That's why it reaches everyone.
Its universal language touches chil- Magic-A Minimal ( and
dren (who don't question its veracity) and adults (who are aware of its
unreal reality); the educated (who appreciate its complexity and depth),
the ignorant (who feel its power), the young (who delve into the adven-
ture of the unknown and mystery), the old (who take joy in their new
childhood); to men and women, foolish and wise, intellectuals, artists,
scientists and merchants, strippers, aristocrats and lawyers and tramps
and ... and ... and ...
All of them, all, can feel its power, the call to their inspiration, to their
intellectual freedom (first challenged, then surrendered), to their desire
for play, to that beautiful and enchanting art of the impossible, of imitating
the actions of the gods that will continue for a long time to enchant and
poetically to bring back to childhood all those who fall prey to its games
and dreams, its mythical effects, its spells and rituals-its magic.
And this for at least another 52,000 years, approximately.
And we, the magicians, the magicians, will transmit it.
· to Approach a Definition_ and a Delimitation
What is it?
I
Magic is one of the performing arts that represents at a simbolic level,
through rites and spells, our myths: the archetypal desires and dreams of
man. It makes those myths come true (or poses them as r,eality), makes
the impossible possible (the impossible for humans). Thusjt imitates the
gods or superhuman beings.
Magic utilizes an artistic approach with a highly complex technique of
fingers, body, eyes, words, etc., which is kept concealed while beguiling
the senses and the mind through the psychology of perception, attention
and memory. It is based on dramatic structure-exposition, rising action,
climax, resolution-but without resolution in the usual sense, but rather
a resolution/solution such as: The magician has supernatural powers or
conjures up those powers.
It is addressed, in terms of a fascinating effect, to the inner child
of pre-logical age. The young receive it as the adventure of encoun-
tering an emotional mystery, and the logical adult as an impossible
" effect experienced as possible. It first challenges and defies the Bull
of Logic. It provokes it, teases it; then fools it, mesmerizes it and puts
it to sleep. Finally it plays with the Winged Horse of Imagination, fan-
tasy and enchantment, employing metaphorical and surrealistic poetry
(the key?). It charms the Horse, makes it enjoy its flight, letE? it live its
dreams, projected in the power of the magician, invites it to participate,
transforms it from a spectator into an "expect-ator". And it plays and
dances with them, the Horse and the Bull. The Bull of Logic bellows,
from beyond, its belief: "It's not possible." But now to no avail, because
the expect-ator is in awe at witnessing and living the impossible. He
plays and enjoys in freedom, pleased with his condition of being a god,
or being one who shares experiences with a god.
Magic mixes mystery with fascination, reality with dreams (impossi-
ble dreams made possible within the artistic reality). It mixes surrealistic
N

and poetic games, spells and enchantments dramagical 1 emotions secu-

' '
lar miracles and wonders without end.
It's magic.
And then comes the awakening of the Logical Bull. And the peace of mind,
the rest, the serenity granted the owner of the beautiful and human power of
reason. Lucidity is recovered through the lmowledge of ignoring the how but
not the natural and artistic foundation of what has been experienced.
The expect-ator now feels more complete, more lucid, richer, a bet-
ter person.
And no one can take that from him!
I. Dramagic is a word I owe to my friend, magician and great connoisseur,
Armando de Miguel.

THE EMOTlON-MlRACLE

An Attempt to Comprehend the Magic Miracle

MAGIC is fascination. Magic is the art of enchantment. It's wrapping the

audience and the magician in a cloud, a mesmerizing atmosphere, like the
' sibyls with their sulfurous fumes. It's not about putting into the known
as real something that is not so real, but about creating an enclosure, a
temporary space, where the real has another dimension. And that enclo-
sure should feel, even physically, like a cloud or like a stage filled with
smoke, as if the energy surrounding the magician became ectoplasmic
and were gradually expanding to reach the onlookers. Yet you can breathe
and allow
,,,,, yourself to be invaded by the cloud; or you can cover your nose
and mouth with your hand, with a handkerchief or with an anti-magic
mask. You can even stop breathing. That's the shortest route to settle into
the anti-life. Because magic should be, and is, life. Love for life, passion
for life, despite everything and against that everything.
Life, more life; a more and more powerful life; a vital magical energy
that exudes through the pores of the skin, the hands and the fingers, that
spills out of the eyes and mouth of the magician .... Such an inner, intense