Greetings friends and family!
I hope we are good enough friends that I can ask you some serious questions. We might learn something about each other.
Are you “teachable?â€
I am not a know-it-all. I feel it is important to “remain teachable.â€
I learn from my students all the time. Charles Stonewick is a fine magician and a friend. He recently turned me on to a big idea that I feel is very important for all of us to consider. Are you daring enough to take a risk and give more of yourself to your friends, family and audiences?
WARNING! There will be a Quiz
Now, you can find out what kind of communicator you are by taking the short quiz below from the book Breaking The Chain of Low Self-Esteem, by Marilyn Sorenson, PhD.
What level communicator are you?
According to behavioral psychologists there are 5 levels of communication.
Level 1: Surface Level. “Nice weather today,†or “How’s it goin’ eh?
Level 2: Information Level. “Had a flat tire yesterday,†or “Sold the cat for medical experiments†etc.
Level 3: Thinking Level. Sharing opinions and ideas, “Hillary is a naughty lady,†or “Trump is a hot mess,†etc.
Level 4: Feeling Level–Self-revelatory. “I am a terrible procrastinator,†or “I am afraid of clowns,†or “I like monkeys,†etc.
Level 5: Intimacy Level. This is where we share our most painful and embarrassing moments, our deepest desires, our heaviest concerns and rewarding victories. We do this without fear of reprisal or judgment.
Stonewick continues:
“Think of the greatest magical performers you know: Penn & Teller, Eugene Burger, Jeff McBride, Lawrence Hass, David Copperfield, Rene Levand, Wayne Dobson, the list goes on and on. Do you see how they present their performances at Level 5? These people make it a point to be vulnerable and to share intimacy with their audiences- not pretend intimacy, but the real deal. Anything less would be as empty as a politician’s promise.â€
Do you have to be serious?
This does not mean we have to be so serious. On the contrary, our funniest stories are usually about our greatest embarrassments or about our scariest fears becoming real.
A delicate balance is required though. Just pouring ourselves into the laps of the audience for its own sake would be clumsy, hack-like and gratuitous. That being said, it seems a good policy to treat the audience like an intimate friend and confidante. As we gently invite them into our house (Juan Tamariz) we are making ourselves vulnerable and offering love and trust. If they accept our offer, they receive our magic as a wonderful gift, and feel as though they have spent time with a close friend, maybe even an artist.
You can find Stonewick on FaceBook
https://www.facebook.com/Stonewick
Are you vulnerable?
Marjorie Hass gave a PEP-Talk online to our Mystery School about “MAGIC & VULNERABILITY.†Marjorie’s talk is inspired and will open a world of emotion and magic for you! Find it here:
https://vimeopro.com/user21422866/magic-and-meaning-conference-2015/video/173582563
‘If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.’
– Tony Robbins
This is true not only in our business life, but in our everyday communications with friends and family. I am always learning, growing and developing new skills.
Want to make the BIG LEAP? Take the quiz below
QUIZ: WHO GETS MORE HIGHLY PAID PROFESSIONAL WORK?
A: Magicians & Illusionists
B: Professional Keynote Speakers
If your answer is “A” …you are mistaken. Here’s the real answer.
Thousands of businesses worldwide engage professional motivational and keynote speakers for their events, meetings and conferences every day! Why? What do those corporations want? More than your clever tricks… they want content–meaningful content that can be applied to their business practices. 
They want TED-talks–meaningful, content-rich talks, that are informative, educational & fun!
Magic with a Message!

The magician who can frame and market his or her shows as “Magic with a Message,” can get more work in these markets than any other variety act. 
But remember, what corporations want is high quality content!
How can you learn the secrets of becoming a successful speaker with magic? 
Join us at MAGIC FOR SPEAKERS & PRESENTERS!
Join us with special guest Stephen Shapiro, past president of the NATIONAL SPEAKERS ASSOCIATION. Stephen is currently on the Board of Directors and is in the Speaker’s Hall of Fame. Learn more here: http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events#511
Jeff McBride goes to Hollywood!
ITS’ MAGIC is celebrating it’s 60th year with a huge show! The best names in magic will be on this show! LOOK: http://www.itsmagicshow.com/schedule.html
Saturday, October 29, 206 at 8pm – Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles
WONDERGROUND NEWS! OCTOBER 20TH 2016Â
WONDERGROUND “The center of the Las Vegas magic communityâ€

Look at the FANTASTIC line up this month!
8pm Comedy & Magic Show -Tim Wise is your MC
Kenton & Jeff McBride – A Dynamic Duo
Joe Krathwhol – The Birdman of Las Vegas
Michael Mirth – Illusions of Imagination
Jeff Taveggia – The New Juggling Star!
Stan Sieler – The Mind Hacker
Kyle and Mistie Knight – A NewWorld of Wonders
9pm Parlor and Strolling Magic – Christian Diamond is your MC
Master Payne – A true Original!
Kenton – Magick Beyond Imagination
Mysto the Magi – Clever like a Fox
Michael Mirth & His Cabinet of 1000 Wonders
10pm – Jeff McBride is your MC
Xavier Mortimer – the New Magic Star of Vegas
Jeff Taveggia – World Class Juggler
Sia Synn – Romance with a lance
Arian Black – Sensual Sorcery
Xavier Mortimer – Tour de force
Amazing Johnathan – Wrong on Every Level
Kyle and Mistie Knight -Â New Magic Wonders
Did you know?
Mystery School Monday is the LONGEST continuously running magic program in history? Yes, it is true 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for over 5 years now! WWW.MCBRIDEMAGIC.TV …and now you can watch on any device!
Just get the PHOTON app here: http://www.appsverse.com/Index
Join us every Monday for the fun!
Jeff sharing magic at a recent magic class
See you in Hollywood or on TV! Or, better yet, join us at the school for a fun and educational magic class!
Yours in better magic,
Jeff
From Lawrence Hass, Ph.D., the Associate Dean:
A Fundamental Mistake
In a recent Museletter I peeled back the veil to share “A Fundamental Secret†about performing. In brief, my secret was a mantra I had learned from over twenty years of performing in the real world: “The fundamental business of every magic show is relationship-building.â€Â (1)
I am deeply gratified by the positive response this essay received from readers all over. And it has emboldened me to extend my reflections this month by sharing what I have come to see as a fundamental error in magic. I believe this mistake, this error, is so widespread and with such negative consequences, that if magicians everywhere would resolve themselves to avoid it, the general reputation of magic would rise a hundred-fold. Here is the principle that’s so easy to forget:
Perform from the center of your skill set, not the edges.
Indeed, as I watch magic–by professionals and amateurs alike–I see this problem over and over: performers attempting something that is simply too hard for them. Their hands shake, techniques flash, eyes turned inward, tension in the hands and body, too much thinking, the words feel rote. And the experience of magic leaks out of the tank.
How does this happen? Why does it happen so much? I believe a big part of it is a myth that runs pretty deep in our magic subculture—the notion that a trick gets better and more praiseworthy the harder it is. And along comes the notion that magicians are measured by their technical skill level. (“My sleight is bigger than yours!â€) Never mind that their “Pass” flashes, that their fingers flutter when they do the “Cull”, that anyone with eyes can tell two cards are being turned over as one, that everyone knows something happened right there.
May I say the emperor has no clothes? May I offer the following suggestion to unsettle this “myth of technique� I would say that the measure of a trick is how invisible the secret is, and the measure of magicians is whether they astonish and delight their audiences with the things they perform.
Of course sleight-of-hand is part of the game. While it is true there is excellent magic that is sleight-free (for example, BEKOS, B’Wave and many things created by the amazing Wayne Dobson), sleight-of-hand is such an important part of our tool kit that it behooves those of us who are “temporarily abled†to spend a good deal of time in that playground. But again, in my view, here is how that time should go: “Practice at the edges of your skill set, but only perform from its center.†Never fear: with time, loving attention, and regular practice those difficult skills at the edges will find their way into the center, and your range will expand. But there is no reason to sit by the sidelines while you wait. As Eugene Burger constantly reminds our students: “There is excellent magic at every skill level.â€
Do you feel what a difference committing to the center would make to your confidence? Do you see how leaving the too-hard stuff at home (for now) will empower your performance and your ability to build audience relationship? What pieces are you attempting in public that aren’t really, honestly in the dead center of your skill set?
I promise you: everything about magic performance gets better and more fun—for our audiences, too—when we perform from the core of our confidence, rather than at the shaky, uncertain, self-absorbed edge of disaster.
Note
(1) “A Fundamental Secret†first appeared in the February 2015 Museletter. A revised version was published in my Inspirations: Performing Magic with Excellence (Theory and Art of Magic Press, 2015), pages 161-163.
“Do what you love; you’ll be better at it. It sounds pretty simple, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t get this one right away.â€
— LL Cool J
Mat Franco is a perfect example of a man who loves sharing magic. Mat is the winner of America’s Got Talent. He shared his wisdom with our students at the most recent Master Class. Mat spoke about the importance of LOVING his work and his ability to work “under any conditions.†Mat told many stories of how he pulled off shows under impossibly bad conditions. All of these “shows from hell” gave him the resilience to handle venues and audiences anywhere! He even pulled off a recent Las Vegas show after the computer system locked down… he went on with the show– with no lights, sound or tech, and killed it! The audience LOVED it!
photo credit :Â Sheryl Ann Garrett – Photographer of Magicians
“Attending Mystery School was the coolest thing I ever did!â€
-Mat Franco- Winner of America’s Got Talent
Thank you Mat, for sharing your love of magic with our class!
Mat is the star of his very own Las Vegas show, MAGIC RE-INVENTED NIGHTLY at the LINQ Hotel on the Strip. Go see his excellent show!  www.matfranco.com
Are you thriving or starving?
Did you know that Mystery School has given out over $40,000.00 in the past few years to magic students in need? We offer financial help to those in need of a good magic education. Read about our scholarship programs–we hope to help YOU. http://www.magicalwisdom.com/scholarships
Do what you LOVE! Even if it is not the best, it will get better! A MUST SEE VIDEO
When you are attempting to make new work, sometimes the vision does not match the results.
Many students get discouraged… but fear not! Ira Glass explains WHY we need to be patient with ourselves.
EXCUSES, EXCUSES – Â ANOTHER MUST SEE VIDEO!
Last month’s Muse-letter stirred many to share their “Favorite Excuse.â€
If your excuse is, “I’m too old to get into this magic business,†you must watch this 80 year old performer and listen to his story! Watch this video and you can see why “80 is the new sexy!â€
Perhaps Eugene will start modeling? Hey, it could happen!
Escaping the Ordinary: This girl LOVES danger!
“This girl scares even me; she braves challenges even I wouldn’t dare to do.”
-Dixie Dooley
Las Vegas’ FIRST and ONLY True Escape Show
Starring the protégé and successor to Master Mystifier Dixie Dooley, Escape Artist Randilyn is Las Vegas’ youngest performer and newest star. Performing some of Houdini’s classics, as well as a few new surprises — and utilizing some of the Master’s best-kept secret techniques — “Liberations” is an interactive show that combines fun, suspense, and hardcore skills.
The show is rumored to be so dangerous that its producer has only allowed performances to take place once per week: Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. in the Majestik Theater at the Royal Resort Hotel and Casino. 702-633-6278
“Randilyn is an eloquent and skilled performer who treats audiences to exciting and clever feats beyond the ordinary.”
— Anastasia Synn & Amazing Johnathan
“Randilyn is more than an accomplished Escapologist… She reminds us that we can all escape our limitations.”
— Jeff McBride
Your invitation to the BIGGEST magic party in Las Vegas.
WONDERGROUND-Â Thursday September 15thÂ
photo credit :Â Sheryl Ann Garrett – Photographer of Magicians
Last month we BROKE HOUSE RECORDS for attendance! Yet we still had room for everyone to sit, mix and mingle! THIS month we are at it again! New lights, sounds and new acts!
|  7:30 pm | Strolling magic with August Meyer, Juan Pablo and Miguel, Scott Brown as Allen Scott will do tarot readings in the “art area” before and after the CLOSE UP 9 pm shows |
| Â 8:00 pm | TIM WISE IS YOUR HOST
Ian Galloway – A Magical Fantasy with Feathers! Tim Shegitz – Twisted Comedy Magic Gary Norsigian – The Las Vegas Magic Man Jeff McBride – Something so old it is new! Kris Benz – Mystery in Motion Chris Randall – The Las Vegas Kid |
| Â 9:00 pm | Christian Doleshall is your host
Strolling magic with our experts Gary Norsigian Kris Bentz Chris Randall August Meyer |
| 10:00 pm | Jeff McBride is your Host
Luna Shimada – Lady of the Mystic Arts Ian Galloway – Light Magic Dixie Dooley presents – Randilyn the next Generation for Liberation Chris Randall – Competition act Circe – Mistress of Illusion |
Plus! Cabernet Dance Company!! Sue Name Sake, Nikki Girl, and Mylissa, with Natalie showing her amazing Dance on Goblets! Bar Magic: Zack Pattee, Scott Steelfyre, Iam Creed, Corey Rubino, Adriel Jacobs, Randilyn, Psychic Sideshow with Mulee Pete, Alan Scott, live art with Areeya and many more surprises and special celebrity guests!!
HERE I “BOLDLY GO!â€
Did you know that I have gone where NO magician had gone before!
A few rare photos for all of you STAR TREK fans who are celebrating 50 years of the show.
Meet my character Joran Belar from STAR TREK DS9 a few years back. This episode was written especially for me and my mask work! How cool is THAT?!
Watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYhOz07VYWk
Many people are updating their profile photo with STAR TREK frames. Time travel does make me look a bit younger–it does that to a man! How many of you saw this episode?
See you in Vegas, on tour or online!
Jeff
From Tobias:
Wow… that’s a lot of material! Let me just chime in to let you know we still have a couple of spots available in our “Money is the Best Applause†sessions Oct. 14-16. There will be pre-class & post-class work to do in connection with this class, as there is just too much material to get through in the three days we’re together. During that time, we’ll have a shoot with famed photographer Richard Faverty, a showing of up to 5 minutes of your best material for commentary by Jeff McBride on making it more commercially viable, tons of work on how to define your market and your product, then how to make the best use of that work to get the word out and get yourself booked solid!
As many of you know, I’ve advised Jeff McBride & Marco Tempest for nearly 30 years, and booked many millions of dollars in gigs for them during that time. This is a “no holds barred†weekend, where students are encouraged to ask anything, and get any kind of help that Jeff and I have to offer. I hope to see you there!  http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events#516
Till next month, then!
Best to all.
Tobias Beckwith
Tobias@yourmagic.com
September 2016 – Magic & Mystery School Events
| 12 | Teaching Magic – Larry Hass Hosts |
| 19 | Teaching Magic – Bill Cook Hosts |
| 26 | Teaching Magic – Eugene Burger Hosts |
| September 2016 – Jeff McBride Calendar | |
| 16 | Wonderground |
| 19-30 | *Cruising – Holland America – Alaska to Hawaii |
Have you signed up for our grand celebration event, at Magic & Meaning 2016? It’s the 25th Anniversary of the Magic & Mystery School, and It only comes once. If you’re not signed up yet, now’s the time. Spots are nearly gone, so click here to sign up now!
“Magic is no more than the art of employing consciously invisible means to produce visible effects. Will, love, and imagination are magic powers that everyone possesses; and whoever knows how to develop them to their fullest extent is a magician. Magic has but one dogma, namely, that the seen is the measure of the unseen.”
                 — W. Somerset Maugham
Let’s break it down.
“Magic is no more than the art…â€
Art is the “application of human creative skill and imagination…â€
The creative skill part is what we practice, over and over, on a regular basis, so that the difficult appears easy, so that muscle memory takes over, and we don’t have to worry about thinking killing our magic. The imagination part is all connected to what makes our magic unique. It’s not just another dollar bill in an impossible location, but there is something unique about it, something that we have dreamed up that makes it unlike anything ever seen before.
“consciously invisible means to produce visible effects.â€
I think this is all about making choices, conscious choices that are planned, prepared and practiced in order to create something that is seen by someone else, who has no knowledge of the planning, preparation and practice that has gone in. The participant is able to receive the gift of momentary astonishment because of the time and effort the magician has put in.
“Will, love, and imagination are magic powers that everyone possesses…â€
Ah, three of my favorite things. Will is all about the power of choice; it’s no accident that the prime words of the Magician in the tarot are “I Will.â€Â Love is the true expression of the heart, whether it is toward another living being, an experience, or a thing. Imagination, “the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images, or concepts of external objects, not present to the senses.â€Â To me, imagination is real magic. We all have all three of these at our disposal.
“whoever knows how to develop them…â€
How to Develop the Will
Many years ago, I learned of a method to develop the Will, which, according to the magician I learned it from, was created by Alice Bailey. You go into your bedroom. You stand on a chair for ten minutes. You do this every single day for a month. You tell no one you’re doing it. Simple—but not easy.
How to Develop Love
To me, this is both about love for self, and love for others. Here’s what you do. Put your right hand palm over your heart. Place your left hand directly over your right hand. Breathe, slowly and deeply. Bring to mind someone, someplace, something you really, really love. Breathe in and think of that person. Breathe out and imagine sending that love through your hands, into your own heart. Breathe in, see them, and in your mind say “I love you.â€Â Breathe out and send that love to your heart. Loving your own dear heart is the way to love all else.
How to Develop Imagination
Start here: Shakti Gawain’s book, Creative Visualization.
Once you’ve read it, email me, and let me know what you think, and how what you think, is changing. =)
“…to their fullest extent is a magician.â€
If you engage in these practices, and truly develop these three: will, love and and imagination, then you really can manifest change, according to your Will, in the world around you. You really can awaken consciousness in others (and isn’t that really what the Magician archetype is all about?).
“Magic has but one dogma…â€
Dogma: a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
We, magicians, who by our nature make the art of deception our craft and trade, all hold this truth. Look, we all agree. Regardless of political viewpoint, or thoughts on climate change, or any number of other topics that could divide us, we come together to agree that:
“the seen is the measure of the unseen.â€
And there is so much that is unseen. Not just the hours of practice and preparation, but the Great Mystery itself. That which can only be hinted at in words, and in glimpses through the telescope. Magic connects us with the mysterious, the unseen, the potential of creativity.
Mmmm. I love that quote.
With love from your Sister of Mystery,
Abigail