 
The power of magic lies not within the "trick" itself- it's power exists entirely within the experience of the perceiver. That power can extend infinitely beyond the moment of the effect; that moment of astonishment, in the presence of a skillful wizard, can do more than just entertain- it can change a life, and touch the lives of generations of people to come. Wizards of legend knew this simple fact. It is a heartening and inspiring understanding, because it means that the keys we need for healing, transformation, growth and fulfillment are already within us. We are all magical beings, but most of us go through life without ever discovering this transforming fact. Magic shatters the crusted bonds that have grown to rigidly hold our beliefs and ideas about life in place. For just a tiny slice of an instant, our senses report that they have witnessed... something impossible, happening right before our eyes. Of course our minds rush in to return the world to normal, telling us things like "It's just a trick". Why is it so important to us to restore that "normal order" of things? What would happen if we were to allow that order to remain permanently revised? Magic has gone through many transformations in its rich history, from a force that helped shape the very course of history, to today's birthday party entertainment and theatre-packing Las Vegas shows. I believe magic's history is far from over, and that it has a far greater role to play. Eugene Burger, my favorite magical mentor, refers to this form of Magic as "Restored Magic", and the possibilities of this field are... magical. Let's look at the roles magic can play... Magic as entertainmentNote: Credits for all effects on this site, where I have been able to find such information, may be viewed by clicking anywhere you see the word "Credits". To the right is a magical star. A simple, entertaining trick can be done with this item, and the same effect can be done with this item in a way that has much deeper, personal significance. Notice that a star is really a geometrically complex shape, containing many lines, angles and points. It also bears a symbolic resemblance to a human being, with two points for legs, two for arms, and one for the head. As it turns out, this relationship can be used to devine the thoughts of someone, in this case... YOU! If you want to play along, all you have to do is pick any single digit number (0 through 9). And we start applying the dimensions of the star to your thought-of number. The first aspect is the very foundation of the star, the two legs upon which it stands, and so I will ask you to multiply your thought-of number by two, to obtain a new total. Now, there are five points on the star, and five angles which give rise to those points. So now, please add five to the total, for the five points. And the number you get from that, you will multiply by five for the five angles that form the points. Now you have a total. And now, your original thought-of number has been translated into the form of the star. Even adding another single digit number (0 through 9) will render it in the form of the star's influence, so go ahead and add that second thought-of number- it can be the same as the first or different, any number, zero through nine, inclusive. You now have a new total. Tell the star your total by clicking the center of the star and typing your number there, then click on the top of the star. The star will then reveal what it knows- not only the two numbers you picked, but the order in which you picked them as well! Tha's an entertaining example of Star Magic! But there's more... 
Magic as Mysterytext to come... Magic with Meaningtext to come... Magic as Communicationtext to come... |