MiloCast

You can usually identify the people who are fairly new to magic as soon as they enter the shop. The first thing they ask the shop owner is “What’s new?” Soon they will learn. To abuse an overused analogy, the new stuff is a snowflake on the tip of an iceberg. Not only is this an accurate visualization for the usual reason (it hints at how much more there is than meets the eye), but it’s also accurate in that the enormous bulk of magic history supports the “new” stuff, which would be nothing without it.

It is often said that there is “nothing new under the sun.” In magic, this is also a safe assumption. Any new effect for sale is just a new combination of old elements. Improved in some cases, but probably nothing that is going to shake the magic community. There are only so many principles in magic. Once a magician is familiar with these, seeing most tricks for the first time gives a pretty good idea of the method*. A magician also sees the world a little differently than most people for the same reason; these insights are what I’m trying to share with my readers, to help them make more educated decisions in their daily lives. The lesson here for magicians is that you have plenty of amazing magic already — just take the time to study the material you have already bought. The lesson for us all, however, is much more important.

In magic and in life, there is a tendency to collect. Get a better car, get the newest magic book, get the fastest computer, get the coolest mobile phone. There is nothing wrong with wanting or acquiring any of those things, but what about the things you had wanted just as badly, but now have? Spending time with friends or family, or reading the classic magic texts, or just sitting outside reading a book and drinking iced tea are all experiences you will enjoy, and they can’t be bought. This is not intended to be a “stop and smell the roses” article, however. I personally enjoy looking ahead to the unknowable and unobtainable. But consider whether your object of desire will fulfill your true ambition. Will that newest magic trick make you a better magician? Will that newer cell phone really help you communicate or organize your life better? If so, go for it. But if you have gold sitting at home on your shelf or in a drawer, try dusting it off and letting it shine.

*By the way, consider this before taking up magic as a hobby. If you love watching magic, and don’t plan to perform magic regularly, maybe reconsider. It gets harder and harder to be fooled, and that takes away most of the fun of watching magic.