Some places exist not just as buildings, but as living vessels of knowledge, inspiration, and shared discovery. In this Museletter, Mystery School instructor Judge Gary Brown invites us into one such place, exploring the idea of the athenaeum and how the Mystery School Library continues a timeless tradition of artists and thinkers gathering to study, refine, and evolve their craft.
In ancient Greece, an athenaeum was a space dedicated to Athena, goddess of wisdom, where scholars and artists gathered to present, debate, and refine their work. Under Emperor Hadrian, the Romans adopted and expanded the idea, applying the term to institutions that resembled early universities. Faculty offered lectures and readings, sometimes before the emperor himself. In later centuries, the athenaeum evolved again, becoming the home of learned societies – buildings that combined libraries, collections, and spaces for assembly, performance, and inquiry.
Today, magicians can access an athenaeum hidden behind a secret door at the McBride Mystery School–the Library of Secrets. It fulfills the traditional functions of its predecessors and adds one more. Like the legendary “back rooms” of dealers such as Martinka and Flosso, it is a place where secrets may be shared freely among initiates. It is a crucible for inspiration, invention, and study, where magicians hone their craft, test their ideas, and enter a lineage of shared knowledge.
Those fortunate enough to have attended a Mystery School event are already familiar with the Library as a performance and lecture space. It is the heart of the school, where skilled magi teach and perform in a sumptuous parlor of mystery. In one class, I watched – awestruck – as Dean Larry Hass taught his version of a routine that I developed, an experience that will be hard to equal.
The surroundings are unforgettable. While learning from magic’s great teachers, participants are enveloped in a truly mystical environment. The shelves are lined with magical objects – exquisite, antique, and rare apparatus – visions of copper, chrome, and turned wood that can overwhelm first-time visitors. These artifacts are more than décor. Those who linger and study them closely might discover an 18th Century children’s magic set (complete with a bonus genius), a set of gimmicked matryoshka dolls, or a steampunk card duck. Examining these objects may yield a forgotten method or curious manifestation – one capable of igniting an entirely new routine. Recently, I acquired a Berg No Feke Card Frame from Viking Magic – a piece I snapped up because I had marveled at two similar card frames in the environs of the Library. The opportunity to examine this remarkable device in the Library revealed its potential for my repertoire.
Of course, the space is principally a magic library, one that grandly lives up to its name. Thousands of books and periodicals line the main passageway, including aged volumes nestled among coveted contemporary items, like Derren Brown’s Notes from a Fellow Traveller and Steve Cohen’s Max Malini. While many of the items could justify preservation in acid-free boxes and mylar bags, not here. This is, as Jeff often explains, a working library where magicians come to solve problems and find inspiration. One could, for example, peruse a vintage copy of C. Lange Neil’s The Modern Conjurer, featuring photos of Golden Age magicians like T. Nelson Downs and John Nevil Maskelyne performing classic effects. A teacher might lead a student to a copy of The Magic of Johnny Thompson, which offers a detailed explanation of a baffling effect presented by a Las Vegas headliner the previous evening.
Make no mistake–this is a place where discoveries are made and secrets unearthed. A few years ago at a Mystery School event, I watched my friend and colleague Daniel Quintana (known professionally as Byron Grey) have a “Eureka!” moment in the Library. “I’d long been a fan of the beautiful ‘Astarte’ illusion, which John Gaughan presented at one of the History Conferences in Los Angeles,” Dan recalls. “Astarte is a beautiful piece which predated David Copperfield’s flying by 50-60 years or so.” Dan had been searching for some insight as to its workings. Then, he located the Library’s copy of the Burling Hull Book of Stage Illusions, a volume with a colorful publishing history that gained a kind of underground following. “Yes!” he exclaimed, as he turned a page. “It didn’t say it was the Astarte illusion,” Dan explains, “but it provided enough detail that I could ‘see’ it!”
There is a secret to the Library that should not be missed. At its center rests a massive printer’s block filing cabinet that is, paradoxically, imposing yet easily overlooked. That piece houses the Ray Goulet Gimmick Collection, donated to the Mystery School after Ray’s passing. The drawers are packed with magical devices, gaffs and pocket tricks. Pull a handle and you might discover dozens of thumb tips, magic wands, production items or Japanese coin slides. Take time to compare a half dozen incarnations of the Vanishing Quarter, the Silk Wonder Box or the Zig Zag Playing Card. Considering different approaches to magical problems can offer insights into the creative process. Or you might discover, as I did, a box of “Custom Made Midget Starflowers featuring the All New Plastic Leaf” without figuring out exactly what they do…which is on my to-do list for my next visit!
During your next Mystery School course, you may notice an entry that says “Library Time” on the schedule. This is not a euphemism for an opportunity to grab a snack. Choose wisely – perhaps even plan ahead – and use that time to the fullest. You may be rewarded with a bit of wisdom.
Judge Gary Brown is the author of Wandcraft and The Inventive Magician’s Handbook. He is also a Visiting Teacher and a former Ray Goulet Scholar at the Magic & Mystery School. In this Museletter, Gary shares his thoughts about the athenaeum.
Dear Friends in Magic,
Some Museletters don’t arrive with answers. They arrive with a question that quietly follows you through the day, tapping you on the shoulder when you least expect it. The kind that asks not who you are, but what you’re waiting for.
This month’s Museletter is written by Mystery School Instructor Jonas Cain, whose work often lives at the intersection of storytelling, wonder, and personal courage. In this reflection, Jonas invites us to look closely at the moments where intention stalls, where discouragement whispers, and where the simplest choice to act can change everything.
Leap Year
by Jonas Cain
Grizzly bears are known as fierce predators, running up to 35 mph, lifting over 1,000 lbs, and having a bone-crushing bite even stronger than a lion. Yet, despite their reputation, grizzly bears are primarily foragers and scavengers, with approximately 85% of their diet being vegetation. They may be fierce, but their ability to adapt to available resources is what makes grizzly bears so successful.
Wasting Time
Meanwhile, at the University of Maryland, drama professor Rudy Pugliese asked a student, “Why are you wasting your time with those puppets?” Blunt, but fair. After all, serious adults don’t make a living with puppets, right?
And to be fair, even the student admitted he wasn’t taking puppetry seriously. I mean, it didn’t seem to be the sort of thing a grown man works at for a living. For him, puppetry was merely a placeholder until something better came along. He was patiently foraging for berries while he waited for the really good stuff to show up.
The Riddle of Life
Across the pond sat three frogs on a log. One frog decided it was time to take a leap and swim in the water. How many frogs are left? The obvious answer is two. After all, if one decided to swim, that would leave just two, right?
Well, that’s where the riddle of life goes awry, for there are still three frogs on that log – because the frog only decided to leap, but never acted on its decision. The frog wanted the meat, and no amount of placeholders would do.
Why We Remain on the Shore
There are many reasons why we might remain on the shore of life, and for the sake of the Grizzly Bear and Frog, I offer two for consideration:
Discouragement from others, and refusing to make the first move.
Discouragement from Others
It’s curious what prompted the professor to discourage his student. Whether puppetry is a worthy pursuit or not is irrelevant. At the time, this student was making over $5,200 a year with his own television show and several commercial clients. In the 1950s, that was a good salary, (equivalent to nearly $70k today) especially for a college sophomore. Not bad for playing around with foam and felt. When someone tries to discourage you from doing whatever it is you are doing, it’s worth considering what their real authority is in the matter – and what they stand to lose if you succeed, or gain if you don’t.
As for the student, he took the discouragement to heart by leaving the puppet show and traveling to Europe in pursuit of something ‘more serious,’ thinking he might study graphic design as a commercial artist. On the other side of the pond, however, is where life’s riddle took another unexpected turn. He discovered there are serious adults who view puppetry as on par with painting and sculpture.
“In Europe,” he said in amazement, “everyone goes to puppet shows.”
This realization was a turning point. Up until then, he always had his professor’s question in the back of his mind: “Why are you wasting your time with those puppets?” Now he finally found an answer: he wasn’t.
When he returned home, he made his decision. “It was at that point I realized that puppetry was an art form, a valid way to do really interesting things…I came back from that trip all fired up to do wonderful puppetry.”
With that, Jim Henson leaped into the water and founded Muppets, Inc.
Refusing to Make the First Move
When playing chess, I prefer to play black. It didn’t occur to me why until I sat down to write this story: I don’t like making the first move.
The first move takes strategy, confidence, and risk. And, while making the second move also calls for such things, it is a lot easier on the heart and far less emotionally invested. Studies show that sometimes it only takes a few experiences with failure to develop learned helplessness – the belief that ‘nothing I do matters.’
On a personal note, I can trace my chess strategy to failed businesses that ended in bankruptcy, and failed romances that alternatively ended in divorce and death; a veritable zugzwang where any move appears to be a disadvantage.
On a positive note, I can take encouragement from the grizzly bear who thrives on only 15% of what he really wants, and takes advantage of the available resources to make up for the rest. If the bear refuses to make the first move, and instead waits around for the ‘right’ time and the ‘perfect’ circumstances, he will starve to death. Nothing is ever perfect, and that’s just as it should be. As Leonard Cohen sings:
“Forget your perfect offering;
There is a crack in everything,
That’s how the light gets in.”
As for the puppeteer, instead of allowing doubt to leave him on the shore, he made the first move – which is precisely what turned that frog on a log into Kermit the Frog.
Final Thoughts
As magicians, we can often face discouragement from others with variations on the same theme: “Why are you wasting your time with magic?” But we don’t have to quit the show and tour Europe like Jim Henson to discover that magic can be an art on par with puppetry, theater, and music – a valid way to do really interesting things.
Like the grizzly bear, it’s likely 85% of your time will be spent on things that may not inherently excite you per se, (the business side of showbusiness can often be the least exciting) but without the foraging and scavenging, you’ll never get the raw meat. The good news is if you have a gift you are excited to share, then there will always be an audience for you. “This is the paradox that we call the one-sided coin,” says Bashar. “If you have the head, the tail has got to be there. If you have the gift, then the receiver has to be there. Don’t deprive them by waiting too long to be yourself.”
This final thought is directed towards myself, (and you are welcome to eavesdrop):
Every day, you will be called to make the second move in response to life’s great riddle, but that doesn’t mean you only have to make second moves.
You already know enough strategies to get started. Just getting out of bed to face another day takes more confidence that you realize. And doing anything worthwhile always comes with a risk, but what can be even more painful is staying stuck where you don’t belong.
Don’t wait too long to be yourself. Make the first move. The next leap year isn’t until 2028, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make this February a leap year anyway.
Why are you wasting your time? Your move!
Want More?
Jonas Cain, M.Ed. is a storyteller, magician, musician, and facilitator of fascination, helping people discover joy through curiosity and wonder. Connect with Jonas to discover more: jonas@hashtagpositivity.com
For years, I have lived at the intersection of Broadway and the boardroom, working with world-class magicians to craft moments that feel like miracles. What I’ve learned is that all business today is essentially experience design. Whether you are launching a startup or stepping onto a stage, you are performing; you are providing an experience that defines your company’s identity.
I call the most effective leaders “Wizards”—change agents who possess the wisdom and nerve to facilitate transformation in ways the world rarely expects. Like Merlin or Steve Jobs, a true Wizard doesn’t just react to reality; they distort it. Jobs was famous for his “reality distortion field,” but it wasn’t about deception—it was the radical belief that the impossible is merely possible once you allow yourself to think the unthinkable.
In my directing classes back in grad school, the very first lesson I learned is that attention is everything. For an entrepreneur, this means orchestrating your team’s focus to bring a vision to life. Our experienced reality is often just a mental model built on sensory data and prior assumptions. In many ways, it is an illusion. By questioning everything—especially the “rules” our culture has installed in us—you can shatter limiting beliefs and “re-illusion” your organization’s future.
Success also demands what I call the power of the mask. By learning to consciously take on different personas, you can access dormant strengths within yourself and build deep empathy by “walking a mile” in your clients’ shoes. However, this performative power requires radical responsibility. A master performer never blames the audience for a sub-par experience. You must own the room and every result within it. This is equally true for a business you operate.
Finally, remember that mastery is a superpower born of perfect practice. It isn’t about mindless repetition, but about mindful rehearsal that builds neural pathways until the extraordinary appears effortless. In this grand theater of commerce, you are the playwright and the actor. By mastering the performer’s edge, you gain the power to rewrite your own script.
The Alchemy of the Pivot—Much like a magician uses “false solutions” to lead an audience toward a stunning reveal, an entrepreneur must stay agile. When an initial idea falters, you must be willing to pivot—turning a failed concept into a successful new reality by following your underlying mission rather than a rigid plan.
Think of your business as a stage. If you don’t direct the spotlight, the audience will focus on the exit signs.
Tobias Beckwith
(415) 889-9491
www.yourmagic.com
Find out more insider secrets to creating magical theater with Tobias Beckwith’s newest pair of books – The Performer’s Edge and Wired for Wonder, available at your favorite bookseller.
Hello friends!
Jeff McBride here.
Currently, I’m on tour in Vienna, Austria at Magic World – I’ll attach a fun video for you to see what I’ve been up to.
A few days back we sent out some information that needs to be updated. The correct 2026 event schedule for McBride’s Magic & Mystery School is as follows:
Jan. 27, Feb. 3, & 10: From Strolling to Stage with Paul Draper
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/from-strolling-to-the-stage-essential-skills-for-building-your-career-in-magic
Feb. 20, 21, 22: Master the Classics, Las Vegas – SOLD OUT
April 20 – 26: 7-Day Master Class, Las Vegas – SOLD OUT
May 20 – 24: Jeff McBride at International Festival of Magic and Illusion, Brazil
https://festivaldeilusionismo.com/2026/pt/
June 25 – 28: Seance Summit, Las Vegas – 1 seat left
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/the-las-vegas-seance-summit
Sept. 25 – 27: Weekend of Wisdom, Las Vegas
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/weekend-of-wisdom-live-in-las-vegas-2026-09-25
Oct. 8 – 11: Master Class for Mentalism, Session 1 – SOLD OUT
Oct. 13 – 16: Master Class for Mentalism, Session 2
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/master-class-for-mentalism-2026-session-2