The Power Of Magic

I've been writing much about nearly everything important in my life. But I didn't write anything about magic yet, although it's one of my biggest passions. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in real magic or supernatural powers. But I love to act like I really did. Especially with kids this is big fun.
 

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone out you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

-- Mark Twain

Once, I was near Montreal together with my friends from New York for a holiday. They own 4 cottages at a nice lake. Some Canadian friends where there as well so all 4 cottages were occupied by friends, and her family lives just 10 minutes away. We were a bunch of people, we often had BBQ at the lake and it was just like paradise. One of their friends have a little daugther, she was about 5 years old. There were no other kids her age so she was bored. The little girl only spoke French, I wasn't even able to talk to her. I'm usually carrying a deck of cards, a rope, some rubberbands and a red silk scarf with me every day. I showed her some tricks. And she really loved it. From that moment on, she was my biggest fan. Her eyes were as wide as truck wheels. Her mom told me the next morning that all she's talking about is "Le Magicien". Whenever she saw me she smiled and treated me with awe and respect.

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.
For those who don't, none will suffice.

-- Joseph Dunninger

I love to remember that trip. The girl's happy smile was the best reward for a performance I could ever get.

Or there was a 3 year old boy, he's the nephew of a friend. I was invited to his birthday (as a guest, not as performer), and I decided to show some tricks after dinner. He had to go to bed, and I just did three or four tricks with rubberbands before he had to go. He desperatly wanted the "magic rubberbands" on his nightstand. All the big gifts he got from his family could stay in the living room. But two ordinary rubber bands were the things he couldn't left.


I love the reactions of other people when they saw something they're actually refusing to believe. You can see they have no explanation for what they saw, and they're trying hard to come up with one, but don't succeed.
A coworker got really angry because he wasn't able to figure out a trick I've showed him with rubberbands. He tried for hours, then he got very angry, he stood up, threw his rubberbands on the floor and shouted, "I even couldn't stand that back in kindergarten when I didn't figure out a trick."

Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business.

-- Tom Robbins

I started doing magic when I was very little, but the tricks I did were quite ... ordinary. You know, the stuff nearly everybody knows. I was known for performing some card tricks every now and then in my youth, but I wouldn't say it was something special. Then there was a break where I didn't do any magic for some years.

Suddenly a friend (who's also a fellow blogger) started to do some "real" magic. You know, the things not everybody knows. I liked it very much and my interest in magic grew. During a trip to New York (of course, which place else ever had an impact on my life?) I found a magic store and bought a good book. I was sitting in Central Park and was reading in that book. On my way home I bought some decks of cards in a CVS and practiced in the evening. That's when I really cought fire. Since then I've spend quite a lot on professional books and instruction videos. My passion are the tricks with ordinary everyday objects that require slight of hand. There are some moves I'm practicing for weeks before they're ok. But it's fun. I even like to do magic for myself, sometimes even I am surprised when and I see the effect. I'm even tricking me although I'm the one who's doing it.

Using words to describe magic is like using a screwdriver to cut roast beef.

-- Tom Robbins

I had a coworker who loved the tricks, and I enjoyed doing magic to her very much, she was a perfect spectator, and she was always asking for more. So we had a deal, every Tuesday and Thursday I was supposed to do a trick in her office. It didn't take long and other coworkers joined the little magic sessions. I once did a trick to a girl where I made her make a fist. I said something about voodoo, rubbed ashes in my palm until it had vanised, and when she opened her fist there were ashes on her palm although I didn't touch her. She was surprised and shocked. The next day she came into my office and said with a calm voice that she needed to talk. We went to a conference room. She was very shy, she looked at me and said, "Please don't think I'm stupid. I was thinking about that thing yesterday. I have absolutely no explanation. I know you didn't touch me. I felt a heat in my fist when you rubbed the ashes in your palm. Was that voodoo? I really would believe that it was real magic. You don't have to tell me how you did it, but please tell me: is it a trick or was this real magic?"

Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul, delight the heart, and they both take practice.

-- Nora Roberts

Ok, now you know a little bit more about one of my hobbies. Unfortunately I didn't practice much lately, but I'm sure this will change again soon.
The picture is (of course) not real magic, I set this up just for the picture, although I can really do something very similar with just one card. No gadgets involved, just my hand and a card. But when I was practicing it, I injured my hand severely and I had to stop doing magic for some weeks. I can still do it, of course, but every time my hand starts hurting for hours. I just did it while I'm writing this paragraph, and my hand hurts again. Magic can be dangerous. Children, don't do that at home. :-)