Jeff McBlog

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?

—Albus Dumbledore

Dear Friends:

Allow me to be among the first to wish you a very happy and magical holiday season!

Jeff asked me to put together this special bonus Museletter because he wanted to make sure you’re all informed about the upcoming “Magic & Mystery School Week” at the Magic Castle. From November 29 through December 5, Jeff & Abbi, Larry Hass, Eugene Burger, George Parker, Jordan Wright and Bryce Kuhlman will all be performing at the Castle, taking over all of the performance spaces, and treating Castle guests to our own special brand of meaningful magic. It promises to be a wonderful week, topped off with a joint lecture given by the authors of the new “Gift Magic” book, recently published by Larry Hass’ Theory and Art of Magic Press. If you have a chance to be in Los Angeles any time during that week, you’ll want to be sure to drop by and see the whole gang.

With the holidays coming, we all start thinking of gifts to give, and what we’d like to get, as well. I don’t know about you, but each year I find myself challenged to find something really special for my very special friends and family. Most of us, as we get older, don’t really need another set of gloves, or a tie, or whatever they’re pitching this year down at the local big box store.

So, I hope you’ll forgive this blatant pitch: There’s no greater magical gift than the gift of learning. Each new skill, new idea opens us up to grow further. And so, if you’re a magician yourself, think of putting one of our upcoming classes on your holiday wish list. We have master classes in January both for magicians and for balloon twisters, and we still have spots available in each one. Las Vegas is even more affordable than usual in January, and learning new ways to take your magic to the next level is a great way to keep your momentum going through the dark months of winter. Check out our upcoming offerings at www.magicalwisdom.com.

And, if a class seems like a bigger gift than you’re likely to get or give, wander on over to our catalogue at http://shop.yourmagic.com, where our magic can become your magic.   Featured products include Jeff McBride & Alan Wong’s excellent “Butterfly Blizzard,” a package including a teaching DVD along with everything you need to perform the butterfly effects taught. The new Gift Magic Book is also available there, along with Bob Neale’s Magic Matters, and much, much more from Jeff, Eugene, Larry and others.

If you’re not a magician, we also have a selection of wonderful music by Abbi Spinner McBride & Gary Stadler available on CD, as well as a number of collectible and souvenir items you might enjoy if you’re reading this.

Ah: One final bit of news. If you’re anywhere near Kansas City, you’ll have the opportunity to see one of Jeff’s shows presented by the magic division of US Toy Co. on December 11. He’ll be there for two days, Dec. 11 & 12. On the 11th he will present “Magic UnMasked” at 7pm, then will lecture for local magicians at 9:30pm. The following afternoon, he’ll present his special Super Session workshop, an intensive four hour, no holds barred, hands on workshop.   This will be Jeff’s first visit to Kansas City – and probably the last, at least for the next few years. Don’t miss this rare chance to partake of “The McBride Experience.” For more information, call the shop at (913) 642-8247.

Note from Bryce:  I grew up in this shop.  I spent every Thursday night and Saturday morning there from the age of 8 until I was in my late teens.  I’m not sure I’d still be in magic if it weren’t for the guys at that shop.  It was always my dream to get Jeff to K.C.  It only took me 20 years of knowing him and now I have to fly in from Phoenix to be there with him.  Don’t miss it!

That’s all for now. Next week we have a special Museletter coming to you from Larry Hass, talking about gifts and magic. I think you’ll really enjoy Larry’s thoughtful writing. We may have some additional news for you by then, as well. Till next week, then!

Best wishes for a magical holiday!

Tobias Beckwith

tobias@yourmagic.com

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.
– Cicero

Greetings Magical Friends,

Abbi here, saying “hello” from the House of Mystery in Las Vegas.  Jeff is preparing to go back to Mexico for a couple of days, and will be home again just in time for Thanksgiving.

This is one of my favorite times of the year.  I grew up in New England, just outside of Boston, and autumn there is a radiant symphony of color, with the maple trees turning bright red and the forests erupting into colorful cacophonies.  Here in the Mohave desert, the signs of Fall are far more subtle.  I have several fruit trees, and one of the ways I know it’s Fall is that the persimmon tree’s leaves all turn a lovely shade of orange before deserting the tree. There’s a snap in the air, and a crispness that is palpable.

This is the time of year when, in ancient times, people would take stock of their harvests, all safely stored for the winter… a time of gratitude, of knowing that there is enough for the coming cold-time.  I love to look back at the year, and see all there is to be grateful for.

This year, the WONDERGROUND moved to the Olive, and has been blossoming there, month after month.

What a remarkable venue, what an incredible opportunity for magicians and variety artists of all kinds, to come together to create illuminated night-life.  I’ve been belly-dancing at the WONDERGROUND each month with members of the New World Rhythmatism Dance Ensemble.  It is amazing for us to have a place to show the silent language of motion that weaves together seemingly spontaneous movements into the flow of the dance.  This month’s special guests include Jonathan Pendragon, Alain Nu, Luna Shimada and Dirk Losander. To see a full line-up visit

http://www.vegaswonderground.com

I’ll hope to see you there on the third Thursday of each month!

I’m also incredibly grateful to see how the Magic and Mystery School has been growing this year.  Month after month, students from all over the world have been coming to the House of Mystery in Las Vegas, to pursue their passions and learn more about the art of magic.

In just a few short weeks, Jeff and I, along with many of the faculty of the Magic and Mystery School, including our Dean, Eugene Burger, our Associate Dean, Larry Hass, adjunct faculty George Parker, along Jordan Wright and others will all be performing at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles.  It’s going to be an amazing week of magic and mystery, and we hope you’ll be able to come join us!

And of course, one of the biggest gifts of all is my husband, and I am so deeply grateful for Jeff, and for these past nine years of being married to the “greatest magician of our time.”  Our life together is truly magical, and I am more thankful than I have the words to convey.  My Thanksgiving wish for all of you is that you may know the sweetness of the season, the security of a bountiful harvest, and the magic of true love….

Your friend in the art,

Abigail McBride

“The Sussex lanes were very lovely in the autumn … spendthrift gold and glory of the year-end … earth scents and the sky winds and all the magic of the countryside which is ordained for the healing of the soul.”

— Monica Baldwin, I Leap over the Wall

Dear Friends:

We have just completed national magic month — I’m wondering how you all celebrated? A magical Halloween party, perhaps? Maybe a séance — did Houdini visit your group? We certainly enjoyed a magical month at the Magic & Mystery School!

As you read this, Jeff and Abbi are in Appleton, Wisconsin for a whirlwind three days of workshops and shows. If you are in the area, you may still be able to get tickets to a special fundraiser for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization. Visit http://www.foxcu.org/bbbs-jeff-mcbride.html for further information.

We’re all still buzzing from the incredible combined Magic & Meaning conference and Fall Fest, with its Witches & Wizards Ball and Bone Dance. The photos you see in this issue are taken from those events… and we’ve just set the dates and location for next year’s Magic & Meaning, and opened up registrations: http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events/view/430.

Next week is the final class for the Magic & Mystery School of this year, our annual “Magic & Medicine,” event, this year with two special guests: Dr. Randall Wolf and Dr. Ricardo Rosenkranz. It promises to be our best Magic & Medicine yet — and we do still have one or two spots available, so if you are wondering what Magic & Medicine is all about, it’s not too late to register.

Coming up later this month, Jeff will be traveling to Mexico again, this time as a featured show at the International Balloon Festival (hot air balloons) in Leon. Will he levitate with the balloons? You’ll have to be there to find out.

At the end of the month Jeff, Eugene, Larry Hass, George Parker and Bryce Kuhlman will be hosting Magic & Mystery School week at The Magic Castle in Hollywood… and giving a special lecture based on the new book Gift Magic, which was just released by Larry’s Theory and Art of Magic Press. Gift Magic will provide readers with a deeper insight into ways of giving the gift of magic… with some fantastic effects included. At least one Las Vegas magician we know of is making a full time living doing just ONE effect from the book. We might suggest that Gift Magic would be a terrific gift for the magician on your holiday list!

Wishing you all a wonderful November and magical holiday season!

Sincerely,

Tobias Beckwith