Truer words have never been spoken. The magic industry alone proves this axiom with the glut of rubbish that is sold to oftentimes naive newcomers to the magic world. Sadly, there are internet magic shops that are dedicated solely to this endeavor and, surprisingly, we see this sort of thing in the production of decks of cards.

I have been performing card magic for over 40 years. In those 40 odd years I have never needed anything more than any, old, beer soaked, nasty deck that someone can fish out of a drawer of bits and bobs. Most everything that I do with a deck of cards can be accomplished with a partial deck and, in fact, I've gotten some of the best reactions from spectators who have given me an incomplete deck of cards. Spectators cannot wrap their minds around the idea that a card trick can be accomplished with a deck missing 8 or 9 cards.

The fact that magic isn't a matter of the quality of cards used seems to escape the younger magicians. This can be found in the advertising practices of magic vendors such as Ellusionist. Their new deck of cards, The Infinity Deck, comes with this bit of advertising propaganda:

"There is a visceral energy that flows through anyone who comes in contact with Infinity, an energy that inspired its own cinematic story. An inescapable energy that takes over."

Seriously? What amazes me is that anyone could possibly buy into this bullshit. But buy it they do and the owners of Ellusionist laugh all the way to the bank. For shame.

Have a look at the massive amount of deck styles that Theory 11 has produced - over a score of them. One of their decks, now sold out, states, "Playing cards manufactured with military grade precision." Military grade? Do they even know what that means? A dime to a dollar says that not a single one of these kids have ever been in the military, much less understand the implication of their claim. Furthermore, ask any grunt in the military what they think of "military grade precision" and they will chortle in derision.

Ironically, that particular deck is aptly named the "Propaganda" deck.

If you believe that the magic community hasn't completely gone down the toilet, then allow me to share a little story with you. Over the years I have joined different magic groups just to gauge the state of our art. One group in particular was made up of young men who knew everything that there was to know about magic.

These young men were discussing the plot of a magic trick and in their minds the "plot" was synonymous with "effect." I attempted to explain to them that they were discussing effects and not plots, at which point they began to castigate me for my ignorance and complete lack of any knowledge in the field of magic. Their attacks were, quite honestly, vicious and forthright.

In an attempt to explain to them the difference between a plot and an effect I brought up Fitzkee's "Nineteen Basic Effects." It is here, dear reader, that things turned surreal...

Not only had none of them ever heard the name Fitzkee, but one of the group actually stated, "I'm not going to listen to some youtube magician." Read that again. This young man thought that Dariel Fitzkee was some faceless youtube magician.

It is to cry.

I'd like to finish this column with one of the most powerful observations that exists where magic is concerned. The quote is from Fitzkee and can be found in "Magic By Misdirection" (book 1 of the "Fitzkee Trilogy"):

"The true skill of the magician is in the skill he exhibits in influencing the spectator's mind. This is not a thing of mechanics. It is not a thing of digital dexterity. It is entirely a thing of psychological attack. It is completely a thing of controlling the spectator's thinking. Control of the perceptive faculties has nothing whatever to do with it. Convincingly interpreting, to the spectator, what the senses bring to him, in such a way that the magician's objectives are accomplished, is the true skill of the skilled magician.

"So I must insist again: Shell bottles do not constitute any part of the true secrets of magic. Neither do folding bird cages. Neither do billiard ball shells. Nor Svengali packs. Nor forcing decks. Nor flap slates. Nor pulled threads. Nor folding flowers. Nor any apparatus of any kind.

"The real secrets of magic are those whereby the magician is able to influence the mind of the spectator, even in the face of that spectator's definite knowledge that the magician is absolutely unable to do what that spectator ultimately must admit he does do.

"Here is a secret!

"This skilled magician is an adept at disguise and attention control. He employs physical disguise with his apparatus. He employs psychological disguise-simulation, dissimulation, maneuver, ruse, suggestion and inducement. He exercises absolute control over the attention of his spectator by forestalling it, by catching it relaxed, by dulling it, by scattering it, by diverting it, by distracting it, and by openly moving it away.

"He cleverly, skillfully and dexterously mixes the true with the false. With equal facility he convincingly interprets matters to accomplish his own ends. He contrives to so influence the things the spectator perceives that the latter is aware of them as the magician desires. All is built upon an unshakable foundation of naturalness, plausibility and conviction.

"Here is real skill! Here are genuine secrets!"

Thank you, Dariel.

And thank you for reading - take care.

Mike