Stuff your eyes with wonder.
— Ray Bradbury
Dear Friends:
Greetings from sunny and rapidly warming Las Vegas (it was 85 here today)! Jeff, Abbi and Eugene left for Canada yesterday
morning, to teach a 3 day Master Class sponsored by our former Master Class Student Sheldon Casavant, along with the Festival Place Theater in Sherwood Park (near Edmonton, Alberta). I’ll be taking off to join them for a special performance of “Magic – The Secret Art” on Saturday evening – but for now I’m left behind here in Las Vegas.
There’s so much going on now, I hardly know where to begin. Last week Jeff, Eugene and I had a fabulous time doing a show for Dr. Lawrence Hass’ group from Muhlenberg College, right here in Vegas for the first time. Many of you will know that Dr. Hass sponsors one of the few (perhaps the only?) sanctioned program for the study of performance magic in a college setting. His annual program at Muhlenberg, entitled “The Theory and Art of Magic,” has featured such magic luminaries as Max Maven, Robert E. Neale, Rene Lavand, Juan Tamariz and many, many more
since the program began in 1999. This year, Dr. Hass brought a group of students and alumni to Las Vegas, the capital of magic here in the U.S., where, besides Jeff and Eugene, they met with Mac King, saw shows, and enjoyed their magical week in Las Vegas. A high point for me was having lunch with a half dozen theatre majors between our tech rehearsal and the show last week. I felt right back at home from my own days as a theater major, back in the early ‘70’s.
Once Jeff and Eugene get back next week from the shows in Canada, we’ll be immediately busy with a couple of corporate engagements here in Las Vegas, and preparing for our first extended master class of this year, from April 23-29th. When we began the 7-day extended classes two summers ago, we wondered if it would be possible to sustain the intensity of the 3 day classes over the longer period. After having done the first 4 or 5 such classes, we’re actually finding it difficult to get everything in! Besides the visits to Mac King and Lance Burton’s shows, and visits with them, we’ve been able to go much deeper in in working with individuals in each class to improve their particular pieces, and to spend more time creating break-out sessions particularly tailored to the wants and needs of the particular students in each class. Beyond that, we’ve found that it’s really a lot of fun to have the additional time to get to know one another and share our magics. For this class, we do still have 2 slots left open. If you want to be one of the 15 people to share this amazing experience, I’d highly recommend you go to www.magicalwisdom.com right now and register.
For those of you in Canada, we highly recommend that you tune in for this week’s edition of “Enigma” on VisionTV. The show will feature our friend Max Maven, and promises to be fascinating. 
Max is, besides being perhaps the best known mentalist in the world today, one of our deepest thinkers and most prolific writers on magic and mentalism – you’re pretty much guaranteed to learn a lot any time you encounter him.
Next week on “Enigma,” Jeff will be featured again, in the “Mysteries of the Tarot Cards.” The hour-long documentaries commissioned for Enigma take an entertaining, contemporary view of historical subjects, investigating everything from Eastern mysticism and secret societies to psychic communication and belief in the afterlife. You can learn more from the Vison TV website at http://www.visiontv.ca/Enigma/.
VisionTV is available as a “basic†service on cable and satellite in approximately 8.4 million households across Canada. One in four Canadians tune in to VisionTV at least once a month. Approximately two million people watch each week; 6.3 million watch every 13 weeks. The producers have assured us that once they have the first 6 episodes completed, they intend to begin the process of finding an outlet here in the U.S. for the show. We’ll let you know when you may be able to see it here.
“One way can be learned by starting to see the magic in everything. Sometimes it seems to be hiding but it is always there. The more we can see the magic in one thing, a tiny flower, a mango, someone we love, then the more we are able to see the magic in everything and in everyone. Where does the mango stop and the sky begin?”
~~Joshua Kadison
Greetings Friends!
Abbi here, writing in to share the latest updates and news from the McBride Magic team!
McBride and Burger Headline in Las Vegas
Muhlenberg College’s successful program, “The Theory and Art of Magic,” is being brought to Las Vegas, March 5 – 8, 2007, for alumni and other interested people like you! This program explores the deeper meanings, philosophy and psychology of magic on a post-graduate level. Larry Hass, the creator and director of this stimulating program has engaged Jeff and Eugene, Teller, Lance Burton and Mac King for this four day, in depth look at the multifaceted art of wonder-making. For more information, please go to: The Theory and Art of Magic
Attention Canadians!
A special shout out to our friends in Edmunton, Alberta, Canada… Eugene, Jeff and I will be coming your way to see our friend Sheldon Casavant for a public show and Master Class. All the information for reservations and tickets is online at
SheldonCasavant.com.
World Magic Summit News
We had an incredible time at the World Magic Summit here in Las Vegas this past week. Eugene and Jeff, Bill and Becki Wells, along with Jordan Wright and Scott Hitchcock, spent three days leading forty-four teenage magicians from the United States, South Africa, the Czech republic, Germany, France, Canada, Italy, and Japan in the Lance Burton Teen Magic Seminar.
The best part of our time with the teens was on Sunday afternoon, when we got to go to Lance Burton’s castle, and see his amazing new fifteen thousand square foot mountain-top home! He hosted the entire teen group for an afternoon pizza party. Lance invited his superstar Las Vegas friends Johnny Thompson, Fielding West, Mac King, Criss Angel, Nathan Burton, and Gary Darwin to join the fun. They spent the afternoon answering questions and signing autographs, and most importantly, giving encouragement, advice and heartfelt wisdom to the next generation of magic.
During the WMS, we had one of the convention rooms set up as an Open House for the McBride Magic and Mystery School. Many of our friends and students came in to jam, ask questions and say hello. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with so many of you! It was especially great to see our friend Pilou, who won the SARMOTI award, one of the highest honors in magic! Pilou, the reigning grand prix winner of the world championships of magic, said “Jeff McBride is my teacher, and I owe much of my success to him. I learned from watching his DVDs.”
Special thanks to Max Maven, Just Wilbur, Banacheck, Lee Earle, and many of the Magic and Mystery School alumni for sharing your talents and time with us!
McBride Magic School Student Spotlight: Shayna Reed
Congratulations to Shayna Reed, alumnus of the Magic and Mystery School, and winner of the Teen Competition! Her show was an excellent combination of doves, dancing cane, a splendid card manipulation routine, and a surprising production of her sister Mandy as the statue of liberty at the end! We were really impressed with Shayna’s presence and confidence in the interview after her performance. Her commitment to the art of magic and the many hours of practice she’s put in really came through!! Our prediction is that the Reed Sisters Magic Show (Jessica, Shayna and Mandy) will be headlining in theaters across the country one day soon!
Surprising Awards and Accolades
At the World Magic Seminar, all of the awards are not decided by a small panel of judges, but rather, by the entire convention audience, in a voting ballot. Receiving second place in the WMS Teen Competition was Sterling Dietz, and third place was won by Krystyn Lambert. What do all three have in common? They’re all alumni of the McBride Magic and Mystery School, and we will be featuring spotlights on them in future Museletters.
At the finale gala awards ceremony Jeff and Eugene were called to the stage with Lance Burton. All three were presented with awards acknowledging their many years of creating progressive, magical experiences. Bill Wells was quoted saying, “Jeff and Eugene are the best magic teachers and facilitators in the world.” It was a high honor for our school to be acknowledged in front of a gathering of the luminaries of magic, including the show’s hosts, Siegfried and Roy.
So, as you can see, we’ve been thoroughly engaged in creating magic, not only for ourselves, but assisting and empowering the magical visions of others. If you, friend, need to re-charge your magical batteries, consider visiting us out here in sunny, warm Las Vegas for a rejuvenating and life-enriching magical experience.
Yours in the art of magic,
Abbi McBride
“Men with secrets tend to be drawn to each other, not because they want to share what they know, but because they need the company of the like-minded, the fellow afflicted.â€
~~Don Delillo
Greetings Magical Friends!
It’s magic convention time in Las Vegas! Here’s the news: Hundreds of wand-waving rabbit pullers, clad in top hats and turbans will descend upon the mecca of magic, our Las Vegas, for a week-long magical Mardi-Gras.
It all begins at the Orleans Hotel for the World Magic Seminar, and it wraps up at the McBride House
of Mystery… This is the best time of year to visit Las Vegas; flights and hotels are inexpensive and the weather is gorgeous! If you have ever thought about visiting our school, the time is now! Just call Abbi at 702-450-0021 and we’ll be happy to help you plan your Master Class, or private session.
You are invited to our Master Class event February 23rd, 24th, and 25th. This is the last three day Master Class for this semester, and we placed it at this time because many magicians are coming into town for the World Magic Seminar. We’re very excited to be working with Lance Burton on his Teen Seminar at the WMS. Eugene and I have worked the past number of years with Bill and Becki Wells in crafting a unique program each year that stimulates creativity and nurtures a growing interest in their art.
We will also be helping the competitors prepare for the big competition. If you are planning to attend the WMS, please swing by our MCBRIDE MAGIC SCHOOL room and say hello! I’ll be demonstrating some of the new techniques from my new DVD ZOOM BOUNCE AND FLY, so if you have any questions, or if you want to witness it live and in person, close-up, stop in!
I had a passing thought the other day… I’m so happy to be a magician. I’m glad I chose this profession over ALL others. One definition of magic is that it’s the art of transformation. I asked my friend Bobby, a juggler, what the definition of juggling is. He said, “juggling is the art of throwing up and catching it.†… I’m so happy to be a magician.
We’ve had wonderful response to the television show ENIGMA. MAGIC MAGAZINE ran a piece in their recent issue and Tobias says we will have DVD copies available for you on our website soon.
We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas soon. Special thanks to all of our mysterious friends who attended our three day MYSTERIUM event. It was, by far, the best one yet. Registration will open for MAYFIRE in the next few weeks. If you’d like to attend, please send us an email or call Abbi.
Yours in the magical arts,
Jeff & Abbi McBride
Greetings all,
We have great news — Jeff’s special television documentary is just about to air! If it is in your area, be sure to catch it. Here’s the hot news… Read on friends, and spread the word!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Las Vegas, January 11, 2006 – Local magician Jeff McBride,
last seen on the strip headlining in
“The World’s Greatest Magic Show,†is featured as the subject of “A Magickal Life: Jeff McBride,†one of the first episodes of the new documentary series Enigma on Canada’s Vision TV. The show will first air on the evening of January 24 at 9pm, or 10pm PST. Repeats air on Saturdays, starting Jan. 13 at 10 p.m. ET, and on Mondays, starting Jan. 15, 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. ET.
The documentary begins with a teen-aged Jeff McBride performing his magic at the Orange County Fair in upstate New York. By his twenties, McBride was opening for rock bands like Cheap Trick, touring with Diana Ross and headlining at The Hilton in Las Vegas. But at the height of his success, this young illusionist was overcome by the urge to explore new territory. So began his search for the source of real magic: a journey to the mythological roots of this art form that would lead deep into the worlds of neo-paganism, drum circles and fire rituals. He would return a changed man. In this documentary, McBride tells of what he learned on his quest, and reveals how even the simplest magician’s trick can hold layer upon layer of meaning. “Magic is about transformation,†he says. “It reminds us that everything changes – including ourselves.â€
Filmed mostly in and around Las Vegas during the
spring of 2006, “A Magickal Life†takes viewers on a stroll down the Las Vegas Strip, into one of McBride’s Master Classes, onto the stage at The World’s Greatest Magic Show, to local fire circle celebration, to the Burning Man Festival, and to numerous other fascinating locales. Interviewed are McBride, fellow magicians Lance Burton and Eugene Burger and many others.
Says Alberta Nokes, Vision TV’s Director of Independent Production: “As the success of author Dan Brown’s novels has shown, there is a huge appetite for knowledge about secret societies, arcane symbology, the occult and other esoteric subjects. Enigma takes a skeptical but open-minded approach to topics like these. While humor may play a part in many Enigma stories, that doesn’t diminish the essential role of good research in producing these films. This journalistic approach will distinguish Enigma from a great deal of other programming on the unexplained.â€
Enigma features “real-life stories at the edge of the possible,†delving into all aspects of esoteric spirituality and the unexplained. The hour-long documentaries commissioned for Enigma take an entertaining, contemporary view of historical subjects, investigating everything from Eastern mysticism and secret societies to psychic communication and belief in the afterlife.
McBride will also be appearing on another upcoming episode
of Enigma, “Mysteries of the Tarot Cards,†which begins airing on March 21.
To learn more about Enigma and view a clip from the show, visit www.visiontv.ca.
# # #
If by chance, you miss this airing, Tobias Beckwith, our manager, who handles our merchandising, will have DVDs available on the http://shop.yourmagic.com web
catalogue in a 
few weeks.
Magic is about stepping into the unknown and finding light in the darkness. Our magical work invites you to join us on our quest, of pushing on our perceived limitations of our reality. If you ever feel the urge to step beyond the known, and to discover what greater magic you have inside, perhaps we’ll see you at one of our upcoming events!
Yours in the mysteries of magic,
Jeff, Abbi, Eugene, Tobias, Bryce and all the faculty and students of the Magic and Mystery School
From Tobias:
We thought you might like to know the last two photos in this museletter are from Jeff’s most recent photo shoot, just a couple of weeks ago, with Richard Faverty here in Las Vegas. We will have some of the new photos available on the web-site within the next couple of weeks for anyone who is interested. We’ve also recently added a number of short downloadable free and paid video clips of Jeff teaching and performing….if you haven’t been to the catalog lately, check it out at http:/shop.yourmagic.com.
Greetings Magical Friends!
A goal is a dream with a deadline.
PREDICTIONS AND PROPHECY FOR 2007
As I gaze into the crystal ball, I see a vision swirling within its murky depths…. a magical vision, a mysterious vision, a mystical vision… I see you, dear reader, joining us on an 
extraordinary magical adventure. I see us journeying together in pursuit of the real secrets and deeper meanings of magic. New years are new beginnings, times to set goals for the year to come. At this moment, I invite you to take a breath and consider what you wish to attract into your life in this coming year. For those of us in the magical arts, let’s think about what we want our magic to be, by this time next year. What new effects or routines do you wish to polish and perform? What will you do to further your magical education this year? So, let’s start setting goals and making our dreams come true! Welcome to the world of magic for 2007.
THE SECRET
The Secret is a new movie that one of my students, Robert Ray, told me about. The Secret is a film about the Law of Attraction. This is a Hermetic principle of making thoughts manifest into physical reality. The Secret is based on The Emerald Tablet, which is the most ancient of all Hermetic texts. The Emerald Tablet is a formula for transmuting lead into gold.
MYSTERIUM
Abbi and I share a passion for Alchemy. Each year, we host a three day conference called Mysterium, where we bring in special guest teachers and authors from around the world to share their knowledge of the Royal Art.
Q. What is MYSTERIUM?
A. An alchemical fusion of art, ritual theater,
shape-shifting, trance-dance, ceremonial magick, spoken word poetry, invocation, meditation, divination, rites of purification, transformation, illumination and celebration! Oh, and did we say plenty of live drumming, dance and music? All lovingly blended together with divine inspiration into the elixir of life!!
You are invited to join our inspired magickal community! Come celebrate with us; dance, drum, dream, and learn from some of the best teachers in the world of ritual and magic.
Is it really possible to turn lead into gold?
To find out and to get more information, go to http://www.vegasvortex.com
TOUR REPORT: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JEFF MCBRIDE?
At this moment, we are coming to you live from an internet cafe, en route to Barbados, where we’ll be meeting a ship and cruising through the Caribbean. We’ll be ringing in the new year, as is our tradition, at sea, doing our magic show. Jeff has been honing his new “oracle show” of mind reading and mental mysteries, which he’s looking forward to presenting. We’ll also be reviewing the past year, and setting goals for the year to come.
PRIVATE SESSIONS
One of my resolutions from last year was to spend more time developing our mentoring program here at the Magic and Mystery School. To that end, I am devoting more time to our one on one coaching sessions. Many of our students are not professional magicians; yet, they have a deep passion to explore the deeper meanings of the art, as well as to expand their performance capabilities. I find it especially rewarding when I can create a magical experience for magicians. Over the past year, we’ve had students from Australia, France, Hong Kong, and all over the United States stop by the school when they visit Las Vegas, and spending time deepening their passion for the art of magic. I Invite all of you to take a few hours out of your Vegas visit and stop by the school. Call Abbi at 702-450-0021 in advance to
arrange a convenient time.
MASTER CLASS UPDATE
Our January Master Class is completely sold out. We have some spaces available in February, March and April. Go to http://www.magicalwisdom.com/calendar.php
The February class will be hot on the heels of the WORLD MAGIC SEMINAR. If you’re planning to come in for the WMS,
plan to stay a few extra days with us here at the Magic and Mystery School.
NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION–
I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a new DVD project, titled “REVOLUTION! The Evolution of the Double Dancing Cane.” This levitation effect has been one of my pet secrets for many years. Now, I’ve decided, as a part of my “letting go process,” to release it to the magic community. Look for it in the Spring. Also this year, Tobias Beckwith, my manager, director and lighting designer, will be publishing his new book on theater games for magicians, creativity, and “making it your own.†Bryce Kuhlman, our webmaster, is honing his skills in the Shao-lin martial arts. Abbi is preparing to release her new CD, Fire of Creation… and I’m writing a new column for MAGIC MAGAZINE, called THE SHOW DOCTOR. In addition, I’m devoting more time to staying connected and nurturing my relationships with the magical community and friends like you! Please stay in touch with us. We love hearing from you!
May you transmute all of your lead into gold, and achieve
all of your golden goals.
May the New Year be filled with peace, prosperity and magic
for all of us!
Jeff & Abbi McBride