“Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul and delight the heart. The both take practice.”
Nora Roberts
HOW DOES MAGIC ENRICH YOUR LIFE?
(Take a few moments to think about this before reading on… I’ll wait.)
Here’s another question for you. When you experience a magic effect, do you walk away from the experience with more than just feeling fooled? If you perform magic, do you have an intention beyond “just tricking” your audience? Often, when a person immediately responds by saying “how did you do that?” I know I’ve partially failed in my mission as a mystery entertainer. I want my participants to walk away with more, with a genuine human happening, and perhaps, a life-enriching experience.
If you’re human, you have eight basic needs, and we continue to seek out ways to meet these needs, in order to make us:Â
HAPPIER
SMARTER
HEALTHIER
RICHER
SAFER
MORE SECURE
MORE ATTRACTIVE
MORE SUCCESSFUL
I’ve been examining our goals as teachers here at the Magic and Mystery School. I can honestly say that when our students attend our classes, many of these life-needs are met. It is our goal to create happy, healthy, smart performers. Tobias and Bryce teach us the tools we need to be wealthy and prosperous. Abbi creates a safe and secure environment here at the McBride House of Mystery, for all of us to deepen our understanding of life’s wonders. Our creative team is here to help you enhance your life with the highest quality magical training. We are more than just a school where people learn magic tricks. We share life lessons, and many of our students become lifelong friends as we travel together on the endless journey of mastery.
Take a look now at some of our friends who are following their dreams….
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/quotes
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A MASTER?
Persistence — More than anything else, persistence is the key. One must persist, on a daily basis in practice, rehearsal, study and self-examination to continually polish and upgrade their skill sets. But, there is a danger in trying to go it alone. Even if you’re persistent, you might be practicing or performing your magic with bad habits. How can you really know if you’re getting the right input from your friends or colleagues on your work? Sometimes, it’s good to get the advice from people who are experts in their fields. Experts can save you thousands of dollars and years of work by teaching you the correct techniques and giving you the right tools to use to build your magic and your life. I was very fortunate to develop my friendship with Eugene Burger years ago. He pointed me in the right direction, and I made many changes in my magical style. He helped me with presentation skills, and we can help you. Eugene is turning 70 this year. He truly is one of the great sages of magic, and is at the top of his game right now. This is an excellent time to take advantage of his presence and his many years of experience.
SUMMER SCHOOL FOR MAGIC
Imagine you went back to school and all of the classes were about magic! … and all of the teachers were your favorite magicians! … Well, guess what. It’s real. Can you hear the school bell ringing? It’s telling you that class is in session, and we would love for you to join us at our upcoming Master Classes. Take a moment to look through our class schedules and pick the perfect class for you! We are here to inspire you to make positive changes in your magic and your life. We guarantee that you will find this a transformative and life-enriching experience. Take action in your life and in your magic. Take the next step on your path to mastery. See you in Las Vegas!Â
“Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Jeff
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“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But, when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”
— Attributed to Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American Humorist
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MY DAD THE COWBOY
My father, Jack, taught me a lot of things. One of them was how to ride a horse. My dad met my mom at a horse show. He rode Western. She rode “proper English” style. This was the beginning of a long relationship, where both of them learned to respect each other’s differing styles. Many of my weekends growing up were spent at horse shows, and as soon as I could handle a horse, I was competing. My competitions included barrel racing and “keyhole,” a short distance race against the clock, where you gallop down the field, turn on a dime, and race back to the finish line.Â
I guess I didn’t practice as much as the other kids who consistently won the competitions. Oh yes, I did win the occasional first prize, but, more often, I walked away having learned a lesson in humility. It taught me how to lose gracefully, and not to give up, and to practice for the sheer pleasure of practicing. I really value the lessons I’ve learned from my father, and from my time riding horses. I often remind our students who are entering competitions that the real test of a competition is to be aware that it is not the goal or the gold, but the continuing process of mastery. The path of mastery takes hard work and commitment.
“Work banishes those three great evils: boredom, vice and poverty.”
— Voltaire, 1694-1778
MAGIC AND MEANING
Once a year, some of the brightest magicians and philosophers in the world gather together for our Magic and Meaning Conference. You can see inspirational videos of some of the highlights here at our PEP talks. PEP stands for Performance, Entertainment, Philosophy. You can watch some of the talks from last year on our website:Â
http://wwww.magicalwisdom.com/infopages/view/mm_talks
This year, we are also celebrating the release of the new edition of Eugene Burger and Robert Neale’s inspirational work MAGIC AND MEANING. This great book has been out of print for awhile, but is available again now, with 17% new material added. You can get it by going visiting our online catalog:
http://shop.yourmagic.com
TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Bryce has done an amazing job on our new SECRET ART JOURNAL. This month, our featured writer is Jeff Civillico, who offers practical advice on being a Master of Ceremonies, or the host of a show. You can see his “Tips from a professional Master of Ceremonies” at
http://www.secretartjournal.com
LAST CALL FOR MAYFIRE!
If you’ve ever wanted to experience the deeper magical mysteries, the time is now. It happens only once a year, and this year it’s happening May 10- 15.Â
http://www.vegasvortex.com
FROM TOBIAS:
For those of you on the East Coast, we’re just firming up plans for Jeff to be in New York City on June 12 & 13 at the Fantasma Magic Shop. Go to http://www.fantasmamagic.com for details of how to sign up.Â
Later in June we’ll be holding another Extended Master Class, and there are still a few slots open. Check that and our other upcoming classes out at http://www.magicalwisdom.com. Register now, while spaces are available!Â
Also: Our friend Wayne Kawamoto publishes one of the better magic newsletters on the web, and he has just named Jeff among the top 10 magicians of our time. Read all about it at:Â
http://magic.about.com/od/biosonfamousmagicians/a/topten.htm
Best to all!Â
Tobias
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“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” — Miriam Beardh
Greetings Friends!
Abbi and I are back from Israel, where Dahlia Peled took many of the star performers on a Segway tour of Jerusalem. This is a great way to tour! Dahlia is the president of the Israeli Magicians Society and hosted a fantastic international event that garnered much press. Here is our crew on the Segways:
Here is Abbi, exploring the marketplace in the Old City of Jerusalem. To be in a place where people have been buying and selling, haggling over prices and negotiating with each other for centuries has a certain magic of its own. We had a wonderful afternoon, wandering through the maze that is the Old City, with Dahlia and the other magi, seeing the ancient sites, and exploring the various stalls. “My friend, my friend, come in, come in, for you I will make a special bargain, what you like…?”
This week at the House of Mystery, a film crew is here, making a documentary called MISDIRECTION. This film is about inner-city kids who find magic as a way out of the ‘hood. I’ve been involved with the project for several months now, and you can see a trailer here:Â http://www.priorlogicproductions.com/
This week, students in the Master Class, with Eugene Burger, will be taping part of the documentary backstage at the Lance Burton Show and around Las Vegas. Wow! This is our third major documentary in three years.Â
If you haven’t visited the new web sites, here are a few highlights we think you’ll enjoy:Â
If you love magical philosophy and the psychology of illusion, you will love our gifts of wonder that await you, free of charge, at http://www.secretartjournal.com/
We also have inspiring videos from last year’s Magic and Meaning Conference. The PEP Talks were recorded and edited by Jordan Wright, and are sure to provoke your creativity. You can check them out here:Â
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/infopages/view/mm_talks
Many of our friends have asked how they can to re-visit some of the stories, quotes and travelogues from previous Museletters. You can find them here:Â
https://blog.mcbridemagic.com/
Next week, I’ll be at the Magi-Whirl convention just outside Washington, D.C. I’ll be doing the full 2nd half of their gala show, and offering a separate Secret Session workshop. If you’ve always wanted to try out a Master Class, this is a great way to do it! Learn more at http://magiwhirl.homestead.com/. I hope I’ll see some of you there.
Jordan Wright will be joining Jeff as his opening act on David Sandy’s Magic Cruise, May 3 – 10th, 2009. If you want to join us for a magic convention at sea, contact David Sandy.
Five days of peace, love, magick and fire! Information, Please READ and SHARE with friends…Â
http://vegasvortex.com/pages/MayFireInformation
The Vegas Vortex welcomes you to four days and nights of incredible magical adventure in the desert. Please read the link above carefully so you can be well informed about the details of this four day Fire Gathering. This is our sixth annual MayFire celebration. This is a special gathering, for initiates, friends and family of fire, only. If you have never attended one of our events before, you must be sponsored in to this one by someone who has attended FireDance, Fire Tribe, Spirit Fire, or Celebrate the Spirit gatherings. Â
The Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest State Park. It is located only 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park’s attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun’s rays. There are a limited number of spaces for cars to park, and a limited number of places where we can set up our tents. Â
Your friends in mystery,Â
Jeff, Abbi, Eugene, Tobias, Jordan and Bryce
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Thomas Alva Edison
Yes, we all know that Edison was a genius. The very symbol of a bright idea is a light bulb going off over our head. Not all great ideas explode like a ball of flash paper. Some ideas start out as a little spark and need to be fanned into a blaze of creativity. The kind of fire I’m talking about illuminates new horizons; it inspires creativity, and the heat makes you sweat. It took lots of sweat and hard work by a team of great artists to create our new project… a project for you, my friends. Enjoy the fire of our creation!
MAGIC OPENS ITS DOORS IN CYBERSPACE
We’ve been keeping this under wraps for many, many months, and now you are the first to know…. Tobias and Bryce have been working with our team of artists and web designers, including Gabe Marihugh, Duncan Eagleson, Katlyn Breene, Erin Doleshall and Abbi, on new virtual worlds for you to explore. I’ll let Bryce be our concierge to cyberspace.
First of all, I normally devote this entire email to an April Fools theme. Unfortunately, the only thing I have for you this year is the photo of me and my “twin” to be found later in this email.
Many of you have heard me talk at the Magic School or elsewhere on websites and internet marketing. The sad fact was that Jeff’s website wasn’t living up to my own standards. It wasn’t about design (it never is). It just wasn’t serving its purpose (to get Jeff work). I built his first website in 1995, while I was in college. Over the years it has grown. That was the problem.
Jeff is a very complex person with an equally complex career. We started by trying to build one website that would cover all the bases. Now we’re up to six websites.
Those of you who know me, know I tend to go overboard. I certainly didn’t break the trend here. We have completely redesigned Jeff all of Jeff’s magic-related sites and added a new blog site. The only thing that stayed the same was the VegasVortex site, which I no longer manage.
Here’s a brief overview of what happened and why. Visit the sites to see the results.
And now, as promised… my twin.
This is my new friend Max Schneider (I’m the one on the right… not the far right with the beard, obviously). I was hanging out in our room at the World Magic Seminar a few weeks ago and suddenly Jeff screams “It’s the winner of the Bryce Kuhlman look-alike contest!” Max had just entered the room. We got quite a reaction every time we were caught hanging out in the hallways!
Max is a wonderful magician from Germany who’s currently spending some time performing in the US. While in Germany he took classes with Alexander de Cova and eventually became a student of Gaston. Even at his young age, he’s had a lot of experience in magic: competitions, restaurants, theatre, TV and even a command performance for Roy’s birthday followed by a short tour with them to perform for orphans in Romania.
Max has lots of ideas about us working together on stage. A virtual matrix routine? Hmmm…
-Bryce
MUSIC, MAGIC, MYSTERY AND FIRE!
“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.”
–Robert Fripp
Abbi and I love music, in fact, we met playing drums around a fire… and ever since that first spark was lit, twenty years ago, we’ve been traveling the world, sharing our unique vision of magick and music. We have been joined by friends Dr. Joshua Levin and Michael Wall, in co-creating a new group project… introducing….
THE PYROMANTICS
The Pyromantics are a fellowship of four friends drawn together by a shared vision of loving creative harmony. Abigail, Michael, Jeff, and Joshua have devoted more than a decade to exploring techniques for creating semi-improvisational experiences that empower large groups of people to inspire, nurture, and discover each other in the moment. Drawing upon a wealth of experience in diverse fields, the Pyromantics have applied their gifts to the creation and refinement of the Alchemifire Ritual. The result is a unique, cutting edge contribution to the field of human growth and potential. Grounded in cross-cultural archetypes of ceremony, and built around the inclusive, non-denominational metaphor of alchemical transformation, their work awakens, joins, strengthens, and refines, in a festive ordeal of music, poetry, dance, and art. Offering these experiences around the country for no more than the cost of production, the Pyromantics are true to their name – lovers of the fire that dwells within and without, illuminating our way from the sun to the soul and beyond.
LET’S BREAK IT DOWN TO THE BASIC BLOCKS:
PYR=FIRE
“OM” =THE UNIVERSAL SOUND THAT CONTAINS ALL SOUND, WORDS, LANGUAGE AND MANTRAS
ROMANTIC= EMBRACING THE EXOTIC, UNFAMILIAR AND HARNESSING THE POWER OF LOVE AND THE IMAGINATION TO ENVISION AND TO TRANSFORM
ANTICS= WHAT WE ARE INSPIRED TO DO AS WE DANCE THE FIRE FROM DUSK TIL DAWN!
Join the Pyromantics for a series of Alchemifire events this summer!
MayFire, May 10-15, at the Valley of Fire State Park, just north of Las Vegas. One of the places we find inspiration is at our Alchemifire events. We are hosting one here in May, and if you are called to join us, here is the link to explore http://www.vegasvortex.com
We will be hosting another in June, in Ohio, called the Wisteria Summer Solstice Gathering, June 14 – 21, 2009
http://www.wisteria.org/wisteria-summer-solstice.htm
“The highest intellects, like the tops of mountains, are the first to catch and to reflect the dawn.”
Thomas Babington Macaulay
I want to thank, again, all of our Magic and Mystery School team for pouring their efforts into our new projects.
It is our hope that these Museletters will continue to inspire you and all of our friends on our magical quests.
Abbi and I love the time we share writing these, and we take great pleasure in knowing that you read our words, and enjoy them.
Love and magic to all,
Jeff & Abbi