves enveloped by all of it, and they also love what they see! ~e Mystery of Knowledge and Wisdom Why do they perceive it? Why can they distinguish the artist who lov ~ ' 1 do a trick and I know who invented it,· if I know the evolution of the what he does from another who, even when more skilled (apparentl ) ck, its variants, its versions, if I know who has performed it, if I have than the former, doesn't touch them as deeply with his art? How can the spectator know all that without anyone telling hirn? und out about its author or authors, then when pres1nting it (I don't ' y 'It's a mystery. (Only Frakson knows it.) ow why), the audience· senses my knowledge of that trick and it affects em more deeply. The same thing happens with the entire session. If I kJ;low more sleights Second Veil - ~ the ones I use, if I know more tricks than those I perform, if I am versed The Mystery of Effort :fu more branches of magic than the ones I show in that session, if I know The more you love what you do, the easier it is to devote more constant more magicians, if I have witnessed more sessions, if I have read more books, and thorough effort to it. Effort to rehearse. Effort to learn. Effort to train ' to fine-tune, to improve, to perlect-yourself. If I perlorm a trick I bought, the secret of which relies on something ;lf l have attended more conventions, if I know the history of magic and magicians in depth, all that knowledge, all that undisplayed wisdom brings depth ~d artistic authorship to the trick, the session and the magician. mechanical or on the creator's clever, perhaps even marvelous, ingenuity, How do the spectators know that I know? but the method demands little or no effort from me, no matter how won- I don't know. It's a mystery. derful the effect is, the spectators can feel (and I don't know how) the lack of effort on my part. They sense an absence of dedication and they don't like the trick as much. They don't feel it as much. They don't love it as much. How is the vital energy of the magician transmitted? How does it reach the But if I have devoted time, energy, enthusiasm, effort, hard but joyful spectators? I am not referring to the rhythm or the speed or overacting or work, to the technique ( digital, corporeal, psychological) or to the emo- screams or false attitudes, postures and exaggerated actions. I am referring tional structure or to the patter and its adaptation to my personality, even to when there is an inner energy that comes from and is transmitted through though the effect might appear the same as ( or even inferior to) that of the solar plexus to the spectators (yes, we know this, but how?), and it hits another trick to which I devoted no effort, the spectators will like the first one more, they will feel it more and they don't know why. them and embraces them and moves them and makes them vibrate. The amount of physical, mental and emotional effort, the intensity of energy, the concentration, the time spent, the rehearsal, the research ~ Where does it originate? How is it transmitted? Is there an intellectual energy, a physical energy and an emotional energy? How are the batteries of those energies charged? and dedication put into a trick, give that trick an energy that the spec- I know that eating well and sleeping well help, as do being cheerlul tators perceive. It makes them feel it more and like it more and enjoy it more. Why? and relaxed and confident. Health is essential. And I should be intellec- It's a mystery. tually clear, not muddy, and I should park all negative emotions. I should concentrate on thinking, feeling and acting with all my intensity, with all ,,,. n my enthusiasm, with all my to transmit strongly and poWerfuII But when I was operated on for cataracts, my myopia was corrected. the love for what I do and my deep knowledge of it. Then, and only then ow I ·can see almost perfectly, with only slight astigm.atism. I had to can I make the audience explode with heartfelt applause, unloading the' excess of the powerful, almost physically unbearable energy received from the magician. But, once again: How do we transmit this energy that you can almost touch but can't see? Waves? Vibrations? · It's a mystery! rn~ve the gag. The audience would still laugh at it, but the line is no nger truthful, and because of that, the audience would no longer laugh the same way; they would feel a certain lack of truth. The truth applies to the whole of our art, to the truth !of style and the th of personality. (Out, copies! Out, rip-offs!) Regar~ing the truth of e magician's personality-the most important thing df all-if there is Veil jiurnbleness it should be genuine; if there is charm or fascination, those The Mystery of J!Ualities should respond to the truth (the artistic truth) of the magician ene Lavand); if there is comedy or humor, they should be features of The most essential thing in the art of deception is truth. That's the great e magician's persona (Gaetan Bloom, Topper Martyn); if there is dance paradox. The truth of everything above, of the previous mysteries. Truth drama, they should be lived by him (the Pendragons; Richiardi, Jr.); in the love of what you do. Not that "it seems as if" but that it "is". Truth if there is a certain atmosphere, it should be felt as true (Luis Garcia); if of the knowledge, not apparent knowledge, not invented knowledge. (If I perform voodoo and speak of the phenomenon of voodoo, I should be informed about it. I should have read about it and have become truly acquainted with the subject-in order to tell the truth of what I truly know about the possible truth of the subject.) And true, not pretended, energy, and true joy; not a stereotyped smile. there is inner poetry, it should be authentic (Finn Jon); if there is joy or love, it should be real (Frakson). The best vanish is that of making pretense and inauthenticity disap.pear. The audience surely feels this and perceives it. But how? It's a mystery, isn't it. Truly feeling the magical effect. Even though the phenomenon we present is not real, the emotions that resonate with it and that we feel (magician and spectators) are indeed real; and that's the artistic truth, which is so easily The Mystery of a Rich World perceived, or missed, in the closeups of the face of the magician on television. How can the audience know that the inner world of the magician is a rich We also have a strange half-paradox: The better the performer-the more expressive he is, the greater his capacity for communication-the one and is, therefore, full of interest? How does the audience.find out that more easily he will betray that he is acting. If he fakes it, it will be noticed that he's actually sad but wants to feign joy. It is easier for him to communicate sincerity and truth when they are genuine. Artistic truth should be present in the smallest details. I used to joke, "Show the card. I don't want to see it. Other magicians blindfold themselves. I don't need to, " and I would take off my thick-lensed glasses. the magician is cultivated (and not simply knowledgeable), that he has experienced pain and passion, joy and love, fear and sadness? That he has fought and lost and fallen and then recovered? Or that he has studied and analyzed and reflected? That he has his own ideas and personal concepts? That he is grounded and feels nature, that he has developed an inner spirituality, that he has delved into other allied arts; and that, in spite of it all, he is not free of contradictions, he still has doubts and hesitations and is therefore deeply human and a worthy member of mankind? n N How do the spectators of a show know all that (and much mdre). know that they know, but I don't know how they know it. It's a deep mystery. ~ Seventh Veil The Mystery of Love But there is a love different from that of the art: the love of the person.. alities of the spectators. For the people who are there to see you and enjoy and feel and have fun. Who return your love. And I'm not talking love in uppercase, literary or grand. I'm referring to affection, of human sympathy (so many problems, sometimes so much pain) in artistic joy, in the immense pleasure of sharing the experience of the impossible, of the spectators' sympathy and empathy with the personality of the magician, with that man or woman who produces and transmits the extremely beautiful emotion of art. And that's how this sending and receiving of energy and emotion and affection and play and joy are mysteriously transmitted. It's making love with the audience. And that's the great act of love that a magic session is. Love for the audience, love of mystery, love of the magician-and back to the beginning-love of magic, love for our fellow human beings who are the spectators. The mystery of love and magic. ON MAGlC ENERGY A Minimal and Impossible Attempt at an Unveiling ere is a magic energy, the energy of the magician. It is born within the magiian and provokes an explosion of his artistic attitude. It is generated (and ow could it not be?) by his love and relentless passion. Desire or enthusiasm is not enough, I think Fire! Fire is what the artist, creator or interpreter (that is to say re-creator) needs. An artist-volcano. Magic energy bursts from him. It produces earthquakes in the emotions, tremors in logic; it moves oceans with amazement and produces giant waves of illusion, joy and mystery. Explosive energy ( or contained energy that is nevertheless perceived and felt from the outside): artistic tension. It manifests sometimes as a subtle, lyrical fumarole that only appears to be slight; at other times it is concealed behind the playful mask of laughter, to avoid possible first-degree bums; yet it always allows the inevitable explosion of magical energy from the magician-volcano. And light. Luminosity that shines in the eyes, that throws a sparkling glance. Magic beacons. a roaring, silent in the beginning, announcing explosi the magical mystery, of the secular miracle-of the impossible made Pos And, once again, that magic energy is transmitted through a sp binding glance, a rigorous and charming word; hands that conjure; fi (bases and pillars) that support, that give assurance; and above all, ab that burns, and shoots the energy through the appropriately named so plexus, like the Sun King, burning bright, powerful, almost danger Arid through it the magician delivers his irrepressible and powerful wav of magical energy. From then on, it's on fire. And if magic energy is born inside the magician, thanks to his passio (for magic and life, Isis and Eros), and if that magical Big Bang creat and vomits stars and suns of illusion, comets of enchantment and galaxi of impossible and exciting mystery, then, and only then, do the burni flames ignite the hidden and sometimes ignored torches in each of t participating spectators, active contributors to the deeply beautiful m · rite; and then, and only then, does it scorch their spirit and produce th exciting miracle of the fire that doesn't bum, of the brilliant light that THE LlTTLE MONKEYS About a Wonderful, Superb, Endearing and Unforgettable Show doesn't blind, of the fabulous inner explosion that doesn't harm; rather haven't talked about them for a long time. But they are always pres- the opposite: fire, joyful light and explosion, an unparalleled experience . The emotion of the art of magic and mystery. nt in my thoughts and in my heart. They have given me such wonderful Secret or them! The thing is that, of all the many shows in night clubs, circuses and Passion (of course). oments! I've had so much fun, laughed and cried so much with them and 'variety shows I have seen over the last fifty years, either live or on tele'vision, here in Spain, in London, in Paris, Italy, Las Vegas, Buenos Aires or New York, they, the little monkeys, have been the best of the best. The tnost amazing and also the most emotional. Can you remember them? The tall trainer, with his gorgeous mustache, his bright and colorful outfit, his benign gaze and broad, warm, wonderful smile. And they-the little monkeys-"The Seven Little African Monkeys". That's how the troupe was billed. Seven monkeys: five males and two females, absolutely marvelous. How could you forget the little jokester monkey, the teaser? (Willie?) He hid the trainer's stick, pulled his mustache and hung paper puppets on his back! And what about Marco, the big guy, ruffian-like, cocky, kind of a tough N guy, always in disagreement with the trainer, always arrogant, except wh near the end, the other monkeys expressed their friendship to him by 1 ingly extending their hands! How could you not be moved when thin · of Suzie, the serious female monkey, studious, disciplined in her ex~rcis ready to react to any gesture of the trainer and probably in love with · The same happened to the fascinating Silvinne, even though she disguise it; her glances, her nervousness, her embarrassment, when he lovingly p ted her, betrayed her! How could you not fall in love with Silvinne, pla of justified pride, beaming with satisfaction at the exercises of his e monkeys, of his Willie, his Suzie, his Silvinne, his Slypi, his Marco, .Amadeus and his Chento, the little tightrope-walking monkey who tched them from above. You vibrated with their performance. You were amaze/d and touched ost to the point of tears. (Didn't Suzie almost considet suicide when and flirtatious, with her languid glances, her mischief between jump and jump, and her winks between stunts and somersaults! The trainer also .e was scolded by her beloved trainer?) But-and this is as important as the rest-this show remained and ains an indelible memory for us, because it was amazing and at the e time tender. Because it was a marvelous act of skill and proficiency, loved her and suffered because of her feigned disdain, and was jealous-it was evident-of her continuous flirting with the spectators. d because it was a fascinating, enchanting, charming and endearing famthls celebrated troupe, "Don Jose and His Seven Little African Monkeys". Sure, they were a troupe of little monkeys that did things similar to what other monkey troupes did before, then and after. Similar: the exer.. cises; the jumps that, incidentally, were amazing, marvelous, incredibley the five somersaults; the final twist. They were fantastic! But what distinguished them ( didn't it, Pepe?) and made them differ-ent was their "humanity", the sensation of being in front of a trainer who had a different personal relationship with each of them, who took care of them, who taught them, sometimes maybe dominated them, but always, and no one can deny this, he loved them, adored them. And that's where I think their secret lies. They were admirable and endearing. Their relationships transmitted life. They transmitted emotions. The lazy Slypi, a living yawn, a hopeless vagabond, slow in his exercises, nonchalant, indifferent to the applause of the audience, caring little about his trainer's orders. He made you nervous. You wanted to poke him, stir him up. Sometimes he made you angry, but it soon passed when you saw him smiling, so pleasantly leaning on the shoulder of the such a nice guy, such a bon vivant. Aside from amazement, there was emotion. The surprised "Oh!", the almost yelled "Ah!", when Amadeus, the clumsy one, slipped and fell; the tender "Mmm" for Suzie; the irrepressible laugh with Willie; the trainer getting upset and the heartfelt, emotional applause at his last glance, ' Wasn't it something unforgettable? Right, Ifiaki (who came with us and took a deep breath)? Wasn't it like a dream? d that's what it was: a dream. Let me now make a confession. I am about to reveal something very timate: I haven't seen the show with the seven monkeys. Never heard of them. They never existed. There was no Willie, no Suzie, no Don Jose the But I dreamed of them. I saw them in my imagination. They filled my mind and my dreams with a real unreality. I have seen them and enjoyed their somersaults (five of them) and eir adventures, their evolution and their relationships with Don Jose. I have witnessed the mellowing of the temperamental Marco, who has been losing his aggressiveness over the years; the transition of Willie from joke to satire (sometimes he goes too far); the charm, slightly ridiculous nowadays, of a somewhat withered Silvinne (the years take their toll), ,perhaps more endearing because of that, and certainly not disdained (will all this end in romance?). Sometimes-only sometimes-very seldom-I have talked ab them (Pepe Carrol and Ifiaki Brieva kept the shared secret well for Don Jose's troupe shows how I think our magic tricks could be. And how our relationship with the objects we manipulate could the balls, the knives, the ropes (Ifiaki with his lyrical act of ropes black light), the.rings (Pepe Carrol with his spellbinding Linking Rin the cigarettes (Frakson with his dialogs with invisible cigarettes: "Vi mon petit, here ... here-come on ... now."). There, the inspiring source finally came out: the master of magic-lo Mr. Jose Frakson. He used to say, "We should talk to the cards tom them rise in the houlette. We have to feel they are our friends, tell the nice things, love them. The audience will also feel it and love us." Frakson was not a dream, although he deserved to be. And I think this can be done with all our magic. We could individu the balls, know them, give them names; or the knives, the red one alwa A BEAUTlfUL PROFESSlON Of LOVE complaining, the white one untamable, that blue one, sweet and always co placent. We could feel the objects, animate them, giving them a soul. Th playing cards: that Ace of Spades, a little boastful and so big, the belove Queen of Hearts (my favorite, a symbol of so much), those proud Diamon He who doesn't work while singing his desires is lonely, exploited, and no false happiness of other lives will be able to compensate him. -Antonio Gala the surprising and crazy Jokers, sometimes hypnotizing, other times creatin live what you love. Intensely. And play. Joyfully. Being able to devote your coins and money to the tune of a harmonica, always magical and ornnipr e to researching, to learning, to reading, to experimenting and to creating. ent. Feel how the Queen of Hearts blushes, notice how the ambitious Ten o To give over your hours to fine-tuning and perfecting the instruments Diamonds rises, observe how the four cannibals engulf the poor Jacks, hal11 will use for your great moments of communication. livery and all. Wish, nervously expect, believe, that the imagined card (per .Your best moment, your most rested time. Your more productive haps the tender Three of Hearts today, or maybe the fragile Two of Clubs) urs. Your entire time. Without rush, without anxiety. For the sheer pleasure of looking and turn itself over and show its face amongst all the other cards' backs. To feel, after all, a fraternal relationship with cards, dice, balls handkerchiefs, to know their wishes, their frustrations, their illusions delusions, to fill Ourselves with their presence, to feel the beating of the· hearts, to know their surrealistic whims, to impregnate ourselves wit their authentic, mysterious and beautiful magic .... Don Jose and his seven African monkeys remind us of this every night, in every dream. leling. And to feel that you can communicate and express through what like, through what you love. To feel that others look for you and find you through your creative work feel and experience that you live and you are filled; that when you are full u surr:ender, you irradiate, you transmit; that you recharge again when unicating, the communication increases and you express yourself; ~t you tell yourself; that they listen, they listen to you and understand. N That you melt. That they love you. Living as you live your sessions. the joy of finding. the divine pleasure of creating. Living as you live your rehearsals. With beautiful little pasteboards - Living as you live your creations. or with humble matches. Through playing. With symbolic threads with simple paper and pencil. From innocence. From imagination. From the festive joy With innocent thimbles or with not-so-innocent coins. that comes from your fingers. With everything mundane: handkerchiefs Through mystery. and doves and rabbits; Through amazement. or with everything unreal: rings, Of surprise. strange boxes and unicorns. Of the impossible made possible. Flirting with some audience, Through the granted wish. having an affair with that other, Through escaping, free from ties talking with a third one and chains. and falling in love with all of them, Of creating from nothing. making love with all of them. Of giving back to the nothing. Filling yourself with the electricity Of transforming, and foreseeing, produced by the sleight you have mastered, and multiplying. after long work and loving dedication, Through the dream come true. thus achieving the impossible effect Of flying and levitating and rising of that surprising transformation that, and ascending. along with this impossible vanish, Of mastering chance. .constructs this mystery that produces the emotion Of to be or not to be. of the shared and vital, Wishes, dreams, symbols, myths fascinating and joyous, magical moment. Erotic. come true. ~ Find out where to place the forefinger, Lived poetry. how to bend your pinkie, what gesture to make, And the craftsman's pleasure. how to cross the gaze, And the taste for the trade mastered what words to say and their intonation. or soon to be. What rhythm to keep, what tempo, Or the satisfaction of delving deeply what cadence, what coordination to attempt, into knowledge. what subtle psychology to introduce, N what presentation to enrich, what misdirection to use, what atmosphere to create, what inner construction to build, what improvement, what variant, what adaptation to your personality to achieve, what to communicate, how to express, how to express yourself.... How to tell you. How to be. The endless refrain, the vertigo of returning to play, the esoteric, alchemic process to make that little span of time (perhaps minutes) that will later fill up the effect when you perform it, when you live it, a substantial and beautiful, a luminous and exciting time. Magical. To devote your energy, your wisdom, your gifts, to transform your miseries into virtues, to accept your personality, to accept yourself. To share with others who search and experience the same at anytime, any day, at any moment. Search for fullness in life and for love for what you love and live. This, this is the profession of magic. This, this is vvh~t the professional magician lives. (With all my love to those who are not, to those who are, to those who will be, to those who at some point have been, to those who don't want to be and to those who are in their hearts.) CHAPTBR7 THE MAGJC PYRAMlD THE MAGlC PYRAMlD oughout my many years (sixty?) of enjoying magic, of watching it, earning it and making my spectators dream, I believe I have understood d felt certain experiences, later transformed into concepts and reflecons about the art to which I am completely devoted, body (so many eautiful efforts!) and soul (so much passion!) in this incarnation, which I pe is not my last as a magician. Among these concepts, taken directly from experience, here are some at categorize magic, giving them the relative importance they possess the whole of its structure. More plainly put: those that are, for me, the ore and the less important things in our art. "" In some cases, these personal categories of importance have fought d collided against ideas acquired and received at the beginning of my istic journey. Let's look at a few. The Robert-Houdinic phrase, "The magician is an actor playing the of a sorcerer," is for me, in general and with the exception of certain tted sketches, inadequate at the least. In Chapter 5 (p. 264), I mentioned ow magic should be presented but not re-presented. It is introduced into N everyday life as a dream that invades reality, but it is within reality itse That is the reason why introducing fiction can fight against the sens tion of magic and obstruct the emotional impact of living the impossibl so specific to our art. Rather than repeat myself further, I refer you Chapter 5, where you can acquaint yourself more deeply with my thoughts: about the subject of story plots and fiction in magic. When I present my magic, I continue to be JuaIJ., with my own essen..; tials: ·age, tastes, character, etc. I am not an actor playing the part of someone else, a king, a judge, a beggar, an old man .... The only thing "play" at (not "represent") is the simulation of having or controlling certain magical powers. It is the same as when I play Mus (one of Spain's most popular card games) or poker. I will pretend to have terrible cards so that I can surprise my opponents with four Kings and win the game. I play at, I'm not an actor playing the part of a card player. 220 Other axioms, known to Decremps in the 1700s and that continue to be repeated to the present day: "There are no good or bad tricks, they are only well presented or badly presented. It doesn't matter what you do but how you do it. Presentation is the most important thing." Experience has taken me to a point where I don't share those thoughts anymore. I believe there are good tricks and bad tricks. I think the "what" matters. And I think presentation is the least important thing. I have seen the Linking Rings, Metamorphosis, the Invisible Deck, the Rising Cards-all of them not just good but wonderful tricks-performed by beginners and amateurs who are not particularly gifted in artistic performance. They perform with hesitations, shaky rhythm and almost no communication. Nevertheless, the magical strength of those tricks, both metaphoric and overt, is such that the spectators, including me, have felt the impact of the impossible, the fragrance of the magical, although I 220. For those who read Spanish and are interested, I recommend Teoria tecnica de la narraci6n oral escenica by Francisco Garzon Cespedes (2005, Ediciones Laura Aviles: Madrid), in which the author describes the differences between a storyteller and an actor in a play. Most of those differences are clearly applicable to the comparison of a magician to an actor. haps somewhat diminished in strength by the weakness, sometimes a ifi_cant one, in presentation. But in some way they won the arti_stic battle, because those magnift effects were full of intrinsic beauty and graced with a marvelous struction that uses very clever methods. Let's remembfr the Linking gs, which conceals and .uses many secrets for achievi~g one and the e effect: false counts, switches, the key ring added afterithe inspection the others, use of rings already linked, feigned links while holding the gs in a chain, etc.-all of them for the sole effect of making the metal gs seem to link and unlink magically. I invite you to apply your own analysis to the other tricks I've menoned as examples, to prove or disprove what I've expressed. On the other hand, I have witnessed-more often than you would ect-magnificent, elegant, entertaining and sometimes dramatic prentations of magical nothingness. One nevertheless sees confusing or eak effects such as this: Three selected cards are inserted between the ur Kings. One of the cards turns face up, and the other two travel to pear between three Queens that have gathered in the deck after the mth Queen has transformed into .... Who can be touched, magically eaking, by something like that? How does one boost a non-existent etaphor, and a multi-effect that is complicated, confusing and almost possible to comprehend? What wonderful presentation can make the ~pectators feel the magic when they see a magician iron the wrinkles out a silk handkerchief through his magic powers? So, for me, without a doubt, there are good tricks and very good tricks, ind bad and very bad ones. ks for the maxim that presentation is everything, I repeat my curfont belief, in which I am reasonably confident, that in the art of magic, presentation is the least important thing. I do not say this to attempt .originality by going against the grain, or to try to shock or even to voice a well-intended provocation to make the reader reflect. I will support, as J:'igorously as possible, this somewhat strange (but only apparently) magical concept, after which I will qualify it. n N Let me start with several examples from our non-artistic daily . .ough this doesn't mean it is not important. In some cases, it can even Let's say you readers invite me to dinner (by the way, when?) and ta ery important. 'would express it like this: Presentation in magic is the least very me to dine in a simple bar with bare wooden tables, decor that is spar or nonexistent, and our meal is served on simple earthenware plat They serve us fresh, nicely grilled sardines from the Cantabrian Sea (fro Santofia, for example), followed by a couple of nicely prepared eggs (frie in olive oil, please) and accompanied by a glass .of exquisite wine fro . m the family vineyard. I will probably be enthusiastic about this dinner will tenderly, gratefully kiss all of you readers, especially the female ones ) who have, in your infinite kindness, taken me to this simple bar, and I Will certainly come back another day to enjoy it again. On the other hand, suppose on another occasion I end up in a beautiful restaurant, with stunning decor, artistic tableware, a pleasantly textured tablecloth and designer cutlery (original, beautiful and practical at the same time-an uncommon thing, by the way). There is live piano music, intimate lighting, and the fish they bring me is spectacularly served, with exquisite colors and fragrances. Everything invites me to taste and savor. And I try, but-the quality of the fish is wanting and its freshness leaves much to be desired. Then, when I eat the marvelously presented but dry and unsavory fish ... I'll let you deduce the quality and the depth of my enjoyment, as well as how soon my next visit to the restaurant will be. The quality of the product-there is good fish and there is bad fish-is the essential thing. Another example: We go to a wonderfully staged opera, presented and represented-yes, represented in this case-by actors and singers, beautifully and colorfully costumed. Everything enjoys the gorgeous framing of the opera of Vienna. The only "but" is that I wrote the music, and I it on one of my weak days of musical inspiration (we all have them). Can. you already see, or rather hear, the pitiful result? The quality of the food and its preparation-so as not to spoil it and to bring out its best natural flavor-or the essential quality of the opera-its music, well played, well sung-is important, supremely important. The presentation ( of the restaurant, of the tableware, of the way the food is served, of the costumes, of the decor, of the theater) is less important, ortant thing. Let's take two magical examples from my own experierce to support better explain the above. In several television series I have directed, I requested the ;collaboration of Pendragons, Gaetan Bloom, Rene Lavand, Moretti, Juan Anton, Ascanio, · 0 Vazquez, Pepe Carrol and others. These artists were; essential for me ose series, through which I often struggled against the sometimes enorus mediocrity of television, while at the same time I enjoyed bringing the ense beauty and variety of magic to so many millions. In the early 1990s, in a series that was my voluntary farewell to television ed from the struggles, but inwardly satisfied), I asked The Pendragons to a rehearsal of their marvelous version of "Metamorphosis", just for the eras, without an audience. This was to let the technical crew see how effect developed, so that they could "mark" the motions. Jonathan and lotte did that, going through the whole effect without unnecessarily wastenergy, showing where they moved and what they did, narrating some of actions ("Here we both dance ... Now we move over to this area... ") and wering questions from the crew ("Do you guys need light over here?"). He is tied up and put inside the box and she gets on top of it, reserving · er usual energy; no music, no choreography, in street clothes, without reating any special expectations. She lifts the curtain and suddenly, iraculously, Rip!-the cloth is tom in half and he is up there, Jonathan. d there is no trace of Charlotte. I repeat: no lighting effects, no music, :almost no rhythm, no decor, no costumes, just the magic, magic of an astonishing, marvelous, impossible, fascinating, instantaneous, perfect d absolutely miraculous "Metamorphosis". This was one of the most exciting moments for the crew and the pi.rector in the entire series. For weeks and weeks, with astonishment and emotion, they remembered the impact of that authentic secular miracle, The second experience I'll recall here is purely personal. One of the of this will become clearer, I hope, if I show you the elements of that has made me vibrate the most as a spectator is "Out of This World" .c illustrated as a magic pyramid. As you will see, I have arranged the the great Paul Cuny (which dates, like me, from the harvest of '42). e~ts of the art of magic according to my beliefs, moving from the bot- turned out, the first person to show it to me was a schoolmate. We must up. Let's look at it in more detail. (By the way, you should,. also look at Other magnificent magic pyramids in Roberto Giobbi's pard College, both been about fourteen. He had no concept of "presentation". We were a train, returning from an excursion, and he did it on one of the seats. He and Alfonso Moline's Esto es magia.) learned it from an uncle. The trick is long, and he did it rather slowly, witho drama-nothing! But-when I saw that the cards had separated in harrno THE MAGIC PYRAMID with my choices into reds and blacks, Channn! I was absolutely astonish Read from the bottom up and enchanted, and I experienced the pleasure of the impossible and fasc· tion at my astonishing guessing ability, my wise intuition. And I might q possibly have enjoyed, at a subconscious level, the symbol of harmony 0 of chaos, from mixed colors to separate ones. What I am sure of is that, fr ~ \ I I I I I/l then to this day, that superb trick is among my favorites. As you can see, I not very original in my preferences. My own mother said it was the trick sh liked most of all those she saw me do throughout her life. These two examples, "Metamorphosis" and "Out of This World", by means indicate that presentation is unnecessary, useless or unimportant. I would rather say that presentation, when it is adapted, suited to the trick it "presents", works like a charm to enhance the magical value, possibly How ~=======::;; EXTRINSIC ~~ J @ I INTRINSIC impossibility, its symbolism, its fascinating poetry-the less necessary an added, external, presentation is. 1 ~;n~f;:~i~n When referring to presentation here, of course I do not include a pense, etc.)., I refer only to extrinsic presentational elements: emotions that are applied and removed like an actress's makeup, ornaments, dress l EFFECT I So, for me, Presentation is the least very important thing. What is felt ................................. . What's concealed (which supports everything) to the circumstances suitability { .to the audi~~ce to the mag1c1an magical f novelty, fascination quality l impact of the impossible symbolism -t~===~-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-~-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-==:-=-=-=-=-=:-=-=-=-=-~=-=-=-=-=-=-:::::l""\ . . J expressiveness, charm, . communication l ability to communicate behavior, expressiveness •{ . impact-energy, presence, charisma and hairdo. I repeat, I am not saying that presentation is unimportant. think it does have artistic importance. I say only that it is not the most important thing. limpact, variety elegant, multiple, ingenious, unthinkable, ' '.nv1s;b1e But I also believe that the better the quality of the trick-its effect, its effect, and the boosting of intrinsic emotions (surprise, challenge, sus~ ········································· -<\0~ INTEREST {.pauses, .._t\Q' ~ curves ~\"''7' ~ · . Jgrammar, adds other artistic values and can cover some weak points of the trick..·. . strict magical construction, a good understanding and clarification of the costumes, PRESEN- etc., decor, What is seen :::rATION music, rhyt~m,. @/ / I I I I\\' color, patter, lighting charm J sensitivity, human qualities, l inner world The five levels of the Magic Pyramid The base of 384 First Level-the Base: The Persona I believe that, in an art like magic, where the interpreter and the artist one and the s~me, and the performer maintains his personality through the _pr~sentat1on (not re-presentation, I'll continue to insist) of tricks, t first thmg the spectators perceive is the persona, the displayed qualiti of the performer. At first, they will capture only his more external ch . . . ar tenst1cs: his figure, how he moves, his way of speaking, his attitude charisma (if he possesses it). But as the magic act or session progre~s they will gradually get to know and appreciate something more import"' ant: ~at the performer is like, the richness of his inner world, his ethical qu~ht1es and his sensitivity. The better the artist's capacity for communi'"; cat10n, the more evident all these qualities will be to the spectators. They will reach them more fully, more clearly, more quickly. The combination of all these things will allow the spectators to make a connection with the magician. They become more interested in him sympathize and emotionally resonate with his persona-and it is of th~ greatest importance that we sympathize with the artist. From the point this happens, we will be interested in what the artist does and what he presents. We will look at him in a positive light, prepared to be reached and enchanted by him and his magic. We might even minimize flaws and forgive small mistakes. On the other hand, if we don't sympathize with the artist or don't find him interesting, our attitude toward him and toward his magic will be very different. He might amaze us, but he won't touch us emotionally. In extreme cases, if we really dislike the magician, no matter how good or how well presented his tricks are, it will be almost impossible for them to enchant us. As an example, if my daughter presented a trick of only modest qual- ity, my love for her makes me see it as a marvelous magical effect, and I don't perceive its flaws or mistakes, or my love makes them unimportant. I almost don't notice them. But if my enemy presents a very fine trick, my negative feelings toward him cause me to see every possible flaw, and at best I will think: "What he did wasn't bad, but the rhythm was very slow, he was unnatural and he flashed several times." 385 I hope these examples, almost caricatures, better express the essen'falue of the artist's personality. It is not just about being liked; it i~ something much deeper. It's about g a great person with a rich inner world, and knowing how to commut e it being able to express oneself through magic. Once the essential val~e of the "who" is established, tpere comes the important value of the "what". ) I I cond Level: The Effect e we are concerned with the content of the magic being presented. In opinion, the most important thing found on this level is, without quesn, His Majesty, the Magical Effect. I have always maintained in my thoughts and my feelings the superity of the magical effect to the method employed when creating and esenting my tricks. For example, if I find some detail or a more direct or ver method that might excite other magicians, I will incorporate it into trick only if doing so allows me to improve the effect in quality or, at t, not detract in the slightest from it. And in the effect, the most important thing for me is its metaphoric d symbolic potential: the strength of the symbol that expresses and fuls an impossible wish, the element that makes it fascinating. 221 There is also, naturally, the more specific magical quality of the effect: e logical impossibility that gives it magical impact. To this we should dd the importance of clarity and directness of the effect. Then comes conceptual beauty, the harmonic construction of the procedure used in the trick, the elegance of the premise contained in the ~ffect and the power of enchantment. And we mustn't forget its novelty arni originality, which increase its interest, surprise and capacity to fascinate, all of which add to its pleasure. Another important aspect is the suitability of the trick to the magician. There are clearly effects and tricks that don't fit a particular magician, that aren't appropriate to his style and personality. Some tricks, even if they are magnificent and fascinating when presented by a certain artist, screech and 221. See "Magic and Symbolism", p. 71. N But what we are concerned with now is pointing out the factor of suit- squeak when perlormed by another. After we fall in love with an effect Pre: sented, admired and felt as marvelous in someone else's hands, we mUst ility when choosing a trick to present for a certain audience, may it be adopting it into our repertoire. Otherwise, it is best to admire the trick in the • dren or adults, of different cultural levels, etc. Another important factor in the effect and the perlormance session is, hands of others. For example, I feel an infinite admiration for the extremely in every work of art, the value of variety within uniformity; the variety of elegant presentation of Fred Kaps's manipulation routines, but it would be otion within the unit of the effect and also within the unitiofthe session. infinitely foolish for me even to attempt to present them like he did. And, among other values, we should underline the great importance carefully reflect to be sure it suits our style and personality before we consider Physical circumstances-surrounded, standing, outdoors-also determine, as we all know, the opportunity, or lack thereof, for presenting a f the memorability of the effect; that it's easy to remember, that people ·n want to evoke it, that its effect increases when it is remembered and elated tooth ers. certain trick 223 And there is a third consideration: that of suitability of the effect to 224 The Secret Method the audience. There is the slippery subject of whether an artist should or should not adapt his art to the audience, or whether he should express ;Let's move to the next level of the Magic Pyramid, which still belongs to himself through his art independent of the audience and its greater or 'Awhat": the secret method, which is what supports, like a skeleton, the lesser capacity to accept it. This opens the question of whether an artist istic body of the magic. This secret method is something unique to should aim to please his audience and alter his art to do so, and if he does, ur art, since no other art needs the existence of its artistic procedure to what extent? Several factors enter into play here, one of which is the 0 remain a secret, the existence of the artistic procedure to be totally difference between a magic perlormance presented in the context of a concealed ( except for magic's natural son, film, and then only to a cer- show and one given in a context understood to be for artistic and personal expression. I am aware of how slippery these terms are, since I have wit- tain extent). The importance of this secret method-the trick or trickery, I don't nessed, experienced and enjoyed marvelous magic shows in both styles. :want to be afraid of those words-is evident. But we should also keep Regarding the "purity" of art, I would like to state here that for me abo~e in mind that the method should be guided by the effect. It would be of all "artistic" considerations there is always a fundamental issue: Since art no use, artistically speaking, for a trick to be based on a magnificent searches to please both the artist and others, and doesn't have any obliga- method if the effect it produces is weak or lacks sense and meaning. I'll tions or duties, because it moves in the wonderful world of freedom, if doubt give some examples: You place a teaspoon into a glass of water, and the water heats up ' ' arises, the artist may choose whatever he likes and may present the trick that self-criticism. Because the joy and pleasure he receives from happily present- slightly, becoming lukewarm. Another-After a spectator shuffles a packet of fifteen to twenty ing a trick chosen in this way, studied and rehearsed with joy and passion, cards, three red cards appear together but there is no such black triplet. will surely be transmitted and spread to his spectators, leaving everyone- 223. See a more detailed analysis in my study "Variety in Effects", p. 105. 224. In the section on "The Comet Effect" in Chapter 4 concerning magic and memory (p. 147), I explain my approach to this subject: improving memory, gives him more joy-always with rigor and a certain degree of dispassionate magician and spectators, artist and audience-enchanted and happier. 222 222. I have already referred to this issue and given my opinions on it in Chapter 1, "On the Essence of the Art of Magic", p. 23. emotional hooks, etc. N NO matter how ingenious or unthinkable the methods employed, You ut another important, if not essential, characteristic is the existence rne level of cleverness and creativity in the method. The greater these see that the effects continue to be weak, barely interesting and have appeal. They are vessels of magical nothingness. ,But there is an exception: when magic tricks are presented amo magicians, by one to another. In that setting, the revelation of an extrem ties, the better the magic; and not only because of the obvious diffithe cleverness poses for the spectators when they tr;Y to hit on the ingenious method may produce such great admiration and enjoyrn ion (they would need to have, in that case, at least th~ same level of ivity as the person who devised it), but also becaus~ the magician, that the dull effect is overlooked. On other occasions, the novelty of g the performance of the trick, inwardly feels and enjoys the quality method and the great physical or psychological skill employed will r among factors that will make the method more important, in this p ·ded by the cleverness of the method, unknown to the spectators. But ·n convey that inner enjoyment to his audience, if he is a good com- ticular context, than the effect. But this isn't the art of magic. It is t .cator, through his performance. 225 entertaining and sometimes fascinating game magicians play with ea The inner construction of the method should be carefully, rigorously, other as we enjoy exchanging ideas, fine-tuning our technical techniqu and exercising our ingenuity and creativity. Welcome that! ectly integrated and concealed for all the actions needed by the method e justified. The digital and corporeal techniques required-and no more But let's go back to our art of magic and look at the characteristics 0 the secret method. those required-must be in the repertoire of sleights totally mastered I think the method should be totally indetectable, not only to th laxed and misdirection (diversion or control of attention) and timing senses but also to the spectators' minds. It should feel impossible, beyon ordination of secret and non-secret actions using words, direction of the suspicion and unimaginable. When the Bull of Logic is still bellowing o:t, e, the magician's general attitude, etc.) combine their powers to achieve the Little Donkey, searcher of solutions, is braying, we should make them total concealment of, and perfect cover for, the secret. And all this must be accomplished while bearing in mind the clarity of feel their blatant impotence and have them understand they are out of, place, so that they fall and surrender, giving way to the Winged Horse of Imagination that brings us to The Rainbow. e magician, and these techniques placed in moments where interest .~ effect, allowing its development to be direct, avoiding complications In The Magic Way, I described the difference between the emotion its comprehension or twisting its external life, and leaving no room t the appearance of imagined, non-magical solutions. In other words, produced in spectators when a method is invisible but not immune to log"' u are building a Magic Way for an exciting, beautiful, joyful and direct ical analysis or reflection, and therefore is suspicious and imaginable, and urney, with no useless distractions, no obstacles, unhurried yet swift, the astonishment, the marvel experienced by spectators at a magical piec~ whose real method, and all other possible methods that were not used but t because of excess speed but because of the spectators' eagerness to ·ve at and experience the desired, promised and dreamy Rainbow as could be thought of or figured out during or after the trick, are on as possible. to them as nonexistent, or rather as impossible of existing. I don't know From Robert-Houdin (master of masters) to Slydini, from Hofzinser how that's possible is not the same as This is totally impossible. It is not the same to concede coldly that we can't find the solution as it is to feel evidence that there is no rational solution, that we are experiencing and enjoying something that cannot possibly exist! d Vernon to Ascanio, they have all studied and analyzed, with genius, ·s subject of how to conceal the secret method, how to make the trickdisappear and allow the magical effect, astonishing and enchanting, 5. See more on this subject in "The Seven Magic Veils", p. 357. their magnificent performances and books, which you can supplemen Multiple secret methods can also be used to accomplish repetiof an effect within the same trick or routine. For example, in the perhaps, with some of my earlier works and those of Darwin Ort· iti~us Card, different methods are_ used to bring the card repeat- clean, beautiful and brilliant, shine in all its splendor. I refer you' t I don't want to forget a quality that, at least for me, affects and mod to the top (passes, double lifts, switches). Having already analyzed the "who" and "what", let's no'Y delve into ifies the selection of a method: that the method should be elegant. By "how". I am referring to everything that accompanie~ the devel- that I mean it should be balanced with the effect, using no unnecessary ent of the effect, through its phase of preparation t;b the joyful Eugene Burger, Dari el Fitzkee, Nevil Maskelyne, etc. I or excessive trickery; for example, a forcing deck of fifty-two duplicates for a force, or a stage trap, twin assistants and two boxes with mirrors for a magical translocation that could be better accomplished with a Levels: Emotions Presentation set of illusion stairs and a cleverer procedure. There is an enormous istinguish two aspects of the emotions: The first concerns emo- number of tricks accomplished with cleverness and digital, corporeal nal incarnation, the dramatic body of the trick This consists of the or psychological techniques, and perhaps enhanced with a certain type rinsic emotions and the development of a dramatic curve, or curve of preparation or a gimmick (a double-faced card, a Ball Shell, a Thumb interest, within the trick The second aspect relates to the accom- Tip). However, methods can lose all their elegance if the amount of gim- iment (sometimes a fusion) of magic with other forms of artistic mickry is excessive (Rough-and-Smooth, Corner Shorts, a magnet in the ression: decoration, costumes, music, narration, humor, dance, Coin Shell, a loop of thread on a ball and a Topit for the others, a gimmicked table for loading them, etc.). Very often, here too, more is less. ime, poetry.... In Chapter 5, I analyzed, perhaps in tiresome detail, the intrinsic I should add that, whenever possible, the method should be mul- otions, as well as their variety, their impact and their grammar. I tiple. Multiple in the sense that various methods are used to achieve fer you there. I want only to add, or rather remind you, that it is these the same effect, either at the same time, or in an integrated continuity, otions that provide specific weight to the body of the trick, granting The Linking Rings is the paradigm: Key Ring, false counts, switches of dramatic density. They are the incarnation that fills out and wraps- rings, false links based on optical illusions, psychological subtleties, d in doing so also hides-the skeleton of the trick: the method. They etc. All that for a single effect: the linking and unlinking of metal rings. o set the mood, warming things up, providing vital energy to the In The Magic Way, I described how doing Oil and Water twice, using inged Horse of Imagination and Art, enabling his wings to .soar and different methods, could help to cover the first with secret moments of im to pass through the moon (that of Alice's mirror and the pale one the second, and vice versa. In one phase, red cards and black cards are truly alternated, and at the end the colors are not really separated; in above'Us), so that he can experience (dream up?) The Rainbow. The emotions also greatly matter in controlling the curves of inter- the second phase the,contrary is true: the colors only seem to alternate est (the dramatic curves) to· ensure a continuous and uninterrupted and at the end they are truly separated. This makes any rational anal- increase in spectator interest, leading to the glorious explosion of the ysis impossible, because there is a general false belief that the same rnagical effect, at the peak of interest, the climax. I direct you to my effect is produced by the same cause (the same secret method). Magic analysis in "Conflicts in Magic and Their Curves of Interest" (p. 239) literature offers thousands of examples using this strategy. and also mastery of the Art of the Pause (p. 310). N Other types of external emotions, ones not required by the trick ' the extrinsic emotions. They are created by lyrical or dramatic pa humorous or plotted stories, eroticism, etc. They live between the levels: that of the emotional incarnation and that of the presentation cosmetics of the trick. For me, the more integrated they are in the tric the more artistically valid they are. Then they help in the intimate compr hension, expression and feeling of the trick. They are not artificially add on from outside. Whenever possible, they emerge from the effect; they ar. summoned (at times even required) by the nature of the trick, of its effec or of its necessary procedure, symbolism or essence. I realize that these concepts are somewhat ethereal and difficult t grasp through reason (for me, as well), but perhaps they are easier to fe through artistic intuition and sensitivity. I call the last level of the Pyramid (restrictively, I know) "Presentation" It deals with all that which, being partly accessory (its addition or removal; does not alter the essence), helps (you bet!) with the enjoyment of the, trick, providing emotion and variety, artistic expression, beauty and charm. Included are music and sonorous accompaniment, lighting effects, aesthetics of the props, costumes, decoration, dance, mime, etc. But it is, after all, the harmonic and proportionate whole of all the occupants of the levels of the Pyramid that ultimately gives the magic work its true artistic value. Leaving aside the basic and fundamental value of the "who" (the magi-': cian's persona and its projection on stage), I think that the "how" (emotions and presentation) is a complement to the "what". That's why I believe that tricks having a powerful magical impact, due to the magnitude of their impossibility and fascination, need very little dress (presentation), those having a less powerful magic value welcome a more e:rr1tG.t:.·{,·r~.~ substance and brilliant attire. Also, on many occasions, those emotion~ and presentation can help-and greatly so-to cover weak but neces;.. sary points in the construction of the procedure of the trick. Sometimes the method, even when magnificent, forces certain unjustified processes and barely natural actions that a creative presentation (patter, plot, gags) transform into brilliant moments, completely covering the flaws and esses. Moreover, all kinds of emotions, as well as presentational sing, are almost required if the session is of a longer duration (from ty minutes to a two-hour show). I think it is hopeless to keep the spec- s feeling astonishment and amazement at the impossible for so long a and it would be both frightening and tiring for them, persistently and ' cilessly having their well-established and highly beneficial structures logic attacked. That's all. Art always possesses elusive aspects and nuances. at's part of its essence, its mystery and its beauty. 0 C FROM THE lNSlDE Impromptu Magic 226 'snot about "giving a wonderful session of magic". (Another day.) It's not about "starting to do a few sleight-of-hand tricks". Here we are dealing with "the power that arrives and we use it for ... " Here we are dealing with "the impossible happening unexpectedly". Suddenly or gradually. It makes no difference. But without prepara#on (apparently). Without "I don't know if you know this trick of ... " Without "Let's see if :you li¾e it." Without "I will now show you this little Chinese box with a ... " It's something else. Another idea. Another style. We were talking about: and the surprise effect arises. We need that-and it happens in an impossible way. It's not a spectacle. It's not a show, a seance or a soiree. 226. This brief essay and the next are obvious fruits of my passionate youth in the 1970s; but I think they are still valid. I have slightly updated them. N It's the mystery, the miracle, the impossible manifesting. It \ 0 appear at any moment, under any circumstances, when least expecte when needed the most. And the power doesn't depend on "I don't have anything on me to do with", because it's not about doing anything, but about something happe · Provoking the situation. Remember to be prepared for when, at any moment, the occasion arises; Having a sharp, open mind, inventive, to create the effect with th elements and circumstances that surround us. Nothing like "Get over there so you can see it better." Nothing like "I'm going to stand behind the table so that ... " And there is no need to call attention: "Look." Because attention comes when we see that something incredible and impossible is happening. Because maybe it's the others who call for our attention: "See what's happening!" And there is no need to create an atmosphere with empty passes, because a touch of our fingers, a slight gesture of our hand, a sudden intensity in our gaze, have power, they exude energy, they are magic. (Forewarned is forearmed.) . Change money, we need some loose change.... Cigarette lighter out ~- ... Burnt out light bulb .... No vvJne left .... Pencils, pens, matches, er bands, paper clips, nails, screwdrivers, scissors .... Words heard in passing. Unknown people's names you pnd out. Number on an ID card, dates of birth, marriage, ann~Krersaries, rany obtained here and there that will make the power b,~lievable when moment comes. The special X pen is sold at Y. The rare book by Z, the owner of the use where tom~rrow's meeting is; I can buy it at H. The watch, the · gs, the pin, even the sweater or tie, or the umbrella, the scarf or... hing I can find and duplicate or prepare (buying it, making it, stealing vVhat does it cost? A trick for $5, $25 or $30 ... but what a trick! What an effect! What newspaper or magazine does my friend usually read? What books might his girlfriend have? What CD, what song does Monica often listen to? What mobile phone charger does Jerry use? Secret Knowing that I will see them tomorrow: What miracle can I prepare with the duplicate? An open and creative mind. Props ready. What can I provoke to make magic necessary? Ifl am in that house today and will come back in a few days or months: Props rehearsed and mastered. Provoking situations, needs, subjects. Foreseeing situations, needs, subjects. Use your head (The Professor!). Think of what could happen this afternoon in that house with friends. Or at the ba;r. Or in class. Or tomorrow at work Or with that beautiful woman or that handsome man. What elements will there be? Which ones will I be able to use? What might be needed? Who is coming? What can they expect? What subjects might be discussed? What can I prepare for then? A paper with something written on it behind the painting by Zurbaran? A special postcard in Spinoza's book up there on the second shelf? The signed card from yesterday's trick behind the desk? A marked coin under the carpet? Although, careful! It's not (of course!) about playing at being a spy, carrying a paper supply store or a hardware store in your pockets, or lanting houses, offices and bars with messages, cards and coins. It's about using your head (Professor!!), your imagination and your eativity. 0 N It's .a~out creating ~he ne~essary conditions, instead of doing very enterta~n~ng an~ beautiful sleight-of-hand; or better, aside from doing entertammg sleight-of-hand, aside from performing mysterious and impossible effects, managing at times-some, a few, only at certain loca.; tions, on occasion-authentic secular miracles. At the market, in .shops, at a bar, in the subway, on the street, in your house, in her house, at the hospital, in the movies, at the disco, at a restaurant, at the pool, in the mountains, on the beach, in the car, at the hairdresser's, at a party.... As we eat, with what we eat (I can bring my gimmicked fruit and bread). As we walk, where we will walk (I can foresee it, instigate it and prepare things). When going on an excursion (I can go there the day before and plant something or predict that ... ). When going to a restaurant for dinner (I can call ahead and let them know that ... or ask if... or find out that they are out of a certain food ... or the special dish of the day... ). And thread, which I can use to move something when the moment arrives. And a Thumb Tip for switching or producing or vanishing something. And indexes for playing cards, business cards or slips with predictions. And a Nail-Writer and mirrors, Pulls, a Topit, magnets, holders and ... And if I bring two identical scarves, and one of them is stained or tom y accident? . . . . . . And, if I have a similar bread roll ma~e with the identical nng ms1de? And if I record his voice on my cell phone, and next month I perform effect of?. . . And if I keep her signature, or learn how to duplicate it, +,nd I place it 1 that object, that card, that crystal, that mirror, that papery ... If I carry a duplicate shoe and it travels? And if I bring three glasses that are identical to those in his set? And if I get a pen' like his and load it with a different colored ink? Or if I give him a bill, or a coin, with the word or the signature of? ... And if I change the salt for sugar in his house, so that later? ... And if I buy the same souvenir I saw him buy during our trip? And if I bring a piece of cloth identical to that of the curtain, tablecloth, linen, washcloth, towel of? ... And if I learn by heart the text he wrote? And if I gimmick that photograph, so that? ... And .. . And .. . i\nd .. . But, once and for all, let's think: What's going on with our magic? Do we have the power or not? Are we magicians sometimes or all the time? and ... and .... And what if I prepare a book and switch it for its duplicate when I get Do.we do tricks or secular miracles? Do we want to be applauded or to leave them astonished? to his house? And what if I prepare a cigarette, of the same brand he smokes with a ' magnet and introduce it surreptitiously into his pack? Do we seek their surprise or their amazement? Do we want their perplexity or their fascination? Do we expect their "Very nice! Well done!" or their "It's not possible! ... And what if I place ia mirror where no one would suspect it? And if I sneak the duplicate ring into her purse? And if I buy an identical ashtray and have it engraved with an inscrip- but it is!" Doing a hundred tricks, a thousand beautiful tricks. Very good. They tion of? ... And if I hang the invisible thread from here, in order to later? ... bring surprises, some joy, they make them think, they admire .... But-doing a single secular miracle is neither good nor bad. An explosion. A blockbuster. Or, less passionately, a delight, a wonder, something to n s~v~r,. feel, love, remember, comment on almost with a fear that it may tnvialized, something absolutely memorable, fabulous, spellbindin :E . . g, asc1~ natmg and dumbfounding. T~at stays in the memory, that will be told to others and evoked a hund~ed times; days, months, years afterward. Improved in the memory. The tail of the Magic Comet. A legend. That's how it is. That's how it can be. That's how our magic will be. Let's use our heads. (Professor!!!) of Accessories think a magician becomes a better and better magician the more he ows and comes to master a larger number of secret accessories. Taken an extreme, I think a magician who masters those accessories would ardlY need to know any other tools or techniques. Accessories would uffice for him to produce miracles at any moment. That's what Finn Jon does with thread, or Michael Ammar with the opit, or Gaetan Bloom with the Thumb Tip. Let's imagine an unknown magician who arrives at a magic club or eets with a group of magicians. Let's say he knows hardly anything bout card technique or coin sleights or any of the usual tools of our trade. uppose, though, that he has mastered the Topit. He can make objects dispear with extraordinary facility, or switch them for other objects, which to say he can transform them. Or say he is a master at handling the Thumb Tip. He can make small bjects disappear barehanded, he can transform them or make them pear and reappear. In other words, he can secretly transport them from ne place to another (from the fist to a little box, etc.). So he can make Or suppose he has mastered the technique of invisible thread. He can make any light object magically move or levitate, and he can transport it secretly. Especially if he masters Pulls. And if he also knows how to handle magnets and wax (or Blu Tack) operly, he can stick, glue and unglue. If he knows how to handle Card dexes, if he knows how to use a Nail-Writer, he can make predictions d read minds. If he masters the technique of sleeving, he can, again, ake things appear, reappear and change. And what about the Pull? And e Sixth Finger feke? And Pochettes? Pencil reading? Muscle reading? at if he is a master of Flash Paper or mirrors or daub? ... With just the Thumb Tip, threads and wax or Blu Tack, he could make productions and disappearances and transformations, transposiions and animations and levitations and predictions-almost any basic agical effect. Because of this, I advocate a thorough study of the magic of acce~son Conventions and magic clubs offer seminars on accessories, as do schoo for magic. Let there be competitions and awards for the magic of accesson (just kidding). May all the magic with accessories be gathered in a book-the most magical of all accessories! I believe ancient magicians had a clearer idea of the utility of accessoi ries and opportunities for their use. Threads, wax, Servantes, Pochettes mirrors .... They produced miracles at any moment, with any object, in any' h Paper), you predict what a friend is going to order (Nail-Writer), ,always win when playing Chinos 227 (Coin Shell, sleeving and Pull), a :ass of cognac disappears (Topit), etc. I'm not suggesting we go around loaded with threads, Pulls, Topits, c. What I'm saying is that, if we have two or three a9cessories we've tered, the magic we can achieve is limited only by tht capacity of our agination. Ah! Then there are the countless possibilities that open up by · g a deck of cards-but that's another story. situation. The pocketed apron (budget or gibeciere), a strand of woman's hair (semi-invisible thread), hidden pockets (portable Servantes) .... It's been forty years now since I was astonished and enchanted by Roger Klause's use of a Thumb Tip with a sponge ball (while I had a Thumb Tip in my pocket!), by Finn Jon and Gaetan Bloom with their threads (used even in mentalism effects), with Sammy Liardet's hidden pockets or Jimmy Grippo's Card Indexes. I apologize if I appear dogmatic, but I maintain: Magic is in the accessories. I know they are not easy to study, practice and master. But they are so useful, so versatile, such fountains of magic! Here is a challenge: Imagine a very strong effect; better yet, ask a relative what effect they would like you to do right now with everyday objects. These would be things you would you do if you were an authentic magician. When they give you an answer, imagine you have the accessories at hand and have mastered them. I am sure in many cases you would be able to do the requested effect. That is what makes an improvised and creative style of magic possible, and it depends on the wishes of the moment. An example: You are at the bar with friends. A paper napkin is tom and restored (Thumb Tip). A knife lying on the bar moves, rotates stops, pointing to' the person who should pick up the check (magnet). Someone needs a toothpick and one rises from the glass (thread). An olive flies (thread), a banknote emerges from your pocket and rises to your hand (reel), the liquid from a glass disappears in your fist (a piece of cotton attached to a Pull), a flame bursts from your friends' cigarettes at did the great master Slydini do (among other things) but play, study, eate, research and master an accessory, the lap, to sublime limits. 7. Los Chinos (Spanish for Chinese) is a popular, ancient Spanish betting game that consists of each participant extending his fist, holding one, two, three or no coins. The person who guesses the total number of coins in the hands of all the players wins.-TRANS. FROM THE OUTSlDE Magic and Comedy ere I will deal with these two subjects, magic and comedy, and their mbination to create an artistic form I believe interesting and to which have dedicated, and continue to dedicate, thought, effort and practice. believe the relationship of magic and comedy is by no means an easy or simple one; rather, it is discordant and difficult to bring into harmony. I will begin with some basic notions about comedy, presented in outline hion, to point out the nuances that distinguish the difference between omedy on the one side, humor on another and laughter on the third. .Comedy makes us laugh. Humor doesn't necessarily. It's more like an itude, a prism, distorting or not, through which the world can be seen d understood. ,.,., I intend to address comedy, the thing that makes us laugh, leaving umor for others to analyze. Within comedy, we can distinguish three ays to produce laughter: The Joke In general, spoken. The joke consists of a series of facts, intelligently gathered, that suddenly produces an unexpected surprise, the absurdity r other characteristics of which cause us to laugh. 408 409 The Comedy Punch Some Laws of Laughter This is something occasional, unexpected and sudden G all . . ener ya h cal action: a gesture, a glance, a sound, even a word or brief and ~r p . .An example· In · . ect . a movie, a pedestnan crosses the street deniy-Glup, h d · and s . - e isappears down a barely visible hole in th e asph involves causing several laughs at regular intervals. A ~ind of rhythm e moments of laughter is produced, and some of t~~ audience get I to laughing at consistent periods. When arriving at/ a new interval The Gag ical to the preceding ones, the tension accumulated ;'during the wait A gag has a dynamic and dramatic structure with a presentation . and resolution. ' clirn urages relaxation by laughter. For example, if a laugh is achieved Example: The same movie scene. We see another pedestrian W the hole. He gets near it, but at the last moment he steps safel . e s~ Sudden! · Y over 1t Ya passmg car makes him step back and-Glup!-he falls. •· the hole and disappears. moo ected five seconds later. At this point, any mild gesture, scarcely funny, five seconds, three times, a pattern is established, and a new laugh is uld suffice to cause the spectators to laugh as much as they did the ·ous three times. A magical example: the Lota Bowl. The Rhythmic is related to what is known as a "running gag". There are also some so-called laws of laughter which expl . t . ' am o sorne: ex ent why or m what situations we laugh. Again briefly d . . r , an m rough out. me, here are some of these laws of laughter Gust to name a few): t unexpectedly absurd produces laughter. Example: A card disappears er the hand. Laughter is caused by the illogical absurdity of the event by the release of physical and psychological tension produced by the den disappearance of the card. We will return to the behavior of laughas a release of physical and psychological tension. E LAW OF THE REBELLION OF OBJECTS bjects that move, that escape against the magician's will, that seem to ave their own life and to rebel against the magician or tease him, usually produce laughter. HE LAW OF DOUBLE MEANING '\ lrhis encompasses all jokes with a double meaning. Example: The magician pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and it has a red lipstick stain. ''I've been on a business trip." (A twentieth-century classic, hardly used these days.) THE LAW OF JUST PUNISHMENT .This involves punishment to a character who is guilty of something that disturbs us, hurts us or bothers us. The audience accepts and laughs at the N punishment or at anything that goes wrong with the perpetrator. Ex A heckler. When someone in the audience repeatedly disturbs the cian, he retorts with something like: "The next time you buy a to make sure it comes with a brain under it." (A classic example, whi totally alien to my preferences. It is given only to clarify the concept.) THE LAW OF MECHANIZATION OF THE CLIMAX HUMAN Walking or moving as a robot usually produces laughter. In gene everything that dehumanizes and mechanizes life causes laughter, at times horror. Other Cases that Tend to Induce Laughter Aside from the above laws, we tend to laugh at revenge and disas rivalry, fights without serious consequences, a fatal imprudence, m· takes, clumsiness, misunderstandings, endless ambition unfulfilled, ve small things (like a tiny die), madness, etc. Curves of Interest in Laughter, Magic and Horror As we all know and I have discussed in "Conflicts in Magic and The' Curves of Interest" (p. 239), in every performing art, its development · time can be diagrammed as a curve of interest or dramatic curve. In gen.: Time Time A dramatic art automatic l~ughter that sometimes doesn't seem to make sense. ost 'f we don't find it funny. It is through laughter that we laugh even i . . . the tension previously instilled. ·n ·eve a steep fa11 i 1 · . t m causes a sudden rise in tension. Let's look at a c assic Horror, m u , the difference between laughter and horror: 1 f peo · h kn"f'. He then W ee someone threatening another person wit a i e. e _s . t· ·n the chest' But it is a rubber knife that bends. It was a s his vic im i · e between two friends. Laughter. Th contrary: Someone hits another person with a rub~er hammer. e . h g bs a kmfe and stabs h t bs him with rubber scissors. Fma11Y, e ra en e s a ·1 . al' The man dies. Horror. with it-but this one is not rubber. tis re . Horror eral, such a curve develops over three phases: presentation, climax and resolution. In other words, presentation of the elements of a conflict, the high point of the conflict (climax) and its solution or resolution. After this, the curve of interest decreases until final relaxation is reached. Magic, as I understand it and have explained, lacks the resolution phase. The magician poses the logical-rational conflict-this thing you is not possible-but doesn't resolve it. The tension, the interest, at the highest point bf the curve, at the climax. On the other hand, laughter produces mental, and even physiological relaxation. It's a quick, almost instantaneous way to dissolve an accumulated and sustained tension. It is natural, then, that the unresolved tension at the climax of a magical conflict is often resolved through laughter, an Magic Laughter Laughter Time Horror Time taughter in Magic: Easy and Dangerous cific characteristics of Now we are ready to comprehend these two very spe . d gic Provoking laughter ) relationship between comedy (laughter an ma . . d dangerous. Let's see why. a magic session is very easy-an very N VERY EASY As I've ~aid, laughter is very likely to occur after the magic: The di ~ the magical effect, lea~es the ten~ion at a high point, and anything ~roduce an abrupt fall m that tension, causing laughter. Even without mg and for no apparent reason. to the audience. I secretly strike a match and throw it to the floor, makall gestures as if I have accidentally burnt myself. I then arrange two hes protruding halfway from the _closed matchbox, like two little horns. turn around, holding the box as if I had something concealed under it, mechanism. I ask the lady to run her :fingers slowly ove~ the matches until I Here is an e~ample every magician has experienced· We h . · s owa m the hand, the hand is closed and when opened again the · . ' , com1sg After all the Ohs! we often hear a few small laughs Why? Th ct· . . · • e 1sapp anc~ of a c~m 1s not funny. But our collision with the illogical, the abs the 1mposs1ble experience' can be · Furthermore- and th·1s 1s · wh at we reaches their heads. But as I demonstrate what I wish h~r to do, I remove gers before they touch the heads, exhibiting a certain ~ariness. The lady, ewhat fearfully, runs her fingers over the matches and when, in the middle concerned with most here-the unresolved logical conflict of the m We, as magicians, have all found that, whether or not we are funny in 0 everyday lives, when we present magic it is very easy to make people lau ' moving the box toward her, and e a loud noise with my mouth, :ting a spark ''Fzzzzt!" She will be startled, normally screams, and jerks her hand away while ·ng a couple of steps back, almost jumping. The tension in her and The audience might even fool us, without intending to, with th laughter, and make us believe we are funny. This is a crass error (as the rest of the audience has risen to a maximum. To relax, everyone ghs, including her, sometimes nervously. And the laughter is usually ~ear and admirable friend Manuel Cuesta would say). The magic is wh 1s funny. Better said, it is the structure of the tricks. Unresolved tension the unsolved conflict sometimes leaves spectators on their own to rel and they laugh at the first opportunity, at the slightest joke, at the small comic ability of the magician, and sometimes without any such stimul whatever, because they need to. They need to relieve their tension and we have seen, laughter is marvelous for that. ' longed. Try it out. It's a silly little joke that lacks true comedic elements. Yet the laughter always strong and lengthy. It is clear that the laugh erupts when every- l~av~s the spectators in a state of tension, and the way to release that te s10n 1s by laughing! In my lectures on this subject for magicians, to prove and bring to this almost automatic consequence of a need to release tension ,--·-·,,.,,·•~• . ter), I often do the following experiment using a classic gag, which I describe, in case you might find it useful. lb . b kin egm Y as g a spectator I have seen to be expressive, ':4.re you 8erlft. sitive to electricity?"Whateverthe answer, I continue, ''Well, don't be afraid/. I'm going to try an experiment and it's all under control ... I hope." I am hol~1 ing a matchbox and I ask the person to come up to help me. She (let's assum~ this time it is a woman) normally complies somewhat reluctantly. I turn m e tension created, she reaches eads, I briskly bring my hand for- e, the spectator and the rest of the audience, realizes it was a joke with harmful consequences. If she had been really burned or shocked, no e would have laughed (I hope). I want to observe, in passing, that all this explains beautifully the relanship between laughter and horror. Further examples are found in the agnificent comedy movies based on horror situations, the best-known ·ng Hold That Ghost with Abbott and Costello. A fearsome situation established, which scares you and is dangerous for the character (he alone in your house, and it is feared to be haunted). The tension is ruptly elevated with a scare (a hand is rested on his shoulder) and is stantaneously released upon disclosing (to the character and audience) at the hand belongs to a friend who has just arrived. The laugh is loud d long and totally guaranteed. Let's also remember how easy laughter comes in situations that normally invite the contrary; in funerals, for example. CLIMAX --• ------• CLIMAX VERY DANGEROUS Laughter is very dangerous for magic, artistically speaking. The main son is that it can reduce the magical impact of the effect by caus· CLIMAX Gag ACHIEVED steep drop in dramatic tension, which prevents the audience from fee astonishment and a sensation of the impossible. The Ha, ha, ha! may against the Oh! and even kill it. Try, dear reader, to say, "Ha!" really la ing, and at the same time say, "Oh!" with genuine astonishment. You not be able to do it. Let's examine various cases or possible situations in which there is open battle between magic and comedy. But first, in an attempt to cl · this concept and make it memorable, even if the form is emphatic somewhat ridiculously academic, I will state a kind of... Artistic Theorem: The product of Magic and Comedy is constant: MxC=K. This means that the higher the comedy, the lower the magic, althou there are exceptions and situations in which we can apply certain correc ing techniques, which we will discuss later. But now let's look at the ... DANGEROUS CASES FOR MA.me 1. Inserting a joke or a gag right before the climax. Tension and attention drop, and when attempting to recover them we have to start lower. Example: a gag just before showing the rope has been . . ,u'l.6~1:..-;u•~r . restored. The only solution, a partial one, would be to delay the 0~LJ"t,hnt~½ll'l.•••"T'. · of the climax and, with enormous effort, try to recover attention again elevate tension before producing the effect. Artistically, this is not a good solution, because there is an unnecessary anti-dramatic slowdown and a loss of rhythm, as well as the excessive effort necessary to recover tension, with a subsequent waste of energy. L •• Time Gag just before the climax Tiresome and slow recovery of tension joke or a gag at the same time as the magical climax. This is very dangerous; deadly, I would say. Laughter kills magic. An example (which I've mentioned in a previous chapter): Clayton Rawson's brilliant thought-projecting eggbeater premise. All the spectators yell in unison the name of a •· card selected and seen by a single spectator. He is perplexed by this, since he hasn't seen the magician showing a jumbo duplicate of his selection to the rest of the spectators as he was attempting to transmit the thought-of card to ...., ~ FAILED ss::: CLIMAX Time them by rotating the blades of Gag at the moment of the climax: an old-fashioned manual eggsudden death .beater, The logical thing would seem to be that everyone is astonished at how the magician discovered the identity of the card that was freely selected. In other circumstances, if the final gag-the surprise and perplexity of the assisting spectator on hearing the choir of "psychics"-is eliminated and a different type of presentation is used, involving a slow divination of the card by the magician, the effect, as we all know, . ' No one will be very strong. But here-no one cares about the magic. asks himself how the magician knows the card. No one is astonished or even intrigued at his knowing it! Comedy, extraordinary in quality and intensity, has made the magic disappear. I am ignoring the fact, which I will comment on, this is a trick an objective of magic but of laughter, sharedjoy, fun, the game, the feast, ands very positive, artistic consequences, including a surreal atmosphere satire of consumerism, participation and group cohesion, relaxat· · expression of oneself, etc. But, without a doubt, we can see the danger. Other cases, many them, will not have the positive elements just r:nentioned. On top oft the laughter and comedy will be highly inferior to those found in presentation of the thought-projecting eggbeater. A gag, even a clas joke, without great value, will ruin the magic without an artistic 3. Many constant jokes and gags with- -n. .... T,,-Pl'!f ...., E out measure, which don't respect the magical moments, which break S s:::: the magical atmosphere, jokes of medium or low comic quality, or that are merely humorous, even though they make spectators laugh (we already know the reason). The curve of dramatic tension in the body of the trick is weak- .... .... . g them wn short phrases. that cause laughter, and who know to make the interest, tension and attention rise to their previous lev- rior to the laughs. The great SlY,dini and a few others mastered and master this very difficult discipline. Other artistic dangers reside in the very deceptive niture of laughter. sider an easy joke or gag, or one that targets an un~ortunate spectaor the use of foul language without reason. Yes, t~ese things might big laughs, sometimes very loud ones, but they arei of a low quality. etimes just a few spectators make it sound as if the audience is roarwhen careful observation will show that many others aren't laughing 1 are even uncomfortable when faced with far-fetched, artificial, forced rnedy of a low artistic level. Loud laughs, sometimes thunderous, can be duced by easy jokes about sexual or scatological matters. Some spectators laugh to release restrained aggressiveness, taking asure in the performer's demonstration (abuse) of power as he insults, h wit of varying degrees, some spectator or collaborator, or makes him k useless or stupid, while he remains, the supposed artist above it all, Many gags and jokes: slow agony ened, and the final height of the climax is reduced. This results in an enormous loss for the magic and, moreover, the comedy and laughter are of a medium or low quality, due either to the jokes and gags or to the performer's meager comedic skill, even though it may seem to him, because of the laughs received, that he possesses greater ability. As a result, there is nothing positive gained, artistically speaking. Let me make it clear that I am not referring to those magnificent artists of great comic or humorous abilities and enormous wit whose objectives are of a high artistic quality and who express themselves through comedy while voluntarily sacrificing the magical value of their performances. That is their perfect right. Neither am I referring to artists, some of them brilliant, who know how to handle the continuous tensions in the structures of their tricks, ever and sublime. There are obviously degrees and nuances in all this. According to the tuation in which the magic takes place, the intention of the artist, the dience, the venue, the attitude of the magician and the subtlety of the hole, something positive and artistically acceptable can result. Also keep in mind that the comedy should suit your style. Gags and ~okes are like suits; they are not interchangeable. Perhaps if we borrow a suit of a larger size than ours, the primary function of the suit, that of covering us and keeping us from feeling cold, will still be fulfilled, but we will ll1'.bst likely look like scarecrows. Similarly, if we borrow a style of comedy that doesn't fit our style and personality, it might make some people laugh tonly some and in a certain way), but in the sensitive eyes of many we will be artistic scarecrows. As we all know, there is nothing more pathetic than someone trying to be funny when he is not, or who tries to make us laugh with jokes and gags that don't suit him. The wisdom of "Know yourself' is totally valid here. 0 N which I will later comment on, that this is a trick with an objective not ]ightening them with short phrases that cause laughter, of magic but of laughter, sharedjoy, fun, the game, the feast, and some ho-W to make the interest, tension and attention rise to their previous lev- very positive, artistic consequences, including a surreal atmosphere, a els prior to the laughs. The great Sly9-ini and a few others mastered and satire of consumerism, participation and group cohesion, relaxation, expression of oneself, etc. still master this very difficult discipline. But, without a doubt, we can see the danger. Other cases, many of them, will not have the positive elements just mentioned. On top of that ' ' the laughter and comedy will be highly inferior to those found in the presentation of the thought-projecting eggbeater. A gag, even a classic joke, without great value, will ruin the magic without an artistic payoff. 3. Many constantjokes and gags with- E +,I out measure, which don't respect the magical moments, which break S the magical atmosphere, jokes of medium or low comic quality, or that are merely humorous, even c.: ,, ; ; ,. ; ,. .... - ---• CLIMAX Other artistic dangers reside in the very deceptive nature of laughter. Consider an easy joke or gag, or one that targets an unfortunate spectator, or the use of foul language without reason. Yes, thE:;se things might get big laughs, sometimes very loud ones, but they are of a low quality. Sometimes just a few spectators make it sound as if the audience is roaring, when careful,observation will show that many others aren't laughing or are even uncomfortable when faced with far-fetched, artificial, forced comedy of a low artistic level. Loud laughs, sometimes thunderous, can be produced by easy jokes about sexual or scatological matters. Some spectators laugh to release restrained aggressiveness, taking ; pleasure in the performer's demonstration (abuse) of power as he insults, with wit of varying degrees, some spectator or collaborator, or makes him though they make spectators laugh look useless or stupid, while he remains, the supposed artist above it all, (we already know the reason). Time The curve of dramatic tension in the body of the trick is weak- who know Many gags and jokes: slow agony ened, and the final height of the climax is reduced. This results in an enormous loss for the magic and, moreover, the comedy and laughter are of a medium or low quality, due either to the jokes and gags or to the performer's meager comedic skill, even though it may seem to him, because of the laughs received, that he possesses greater ability. As a result, there is nothing positive gained, artistically speaking. clever and sublime. There are obviously degrees and nuances in all this. According to the situation in which the magic takes place, the intention of the artist, the audience, the venue, the attitude of the magician and the subtlety of the whole, something positive and artistically acceptable can result. Also keep in mind that the comedy should suit your style. Gags and jokes are like suits; they are not interchangeable. Perhaps if we borrow a suit of a larger size than ours, the primary function of the suit, that of covering us and keeping us from feeling cold, will still be fulfilled, but we will Let me make it clear that I am not referring to those magnificent artists most likely look like scarecrows. Similarly, if we borrow a style of comedy of great comic or humorous abilities and enormous wit whose objective;.;; that doesn't fit our style and personality, it might make some people laugh are of a high artistic quality and who express themselves through comedy (only some and in a certain way), but in the sensitive eyes of many we while voluntarily sacrificing the magical value of their performances. That is their perfect right. will be artistic scarecrows. As we all know, there is nothing more pathetic 1 Neither am I referring to artists, some of them brilliant, who know how to handle the continuous tensions in the structures of their tricks, than someone trying to be funny when he is not, or who tries to make us laugh with jokes and gags that don't suit him. The wisdom of "Know yourself' is totally valid here. n N I don't want to forget that magic is a beautiful and complex art th touches us, that leaves spectators astonished and charmed, and it doesn need laughter and comedy at all. Neither does it need dramatic plots, 1 ical stories or elegant and colorful presentations. All of that-corned ' Comedy omedy ' external drama, lyricism and elegance-can combine very well with rnagie or dress it nicely, but. I insist, it doesn't need it. Sometimes it is welcomer other times it is injurious. Comedy, drama and stories of various types are welcome to magic when they add artistic value, but not when they detract from it, diminish it or, in less harmful cases, distract the spectators from their thorough enjoyment. .... ,,,.,._.., Magic . es our artistic objective is not magic but comedy apd laughter. In : , ese instances, we use magic, or maybe a magical effect, t~at doesn t end omet1m p resolving in magic but in a joke meant to produce laughter.. It is obvious that, in these cases, there is no artistic prob~em smce, when · no magic there can be no conflict between comedy and magic. ~IB ' ' Example: After failing to find the selected card, you say, "All magi. d ·t ll}ke that Not me. All magicians get the right card. Not me." eians oi (I • -As a temporary recap, what we have discussed so far can be summed up as follows: Comedy is not necessary. Magic doesn't need it. If you don't have the comedy gene, it is best not to force comedy or to use situational comedy. If comedy is used, it should be suited to your style and personality. We shouldn't fool ourselves with the laughter of audiences. Getting laughs with magic is very easy. But there are different qualities of laughter. In any case, we should strive not to spoil or kill the magic with laughter. We will now delve into that last point in detail. Let's see how to prevent laughter from fighting the magic and spoiling it, even killing it. Let's not transform the life-giving, beautiful, refreshing, joyful and happy value of laughter into an artistic killer. To that end, we will now study the different harmonic relationships between magic and comedy. Comedy with Magic Here, although magic does exist, we wish to give priority to comedy, laughter and to all its values: shared joy, group cohesion, an ~tm~sphere that provides happiness .... The eggbeater trick discussed earlier 1s a perfect example of this. The magician doesn't aim to give an impression of the impossible. Instead, he looks for active participation, group cohesion (the audience yelling, all at the same time, the name of the selected card, leaving the spectator who chose it completely dumbfounded) and a relaxation of the tension (positive tension) accumulated throughout the previous magical effects, from so much astonishment, so many impossible events, so many blows to logic. A succession of magical effects can leave spectators stunned, shaky, off balance, an orphan to logic, at times everi frustrated. What a marvel is the trick that relaxes the!Il, liberates them, animates them, gives them a sensation of power (they make the divi~ation, acting as magicians) and makes them feel like a participant and part of a cohesive group! What a magnificent artistic orgy! What a joy! (The ultimate goal of art and of life?) Here magic keeps its full value of impossibility and all its capacity for fascination. N To do that, I have a formula that helps me know where to place edy, whether in the form of gags or jokes (although, to tell the tru never tell jokes; it would be more precise to call them funny occurrenc In other words, it indicates where and when I should produce laugh without having it fight against or punish the magic. The formula is: Before, after, at the start or at the same time. I'll explain: Before . wi·n last longer thanks to The Comet Effect, ~y . and may it last for •es and centuries to come). . g the laugh at the beginning of the trick, in the :firs~ moments of the ntation of the props to be used or of the situation to ~e developed, we achieve the benefits of laughter without reducing dram~tic interest or the measure of the magical climax. For that, it is necessary, after the gag, r the laugh that made the interest curve drop to the point of relaxation, ecover attention, and tension with 1n · might be done through our atti- f e and perhaps with a brief recap sc CLIMAX Placing the laugh before the trick begins has no negative influence on th magic. The magic hasn't started and, therefore, once the laugh is over, I c a certain unexaggerated emphasis the dramatic importance of what start presenting the trick and build dramatic interest, beginning from zer about to come. The mild effort · entails is well repaid by the joy Time d pleasure the laughter generously tributes. At the start An example: If, when showing an empty box in which a girl wiU later pear, we say something funny and witty, and the audience laughs, nothprevents us from recovering the dramatic interest as we continue to After For the same reason, placing the laugh after the trick will not influence th magic negatively. But "after" here means after the pause for assimilation is' completed (remember its three phases: astonishment, remembrance, then joy with pleasure), because the presentation of the trick doesn't end with the moment of the magical effect. It ends after the pause for assimilationj after the spectators have enjoyed the sweet enchantment of magic and savored it (although here we will disregard the fact that the fascination CLIMAX CLIMAX ow the box, creating a more focused or more dramatic or more serious itude, although not too serious or sad. During a card trick-have you noticed from most of my examples at playing cards are my passion, those fascinating little pasteboards, doubtedly a product of the devil or of some tempting and enchanting -devil?-during a card trick, as I was saying, you have the cards shufed. You then retrieve the deck and say, "I'm going to memorize the deck, e order of the cards, with no mistakes. I have the second-best memory the world. The best is ... I can't remember. "It is easy to recover interest Before After er the chuckle or smile that line produces. Obviously, the stronger and longer the laugh, the more difficult it to recover dramatic interest. A hilarious gag will take the spectators 423 422 totally out of the situation, and you will have to start from scratch. Or at the same time simply funny, light-hearted line will produce a smile or, at most, mil this I mean situation comedy. This _.f/j. ., . brief laughter, and will not pose a problem since it will cause only slight dip in the interest curve, which can be almost effortlessly raise(l back to where it was. ATTEMPTED CLIMAX CLIMAX --------• CLIMAX ACHIEVED ; ~ I I way of presenting magic that pro-· E Cl) ces a mild and persistent smile in 1:: CLIMAX ctators, due to the personality d style of the magician, or through a eerful or mildly humorous developent of the trick, or through integration .to an amusing, slightly absurd or selfodying situation. At the same time Examples would be the standard and marvelous patter for the superb -Card Repeat, Fred Kaps's performance of Roy Benson's Long Salt Pour, e situation that develops in tricks where a spectator's handkerchief or Time Steep drop in tension Time Slight drop in tension tch is "accidentally" destroyed and then restored, Lewis Ganson's roue for the Color-Changing Pocket Knives (in which a knife changes color And, as we saw earlier, the main factor of difficulty in recovering inter- ver and over, and the magician appears not to notice, always referring est is the positioning of the gag in time. The closer it is to the beginning of it as the white knife), the acts of Cardini and Gaetan Bloom, Dante's the trick, the easier the recovery. The closer it is to the climax, the more ackstage Illusion", John Calvert's decapitation, and each and every one of difficult the recovery, when it isn't impossible. Setting the limits or borders on the curve, marking the areas of easy and difficult recovery, is the task of essential intuition, a well-developed sense in every good artist. The artistic intuition is nurtured by the innate ability in each person, but just as much from the quantity and quality 'the sketches and comedic magic-plays by a genius in this field, the incomparable Fu Manchu (his "Chinese Bazaar", "Death Chair" and Stomach urgery... ). These examples show us how it is possible to achieve a perfect symbiosis between magic and comedy in which the magic is of great quality and feels so, while the smiles, laughter or irony season it, add cheer and on and internalized. Hence the importance of watching ( and enjoying) even help to improve the quality of the magic. And here we have arrived at a type of positive relationship between good magicians and good comedians, especially the greats of silent mov- comedy and magic, where comedy doesn't fight the magic or harm it, ies: Keaton and Chaplin, Jacques Tati (silent by choice); then of spoken bu1 instead enhances it, helping to make the secret moves and even the slightest trace of trickery disappear. It also sometimes gives the session expressive and structural values, or helps to increase the spectators' of personal experience, lived and seen, witnessed, analyzed, reflected film: Grou'cho and Harpo, Woody Allen, Toto, Fernando Fernan G6mei:, Tony Leblanc; and of radio and television, like the Spanish maestro of Los Hombres, Mac King .... From all of them we will learn, not only the enchantment and fascination. I will devote the last part of this study to the relationship between proper placement and quality of a gag but also the masterful management magic and comedy. But first I should complete my list of ways to combine of rhythm and pauses. comedy and magic without conflict between them. spoken humor, Gila; comedy magicians: Gaetan Bloom, Topper Martyn, N Trick with a False Explanation This is commonly known as a sucker trick. The magician seems to e how the trick works, but the explanation turns out to be false or : plete, and the trick ends with a better or unexpected magical ef:t . ect. effect sometimes cancels the possibility of the false secret explained. surprise produced by the new and better effect makes the spectators get the sensation of having been kindly deceived, and the final effect ne fails to produce a sincere smile of enjoyment. Running Gags These are gags or tricks having a quick effect that is repeated in the 8 way several times throughout the session, at more or less regular interv The effect doesn't need to be funny in itself. What's funny is the expec and fulfilled repetition of it. Thus, in the Lota Bowl, water is poured fr a vase, emptying it. The vase is then shown to be full again and again. T begins to become funny on the second or third repetition, and its com die impact increases each time, until it brings genuinely big laughs wh repeated the sixth or seventh time. Furthermore, it becomes an evoki hook that makes the whole session enormously memorable. Comedy for Magic Here comedy is in service to magic. It is something I have found over tM years through my own experience and from what I learned from and from what I have seen and studied, analyzed and tried to C,TTl'.1.l-,-IJrl.r·.'"J~lr.lnv.:··· Let me add: without synthesis, analysis may be academically brilliant sterile, empty or difficult to apply in a practical manner to the art UL.llLCJ!,~"'··· I wanted a life born of synthesis. Bear in mind that analysis teaches, shows and discovers, but it usually hurts, cuts, dissects and dismembers what iS' analyzed; in our case, a sensitive and extremely delicate artistic work. I am in favor of analysis as long as it is later synthesized into conclusions ve practical applications capable of being proved and corrected in .ce, and that can be internalized so that they become second nature, ut having to be consciously appJied, but which reanimate, 228 giving and bringing to life the very beautiful and fascinating, now living, cal work of art. ut how can comedy o.r laughter help magic? What doJs the service of 1 edy to magic consist of? One form of this service is the improvement of som~ of the tools of c-technical, psychological and structural-precisely those tools to better conceal certain digital techniques that by themselves can't ·ve the focused attention of the spectator. With this, there is a stratifin of techniques. As an example, let's take a sleight, the Top Change. It vered by a psychological-physical technique, a moment of relaxation, vided by a patter line, gag or simple joke. Thus, the sleight, which oth·se would be visible, when preceded by a gag ("It's the Joker. Jokers wild."), is executed in the moment of relaxation after the gag. When ompanied with precise timing-temporal coordination of the gaze, ice and movements of the hands, arms and body-the difficult and wonrful Top Change (maybe the best sleight in card magic) is completely ncealed, invisible and unsuspected. Another example would be the classic ("classic" meaning it fulfills its ction perfectly) gag· used in The Die Box. When the die is to travel to hat, the magician asks, "How do you want it to go, visibly or invisi?" When the spectators say, "Visibly," he visibly carries the die (with its · cret shell) to the hat and, after the audience laughs, he appears to bring ut the die, actually leaving it behind and removing only the shell. The eJl is later made to disappear in the Die Box, and the magical journey is mpleted by taking or dropping the solid four-inch die from the hat. Is there a better technique to justify the unavoidable load of the die to the hat? These are just two examples of the potential of comedy to help magic. ere are other benefits as well. Comedy improves the mood of the 28. From "animate", anima: Latin for "soul", the gift of soul. session, the attitude of the spectators, the correction of mistakes; the j tification of necessary actions that lack motivation and would othef"Wi arouse suspicion, etc. 229 Let's look at them in detail. Functions of Comedy in Helping Magic 1. PSYCHOLOGICAL A. To CONCEAL THE METHOD i. As MENTAL MISDIRECTION I'll give an example: I am presenting the great Ace Assembly effe using three double-faced ~ces (the method originated by Hofzinser and commonly misattributed to "Mac" McDonald). 230 Before switching the regular Aces for the three double-faced ones, I show them and say, "I have four Aces, two black and two red. A magic pass and-they're all red!" I show them again, but two blacks are still seen. ''All red? No?" The spectators protest, "No." I continue: "Well, they> are all red-on the backs!" I tum the Aces over in a fan and their four red backs are seen. This gets some chuckles. I proceed with the trick, switching the Aces for the three double-faced ones. ''So, four red Aces ... " Pause.) "... on their backs!" I tum over the packet of four Aces, allowing the back of the regular Ace to be seen. It is believed to cover the backs (actually faces) of the other three Aces. There are smiles. Later, just once more (I must be careful not to overdo the little joke), when I am about to vanish one of the black Aces, I say, "This is a red one, right?" I look at the Sflectators. Pause. Usually one of them completes the phrase: "On the back More smiles. 229. Obviously, I am not saying that laughter, humor and comedy are the only or the best methods to achieve the objectives I am about to comment on. fbrough this humorous sequence, we have powerfully instilled in the of the spectators the belief that the Aces have backs. They have d it, confirmed it and verbalize~ it themselves. .s brings me to a brief but interesting ( or so I believe and hope) ent on the present topic. I think we should be well tware that, when tators verbalize so~ething they don't see (like the brcks of the other ) they mentally see it and create a mental ima.ge , of it-and that Aces, probably make them evoke that image later, and the:r will beli~ve they ally saw it. It is a principle I discovered and often use. Somet1me_s the tators don't'even need to say what they don't see. We can say 1t for and achieve the desired results. Here's an example: I how the Five of Spades and say, "The Five of Spades. Four spades s " r the corners and one in the center. I'll leave it here, on the table. wever, I've done a Double Turnover and left another card face down the table. ''I put my finger over the Five of Spades, but not on this de in the center." I touch the center of the back. "I prefer one of these ades in the corners." I touch the four comers, above the four alleged ade pips. When the card is then immediately transformed into the Jack Hearts, the visual impact is tremendous. People really believe they ;ve seen the Five of Spades on the table, even though the card there has . ) .231 ays been the Jack of Hearts (image ret ent10n ii. As PHYSICAL MISDIRECTION The spectators spot a feather duster in the pagoda and mistake it for e back of a rabbit that is supposed to have vanished. When they see hat it really is, there is always laughter, and this joke misdirects from the e secret, the board that folds and conceals the rabbit in a hidden bag. I think it was Slydini who taught me a ruse that I adopted in my han·ng of Vernon's Kangaroo Coins routine. The effect is that four coins I Poetry, emotions expressed through mime, gestures or speech, etc., are also marvelous helpers when well integrated. 230. It is no trivial matter to attempt proper attribution to those artists who preceded us, to thank them for their artistic creation of methods and effects they have given us, almost always generously. 1. For this suggestion to w~rk well, it is necessary that the magician "sees" and "feels" the spade pips as he touches the back of the card and ~efers to t~~m. Slydini1 a mentor to me (and to so many), always insisted, The magician must b elieve what he says and does. He should 'see' the magic powder he sprinkles, and he should 'feel' the coins inside his fist-even though they don't exist!" n N penetrate the table one at a time and drop into a glass I hold under . TO CAUSE RELAXATION make the first coin penetrate, there is a moment when I need to lap carry the glass under the table but, unknown to the audience, I mouth down. I attempt to pass the first coin by hitting my left fi s,w t ' ughter, as we know, causes and is the result of a physical and s~mernental relaxation. Comedy is, then, a formidable tool for producmg a nt of relaxation during which a secret technique is ex~cuted or somemade to happen that we don't want to be perceived 9y the spectators. e rule here is the opposite from that stated earlieir for combining dy and magic ("magic" here defined as the mome11-t of the magical ). There we said that the laugh and the magic moment should not at the same time. Here we will say that the laughter and the secret n to be con~ealed should indeed coincide. Laughter and effect, no. holds the four coins, on the table-but nothing happens. Appealing cemed, I lean back in my chair to look at the hand that emerges With glass from beneath the table. This action pulls both hands back (the always rules in the marvelous and unique methodology of Slydim, ') the left hand reaches the edge of the table. As I tum to look at the 0 hand, which holds the glass, and everyone looks there, I exclaim, "So how could it go through! The glass is upside down. " My extended thumb, with the fist still closed, points to the bottom of the glass that coming from under the table in my right hand, and I drop a coin secre into my lap. As I tum the glass over, I bring my body forward, which n urally moves both hands forward as well. The left hand goes above table, and the right hand, carrying the glass, goes back under it, to rece · the coin when it magically penetrates the table. The spectators have se the glass and have relaxed while laughing at the joke, not noticing that left hand moved to the edge of the table. They haven't seen, and therefo don't remember, anything suspicious. The small joke of the upside-do glass has caused the spectators to relax and has improved the deceptiv, ness of the move. iii. As AN AID TO TIMING If we understand timing as the coordination in time or c,:n.._1''":t.trc.r:.J,z:11.rc 1 tion of gestures, movements, sleights, words, gaze, etc., executed at appropriate moment, we know that we sometimes need an element ' erally a ~ound, to cue us with a Now!, a Go!, that unifies the beginning of all those actions. That function can be well fulfilled by laughter, laughter 1 of the spectators that is produced suddenly and in unison. A simple Ha:! can serve as a starting signal, because laughter also marks the lhr,.,rl,v.,.,,H,,G of the spectators' mental and physical relaxation. This brings us to the next point: ter and method, yes. hus: "Is this your card? No? Well, I missed. But if it turns out to e card! ... " Laughter, relaxation and Top Change. ''Maybe magic can e it transform into your card. We blow and-there you are!" n stage manipulation, using a gag to relax attention during which you erceptibly execute loads and ditches is a formidable tool. Cardini's act 11 of such moments, as are Fred Kaps's and other magnificent manipors' acts. Good stage illusionists also use this technique. Kio, the minent Russian illusionist, had a clown play a joke on him and, during relaxed moment created by laughter, Kio's assistants took away, comely unnoticed, the illusion stairs that another of his assistants had d when climbing up to and entering an empty cage. Eventually, this ocent" little staircase secretly carried off the same assistant. When spectators later saw a lion appear in the cage, totally isolated from floor in the middle of a circus ring, they were astonished. Not only they not noticed that the little staircase was rolled away, but they 't even remember there was a staircase. During the relaxation period owing the joke, which is to say, during the laughter, they not only 't watch carefully, but-they also didn't register in memory what they seen, thanks to Kio's perfect coordination of laughter, relaxation and cret action (the removal of the illusion stairs). Now let's see in more detail the function of comedy in relation to v. As AN ERASER OF MEMORIES vii. TO JUSTIFY ACTIONS OR UNCOMMON ACCESSORIES In Chapter 4 we dealt with "Magic and Memory". Under the hea am referring here to certain actions required by the technique 1 ployed, or to certain accessories, necessary to the method or the proure of the trick, that are strange looking or unjustified in the eyes of the "An Almost Incredible Experiment" (p. 179), I described how-throug sudden action in which mental tension is abruptly increased, deman • total attention, after which the tension and attention relax~it is possi to erase actions that have been fixed in the spectators' short-term me ory.. The actions are forgotten because they have been prevented fr passing into mid-term or long-term memory. Well, there is nothing be to relax increased tension than a gag, a joke or laughter. I explained how I startled spectators with a feigned accident-knock,. ing over a glass of water or dropping my eye-glasses-and later .-t.......,<:..'--~·.1'T,v?r-:u,.... matters with a joke or gag. What happens on such occasions is that initial tension, the little scare necessary for the gag, prevents or helps prevent the undesired memory from passing into mid-term or long-te memory. Although other strong emotions can achieve the same result ' laughter is, to my understanding, one of the fastest and more efficient ' and the one least likely to arouse suspicion of having been used to secret ends. The joke appears to be only a little break used to enhance the presentation and add amusement. In fact, this is the truth, for to amuse is distract, to divert. dience and therefore are suspicious. With a joke, a gag er a prank, you perfectly justify them· and avoid all suspicion. I think/ the example of Die Box I described a few pages back provides a suffi~ient demonstraThe Okito Box, an odd item to the average person,' can be justified a . calling it "the safe for my annual savings" or even something funnier though I find that impossible). viii. FOR THE LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF A FEINT A feint is an action first done honestly, then repeated in a way that incorrates trickery. The feint-that is, the act of feigning-is done the second e the action is executed; for example, pretending to transfer a coin from d to hand and closing the empty hand as if it has received the coin. This e second action is the feint, as defined by Robert-Houdin and other old asters. However, feint came to be applied more commonly to the honest st action that simulates a subsequent dishonest action. I feel we should efine feint as the combination of the two actions, beginning with the hon- vi. As A p ARENTHESIS OF FORGETFULNESS (Maestro Ascanio dixit) st one, absent trickery, and then the repeated action with trickery. Although the feint is a classic weapon, it is little used these days; yet it The hands are put into their corresponding jacket pockets. The left s a marvelous and enormously powerful resource. For example: The right hand takes and secretly holds three coins. The right hand openly brings out a pocket handkerchief, as the left comes out with the palmed coins. The handkerchief is unfolded and seems to have a bum caused by an iron. "I ironed it myself. " Laughs. It is left on the table, another clean one taken froll). the pocket and a routine of coin productions begins. The is a mild one, but it,causes small laughs, chuckles, and hinders the mental and takes a coin and transfers it to the left hand, which closes around it. e left hand then opens to confirm that the coin is there. Fixation pause. connection between the hand that went to the pocket (the left) and production of the coins. Without the gag we would have needed more time misdirection, with an ensuing loss of rhythm. Also, by placing this gag before the beginning of the trick, the gag doesn't fight the magic. The spectators see the coin in the hand and make a mental picture of it there. (By the way, the hand should be held in the same space throughut the procedure and not moved from there until after the hand is shown mpty.) The right hand retakes the coin and the sequence is repeated (transer to the left hand, left hand closes)-but this time a false transfer is made and the coin is retained in right-hand finger palm. When the left hand is @ubsequently opened, after some magical gesture or word, it is seen empty. e contrast with the prior mental picture-hand with coin, hand without coin-makes us visualize the disappearance of the coin much more ~le e laughter. "... because I'm a bit of a saver." Pause. ''But I do have the Therefore, the visual impact is much stronger and the magical effect :m more powerlul than if the initial feint hadn't been done. of the coin. The right hand then takes another coin and transfers it of making money invisible." Magic gesture. And the hand opens to show there is nothing to see! No coin! Climax. ;Here, comedy is used to justify the repetition and the transfers of the as well as to create a moment of relaxation into whicr we insert the et move. The latter has supreme magical value in itse~f, giving it sufnt justification. And as we know, the spectators' relaxation, physical mental, is the most appropriate moment for executing a secret move, it will be less perceived by them and less fixed in their memories, if it omes fixed at all, making it impossible to recall later. Not only is the ve (the false transfer) not seen, but the passing of the coin back and is less clearly perceived. Therefore, an incomplete sequence will be embered: "He had a coin in his left hand. I saw it there. He blew, he the left hand, which closes. With an appropriate justification, the han ned his hand and it was gone!" I feel strongly that both actions should blend together, forming a c tinuous whole. If other actions are introduced between the honest acti and the dishonest one, we would call the honest action preconditioni or simply conditioning. Incidentally, sometimes the honest action, bo in feints and in conditioning, can be repeated one or more times. Wh the honest action is performed after the action involving trickery-eit immediately after or later-perhaps with other similar objects (such another coin), I call it postconditioning. Extending our example: A pause is placed after the disappearanc is reopened, showing the coin, and the action continues. The spectato take for granted and are convinced that the previous time the coin w ix. AS A SECRET PREPARATION OR CLEAN-UP also genuinely transferred and that they saw it in the left hand before it· Some tricks require secret preparation prior to performance: gath- disappeared. The combination of preconditioning and postconditioning 'ng the Aces while spreading the cards face up from hand to hand; enhances the magical effect in two ways: visually (the coin is seen several times in the left hand) and conceptually (the coin going from hand to hand is an honest action seen several times). tting on an accessory such as a Nail-Writer or a Thumb Tip; loading or Obviously, after the postconditioning with a second coin, if the coin is es, laughter and smiles can be used to cover the necessary time with to be vanished, a different method should be used (sleeving, stealing it by pinching it with other fingers, a Pull, etc.). cellent results. Time goes by more quickly and the spectators are dou- But what does all this have to do with comedy? Well, one of the difficulties of the feint lies in how to justify why, once the coin is held in the left fist, that hand is opened and the coin is taken ming an object such as a ball, a coin, or a cigarette; fitting on an assist's harness for the Aerial (Broom) Suspension, etc. Comedy, gags, y diverted, being amused and distracted without watching or paying uch attention to our actions. This can happen at the end of a trick or after afull pause for assimilan~when you need to clean up; that is, when a gimmicked object must the right hand and tossed back into the left. It is here that the role secretly changed for a regular one to have it examined, or when secret can get very interesting. For example: If, once the coin is in the left fist, cessories or gimmicks (thread, shells, etc.) must be put away. say, ''Sometimes we believe we have a hole in our hand, because the money Sometimes the gag itself can be the means used to get rid of the slips away and we don't know how. "Laughs. "I don't have one ... "The hand opens, and the coin is seen and taken by the right fingers to show there is no hole in the hand. Now a fake transfer is made, using the relaxation caused . wanted object. For example, when I use a Thumb Tip, I take off my hat the end of the trick and, while making gestures with my hand of tossing bins into it, I ditch the Thumb Tip there as I say, "You are applauding me, 0 N but sometimes people throw money." I then put my hat back on,\ lea , the Thumb Tip in it. I remove it at the end of the session-if I remembe x. TO HAND GIMMICKED OBJECTS TO A SPECTATOR ~ · Say that you wish to hand out a gimmicked object for examination merely to be held, without the spectator noticing its trickery. Distracti' caused by a joke or gag, and the resulting laugh, prevent spectators fro worrying about the object and examining it closely. The very act of handing out an object for examination or to held makes everyone automatically believe that the object is nonn "Otherwise he wouldn't hand it out." This is a marvelous strategy t prevents an entry into the Cavern of the Secret, and I use it continuous! larding on as much audacity and indifference as possible, equally in m stage magic and in close-up. I'll give you some examples. I leave a gimmicked Color-Changing Knife (one secretly having a differ~ ent color on each side) on the open palm of a spectator and put a nonn knife on his other palm. This prevents him from using the second hand turn over, play with, or examine the gimmicked knife. But this doesn't pre';' vent him from turning it over with one hand. However, if I say, "Now you know why they call me Juan the Knife," or I simply whistle Kurt Weill's wellknown "Mack the Knife". Everyone laughs-or rather, smiles-including the assisting spectator who, entertained by the joke, doesn't examine the knife. immediately, but unhurriedly, pick up the knives and continue with the trick. Another example, also a personal one (which are the ones I know best; that's why I tell them): When I do the Egg Bag-using the style of bag designed by Malini, my previous incarnation-I make an appear that a spectator "freely" asks for. This always turns out to be hen's eg& (forced by a hand gesture I make). At the end of the routine go to my violin case, to get a glass. There I switch the egg for a regular one. I then bring the glass and the egg into view. Meanwhile, the bag is 232. On one occasion, at the end of my theater show, I took off my top hat in a grateful gesture of thanks, and produced the beautiful and unheard-of effect of The Flying Thumb, which I have refused to repeat despite its great success. t the whole time. I immediately throw the bag to a nearby spectator tell him, "Check that there isn't a hen in the bag." Everyone laughs, uding him. "The other .day, mon~y came out of the bag and the per- looked inside to see if the Bank of Spain was in there. That's how pear,. e. "More laughter. ·By ridiculing the searching action-a hen! the l 1 of Spain!-the spectator doesn't go any further th~n a little feeling maybe a squeeze of the bag. He then hands it back t1 me. I have been ding my arm and hand extended toward him, "patit~ntly" waiting for to examine the bag; actually prompting him to give: it back soon and pass it to someone else. I immediately show the egg as I say, "And I t to prove to all of you sitting far away, what those nearby already w: that what appeared, disappeared and reappeared is an authentic, real ... " I break the egg and drop its contents into the glass. "... hen's . "A great Comet Effect sweeps us up. It's easy to imagine the use of comedy when asking someone to inspect gimmicked box or trunk in a large stage illusion, etc. B. TO ENHANCE THE EFFECT xi. To EMPHASIZE THE INITIAL SITUATION Maestro Ascanio always insisted on the importance of clarity in the ·tial situation. Comedy can subtly help. An example in card magic (of ourse!): "This deck is noble-like me." The deck is turned over and, as give it a Hindu shuffle, it is seen to have blue backs. "In other words, blue blood. " Mild laughter. With this, the spectators will have fixed the leged blue backs in their memories, both visually and conGeptually. The acks will later change to red, but the blue of the initial situation will still resent on their retinas and in their minds. There won't be the slightest ubt- instead there is maximum contrast. ' Another example: an empty box. A spectator is asked to put his hand side to check. An attempt is made to close the box, as if to trap his and inside. At the same time, a knife is displayed. ''I need a hand for is experiment." A scare and laughs. The spectator's hand is allowed to cape. When something or someone is later seen to fill the box, everyone n will remember initial situation of it being totally empty, tha:hks t magician's menacing joke. 233 xii. To BETTER FIX AND EVOKE IMPORTANT PRIOR ACTIONS ''Do you know how to shuffle with your hands above your head? Very good!. . . You 're the best shuffler in the county. "Laughter. At the of the trick, when, say, all the clubs appear in order from Ace to you can easily make people recall the shuffle by raising your hands a your head, imitating the spectator's shuffle there, and repeating, "The shuffler in the county. " Everyone will be sure the deck was shuffled ' that makes the effect more powerful. . the case if the attitude of. the magician ( so very important!) is 1,as if the situation hasn't surprised him. On the contrary, he can an exaggerated distress that is ~learly noticed. In this regard, I use t has. always given me magnificent results, and I have shown ~~ tha I 1a11Y other magicians: I think, before I appear in front of thF audience, that ing to make three mistakes in the upcoming sess~on and I say to lf something like: "Let's see if I can do it: three little_mistakes. Come an! Go for it!" When a mistake happens-quite oft~n in close-up or r magic, sometimes by chance or through the action of an assistant tator-the first thing l do is grow happy ("I made one already") and ess my joy, sometimes in a very pointed way: "That's it! Great!" This 2. IMPROVED PRESENTATION xiii. To COVER DEAD TIME les the spectators, who consequently don't experience any negative ations. Why should they when the magician is so happy! Sometimes believe they have not understood the nature of the trick, or they These are those long, boring but necessary moments: finding the the magician has purposely made the mistake in order to make teen cards of one suit in the deck, one or two spectators tying up ke after the mistake. Sometimes I improvise the joke, other times magician, having the cups or boxes or rings examined .... A little line ;ve one prepared. A generic response good for many mistakes is to intelligent humor or a good small gag helps to cut the subjective time c claim in an exaggerated and badly acted manner, "Oh! I missed! This sumed and to keep the curve of dramatic interest up. The alternative horrible! liVhat can I do? I'm going to commit suicide ... " I say this 'le holding my head between my hands and looking scared, but with a le smile and my tongue in my cheek. When the spectators realize I'm t serious, no one believes the mistake was real. Naturally, you need to low up with a good resolution. I am usually prepared for many mistakes, some solutions being eric, others specific. Here's an example: In my Paris Act,. I have to lap ds repeatedly: all the signed Aces and other cards. Should one of the s drop to the floor when I've tried to lap it, I say, "Uh! Someone has mitted suicide!" and feign deep concern. I crouch while my left hand two or three cards from a Crooked Deck (novelty cards shaped like ~igzag) that I carry tucked in my sock. Meanwhile, I use my right hand ick up the Ace from the floor and secretly leave it in my lap. I immeely transfer the crooked cards to the right hand and bring them into w. With a smile, I say, "Well, they didn't die, but they're a little under negative one, sometimes significantly so; a loss of interest with ensu· obstacles for our main objective: that the magic is ultimately felt in all wonderful power-and that the audience doesn't become bored! xiv. As AN Our, AFTER A TRUE MISTAKE After an unexpected mistake or accident or in any embarrass· situation, a timely joke or gag that produces laughter is the most po erful weapon I know to prevent the negative sensations these situati always produce, in the spectators and in the magician himself. having experienced that sensation, the spectators will easily forget ther I was a mistake and will sometimes come to believe the mistake wasn genuine. "The magician did it in order to make that joke." This will 233. This gag could also prevent the spectator from taking his time in exami · the box, which could then have a false bottom, etc. n vvv•LAlv,.,,e,,, "That line, along with the sight of the grotesquely 8 cards, never fails to produce laughs. And, of course, everyone t · was all a joke I introduced on purpose. I then continue with the trick people tend to forget even the gag, and therefore much more: the dent, the "nonexistent" mistake. 234 If a second mistake occurs, I feign even greater joy; and should third one happen, my pleasure would be orgiastic. 235 The point is truly feel a certain joy at having made the mistake. I do believe that a mist humanizes me. It helps me not to fall prey to stupid pride. It brings closer to the spectators and puts my improvisational skills and creati to the test. There is also satisfaction in overcoming difficulties. That's'. wonderful thing! In an upcoming section of this book you will find more ideas for so ing mistakes (p. 495). 234. On one occasion, when I used this strategy, it was impossible to contin This was at the wonderful F.F.F.F. magic convention organized by my frie Obie O'Brien, in Buffalo, New York When I bent down to pick up the dropp Ace, I couldn't find it because the floor was littered with cards, some face some face down. The great (in every respect) David Williamson, who p ceded me in the show, had thrown hundreds of cards into the air in one his hilarious jokes, and the floor was ... the way it was! Through my natur kindness, David continued to live, but I almost died laughing. 235. One of the magic friends to whom I showed this technique won an intema.. tional award with an act in which he unfortunately suffered several mistakes; but he resolved them with great wit and a growing joy that he displayed to the jury, aided further by his deep knowledge of magic, which helped solve the problems in a very magical way. The worst of them happened whea he showed a court card and saw it was the wrong one. He waved it in a way that you couldn't tell which court card it was, while he called right card, thT one he should have been holding. He almost yelled and he jumped around, uncontrollably full of joy. The entire jury and most the audience, all magicians, believed the trick had been successfully concluded and shared in the performer's happiness. By the way, he won an even higher award at the next international convention, this time without mistakes. The magician was none other than Pepe Carrol! TO CREATE A COMEDY SITUATION OR A STORY THAT INCREASES FASCINATION ere we'll consider comedy situations that accompany the magic out disturbing or spoiling it. Remember the considerations we examearlier for comedy and magic "At the same time", fVhich is one of preventatives given earlier to avoid comedy fro~ hapni~g the ma~ic 423). We wish to add new emotions to the genenc emot10n of mag~c. e could arise from situation with very mild comedy, imbued with a thearted mood or, better still, irony: The magician makes a pocket e change color several times but pretends not to notice. "I will now mpt to make the knife disappear, but it needs to be white, and I don't w why, but I can never achieve that." (Lewis Ganson) The smiles er leave the spectators' lips, yet they are astonished and charmed by e continuous color changes of the knife. I present my All Backs routine with a similar concept, complaining about absurd reactions of some people who, in a previous session, were not azed at the magical things that happened, in my opinion, to the Queen Clubs. Meanwhile, I am showing cards with backs on both sides and no ces, pretending not to notice the strange situation and acting as if I were ruidling a regular deck of cards. The impression given is that I'm kidding as quickly show a deck with backs on both sides, which I've expressly taken ut of an odd-looking card case. When the face of the Queen of Clubs and e rest of the faces surprisingly appear, it is truly unexpected and powerful. This solves an extremely difficult problem in this trick: With the excepion of the excellent premise devised by the creator of All Backs (Vernon), 's very hard to make people believe that the cards actually have two a'tks rather than thinking, "He is showing me only the backs and skillfully ,concealing the faces." The trick changes and increases its intense magical potential thanks to comedy, to irony. It is in this approach that spectators tan feel the magic and the beautiful symbolism, in a subconscious way, of assing from the void, from nothing (a card without a face is a zero, withut life, and all of them together are nothing) to plural and individual lives (when the cards acquire their varied and multiple identities). xvi. As AN AID FOR THE GOOD STRUCTURE OF THE SESSION The introduction of a gag or gag-trick now and then is sometimes bene erefore, emotions and sensations experienced by the audience ere, I believe, of a higher magical quality. The audience has almost sur- cial for the structure of the entire session. It creates a moment of relaxation in_ the spectators, especially during long sessions from one to two hours, ~dered at the start. I should point out that, in my experience, this humorous warm-up is That moment of comedy (especially if there is laughter) allows the spectators to move and stretch their necks. As they laugh, they usually uch more effective than a serious magic effect, becaus~ laughter relaxes turn and move their heads and bodies. Diaphragms contract and lungs d creates sympathy between magician and audienc~, and among the recycle oxygen, preparing the spectators to watch the subsequent tricks ectators themselves. Remember that, at the start, magic needs to strug- with bodies relaxed and minds more joyful, more animated. Everyone has e against a certain skepticism, if not against a sense of challenge, or felt new sensations and has taken a break to avoid a saturation of astonishment and continuous blows to his logic. stration in some. Laughter doesn't. Laughter transmits and receives I e spectators and connects them to eac~ other. It brings them together But let's remember once more that this is valid only if the comedy is good feelings directly. Some television shows, mostly English-speaking, hire a comedian to not forced, if it flows naturally and suits the style and true personality of host the preshow and warm up the audience before the taping begins. the magician. Otherwise, there are other means to achieve the same end: As positive as that is, it is my experience that it is much more useful if dramatic or lyrical stories, musical pauses, choreography, allied or para- the magician himself, in an informal mood, approaches the spectators magical arts (ventriloquism, pickpocketing, hand shadows, certain escape and shows them a quick effect with comedy while he talks to them, asks effects, tricks employing the body or hands of all the spectators, etc.). for their help and gets to know them. Magicians with the repertoire and A trick that is simply repeated at more or less regular intervals, between other tricks, can become a running trick or a running gag that produces sensibility to do this (as long as the imposing and somewhat chaotic organization of the TV station allows it) have an important advantage. smiles and laughs. I discussed the running gag earlier in this chapter, but I want to underline its value for improving the magic session as a whole. 3. IMPROVED COMMUNICATION xviii. TO CAUSE GROUP COHESION As I've just mentioned, spectators who laugh are psychologically brought together as a group. They are no longer isolated individuals sitting xvii. FOR A WARM-UP OF THE AUDIENCE close to other individuals who are also isolated. After laughing together, In specific situations such as television shows and DVD recordings, a as when applauding together, they are already part of a cohesive group. trick with comedy, or a comedic piece that includes a trick, helps to warm emotion now felt by anyone in the group will resonate with the others up the audience before beginning the broadcast or recording. If laughs and be amplified in each of them. Laughter, with its unparalleled power are produced along with some astonishment, the audience will be more for contagion, enhances that union and gives the spectators confidence: receptive and more familiar, more in tune, with the magician at the begin- "I'm not the only one feelJ.ng that this is not possible, I am not stupid. I ning of the recording. The spectators will not be caught unprepared and am not frustrated because I'm amazed. The same thing is happening to everything will flow much more smoothly. I use this practice whenever everyone in the group. I can be fascinated without any anxiety. We are possible, and it has proved extremely valuable. The ensuing broadcast astonished. We are experiencing the impossible, the desired, the marvel- or magic recorded was received more warmly and with more interest. ous. It's a shared dream. It is magic." ;tor comes to accept the impossible, to feel the wonderful, that's xix. As A REST FOR THE SPECTATORS This.is .almost the brother of Point xvi . ' but with differe n t nuance Magic is a very demanding art·' terribly demanding . The spectator to watch constantly, to pay attention to everything that takes place . doesn't want to miss the magical effect (the emotion of the·imposs · ' If . he looks away. for a moment, if he is mentally distracted fo ronl ms~ant from what is going on, when the impossible effect arrives he . believe and feel he missed something during the moment of d"ist ractio and that something would explain everything and kill the impossib. an essential condition of magic. There will no longer be a secular mira er matter, wished for, looked for and, let's hope, attained. e fact is, one way or another, th~ art of magic intellectually wears e spectators, especially during the first part of the ses~ion. And that ectual fatigue transforms into physical fatigue, into a ldss of capacity ention, into a desire .to relax physically and mentaJiy. And all this I make it difficult for the spectator to follow the next ;trick and fully the magic that awaits him. tis also true that applause partly fulfills the function of physical relaxn for spectators after their effort, aside from serving them as a means press themselves and express to the magician their joy, their plea- And ~ot only should the spectator be permanently attentive to what their emotion, perhaps their admiration, and ideally their love. But sho~ him, but also, in some way, to what is concealed from him. This ' session often needs moments of rest. The beautiful, poetic tales agic particularly true during the first part of the session and for a certain type C spectator, those people for whom it's more difficult to detach moment from an untamable logic before they feel the impossible. The usual co tion of a rational human being asks us to discard the possible and fill" . m Rene Lavand, the intelligent commentary of Max Maven, the sensual oreography of The Pendragons or the colorful ballets of Fu Manchu all l the function of rest. Robert-Houdin inserted brief musical interludes impossible; in other words, to eliminate the possible rational solutions a chamber group between tricks. There is no doubt that every time there is laughter, either between would explain everything in a logical way. This is what motivates us to ks or at the opportune moments discussed, sprinkling (without drown- attentive, watchful and to maintain a certain state of doubt; a certain w the magical development of a trick, we will be achieving a physical ness in some cases, in some people. As if that weren't enough, we ask the spectator to remember all t facts we are feeding him: ''Remember the selected Seven of Spades. Ke d intellectual rest, causing the spectators to relax, so that they will be le to enjoy more thoroughly, with more concentration, more intensity, e moving and fantastic moment of magic when it arrives. in mind that the deck was shuffled. Don't forget the Jokers that I left face up under the deck .... " Or "These two handkerchiefs over here are tied together. One is red and one is green. Those over there are untied loose. One is white and one is blue .... " itude that he displays and communicates externally, is very important in . Also, sometimes, when the first impossible effect is presented, ro,:i,c:,rn'\ ftening the undesirable personal challenge some spectators with certain reJects it and forces the spectator to use logical analysis and intelligence securities might feel toward magic. Comedy can also fulfill that function, to try to deduce tunsuccessfully, we hope) a solution. This can happen pecially at the start of a session, when the magic hasn't yet captivated even if the spectator doesn't wish to do so, even if he is eager to the fascinating emotion of magic. For many rational humans it isn't so d totally enchanted the spectators. Some gag or an intelligent, subtle and umorous embellishment, no matter how light, will enable the spectator to easy to accept all at once the experience of the illogical, the anti-rational, carried away and make him wish to be led by the magician and guided ' the impossible. If later in the session, especially in its second phase, the xx. TO SOFTEN THE CHALLENGE As I've mentioned, I think the attitude of the magician, his genuine inner ong The Magic Way to enter and float into The Magic Rainbow. N xxi. FUN. JOY It is pointless to deny the wonderful sensation of joy and cheerfulne that comedy produces, especially if it is intelligent and positive. Even great Spinoza and Schopenhauer have thought, each in his own way, th joy was an objective to search for and achieve. It is "the only true curren edY is not necessary. Magic can stand by itself. But if we really have a rful side and want to express it, .comedy can be added-with extreme e (danger!)-to magic, seasoning it to improve it, cnrating the exquitreat of magic. for happiness," wrote Schopenhauer, although he is sometimes referr to as the philosopher of pessimism. In all modesty and humility, I joint illustrious duo. Laughter, when not a cheap laugh, when not produced by physic or mental tickling, is a direct and lively road to joy, to enjoyment, to th pleasant and joyful state of cheerfulness and happiness that is share and resonant. A mere glance at an audience shaken by laughter is enough medy for Magic (Recap) PSYCHOLOGY A. TO CONCEAL THE METHOD i. Mental misdirection ii. Physical misdirection to show us how contagious it is. We end up laughing, or at least smil-. iii. Timing ing, without knowing why. We all know how compelling a sincere and iv. Relaxation. Attention happy laugh is, sometimes melodious, at other times loud. And all of that without forgetting the pleasurable sensation that smiling or seeing oth. . ers smile produces in us. Look at the smile of a baby or at his laughter, It is truly fascinating. And that fascination is precisely what we want our" spectators to feel, the inner child in themselves, and in us, upon experiencing our magic. v. Eraser of memories vi. Parenthesis of forgetfulness vii. Justification of actions or accessories viii. Feint ix. Secret preparation and clean-up x. Gimmicked objects B. To ENHANCE THE EFFECT xxii. As A MEANS OF SELF-EXPRESSION xi. Stressing the initial situation (to evoke) Humans that we are, even though we play at being gods, magicians xii. Fixing and evoking actions (positive) are not one-dimensional beings. We have different sides, some better, others that could be improved. When we, as artists, attempt to reveal ourselves, to express ourselves through the language of art (magic, in case), comedy can often reveal one more facet of our true personality; most pfayful, more joyful and more festive aspect. This obviously depends on whether we genuinely possess that facet, on whether we are truly or partly humorous and are not using comedy for a simply utilitarian pose, attempting to please, to be "commercial". Since this subject is so complex and depends on the sincerity which we view ourselves, each reader must decide for him- or herself. . PRESENTATION xiii. Dead time xiv. Outs xv. Situation of comedy and fascination xvi. Structure of the session COMMUNICATION xvii. Warm-up xviii. Group cohesion xix. Rest (j xx. Softening challenge xxi. Fun and joy xxii. Self-expression e, two, three and-four apples in the air! In the beginning it was juggling tricks interspersed wit;h the stunts and roersaults of the jongleur. The bottle balanced on thd tip of the cane . t is supported on the nose. I 1 One, two, three and-four apples in the air! In the beginning they were feats of skill, making the <lµlicult easy. Even ough an apple is,dropped sometimes, it is picked up, another stunt, another mersault, one, two, three ... ... and four peaches in the air! How skillful! And then just one. Only one in his hand? No! In the other. In the beginning it was surprise at the agility of the acrobatics, at the culty of the juggling feats, at the sleight-of-hand. ter, in the times of Anderson, an Englishman known as The Great Wizard f the North, different, diverse and varied objects were manipulated: the gg taken out of the mouth, the playing cards appearing in the hands, the abbit brought from the top hat. And the coins and the watches that are hidden through fast movements, hich later-how fast!-come back into view. He hid it so well! Robert-Houdin and Bosco, always with their sleeves rolled ·up-nothing p those sleeves, nothing over here, nothing over there; and Le Roy, the eigian, with the billiard balls, such surprising sleight-of-hand (sleight-ofand artists!); and Dr. Elliott with the cards, such beautiful, such intriguing manipulations (manipulators!). The Marvel and Amazement But come in and watch! Geoffrey Buckingham and T. Nelson Downs are eady here. A coin out of nothing, and another, and another, as many N as ten, filling hands, without the need for apparatus or acce~so they're they are back, then they are gone, now in the hand, then he handkerchief. How is that possible? And smoke comes out of his barehanded. And Edward Victor and Ron MacMillan and Flip and Richard R now flourishes are interspersed with juggling, sometimes only as e uth. Lots of smoke, a human volc~o. But Frakson speaks all the same. uses magic words of his own: "Cento ma cento." "It's not possible," lishments, other times as conjunctions of the phrase that constitutes ectator seems to respond. Where is he, this person? ~d the smoke routine (a structured assembly of moves, productions, multiplicati ntinues to billow out. Fr.akson wants to control it. He drp.nks water, but I 1 changes in size, form, color-an act in itself). See;rns impossible. smoke goes on and on, and then there are more ci~arettes, and he ·Where do the thirteen large billiard balls come from? And the cigare ks more water, and the smoke goes on and on, and suddenly there are of the Spaniard Florences, who throws one away and produces anot and another. Are they inexhaustible? more cigarettes, and Frakson, with his unquestionably empty hand, Surprise, intrigue, amazement, marvel and amazement the min of open-mouthed spectators; mysterious and Kabbalistic passes for disappearances, gestures of a rare elegance, of incredible beauty, of po erful expression. tches from the air an invisible cigarette that materializes at his :fingers, burning bright, with the bluish smoke of magic. And Frakson smiles at the imaginary spectator: Yes, it is possible! And shares with him the joy (or the mystery?) of the cigarettes that are seen d not seen, that are there and are gone, that are and are not. Now... Now it's the magic! And from that "now" comes Mahka Tendo from Mystery Already the day before yesterday, emerging from Wales, Cardini, at whos pan, Peter Marvey, Norbert Ferre, Yu Hojin, Lukas and the Korean :fingertips fans of cards appear. He throws them away. But more fans hool, Miguel Mufioz, Hector Mancha .... cards persist in appearing. What a nuisance for Cardini. What's going Nothing is understood. It can't be. Technique conceals technique. And the canes and the lit candles that emerge from the hands, from the arms, from the body of the Dutchman, Fred Kaps; and the banknote$ and the giant coins that appear and multiply, that materialize in the air at the touch of his :fingertips, and he throws them away and there are always more. What can one do? And the inexhaustible salt that pours out of his fist, and pours pours, and falls and covers the stage. Kaps himself is amazed. He r1,...,.,.,..,,.. ••• understand anything. What's going on today? He wants to stop but can't. The salt-incredible! impossible!-doesn't stop pouring and it g on and on .... And all because of the arrival of Frakson Jose Frakson a genius ' ' Madrid, and his cigarettes that seem to throw, I don't know, little mag.: ical sparks from their lit tips; cigarettes that are between his lips, and n) should I make it understood that there is a secret the 1ong ru . . . " od if my goal is to leave my spectators confused. If what I seek 1s to Mentalism All of magic is mentalism. All magical effects take place in the spectato · · People , sometimes people who hten · · _ have personal problems, to the t of a sort of hysteria, there are perhaps more effective ways to do "magi·c"·, with confederates and stooges, for example/ or taking it to limit, presenting our s~ssion in a cemetery, etc. ! But if my objective is to play along with other peop~e (I play magiI mind. It would therefore be somewhat artificial to talk of mental mag as a branch of magic. How a trick is presented determines if it is to considered mentalism or not. But any trick can be presented in a way th makes it feel like mentalism, out of the ordinary, paranormal. Even tho ' they play spectators); or if my goal is simply to ent~rtain or amuse; . tricks that seem inappropriate to be represented as mental effects can be believe in the enormous capacity of art to fascinate without resortmg 1 dishonest deception; if I believe that the imagination and fantasy of made to feel like mental magic. Even the simulation of the most physi.. ectators can be made to soar through a superior presentation of magic cal and apparently least mental phenomenon could be made to look like th a mental flavor; if I am confident that my behavior or, rather, my com- mentalism. Hofzinser did it: He converted a Cards Across effect through rtment during the trick can create a suspension of disbelief (illusion); presentation into an increase of the number of cards a spectator guards I understand that, during a movie, I as spectator laugh, grow angry, under his hand by the exact amount the spectator chooses. Spectators can t excited, become anxious, feel emotion, thanks to the power of the maker combined with my own voluntary interest in believing what I ow to be mere images and pure fiction; if my goals are some or all of above, and if I try to communicate with others who play along with e in both meanings of the word-normal play and playing a fictional ' the role of spectators who are going to be enchanted by my magical ole, s-then it becomes evident, at least to me, that I cannot and should not nceal from my spectators the fact that I resort to natural means, that here is trickery. I cannot conceal it from them, because otherwise those goals I seek become inaccessible. I can't conceal it, because I would be going against the objectives I am setting for myself. I just can't. Therefore, should make it very clear in the spectators' minds that we are in the ealm of art, of illusion, illusionism. That there is a secret, a trick. Perhaps because of a conscious or subconscious desire in some of y spectators to believe in· something mysterious, of an esoteric or reli.ous nature, I might not always manage to make my role crystal clear, t I strive to achieve it. The problem, which does exist and is very real in some cases lies in how to manage fixing the desired notion in spectators' ' inds, leaving no room for ambiguity (no "You may judge for yourselves if even be made to believe that they are witnessing a genuine mysterious phenomenon the cause of which is unknown to all, including the mentalist himself. The ultimate example: a very simple, very material trick, bend-ing metal, done without refined physical techniques but presented with energy, with the gifts of a showman, with the right publicity, through the right media. Bending a little metal spoon in the spectator's hand on television contributed to Uri Geller's fame and the belief across half the world that he had an exceptional mind! 236 On the other hand, I fully understand there is a small ethical problem. Should we or should we not make clear to the spectators that our mental effects have a, say, secret method? I think it is a matter of goals. If goal, when presenting magic as mental phenomena, is to make my spectators believe that I have psychic powers, it is clear that it should not represented as so~ething with a sly secret. If my goal is to make as much money as possible, I think in the short term it is preferable to pass oneself off as a medium or "gifted" person (although it can be counter-productive 236. Although leaving art and falling into the sad practice of deceiving people by pretending to have supernatural powers (sad). N this is genuine telepathy or not") I this is of utmost imp Second: If we it at the end of the representation that it tance-without lessening the impression of mystery, without breaking a fiction, isn't there a danger of disillusioning or disappointing our magical atmosphere, at least during the performance of the trick. Th another question each of us must resolve as he thinks best. ctators? _ Regarding the first objection, I would pose the following. If, instead · It is my profound belief that the artist-magician-whether mentali escape artist or card-worker, it makes no difference-can be an artist 0 when he fulfills his functions of enchanting anq. fascinating with fictio When it is explicit that it is a show of artistry, when the expression writing a short horror story to be published in a newsp~per, I write the e little tale in a way trtat seems real, and publish it ip the news secor in the society pages, without any warning or difference to genuine ws stories, it will undoubtedly cause much more emqtional impact in is no deception because we all know that there is" becomes valid, do we ders ("1\vo children have been killed, decapitated and dismembered"). distinguish it from fallacy, from an intellectual scam and from a mental swindle, all of which would be giving up art. t it is not art; ft is a deception, and the emotions created will be of a An artist doesn't try to make you believe that something not real erent quality from those felt by the reader if I publish the story in the erary section, presented as a tale of :fiction. real. Naturally there is a span of time while experiencing artistic work Of course, it is much easier-a word always in conflict with art-to when the spectator voluntarily decides to pretend he is witnessing reality press readers if they believe the story is genuine news. But, once more and feels emotions, just as he does when watching a movie. We would insist, the emotions differ from those felt during the reading of a liter- have no doubt, not even for an instant, that we are playing the game of art. tale. And you don't need any special literary gift for the news. The That makes art different, by the way, from dreams. During a dream, ad.lines accompanied by a plain and simple mention of the horrible we believe what we dream to be real. We suffer the horror of the night- ent would suffice to raise emotions in readers. Attaining the same, or mare, etc. No one would volunteer to have nightmares; yet many of us en a minimal, emotion in readers of the tale requires a certain talent do like to be scared and feel the fear or horror created in a suspense or horror movie. r suggestion, formal beauty, mastery of words; in sum, literally art. It is itely more difficult, infinitely more beautiful, to be a poet than to be a But returning to our main topic, I will stress my opinion that if, for example, you make someone believe that some :fiction you are narrating The experience of the readers is stronger when they believe a real is true, your behavior ceases to be art and becomes a joke, a deception, a event has just occurred. But stronger doesn't mean better. It's different, fabrication. Art has an implicit "Once upon a time", which announces our entrance into another realm, that of artistic reality. t's ·something else. In one case, people believe they are facing reality, In other words, the only artistic form is decidedly that which canies "'How easy it would be to walk up to a group of friends and impress an utterly evident clarity, with no doubt or ambiguity, that what is being presented is fiction, that it is not real. them with a touching story of how you have just witnessed a couple hit by Two objections often arise when facing this, especially in the realm of mentalism. the wheels, the bride, in an advanced stage of pregnancy, gasped out her First: Don't we lose some impact if we clearly tell people that what is being presented is not real? But how difficult it would be to touch people if that story were nar- hile in the other case they know they are facing fiction, facing art. a car as they left the courthouse after being wed. In her last agony under last words while holding the dead groom .... rated by an actor in a performance, from the beginning of which they n knew what sensations are going to see is fiction using actors, decor, Ilgh be stronger in those who believed, in good that had attended a demonstration of real powers (mind reading, etc.), and ~ritten script, theater _elevators. But this is art. The other is deception m the best of cases, a Joke, although not one in good taste. ~ome to realize on their own-w~ether the next day or years later, it difference-that what they saw was not true, that it was fiction. ~n0 The deception creates a stronger impact and it's easier. The arti , There have been, and there are today, purposely artisti9 compromises rren Brown and other~). The difficult, desirable and ~eautiful thing truth causes a different emotion, more difficult to attain, more beaut The second objection-deception or disillusion occurs if the n 1 at, if they tell us the equivalent of "Now we are goin~ to present the reality of the performance or story is revealed at the end-almost fa vie, with actors, a script, staging, with static shadows that appear to away by itself after what has just been described. In any case, th ve on a flat screen, with all the tricks and effects and artifices of film," always remains that way out of the conflict: making the spectators tem can still feel tenderness, happiness and sadness, fear and horror, a rarily believe they are confronting reality ("I am truly capable of readi e of adventure, grief and laughter and joy, a lump in the throat when minds"), and then, after the effect is over, disabusing them of that belief ' aplin is not recognized by the blind flower-seller, the serene placidity a clear way, leaving no ambiguity. Doing so, a stronger impact is achieve the pirate ship sailing the South Seas with Errol Flynn on board, or the during performance, and later it is made clear that what was seen w sionate and profound loves of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, of fiction. No one is deceived that way. ·zabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, But-and there is a but-I feel with certainty that, if a stronger imp the tremendous metaphysical game of chess between the Knight (Max is achieved by the performance of phenomena believed real, at le among the credulous and those lacking the analytical judgment to rear that someone who could actually read minds would be working for the FBI or CIA, when it is revealed that the performance has been a fiction " the spectators will certainly feel disappointment. Perhaps not just disap- pointment and disillusionment, but also frustration and distress at having, been deceived. In extreme cases, it can be irritation tinged with disdain for the magician. All this occurs without including my earlier observation. regarding the great difference in the emotions felt when we believe some,. thing is real and when we know it to be artistic fiction. In the example I gave of the news story about decapitated childre~ imagine how "funny" it would be if, after reading the news, with the ror and th~ feelings of compassion it produces in us, we found on the page that the news, on the front page was fiction. I'm not dealing just with an ethical problem here but with an aesthetic choice; one involved in artistic honesty, objectives and results. The disappointment, ensuing indignation and possible disdain at being scammed are not, at least for me, desirable objectives. And it should be stressed that n Sydow) and Death (Bengt Ekerot). The eternal drama of love and death in a work of fiction: the extremely cult and beautiful art. The other thing is a scam. An easy and ugly scam. Note: Do we need to say that many times, so many times, scams prouce more money than art? Whoever adores the golden calf can choose. 0 ABO CTlON ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTlON OF THE SESSl ON WILL start with some terminology, so that you can better understand me. will define some terms I will deal with later. EFFECT: An impossible, magical, phenomenon. TRICK: The whole procedure of the effect, including everything from the presentation of the props to the magical climax. A trick usually lasts from three to ten minutes. It normally consists of a single magical ·effect, although that effect can sometimes be repeated, such as in the Ambitious Card, the effect of which is repeated several times but is ""perceived by the audience as only one effect: A card lost in the center of the deck rises to the top. A trick can also include or combine more than one effect, such as Triumph: the cards right themselves and a selection is found. ROUTINE: A more complex structure than the preceding. It is a series of sev- eral tricks. There is a certain uniformity that brings the tricks together. That unity may be apparent or concealed from the spectators. 4bl ACT: A performance of at least ten to fifteen minutes. It usually c tains several tricks or routines, sometimes unrelated to each ot Examples: the classic variety or music-hall acts of the twentieth c tury or the acts in gala shows and competitions at magic conventio SESSION OR SHOW: A series of tricks and routines in one or more parts, Wi an intermission. A session can be improvised or structured; it can on stage or close up. It is usually something thought out and can 1 an hour, an hour and a half or two hours. For this, we select vari tricks, consider the order of their presentation and build a progran{ Now let's start with: THE ROUTINE Uniformity may be supplied by the objects we use. Perhaps all the tricks perform are with balls or with cigarettes or pocketknives. But the unifo mity can also come from a theme. For example, we perform two or thr tricks based on the color of the cards: You start with two red cards that change places with two black cards; then four red and four black cards are used for an Oil and Water routine; ten red cards and ten black cards are used in a subsequent Follow the Leader routine; and finally the whole deck is used for Out of This World. Note that the progressive increase in the number of cards used also gives the routine a growing dramatic strength. Within that uniformity there is a variety of effects: a visual effect provided by the transposition, the intellectual effects of color separation and compliance, and a mental effect of color divination. The spectators, when watching this performance, perceive a global construction, an structure and a numeric progression. They will normally enjoy the routine more when it has such a structure. It produces an added aesthetic sure. They will appreciate the structure and harmony. Of course, there are routines with more complex structures and several themes. My Paris Act is an example. Several themes are provided by the of the Jokers, coins, magical music issuing from a harmonica held throughout the act in the magician's lips to accompany and enhance the various magical Several things happen to the Jokers. they travel and assemble. cts. transformed into other cards that penetrate the table. They then they are back into Jokers and, finally, all t~e cards beco~e Jokers_. At the s~e }inked to the main theme, is the repeated surpnse of corns appearmg ' the cards . Every time the magician plays a certain tune.ion the harmoner money".' coins appearing under each of tp.em. the J Okers "c:rive b-'1 1 • • The routine closes by building through several succ:ssive clu~axes at end the various themes in a progressively strong wa~, both magically d dramatically. I will comment briefly here on an idea I will explore more fully when · g acts and their structure. The structure of the routine is based cussm the structure of the tempos of each of the three movements: a sonata, ing an animated and rather fast beginning (allegro); followed by a slow, •et second movement (andante); and then a brisk third movement that lminates in an accelerated ending (a lively climax).237 . But let's look at a simpler example: the process I followed m concting a routine I call "You Will Forget Your Card". At the time, I h~d amed several tricks I liked, but I wanted them to be routined. Wh~t did need to do? Examining them, I saw no uniformity of theme; nor did the rops offer a sense of uniformity. Well, all the tricks were done with cards, ut that is excessively broad. . The first trick I wanted to present was Dai Vernon's delicate and artisic "1\visting the Aces". 23s The first thing that came to my mind was to start y producing the Aces. But I had done that in another routine. I wanted something different. Then I had Noel Stanton's "1-2-3-4-5". 239 In this effect, the'Ace through 'Five of one suit are dealt out in a row. After a magic pass, the five cards teverse their order and now run from Five to Ace. 237. I am terribly sorry to reference my own work so often in this chapter, something I do not like to do. But it's the only way I can be certain of the reason for the construction of a routine or an act. 238. See Dai Vernon's More Inner Secrets of Card Magic. Levvi.s Ganson. 1960Unique: London; p. 5. 239. See The Gen. Vol. 21, No. 2. June 1965; p. 39. n 46~ Finally, I wanted to present the beautiful "Ambitious Classic" effe After making this (almost) impossible promise, it is interesting to by Larry Jennings, with some variations taken from Derek Dingle's "Ti 240 Many Cards". In it, after a card has been selected, the Ace through Fi tch the spectators' reactions. A specific feature of close-up magic is of a suit are brought out. While holding them in a packet, the Ace ris froin the middle to the top. It is then set aside. The Two rises as Well. The Three turns face up and then face down again. The Four magically, changes position. When only the Five is left in th~ hand, it transforms into the selected card. e ·interaction established between. the magician and his audience. In ose-up magic, the spectators may verbalize their thoughts and in some aY exhibit their personalities. For example, after this, promise, some ectator might make a ~emark like "That's not hard. I orget everything 1 yway." This lets us know that this person isn't defen~ive; he is openly dmitting having a bad memory. Another spectator might feel he's been (Let me take a moment here to observe that behind every trick there is a person, and behind every sleight there is one name or more. I think challenged: "Am I going to forget it? Come on!" Their cqmments, the tone we should be grateful to these creators for the time they invested and for their generosity in transmitting their ideas to us; for their explaining them something about them as people and as spectators. fu which they delivered them, their attitude and reactions will tell us I will now allow myself a short digression. Ever since I began in magic, publishing them and generously donating them to the magic community.' I have observed with some surprise how one can get to know people from Therefore, I feel it almost essential, every time we talk or write about a their reactions to magic, to the impossible and illogical. It turned out that, move, trick or routine, to credit the author or authors, and to devote time knowing some people only superficially, I discovered from their reactions and effort to finding out their names in order to honor and thank them.) when doing magic for them a certain way of being and behavior that they I wanted to combine these three tricks. They are all done with small packets: the first with four cards and the other two with five. That was had kept hidden, voluntarily or not, in their everyday lives. I thought, and nice, but not enough to make them feel like a uniform unit. To do that, ble-acts as a projective test (like the Rorschach Test with ink blots) that I altered "Twisting the Aces" by doing it with the Ace, Two, Three and puts the spectator in a situation for which he has no learned patterns of Four of Hearts. For an audience of more than ten spectators, these cards make the effect easier to follow. When the second card that turns face behavior. "How should I react? Should I display my amazement? Will the up changes into the third card, the change is better appreciated when a trickery? Or should I surrender to the fascination of art?" Through this Two transforms into a Three. And, since the selected card appears by sur- thought process, he shows himself more truly. I can sometimes get to prise in the last trick, "Ambitious Classic", I hit on the idea of stressing the know a person better by showing him some magic than by h~ving a couple presence of the card throughout the routine. I had a card chosen at the of beers with him and chatting for hours. 241 continue to think, that magic-the experience of the logically impossi- others think I'm stupid? Should I look for the solution, the secret, the start of the routine. I then announced that I would make everyone forget '\ Returning to the subject of the construction of my routine, I had figured the card. I was proposing an impossibility, making an impossible promise. out how to routine the effects. After having a card selected and shown to This normally att~acts the interest of the audience and involves each of the spectators: "Is he going to make me forget the card? I don't think so." the audience I announce that I will make everyone forget it. Then I lose 240. See The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings, Mike Maxwell, 1986, L&L Pub- 241. Years later I found in The Linking Ring an article of an early date, in which the same discovery is described by H. Solomon (not to be confused with my dear and esteemed friend David Solomon). lishing: Tahoe, p. 95; and The Complete Works of Derek Dingle, Richard Kaufman, 1982, Kaufman and Greenberg: New York, p. 106. ' the card and, taking out the Ace through Four of a suit (let's say hearts), I 4bb N present "Twisting the Aces" in an intimate mood. After finishing the tric I ask if I have managed to make anyone forget the name of the selection, Usually most people say no; they still remember it perfectly. frustrated .. .1..1.1.01.,c:;«.u., they are elY amazed and fascinated. surprised at the same time genu- 242 I ask for a second opportunity. To make it more complex and ensure that they forget the card this time, I will add the Five of the same suit. ow let's get into the subject of the construction of a sessior or show. do that and proceed with Stanton's "1-2-3-4-5". At the end, I announce, no When I initially thought. of writing on this topic and ye4rs ago gave a longer asking, "I have made you all forget the card.. Can I ask those who lecture on the subject, the first thing I thought of was to rea1Programmes still remember it to raise their hands?" Most people do, even those With doubts, and I say, "Well, at least I've managed to make some people forget it. But if you give me one last chance, I will make you all forget it." The incredible promise seems to have begun to be fulfilled. The challenge produces more excitement. ofFamous Magicians. 243 The book describes the acts of so!'1-e of the greats I continue with the third trick: "Ambitious Classic". In it there is a was not familiar with. I saw the difficulty in writing about these programs moment in which one card turns face up, as in "1\visting the Aces". So in a way that made my observations productive. It is more useful, then, it acts as an evocation of the first trick I next announce that "Besides if I comment on how I structure my own sessions, because I know why making the card reverse, I can make it turn back to its original condition, 'unreversing' it." Thus I have moved forward dramatically: I have repeated and evoked the first trick, but with a fresh element. At the end of the trick, I ask which card I have left in my hand. Everyone names the Five of Hearts. I say, "You are right, but I made you all forget the name of the selected card," and I smile triumphantly. When the spectators object, saying they still remember it perfectly, I feign despair. The moment is somewhat dramatic. It looks like I've made a mistake, and they know this is the last trick in the routine. I challenge them to name the card and they do. "Well, if I haven't been able to make you forget it, let's brin,g it here!" And I show that the card in my hand (thought to be the Five) has magically transformed into the card they have named, the one that was selected anq_ lost in the deck Big surprise! Great impact! And the dramatit conflict is resolved--;-with magic! The routine grew to have a structure when I added my attempt to make them forget the card to the theme of "magic with few cards". In this case, I make an impossible promise and, although I don't fulfill it, the outcome is so unexpected and magical that the spectators don't feel disappointed those tricks are used and why they are in a particular order. Naturally, of magic and allows us to study and analyze how they structured their shows, what tricks they did, etc. I learned a great deal, but I soon realized there was a problem. In many cases, I had not seen these magicians perform; and tricks were referred to by their names alone, some of which I these constructions are valid only for me and my style. They probably will not suit your personality, your style or your taste. I describe them only as examples and as hooks on which to hang some considerations and reflections on the subject. Close-Up Magic Sessions In close-up magic, I will differentiate between two cases: The first is semi-improvised session. Here I put myself into a close-up situation for the magic, which is to say, with a reduced audience, up. to twenty to thirty spectators, forming a close circle around me as I'm seated at a table,J prefer this arrangement, although it stops me from using certain moves and strategies (the use of the lap being the most obvious) and forces me to adapt others to cover angles from behind. I feel truly close 242. By the way, Luis Garcia Soutullo loved this routine and premise when he saw it in the 1980s, and he composed beautiful patter for it. 243.Programmes of Famous Magicians, Max Holden, 1937, New York N s1pie{:::t:a.t{::n~s also ideally occupying no more than two Ct ators (shake-or knock it down,. if possible, the idea being to put People seated in a third row would not have a clear view of the table ic to sleep for a while). face. If there must be a third row, the people in it should sit on high st or stand. With a third row, there can be room for about forty people, In the second part of the session-it'~ not equal halves, and they aren't arly distinguished; they merge together-come tricks t~at are more very close; the farthest, standing, would be no more than seven feet fr inating-the most poetic, the dreamiest and the most apPrealing to the me, so that, if both of us were to lean forward, one could hand an obj to the other. agination and artistic sensitivities of the spectators: the ~oomwmder This compactness of the group makes everyone feel like participan · , the Haunted Deck, "Los Centauros" ... tricks to enjoy j;vhen the Bull spect-actors. Because of the proximity, we can also hear everyon Logic has surrendered, when it's time to experience, explore and enjoy comments and little screams of amazement ("No way! It can't be! I can e Magic Rainbow., I • and its beautiful invitation to recover childhood and ;experience it believe it! Oh!"). Since everyone's reactions reach the entire audien This is not only for artistic reasons, but also for practical ones. If I they cause multiple and mutual feedback, generating group cohesio esent "El Cochecito" (my routine for the Koomwinder Kar) or the increasing the emotion of a shared experience and creating a uniqu aunted Deck during the first moments of the session, it is quite possible and marvelous magical atmosphere for both the individual and the co at logic, still awake and perhaps willing to fight, like a traitor whispers lective group. Everyone participates without leaving his place. All feel· the spectators: "There is a remote control that moves the little car. My unison. They resonate among themselves or with the magician, and t magician with them. •ephew has some toys at home that move like that." Or "That has magets. The cards that move have metal in them, or rubber bands or... " It is Not only do they hear each other, but the gestures and facial expresi sions of the more animated spectators are transmitted to the others 1 increasing the sensations of impossibility, wonder, fascination, magic. ot enough if such solutions are later proved wrong or insufficient: The ar knows where the chosen card is, even though the cards are face down d shuffled. It is wiser than the spectators, and no remote control can There is little else I can explain about the construction of these ses sions, since I usually leave it all to improvisation. I do the tricks I feel like doing, based on my preferences of the moment. I adapt to the roduce wisdom. Or, the haunted deck is handed out at the end, there is othing in the magician's hands, etc. It's not enough because, even though the solutions are proved wrong, cumstances, to the reactions of the spectators and.to the emotions being art of the charm of the effect will be lost, since some spectators, perhaps experienced by the group, including my own. This is a way of performing many, are still using their logic to attempt to find solutions, maybe even we all use during short sessions, but I feel completely at ease and very without wanting to. They are attempting to recover from the collision of alive when I apply this improvised construction to longer sessions of an hour or more. logic with the impossible-but-experienced. That keeps them from fully l That is why I include all the most fascinating tricks in the second There is, however, always a certain basic structure that I respect. have some favorite openers (''Shuffle thoroughly, think of a card, name: njoying this special kind of trick it. Look! I had it in my pocket!'} Then there are other quick, power,. :part of the session, the ones just mentioned and many others: the Colorhanging Knives, Card to Hat, my menu "a la card" of card tricks, etc. ful tricks with unexpected and totally impossible effects. Tricks I include To end the session, I use one of those tricks I consider strong in the first part of the session attempt to shake the rational logic of the nough to close with, because of the great impact of their impossibility N combined with their capacity for fascination: "My Drink Trick", "Ti a,intained that to construct a good act you needed three things: a solid Coincidence" .... These are tricks that leave the spectators and them ~ginningJ a strong ending and "something" in the middle. A solid beginning to engage the spectators, to make them feel "What cian suspended, floating, in total surrender to the illusion of the poe . beautiful dream of magic. While I follow this structure of two parts and a strong ending; I usu artist!" and to get them interested in you. Let's remember.that there ere superb artists in vaudeville, and if you were the fifth act ~ou needed leave the rest to improvisation; not only the order of the tricks but als engage the audience from the beginning or-you would b~ lost! And sometimes, the choice of tricks. I often include some trick that I will be 'thin that beginning, the first fifty to sixty seconds are the most import- without knowing how it is going to continue or end. I create it along t way, in a jazz-magic style, which I enjoy enormously. t, as we all know very well; but I will elaborate later on that. Then there is the powerful ending, which must leave the spectators ~ The second configuration I use for a close-up magic session is formal: a table for me and, in front of it, several rows of chairs for the spectators, with the third and subsequent rows elevated by having high stools or chairs on a short platform. If there are more than sixty people seated, we are probably no longer in a setting specific to close-up magic, with its intimacy, its physical closeness, with the spectators able to and hear each other and the magician. Now we have probably entered the realm of parlor magic, with different conditions. For these more formal circumstances, I usually have a fairly set program, with the above-mentioned two-part structure separated by an intermission. The length of the performance is more clearly defined, from an hour and a half to two hours, and effects and emotions are combined tally satisfied, make them remember you and remember the finish. The "something" in the middle, although not as important, certainly eeds to be sufficiently good. But why three and not two or four? The Odd-Numbers Rule here is a rule, a classic one, of great artistic importance: The odd-numbers le. In show business, when the clock is ticking, the odd-numbers rule is related to beauty. I don't know how or why, but odd numbers entail beauty. Three, five, seven ... even in spatial displays. If I lay three cards on the table, it is more attractive than if I lay· down six. The same happens with five or seven. 244 This rule, known and applied by performers in show business, con- to achieve artistic variety within the overarching uniformity. tains, as a particular case, the number three. It has all the virtues and has been used since ancient times. In classic theater, plays were in three acts A Session of Stage Magic and used the three units of action, time and place. The classic .dramatic (Parlor, Short Acts and a Full Theater Show) curve consists, in film and theater, of three phases: presentation, develop- Let's begin with some characteristics I believe to be valid for short se~ ment and resolution. Thus, I believe (remember again that there are no dogmas in art) the sions and for what i~ usually called a magic act, running about ten twelve minutes. The Rule of Three The first thing is to remember the golden rule used by the variety per-formers of the 1920s and '30s of American vaudeville. Those great artists ;first thing to keep in mind when constructing tricks, routines and sessions is, whenever possible, to follow the rule of three, or that of odd 244. The first time I heard this rule was at a lecture of the great Alfredo Florensa, at the Madrid SEI Circle in the 1960s. It was quite a revelation and has given me wonderful results ever since. n 470 4H numbers. We can be sure of its artistic merit, founded on experience fro time immemorial. 245 other part of the show. The same can be done to convert a four into a We have many examples in magic. Many of the classic tricks use t e; by adding something brief in th~ middle: a pause, a gag, some music, a show with two parts. In other words, the intermission is regarded as rule of three: three cups, three balls. And although there are some that choreographed dance number.... I will now explain how I use the odd number rule in the construction four elements-the four Aces, coin assemblies, the Multiplying Billiar I Balls, etc.-if we watch carefully, although they are tricks with four car c~~ns or balls, the effects in them number three:. there are three transpo,.,, s1t10ns or three productions; three Aces join the leader Ace; three coins travel to join the fourth; one ball multiplies into three more balls. I sometimes structure an act with a variation: three plus one. This was f rnY shows. In a short .show, lasting from twelve to ~fteen minutes, I ually do three tricks: a great beginning, a strong ending-and some·ng in the middle. For a medium-length show, lasting from thirty to forty-five minutes, I used in the already cited Paris Act. A Joker appears, then another, and erform either five or seven tricks. For a long show, such as a bar or corporate show, running an hour then a third. After a pause, three coins appear under them. Then one of an hour and quarter, I perform seven tricks or nine. For a stage show the Jokers travels, and another and a third; and three more coins appear. a theater, I do nine, eleven or thirteen tricks, and I divide the session When eight Jokers are used, they are laid on the table in two rows ofthree, to two parts, each about an hour long, with an intermission of ten to these rows preceded and followed by a single Joker. 246 In addition, the act elve minutes. None of this is very original. It is what most artists in show business consists of three phases, plus a group of endings, a group that consists, turn, of three endings, plus an extra surprise to conclude. in ow-often by intuition-and certainly apply. Maybe there is a bit more novelty in these theater shows in which I try to use a maximum of impro- Even numbers are rounder, more rational, more scientific. Odd mnn- msation, but within a well-thought-out and studied classical structure. bers are more artistic, realistic, and their symmetry is more beautiful. For example, the palindromic 3443 is not as artistic as 34843. In a similar I'll explain. The moment the curtain opens and I walk on stage in front respect, they say Picasso used to draw a perfect circle and comment, "It of the audience, I don't know which tricks I am going to do or in what is beautiful but scientific." He would then draw another circle, but with a order I will do them. Sometimes-except for the first trick, of course, which I carry in my mind and my hands-I have no idea! little flourish at the end, a little "s" in the line to break the order, and he would say, "It is beautiful, artistic and personal." I prepare all the tricks before the show in the dressing room. Most of Sometimes an even number can be transformed into an odd one. For them fit into the violin case I bring to the stage. Those that dp not, like the example, two can be converted into three by including an intermission Spirit Cabinet, the Spirit Slates and the Rising Cards with jumbo cards, I lea,,ve prepared on stage. And I come out primed to choose from the five to 245. Whe~ discussing this with the very intelligent Argentine magician Rudy Magaldi, my gr~at friend and brother, he asked me, "Juan, and why that'?'' I had to say I didn't know exactly why, but that I use this rule to my complete satisfaction. It is the intuition of artists, who have always used it, and their experience in front of their audiences undoubtedly deserves an act of faith. 246. Curiously, the great Larry Jennings, the creator of the trick I use in that phase of the act, used this configuration of three plus one. I am in good company. ? six hours of material that is ready to go. But it isn't totally true that I have no idea of what I'm going to do. I .have a clear mental scheme for the structure of the show, within which I change only the tricks. This is how it goes. I divide the show into seven blocks. For each block I have several tricks in mind. They are ready to go, and I choose one for each block, according to the inspiration of the moment: what I going to do Qoyful magic), and there is a light brushstroke hinting at like doing, what I would enjoy doing ahd suitable for continuing the show, according to my interaction With spectators, the process of "making love" with them that is what an am show is ultimately about. · It is, as you can see, a locked structure, with an open, improvise choice of tricks. The seven blocks of the session respond to three essea; tial questions: Who? What? and How? w the stage, the props and style are. the tricks that follow in the fu:st half, I develop all this. In the see- In d half, after the intermission, I try to enrich what has been seen in the with variants on the who (I show my most lyrical side with "Los t s, r ntauros"), the what (spiritism, allied arts, rapid calqulation, magnem...followed by pure and direct card magic) and the .how (using forty Those are the three questions we, as spectators, expect to have answered • utes of card magic done in an intimate mood while; sitting at a table by the show itself. Even if, once it is over, someone not present were to ask •th two spectators, one on each side, the scene amplified for the audi- us about it, he would start with "Who performed?" Once answered, he would ce by a earner~, projector and video screen). All of that is distributed into seven blocks, their order fixed but each continue with "And what did he do?" And he would end with ' How was 1 How did he do it?" This last how is not about the secret but about the quality, onsisting of five to seven possible tricks from which I pick one or two per presentation and style of the tricks and the show. Let's go into some detail. lock, improvising as the show develops. I will now comment in detail on the Who am I?-Me, the artist, physically, my way of speaking, my voice, my gestures, my way of moving, my attitude toward applause and, later, who am I in my relation to others, with the audience in general and with the spectators who come up to help me on stage, my attitude and the way I treat them (do I show myself indifferent, arrogant, do I display affection, etc.)? What do I do?-Evidently magic, but of what quality and what kind: manipulation, stage illusions, mentalism, card magic, visual effects, conceptual ones, tricks that are amazing because of evident skill, or impossible effects because of the magic, similar effects or varied ones? .... How did I do it?-How I act and perform, my movements, the stage decor, the lighting, the props (boxes, handkerchiefs, cards, ropes ...), colors, the rhythm of the presentation, the music, the comedy or the lyricism or the drama that go with the magic, whether it is spectacular or rr.11n.:.rn:JJistic, simple, small? In sum, what is the style of the show and what is way of presenting the magic and bringing it to life? I'll give an example; again, one I know best: my show. First an outline, then the details. I begin with an overview of what the audience is about to see. This is a little introduction that lasts barely a minute, during which the spectators begin to learn something about who I am (physically, at least), about what locks, the tricks and the artistic objectives of each. (Feel free to skip ahead.) FIRST BLOCK: TRICKS 1 AND 2 Trick 1. Little intro. 247 As I've mentioned, this serves as an introduction and "table of contents" for the show. It is two minutes long and is the first contact-,-so important-with the spectators. For them, it is also an outline of the answers I'll give later in more detail to the three essential questions of Who, What and How. My intention is that, if someone had to leave the show just now, after having watched only two minutes, he could describe w:ho I am (how I act, walk, talk, move and dress), the appearance of the stage (black 1 24~. The show is sometimes preceded by "The Sphinx", Tobin and Stodare's talking-head illusion. As the spectators enter the theater lobby, they see my daughter Ana playing the head, and Manuel Vera presents her. Or a small jazz set precedes the show, with my daughter Alicia on piano, and Pedro Hernandez on guitar. These set the mood for the spectators to be introduced to the world of magic. Need I explain that, being my daughters, Ana and Alicia put me in a good mood and, with the personal enchantment they evoke in me, I am prepared to transmit those emotions to others. three tables, multicolored tablecloths, very simple) and w I do (joyful magic). 248 I would like to underline here the enormous importance of the minute. The same thing happens in everyday life. Generally, the first contact we make with someone determines to a great extent our fut information about the who and start showing the what. This is a trick alone, without an assisting spectator. And it is an exception to my cti~e of changing the tricks in each b_lock, because I have for over forty s performed the same trick here: Tommy Tucker's wonderful "Six-Card " with the additions and variations time has been reyealing to me. peat , the start, I hand six cards .to someone, then add seventee11 palmed cards r relationship with that person; we like him or her, or maybe we don't, first sight. But I also wish to stress my belief that we should reveal 0 true selves, without faking things or "acting as if' or "pretending to be". "at I've concealed with the Perpendicular Control (TPC). F~s of six cards we are truly cheerful, if we feel it at that moment, all well and good. If n ·ddle of the trick, while I bevel the packet to disguise its thickness. I hold we had best express ourselves as poised and relaxed, or with depth, or whatever way we feel or our nature dictates. e extra cards in T~nkai palm while showing the last three, then finish by For this first block, I have several tricks ready to choose from, all shown on both sides, and a spectator touches the "six" icards near the roducing ':tour,five, six, seven, eight, nine-and ten cards!" I find this trick insurpassable as an opening mystery and have never them quick: the Shrinking Glove, Lou Derman's Okay Gag, Billy McComb three-rope gag, the curved wand (which bends comically), Glass of M' to Confetti, "The Fastest Trick in the World" (Joe Karson style), etc. een able to find anything to equal it. Thanks to the evolution of added With any of them, I try to display my naturally cheerful and expansi self (which shyness keeps me from doing in everyday life), the informali orld of magic, of the dinners and meetings we magicians have; but it's etails, moves and patter, it still feels fresh, and I enjoy performing it ensely. In the patter, I tell something about myself and about the ways different. I don't have it written down or memorized, which, as I've in my dress 249 and that the show is going to be minimalist in its dressing no decor, three regular tables, a black backdrop, general lighting for xplained in Chapter 5 (seep. 351), is true for all my tricks, because of stage and audience, audience and magician in the same space, little music. (just a bit at the beginning and end, my "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"1 f saying it: ''It was in Granada. There were forty magicians ... " "I was routine, and in a couple of other tricks). But there will be lots of words and an eagerness to share energy, truth, joy and magic. y style. I change something in every performance, at the very moment ·n Seville with thirty magicians ... " Only the lines for the jokes remain unchanged: "We spent a wonderful night together!" SECOND BLOCK: TRICKS 3 AND 4 Trick 2 The two tricks in this block last a total of :fifteen to twenty minutes. Both This trick seeks to create the first magical impact, a strong one, repeated include audience participation. The first is usually shorter and always several times when possible. It attempts to reveal me better, to complete uses'tards, so that the spectators understand that cards are my specialty 248. I prefer to call it "joyful magic" rather than "magic with humor". This is truer when I perfqrm close-up magic. There, I do almost no gags, I don't a single joke, but I try to express and spread to others the immense joy happiness I feel when performing magic. 249. I wear my street clothes, a top hat (which I use because it's fun and makes me feel connected to magicians from throughout history; a trademark magic) and a vest (which I wear because I need the pockets). and my passion. I've designed these tricks to let the audience get to know me even better; they compl~te the who, when it is seen how I relate to others. Therefore, I bring someone onto the stage and do a trick with him or her. The assisting spectator is the center of the trick, playing an important role. I want the person to have a good time. The rest of the audience then has a good time as well. I try to make sure people perceive that my relation to them is H✓.LL'VI.JL., A.L .• and affectionate. First, I ask for the spectat name. This is my chance to show how I relate to the opposite sex, to th who are shy, to those who are outgoing, to youngsters, to adults. think we should be gentle with the people who come up to help us. 1 should make them feel at ease, ensure they have a very good time ~ake sure the audience perceive~ that. I have never liked, either as a The selection of the spectator is very important to me·, it's dec1s1 •. Logically, I always look for people with a positive attitude, who se ectator or as a performer, to see and feel that the beautiful art of magic relaxed, who have laughed at my jokes in the earlier tricks. From t Ip and deserved to enjoy it. Let's leave the ridicule and/ insult humor to beginning of the show I start looking for good ca;ndidates, without pa • e oh-so-needy television programs. All the above is fu~damental in my excessive attention to stereotypes. For example, if a spectator is sitt' with his arms crossed, it may be a sign he is rejecting you, but that isn't •ew, and I hope that is clear. With the two tricks in this block, I also aim to show the what more and always the case. I look for people who are with their friends, who are hav"' ore clearly and, strongly: the best magic I can offer. And the what: with ing fun. And I never bring up a young man who is with only his girlfriend; Psychology and experience -play a highly important role here y, with participation, without apparatus, with hardly any props, gener- often I make mistakes, of course. pocket prediction of a freely named card, "The Joker" and Three-Card ' Regarding the treatment of assisting spectators, here is a telling Iudes making jokes at the expense of someone who /only wanted to I y just a deck of cards. For the first of the two tricks I am prepared to do onte with giant cards. For the second trick, "Mnemonicosis over the rience of mine. For many years, when I performed, I noticed that some hone", "Margarita the Snake" (Snake Basket) and "The Appearing Card people are afraid of coming up. They didn't know how the magician was n Handkerchief". 250 going to treat them. Some spectators in the front rows looked away when I addressed them, believing, fearing, that I was going to call them up to the stage. On one occasion I asked my daughter Ana (my best advisor, with the best artistic judgment in magic I've ever known) what she thought a magician whose performance we had just watched. "I don't know. I can't remember. I didn't see very well what he did." Surprised, I said, "But we were sitting in the first row!" And she answered, "Yes, but I was so worried that he might bring me up that I couldn't watch carefully and enjoy his magic." The magician, at the beginning of the show, had brought a woman on stage and had treated her rather poorly, using jokes in questionable taste, making fun of her, etc. I alwq,ys treat spectators well, but they don't know that beforehand. For that reason, E1ince then, since that comment from Ana, I say at the beginning of the session, ''During the show, I'm going to need some peo- ple to help me on stage. But don't worry, I won't make any embarrassing jokes. If someone doesn't want to come up, please say so. Only those who feel like it should come up, those who want to have a good time. " THIRD BLOCK: TRICK 5 Once vVho, vVhat and How have been established, I can get into a trick or trick-routine having a longer development and a powerful magical impact. .Sometimes I introduce new props _here (rope, Linking Rings ... ); or the magnificent Alan Marchese, Manuel Vera or Consuelo Lorgia. The point is to show some variations of the what. There is not only card magic, and there are other artists and, most importantly, there are various and diverse emotions that magic can convey. This trick or routine can last around fifteen minutes. It can be a single tri6k of mine, or one lasting perhaps seven minutes and combined with a seven-minute act by another magician. I want Tricks 3, 4 and 5 to be magically strong. Even though the old rule says "and something in the middle", if that something is really good, so much the better! 250. For "Card from Pocket", see Mnemonica, p. 129; "The Joker", Mnemonica, p. 94; "Mnernonicosis over the Phone", Mnemonica, p. 101; "The Appearing Card on Handkerchief, The Five Points in Magic, p. 14. n 4'/8 For this block I have prepared the "Bag of WIShes" (the Egg Bag) and tricks with jumbo cards: the Rising Cards and an Ace Assembly. There h been times when I've done the Broken and Restored Watch, Paper Balls 0 the Head (Slydini), "Technicolor Ropes" and other tricks, some of which d to years and years of continuous performance, have lost some freshnes~ charm for me (in performing them, not in enjoying them as a spectator). FOURTH BLOCK: TRICK 6, THE MAGIC SORBET · Good chefs know all too well that in a long, elaborate meal it is convenien at some point, to refresh the diners, give the stomach a rest and clean the palate to prepare them to better savor the next course or cours es. sorbet or palate cleanser is something very fresh and light. I think the great artistic banquet that is a magic show also needs a short, amusing and relaxing trick I call this a magical sorbet, and it usually fulfills that function perfectly. It's a trick lasting just two or three minutes and it is generally funny or has a dose of comedy, although there are other options dictated by the style and personality of the magician: a very colorful trick, a musical one, a sexy one or.... At this point, the show has been running for quite a while, and magic requires an enormous effort in concentration from spectators ("Look at that ... I'm going to watch his sleeves as well .... "). It also makes heavy demands on their memories (they must remember cards, numbers, situations ... ) and piles up collisions with their logic. People get to relax during this sorbet effect. They move or laugh and don't think too much. I carry the jumbo Changing Spot Card, the surreali~ tic rope that has many ends and have some items in my pockets for a cod (comedy) two-person mind-reading act. FIFTH BLOCK: TRICK I 7, RECAP OF PART I Now I believe the audience is prepared for the end of the first part of the show. This should be a long, strong trick that sums up the emotions exp&' rienced so far: impossible and fascinating magic, shared joy, srnprises and the emotions of wonder and celebration. I usually perform the classic and er Tom and Restored Handkerchief (running about twelve minutes), ·ch includes an accident that puts me in an embarrassing situation, arently with no solution; or "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", a musical k with dancing (also twelve minutes) and a strong magical ending-the sposition of two thought-of cards. There is plenty of pan;icipation, with fewer than fourteen dancing spectators on stage, who ~sh by bowing the audience in unison, great cast of artists, as the curt~ comes down. Occasionally I perform Clayton Rawson's marvelous thought-trans·tting eggbeater trick in this spot. I say marvelous, ;, not because it's gical. As I've mentioned earlier in this book, no one thinks of how the agician can possibly know the selected card, but they have experienced e sensation of magic in the previous tricks. It is marvelous because of its credible capacity for making the spectators feel the poetry, the surrealm, the total participation. They become a group of psychics, recovering eir childhood, yelling in unison the name of the card chosen by a sur.sed and sometimes astonished assisting spectator. A total celebration. And sometimes I present my Linking Rings routine, with variations and e collaboration of my brother in magic, Alfredo Marchese, known as Alan. an plays a tipsy spectator who heckles me. In the end, he is revealed to be y conspirator. The rings used are handed out to the audience and left with em during the intermission, so that they can examine them and share their pressions. They return them (usually) at the beginning of the second part. a INTERMISSION And so the intermission arrives, about ten to twelve minutes of wellearned rest for the minds and the emotional capacities of t~e spectators, well as for the magician, who needs to recover his strength and energy. SIXTH BLOCK: TRICK 8, MENTALISM AND ALLIED ARTS '. t's now time to arouse a variety of emotions. I am referring to those felt by the cSpectators and always within our structure of artistic uniformity. Mentalism, with its special atmosphere and call to mystery, fulfills that function very ell. I present: "Card Telepathy" (the divination of three freely selected cards, one by one by a .........,'-"-'-' -"--'- .. on stage increasingly imp sible circumstances), the "Spirit Slates" (my version in The Magic Way, the appearance on the second slate of the name or signature of the gh invoked), "Table Soccer" (a game of foosball or table soccer played on s by spectators and seen with the help of a camera and projector, which res in a prediction of the goals and their order), "Musical Telepathy" (a class in which Alicia, at the piano, plays tunes selected an~ mentally hummed the spectators) and the "Spirit Cabinet" (floating musical instruments, To · screen is very close to the table, so that the image it displays doesn't · ate the magician's presence. As. the artist, he is the one who should nunand the focus of attention. Only w~at happens on the mat is shown, that the audience looks at the flesh-and-blood magician the rest of the ·e. The screen is close to me, so that the audience can :atch me and e surlace of the mat at the same time. This avoids having t~e spectators their heads from the magician to his magic, and from th? magic to the gician, which would break the psychological continuity of the action and and Restored Card, a divination by rubbing ashes on paper, donning a jack, while tied up, and finally Losander's marvelous floating table). ake it likely they will miss some important detail of the trick 252 Sometimes, either before or in place of the mental effect, I prese a paramagical feat; that is, a plausible yet incredible phenomenon f three tricks (yes, three, of course!) and a little introduction. I might rapid calculation, suggestion or super memory. Here the emotions are v This session of dose-up magic possesses its own structure. It consists egin with a quick, visual effect, that of "2 + 1 = 3" (the transformation of 1\vo into a Three). I then do a longer routine, lasting about fifteen min- ied and different: amazement, disbelief, questioning the veracity of th tes, in which several effects are linked, or the same effect is repeated, phenomenon .... The spectators enjoy new sensations that aren't strictly· volving varying emotions provided by surprises, suspense, impossi- magical but are undoubtedly from the same realm. The impact of these, le promises, challenges, a pretended mistake and a miraculous ending. tricks is surprising. They impress the spectators enormously. I choose his might be, as an example, the classic and sublime Ambitious Card. from "Calculism" (a Magic Square presentation), animal magnetism (in continue with "Los Centauros", evoking different emotions-lyricism the style of Lulu Hurst and Annie Abbott, but with laughter and fun), juggling while playing the harmonica, and the memorization of a deck ·th mythology-performed to the celestial music of Beethoven's "Violin The duration of this block is approximately twenty minutes. SEVENTH BLOCK: TRICKS 9 THROUGH 12, CLIMAX The last forty-five minutes are another change or variation in emotionsJ those I can transmit best through my greatest love, close-up magic. A fixed camera (a very small one that won't obstruct the audience's view) frames a rectangular black mat to my left. Two spectators are seated to each side in semi-darkness, the light being strongest on me. An overhead light minates the mat. A small projector on the floor, near the edge of the stage, produces a view of the mat onto a round screen five feet in diameter. 25l 251. I remember my joy the day I hit on the idea of using a reflecting screen, those of photographers, as a projection screen for magic. Mine is light, folds up and, being round, is more poetic, reminiscent of Melies's moon. oncerto". I close the session with a long trick that produces the max. um magical impact I can create, with a final crescendo racing to an potheosis: "Total Coincidence" (Sonata, p. 224). I carry other possible tricks, always ones from my beloved card magic: ''Stories with Mnemonica" (my version of "Sam the Bellhop), a Slow-Motion Ace Assembly, "Cinema" (my version of "Unshuffled" and "Cardtoon" combined with other effects and introduced by a seven-minute history of Mother Magic and her son Film). Or Triumph, ending with the whole deck in order (a tribute to Dai Vernon from his grateful student). I make use of this final block to talk about my mentors-Juan Anton, Ascanio .and Frakson-and to express in passing some thoughts of mine on life. The poised and quiet rhythm, the sense almost of a conversation, a chat, 252. Spectators sometimes tell me, "I didn't need to look at the screen." This isn't true; they did look at it sometimes, but they don't realize it. 48~ with the two assisting spectators (so close; continuously participaf feeling and expressing through gesture and word their amusement, th astonishment, and at times their joy) and the total darkness in which audience sits, combined with a faint light that captures the magician his two collaborators; all this creates a special atmosphere of authen close-up magic, experienced with intimacy-an intimacy of perhaps 12 people! That is what magic is like. 'FAREWELL After thanking the audience at the end, I usually do an encore, depending on the day, time and demands of the spectators. I carry "The Rigid Rope", "Circle to Square", and the contrary Thank You silk. After the curtain falls and a few minutes elapse, I always come out, in front of the curtain, to sign autographs and have photos taken with the spectators waiting there. While we are doing this, I ask them whic trick they liked best. All this makes them happier, I hope, and allows me~ to experience further contact with them (even physical, as we pose for photos together), to hear their voices, moving from my feelings of then{ as an audience to communicating with individuals, with their questions, their opinions, sometimes their nervousness, their contentedness (which I believe to be sincere and that I share). From the answers I receive about the tricks the spectators feel were the best, I learn a great deal, not just from what they say but from the way they say it ("I liked the trick with the slates," is not the same as "The one with the slates was ... wow! Incredible! I was ... !"); and also from thet expressions, exclamations and nodding of those standing close to the person speaking. One of my objectives is, after having done several shows, to have each : of the tric;ks I have presented chosen at least once as the best in the show/ by at least one per~on. When a new trick, or one I've had in my repertoire perhaps too long, fails to be chosen by someone as his favorite, I under-stand that it still needs more study or more rehearsal or more passion; or, in some cases, it needs to recover, when possible, its full splendor-or to enjoy a well-earned rest and retirement. roe Final Observations the end of a trick, the most important thing for me is not applause. Applause good. I enjoy it. But it isn't what motj.vates me most. Financial motivation irrelevant, too. What I want is for the people watching my magic to feel, ough it, the joy I feel in doing it; that they learn somethh}g about me and y relationship to others; ~hat they get to know my inner f-orld and find it teresting; that they understand that I look at life with joy (in spite of... ); d that they leave the session like people leaving a party, feeling they have en more than passive spectators; they have been spect-a~tors who particiated in what took place; and, although I am the guide who led them through e Magic Way to enter The Rainbow of amazement, fascination, mystery d beauty, we have done it together, and all of us have experienced it. uration: Each of the two parts of a theater session is usually about an hour ng. 'l\vo hours total, plus the intermission. For corporate shows, I do only hour and :fifteen minutes. On television, I used to do a short opening and ne long, strong trick (it's been twenty-two years since I left television). ighting: I like to work in theaters with the house lights on, though · · med. I usually have great arguments with directors, "theater people", vho tell me that I'm spoiling the whole experience, that I am destroying he theatrical space, the "magical" space of the stage. That might be the case for a play, but the magical space in magic is the whole room. There is no fourth wall. I don't want to create two areas: one 'where the magic happens, another where the spectators are. Therefore, I prefer everything and everyone to be well lit, both the stage and seating area. This ju.so allows me to communicate better, as I can watch the spectators' faces, their expressions, their gestures, their attitudes. And there is much more interaction. I get as close as possible to the conditions of close-up magic. Magic, as I understand it, is not just a show you come to and watch. It is magic that comes and invades reality, our reality. It illuminates it, transforms it and enriches it. That's where it acquires its enormous impact and its poetic power of fascination. Final curtain. L'-I r-- 4?:54 p::'. < ~ ~ z < ;::s ~ An example Part I First Block Trick 1 (brief intro) Gloves Trick 2 Six-Card Repeat Second Block Trick 3 Pocket Prediction Third Block Trick 4 Telephone Trick 5 Rising Cards or a trick by a guest magician (Manuel Vera, Consuelo Fourth Block Trick 6 (Sorbet) Lorgia, Alan Marchese) Changing Spot Card Fifth Block Trick 7 (Recap) Tom and Restored Handkerchief or Linking Rings Total Part I CH.APTER 10 Intermission CREATlN'G lttUSlON Part II Sixth Block Trick 8 (Mentalism) "Spirit Cabinet" or telepathy with medium Seventh Block (Close-Up Magic) Trick 9 Intro: "2 + 1 = 3" Trick 10 Ambitious Card routine 18 minutes "Los Centauros" 7 minutes "Total Coincidence" Trick 11 Trick 12 Trick 13 (encore) "Rigid Rope" Total Part II 3 minutes a few seconds 60 minutes Total Show 2 hours & 7 minutes The times are flexible, of course. TO CREATE lLLUSlON Technique in Service to the Effect "Magritte has excellent ideas, but his painting technique ... and as a real painter, I don't know... " "The Marx Brothers are exceptional comedians, but their movies are technically very weak" "Goshman's Devano Rising Cards routine is very well presented by him, but it's all trickery." I believe that, physically speaking, an artist communicat~s his conception of the world through certain materials: piano-sound-rhythm; brush-canvas-oil-aesthetics; deck of cards-impossibility-mystery. Magritte perfectly manages to convey to me his conception of the world through his technical handling of paint. Therefore, he is, for me, an excellent painter. And the directors of the Marx Brothers' movies transmit perfectly to me the conception of the world of the Marx Brothers in the best possible way. Therefore, they are, to me, magnificent directors (interpreters). And Goshman perfectly communicates to me his conception of the through the miracle of the Rising Cards, presented and handled as he Therefore, he is, for me, an exceptional magician. psychology of words, technical construction, rhythm and pauses, and It is not so much a semantic issue as it is a conceptual one. I Will explain my thoughts on this. hroent of something impossible and fascinating, a ~iracle-they unicate a conception of the world of the performing qiagician. y more. When they are applied together to the specific materials of trick and to the objectives of magic-the main one being the accom- I If an artist manages to transmit adequately, even perfectly, his c Certain sleights require good finger skills (say, the :pass). Others ception of the world, that means he has used an· appropriate techniq and good use of the hands (holding a palmed card), of the arms and perhaps the most appropriate one, which is to say the best. He has had y (lapping), of the eyes (a false transfer), of the feet (ibody loads on master the technique he used to avoid any deviations from his objecti e), of the voice (mental effects), etc. It is too limiting to talk of a good technician or a bad one while consid- To me, this means that, regardless of the difficulty of the techni employed, these artists are unsurpassable technicians. Therefore, it is n possible to minimize their artistic value based on the supposedly min technical difficulty of their renditions. · e discounting his excellent technique using his arms, hands, body, eyes, I don't believe technique is inherently good or bad. It can be execute ·ce attitude and perfect timing. These techniques are extremely difficult well or poorly, but its value must be judged by taking into account h g, say, only finger technique. I've never read or heard that Slydini was a r technician because he didn't use (nor did he need to) finger techniques, ' though this is of absolutely no relevance in this issue). suited it is to its purpose and, ultimately, the quality of the effect achieve Slydini was a virtuoso of technique, while some magicians with mag- If it properly conveys the artist's vision of the world, it is good techniqu cent finger technique but only average technique using the arms, eyes and the person who used it is a good technician, whether the techniq d feet cannot be considered, in my opinion, excellent technicians. is a complex arpeggio, a simple stroking of three consecutive piano ke But evidently the problem is not how one magician or another with one finger, a skillful handling of a camera and crane, a three-minu take of Groucho and Chico discussing "the party of the first part of th contract," a Fourth Deal or a smooth handling of a Devano deck regarded, nor in reducing it all to a semantic issue concerning what omprises and is understood by the word technique. It is a necessary tellectual debate (perhaps a self-debate) about the notion and func- But now the question arises: Would the conception of the world 'on of technique. It requires us to clarify the values of appropriate and Goshman, the Marx Brothers or Magritte be better conveyed using a mor~ difficult technique or one more exquisite? 253 ell-executed, both essential features of technique. It is about opening ur minds to the comprehension of the multiplicity of techniques, all of hem essential to achieving the secular miracle. Itis about taking the step from prestidigitator to magician. If the answer is "No, this is the most appropriate technique and it perfectly executed," then Magritte, the Marx Brothers and Goshman excellent technicians. Returning to orir specific art (and to something I commented on lier in this book), magic has different types of techniques: the technique of the fingers, of the hands, of the arms, the body, the eyes, coordination, 253. Except in the case of those whose vision of the world consists only consummate technique. n 491 About Certain Qualities, Advantages and Pleasures that Sometimes Originate from the Art of Technique sitive Aspects of Digital Technique It increases the quality of the effect. A good and subtle control by palming and replacing the palmed card is better than a short comer; but then, a perfect Glide ~s better than a In preparation for the already distant first Jornadas .de Cartomagia, 254 a few magicians gathered in Cercedilla, at the home of the always present Juanita Anton. Aside from Juanita and me ' · Ramon Varela, Camilo Vazquez, Pepe Puchol and Pepe Regueira were there. (I may be forgetting someone.) One of the subjects proposed was that of digital technique in card magic. We prepared for it only superficially, and there wasn't enough time to work on it more thoroughly or to develop it later at the Jornadas. Years later, in other Jornadas, this subject came up, but many points were left to be tackled or discussed later. Here are some of my unconnected thoughts on them, based partly on the ideas of that preparatory reunion in Cercedilla. mediocre Second Deal. r It favors creativity. · i . . Knowing and mastering more sleights pushes us, or makes 1t easier, to create and devise new effects. Also, with a good arsenal of sleights, we can almost, always come up with a solution for any effect. . It favors the improvement of an effect... If an effect can be accomplished with better moves than those it already uses or with improvements to the techniques being used (new subtleties, more rehearsal, etc.). It favors both economy of secret moments and economy in the development of the procedure of the trick. Sometimes one sleight is worth a thousand mathematical beatings about the bush to accomplish the same effect (apparently the same, Digital technique is one of our tools as magicians. As we all know, its us but the greater the economy of means used, the better the effect). Thus in some branches of magic, such as manipulation, is totally indispensable. a Classic Force spares us a mathematical force, although sometimes a It is nearly indispensable in others, such as card magic; very useful i:r[ force with a long but clear procedure is appropriate and can increase some, including close-up magic and certain tricks in general magic; some- the dramatic impact of the effect. For example, the prediction of a card times useful in others, such as mentalism; and of little or no use in others, revealed after a Classic Force might feel obvious, but if the card is arrived at through a force using a series of apparently free eliminations, like stage illusions. We also know of the negative aspects its abuse can carry: long and, confusing effects due to the excessive use of sleights and moves, a sensa- the process creates suspense and produces a strong impact. There are certain brilliant sleights that enhance the beauty of the trick. tion of struggle during the procedure of a trick, or magicians who hardly Examples: the Ascanio Spread, the D'Amico Double Lift, some multiple connect with the audience, if they connect at all, because of their focus on ·false cuts on the table. I should point out here that the beauty resides digital technique while neglecting the dramatization and the clear, direct in the motions embodied in the move and not in a conceptual beauty communication of ,the fascinating aspect of the effect. given by a perfect execution of the hidden technique. In other words, the Nevertheless, digital technique possesses a variety of positive and extremely positive elements. I would like to comment on them here. 254. The well-known Escorial card gathering. Now, in 2018, it has had its for..: ty-fifth meeting. Ascanio Spread is beautiful even when done with only four cards and nothing concealed. The same is true of D'.Amico's Double Lift, with some riffle shuffle techniques, multiple cuts, etc. There is a very clear danger of abusing these "beautiful" moves. But-this brings us to the next point. 6. :::iorrte:tJ.n1<~s a beautiful ..,....,'L,............'4 throws the spectators baian It throws them off in a good way, acting as mental distraction or misdirection, since the charm or fascination produced by the beauty the move captures the spectators' attention. Thus, a beautiful Asca Spread (as done by Ascanio, Luis Garcia, Gabi Pareras) misdirects only because of the looseness in its handling (the cards could easily handled very loosely but without beauty) but also through the int • sic beauty of its elastic ballet-like movements, which produce greater misdirection. I once mentioned to Ascanio that, to the quality of disarming looseness, I would add a new one: disarming beauty. Fred Kaps had more disarming looseness, and Ascanio more disarm~ ing beauty, although both artists clearly shared both strengths. I am emphasizing only what stands out most prominently in their handlings. Curiously, there is also a brand of "disarming clumsiness". It appears when you drop a coin along with its shell without them separating, or when you drop a few cards during a false shuffle, or when you gather the cards haphazardly at the end of a trick but subtly preserve their order. (Have you heard of Lennart Green?) There is even a certain "disarming ugliness", although this is perhaps more controversial and far-fetched; but didn't a fashion designer of fleeting fame once say, "Wrinkles are beautiful"? This is a good moment to re-examine my opinion that the true and specific beauty of magic lies essentially in achieving the strongest possible magical impact, which is to say an impact that is mysterious, impossible, probably desirable, possibly dreamed of and always fas .. cinating. That's what makes the beauty of the magic of a Slydini, a Goshman or a Lennart Green shine, transcending a seeming ugliness, clumsiness or absentmindedness. Getting back to the beauty of a technique, it can be used to justify apparent lack of naturalness in its handling; examples are the Ascapjo Spread and some multiple cuts. 7. Technique can make us love the trick and love magic. The magician loves the trick more, loves magic more, when he loves technique; because a love of technique forces him (so sweetly) to to train, to perfect a technical detail, a devote more time to his subtlety in handling or a manipulative elegance. Once the fruit of a difficult technique, :finally mastered and made easy, is ripe, this dedication produces in the magician an intimate sensation: a mixture of calmness, healthy pride and a love for the effort and time devoted and for the positive energy condensed into the sleight. !'However, mastering a difficult move sometimes causes a lesser appreciation for easier moves, sometimes to the point almost of disdatn. Such dangerous facility has spoiled many artists, musicians and painters, not just magicians. The only healthy solution for the very skillful is to multiply their efforts by extending those efforts to more complex sleights while demanding an absolute perfection from themselves in the handling of those of less difficulty (Pepe Carrol comes to mind). Technique plays an important part in the pleasure of the magician. It is the joy of the craftsman: the pleasure of precisely coordinating our ten small assistants as a part of that whole produced by coordinating, mastering and playing with our bodies; the beautiful sensation of what is accomplished with our own hands. But we must also overcome the harmful division between manual and intellectual tasks. I used to talk with the incredible and sensitive Gabriel Moreno about the road traveled toward the objective of perfect technique (Zen hovers around here). In that sense, I think the joy I am referring to can be understood only by those who-independent of the success in attaining the final result-have spent long hours studying and practicing a move, have begun to achieve a coordinated movement of all the :fingers, and have felt a precise, acquired memory of movements, tensions, pressures and touches in each of those zones in them. The only magicians aware of the pleasure I'm talking about are those who-after long days, perhaps months, of continuous and intense devotion to the handling of coins, balls and, above all, the fifty-two magical pasteboards-have felt a tingle in their :fingertips that begs them to lengthen the practice session. The eroticism, so many times felt, that I have attempted, perhaps clumsily, to convey to you 1 can be understood only by those who-after one or several seasons, N of communion of fingers and cards-wa many mornings with a greater hunger for the pasteboards th breakfast, and hear throughout the· day the intimate and . sensual for the contact of skm and playing cards. lN ORDER NOT TO DlSAPPOlNT Outs and Resources-The Art of Fixing Mistakes in Magic Few Suggestions .. The most important thing, I believe, is our attitude prior to a mistake occurring. What happens if something fails? Nothing. Nothing terrible. And if it fails, the mistake can be disguised, minimized and probably made invisible. Above all, I think it's wise to try to foresee the most probable mistakes and have solutions for them in advance. In my Paris Act, I have planned for about twenty mistakes. 3. -~Also make sure that everything that can go wrong does go wrong-in rehearsal! A lot of rehearsal is needed for that. Overacting is a possible solution when a mistake happens. Fake distress. "Oh, dear! We've got a problem! There is no solution!" No one will believe it. Pause. Pretend to think-actually you're not pretending; you're really searching for a solution. Sudden, heartfelt joy: "But magic can fix everything so ... " No one will believe that you didn't plan the mistake. 5. three mistakes I foresa""{Ji:T ··1 , vv. ets for the remaining two." (See p. 437 for more on this idea.) This is monologue: "This is one . Having accessories prepared to fix mistakes: a Topit, Thumb Tip, etc. just a phrase. It is something that needs to be genuinely felt: to fore .that we will make three mistakes; hoping that we do. This makes uts Specific to Card Magic more human and fills us with humility-or reality It tests our · . creat ity of the moment and encourages us to practice and to love our t • . nc more. What ajoy! Right? 1. Classically, the king of mistake solvers was the Card Ifdex. And the Brainwave Deck. And a stacked deck 6. · One might think that a good strategy would be to start the session With any of these you can fix many of the usual things that go wrong. a pretended mistake and a quick brilliant solution, as is done in the lVe 12. "It isn't your card? I know. This is the locator card. Stick it in the middle. No! Not f~ce down. Face up is better. Wait, I'll turn it over." With signals of acknowledging it-gestures, words-that will be repeated these words you look for the locator card (and the selection). Have the in another trick if a real mistake arises. The spectators, upon receiving spectator insert it next to the selection, which it will later find "magically". classic "Chicago Opener". When the trick seems to have failed we g· , the same signals again, think, "Another mistake that isn't a mistak e. This magician is pulling our leg again." The attitude of the spectators is good and, although the solution or out we come up with might not 13. Get angry at the card that caused the mistake. Scold it. Hit it lightly. If it fits your style, tear it, destroy it, etc. be great, the worst has been overcome. However, I don't recommend 14. "This is not your card? When a magician makes a mistake, the tradition is for him to eat the card." Tear it to pieces and eat them, or leave this strategy, because it carries a great danger: Producing a sensation of continuous errors can break the magic dream. them between your cheek and gums, or do a false transfer and pretend 7. When a mistake arises, a magnificent technique is to smile, to be glad, a Double Lift). "When the magician gets it right, the tradition is for the to show you are happy, almost excited. The contrast with the mistake spectator to eat the card." Hand it to him. Laughs. Who is going to think observed puzzles the spectators: "What's going on here?" Now think there has been a mistake?-Especially if he gulps it down in one bite. up a solution and carry it out: "Now I got it, it was a joke." Feel more joy with each mistake. Remember the Three-Mistake Rule. 15. Tear the card and instantly restore it (perhaps, Paul Harris's "Ultimate Rip-off' in SuperMagic, p. 63). Forget the trick that was being per- 8. Another classic resource that seems to produce magnificent results formed. The mistake will seem an excuse for tearing and restoring it. is to overlook the mistake, to pretend not to have noticed it and con- 16. At the beginning of the session, bring out a folded sheet-of paper and tinue immediately with an extemporaneous short effect or series set it on the table, saying, "This is my prediction. " When a mistake short effects, such as producing cards or coins from the ear neck foot ' mouth, etc. In doing this, you arrive at a different ending and ' to eat them. Then do a short effect, such as making a card change (with ' ,nci,r,.c~r'11r '\arises, open the paper and read it: "J predict I will make a mistake in this very trick." Say, "I was right. I always get it right. I never fail." erase the memory of the mistake. (See more on this starting on p. 176.) While they laugh and relax, think of a more or less powerful solution. 9. Be prepared with emergency tricks, quick effects and gags, to make 17. "It's not your card? Give me your address and you will receive the card at home tomorrow, along with another surprise. Do you like ham?" Write down the address. (If you really like the person, write spectators forget the mistakes: flash paper, a finger-puppet mouse, production of a bouquet, Bang Wand, Break-away Wand .... Of course, these should always suit the style of the magician. down the phone number, too.) 498 Final Observation . lY you want to devise the maximum number of general solutions 18. Bring out presents: publicity photos of yourself, chocolate, candie Give them to the spectators saying, "No comments, please." Smile. 19. When something goes wrong, bring out a small toy gun and leave it the _table: "Do we agree that no one saw anything?" You can do same with an opened pocketknife; or a loaded cannon (sorne peo carry all sorts of things). 20. Personal examples: As amagician, I am very different in this sense from what I am like a person. I am very prepared. a) A precaution: When I used an electronic Rising Card device in ~, theater shows, I also put a Devano Rising Cards gimmick in. th~: t11na1e , . 'ble errors and also solutions particular to each tnck. And pracr possi ' . . . . . · takes I mean practice embarrassmg situations. I:rpagme you e the mis . . : . . 'ft and think of how you will correct the situation. •ssed the Double L1 . ~: . . you miss a force or a faro shuffle, if you d~op a ball, .if th;e dove files 'f written prediction proves incorrect, 1f your assistant comes out ay, i a ..· f the box too early-what will you do? It's advisable to thmk ab~ut and for solutions before the mistakes occur. Then, when they anse, you earch · d · ready have an out. Above all, the most important thing is your attitu e m b) Multiple precautions: "Margarita the Snake" (Snake Basket) car.. the face of the mistake-it must be genuine, not feigned. . Should an unforeseen mistake occur, you will have the habit of search. of finding them and putting them into practice. Your ing for so1ut ions, . . mind will be accustomed to that exercise, and panic will not freeze ~ou. ries the Five of Hearts with a torn corner in her mouth. Should You won't be left without knowing what to do, how to get out of a situa- the card not rise because of battery or mechanical failure, I bring tion. Having planned for problems, you can solve them without difficulty. Margarita out of the basket and tie a rope around her "neck" Im cold-blooded prescience is employed; even a private amusement, Ca ' . · as playful challenges that dare us to solve the situation. seemg errors . Finally, having foreseen general and specific outs and having planned same deck, in case the electronics failed. This out is useful f~· other Rising Card methods, using thread, elastic thread, etc. ) explaining that she is a fishing snake. I drop the free end of the rope into the basket, and when I lift it, the Five of Hearts with tom cate Five of Hearts with an identical tear, tied onto a short length ~ttitudes to assume when difficulties arise make you act more naturally, with more assurance. Aside from the benefits of this for the overall perfor- of rope with a magnet, all inside the basket. By the way, since I mance, your calmness will almost surely keep you from making mistakes must switch the corner I tear from the forced Five of Hearts, I during the rest of the session. And if mistakes do happen-so much the better! More fun, more corner comes out of the basket, tied onto the rope. It is a dupli- put the corner to be substituted into my right pocket. But during performance it can happen that I can't find the little corner in my pocket, so I also carry a spare, identical corner there or elsewhere. Both corners have been torn at the same time from two Fives held together. c) Extreme multiple precautions: I've mentioned that I have tried to foresee every possible mistake in the Paris Act (Jokers, coins, harmonica). In total, I have about twenty ideas to solve possible mistakes. There are so many moves, something will likely go wrong somewhere. I haven't had to use all of them yet, but .... laughs and one more story to tell our buddies. · And there is always an exit for a big mistake: the fire exit. (Sorry!) '\ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: HlGHLY PERSONAL COMMENTS are two aspects to magic theory: The theoretical conception of a given theoretical magician. The conception drawn from the practical magic of a magician-artist. HERE The second aspect has two subgroups: a) Theory drawn from the magic that said magician devises:·creation, construction, tricks and routines. b) Theory drawn from his practical experience: communication, personality, style, etc. A magician can be a great theorist without ever having written a word about theory (Frakson, Slydini, Hofzinser, Juan Anton ... ) if we can extract from1lis magic, his style or his performances a new or different or powerful theoretical conception of magic. 255 .255. Here lies the false problem that arises when a theorist writes or says something but contradicts it when he performs. If what he says is interesting and correct, there is no need to erase his thoughts or blur them with memories of his performances. If a soccer theorist is a terrible soccer player,. that doesn't prevent his theory from being right. Should anyone be interested, I will attempt to analyze those\asPe ~ If the phase fails to occur or contains ambiguity, magic is invali- from within-that is to say, within me-although it is a task I don't gre ted as an art. We would be instead in the realms of scams and deceptions enjoy and in doing so I fear losing spontaneity and becoming mechanic of religion. A lack of the first phase-defeating logic, doing the impossible-inval- Theoretical Conception I must now repeat a number of the concepts already expressed in t . book It will almost be a synopsis of them. Magic is an art, very complex, very powerful, relatively young, not many artists devoted to it, professionally or as amateurs (for dates magic as a specific art; it could be music or poetry.I And any flaw in the second phase-fascination, plaf, imaginationreduces and minimizes the artistic value of magic and lea✓es it as a science f the impossible. The style is the person. The richness of the inner world of the person but their numbers are growing). It is a symbolic art, ritualistic. We play is proportional t~ the art it potentially contains. There are seven veils that at being gods. We are dreams approaching reality, a reality lying between cover seven mysteries: love of what is done, effort, knowledge, energy, theater (a reflection of reality in near reality) and film (dreams in images). truth, inner richness and love for the audience. The emotional information Magic is desire. It has an inner symbolic meaning communicated at a sub- is almost as important as the psychological-technical-structural skeleton. conscious level. It's a playful art (games), very technical and demanding After the person, the most important thing is the effect: its impact, its of diverse skills: voice, gaze, body, digital technique, psychology.... It is addressed to the pre-logical child (play), to the emotional youngster (mys- quality, its beauty, its development, its symbolism. Digital technique is necessary in certain types of magic, as are tech- tery) and to the reasoning adult (impossibility). It fights and temporarily niques of gesture and the body-and of psychology, always! There is also beats reason, forcing it to give way to fantasy and imagination. It is an acting technique: rhythm, cadence, coordination in time, etc. And the art of communication and love. It consists of a complex technical and techniques for controlling perception (misdirection), interest (dramatiza- structural skeleton, of an emotional and dramatic embodiment and of an tion), memory ( controlling the facts to be forgotten or remembered) and impossible and fascinating effect. The magician is not an actor. He is himself playing at being a magician. He is the guide of spectators who are not communication (the Five Points) are essential. The effect is in the minds of the spectators, and it varies and evolves mere spectators but spect-actors and co-participants. The objective is The later in the memory and in the evocation of memories (The Comet Effect). Rainbow of illusion and beauty, which is not part of reality (although it is). No effect is too perfect, but some methods are "too imperfect" for One should be a good guide (using the Five Points) and lead the specta• tors down a good path, making sure they don't get lost (The Magic that effect. The dramatic arts and magic are opposites. Comedy and magic destroy saying "No" to the true solutions or to the false ones believed to be eath other. Narration and magic interfere with each other. Only music, dance, and that they reach a truly fascinating Rainbow. mime and poetic gestures make good company for magic. But a reasonable The magic session consists of three phases, three consecutive stages. balance can be achieved between comedy and magic, theater and magic, or First: defeating reason. narration and magic. At the optimal limits, magic can be improved by com- Second: playing with the imagination. edy, narration and drama. Surrealism is the art of magic as regards its effect, Third: once the session is over, a return to reason. People don't know but it is not related to the notion of the impossible in reality. Nevertheless, its how it happened but do know there is a reasonable and logical cause. poetry is similar. Some magic is gestµral poetry (visible metaphors). n emotions in magic should be intrinsic to the effect or to the de opment of the effect: astonishment, surprise, challenge, curiosity, fail e no cables, no connection), then plays along with the spectators (let's suspense .... They can, though, be aided by external emotions: pa :xperience true flight, the beauty of a _man floating freely) and finally humor, drama, eroticism .... The latter include presentation: dress, mak turns them to reality (I know it was illusion, like the rainbow, but I expe- anything that can be put on or taken off; of secondary importance enced it as if it were real). The magician also preser:i-ts evil; the fears, dangers and/ anxieties of The magician, fighting, wins beating reason (he flies-there 1 I important nonetheless'. Suspense is the most dramatic, disquieting and eling of the ways an effect can be delivered. The sustained effect is them poetic, ·while surprise is the most superficial, relaxing, entertaining e: decapitation, cremation, disappearance, being bound, qeath. In gen- commercial. Suspense with a sustained surprise ending would be an id al, he overcomes fear with fulfilled impossible wishes, possible events. And of course, these fears and anxieties are known to inhabtt the realm of Tricks with suspense are like a meal; and surprise offers the culinary c art, where there is no authentic danger or pain. plements: salt, sauces, dressings, wines, appetizers, coffee, brandy, cig Magic is that, but it is also for having fun! Challenge is good when wrestling logic and defeating it, but spectato should be made to feel that the magician wrestles alongside them (alo Of course, some dangers and temptations must be avoided: utilizing magic to feel the pleasure of power, of dominance, or using it just to attract side the imaginative part of them), against his own logic. And once logic attention, to be admired or obeyed, or to feel ourselves above those who been temporarily defeated, magician and spectator play and enjoy togethe:li don't know our secrets (vanitas vanitatis). Thus, struggle and play, struggle and dance ("Tahuromagia", a series It is only an art. of gambling sketches Jose Carrol and I did), challenge, strive, offer rele Only part of life. less opposition until you win, defeating logic and announcing little b And nothing less. little that the best is yet to come: play, joy, surprise, dreams. And finally, the return to logic: to wake up with the memory and the sensation of a 2. About My Ideas, Tricks and Routines (Self-Analysis) magical experience in the world of the non-possible (for now); in oth,er words, the illusion of impossible wishes fulfilled. I will attempt an analytical striptease. (Don't worry, it's only analytical.) I consider my tricks, those I devised, usually to be complex, with And all this occurs throughout the session. The session is not a series mental and suspense effects, sometimes with several phases. Most of of tricks but a development of the battle against logic and the final, playful them are long, with varying digital techniques (false deals, Top Changes, celebration: Mars and Dionysus. And later, man and his reason. Mythology forces, false shuffles, culls, the Perpendicular Control. .. } By now they and magic: two ways to symbolize and establish wishes; two similar poetries. 256 are mainly card magic, though some are with knives and a few with coins. 256. For example, let's ttke the wish to fly. In mythology there is Icarus, a legend; serving as imaginary reality. In religion there are Jesus and Buddha, miracles as imaginative reality. In science there is the airplane and, maybe soon, man flying by himself, as reality. In painting there is Chagall, as in non-reality, in fiction. In magic there are Kellar, Maskelyne, Copperfield, who were momentarily experienced as reality and later were known not to be real. Some r,eflect my way of conceiving magic and life. Some, the latest I have come up with, are closer and closer to this. They contain a lot of audience participation. Most of the participating spectators play important roles in the procedures and often do the magic themselves, without the magician touching anything (as in my Verbal Magic done on the radio or live). There is also considerable participation by other magicians: magic for two (in Los Mancos, with Juan Anton; "Tahuromagia", with Jose Carrol). N 508 I enjoy constructing routines ("The Glass", "Cinema", "You WinForg Your Card" ... ) and acts (Los Mancos, Alicia, Magritte, the Paris A ress my tastes and attitudes toward life: "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", lack Days", "The Fortune of the Year", "Paradise Recovered" (from Verbal "Tahuromagia", the Spirit Cabinet ... ), and I seek the intrinsic emotions their construction. agic; a no to war and other evils). I ~eek variety: Aces that transform into a ·Nowadays I don't like performing with special props, only with day objects: cards, coins, pocketknives, glasses, envelopes, etc. I seldom let strange-looking cards be seen (such as blan_k cards and cards With drawings on the backs). I greatly enjoy doing magic with ropes, balls; thimbles, dice, safety pins, handkerchiefs ... and mental effects; but these days, when doing close-up magic, as I've said, I perform almost exclusively with my much beloved pasteboards. I don't like tricks in which cards represent characters. (There are ' course, a few exceptions, like cannibals.) I prefer to draw on non-cards: hats and apples or centaurs and sirens (more exceptions). Whenever I can, I construct any secret accessories I need for card magic (holders and other gimmicks), making them from playing cards and card cases. These are my hobbies, fetishes, love. I don't get too excited about topological tricks with cards. Instead, I love tricks that end with a whole suit or the whole deck in order. I have found a genre that gives me a lot of inner satisfaction: magic with cards on the table, done there by spectators (their hands and cards, their headsabove the table, of course) who follow my instructions-and the effect happens without my touching the deck This kind of magic is complicated, dangerous and difficult to devise and to present, but the results, for me, are magnificent. "Hidden and Concealed Magic", "Miraculous Coincidence" and "Double to Death" are three of .them. More and more, I devise and perform tricks and effects that something about myself, my beliefs, my loves: "Los Angeles", "Cinema" tribute to Melies), ';'Magritte" (showing my passion for surrealism), "Magic is Dreaming". And about what I believe magic is: "2 + 1 = 3" (illusion creates truth), the Color-Changing Knives (the rainbow and magic), "The Fading Joker" fleetingness of illusion). And about my mentors and friends: Gaetan Bloom's "Aces", Professor Vernon's "Triumph" and "My Grateful Gift". And tricks that suit, a visual Oil and Water sequence, "Hypnosis: The Deck of the Three ..Juans" (my version of Hofzinser's "Wonderful Deck"). I hav~ fun with effects 'With comical situations, ~d it fascinates me when they epd with powerful magic: Tom and Restored Handkerchief, "Carbuquillo", "~emonicosis over the Phone". I also like sprinkling drops of comedy to make the magic stronger in such tricks as "Kangaroo Coins", "Nauj", the Rising Cards and "Gizpiel", r although lately use very little comedy when I perform close-up magic. Instead, I'm exploring visual lyricism with such things as ornamental card fans and "Los Centauros". I find gambling demonstrations very powerful, and audiences agree. "There is drama, conflict, and the effect is very clear: the magic of desire. These exhibitions contain the emotions of skill and envy (healthy envy), amazement and-magic! Their meaning is obvious and they are easily evoked later in everyday circumstances, such as games of chance. I try to start all my gambling routines with effects where very, very simple sleights are explained. This satisfies curiosity. I continue with a demonstration of skill, which provokes amazement and admiration. I then stage a card game, playing all the players myself, or playing against another magician or a spectator. This incites envy (which I hope heals) and excites ambition (always insane). In the game, I demonstrate a higher skill, which I don't explain. Instead, I exhibit the result of "complex and secret techniques", while beating the spectator with an attitude of soft and sweetened antagonism: "Come on, play along; you are only playing the loser." 257 Later, after exhibiting my highly developed expertise (creating 257. If I can, I will make a bet with a real coin-his. And I will keep it when I win. I do this for several reasons: It makes the routine more memorable. The experience feels more real. It inspires group comments, reactions and, sometimes, incredulity, since the spectators don't believe I'm really going to keep the coin. And, most important, I increase my income to cover my vices and leisurely lifestyle. (") admiration for this superman, this romantic hero, the master gambler), I finish with a demonstration of skill, impossible skill, which is to saymagic! From the ability of the common man, to the stunning skill and cleverness of the hero, to the power of the gods. From what my friends say, I irradiate energy when I perform. They note that I respect the spectators and treat them well, that I am optimistic and cheerful, that I laugh at myself and with them (never at them), that I love magic and I sincerely love the spectators (especially the ladies), and that-as much as in my magic as in my life, if that is possible-We are here to have fun! I am on a search for joy; joy for myself and for others. A secret: Although I generally do magic because I feel its fire and passion, I enjoy applause more than tomatoes. Applause, though, sometimes intimidates me and I certainly don't try to boost it through "professional" contrivance. Magic helped me overcome my innate shyness. I have my ego, which I try to keep in place. And when I perform magic, aside from the chills brought on by the audience's admiration, I feel very glad when they enjoy it. I created illusion for them and I hope they will love me. Because-who is perfect? No, please, don't point at me. I know it ... but I didn't want to ... I. .. to tell ABOUT THE PREPARATlON OF THE SESSlON Instead of writing down my ideas on this subject ( nothing novel or original, by the way), I will reprint this account I wrote a long time ago about a performance in Chile. 258 I think it's a more vivid way of conveying the ideas. the truth ... well, okay, I accept it. Thanks everyone. Curtain. ' Santiago de Chile (America, Southern Hemisphere, via Paris); done injust five days: fly, shoot and fly back. That's what it was about; a single television show. Since I had done many television shows over there, I had to make some choices and go to extra effort: "Card on Handkerchief', Invisible Deck and the Eggbeater got the people in the studio thoroughly involved and v;.ery excited. It was a blast! I am telling you all this not out of vanity (or not just out of vanity, dear friends) but because I think it was due to a random and fortunate combination of various circumstances, and I want · case 1't 1s · of any use. 259 to tell you about some of them, m 258. Published in the Circular of the Escuela Magica de Madrid, 1984. 259. Since all of them are as valid for any session or magic show, I believe, as for a television program. N In addition to the already mentioned good shape I was in on stage, have to start too an eagerness to strong wishes to commu- audience was positioned magnificently. We were in a studio, but it nicate, enormous interest in transmitting the emotion of mystery, and an also a special theater, close and wide, ample and comfortable, packedc with guests (not extras, thank Zeus!). It was a most convenient f indefinable determination to seduce, c~nquer and surrender to those who (10:30 P.M., not too late, not too early) and I was performing in the fourtit To do this, I proceeded as follows. I woke up in the rrioming, when or fifth spot (but preceded by good, short, non-comedy, musical acts). We mY body asked. I took a 101:1:g, relaxing, hot bath, with back~round music, had an excellent host (Cesar is his name), one of th~ few who are at the during which I devoted myself to remembering happy moijlents, evoking service of the performers. We had an intelligent and concerned director positive images and experiences, and embracing exciting projects. Later, with whom I had had a prior explanatory chat the day before. And we had after a rehearsal in the TV studio (we fine-tuned every detail), there was a detailed camera rehearsal on the same day but a few hours before the a leisurely walk around the city with someone dear, Enrique Gonzalez broadcast. On top of that, it was a live broadcast, which when it's well Ylabaca, the Chilean magician who is also my older brother over there, my prepared, has a vital and artistic tension much higher than occurs in those artistic agent and my friend. Walking around, we enjoyed our talk about that are recorded; but there wasn't the nervous atmosphere of live broad- magic, about how to better communicate with the audience and about casts that aren't well prepared. As you can see, everything was favorable. performance as an act of love. Afterward, a late dinner with a couple of I had great faith in my routine. Three card effects (uniformity, unit) slices of roast beef and a double helping of Chilean salad with palta (avo- but varied (the visual and surprising "Card on Handkerchief'; the humor;. cado), beans, com, tomatoes, escarole, assorted seafood. Tea (the divine ous, very magical and poetic Invisible Deck; and the funny and surreal drink of the East-that of the West, of Bacchus, I always leave for after Eggbeater). All of them included participation: the first with one person the show) served to help my digestion and to raise the vital energetic ten- on stage, the second with several people in the audience, and the last with sion. All that in a restaurant grill on the grass, next to a swimming pool one person on stage and all those in the audience. There were magical with beautiful male and female bathers. . une were watching me-and to make them enjoy all that and magic! I objects (handkerchief, eggbeater, jumbo card, etc.). I also had the new Next, off to the TV studio in the necessary time (an hour early) but Lou Derman Okay Gag as an introduction (''Do you think it's possible for not excessive (so important). With everything sitting ready on my table on me to guess the card you thought of? You're right! I'm not going to guess it," and you throw all the cards into the air). Surprise andjoy were already there after fifteen seconds. Then came something lying between the visual and the mysterious (the handkerchief), followed by something with imagination and laughs (the Invisible Deck, first phase) that became a very powerful and highly poetic mystery (the Invisible Deck, ending). Finishing with the Eggbeater gave a great surprise, laughs and total participation. So, I already had a good program, good audience conditions, venue, time, etc., and I was in good shape for performing. What else could I wish for? What I wished for, and achieved, was reaching showtime with a minimum of fatigue, maximum calm, the necessary prior tension so that I didn't stage, and with makeup on. (I hardly ever wear makeup, only if they are very insistent; just a few touches of powder for my shiny forehead and the eventual sweat.) Luckily there was a good lighting technician, so the lights were not too strong and were adjusted. (The strong ones almost hurt the eyes ,of the performer and bother him enormously.) And, as a warm-up, about fifteen minutes of card tricks for the makeup artist, for a journalist and for the always-by-my-side Enrique. Then, after entrusting myself to Saint Frakson and Blessed Father Ciur6, I walked out to perform. If, after all this, I don't manage to give a communicative and cheer- ful performance, radiating and exuding positive energy, improvising the instant something unexpected arises, transmitting love, rejoicing in the N moments of a magical and mysterious effect, and enjoying it myself, ing fun to the maximum-I would be a total wreck! Luckily for me, I am probably not a wreck, and I think the audience Enrique, the TV-channel staff and myself were all satisfied, happy and' glad~as I hope you are now, my patient reader, for having made it all the way here. THE SPECTATOR FAClNG MAGlC get into an interesting aspect of magic that is seldom wrestled with: How to attend a magic session and how to watch it. I am presenting here two articles written long ago. I'll leave them unaltered, each in its original tone. The.first text was composed as an open letter, which I hand out on occasion to each of the spectators at my magic sessions. 260 LET'S Dear friend, Just a few lines to present to you some thoughts about magic; and from now on, please understand, when I say magic, I am referring to illusionism. 260. This article was originally published in my bookAprenda Ud. magia (1973, Editorial Cyrnis: Barcelona) and reprinted in Secretos de magia potagia (1988, Editorial Frakson: Madrid). I address the spectators formally, which was the accepted manner in those days. I have maintained it here for nostalgic reasons and because I think it conveys a feeling of respect, tinged with friendship bordering on love for the spectators. Luckily, the attitude of spectators today, in 2018, forty-five years later, has changed notably for the better. Most of them approach magic in a much more open and encouraging way than they did then. So this article also serves an historical purpose. 518 What Is Magic-Illusionism? What Does It Consist c,f? It's a call to mystery, a destruction of what is apparent, a creation of a world of illusion attempting to make an array of disparate feelings bloom in the spectators; from arcane fears, perhaps dormant in us, to pleasurable, joyful and enchanted ways of feeling and seeing the world. Among them are primitive or nai:ve feelings, perhaps diffuse, maybe unknown or unrecognized, that float vaguely in our inner selves. The above lines are admittedly somewhat literary, perhaps overly pedantic. But I have tried to write words that lead us to the essence of magic. Words that distill magic, that create the magical atmosphere. True magic, illusionism, is not sleight-of-hand or legerdemain or skillful moves. Magic is no longer prestidigitation (quick fingers), nor is it equivalent to something intriguing (we already have detective novels for that), nor does it correspond to a challenge of See if you can catch me. There is no trick in magic, because we all know that there is. There is no deception, because the true and authentic spectators who savor magic are never deceived; they are only enthralled by illusion. In magic, in true and authentic magic, in artistic magic, there is only emotion, illusion and a call to mystery. That is the key: mystery, the emotion of mystery. That's the only secret of artistic magic. How To Watch a Magic Session When you watch a magician-a good magician-surrender. Don't fight against him; no one wants to fool you. Play the game, get into the world ruled by imagination and fantasy, the unreal and the mysterious, the anti-appearance, the anti-reality (in the most superficial sense of reality); the world where the And when I say "Alice", I refer to every poet, to every surrealistic painter, every creator, to all those who know how to transcend appearances, the first shell of a reality (n<?t that real!); those who know how to lead us to the great empire of imagination, as real as ours, as everyday life, as true, as serious and-why not?-as lucid. So, for you, magic will no longer be childish entert~inment but something else. It will be an art. You will feel enriched, y~u will understand more and more clearly, you will better intuit things. The Magician When you see a magician perform, please remove your tired eyeglasses and watch with the big, wide-open eyes of Picasso and of children. Play. Play with us magicians. Have fun, get excited without inhibitions, be amused, feel pleasure, don't restrain yourselves. Enjoy! A magician is not a trickster. The magician is not a skillful, deceitful grifter. But neither is he someone gifted with supernatural or special powers. Such powers are within us all. The magician will make us feel them, he will remind us of them-if we want it-and make us live our lives more powerfully. Those powers-call them fantasy, creativity, illusion or imaginationare ours. We all have them. Let's develop them! If the ball concealed in a hand is not there when the hand opens again, let's not think of the sleeve; let's think and see that it is not there, that it has disappeared, and we will be closer to the truth, to that truth. If the magician puts it up his sleeve-so much the worse for him! But in magic, there is a trick! only thing known is-the unknown. But don't passively let yourself be carried away. No! Participate actively, get involved, immerse yourself voluntarily, collaborating with t:he magician in that world of illusion. Wish, want and act like this: Without fear, without skepticism; and go back to your personal child- Right. But figurative painting is also an illusion of reality. And when we look at a painting, we· don't think that that blob is a certain amount of oil of a specific color. No, that blob is an eye or the fold of a cloth, or the hood, when the impossible didn't exist. Go through the mirror, hand in moon, or a woman's smile. Or perhaps that blob is the expression of a feeling of envy or sadness hand with Alice. Pass through, like her, to the other side, into Wonderland. or pride, if we are standing before an abstract painting. N And the notes of a symphony are not' for us ' vibrations of a sp·e, c sonorous frequency and amplitude. Those notes, instead, produce l and romantic sensations, or communicate to us feelings of bitterness sadness, or transport us to magically sonorous worlds. And when, at the movies, we see a quiet and blinking shadow repeat twenty-four times a second with minimal variations' producing the illus10 . of mo�ement, we don't say, "Oh! I know the trick It'� not Audrey Hepb the Eliza of My Fair Lady I'm seeing. It's only her image, only a shado repeated twenty-four times a second with tiny differences that produce the illusion of movement." We see Eliza Doolittle, who moves her eyes· feel her joy with her when she smiles, or her sadness when those eyes' Why do we give total credibility to other arts that use so much-I going to say "trickery"-so much illusionism, yet we refuse to surrender to that which carries within it the essence of illusion: magic? Maybe the answer is that we don't want to. Maybe the answer is that we don't know how to. Or maybe the answer is that we don't dare to. Magicordially Yours, Juan Tamariz THE SPECTATOR ON THE OTHER SlDE Of MAGlC Magic" with this essay, I am following "The Spectator Facing ironic in tone and should also from distant times. This one is circumstances and time in be read while keeping in mind the which it was composed. a warning to those who are willing I would like to express a fear and give . The fear is that they might catch a to attend magic sessions as spectators le disease: dangerous illness, a terrible and incurab magic and, above all, of one of 1. Illusionism is one of the factors of s: its stimulating power. If magic magic's most important characteristic an knowledge, it can also be a lq_as sometimes been the engine of hum ulant. stimulant in life. But it's a dangerous stim in front of us that needs to be This is because magic puts something Whether that mystery is real or written about in uppercase: MYSTERY. for our theory. apparent doesn't make any difference lusionism not only confronts 2. But be careful! A good session of magic-il and puts us headfirst into it. us with mystery, but it also captures us Suddenly magician, the illusionist, makes us feel enveloped b mystery. We are surrounded by it, listening to its mythical flutt:· It puzzles us, breaking our mental structures making us ~ • . ' iee1 Insec about our science, about our logic and worst of all abo t . ' ' u ourselv But can't we trust our own senses? Will the dogmatic phrase "Of .' . co its true, I saw it with my own eyes" ever be true? Well, no. Absolutely not. Because the phrase is untrue. · The magician-illusionist makes us see with our own eyes, hear our own ears, feel, touch, smell and taste with our own senses thin s that are not true. g "Ah! But don't you exaggerate, my friend. Prestidigitation? r know very well. It's an innocent trick I also know that everything is a fraud that there is much cheating and trickery. fu any case, it's simply enter'. tainment; only for chlldren or for unsophisticated and not-toa-sertous adults. It's something of no importance. Almost, almost something silly." Something silly? Ofno importance? Only for children? 3. Whoever thinks that way is denying himself an expertence that is strange and fascinating at the same time: of knowing that he has been enchanted, of touching the unknown or of feeling wrapped in a cloud of the incomprehensible. the void or a coin that vanishes into thin air-of whoever is capable, wants to and dares to, I say: Woe unto him! Woe unto him, because perhaps, f?r now, he will for a time have fun and feel joy and pleasure; but woe unto him, because he will start to feel the bittersweet excitement and unsettling adventpre of entering the world of the unkno:wn. Woe unto him, because tha~ admirable and tremendous strength he carries in him and uses so stin?ily-I am referring to his imagination-will feel boosted, will escape,,' will fly free and make him fantasize, suppose, suspect, create, think, feel, invent-will make him live. Woe unto him, poor captivated spectator, because when the magic session is over, from that very moment on, he will be more lucid. And then, for the same reason, he will destroy within himself the belief in the reliability of appearances. He will know there are precise psychological methods to make him see what is not, and he will feel uneasy, restless and skeptical when this advertisement, that publicity and other twisted and manipulated information aspire to deceive him. Now he will know that "there is a trick". He will feel terrible. Woe unto him, because taking a pleasure trip on LSD will be of no further use. Nor will an alcoholic binge intended for escape. No use Also, you who think this way are using faulty logic, because dreams and art are false and you, my friend, don't refuse to dream or fantasize with music, theater, movies and painting. On the other hand, I believe, paradoxical!Y, those who tltink this way about magic can have their reasons. Maybe they sense real danger behind this innocent art. Yes, it's true. I'm well aware that a magic session is not such an innocent game. That's ,why I say of whoever is capable of att~nding a session magic with the astonished and wide-open eyes of children, or the eyes of Picasso; of whoever, without fears, complexes or inhibitions, participates with an active mind; of who, above all, opens wide the doors of his own self to what he doesn't comprehend, to the spectacle of a woman sawed in half and restored, to a cigarette that appears from alienating himself with work and compulsive shopping. Because all that-LSD, alcohol and "Where is the key of the prize car?"-will be child's play and will mean nothing to him. Woe unto him who has inhaled the heavy scent of magic, who has been touched by illusion, who has entered the suggestive world ,of fantasy. And woe unto him, in sum, because with all that-I am warning ~him-he will begin to lose his blind faith in his superiors, perhaps become wary of his leaders and suspect the shell that conceals reality; and many false truths will be recognized as false; and many imposed dogmas, many acquired prejudices, will lose their entire value. 5. I have to say it. I can't hold it back, however hard it might be, however terrible it might seem: The poor spectator, captivated by the magician, will have to pay his dues for his joyful but prohibited adventure into the 0 b~4 of magic. . . .. 'L, ...... , , - structure (perhaps stagnant, perhaps f but that lets him "keep on living") will shatter. He will no longer regular person, because he will have to think for himself; he will to actively use all his capacity for observation, for critical judgment for insight, and he will find himself obligated to accelerate the P.n(1'Jn.~::.· of his own imagination, complemented by his unique, critical and reason. And such activities, as we all know, are nei~her comfortable calm nor secure nor, above all, to be morally recommended. 6. I know of cases like that. It's not a false danger. It is a tremendous and real one. The spectator will pay high dues for his courage. He will have to expiate his sin with the most terrible penitence: that of feeling condemned to live by himself, of spending his whole life, every single daY, every single minute, until the end, carrying the heavy load of lucidity on his shoulders. In other words, having to consciously support, willingly or not, his authentic human condition. 7. I am warning him. Forewarned is forearmed. I wash my hands. I have no more feelings of guilt. If one of you dares, it's up to you! MAG ARTS MAGlC AND MAGlCAL NARRATlON Myths of Creation, Gods and Heroes, Fairy Tales WHEN magical stories were told in ancient times, always at night, the listeners believed in the truth of what was narrated. 261 It was, in a way, a rite in which the listeners participated as believers. Sometimes a container of water was placed as a magical element to keep ghosts and spirits of deceased ancestors away, avoiding the danger of the narrated world spreading into the real world; and the narration took place near a fire, a purifying and transforming element. The narration never changed. It was repeated in the same way, sometimes with identical wording,, to transmit time and again the experience of the rebirth of the story. ln these tales, the magic consisted of an active desire to influence the plot of the universe (by pulling a thread, the plot grows less complicated or is modified), getting to know and controlling the laws of the environment and thus being able to depict the storytellers' wishes. Those wishes 261. I paraphrase and depend heavily here on the magnificent study by Rodolfo Gil, Los cuentos de hadas: historia magica del hombre, 1982, Editorial Salvat: Barcelona. were, among others, of adventure, of getting out of oneself, of contra objects and nature, of imposing justice, the triumph of good, of ins taneous and magical translocations or of finding the treasures of hid wealth, fountains, magical plants and stones that give eternal life, ete youth, complete wisdom and happiness. In many of these stories, the gods give man a power and transfo him into a hero. But with social and cultural evolution, the story lost primitive function, yet kept its form and its sacred, mysterious characte Later, with the passing of time, stories lost their expression and relevant content to become literature and sometimes popular cul Some stories took the shape of fairy tales or children's stories White, Tom Thumb, Sleeping Beauty) of a great symbolic power. Rodolfo Gil says, these were not simple trivializations of local stories and myths but, rather, personalizations of universal myths, in local forms, which every social group leaves its footprint. With all the above, we can see a clear parallelism with the art of magic. If in its origins it could have been a way to attempt to control and conjure with the forces of nature, to manage to fulfill the archetypal wishes of humanity, it became, with time, an art form. Its games are not a trivialization of those desires but a metaphoric presentation of the archetypal and universal myths on which every period of history, every magician, leaves a mark. Both disciplines go from their magical, esoteric and mythical origins to an art form; literature in one case, artistic magic.in the other. On the other hand, when fairy tales lose their function and sense for adults, they are replaced or are complemented by narratives of a high literary and artistic quality that perfectly match the forms of fairy tales but are addressed to, and enjoyed by adults (Alice in Wonderland, The Lord of the Rings, etc.). New myths and new heroes (Superman) are created. These enjoy a certain ambivalence, capable of connecting with people of all ages. The parallelism with artistic magic is clear. Therefore, there is room in it for tricks full of fascinating fantasy that specifically address pre-logical childhood, as well as those that address adults by combining logical tricks and 'bTty with artistic emotion. There is an ample array poS~ 11 2~. charm people of all ages. . . Ies ~o . . vitation to deeper research mto lVlaY this brief analysis serve as an !n .Sew-• ,ind similar fields. , d mos+ useful knowlan ideas suggestions, themes an a I ' d f th's magical literature (fairy tales, . Needless to say, m Y i , . b drawn from· the stu Y o . d th mythologies of all civilizationsedge can e ' · ) which mclu es e '. children s stones ... ' . . M an etc.-and certain Celtic Germanic, Nordic, Persian, ay ' . Greek, Roman, ' . . (H G Wells) withoµt forgetting the . l't t re and science fiction . . ' . . l realism (Gabriel Garcia Marquez, fantastic i era u, extremely beautiful and suggestive magica Julio Cortazar, Woody Allen ...). MAGlC AND FlLM Film, the natural son of magic. It was created in many of its aspects by magicians. There was the magic lantern, then Robertson's phantasmagoria: images animated by being projected onto dense, moving, white smoke, while hidden traveling lanterns moved to augment or diminish the projected images. Auguste Lumiere was a magic lover. Georges Melies was a magician and the owner-director of the Theatre Robert-Houdin in Paris. He edited and mixed shots to create, through tricke:cy, a new reality; transparencies; double exposures over black, etc. He also created several genres in film, especially the narrative one: stories of adve~tures, of science fiction (A Trip to the Moon, The Impossible Voyage, etc.). See Erik Bamouw's The Magician and the Cinema for many facts about Melies and for Barnouw's prediction (unfulfilled, of course) that film would make its mother, magic, disappear. 263 Film is a magic trick with various effects, secrets and gimmicks, beginning with the essential one of the illusion of reality. It is actually only still 263. The Magician and the Cinema, Erik Barnouw, 1981, Oxford University Press, Inc.: Oxford and New York images that, through an optical secret, an illusion, seem to movt. To this have been added a thousand and one tricks of editing ' the new ~o ~ mputer The credibility of magic-illusionism has been tested in documentary film and proved valid (for example, Channing Pollock's performance in etc. The spectators see what the director wants them to see. He controls their attention, directing it and separating it from what.he wants to conceal European Nights). Magic on television has also achieved total validity and great impact. In both cases, it is ac~epted that what is being broadcast (live or deferred) is a reality (the magician's performancep and that no camera tricks are being used; although nowadays, unfortu~ately.... Film is dreams in imag~s. Magic is dreams with real people, in reality (for example, in the book of Franc;ois Truffaut's interviews of Hitchcock, see the comments on Anthony Perkins going up the stairs in Psycho).264 (see "Dream, Magic, Reality", p. 32). There is danger in constructing scripts for a magic trick or act as if Further similarities are found in the structure of scripts. There are writing a film script. These arts have different objectives (see "Conflicts in differences as well, in the treatment of the impossible; a sensation that Magic and Their Curves of Interest", p. 239). Also remember that movies tell stories. Magic doesn't. Magic presents tricks of today (2018), etc. Film has similarities to magic in the control of the spectators' attention, expanded by framing, editing, planning, lights, camera moveme ts n ' film doesn't seek out, but that magic absolutely does. See the movie F Jor Fake, by Orson Welles (magician and filmmaker). This is a profound study that shows and demonstrates the relationship between magic and film ' truth and lies, truth and illusion, with a masterful final trick unveiled by Welles, a fusion of magic and film. Enjoy Cocteau: Beauty and the Beast, Orpheus, Testament of Orpheus, the magic of film-poetry. Read the quotations from multiple movie directors who express their sense of feeling like magicians or wanting to be one: Billy Wilder, Ricardo Franco, Ingmar Bergman, Woody Allen .... Remember: Magic doesn't produce the same effect on film, not even close, as it does in reality (the "trick" is known: film editing). There is also the transformation of the presentation of magic in reality, re-presenting it within fiction (see "Person, Personality and "Character", p. 264). There are similarities in the social perception of film in its beginnings-scientific curiosity, popular amusement, carnival art-and that of magic. The evolution of the social perception of the art of film has been accelerated, due largely, I believe, to the industrial growth of film, which brought about the professional devotion of a large number of people to it, making it grow and mature very quickly. That's how the social perception of the art of magic is evolving these days. 264. Hitchcock/Truffaut, Frarn;ois Truffaut, 1966, Simon & Schuster: New York "miracles". Here is a very condensed summary: Magic created a trick so powerful, so wonderful, that it became an art in itself: the art of film. We have many other tricks left, many other mira- cles, many other dreams! MAGl C AND DRAMA Aside from the relationships already studied and discussed in other chapters of the book, 265 here are a few more thoughts: If we try to approach or to stay as close as possible inside the realm of reality, to allow magic to offer its maximum impact, it is evident that the persona of the magician should be perceived as real (the persona and his personality), without the need for creating a character (a feature of a re-presentation). The more real and natural the persona of the magician is perceived to be, the more powerful his magic will be. That doesn't mean the magician shouldn't amplify his personality to the maximum. Ancient magicians took it to the limit, seeming almost the same in real life, maintaining the same attitude they presented on stage, even if it was an attitude oi,an uncommon personality: someone of extreme elegance, who controls every situation, etc. They didn't represent it; they lived it. Therefore, it is sometimes dangerous and possibly counterproductive to study theater in academies of dramatic arts, learning and using techniques for the voice, diction, mime, etc. Spectators might sense that the magician is not being himself, that he is acting and, except in sketches with 265. For example, "Dream, Magic, Reality", p. 32. 537 536 a dramagic plot, they may lose the scent of magic in reality or In · a near . reahty. Extreme examples of all this were the magic comedies ( . . . comedia de magia) of eighteenth-century Spain that used many effects d . . epending ~n ~tage mac~mery, and the magical effects, many of great technical qua{_ ity, mcluded m some present-day musicals. They were never felt nor are they felt as magic of the impossible. ·• .There . is a similar danger in studying and applying.the rules for - wntmg scnpts of great dramatic impact. Let's remember what we discussed in the chapter on conflicts: in general, the more external dramatic interest, the weaker the magical impact. Dramatic interest inherent in the trick or the effect itself is, on the other hand, something desirable. All this doesn't keep us, however, from positively considering some features shared by magic and theater. Magic-in particular stage and par~ lor magic-is, after all, a stage art. Among those common elements, the study and knowledge of which the magician can well use to his advantage, are the control of spectator attention to what occurs on stage, the movements of the characters (in the case of the magician these would be himself, his assistants and the spectators he may have invited on stage to help), the level of attention accorded to the area of the stage on which the trick takes place, the movements and paths walked by the magician, his dramatic diagonals across stage, his approaching the audience on reaching the climax of the trick, ways to "fill" the stage, the use of lights and music, etc. These are, I repeat, some of the common elements. They are common in their possibilities but may differ in their handling, since the objectives of the control of the attention and of dramatization, we must remember, are different in both arts. Because of all this, there is an aesthetic danger when a theatrical director consults for or directs a magic act, unless he is a magician and understands, feels and experiences magic himself, or the performing magician is able to determine which pieces of the advice he receives through that consultation will prove positive to his magic. In that regard I feel it very important to keep in mind that magic is a non-representational art, that the person and the personality (which is absolutely not a character) of the magician are essential, along with the agical effect and the secret method. Drama ( emotions evoked dunng :e pr~cedure of the trick) and the elements of presentation (lighting, ·c costumes sets etc.) do help, but only that: They help. muSi ' ' , ' Summing up my thoughts: Magic and drama are beautifpl performing I arts with different aesthetic. objectives. I point out this difforence only to counteract a certain generalized opinion of the similarity qf the two arts, making them seem almost identical. This is surely based: on the apparent evidence provided by the use of common instruments: stage space, speech, a certain plot, lights, costumes, etc. In summation, magic and drama have different objectives, two different levels of reality and a few common instruments. MAGlC AND MUSlC Two fascinating subjects, two miraculous arts, two loves always confessed. But very different. There are, of course, relationships between them, some evident and almost obvious, others subtle and almost secret. Some of them are: Both are arts of time. Therefore, everything that has to do with rhythm, silence and pauses is important. Since I've already discussed rhythm, time and pauses in magic in Chapter 5 (p. 285), I refer you there. Both are performing arts that need a performer of the work .to mediate between the author and the recipient. Bt9th often use sophisticated digital techniques for the performance. Pianist and prestidigitator are two classic symbols of digital skill, of technical mastery of the movements of hands and fingers. But I think I can see an essential difference: Music is not as symbolic. Rather, it stirs the emotions of the listener directly, while magic stirs the spectator's emotion of wonder indirectly through the vehicles of intellect and logic. 041 540 One is essentially emotional ' the other essentially intellect ual. Thi 8 not to suggest that we forget the emotional incarnation of m · . ·. · ,: . . . ag1c or its PltH found symbolism, which 1s the essence of magic-' but that's anoth er sto , . In music, the pleasure of stirring feelings and passions 1· · ry. • . . . . s immediate and direct. . L1stenmg to . a piece of music is, from beginning to end ' a rather relaxed time. . In magic, . . conversely' rest for questioned log1·c comes only after · that, . ,the tnck or .sess10n . is over' when we return to, rea11·ty k nowing smce we are dealmg with art, we are back in the joyful and sooth·mg realm of reason. There is a logical explanation, a natural reason we don't know 1 but we do know it exists. On the · . . other hand, there is a third element that curiously b nngs magic and. music wi'th b oth·. comedy, . . together through having elements in common . which 1s m some formal aspects a natural sister of music, despite the fact that they hardly relate to one another. Both play with time, with rhythm with cadence, with tone and, above all, with silences and pauses. Watch an~ listen to the great comedians. The length of phrases or the sound of words is often as responsible for laughter as their meaning. Eugenio, a well-known comedian, told his jokes with a voluntary monotony and lack of expressiveness, playing only with pauses. (Stephen Wright is another comedian widely recognized for this deadpan style.) I have listened to Austrian comedians working in German (a language I don't speak) and found myself laughing, only because of the pauses prior to the punchline. That's why most comedians are good singers (sometimes in parody) or musical performers. Let's remember, clowns have always been musical performers. They used to be known as eccentric musicians. There was no circus show in which the performance of the clowns didn't end with their own musical act, playing saxophone, accordion or trumpet. Recall that Groucho was originally a singer and sang in the Marx Brothers movies; Harpo and Chico always had harp and piano spots; Chaplin had his violin; Woody Allen, his clarinet; Donald O'Connor, his marvelous "Make 'Em Laugh" in Singing in the Rain; Victor Borge, his piano; Jerry Lewis did dances and songs; the Swiss clown Grock played violin and piano; Les Luthiers had a thousand comical musical devices. And many more examples could be cited. Mathematics is another element music and magic have in common. pyt1tagoras saw mathematics as the essence of music. Magk has a partial , t· n to mathematics: Doesn't magic often offer a contmuous demal _ connec 10 f two and two making four? 0 won't get into the more superficial, incidental relatio~ships between 1 · and music like magic acts set to music, where rp.usic not only magic , . ies but also creates an atmosphere, sets the rhythm and underaccompan _ .. Jines effects; nor into semantic relationships in which ~agic IS defined 1 as the art of enchantment, and enchantment can mean jqyful magic, and further, that enchdntment was derived from chant in vocal music; nor arn getting into the realm of poetic relationships, such as the magic of music. 1 But I do want to end with a deeper attempt to rmderstand the relationship between the two arts. We can consider, in a simplistic and sketchy way, that the musical art could have originated in the imitation of bird songs, of the chants of men, of the vital rhythms (such as the beat of the motherly heart heard when still in the peaceful womb) and from the harmony and sympathy of sounds. But, as we've all heard, because of its sublimity and perfection, and because of the pleasure it produces in us, music is said to be an imitation of the angels' celestial music, the supreme pleasure promised to the blessed. We also know that the art of magic had its origins in the imitation of the supernatural, the power of transformation, the control of time, the creative and animating power, the giver of life and soul. It was therefore an imitation of the gods. So, between the two arts, celestial music and divine and almighty magic, we have here on earth the true (and for some the only) heave~. So be it. MAGlC AND PA1NT1NG Surrealism, as we have discussed, 266 possesses a deep parallelism or rather a convergence with magic. The same happens to surrealism in painting. In my judgment, what separates magic and surrealism is the different treatment of the impossible. Surrealism doesn't seek out the impossible. Magic does. Facing a painting by Magritte or Dali, we can feel everything the poetry of surrealism proposes. We experience the border between wakefulness and dream, between reality and imagination, and perhaps a first moment of destroyed logic that brings with it smprise and paradox. But we know how the painter has produced it. We are not astonished before an impossible reality. Its objective is different, and so is the sensation we perceive,. Magic, on the other hand, doesn't exist without the experience of the impossible. They are in fuat sense not quite identical, yet are similar approaches. That proximity makes surrealism in painting a notable and fruitful source of suggestion for magicians. I am thinking of the paintings by Magritte in particular, but also of those of Wilfredo Lam, Roberto Matta, Oscar Dominguez, Yves Tanguy, Salavador Dali, Max Ernst, etc. Let's also include the drawings of Escher, the photographs of Man Ray and Chema Madoz, and the movies of Luis Bufiuel, 266. See "The Material: Dreams", p. 29. b4b Jean and Jean ists (Francis Picabia, Tristan Tzara, etc.) who inspired preceding dadasurrealists' magic and, above all, brought them suggestive, unsettling, provocative and beautiful emotions. They made the surrealists live the world of dreams, the surrealist poetry, and surely impregnated them with the spirit of the ethereal material of dreams and wishes, of poetry in motion, of the anti-logical, the absurd, the imaginative, where the borders between art and life are weakened. (Does all this ring a bell, especially to close-up magicians?) Another very interesting point in my understanding of the proximity between magic and painting is the need for the exquisite control of attention and perception. Both arts possess it, although they differ in some of the artistic tools used to achieve such control; the magician's voice, body, gaze and actions; the painter's ways of drawing and the use of color. Other tools are shared by magic and painting to a greater or lesser degree. As we know, in a painting, the artist controls our attention through composition, color and light, and makes us see things following an order predetermined by him. He creates a visual journey of perception and attention that makes us experience the elements of a painting in a given order. The painter plays with the light of the scene depicted in a representational painting, and with composition and the strength and variety of colors in an abstract one. In representational painting, the lines and structure of the composition guide us in our journey, or at least suggest it. Also-and this, I think, is what brings us the closest to magic-the direction of gazes of the characters represented, their hand gestures and their faces will probably lead us along the path the artist desires us to travel. Let's look at an example: In Georges de La Tour's The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds (1635), the path of th~ spectator's gaze is not as free as one might think The painter has arranged the light,, composition and, above all, the hands and eyes of the characters in the painting to guide us or join us in a prescribed journey. Thus, one of the possible paths among several would be to start with the face of the central character (1) and capture almost at the same time the illuminated playing cards in the hands of the player on the left (2), our The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds, Georges de La Tour, 1635 b4'/ 546 gaze moving back and forth between these cards and the eyes of the c. character (1 ). From there, thanks to her somewhat elevated gaze, we at the standing figure (3), who leads us with her gaze to the charac the right,. his face and his hands holding the cards (4) . The proxmutyof · • bright cleavage of the central character attracts our eye and leads it to right hand of that fig~e (5), and the extended forefinger of that hand gui our gaze to the playmg cards (the Ace of Diamonds and a duplicate hidden in the waistband and hand of the card cheat on the left. It's interesting to note that, at first glance, it is difficult to see cheat's dishonest action of procuring the Ace of Diamonds behind back, even though the idea is included in the title of the painting. I had opportunity to prove this the first time I saw the painting at the LoJ In showing the painting to friends, it sometimes took them a surprisin long time to see the trickery. Isn't that magic? It's a magnificent example, I think, of the relationship between and painting. Bodies, glances and hands guiding the spectator's gaze attention. How wonderful! Magicians can learn a lot from the study and understanding of psyc logical techniques used by painters. Equally interesting, I believe, is the study of the treatment painter$ all times have given to scenes of magic, especially in their represent · paintings. I am referring to paintings with religious themes, partic those illustrating miracles. Let's remember that artistic magic is a senter of secular miracles. Examine paintings like Francisco de Zurbaran's Saint Peter Pas c. 1630, and Saint Hugo of Grenoble in the Carthusian Refectory, 1 Juan de Valdes Leal's Fray Fernando Yanez de Figueroa, c. 1657, Alonso Fernandez Pecha, c. 1657, and Fray Pedro Fernandez Pee 1657, Bartolome Esteban Murillo's The Vision ofSaintAugustine, c. and The Stigmatization of Saint Francis, c. 1601, Leonardo da Vi Saint John the Baptist, c. 1515 and Marc Chagall's A la Russie, aux et aux autres, 1911, and you will observe the highly expressive body tures and foot positions of the saints, the miracle makers. Their foe ;ttitudes, their upward glances seeking divine inspiration or the concep- tion of supernatural power, the magical atmosphere that emanates from ;and surrounds the whole scene, and th~ feelings exuded from each paint- Jug capture us, grab us as spectators. I think all this can be inspiring to us magicians and help us to stay away from the trivializati~n of gestures 85 and attitudes that have little_ or no connection to the rite. T~ese paintings can aid us in feeling the spirituality of our art, its bond with.myths, its sig- , -nificance, its symbolism, its metaphoric sense-from the mystical attitude f the saints to the mystical attitude of magicians. 0,. And all this without the need for symbolic sense to be explicitly expressed. I believe that the magician-artist's inner experience of the miraculous event is sufficient. Neither should we forget the enormous number of paintings featur- ing mythological topics. These make available to magicians a multitude of miraculous, mythical, magical themes. See and enjoy the works of zurbaran, Fra Angelico and Valdes Leal, to mention just a few examplesbut what examples! Note the mysticism and almost magical quality that emanates from Rothko and Kandinsky, to give a few more examples- and what examples! The Prado Museum, the Seville Museum of Fine Arts, ~the Washington National Gallery of Art, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Magritte Museum in Brussels and so many others await us with their magical treasures. So much to learn! So much to feel! APPENDlX 2 TRl Cl(S, SYMB LS A MYTHS BACKGROUND (A BRlEF PERSONAL STORY) In 1970, I ended my period of film directing and decided to devote my life to magic, but I began to feel a certain emptiness in magic as an art. Facing such an essential decision, I felt the need to comprehend through reason, , analysis and intellect, the depth, power and complexity of the art to which I would devote my existence. Still, the overriding intuition and inner feeling that carried me on were crystal clear to me. There was in me a shining sun, an inextinguishable burning passion for magic that started when I was six or seven years old. It was so powerful, it was all I really needed to make that important personal decision. Nevertheless, it wasn't an easy decision, given my personal and family circumstances. I was married, with two daughters (one newly born, the other only two years old), and I would be walking away from a good income by leaving my new job in a marketing agency. But let's face it, it was ajob that didn't really enrich me in the slightest, as it was foreign to almost all my beliefs and feelings. Furthermore, the type of magic I wanted to perform, to which I devoted myself body and soul, was from a professional standpoint non-existent: N 552 553 close-up magic and parlor or spoken stage magic conceived for adults\. ,m venues suited to my style and personality, which meant no music halls or night clubs. Before then, I had formed the clear idea that a good way to achieve all this would be through a joint effort, working in an open group, with no secretiveness, all of us pursuing the sa:i;ne objective. After my return from And. that's how it went. For four years I had very little professional work; only a few talks for magicians and some brief summer tours for little pay in hotels along the Mediterranean coast. Help from my family and by Jose Puchol, Juan Anton, Ramon Varela, Camilo Va~quez, Ricardo the small 1 . salary Mary Pura, my wife, earned as a nurse allowed us barey off on its extremely beautiful venture. San Sebastian, I wrote an artistic manifesto and was imm~diately joined Marre and Maestro Ascanio. With this, the Escuela Magica 4e Madrid took to make ends meet. Mind you, they were joyful, luminous years of intense life. I studied magic, tricks and books (Saint Puchol!) and developed routines and acts, the Paris Act among them. Magic, Myths and Symbols During those years and the following decades, I started analyzing magic So, while the decision was difficult, I didn't doubt for a second what more and more, trying to understand how the artistic presentation of my choice would be. This did, though, demand that I assess for myself human wishes, of impossible dreams, had perfect counterparts in univer- the stature and depth, human and artistic, of this supposed art to which I sal mythology. The discovery of S. H. Sharpe's books and then those of was devoting my life to the end-and a couple of years more! So I spent Mircea Eliade nurtured and fine-tuned my beliefs, as did my friendships many of my free hours (about twenty-five a day fit that category) thinking, meditating and trying to comprehend magic. with a marvelous group: the refined writer Ramon Mayrata, the amazing While some magicians regard magic as an art, most people see it as a very beautiful and pleasurable vehicle of entertainment and amusement Luis Garcia (who was already walking a parallel path). From this came (which it is, of course, to the highest degree). There were a number of level, although, in stage illusions, the level of symbolism is sometimes magicians who saw magic as an art (S. H. Sharpe, Keith Clark and oth- more direct, more evident: Sawing a Woman in Half, levitations, etc. Gabriel Moreno, the sensitive painter Carlos Franco and the profound the thought that mythical ideas are possibly communicated at a symbolic ers), but they were unknown to me and my magical compatriots, and only I began to observe that most of the good and classic effects embodied Maskelyne, Robert-Houdin (through Father Ciuro) and Ascanio fostered that perception. symbols of impossible wishes that did not need clarifying patter, and that And so, after a period of much thinking about the subject, returning from a magic convention in San Sebastian in 1972, I had a near apotheosis: those wishes could also be fulfilled-in artistic reality-by experiencing manipulation, mentalism, general magic and close-up tricks. Reading classical mythology and studying my love (always and to this very day), surrealistic art (Magritte, Cocteau, Man Ray... ), helped 1. Magic is about dreams (like movies) and the desires of man to me to feel those ideas and to advance in the thoughts they produced. show them to us as possible and realizable in reality-artistic reality. Seeing that others with undoubted intellectual capacity and sensitivity 2. Therefore, one should devote time, effort and enthusiasm in order to be thorough in its performance. 3. Magic was, then, worth the effort-so much effort!-and was, without a doubt, worth my whole life. ;j had started from different points than I did, and had reached conclusions on which we converged, helped me to avoid thinking: Am I making this all up? Am I constructing theories to justify my decision? Is magic simply entertainment, perhaps even trivial, and I am trying to avoid that reality to feel better? those years, when I commented on my thoughts, my "dis~overies" (the cut rope is death and its restoration is resurrection), most of my magic friends gave me a condescending look "Oh, yeah, of course ... it could be." Other times they were more direct. "Listen, Juan, you are looking for something where there is nothing. Magic is nice, of course. It's even complex in structure. There is misdirection and timing and more. But I don't see any of those symbols you're looking for." It would be unfair not to mention that there were exceptions, before and after, from Puchol to Roberto Giobbi and from Gaetan Bloom to Darwin Ortiz. They listened attentively and shared the possibility of symbolism being inherent to all magic. After a slow digestion and assimilation of this concept of artistic magic, after testing it in continuous performances before diverse audiences, after exchanges with the living (in conversation) and the dead (through their books and writings), and after reading ideas having a certain parallelism (Sharpe and his Neo-Magic and Magic Artistry), in the late 1980s I decided to publish the developments and conclusions (tentative, as is any worthy conclusion) I had reached. The results are the articles about magic and surrealism, classic effects, symbols and mythology, that I wrote in 1982 and afterward, which appeared in the already legendary Circular of the Escuela Magica de Madrid and in my magazine-books Magia Potagia. Luckily, and this makes me happy, these days (2018) there are several SOME PHENOMENA OF CARD MAGlC Here is a list of the phenomena in card magic, with the emotions, mean. ymbolism and myths that are related to them. The list is surely mgs, s . . . 267 incomplete, at times "creative" and in all cases very subJect to opm10n. PHENOMENON (EFFECT) 1. ASCENSION (levitation) groups and authors that, traveling parallel paths, have reached similar thoughts (Eugene Burger, Luis Garcia, Robert E. Neale ... ) and some have even based their work on these "crazy ideas" (Pietro Fancini and others). A fraternal and happy coincidence! 2. DIVINATION (thought transmission) ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA Rising to heaven. Animation (gift of anima, soul). Liberation. Excelling. Individualization. Triumph. Standing out. Mysticism. Holiness. Glory. Knowledge. Mind reading. Transference of psychic and mental gifts. Communion. Control. MYTHS, SYMBOLS Elijah. Jesus. Buddha. Icarus. Rising to heaven. Saint Teresa. Yogis. Third eye. Psychic powers. 267 . Some of these opinions come from knowledgeable and lucid minds, including that of my dear and esteemed friend, Roberto Giobbi. 557 N ,-- 556 ~ -< ~ ~ ;z: -< ;:s PHENOMENON (EFFECT) ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA MYTHS, SYMBOLS Fine-tuned senses (divining cards by touch, determining a number of cards by weight, X-ray vision). ESP. Capturing thoughts at a distance. DMNATION (cont.) ,---, 3. PREDICTION (of a selected or thought-of card or of a later event) Prophecy. Wisdom. Revelation. Divination. Fortune-telling. Traveling to the future. Premonitory dreams. Omens. 4. TRANSFORMATIONS Metamorphosis. AND CHANGES The mask Change. ( changing the faces Concealment. Costume. or the backs of Being another. Card cards and pips) switches in betting games. Ambition (always winning). Augury. Time control. Prophets. Libation. Nostradamus. Sibyls. Fate. Oracles. Premonitory dreams. Psychics. Astrology. Esoteric "magicians". Curses. Destiny. Alchemy. Zeus and his multiple metamorphoses. Actaeon transformed into a deer. Creation. Materialization. God or creator gods. Making the invisible visi- Ghosts. The alchemic ble. Spiritism. Ectoplasm. egg. Apparitions of the Virgin or the saints. Of God to Moses. Of angels or demons. 5. CREATION, APPARITION (of a card, of one among others, stage card manipulation ... ) 6. LOCATION 1 Perception. Magical intuition. Divination. Dowsing. Capturing of the aura, of waves. Sensitivity. Revelation of the gods, of superior forces. Dowsing rods. Finding treasure. MYTHS, ASSOCIATED PHENOMENON PHENOMENA SYMBOLS 7. DISAPPEARANCE ( of a card, of several, of the whole deck, of the card case ... ) Death. Vacuum. Dematerialization. Making the visible invisible. Reduction to no.thing. Ghosts. Spirits. The Fates. The invisible man. Transformation into ghosts./ 8. MULTIPLICATION (of one or several cards) Abundance. Cloning. Creation of life. Doppelganger. The whole of abundance. The loaves and fishes. Flowering. Spring. 9. TRANSPOSITION (of two cards, of several changing places, changing positions ... ) Transference of guilt. Control of space. Transference of gifts. Good and evil. 10. COINCIDENCE (of two cards, of the number of cards in packets, of the order of two packets, of the order of colors, of two complete decks, of cards at numbers in the deck) Control of chance. Control. Harmony. Auguries. Matching dreams. Coincidence in life. Plot of the cosmos. (EFFECT) i1m ~ > C) __,j 11. ANIMATION (moving cards, Haunted Deck, "Self-cutting deck. ..) 12. JOURNEYS (from one packet to another, from one spectator to another, up the sleeve, to closed locations: little Making something come alive. Providing a soul. Telekinesis. Human magnetism. I n ~z cd 0 God or gods. Shamans: Animation. Ulysses. Jason. Magic Miraculous journey. carpet. Control of space. Disappearance and reappearance. Invisibility. Teleportation. Transference of guilt, of gifts. ~ N ~ -< ~ ~ ~ ;:s ~ 559 558 PHENOMENON (EFFECT) ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA MYTHS, SYMBOLS PHENOMENON (EFFECT) ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA MYTHS, SYMBOLS ~ (l'j ~ > C") __,j JOURNEYS (cont.) boxes, cases, wallet, etc.) The voice. Healers Power of existence. 18. VERBAL MAGIC (with cards in the Transmission of powers. through the spoken word. Spells. Magical Physical impossibility. hands of spectators who carry out Power of words. Miracle formulas. The Bible's rituals dictated at in your hands. Collective Choseri People. Saints.;Magical a distance by the power. Group cohesion. rituals. Communication. magician to produce the magic) Last game of chess Control and mastery 19. GAMBLING with Death (The of chance. Exceptional DEMONSTRATIONS Seventh Seal). Help skill. Greed. Ambition (cheating at from the devil. of winning. Feeling games, winning invincible. through magic powers) Mystics. Yogis. Liberation from gravity. 20. IMPOSSIBLE Spirituality. Magic flight. Saints. BALANCING ( of playing cards, Tightrope walking. cards or card case floating, flight) 13. MIRACULOUS SORTING (by numbers, by colors, by suits ... ) Order in chaos. Harmony. God. The first day of Magical sorting (Mary creation. Poppins). 14. SUGGESTION, HYPNOTISM (cards are seen with identities that are not the real ones, the whole deck with identical cards, or all blank, all backs ... ) Making people see what the magician desires. Controlling their minds and their perception. Hallucination. Putting to sleep (not from boredom!). Visions. Hypnos. Shamanism. 15. SPELLING (the name of a selected card, of words that indicate actions or situations ... ) Power of the word. Power of the name. Control and power over the cards. Obedience. God and the Logos. Kabbala. 21. REVERSED CARDS ( one of four, one among many, many at the same time ... ) Individualization. Standing out. Rebellion. Success. Triumph. Feeling unique. Superiority. Being different. 16. TOPOLOGICAL TRICKS (union or escapes of cards) Solid through solid. Control of shape. Liberation. Houdini. Prometheus. Rising from Hell. 22. MATHEMAGIC (with cards) Control of chance. Mastery of numbers. Harmony of the abstract world (numbers) and the specific world of playing cards. 17. PENETRATIONS (through a book, case, handkerchief, mat, table, floor, glass, bottle, box, tablecloth ... ) "It 1 Solid through solid. Escape. Liberation. Control over matter. Digging into intimacy. Ghosts and spirits. Walking through walls. Ghost vs. matter. Dematerialization. Spiritism. Angels. The chosen one. The Anointed. n ~ zo:l __,j 0 ~ SOME CLASSlC TRlCKS OF CARD MAGlC (in alphabetical order) This is a list of the best effects in card magic. 268 I have chosen some classics guided by the criteria that they have passed the test of time and have diverse versions. Missing are some that are too specific but of great quality. I am thinking of Paul Harris's "Solid Deception" and "Bizarre Twist", Alex Elmsley's "Between the Palms" and "Point of Departure", and "The Partagas Sell", among others. May this list serve to suggest and, I hope, transmit, my passion and my respect for such works of art and their creators, including Dai Vernon, Tommy Tucker, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, Dr. Jacob Daley, Ed Marlo, Francis Carlyle, Lin Searles, Paul Curry, Alex Elmsley, Giuseppe Pinetti, Bn;.>ther John Hamman, Jan Gombert and Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser. Obviously, given the difficulty and subjectivity of the subject, this is only a first attempt, in a simple table format and, occasionally, almost a game. The artist definitely needn't know or be aware of all this. His intuition and sensitivity will suffice. 268. Best for me and for those who collaborated in compiling this list, especially my great friend Roberto Giobbi. N r-- 563 562 ~ -< ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ May the following pages serve for us to perceive and realize, in ah overall way, how much is hidden behind our tricks and how ric11 our art is. This, after all, is the true secret. No more and no less. TRICK PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA MYTHS, SYMBOLS into heaven. Gods. Olympus. "Some Phenomena of Card Magic". I am adding here some specific fea- Power. Pride. Heaven. The tures of those tricks. Singleness. The hero. Note: The numbers in parentheses are references to the previous list ' ' 5. Card on Location (6) Ceiling Ascension PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA 1. All Backs MYTHS, SYMBOLS 6.Card Stab Location (6) Sexual penetra- Justice. Transformation (4) Individualism. Creation. From tion. Danger: Punishment. Apparition (5) Endowment of identity. a certain sadism. Death. Deflowering Suggestion (14) nothing to life. Birth. Execution. hymen). Nomination. Birth. Resolution of the absurd. (phallus- 7. Card to Coincidence (10) Harmony of Kabbalah. Number Mathemagic (22) reality and Numerology. of numbers. Pythagorism. Solution to hor- Coincidence rorvucui. in the abstract world (num- 2. Ambitious Card Penetration (17) Rise. Power. Hindu liberat- bers) and the Ascension (1) Improvement. ing gods. concrete world Individualism. (playing cards). Liberation. Obedience. Localization. 8.Card to 3. "Back in 'Ilme" Journey (12) (torn and Vanish (7) restored carq.) Reappearance (5) 4. Cannibal Cards Vanish (7) Control of time. Resurrection. Rebirth. Chronos. Humanization Cannibalism. of objects. Saturn Fusion. Death. ( devouring his Resurrection. children). Journey (12) Return home, Ulrsses. to the motherly Pocket breast. Regression. ..... 9.Card to Journey (12) Wallet 10. Cards through Penetration (17) Table Safety. Shelter. Intimacy. Descent into Hell. Orpheus Introspection. t'T1 ~ > G') __,j ('"_) ~ zcrj __,j 0 ~ inaccessible. TRICK i1 N ,.... t>b4 5ob ~ < ~ TRICK ~ z < ;:s ~ PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED MYTRs, PHENOMENA SYMBOLS Cards Control over through Tobie matter. Escape. TRICK ~ 15. Diminishing Cards PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA Transformation (4) Reduction. Return to (cont.) 11. Clock Trick MYTHS, SYMBOLS Alice. Regressions. childhood. Control of time. Chronos. before birth. 12. Color Change Transformation (4) Disguise. Image. Transmutation. oftheBack Transmutation. Alchemy. (of one Philosopher's card or of Stone. the whole Invisibility. Return to the beginning. Harmony Religious rituals. Control of deck: Color- between magician and Changing spectator. Deck) Signs. Signals. 16. Do as I Do Coincidence (10) chance. Communion. 13. Color Transformation (4) Change of iden- Changes Change. tity. Disguise. Masking. Change of personality. 14. Cutting the Aces Location (6) Controlled and The roman- tamed chance. Struggle: tic gambler. Struggle gambler vs. between good magician. and evil. The Wisdom. hero (gam- Hyper-sensitive bler) wrestles touch. Cheating at games. with the god Remarkable skill. (magician). Topological (16) Growth. Alice. Gulliver. Suggestion (14) Procrustes. the Lady"). Change of shape. Maturity. Growth Changing ("Micro appearance. Macro") Dream. 17. Elasticity ("Stretching Nightmare. Torture. Punishment. '\ Transformation (4) The gift of ubiquity. Bilocation and Nowhere Suggestion (14) or trilocation. 18. Everywhere The single and the multiple. Religious Suggestion. and mystical Mysticism. visions. Dreams. ....I (j ~ z ~ the womb or Location (6) ~ > C"J cd 0 Regression to Divination (2) ~ r,j N ,-- ~ ~ ~ 567 566 TRICK ~ z~ ;j 19. Follow the Leader PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA MYTHS \ SYMBOLS TRICK Journey (12) Transference Good and evil. Invisible the real. Dreams Transposition (9) of guilt. Order Deck (cont) come true. in chaos. The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Leadership. Religious ~ 23. Matching the Cards Command and . leaders. power. Group formation. Communion. Triumph. Loyalty. (Assembly) Pygmalion. 24. Nudist Deck Transformation (4) Birth. Creation Zeus. Virginity. of life. Arts. Creation (5) Personalization. Journey (12) Reunion. Reunion of the Transposition (9) Cohesion. four elements Naming. (Luis Garcia). Alchemy. Occasionally: Vanish (7) 21. General Card Transformation MYTHS, SYMBOLS Triumph of Correcting Location (6) good over evil. Transformation (4) a mistake. Metamorphosis. The power. Change. Gradual trans- cohesion. Obedience. 20. Four Aces PHENOlVIENON ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA Pureness. Mental control Visions. (4) of another and Hallucinations. Suggestion (14) his perception. Poetry. 25. Oil and Water Metamorphosis. Penetration (17) Another order. Separation of Sorting (13) Attraction. good and evil. Reunion of Changes. colors. Change Cloning. of structure. Bilocation. Affinities. Trilocation. 26. Out of This Divination (2) Psychic powers Saintliness. Location (6) of the specta- Yogis. tor. ESP. Final Shamanism. 22. Invisible Prediction (3) Poetry. Heaven and Deck Reversal (21) Imagination earth. The plot and its power. of the universe. harmony. Order Psychics. The Spirituality. Morpheus. in chaos. gifted. Divination (2) Hyperesthesia. Heroes, almost World -'\ The invisible. Relationship 27. Paranormal between the Powers (almost superhu- The almost gods (sons of imaginary and (touch, manpowers) incredible. The gods and ~ m ~ > G) --(") ~ --zco 0 ~ 569 N r-- 568 ~ -< ~ TRICK ~ z -<;:j ~ PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED PHENOMENA MYTHS, SYMBOLS Paranormal desired. The humans). Men Powers admirable. The almost heroes. (cont.) doubtful. Mnemosyne. TRICK MYTHS, SYMBOLS PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED .PHENOMENA 32. Stories (with Location (6) cards as they Sorting (13) tum up) weighing Inspiration. Mythology. Creativity. Order. Meaning. Muses. 28. Rising Cards 29. Royal Assembly 33. Three-Card Ascension (1) Saintliness. Animation (11) Buddha. Journey (12) Order. Sorting (13) Harmony. (the six- Icarus. Jesus. Monte narration. ~ 0 ing at gambling mas). Riddles. than the eye. Skill. Deception. Gurus. games (19) Greed. Bet. Romanticism. Game. Challenge to attention. Fooling the senses. Hotel Trick 30.Sandwich Effects, Sphinx (dilem- Skill and cheat- cards), The Apparition (5) Control of the Location (6) elusive. Safety. The Visitor Artemis. 34. Torn and Restored Card Encounter. Topological (16) Death and resurrection. Vanish (7) Reappearance (5) Duration. Healing. Rescue. Salvation. 35. Triumph Compassionate Lazarus. Jesus. Yogis. Reincarnation. Shamans. Location (6) Order and har- Hero. Glory. Reversals (21) mony in chaos. Triumph. help. Individuality. Friendship. Triumph and glory. Rebellion. 31. Six-Card Repeat Multiplication (8) The inexhaust- Hom of Plenty. Power. ible. Richness. Inexhaustible Singleness. Multiplication fountain. The of gifts. Life eternal return. cycle. Back to The wheel. the beginning. 36. 1\visting the Reversals (21) Aces n Magical Hand quicker teen picture .....I .....I Journey (12) Family reunion. ~ CJ ~ zo::l the cards, memory) ~ Q"j Playful things. Obedience. Magic of Game. 570 TRICK PHENOMENON ASSOCIATED MYTHS, PHENOMENA SYMBOLS Twisting the ritual (twist). Aces (cont.) Rebellion (or control). 37. Wild Card Transformation (4) Cloning. Mirror. Mirror image. Equality. Infectious magic. "To his image be true." Possession. Mimesis. APPBNDlX 3 I repeat: These are just notes on some thoughts. It's up to you, dear readers, to complete them, enlarge them, improve them, following their path. If you wish. I will wait. And, once again, they may be ideas to read and forget, while opening the window to the intuition and sensitivity of the artist. HlDDEN WlSHES HUMAN WlSHES GIVEN my inveterate habit of making lists, and the good time I have doing them, here is, for your possible amusement, a list of human wishes. It's just one among many that are possible, but it's the one I thought of. I know it's far from scientific, but it could help magicians to think about this subject. It is so important from my point of view: magic as a fulfiller of human wishes, and especially of impossible wishes, whether because of their nature (resurrection, time travel. .. ) or because of circumstance (survival while buried, returning home while being imprisoned ... ). After this list, which you may skip or just skim, I describe, without any claim of completeness, some of the existing effects· and tricks that metaphorically fulfill these wishes. All this is based on my very personal criteria. I also add some simple new ideas for tricks that don't yet exist but that would fulfill the function of making us feel that, at least in an artistic experience, these impossible wishes can be made possible. These new ideas are scant and leave large blank spaces. I hope your imagination and creativity will be stimulated to fill them with ideas and realizations of your own. Have fun. WlSH LlST Of MANKlND 1. SURVIVAL A. Individual Basic instincts: to breathe, eat, drink, sleep. Self-protection: immortality (glory), invulnerability (to illness or weakness). Quality: eternal youth. Life after death. B. Species Sexual instinct. Maternal instinct. Paternal instinct. Fertility. Give and receive protection. Care for the planet. Ecology. 2. POWER A. Personal Physical: strength, speed, skill, inexhaustible energy. 576 Mental: intelligence, memory, calculation, personal magnetism capacity for observation. -Over earth and the cosmos: lightning, thunderstorms, hurricanes, ' rainstorms, tsunamis, fire, volcanoes, stars, asteroids, comets. · -Over physical laws: vision t~rough opaque objects, defeating Communication: language, expressions, gestures, "mental" commu- gravity, invisibility, creation or transformation of matter or nication (transmitting and capturing), power of conviction, capacity energy, causing movement without touching (tele?nesis). for rhetoric, written expression. -Over a solid, liquid.or gaseous state: passing from 04e to the other. Transmission of power to others (spectators). -Over dreams and possible or impossible wishes (magic). Material, economic: private property, materials neetj_ed for survival. Political: loyalty, knowledge, mentorship, leadership, guidance, covenant, military power, strategy, public magnetism. Religious: guru, guide, aura, communication with the gods, powers, 3. LOVE Receiving love: from parents, from family, from lovers, from others. Giving love: parent-child, fraternal, loving couple, to others (friends, faith, consolation, prayers, petition for favors, miraculous powers. groups in need). Empathy. Over others: Control of will, of affections, of behavior, over their life For nature: to animals. Union with another or others, with nature, cosmic union. and death, being obeyed, being served. Eagerness of justice. Over superhuman beings: genii, gods, demons, angels, "energies", the Worship. Overcoming obstacles to love (from others or for others), disappear- B. Control dead, zombies, the world beyond, heaven and hell, extraterrestrials. Over objects: creation, animation, disappearance, multiplication, clon- ance of hatred toward us. ing, change, miraculous transformation (base metals to gold, etc.). Recovery of lost love. Fame, popularity, social appeal (being admired, respected, feared, Over time: elasticity (making it longer or shorter), speed, back in obeyed, and followed). Reunion of the four elements. Cosmic harmony. time, forward in time, ubiquity. Over space: miraculous translocation, journey, expansion of volume, change of capacity, change of shape. Over chance: in life and in games, fortune. Over the self: emotional stability, self-esteem, energy, vitality, external and internal beauty, kindness, spirituality, optimism, desires, 4. FREEDOM Escaping from bindings, chains, jails. Solving problems. Escaping from conflicting situations: slavery, subjugation, submission Hyper-senses: sight (X-ray vision), hearing, touch, taste. ( changing or escaping). Physical or psychological domination. Over nature: Of choice. Power of decision. passions, dreams, emotions, ecstasy. -Over plants: fertility, growth, multiplication, genetic manipulation, improvement. -Over animals: taming, saving the species, control of ferocity, venoms, bites, etc. From destiny. From reason, from logic. Dionysus (escaping). Getting out of oneself. No obligation to work. 579 578 5. SAFETY AND JUSTICE Music, theater, film, literature, painting, sculpture, magic. Home: intimacy, privacy, property, harmony, order in chaos, control of Adventure in fiction (without danger). chance. Protection of others, of the gods, of society. Integration in a social Emotions. Search for the essence, for the Platonic ideal. group, cohesion. Personal and spiritual development. Protection from rain, lightning, cold, heat, beasts. Mystery. Safety before the law. Equality· before the law. Of presumption of innocence. Of opportunities. Equity. Right and capacity of defense (of the individual, of the group, of the species). 8. KNOWLEDGE Wisdom. Philosophy. History. Science. Curiosity. Sure intuition. Inspiration. Journeys. "Knowledge of the world. Reading. Acquaintance with the thoughts of others. Foreseeing the future, the world beyond. Mystery. 6. GAMES, PLAY Amusement. Imitation. Avoiding boredom. Discovery. Invention. Infallibility. Total knowledge (heaven). Mental and intellectual gymnastics. Intuition. Clairvoyance. Sports: winning, control of chance, exercise, training the muscles, intelligence, resourcefulness. Adventure. Skill. Luck. Fortune. 9. PLEASURE, HAPPINESS No pain. Serenity. Peace. Beatitude. Protection of the gods. Competitiveness. Control of danger. Joy. Laughter. Internal and external smiles. Celebration (see 9. Pleasure). Dionysus. Leisure: time for hobbies and rest. Extreme sports. Emotions. Adrenaline rush (within safe limits). Appropriation. Adventure in the unknown. Dionysus. Paradise regained. Childhood recovered. Art as a game. 7. BEAUTY, EXPRESSION, ART Art. Experiencing artistic reality in fiction (without risk, with the capacity and freedom to get out of it): a game. Creation. Expression of self, group, species. Harmony and order. Construction of the artistic plot. Imitation. Amusement. Peace of mind. Joy. Rhythm. Artistic dance. Recreational dancing. Beautiful ornaments. Disappearance of the bad and of evil itself. Happiness of others. Emotional resonance with their happiness. No boredom. Experiences. Life. Positive energy. Self-esteem. WlSHES AND THElR CORRESPONDlNG TRlCKS I repeat: this list-based on very personal criteria-is an invitation for the reader to see if he feels like playing along. Maybe he will complete it or modify it or apply whatever seems appropriate to him. WISHES TRICKS MYTH/SYMBOL 1. SURVIVAL A. Individual i) Basic ~ instincts Breathing Water tank. Buried alive. Pantagruel. Production of food Multiplication of (Gaetan Bloom). loaves and fishes. Digestion of stones. Fakirism. MYTWSYMBOL Drinking Production of liquid. Wedding Bowl. Magic bartender. feast at Cana. "Multum in Reverse". Inexhaustible i) ,Sexual instinct (cont.) "Arm through Body" Penetration. (Goldin). Penetration. People: Hypnotic dream. Cigarette or cigar Phallus. Hypnotized animals. production. Catalepsy. Candle production. Phallus. Cane production. Phallus. Wand through Penetration. ii) Self- handkerchief. protection Sponge balls. Immortality Bullet Catch. Jesus. Buddha. Resurrection Decapitation. Sawing a Lazarus. Woman in Half. Cut and Apples of the Restored Rope. Gypsy Hesperides. Thread. Invulnerability Defloration. Pen through banknote. fountain. Sleeping "Interlude" (Steinmeyer). Cremation. Sword Box, Sensuality, Eroticism. ii) Maternal, paternal instinct. Fertility Fakirs. Spike Box. Fakirism. Production of rabbit and Maternal instinct. other small animals. Egg Bag. Creation of life, womb. Egg on fan. Creation of life. Production of a baby. Maternal instinct. Creation of life. No illness or Controlled pulse. Healing. Production of tiny dice, weakness Disappearing wound in Shamanism. tiny cards, tiny balls ... thumb. Healing the blind. Sponge rabbits. Fertility. Idea: transformation of a Eternal youth. youngster into an adult, Faust. Light and Heavy Chest Samson. (Robert-Houdin). Hercules. iii) Quality iv) Life after 2:P0WER A. Personal or an old man into a i) Physical youngster. "" Strength Spirit Cabinet. Seance. death Spiritism. Saints. Tearing a phonebook with Heaven. the bare hands. B. Species Body magnetism (fingers, i) Sexual instinct Penetration (cigarette through coin). hands, arms, etc.). Penetration. Speed Instant translocation. Achilles. N r- ~ ~ ~ ~ z -< ;:s 584 585 WISHES Skill ~ Energy ('rj TRICKS MYTH/SYMBOL \ Memory Gambling demonstrations. Juggling. Expression, Flourishes with cards, coins, balls ... mime Order of all the cards in the deck Muscle reading. Mental Tvvo-person telepathy. the Memorious". Mnemosyne. iv) Transmission of power Intelligence Divination by the audience, Three Billets (Tamariz style). Verbal magic. Magnetism (in the style of The day of the week Athena. Annie Abbott, who trans- Pocket calculator (with a mitted the power to her memorized deck). son). Rapid calculation, magic squares. v) Economic, material Hypnotism, magnetism, suggestion. Private They take something property and it comes back to you (Tommy Wonder: "Ring, Watch and Wallet"). iii) Communi- Production of diamonds. cation Language rz God~. reception. Names of all the spectators. magnetism ....I n Muscular Borges: "Funes ""' Necessary Fast growth of trees and Ideas: Instant written goods (food) fruit. translation, encrypting Disappearance Production of coins and credit cards. of debt Two-person telepathy. (speaking through a tube Echo. ~ >-C'.) Thought transmission. Thought transmission or Phonebook Personal MYTWSYMBOL gestures, Controlled pulse. Thirty-word test. Calculation TRICKS WISHES (tireless) ii) Mental t and the listener receives it Production of banknotes. in another language). Transformation of Saints. cd 0 ~ N r-- I' 586 587 ~ -< ~ ~ ;z: -< ~ WISHES TRICKS MYTWSYMBOL' Disappearance bills into a higher of debt (cont.) denomination. Being obeyed Follow the Leader. guidance Suggestion, hypnotism. .....I Hypnotism. Dictators I (buaaah!). muscles, pulse The dead Spiritism. Gods. Demons. Genii. Spirits. Aliens. The dead. Post-hypnotic commands. Zombies. Energy. vii) Religious Ectoplasm. Guru, spiritual "Saint Robert-Houdin". Moses. All spiri- Over objects and guide. Many mental effects. tual gurus. living beings Petition of Creation favors. Aura. Ecstasy. Levitation. Communication Creator gods. Dove production. Flora. The Shadow Box illusion. symbols. Flower production. Animation with the gods. Egg Bag (life). Mystical Rising Cards. Jesus. "El Cochecito" Faith. (Koomwinder Kar). Transfigur- Dancing Handkerchief ation. (Blackstone, Calvert). B. Control: Zombie (Joe Karson), Over other living Okito Floating Ball. beings (humans, Disappearance Of the deck, of animals, of humans, etc. animals) Control of Prediction: "You will their will choose what I want." Multiplication Of balls, cigarettes, cards, candles, canes, etc. ~ z cd 0 ~ Control of their Animal magnetism. Pulse control. body, senses, "Wisdom" (patter for Oil and Water). ~ > CJ (J Being served vi)Political Leadership, MYTWSYMBOL behavior mortgage or debt. Knowledge TRICKS Control of their Suggestion, hypnotism. Idea: Disappearance of ~ WISHES ~ rr:l Hom of Plenty. N r-- 588 589 ~ < WISHES ~ Cloning ~ ;z: r:,j < TRICKS "Doubled" dove. , Invisible translocation Continuous production of Expansion balls, cigarettes ... Of shape, size, color, Proteus. Contraction Smaller: tiny die. Volume Lubor Fiedler's "Gozinta Alice. Boxes". Stopping time (David Car ( or closet) from Berglas on TV). which twenty people Immediacy of trips. emerge. Instantaneous growth of Production of little tables. plants. Back in time Of Chance Hypnotic regression (to In life (minutes, com- the womb). plete days or "Back in Time" with cards. Fortune, luck Headlines. Results of Nostradamus. sporting or political Prophets. Bets. Bank Night. Tiresias. events. Ubiquity Fortune. Routine" (Mnemonica). years) Forward in time Predictions. "The Good Fortune Betting games ~ Cards: gambling demonstration. Dice and chance. Heads Everywhere and Nowhere. God. or tails. Of Space Invisible A vanished person translocation appears seated among the spectators. Arabian tales. Lottery Lottery prediction. Bingo. General luck Ton Onosaka's "Tonte". Seven Keys to Baldpate. c,j ~ Objects (giant coin). Harry Potter. ~ z 0 de Kolta). OfTime Speed Alice. "Expanding Die" (Buatier objects ... Invisible thimble. --i (") or people. Bigger (gradually or ~ > C') Invisible trips of objects suddenly). transformation nature, people, animals, Invisibility MYTH/SYMBOL (cont.) Inexhaustibility Six-Card Repeat. Change, TRICKS WISHES MYTH/SYMBOL \ Wild Card. ;:5 ~ i Fortune. N ,-- ~ ~ 590 591 ~ WISHES z Of the Self ~ ~ ;::s ~ tn TRICKS TRICKS WISHES MYTH/SYMBOL MYTH/SYMBOL Taming Vitality Physical beauty Costume change. Change Apollo. of appearance (Tina Lenert). Hypnotizing a chicken or Saint Francis of rabbit. Assisi. Growth From small dog to big dog. Proliferation Production of baby chicks Saints, mystics. species Saintliness Mythological Control of Endowment of Learned pig or horse. Munito (wise dog). intelligence appetite and and human Zeus and his attributes metamorphoses. passions Control of Levitations. Suspensions. Rising Cards. Voice, speech Hyper-senses X-ray vision. Blindfold drive. Hearing Voices heard in a seance. Smell Superman. Writing Gimmicked automata. Calculation Calculating animals. and Cosmos Control of Zeus. lightning and Prometheus. 'It smell of a named perfume. fire, storms, Over Nature earthquakes, -Plants tsunamis, Growth of plants (yogis, Growth American Indians, Kellar, Multiplication Robert-Houdin's Orange Transformation Tree). Aesop (fables). Over the Earth Handkerchief with the Fertility Ventriloquism: the dog (Marc Metral). dreams Sight animals. that seems to talk Hypnotism. Flora. typhoons Rain, clouds Japanese water fountains. ~ z ~ Preserving the Kindness n cd 0 under cups. Inner beauty ~ > G) -Animals Self-esteem Ecstasy 1 Mexican god of rain. The Universal Flood. TRICKS Cold, heat Ball that heats up. Snow, ice, fog Japanese Snowstorm. Water to ice. Other planets, moon, sun Okito Floating Ball. MYTH/SYMBOL 3. LOVE Eros., Receiving it Giving it Jos.hua stopping Harmony the sun and the moon. Matrix: the four elements. Reunion of the Deck in order. four elements. Harmony. Strange Couples phenomena (rain of toads ' etc.) "Your Better Half' (Verbal Romeo and Magic). Silk ties. Juliet. Love of nature and Production of rabbit, Saint Francis of animals plants, flowers, etc. Assisi. Recovery of lost love Card locations. Card Hera. Parents and sons Others Physical Laws Gravity Anti-gravity. Levitations Levitation of and suspensions. Inverted religious leaders tray with glasses. Inverted yogis, mystics, ' glasses full of liquid. etc. Hindu Rope. Vision through All solid-throughopaque objects. solid effects. Great Superman. Virgin Mary. translocations. Fame, popularity ' 4. FREEDOM Escape from ties Houdini, Randi, others. Hindu liberating and chains Linking Rings. Ambitious gods. Walking through Wall of China (David solid objects. Copperfield). Light Triumph. Card. Predictions. Escapes. Water tank. FISM flash (John Solution of problems Theseus and the Cornelius). af\d conflicts Minotaur. Invisibility Disappearances. Free will. Control of Hofzinser: "Sympathetic Creation of matter Apparitions. Creation of energy the freedom of others Numbers". Hot Ball, burning paper... Creator gods. Creator gods. (destiny) Escape from reason The Fool of the and logic Tarot. Getting out of oneself Dionysus. N ,.... 594 ~ ~ ~ ~ z ~ ;::$ ,...., WISHES TRICKS MYTH/SYMBOL 5. Safety Back home. "Homing Card". Card to Intimacy. Privacy. Wallet. Protection Fakirism. Group cohesion Group games. Harmony and order "Mismade Lady". "Zig-zag The prodigal son. Ulysses. Girl". Triumph. "ShuffleBored" (Aronson). 6. GAMES, PLAY 7. BEAUTY. ART All magic tricks The Joker, (sleight-of-hand). Dionysus. All of magic. The Three Graces. The Muses. 8. KNOWLEDGE Knowing. Curiosity. Mental tricks. Book tests. Gods. The Wise Men. Gurus. Mystery All of magic. 9. PLEASURE. All of magic. HAPPINESS Heaven. Paradise regained.