The Spa Lover's Guide to Europe. Marc Lemezma

a little differently about how and when you perform.

      My fears were unfounded. Although I have made a few changes to the text, mainly tidying, clarifying and updating, the book remains very much the same as it was fourteen years ago. One simple principle underpins my philosophy in creating, performing and writing about magic:

      Magic is a narrative art form, so take your audience on a journey.

      INTRODUCTION

      We begin with a story…

      Long, long ago, a small group of our distant ancestors was watching the night sky, awestruck by the sights above.

      They marvelled at the dazzling array of lights and shapes, and sought to find meaning in this heavenly display. Surely it must be a message from the gods? No! It was, they decided, the gods dancing for them. After a good few hours’ gazing, they lay down in their crude huts and went to sleep, safe in the knowledge that someone somewhere was looking out for them.

      One night a member of the group was restless, and stayed up a little later than the others. Something was troubling him. Suddenly he was struck with an amazing thought. The light-show in the sky repeats itself, not every day, not always the same, but there is a pattern.

      After a little more thought and a lot more watching, he could tell his friends what was going to happen during the coming nights. He knew which gods would be in the sky and when. As his predictions came true, the others began to treat him differently. He must be special, favoured by the gods and blessed with divine knowledge.

      The observant one became powerful and respected in his tribe. Any problems or questions would be put to him for his opinion, and his words of advice followed closely. He was offered the best food available and his choice of mates. This was not a bad thing for his group, as he was probably of above average intelligence for his time and could therefore produce good-quality offspring.

       Magic Through the Ages

      Now, it may not have happened exactly like that, but those who could see order in the world around them and make sense of their environment would clearly thrive.

      One question I have always pondered is this. What if we were to tell that ancient thinker that the stars are not in fact gods, but huge balls of gas and fire, a trillion times larger than his village, floating in an infinite void? He would think we were crazy.

      Throughout history fact and fantasy have become intertwined as human beings search for answers and often find the truth far stranger than the fiction.

      In the past many leaders relied upon wizards, wise men and seers to give them insight and thus aid their decisions, military or otherwise. A fine, albeit mythical example, of such a person was Merlin, magician to King Arthur.

      Unfortunately, the path has not always been smooth for those with ‘special abilities’. Frequently controlled and pursued by those in power, their ability to predict the future posed a threat to the leaders’ absolute authority. In medieval times witches were supposedly burnt at the stake. (In fact, most convicted witches in England were hanged.) The increasing numbers of these poor souls coming before his court began to trouble one sixteenth-century justice of the peace. Reginald Scot was a devout Christian and stated that these ‘certeine old women’ could not possibly be responsible for plagues, poor harvests, healing, controlling the weather or any of the feats attributed to them.

      In his book The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584), Scot wrote: ‘But certeinlie, it is neither a witch, nor a divell, but a glorious God that maketh the thunder.’ In this text he set out to prove that witches possessed no special powers, and explained at length their rituals and the means by which they deceived. Although its purpose was to debunk rather than instruct, the book became the first in the English language to show how magic tricks could be performed by sleight of hand and other mechanical means.

      While the book had its supporters, it was not welcomed by everyone. King James, for example, had it banned and decreed that all copies should be burnt. Nonetheless, it had a dramatic effect on magic and mysticism, acting as a catalyst in the development of conjuring as both art and entertainment. Indeed, you probably wouldn’t be reading this book now if it were not for Reginald Scot.

       Mental Magic

      Since the eighteenth century, magic of all kinds has become almost universally acceptable. Modern-day witches and psychics are not persecuted, although they are still not totally trusted either. However, in the last fifty years or so there has been an enormous growth of interest in magic and mysticism – just look at all the psychic fairs, weird shops, television shows and magazines devoted to these subjects.

      This interest has been good for magicians, and we have developed our art to reflect it. This is particularly true of mentalism (mind-reading, thought transference and prediction) and bizarre magick (similar to mentalism, but with more supernatural and occultist themes, plus a lot of theatre to create a truly intense atmosphere). Great mentalists of the past have included Theo Anneman, while current exponents include Max Maven, Larry Becker and Derren Brown. In the field of bizarre magick Tony Andruzzi and Tony “Doc” Shiels have been influential. I for many years performed as Dr. Marcus.

      Practitioners of mentalism and bizarre magick truly bridge the gap between what is seen as conjuring tricks and what may be real magic. Indeed, it can be very difficult to distinguish between a good mentalist or bizarrist and a real psychic.

      If I were forced to put a label on the magic in this book, I would say it is a mixture of mentalism and bizarre magick. If you pushed me really hard, I would admit it is ‘lite’ bizarre magick, for, as you will see, the drama and storytelling makes the difference.

      Here in the twenty-first century sophisticated methods of communication have made the world a smaller place: they certainly make it easier to share ideas. This is true in all sorts of fields, not least among people with spiritual and magical beliefs. Centuries of history and culture may have changed some of the names and characters, but the beliefs are essentially the same.

      While much remains to be explained in our universe, I strongly believe there is a place for mind magic in our lives, and I have three main reasons for this belief.

      First, it is entertaining. People are drawn into this fascinating world and see real results, by which I mean they will believe a mind has been read or a distant image received clairvoyantly.

      Second, it is respectful to the world of real magic and the paranormal that many people have faith in. Although from time to time I have used a little licence, I have endeavoured to explain things in the correct terms. Certainly when performing the magic in this book you should be clear whether you are reading a mind or showing evidence of precognition, and I have given you the information to do just this.

      Third, mind magic is a bridge. In some ways I hope that in using this book your interest and understanding of magic of all kinds will develop and grow. Whatever path life takes you on, being able to entertain or simply being more aware of the world and people around you can be fantastic assets.

       Before You Begin

      As you read through this book and experiment with the material you find, I want you to bear one important thing in mind. There is no denying that all the experiences described are brought about through trickery, but when you perform any of these tricks you are a magician – a special individual with special responsibilities.

      There are a few rules of magic I would like to share with you, and I strongly recommend you