Talent, skill, or…
This has been tucked away in my notes since September 2018. Dusted it off, made some edits and is now posted here for our edification.
To set the scene, I was performing at my residency last night for about eight people. We were gathered on couches and ottomans around a low, glass table. Throughout the evening, guests drift in and out of the performances, but this one lasted about 30 minutes.
Close-up magic is quite intimate and casual and, if done “right,” the audience and performer really get to know each other.
This particular audience was a gathering of eight friends. I was sitting on the couch next to Mario, who was from El Salvador, and his wife who was from Germany. They lived in Hanover but visit San Francisco every 4 year to see family.
“The Magician is an initiate of secret and hidden knowledge of all kinds.
And this is the important point. All knowledge that takes special training to acquire is the province of the Magician energy.”
As often happens after a performance in this particular venue, guests will often ask questions:
“How did you get into magic?”
“Do you have a teacher?”
“Did you go to school for it?”
One woman commented that “you must have been born with it?”
Mario said he could never do anything like what he experienced.
When I asked what he did for a living he replied that he was a chef but “it's nothing like what you do.”
"Yes, it is, Mario. It's exactly like what I do."