As I write this, I’ve just passed two milestones: I just finished the first “readable†draft of my new book “Wizards Ways,†and I gave my first public presentation “The Wizard’s Way,†a talk with magic, designed to inspire audiences to take on the challenge of becoming real wizards themselves. It’s been a journey of several years for me to get here, so it feels great to have come this far. And it’s got me thinking, because this whole wizard thing marks a bit of a turning point for me.
While I’ve spent many years working with Jeff and with Marco Tempest to help them develop their businesses – developing one of my own that is based around my own writings and performances is a new thing for me. I find I’ve become comfortable as that shadowy presence in the background, always pushing my clients to the foreground, and supporting them, but seldom actually stepping into the limelight myself. So the change is giving me a whole new appreciation for what all of those of you who do regularly step out in front of the footlights, those who are always the public face of their businesses, go through. I’m a little surprised – and pleased – that it takes me out of my comfort zone!
Fortunately, I do have the knowledge I need. I’ve been teaching it to others and putting it to work for others for many, many years now. But what I find myself having to really work at is the change of attitude. The need to walk the walk 24 hours a day. Suddenly, it’s no longer okay for me, professionally, to be 20 pounds overweight. Suddenly, I can’t afford to put off rehearsing that new piece of magic I wanted to learn another day. Suddenly I MUST spend at least 30 minutes a day rehearsing, and at least an hour writing. I find I’m having to re-create myself.
And, isn’t it interesting that the process of re-creating yourself..every day and again and again…is right at the heart of what it means to become a real wizard. So I find myself on the very path I recommend for others in the book. Every day, I have to make myself do things, to seek out experiences, that I unconsciously avoided before. And I have to say: If feels great!
Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. ~Les Brown
Enough about me. I find myself wondering how many of you may be out there going through something similar? How many have been thinking, for example, “I’d love to go out there to Las Vegas and study magic with Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger, BUT….â€
What’s been stopping you? I know, if I’m honest with myself, that the thing that most often stops me from doing things I think I’d like to is FEAR. Fear that it will be too strange and I’ll be disappointed. Fear that it will put too big a dent in my finances. Fear that I’ll fall behind on my work while I’m doing whatever it is. Fear that I’ll fail.
I have some news for you: many of those very things you fear are the very things that will help you grow and change – and will ultimately help you succeed. What you’re really afraid of is having the experience of life. What good is your life if you continue to do only the five or six things you’ve done before that continue to make you comfortable? What if you were to actually go out and do some of those things that really scare you? Have you been too busy living your fears to go out and actually live your dreams?
I was never afraid of failure, for I would sooner fail than not be among the best. ~John Keats
So, in my new role as wizard, my first challenge is to challenge you – to join me on my quest to become a real wizard. One who embraces new experiences in search of true wisdom. One who takes responsibility for the direction of his or her own life, and for changing the world in ways it needs to be changed. One who dares to live an effective life, a life of excellence and adventure. A wizard who truly ‘puts a dent in the world.’ That kind of life is unlikely to come looking for you – but there is nothing stopping you from going out and creating it for yourself – except your own fear.
If you choose to do that as a magical performer, I have to tell you – one of the best ways to help yourself get inspired, to move your magic and your thinking about magic up to the next level — is by coming to Las Vegas and spending a week with Jeff, Larry, Eugene, and the rest of us. We will challenge you, encourage you, teach you things we’ve learned from our many years of experience. We will provide you with an environment where you can feel safe to push at your own boundaries. We will encourage you to fail, again and again, so you can ultimately find your true excellence. Other magicians who have committed their time and money, who have challenged themselves in the same ways you have, and who are quite likely to become your true friends and colleagues for life. And you’ll find yourself surrounded by a community of others who are just as passionate about their magic as you are. Who knows, you might even meet some of Las Vegas’ stars of magic!
I hope you will opt in for the adventure, the challenge, the life fully lived. I hope you’ll choose the Wizards way. And I hope to meet you soon at one of our classes or events! There are still a few spots left for both the July and August classes.
Sincerely,
Tobias Beckwith
“We all have two choices; we can make a living or we can design a life.”
— Jim Rohn
We really have two choices. We can settle for what we’ve always done before, or take creative risks. The risk-takers are the leaders, the artists and the visionaries. Here at the Magic & Mystery School, we’ve helped many people make huge changes in their lives. We also walk our talk and continue to change and evolve the School to meet the needs of our students. We are making big changes, and we want you to know about them.
Here is a great new video by our friend, film-maker Jordan Wright. It shows how our School is evolving. Take a few seconds to see what we’re doing!
“Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.”
— Louis D. Brandeis
Many people did not believe that we could actually create an online magic school, one that could offer expert teaching… Well, we’ve done just that!
We know that many students could use a bit of help paying for one of our classes here in Las Vegas, and we’ve developed our Scholarship Program to help! Learn more here: http://www.magicalwisdom.com/scholarships
The McBride Magic Experience will be in Philadelphia and Baltimore. This is a rare opportunity for my East Coast friends to see my new one man show, the brand new Ask the Show Doctor lecture, and a four hour Super Session workshop! All the information is on my calendar:
http://www.mcbridemagic.com/pages/calendar.php
“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.”
— Oprah Winfrey
If you’ve ever wanted to study with Eugene Burger and the full faculty of the Magic and Mystery School, the time is now. This is a life-changing event.
“The Master Class was the most transformative magic experience of my life.”
— Zac Barkowski, magician
Register now for the final classes of 2013: http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events
My invitation to you: If you’re looking for a little magical inspiration, join us at mcbridemagic.tv for uplifting and inspirational programs, free, 24 hours a day!
Please feel free to email Abbi or me if you have any questions about classes or private sessions here in Las Vegas or online. It’s really an amazing world we’re living in, that we can now hold magic classes secretly and securely on the internet. I am sure that you will find many magical gifts hidden around our websites for you to enjoy….
Yours in mystery,
Jeff
P.S. You can see a the full April WONDERGROUND show compressed down to just a few minutes, thanks to the great work of Scott Steelfyre! Just click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ8U7Y5Bv2I
We create a new show every month!
Dear Friends:
I’m always delighted when we have a Museletter written by our friend George Parker. George is a real wizard in every sense, and I know I always learn something from every conversation I get to have with him and everything I read that he writes. George lives in Amsterdam, and bills himself as a corporate alchemist – which means he helps companies and corporations, as well as individuals, create positive change, often using his magic. I know you’ll enjoy his insights below!
From George Parker:
The 7th Veil
Shakespeare once wrote: “I like your silence. It the more shows of your wonder.†I think he was right. When we experience wonder we fall silent. We react quite differently when we’re surprised, astonished, amazed, flabbergasted, stunned, astounded or startled.
I love both the experience of wonder as well as creating that experience for my audience. Yet I know that my success is often judged by how loud people scream and laugh and how much they will talk about it after the show. If I want to be perceived as successful I need to include some ‘cheerleader’-magic generating big laughs and loud cheers. If I want to be successful in my own definition I need to create the state of wonder which will in turn generate silence.
I’ve tried to solve this in a couple of ways. First, I look at my shows from a musical perspective. I want my shows to be symphonies. The instruments (script, visual effects, music, interaction, etc.) need to work together to create the bigger picture. I also want to mix in slower pieces and silent moments to create more texture.
The second solution was inspired by Sam Sharpe. In his ‘Neo Magic’ he wrote about the famous 7th veil that belly-dancers never remove while dancing: “The fine artist never attempts to withdraw the 7th veil. This means that in conjuring the greater effect is liable to be created or some sort of cover is used. To vanish a lamp from under a foulard is far more magical than to use the visible disappearance.â€
Using this principle I’m able to ‘train’ my audience to hold their attention and open up to being silent. Once they get used to postponing their need to release tension by being loud, they will be much more inclined to switch to a state of wonder later.
It’s even true in real life, I’ve discovered!
George Parker
From Tobias:
Thanks, George!
And now on the the “news†part of the Museletter newsletter.
At the end of this month, Jeff will be travelling east for just two East Coast events. The first, on May 29-30, is sponsored by our good friend Marc DeSouza, who is an amazing magician in his own right. Marc’s space for events is very small, so if you’re in the area, I would urge you to get in touch with him as soon as possible. This will sell out fast, and you’re amongst the first to hear about it. For more info, e-mail Marc directly: FKaps@aol.com.
The second event will be at Howard Katz’ Magic Warehouse, again with show, lecture and workshop. The dates are June 1-2, and I understand Jeff will be actually hosting our Monday Night Mystery School show from The Magic Warehouse on Monday, June 3. For those of you who may not be aware, The Magic Warehouse is one of our sponsors for the Monday night shows, so it will be especially fun that Jeff will be able to broadcast – and give you all a short tour “behind the scenes†with Howard while he is there. There is a link to all Jeff’s events while in Baltimore on the home page for the Magic Warehouse: http://themagicwarehouse.com/. Go…buy a ticket now. They’ll go fast!
And while you’re there – buy some magic, too!
Till next time, then.
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com
Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats. — Howard Aiken
Dear Friends:
This may be the biggest story in the world of magic today!
The BBC picked up on my recent situation with the recent “copy act” and how I handled it gracefully as “a magic teacher.” They picked up on this problem, currently rampant in our magic world – acts, inventions and other intellectual property are being ripped off left and right. Read all about it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21861418
There’s also a ‘webified’ text of the radio story that ran on PRI, but it’s much better if you click the ‘play’ button to listen to the audio of the radio show: http://www.theworld.org/2013/04/magician-jeff-mcbride/
Look at or listen to both of these stories! They are ground-breaking stories on “magic theft,†and intellectual property rights, getting notice by major mainstream media. Many thanks to our new friend, Arun Rath, the reporter who wrote both stories.
An original artist is unable to copy. So he has only to copy in order to be original? —Jean Cocteau
Q: What can you do to encourage originality and fight magic theft?
A: Support our magic school!
Become a Member. Our scholarship programs help many students find a magical education… you can help! Please go to www.magicalwisdom.com and sign up or donate now.
But there are some things, child, that you should steal. That you must steal, if you have enough love and courage in your heart. You must snatch freedom from the hands of the tyrant. You must spirit away innocent lives before they are destroyed. You must hide secret and sacred places. — Lian Tanner
Not only did I get the advice I was looking for, the inspiration from Jeff and Eugene will last a lifetime. — Dan Rodriguez, S.A.M Past National President
He is a living legend of magic. Siegfried is a Grand Master of Illusion. For 2 hours he held court and shared his marvelous teaching stories and wisdom with our class. You just never know who will drop in on our classes! Who would you like to see show up when YOU attend our class?
Here is Siegfried, with Larry Hass and me, opening his personal copy of The Show Doctor! He looks as delighted as a kid on Christmas morning!
Jeff has had such an impact on my show as well as my creativity in life.  I never would have been able to stand toe to toe with Hollywood’s biggest think tanks without the lessons  learned from my mentor and friend Jeff McBride. — Nick Norton
Here is a new character I’ve been developing. His name is “MO -NOPOLY” and he is the “Wizard with Money-Magic”.
Every month we create a NEW show for Wonderground. We are a tribe of artists and rebels, dreamers and rowdy misfits who support each other’s divine madness!
Originality is the best form of rebellion. — Mike Sasso
You are invited to The Biggest Magic Party in Las Vegas! This, and every other third Thursday April 18th at 8PM, at The Olive on Sunset.
Here are highlights from last month’s event edited by Scott Steelfyre:
http://www.vegaswonderground.com/pages/media/videos-live-from-wonderground.php
The Kings of Poker are here: http://virtual.magicalwisdom.com/lessons/view/57
See it now! The finale teaches you how to script a standing ovation into your act.
I will see you in Vegas or on our webTV show, live on Monday nights, but available 24/7 if you can’t make it on Monday: www.mcbridemagic.tv
Enjoy the magic of spring!
Yours in magical community,
Jeff McBride