One of the great joys of leading our Mystery School community is watching our students and peers grow along the magical path. My friend Tim Santiago Converse recently wrote a reflection on his first year in magic. His words capture the spirit of mentorship, humility, and self-discovery. I wanted to share a portion of it with you here.
From Tim Santiago Converse
“Year One: All the Things I Wish I Knew When I Started 30 Years Ago”
When I first began in magic, everything I owned fit inside a battered briefcase. I still have it–cracked leather, worn corners, and stuffed with memories of a younger version of myself… nervous hands, big dreams, and not a clue what I was really searching for.
These days, I find myself wondering what I would say to that kid if I could send a message backwards through time. What advice would have spared me years of frustration? What guidance would have helped me grow with more intention and less noise? This is what I would tell him, and what I now share with peers who’ve been walking this road just as long.
1. Find a Mentor
A mentor is the greatest shortcut you will ever take. A true teacher doesn’t just explain how a trick works, they ask you why you want to perform it. In your first year you may guard your secrets and want to go it alone, but trust me, the path is richer when someone walks ahead of you with a lantern.
And later, when you become the mentor, don’t imagine you’ve outgrown the need for guidance. Your mentors simply come from new places–theater directors, coaches, business minds, or storytellers. Teaching others refines your own philosophy in a way nothing else can.
2. Find Who You Are
Imitation is natural at the beginning. We all echo our heroes. But sooner or later you must turn inward. What do you want to express? What story do you want to tell? Is your character aligned with your look, your words, your movement?
And for those of us decades into the craft, are we still performing as the person we were at 25? Or have we quietly outgrown our old persona? Magic should reflect who we are now. Sometimes evolution is overdue.
3. Find Your Community
Magic may feel solitary, but it was never meant to be done alone. The right community will challenge you, support you, and keep you honest.
And for the veterans: if you feel isolated at the top of your local scene, it’s time to widen the circle. Seek collaborators outside of magic–dancers, actors, entrepreneurs, and musicians. Talk not just about methods, but about legacy, burnout, imagination, and longevity. And always make time for the younger magicians. They need your guidance, and their creativity might just reawaken your own.
From Jeff
These are just a few highlights from Tim’s beautiful letter. There is much more depth, honesty, and wisdom in the complete version. You can read the full piece in this month’s Secret Arts Journal: https://www.secretartjournal.com
The Gift of Magic
This is the season when we share what matters most: wonder, wisdom, and the gift of mystery. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or someone who loves magic, this is it. A private online session with me is one of the most powerful ways to deepen your practice. Whether you want to learn new techniques, refine routines, strengthen presentations, or explore magic’s history and philosophy, we can go exactly where you want to go.
Abigail has created a beautiful gift certificate to make this easy. To reserve yours, email her or call at 702-450-0021.
The Las Vegas Séance Summit
It’s hard to believe Houdini has been gone for over a century, yet his spirit lives, especially here at the Mystery School. To honor this milestone, we are hosting a very special, in-person training: The Las Vegas Séance Summit.
This immersive experience will show you how to create atmosphere, structure a séance, use classic “spirit theater” techniques, and, most importantly, how to build your own Houdini-themed séance to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of his passing.
This event is limited to 13 participants, and more than half the seats are already taken. If you feel called to explore this sacred and theatrical tradition, now is the time to join us.
Houdini’s Spirit Lives…at Mystery School
Before he became the world’s most famous escape artist, Houdini was known as “The King of Cards.” His early mastery, focus, and unshakable drive helped shape my own path in magic. Ok, I was even inspired by his poster, too!
Houdini’s spirit is alive in our school today and inspires me to continue releasing books, videos, and stage-ready routines for our community.
Featured Creation: Mental Towers
One of my strongest routines for stage is now available.
Our final shipment from Asia has arrived. This is the last production run, and only a few sets remain. You can watch the demonstration video and explore my full line of magic creations, just in time for holiday shows – https://shop.magicalwisdom.com
Our New Book! A Book for All Seasons
Our newest new book includes tricks, tips, and big ideas from magicians Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger, alongside work by Alexandra Duvivier, Bill Cook, Dani DaOrtiz, Shawn Farquhar, and many others. Both hardcover and pdf versions are available.
McBride World Tour News
Magic World Vienna
Soon I will be performing at the remarkable Magic World theater in Vienna. More details are available at https://www.magicworld.at/en/show/magicwinterfestival25
The Magic Castle – Hollywood
At the end of January, I will return to the Close-Up Gallery of the Magic Castle. If you are a Castle member, I look forward to seeing you there!
Blessings to all for a great holiday season ahead.
With gratitude and inspiration,
Jeff & Abigail McBride
Dear Friends in Magic,
In times when the world feels uncertain, art, and especially the art of magic, can become both a refuge and a response. This week, magician and philosopher Ferdinando Buscema invites us to consider how our practice of wonder can help us stay human amidst chaos. In this Museletter, Ferdinando reminds us that our sleights and scripts are more than tricks; they are acts of quiet courage and creative defiance.
Magic in Times of Chaos
by Ferdinando Buscema
Like many of us, I spend a lot of time thinking about magic. After nearly fifty years of this love affair, it still fills me every single day with deep joy and wonder. And, like many of us, I also read the news—trying to stay informed about what’s happening in the world—which can sometimes be overwhelming. It often seems as if the world is out of joint, spinning faster and stranger with every passing day. Yet, amid the noise and confusion, there is still so much beauty, kindness, and love worth protecting. Our attention is constantly pulled toward outrage and crisis, but the good is still there, if we know where to look. What follows are a few reflections on how to navigate this landscape of “High Weirdness”, as author Erik Davis calls it, and find some balance between these opposing forces.
Legend has it that on the night of April 14, 1912, as the Titanic sank into the freezing Atlantic, the eight musicians on board made a baffling choice. Instead of trying to save their lives, in the face of imminent disaster, they kept on playingtheir music.
Why did they act in such an unnatural way? We can speculate that perhaps, in that moment of chaos, they asked themselves, more or less consciously, What is my place in all this?
And maybe the answer was simple, bold, beautiful, and mad, “Just play on.”
It’s a striking image, one that feels deeply resonant for our times, as we find ourselves caught in our personal and collective turmoil. The world outside grows weirder and more incomprehensible by the day—faster, louder, meaner, and out of control. The effects on our inner lives are no fun–anxiety, helplessness, and disillusionment. And yet… here we are, magicians still honing our craft, still practicing our sleights, still rehearsing impossible things.
So why do we keep playing? Is it worth spending time and energy in the face of potential global disasters? Are we going to save the world from sinking with our tricks? Probably not. But magic is what we do, so we’ll keep on doing it anyway.
Magic—in its useless, beautiful, rebellious nature—is our way of staying human in a world that has forgotten how. In an age obsessed with efficiency and optimization, doing something that serves no practical purpose, like practicing sleight of hand or devoting endless hours to crafting wonder, is an act of quiet defiance and aesthetic resistance. We don’t do magic because it “makes sense.” We do it because it keeps our souls alive, and, hopefully, offers a glimpse of joy and wonder to those we share our art with.
Italian philosopher Franco “Bifo” Berardi wrote:
“I think that despair is the only appropriate intellectual response to our times. At the same time, I also think that despair and joy are not mutually exclusive, since despair is a mode of being of the intellectual mind, while joy is a way of being of the embodied mind.”
That’s a lifesaving reminder. Opposite feelings are not enemies. They can coexist, woven into the same breath. You can feel the weight of the world pressing down and still laugh at a dumb joke with a friend. You can be overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all and still be moved to tears by a song or a film. You can grieve and still dance in your kitchen, sing in the shower, fall in love, or play with your cat. You can be heartbroken about the world and still find yourself astonished by a magic effect, a new Fool Us episode, a piece of art, a book, or a friend.
Despair and joy–the real double lift–the secret move for surviving in times of High Weirdness.
Italian author Italo Calvino offers us a powerful magic spell, the ultimate compass to navigate our world:
“The hell of the living is not something that will be; if there is one, it is what is already here, the hell that we live every day, that we form by being together. There are two ways to avoid suffering for it. The first is easy for many: to accept hell and become part of it to the point of not seeing it anymore. The second is risky and requires continuous attention and learning: seeking and knowing how to recognize who and what, in the midst of hell, is not hell, and make it last, and give it space.”
Those words are a master key. That’s the trick. That’s the magic we need. We must learn to recognize who and what, in the midst of hell, is not hell, and then help those things last, and give them space to flourish. It all comes down to attention. What we pay attention to becomes our world. We become what we behold, and learning to direct our attention is no small task, especially in a world engineered to distract, disorient, and drag us into endless doom-scrolls.
So, my friends, here are three practical field notes, from one explorer to another, for thriving in the weirdness.
1. Practice — Attention as a martial art
Our art of magic lives and breathes through practice. Whether you’re refining a sleight, polishing a script, or rehearsing a full act, every moment of focused work is an act of quiet resistance against the chaos outside. Each minute spent at the table or at the mirror is a balm for the soul. When we practice, we’re not merely perfecting moves or words, we’re cultivating the martial art of attention. Attention is the ultimate superpower–the ability to shape our reality according to our will. So, learn to love your practice.
2. Perform — Just do it!
Whatever your level of skill or devotion to the art, magic is meant to be performed. Whether you are an amateur, a professional, or something in between, the more you share your magic, the more you spread joy and wonder to the people you meet. No, you’re not going to change the world with your Coins Across or Ambitious Card, but for a brief time, you have the chance to bring light, laughter, and astonishment into someone’s life. That’s no small feat. Magic is good medicine.
I’ve come to believe that real magic is the transmutation of despair into joy—by any means necessary. It’s how we say to the darkness–you don’t get the last word.
3. Community — That’s where true happiness lies.
No person is an island. Each of us is part of a greater whole. The communities we belong to shape who we are. We need others to form our sense of self, and, most importantly, we need others to create and share our happiness (and our sadness, too.) We’re so lucky to be part of the Magic & Mystery School community–this living, loving, breathing circle of wonder-workers. Personally, like many, I’ve found here a home for the soul. I’ve found friendship, knowledge, inspiration, support, and countless gifts. Here we share our joys and sorrows under the wings of loving and wise elders.
This community is an island of sanity, joy, and play amid chaos and darkness. It is a place of the heart, where we can nourish our souls, both in person and from afar. Cherish this place, and seize every opportunity to engage, contribute, and celebrate.
There you have it, my friends.
We don’t know where our global ship is sailing, or what the next wave will bring. The headlines may scream, but we, like the musicians on the Titanic, will keep on playing. Because this is what we do–our gentle, steady form of resistance, to multiply hope, beauty, and joy in the face of darkness.
The 19th Annual Magic & Meaning Conference
November 7–9, 2025 · Online Worldwide
Dear Friends,
Each year, magicians, storytellers, and seekers from around the world return home—to the heart and art of magic. It is time to reconnect with our tribe!
This is the Magic & Meaning Conference, our annual celebration of wonder, wisdom, and community.
Now in its nineteenth year, this gathering continues to inspire magicians of all kinds to think deeply, share openly, and rekindle their creative flame.
The Circle of Connection
Since 2006, our conference has brought together a global family of magical thinkers—people who know that magic is more than entertainment. It is a path of imagination, transformation, and meaning.
At this year’s conference, you will:
All sessions are recorded, so you can experience the conference live or at your own pace.
Guest of Honor: Stephen Minch
We are delighted to honor Stephen Minch—legendary magician, author, editor, and founder of Hermetic Press.
For decades, Stephen has illuminated the art of magic through his work with Dai Vernon, Tommy Wonder, Juan Tamariz, Max Maven, and many others. His presence this year will be both enlightening and inspiring.
Conference Schedule
Friday, November 7 – Opening Party and Circle of Gathering
Saturday & Sunday, November 8–9 – Talks, performances, learning sessions, and conversations that matter.
(Pacific Time: 11:30 AM – 4:30 PM each day; Opening Circle begins Friday at 2:00 PM.)
A Gathering of the Heart
The Magic & Meaning Conference is more than an event. It’s a homecoming—a chance to renew your passion for magic and rediscover the community that believes in its power to uplift, unite, and transform.
Come be part of the conversation that continues to shape the future of our art.
Join Us
Reserve your place now:
Register for the 2025 Magic & Meaning Conference
Watch the preview video:
Why Attend the Magic & Meaning Conference?
We can’t wait to welcome you home—to the heart and art of magic.
With warm regards,
Jeff McBride, Abigail McBride, and Dr. Larry Hass
and all your friends at the Magic & Mystery School
Long ago, the Celts spoke of three deaths.
The first death comes when the heart stops beating.
The second death comes when the body is laid in the ground.
And the *third death… the final death… comes when your name is spoken for the very last time,
I ask you this, my friends, what would you do to keep your name alive?
While you are pondering that question I’ll give you my answer… Pass your legacy forward! That’s what I did with WONDERGROUND… I passed the tradition on to a younger generation and now it is flourishing again.
In the following Museletter, Will Bradshaw tells you about what it takes to keep a legacy alive… it is more work than you might think and you can learn from Will’s lessons below!
Good news! I will be performing this month at Wonderground with Will and an All-Star cast on October 16th, so you can join us there!
Wisdom from Wonderground
Or
(the secret price of a Producer)
“Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name is Will Bradshaw and Welcome to WONDERGROUND.”
The lights blind my eyes and the sound of the audience roars in my ears. And all the sweat, pain, and toil suddenly become worth it knowing the show goes on.
It is the dream of many of us magicians to produce our own show. Being able to introduce ourselves to new clients and able to say “Ah yes, I have my own Vegas show here, let me get you tickets!”
However, as Rumpelstiltskin once said “All magic comes at a cost dearee.” And, producing a show, and making it successful has its cost, its lessons, and its price. Some are delights, some cost us dearly, but all of them are important to know. So here are lessons I learned producing Wonderground.
1: Sometimes you are the bad guy
I worked most of my professional life attempting to be agreeable, easy going and not to lose my temper. And when you are producing a show, it is your responsibility to the audience, the cast and the investors to put on the best show possible. And if things go wrong, even if it was because of someone else… IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
Now, I still try hard to convince people to do what I need them to get done without escalation. But in the end, your show is worth fighting for, and if you don’t fight for your vision, no one else will.
This means sometimes I have to be the bad guy. Sometimes I have to tell people “no.” Feelings will be hurt, egos bruised, but in the end, I am the producer, so I produce, and I produce a great show, month after month after month.
2: Acknowledge your limitations
No matter how much we pretend, we magicians are not experts at everything. For example, I do not know my way around a light board to save my soul, and am barely proficient with sound tech. And to be responsible as a producer is to acknowledge what you don’t know, and defer to others that do. (Yes, that bruised ego from point 1 is sometimes yours.) It is important to become knowledgeable in the aspects of your show. However, every hour you study scenic design is an hour you’re not working on your magic, or other theater arts. You can’t do it all, so you need people to fill in for your weaknesses.
3: A good team is worth more than gold
When doing a strolling gig or small corporate event, you can do most things on your own. (I usually don’t need to work a light board.) However, when you move into a theater, you need a team. For a one-night show of Wonderground my team is seven strong: two show hosts, one front of house manager, one stage manager (with a possible person helping them,) one light tech, one sound tech, and one videographer.
If you are doing a Variety Vignette, you need between 3-7 more performers to fill a 90 minute show, assuming everyone does at least 10 minutes.
In addition, if you don’t know how to make your own ads, you need one marketing manager, and one graphic designer.
In additional addition, if you’re producing a proper show instead of a Variety Vignette you will need…
One director, one dance choreographer (if you have dancers,) one costume designer (If you’re wearing clothing,) one prop builder, (possibly more if you’re including illusions,) and any assistants that will be in the show as well–between 1-3 for a small to mid-size show, and 3-7 for a mid to large show, as well as any additional tech personnel, for example a spotlight operator.
The key is to know who fills these roles in your show, and make sure you find people who share your vision… because when it’s five minutes till showtime, and tempers are hot, having a unified vision will unite your team and get things done.
So what do I gain for all my labor? An INVESTMENT.
An investment in my art, and my passion, yes, but also in prestige. That footage I give to my artist, is footage I receive as well. When I negotiate with corporate clients, my rate goes up because MY name is on the billing of a Vegas award-winning show.
WONDERGROUND gives me a monthly reason to bring NEW magic to the stage. I get to connect with some of the greatest magicians alive today, and finally, I get a chance to support the community that helped me get started, and I get to pave the way for the next generation of magicians.
An investment in yourself will aways pay interest. -Will Bradshaw
Hats off to Will Bradshaw, for that very honest and revealing look at what it takes to produce a long running event in Las Vegas!
We will see you at THE WONDERGROUND!