Dear Friends:
As springtime approaches, many celebrate with symbols of renewal – none more universal than the humble egg. But beyond its seasonal significance, the egg has played a remarkable, albeit mythical, role in history, espionage, and magic. Stories of secret messages hidden within eggs have captivated magicians, scientists, and even government agencies. Yet, as Judge Gary Brown cracks open this tale, we find a lesson not just in deception, but in the pursuit of the impossible.
As our thoughts turn to Spring, some celebrate holidays that use eggs to symbolize reawakening. Most celebrants remain blissfully unaware that this humble icon bears a fabled secret used to thwart medieval Inquisitors, colonial-era troops and modern spies. The secret, and its denouement, caused a scandal in the U.S., leading a federal Government agency to resort to near-delusional falsehoods to justify its actions. Meanwhile, magicians, scientists, poultry farmers, witches and evangelists have pursued and shared this method with extraordinary vigor.
“Secret Egg Writing” was documented in Giambattista della Porta’s Natural Magic (1558), in which the Italian polymath, known as the “professor of secrets” describes how the technique was utilized to smuggle messages to prisoners of the Inquisition. Della Porta’s explication proves remarkable–employing a combination of chemicals, messages may be invisibly inscribed upon the shell of a hardboiled egg. Cracking and peeling the seemingly innocent egg, the reader will find the message clearly etched in black on the hardened albumen. Similar descriptions of enciphered eggs frequently appear in popular histories of espionage.
For magicians, secret egg writing offers an incomparably powerful tool. Consider this–during a performance, the performer hands a participant an apparently ordinary hard-boiled egg, then presides over a seemingly random event (in its least imaginative but most common iteration, the selection of a playing card.) The volunteer then cracks and peels the egg, reading the words or symbols impossibly appearing in black on its shiny white interior. It’s a match! Volunteer flabbergasted! Cue the wild applause!
Reflecting on this miracle, one can readily imagine why magicians have endeavored to perfect this method. Houdini’s personal scrapbooks contain several descriptions of the technique. Countless magic books and magazines have offered instructions and applications, including, somewhat ironically, Dunninger’s 100 Houdini Tricks You Can Do.
Before you join the pursuit, be advised that perfecting the method is not without cost. The techniques for egg writing can be difficult, requiring vast amounts of time and experimentation. Instructions include time-consuming treatments using obscure ingredients such as alum, powdered oak galls, vitriol solution, wine, and an archaic red dye made from Brazilwood. In the May 1939 issue of The Linking Ring, Joe Berg, having long sought the workings of “Spirit Writing on Boiled Egg,” published a method, but noted “I am too lazy to try it. I will let you find out if it works.”
Well, Joe, it doesn’t. Secret egg writing has never worked. Not once. Not for anybody. Researchers have cataloged the many failed efforts of scientists, magicians and even della Porta himself to obtain results. (See, e.g., Coughlin, “The Egg and the Inquisition,” www.logbuch-wissensgeschichte.de). So, it wasn’t used by those resisting the Papal Inquisition, British colonialism or German counterespionage agents, though each of these claims has been repeatedly documented.
Assuming he tried, Houdini never got it to work (and Dunninger’s book might well be retitled 99 Houdini Tricks You Can Do.) And the besieged federal agency mentioned earlier wasn’t the NSA or the CIA, but rather the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which in the 1960s published an egg writing method to encourage children to eat more eggs, but later disavowed its own advice, stating that while its staffers had childhood recollections of the phenomenon, it no longer worked on modern eggs.
Secret egg writing constitutes an unusual, though far from unique, instance in which the one deceived by a method is the aspiring performer rather than its ostensible audience. The technique occupies an inglorious place among the scores of magic tricks and consumer miracles that, through inadequate testing, thoughtlessness or poor design, are destined for failure. Consider Adams’s “Mystic Smoke from Fingertips,” a sticky, chemical goo that (at least for me) worked exactly once, and would have been more appropriately titled “Rubbery Cobwebs from Fingertips” on a good day. “The Wonder Mouse,” which has never, as promised in ad copy, “run all over the magician,” does very little other than modestly enrich polished pitchmen. In some senses, such hustles bear comparison to confidence games in which a purported confederate or profiteer becomes the victim, as sale of the method is the deception. And yet conjurers, as voracious consumers of the enigmatic, have much to learn from the paradigmatic failure of undetectable ovum etching.
First, there are the lessons that follow from any unsuccessful magic endeavor. As magicians, we will necessarily encounter such moments, and must learn from them. Elsewhere, I have explored how we can learn more from our worst shows than from our best (see The Inventive Magician’s Handbook with Props at 185-87). Failure drives us to develop coping mechanisms, like outs, fireproofing and lifeboat effects that constitute necessary skills for any performer. Relatedly, in the face of misfires, we must continually devise improvements which, though famously unsuccessful in the case of “secret egg writing,” usually yields better results.
Second, it is worth reflecting on the reason that magicians have been so very determined to perfect and disseminate this method. As described, the encrypted egg represents a true miracle – the sheer impossibility of producing something from inside an organic, living object. Egg writing can be viewed as conceptually similar to Malini’s production of a banknote from inside a lemon, a powerful magic effect. (That the spectator reveals the egg message could render it even more impactful.) The same can be said for other “duds” in the magic world: “Mystic Smoke,” drawing from the conceit of a barehanded wizard producing smoke and flames, has been effectively replicated in recent years by Shin Lim and others using high-tech gizmos. “The Wonder Mouse” highlights both the desirability and the difficulty of animation effects – as one might witness with Teller’s incomparable “Red Ball.” Thus, as a source of inspiration, egg writing has something to offer, as it gives us reason to dream.
Finally, the scrambled debacle of clandestine egg inscription reminds us that secrets gleaned from the vast, untidy literature of magic may prove unworkable or may be ill-suited to certain contexts, performances, venues or spectators. By extension, digital age magicians deluged with endless offers for the newest, slickest, most perfect miracle must remain dubious – especially when promised effect is so good that you want it to be true. Always remember that advertising claims may be exaggerated, and secrets you acquire or discover simply may not work. This recognition may help avoid abject failure, embarrassment, or even worse.
In his wonderful book, Making Magic, master magician Martin Lewis recounts an adventure with Harry Anderson. After discovering techniques by which a barehanded performer could trigger an animal trap barehanded while escaping harm, the pair spent a day traveling to hardware stores, acquiring several devices. Over lunch – and drinks – they repeatedly set one of the traps, triggering it with various objects. The steel jaws shattered several plastic cocktail stirrers and a waitress’s pencil. They set the trap again while Harry contemplated trying the technique he had unearthed. Martin objected:
I pointed out that there are tricks in print that just don’t work. For example: writing on a hard-boiled egg with a solution of alum is supposed to look invisible from the outside but visible on the actual egg, but it doesn’t work. Someone wrote it up without actually trying it and then others republished it, but it never worked to start with. I had the same feeling about the trap.
It was time to go. Harry stood up and said “Ah, screw it,” and plunged his hand into the trap. The deadly steel jaws snapped shut and Harry issued a blood curdling scream. Pause. He looked up at everybody, then raised his trapped hand and said, “I guess I’ll have to gnaw my hand off now.” We exited hastily.
Anderson eventually incorporated the stunt into his stage act, a messy, distressing affair involving a comedy ending using a fake, severed hand. According to Mike Caveney’s Wise Guy, the ending served to prove that Anderson “was all right. Crazy, but all right.”
Though the ad copy for Wise Guy promised to tip “Skunk Trap,” certain details, such as the precise trap needed to attempt this feat, have been omitted, a wise editorial decision. After all, if “Secret Egg Writing” has taught us anything, it’s this–when it comes to magic methodology, you shouldn’t believe everything you read.
Judge Gary Brown, a long-time friend of the Magic & Mystery School, has grown oddly fascinated with published magical methods and commercial releases that seem unlikely to deceive, unimaginably impractical or are otherwise ill-suited for their intended purposes. He would love to hear from those magicians who have encountered such phenomena and would like to share them. You can reach him through his website: https://judgebrownmagic.com.
THE MAGICIAN WHO CAN DO THE MOST WITH THE LEAST…WINS!
The Big Question
How light can you travel?
How small can you pack?
What if I told you the secret to my success fits in the palm of your hand?
I learned this great secret from the masters – giants who needed nothing but their presence to command an audience. I trained with the legendary street magician Jeff Sheridan, who could mesmerize a crowd with a deck of cards and sheer mystery. I studied the work of Marcel Marceau, the master of mime, who conjured entire worlds…with no props at all!
And then, of course, there was my dear friend and teacher, Eugene Burger – a sage who proved that a deck of cards and a spool of yellow thread could be more astonishing than a stage filled with towering illusions.
All my life, I have been refining the art of packing small and playing BIG. One of my favorite sayings is…
“THE MAGICIAN WHO CAN DO THE MOST WITH THE LEAST WINS!”
I proved that my strategy worked night after night at Radio City Music Hall, a vast 6,000-seat theater. My props? Simple, a few masks, Linking Rings, and a deck of cards. Yet my magic filled the largest stage in the world, without video screens or camera tricks – just pure, direct showmanship.
Not only did my act shine at Radio City, but I was invited on The National Tour with the company for years, carrying my magic in a single case, while other magicians needed truckloads. I unlocked the secret of how to travel light but astonish heavy – and now, I pass this lesson on to you.
The Big Answer
Recently, I fell in love with a routine that embodies this philosophy. It’s elegant. It’s powerful. And now, I’m sharing it with the magic community – but only for a short time!
I have fewer than 50 units left, and because you’re part of my circle of friends, you get first dibs. Get your set of MENTAL TOWERS here – https://shop.magicalwisdom.com
The magician who can do the most with the least…wins.
Are you ready to win?
Jeff
P.S. Have you ever dreamed of attending our Magic & Mystery School here in Vegas? I know many of you have, but some of you don’t have the finances to make the dream come true. Now there is a solution!
A scholarship waiting for you! All you need to do is to go to this site and fill out the scholarship application, and our faculty will be in touch with you – https://www.magicalwisdom.com/about/scholarship-program
THIS IS WHERE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!
Dear Friends:
Magicians often look for ways to increase their value, but what if the secret isn’t in a big illusion, but in how you present yourself? In this Museletter, Byron Grey shares a simple yet powerful way to raise your fee while maintaining your dignity and professional branding. From pre-made posters to social media content, a polished look makes you more appealing to clients and easier to book. Read on to discover how a little marketing savvy can make a big difference in your career.
This is Byron Grey with a way to raise your fee – without lugging an illusion around – while keeping your dignity.
Here’s a scenario–you’ve been booked for a public performance. It’s the day of the show, and you’re lugging around your prop case AND your Harbin Chair Suspension. You’ve upsold your services because you’ve heard you can add value with an illusion in the act, and you’re not 43 years old yet. The tradeoff is not bad. You arrive at your performance venue, and there you see a poster advertising your show.
Your name is spelled wrong on the landscape 8½ by 11 piece of paper. The image has an AI generated magician that is nowhere near “you,” with sixth and seventh fingers, wearing a costume you would never wear. AND it has a watermark right in the middle, so it’s an AI generated image which was obviously supposed to be paid for.
I wish I could say that this is an exaggerated example, but the truth is I have seen some well-established magicians share on social media some of the most CRINGE-WORTHY “posters” publicizing their events. So dear reader, please allow me to give you some ideas on how to have your client honor your brand all the while upselling YOU (and not the Harbin Chair Suspension).
But first, consider these questions:
If you were the magician in the above scenario, what do you feel your “look” is worth? More than the upsell of an illusion? Do you currently have a brand to protect? Is a GREAT poster or piece of media more likely to produce GREAT results and create a win-win situation?
One of the things that sells me to my client is my GENUINE INTEREST in collaborating with them to make the best event possible. One way I do this is giving them as many prepared pieces of marketing to take their minds off producing it. And do they pay extra for that? Yep! Are they happy to do so? Thrilled! A lot of these clients are NOT marketing gurus or graphic designers. Clients will pay a little extra to DO little.
Currently, I’m helping a local non-profit. I’m the cherry on top for their weekend of fundraising efforts. When I initially gave them my quote, I sent them sample posters (see below) of what I use and told them their information would be on the bottom. I also sent social media “squares” that match the poster. They loved it and it gave them an idea of my performance style.
By the way, I’m using a poster template that I created in Canva. We use Canva for our physical programs, social media, website, and darn near everything. Even if you don’t consider yourself a graphic artist, just give it a try – or ask someone you know who specializes in graphic design.
I also do videos promoting the performance. Why? Well, for many reasons. First, people get to see the person that’s going to perform for them. Second, it’s free to make if you do it on your phone. But most important of all…and I’m going to go all CAPS on this one: Third, YOU NEED CONTENT FOR YOUR SOCIALS ANYWAY!
And you don’t need to have a “radio voice” either. You can create a video performing magic silently in Canva or iMovie and layer text stating what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, who/what it’s for, etc. Now, post this on your socials, put in information about the performance and tag your client in the post. That way, your client shares your post with their followers. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Is this a lot of work? Yes, but once you settle on your brand, you just need to design the poster once and after that you can edit with just the text. After a couple of months, you can reevaluate. Is the poster getting bodies in seats? Are your pictures current?
Having a pre-made poster and social media images make less work for your client, which equals happier clients AND it makes you look like the professional that you already are. Like those great posters of old, a well-crafted look catches the eye and creates anticipation for your show. Oh, also in Canva, you can create a unique QR code that links to your website, ticketing pages, or social media, making it easy for people to connect with you. Pretty sweet!
In closing, please don’t think I have anything against the Harbin Chair Suspension. In the right hands, it can be glorious. I just happen to think my look is more important than being mistaken for a “Womp Womp the Grate.”
“WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR MAGIC TO BE?”
When my Master Teacher asked me this question for the very first time, it made me think about my future and the magician I wanted to become in five or ten years. I knew I needed to change, take some risks, and try some new things. It was time for me to take off the mask, find my voice, and tell my own stories. Finding my voice in magic was something I had been struggling with for many years, but having a teacher like Eugene Burger helped me break through my resistance.
Eugene used to ask this very important question at the beginning of every one of our Master Classes. He would take a deep breath, pause, and then look at the students and say:
“What do you want your magic to be?”
What Would Your Answer Be?
I think the answers are pretty clear; if you are reading this, you want something more meaningful. That’s why our school was created! So I ask you this:
“Is this your year to take the next step on your path to mastery?”
Is 2025 the year you decide to let go of old patterns and to take the leap to become the best magician you can be – and to live your best life? At our recent StoryMaster class, David Copperfield shared a very important idea with all of our students. David said:
“Focus on telling stories that are very important to you. That is the key to successful magic!”
Set Your Audience’s Minds on Fire!
Are you seeking to learn how to tell your stories with your magic? If so, here is a unique invitation to an in-depth program to give you the skills to become the very best with The StoryMagic MasterMind group – https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/the-storymagic-mastermind-group
Spring Training 2025
Learn the fundamentals of your art from top professionals – get live in-person training with classes for card magic, stand-up, and parlor, and the classics of magic. Get specific feedback on your techniques and advice on how to improve your skills. Learn new magic and the correct practice disciplines that lead to professional presentations.
You will learn both basic and advanced techniques, suited to your skill level, and how to make your magic entertaining and play BIG in large venues. Attend the class of your choice, or get a discount when you sign up for all three. Register for Spring Training here –
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/magic-mystery-school-spring-training-all-six-days
Do You Have These Qualities?
Here are a few important qualities that successful students posses:
Each student is different, and your interests matter. I meet each student where they are at and focus on their interests, their stories, and their passions. Then I help them develop a show that expresses their personal story and style. Here at the Mystery School we create a safe space for students like you to discover who you really are.
In April, we are hosting our Seven-Day Master Class. This is open to magicians at all levels of experience. If you are a beginner and want to learn the best ways to study and practice and perform magic, this is for you. If you are an experienced pro we have training for you that will take your magic to the next level.
We only hold this class once a year and there are only a few remaining spots open, so the time is now. Register here:
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/7-day-master-class-live-in-las-vegas-2025-04-21
See you online or in Las Vegas!
Jeff & Abigail McBride
