Magic has been around for centuries. It has even been associated with medieval times in stories of Merlin and King Arthur, which has made religious people believe that this was evil. And people who knew it and practiced it were considered to be heretics and were burned at the stake.

Now who would ever imagine that magic has now gained a more favorable popularity? With more than a handful of famous magicians amusing innumerable audiences, magic has never been this much loved before. This popularity has made a lot of people yearn to learn some magic tricks. One of the most basic is the use of magic cards.

A deck of cards is one of the most common props used by magicians. There are many forms of magic tricks a person can do with a deck of cards. Here’s what one aspiring magician has to learn in manipulating magic cards:

The first thing that a person must learn is how to shuffle. This is done using both hands and by having a certain amount of cards on each hand. Then alternately put one card over the other until all the cards are in one stack then putting them together to form a uniform pile.

After that, one can start performing certain tricks that will both fool and amaze the audience. Some well known magicians can make a cigarette go right through a deck of cards while others can make a card float in the air with no visible strings attached. The most basic trick that anyone can master however is letting someone pick a card and after shuffling it, picking that same card the person selected moments ago. There are so many other tricks one can do with a deck of cards and all it takes is some time to get to know these tricks, practice it then show off to friends.

Other than using magic cards, there are so many other tricks, which involve other props or paraphernalia such as a coin, a hanky, or even a small ball. The use of cards in performing a trick is merely an execution of various optical illusions and manipulation, which just goes to show that the hand is quicker than the eye.

Cards can be bought at the local specialty store or ordered online. Sometimes these come with other special packages that will make tricks more fun to perform and watch.

One secret that either a newbie or an expert can benefit on while using a magic card or just about any magic props is to not reveal the secret of how the tricks are done.

About the author:

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com

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Magic has been connected to mystery and things that cannot be explained by science. But, during the recent years, there has been in-depth studies focused to magic. Now, magic is known to be the science of illusion. More than that, magic is also an art based on science and techniques.

In fields of sciences like psychiatry, illusion is said to be a distortion of sensory perception. But no matter how negative this may sound, magic has entertained people based on illusion. This gives the impression that something impossible has occurred. Magic tricks are based on scientific principles but people do not seem to connect magic and science.

Different illusions are being used in magic and there are seven types of them.

? Production. These are magic tricks out of thin air. Producing something out of nothing. Tricks like these include appearing acts - rabbit coming out of an empty hat, coins from an empty pocket and the magician or an assistant appearing through a puff of smoke on an empty stage.

? Vanish. Tricks from this category are those disappearing acts like coins disappearing, a dove vanishing out of thin air by a clap of hand and stuffs inside silks into the hands of the magician but when opened revealed nothing. This category is the total opposite of production. The similar tricks are used but done in reverse.

? Transformation. As the word suggest, the tricks in this category involve those which transform anything to another form - chicken to an eagle, fire into a rabbit or a broom into a woman.

? Restoration. Magic tricks using this illusion is meant to restore something to the state it was once before like a cut rope into three parts back into one or cards cut into fourths and back to one.

? Teleportation. This illusion is meant to transfer things to another place. These are the classic tricks that truly amaze people like uncovered cages with one person each and they magically exchange places in a few seconds. This is what is known as double teleportation.

? Levitation. The trick involves lifting objects, animals and even people into air by using trance.

? Penetration. Tricks in this category involve the passing through of objects through a solid wall. One important thing in maintaining the illusion in magic tricks is the secrecy of the magician. The magician should maintain this secrecy in order to be respected and treated with credibility by other magicians. The only exception is when a magician shares the secrets of the trade with someone who is a serious student of magic.

Remember, you are “killing” the magic by telling the secrets of your tricks to others and reducing them to mere intellectual riddles and puzzles.

About the author:

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com

Technorati Tags: MagicalHypnotist, Magical, Magician, Illusionist, Illusion, Hypnotist, Stage Hypnotist, Stage Hypnosis, Hypnosis, Hypnotism, Comedy, Comedian, Mark Hamilton, Hamilton

Close-up magic is magical entertainment that happens right in front of you, magic you can not only see but feel and touch. This intimacy is what makes it so different from other types of magic. An expert close-up magician will involve and interact with the audience far more than a stage magician (or any other form of entertainer for that matter).

Most close-up magicians use common props such as playing cards, coins, sponge balls and rope. And all magicians perform the same basic magical effects with these props, making them appear, disappear, change, levitate, break and restore, and penetrate other objects. What is amazing about close-up magic is that it happens so close to you, sometimes while you are holding the props!

There are many standard close-up magic effects and standard routines used to present them. For example, the ‘Ambitious Card’ where a chosen card repeatedly rises to the top position in a deck of cards without any shuffling or cutting, or the ‘Sponge Balls’ where the balls move invisibly between the magician’s hands and those of the spectator’s. In fact, these routines are freely available if you care to look. Anyone can search the internet and buy books and DVDs on close-up magic, or even the props and standard routines.

What really sets one close-up magician apart from another is how they present their magic. In fact, presentation is the key - it is what makes close-up magic entertaining. A really good, professional magician will be creative and present their magic in an original and entertaining way. Sometimes humorous, sometimes mysterious, sometimes just plain weird and freaky. The magic becomes a vehicle for the personality and ideas of the performer.

This is what makes close-up magic great entertainment. An interesting, strange and funny person demonstrates the impossible, weird and wonderful, right under your nose!

About the author:

Dan Gifford is a professional magician and entertainer from Leicester, England. Dan performs close-up magic throughout the UK at parties, weddings, corporate events and trade shows. Contact Dan via his website at www.dangifford.com

Technorati Tags: MagicalHypnotist, Magical, Magician, Illusionist, Illusion, Hypnotist, Stage Hypnotist, Stage Hypnosis, Hypnosis, Hypnotism, Comedy, Comedian, Mark Hamilton, Hamilton