subject: A Short Background On The History Of Magicians [print this page] Magic, or sorcery, stemmed from the ancient cultures of China and Egypt. Back then, magicians walked in the presence of royalty. They were consultants to emperors and pharaohs and wielded enormous power over the kingdom. They were also close to the divine being priests.
Their magical know-how enabled the royals to rule for centuries. People viewed them as supernatural beings that could smite and send them to the underworld if they disobeyed any of the rules or requests of the king.
Today, magicians are no longer considered a "sorcerers" who walk with royalties, but those who live a life of secret in mastering their art of trickery. Audiences around the world are fascinated by how they defy the laws of nature through hand movement and eye illusion to name a few.
People's fascination with magic starts at a very early. Nowadays, magic shows proliferate the television screen and children get to witness a magician and his magic tricks even when they are very young. Though magic seems to make the possible impossible, its principles are actually based on science.
Thus, if one wants to master the art, one has to perform the procedure continuously, making it look real.
One of the most famous magicians of all time was the amazing Harry Houdini. Houdini started by learning how to pick locks. He perfected this trick to the point that he could pick any lock even when he was blindfolded.
A very useful tool when performing magic tricks is the mirror. Through the mirror, a magician is able to visually see what his audience is also seeing. As long as they can see what others have their eyes locked on, they'll then have a good idea as to how they can pull off their illusions by doing things where the eyes aren't looking.
The key to becoming a good magician is to practice in front of a mirror before performing it. Speed and faultless execution of the trick is key to creating the illusion of magic. Avoid carrying out a trick if all you want to do is show off. The trick might fail leaving you with an unconvinced audience.
