Dear friend,
Today I’m going to walk you through, step by step, the program I have created that has the potential to quite literally transform you from a one (or maybe even 0) trick novice into a real magician who gets paid a full time income to invoke wonder into the hearts of audiences.
If you’re at the starting line of magic then you could be forgiven for thinking that card tricks take years of practicing for hours every day, like stacking bricks on an ever-growing pyramid.
It’s a daunting image isn’t it?
- The back-breaking labor.
- The sweaty palms.
- The frustrating fumbles.
But I’m going to let you in on a secret.
They don’t.
Okay, sure, some tricks do, but the majority of tricks that you’ll see (including tricks performed on TV shows like America’s Got Talent or by magicians like David Blaine) are actually very simple.
The way to make them look impossible is all about your presentation of the effect.
Magic is easy.
YOU can learn enough incredible magic in a day to convince people you have some kind of mystic powers, if you know where to look…
…and I intend on showing you!
Read on for the ULTIMATE step-by-step comprehensive guide to learning amazing magic today.
Grandma’s Socks Be Warned: 5 Magic Tricks to Knock ‘Em Off!
In this section you’ll learn five wonderful effects, ranging from card to mentalism to after dinner party ticks, invented (or taught) by some of the greatest magicians in the world including…
- Theodore Annemann ✔️
- Howard Thurston ✔️
- SI Stebbins ✔️
- And more…
We’ve compiled this short list of tricks from our staggering collection of 368 classic magic books that you can learn more about HERE
Otherwise, let’s get started!
>>>21 Easy To Learn FREE Magic Tricks for Beginner Magicians<<<
1: The Incomprehensible Divination
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Type of magic: Card magic ✔️
Effect: The magician accurately predicts the position of a spectator’s thought-of card within the deck…
A spectator selects a card from a deck, remembers it, and returns it to the deck. The deck is shuffled and handed to the magician. Without looking at the faces of the cards, the magician is able to divine and reveal the chosen card.
Secret: The secret to this trick lies in the use of a “key card” or “locator card.” This is a card that the magician secretly notes and uses to determine the position of the selected card.
Method:
- Preparation: No special preparation or gimmicks are required. A standard deck of cards is used.
- Selection: Ask the spectator to select a card and memorize it.
- Key Card: As the spectator is looking at their chosen card, subtly glance at the bottom card of the deck. This becomes your “key card.”
- Returning the Card: Ask the spectator to return their card to the top of the deck.
- Cutting the Deck: Cut the deck, placing the bottom half (with the key card) on top. This places your key card directly on top of the spectator’s chosen card.
- Shuffling: You can perform some false shuffles, ensuring the key card and the chosen card remain in their relative positions.
- Divination: Look through the deck, find your key card, and the card directly after it will be the spectator’s chosen card. You can now reveal it in a dramatic or mysterious manner.
My thoughts: Presentation is the key.
Book I learned this from: Howard Thurston Card Tricks
2: A Day Of Your Life
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Type of magic: Mentalism magic ✔️
Effect: A spectator’s chosen card mysteriously moves from its original position in the deck to a position corresponding to a significant number in their life.
The performer divines various details about the spectator’s day, including what they had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as the time they woke up. All this is done after the spectator writes down these details on separate slips of paper, which are then folded and placed in various locations (underfoot, in hand, etc.). The climax is the burning of the slip with the wake-up time, from which the performer divines the time.
Secret: The secret lies in a series of billet switches and strategic placements, allowing the performer to gain knowledge of each piece of information without directly opening and reading the billets in front of the spectator.
Method…
- Preparation: Use a pad of paper about 2 1/4 inches by 3 1/2 inches in size. Prepare several sheets by folding them. One of these is a dummy billet, which is kept in the same pocket.
- First Billet – Dinner: The spectator writes down a dinner item. The performer switches this billet with a dummy and places it under the spectator’s right foot.
- Second Billet – Luncheon: The spectator writes down a lunch item. The performer switches this with the dinner billet and places it under the spectator’s left foot.
- Third Billet – Breakfast: The spectator writes down a breakfast item. The performer switches this with the lunch billet and has the spectator hold it in their hand.
- Fourth Billet – Wake-up Time: The spectator draws a clock face and indicates the time they woke up. This billet is torn and burned, but the performer secretly retains a portion that reveals the drawn time.
- Revelation: Using the information secretly obtained from the billets:
- The performer divines the wake-up time from the smoke of the burning billet.
- The performer then divines the breakfast item and reveals it by showing the billet the spectator held (after a switch).
- The luncheon item is revealed next, using the billet from under the left foot (after a switch).
- Finally, the dinner item is revealed using the billet from under the right foot (after a switch).
My thoughts:
I’d consider adding a narrative or theme to the routine. Perhaps frame it as a journey through the spectator’s day or as tapping into their memories.
Book I learned this from: Practical Mental Magic
3: Balancing Feats
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Type of magic: After Dinner Tricks!
Feat 1: Balancing a Water Bottle and Apple on Knives
Materials:
- Three dessert knives
- Three tumblers (glasses)
- One water bottle
- One apple
Steps:
- Arrange the three tumblers in a triangle formation on a table.
- Place a dessert knife on each tumbler, with the blades intersecting in the center to form a triangular platform.
- Carefully place the water bottle on the intersection of the knife blades.
- Position the apple on the mouth of the water bottle.
Feat 2: Balancing Forks on a Coin
Materials:
- Two forks
- One silver dollar (or similar-sized coin)
- One tumbler (glass)
- Optional: A second glass for pouring water
Steps:
- Interlock the prongs of the two forks.
- Insert the silver dollar between the middle prongs of the forks, uniting them.
- Place the coin on the rim of the tumbler, pushing it outward until the coin’s edge and the tumbler’s rim touch externally.
- The coin, with the attached forks, should balance on the rim of the tumbler.
- Optional: Slowly pour water from the tumbler into a second glass. The coin and forks should remain balanced.
My thoughts: Cool thing to perform at the dinner table after dessert!
Book I learned this from: Magic by Ellis Stanyon
4: A Mind Reading Trick
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Type of magic: Card magic ✔️
Effect: After a spectator shuffles a deck and selects a card, the magician accurately deduces the chosen card through a series of clever manipulations and instructions…
The performer asks a spectator to shuffle a deck of cards and think of a number between 1 and 15. The spectator then counts down to that card, remembers it, and returns it to its position. The performer leaves the room during this process. Upon returning, the performer, without knowing the chosen number, manages to identify the selected card after a series of instructions.
Secret: The secret lies in the manipulation of the top 16 cards of the deck. By reversing their order and adjusting based on a second chosen number, the performer can deduce the selected card.
Method…
- Initial Selection: The spectator shuffles the deck and thinks of a number between 1 and 15. They count down to that card, remember it, and return it to its position.
- First Exit: The performer leaves the room. During their absence, the spectator follows the instructions as mentioned.
- Second Exit: The performer returns and asks for another number to be written down, this time between 15 and 20. The performer leaves the room again and reverses the order of the top 16 cards of the deck.
- Adjustment: Upon returning, the performer asks for the written number. Depending on the number:
- If it’s 17, no changes are made.
- If it’s 16, one card from the top is moved to the bottom.
- If it’s 18, one card from the bottom is moved to the top.
- If it’s 19, two cards from the bottom are moved to the top.
- Revelation: The performer then asks for the original number thought of by the spectator. They count from that number up to the second chosen number and reveal the last card, which matches the spectator’s selected card.
My thoughts: Remember, the magic in such effects is not just in the method but in the experience created for the audience. The strength in this trick lies in its presentation.
Book I learned this from: Card tricks And The Way They Are Performed!
5: The Finger Points
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Type of magic: Mind reading card magic ✔️
Effect: By observing a spectator’s subtle reactions, the magician accurately identifies a card merely thought of by the spectator…
The magician allows a spectator to shuffle a deck of cards and merely think of any card within it. The cards are then spread face-up on a table. The spectator is instructed to move their hand over the cards, and when they pass over their thought-of card, they should mentally acknowledge it without any physical indication. Despite these minimal cues, the magician is able to accurately identify and reveal the spectator’s thought-of card.
Secret: The key to this trick lies in the spectator’s subconscious hesitation. When the spectator’s hand hovers over their chosen card, they will involuntarily pause for a fraction of a second. This slight hesitation, while almost imperceptible up close, becomes noticeable when the magician stands at a distance.
Method…
- The spectator shuffles the deck and thinks of a card.
- The magician spreads the cards face-up on a table.
- The spectator moves their hand over the cards, mentally acknowledging their chosen card.
- From a distance, the magician observes the spectator’s hand movement, looking for the subtle hesitation.
- The magician narrows down the location of the chosen card to a group of about five or six cards.
- Picking up the deck, the magician cuts it to bring this group of cards to the top.
- The magician quickly memorizes these cards, disregarding suits and remembering the values as a sequence, like a phone number.
- With the deck behind their back, the magician asks the spectator for the number of spots on their chosen card.
- Based on the spectator’s response, the magician brings the corresponding card to the front and places it face-down on the table.
- The spectator reveals the identity of their chosen card, and upon turning over the magician’s selection, it matches perfectly.
My thoughts: With proper presentation and showmanship, this effect can leave a profound impression on the audience!
Book I learned this from: Al Baker’s Book One
This was taken from our FREE COLLECTION of magic tricks. If you would like to learn 21 easy to learn magic tricks for $0 click HERE
Your No-Sweat, Laugh-a-Minute FREE Guide to Conjuring Like a Pro!
In this section you’ll get an easy to follow guide and program on how to get started learning and performing magic right away for FREE. This is for all the complete beginners out there who just want to dip their toes into the magic waters without spending $20+ dollars for each effect.
How To Learn Magic Tricks: Complete Beginners Guide
There are FIVE key steps which we’ll go over right now. They are:
1. Choose your style
2. You’re ONLY investment. A deck of cards.
3. YouTube: The ‘gateway drug’ to great magic
4. Perfect practice makes perfect
5. Start performing!
Before we start, why magic?
Magic has been around since, well forever.
Ancient Egyptian murals show magicians entertaining crowds with tricks, which is pretty cool if you ask me. Magic has been popular forever, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.
Remember the first time you saw a magic trick?
Chances are, you were a young child at the time and were convinced that magic was real. Can you remember that incredible feeling of being well and truly astounded by something?
People love to be fooled. It takes them right back to these memories and feelings of being a kid.
What I love about magic is that it gives you an insight into what people are really like; once you’ve blown their socks off with some magic they drop any persona or social facade they have on, and they become their real self with you. I love that, and I think you will too!
So no more waiting around. If you’re ready to find out how to get started in magic, let’s go ahead and start with step No.1
Step No.1: Choose Your Style
Have you ever watched David Copperfield float across the stage and wished you could do that? You might be suited to stage magic, which plays big but is hard to learn at home.
Or maybe you’re a fan of Derren Brown and love watching him get inside people’s heads. You might enjoy learning about mentalism and messing around with your audience’s thoughts.
What about comedy magic? Penn and Teller style.
And don’t forget the awesome magic that can be achieved with some sleight of hand and a couple of coins. Learn coin magic here!
Or like me, you enjoy watching David Blaine go out on the street and wow people with nothing but a deck of playing cards? Card magic might be for you. In fact, I think (personally) that card magic is the best way to go as a beginner.
I think as a beginner, you should have your end goal in mind when you’re learning, but don’t worry too much if you’re not sure yet.
The best way to figure out which type of magic is best for you is by giving them all a go and working out which type feels most natural and enjoyable.
If you want more advice on which type of magic is best, have a look at this post, and come back when you’re ready to get going!
Onto step number two…
Step No.2: You’re ONLY Investment. A Deck Of Cards.
If you think that you need to spend hundreds of dollars on huge magic tricks to impress people, you’re completely…
…wrong.
There is only ONE thing that you’ll need. A deck of cards. This small pack of 52 ordinary looking playing cards will become the backbone of your magic.
If you want to know how to become a magician, then this is the answer. Full stop.
There are THOUSANDS of tricks you can accomplish with cards, and it’s the best all round way to get yourself going. Regardless of what style magic you have chosen, a deck of cards will come in useful for you.
Mentalists might get their spectator to pick a card, and then get inside his head and guess what he is thinking of. A classic illusion that is accomplished by nothing more than cards!
A comedy magician might perform a routine where the spectator picks a card and it ends up in a… disturbingly gross location. Check out this video for some inspiration!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owrdT2VsedQ
And obviously, card magicians could use cards for any number of effects. Making them vanish, making them reappear, making them float!
You get the idea; cards are the key to your success as a magician going forward.
If you don’t, I’d recommend picking up some Bicycle cards; $5 for two packs is a great deal. That little investment is going to last you a LONG time.
Luckily, it’s incredibly easy to get your hands on good quality playing cards without too much effort.
In fact- you might even already have a deck of cards lying around that you can pick up and start using right away.
Of course, there are plenty of other options out there and you can read all about picking your playing cards wisely right here!
Once you’ve got your hands on a deck of playing cards, you don’t have to spend any more money. None at all!
Everything you need is included in this deck, and there’s no point cashing out $500 bucks for ‘the floating table’ when you can wow people JUST AS MUCH with a simple card trick.
Now that you’ve got everything you need to get going, you want to know where you actually start your learning.
Onto step number 3 to answer that very question.
Step No. 3: YouTube- The ‘gateway drug’ to great magic
50 years ago, amateur magicians had to go to their local libraries and spend hours pouring over old magic books if they wanted to understand magic techniques and tricks.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with learning magic tricks from books (I actually made a post about the best magic books), but if you’re like me, you prefer to learn visually, which is where YouTube comes in.
There are hundreds of amazing magic tutorials just waiting to be watched on YouTube if you know where to look. Here are my personal favourite channels to learn from:
Number 1 Pick: Mismag822
This is the Grandaddy of all magic channels on YouTube. No, seriously. This guy has been making top quality magic trick tutorials for almost 10 years now!
There’s almost too much choice when you take a look at his videos.
Most of the card tricks taught here only require a single deck of cards, which you are already kitted out with.
The tricks are simple but the methods are clever; you’d be surprised just how good people will think you are once you’ve mastered a few.
Number 2 Pick: 52Kards
If I had to put a price value on the content of 52Kards, I’d say their magic tutorials are worth hundreds of dollars. But luckily for you, they’re completely free.
While Mismag822 teaches you some great card tricks, 52Kards takes it to the next level by showing you how to achieve specific moves and techniques.
Mismag is great, but the channel is mainly geared towards a younger audience. If you really want to learn great magic, 52Kards is the place to go.
Consider learning the guitar; you could just search for a tutorial on how to play a song. You might find one that shows you how to play it; great, right?
But what if you were able to learn the theory behind it so you could create your own songs? How much better would that be?
That’s what you get with 52Kards. Rather than just learning a card trick, you learn the sleights (moves) that enable you to create your own tricks. That’s much more useful in my opinion.
For example, here’s a basic tutorial that shows you how to make a card disappear.
Cool, right?
And this is only the beginning. There’s so much free content that it baffles me why there aren’t more magicians out there! Penguin Magic even offers a whole section of their site to free magic trick tutorials. But for now, let’s stick to YouTube.
Number 3 Pick: Chris Ramsay
Chris Ramsay is a down to earth magician who not only brings out some great magic tutorials for free, but is also just pretty entertaining to watch. He’s the real deal; some of his magic blows me away.
Here’s a cool video of Chris performing magic. If you enjoy it, just think about the fact that he’s teaching you some of the same stuff for free on his channel! How good is that?
Number 4 Pick: Jarek120
Sure, he’s not as active on YouTube as he used to be, but there’s no denying that Jarek120 (also known as How To Disturb Reality) is one of the ‘heavyweights’ of magic channels.
His content is a mix of all the channels above- some vlogs, some card trick tutorials, some card sleight tutorials, and much more.
Oh, and he’s also a wrestler.
Xavier Spade (for the pros…)
ADVANCED MAGICIANS ONLY. You have been warned!
This guy pulls out all the stops in his card tricks; he’s one of the best sleight of hand artists in the world and he’s publishing tutorials that explain exactly how to do them.
So there are some of my favourite YouTube channels, but by all means feel free to let me know in the comments if I missed anyone out!
Even if you only stick to one of the above channels, there should be more than enough free magic to keep you practicing for months.
I would advise you to choose 1 video every day, and work at mastering whatever it is that they teach in it.
It can be all to easy to get distracted by the hundreds of magic videos, but this can be overwhelming and it is much better just to focus and take it one step at a time. Personally, if I were to advise you, my schedule would follow something like this:
Beginner (level 1):
Day 1: Watch a Mismag822 tutorial to learn a complete easy card trick. Master it by the end of the day.
Day 2: Learn ONE easy sleight by watching a 52Kards video, for example a pinky break. Master it.
Day 3: Watch a Mismag822 tutorial to continue building up your confidence in handling the cards.
Day 4: Learn TWO sleights by watching 52Kards. Master them.
Repeat the above schedule for a couple of weeks, and then…
Moving up (level 2):
Day 1: Watch a Jarek120 video with an intermediate card trick. Master it by the end of the day.
Day 2: Learn a hard sleight by watching a 52Kards video; for example, a double lift or elmsely count.
Day 3: Learn a magic trick on Chris Ramsay’s channel.
Day 4: Learn TWO hard sleights by watching 52Kards; like a false shuffle.
Repeat for a couple of weeks, and then…
Master magician (level 3):
Day 1: Watch a 52Kards advanced card trick tutorial, such as the Four Ace Production.
Day 2: Learn an advanced sleight like the pass, either using Xavier Spade or Jarek120.
Repeat!
Hang on, some of you may be saying. These are great resources, but I thought you said you weren’t going to just focus on cards?
The truth is, card magic is the most common and in my eyes most accessible style of magic.
PLUS, a lot of the card tricks you learn will have a ‘mind reading’ style effect or a comedic touch- as I said earlier, cards are great because the tricks work well for ALL genres of magic.
BUT if you want even more specific tutorials, there are still huge amounts of videos out there ready to teach you some incredible mind reading, comedy, coin and even stage magic!
Here are a few of my favourites.
Mentalism
Chris Ramsay, who I mentioned earlier, has some really cool ‘mind reading’ style tricks that you can learn. Just head over to YouTube and search ‘Chris Ramsay mind reading tricks’ and that should do the trick for you.
Other good channels with lots of brain games and mind reading tricks include Scam School and SankeyMagic (more on him soon!).
Comedy magic
If you’re looking to up you comedy magic game, then the best advice I can give you is to follow my card magic training program. The comedy isn’t in the trick, but the way you PRESENT the trick.
A truly great comedy magician would be able to entertain an audience with the most boring card trick you could imagine.
Having said that, there is one YouTube channel that is more comedy centered than others; Jay Sankey.
Jay Sankey is actually a professional magician that does magic all over the world at the highest level, but he also has a pretty sweet channel.
His effects are usually easy but with lots of visual gags and one-liners. Just search ‘SankeyMagic’ on YouTube!
Coin magic
The same big channels for card magic also have some great tutorials on coin magic!
Chris Ramsay has a brilliant coin trick tutorial where you learn how to read someone’s body language to guess which hand they hold the coin in on his channel, which I would 100% recommend having a look at.
SankeyMagic also puts out a lot of good coin magic tutorials.
All this might seem like a lot of information, but the good news is that it won’t take you too long and before you know it you’ll be quite the magician.
Now, take a breather and come back when you’re ready for step number 4.
However, it will take you a while to perfect your magic to a point where you’re ready to perform it for others, which is what we will discuss now in step 4!
Step No. 4: Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.
How many of you have heard (or used) the phrase ‘practice makes perfect’?
Well, I’m sorry to say that won’t cut it in magic. The thing about magic is that you want all your tricky moves to be ‘invisible’. And to do that, you need to practice until you can do magic in your sleep!
One of the best ways to make sure your practice really is perfect is to do your tricks in front of a mirror.
You’ll see (roughly) what the audience would see, and you’ll soon notice where you’re going wrong and what does/doesn’t look good.
OR
Get a member of your family or a close friend to watch you do your magic. They’ll be less worried about offending you and should be able to give you some good pointers on what you could do to improve your magic.
OR (MY RECOMMENDATION)
Film yourself doing magic.
You don’t need the latest and greatest camera, just a simple phone recording should be enough.
It would be ideal if you could get someone else to hold it, but it you can’t, try setting it up so it gets a clear picture of your hands and the cards.
The great thing about this technique is that you can go back and rewatch it as many times as you want, and you can even slow it down and speed it up by sliding along the video at different speeds (if you’re on iPhone).
Once you’ve watched the video and decided what needs improvement, you can go back and work on those things during your practice sessions.
Then, when you feel ready you can go back and film yourself again. You should be able to see the progress you’ve made!
Keep doing this until your moves are almost undetectable and you can do them in your sleep.
You are now very experienced and you don’t need any more advice on how to learn card tricks so let’s move on to step 5…
Step No.5: Start Performing
If you’ve made it to this stage, you’ve practiced so much that you can perform your magic without too much effort or stress.
That’s good. No more worrying about practicing, you’re ready to show them off!
Now, I want you to choose THREE tricks. They could be your favorite three, or the three that get the best reactions, or even the easiest three.
But whichever way you do it, I want you to focus on those three tricks.
Get to know them inside out, until you can do them blindfolded (if you can actually do them blindfolded that would be a pretty cool trick).
The reason I asked you to do this is because I want you to be able to concentrate on your presentation and persona rather then the trick itself.
Think of some funny lines you could say during it, and how you’ll present yourself.
The first trick you do should be a ‘hook’ trick. Short and attention grabbing- something visual like the floating card would work well here. Get your audience eager to see more.
Your second trick can be a little longer, and involve a bit of audience interaction.
Your third trick should be your best; you want to leave it on a high note. Try to pick a trick with a ‘kicker’ or ‘twist’ ending, like making the whole deck vanish. You get the idea.
You might be wondering- what are my three tricks?
I personally like to open with a Rubik’s Cube trick. I show them an ordinary Rubik’s Cube and mix it up. I ask one of the audience if I can borrow their bag; I slowly and clearly put the mixed up cube in their bag. Then, I ask them to imagine solving it in their head.
Are you done? I ask them. They usually laugh and say yes.
I say ‘Take it out’.
I don’t touch the cube once. The spectator pulls the cube out of THEIR bag, and guess what? It’s completely solved.
I even let them mix it up and play around with it themselves to reassure them that it isn’t a trick cube. This trick absolutely blows people away, I’m telling you. Highly visual and pretty fast, it’s the ideal opener.
Next I do a lie detector card routine.
Basically, I get the spectator to pick a card, and by asking them a series of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions, I guess their card.
THEN I get them to think of a card in their head. I ask them the same questions, and once again I guess the card (using the Invisible Deck)
==> You can learn this routine for free here! <==
To end, I use an ambitious card routine. This trick involves a signed card jumping to the top of the deck in more and more crazy conditions.
Eventually, the card ends up in my mouth and the deck disappears. A really fun trick with a kicker ending, I find it ideal to close my performances with.
Plus, they get to keep the signed card which is a nice note to leave it on.
You don’t have to do the same tricks as me, but that is the kind of act I want YOU to put together. Find those three tricks, and get out there performing!
You’ll get better and better at it the more you do it, and before you know it you’ll even be getting booked for gigs (read more about getting paid to do magic here).
So, there you have it! The ultimate step by step guide on getting going in magic and becoming a magician.
I know that was a LOT of information, so feel free to come back and reread parts here and there. Also, feel free to drop me a message if you’re struggling with anything at contact@thedailymagician.com, or leave a comment below.
And remember, if you enjoyed this guide go ahead and share it with your friends using the icon on the left!
How to Study Magic Tricks Like Einstein Studied Atoms
This section is for all the magicians out there who would like an intense guide to studying magic.
In this section I’ll provide you with an abundance of resources so vast that it will occupy you for decades until you’re left utterly astonished (in your twilight years), the day you devise a trick that Ed Marlo himself didn’t think of first.
We think magic books (and books in general) are pound-for-pound some of the BEST investments you can make with your money. But…When we see magicians racking up hundreds of dollars on their credit cards grabbing each and every shiny new magic book released—only to never actually, y’know, READ them……that’s where we draw the line.We’re all guilty of this to a degree (heck, we know we are).Here’s why we bring this up:
2 years ago we discovered a BUNCH of classic magic books just sitting on the internet archive. These books are fair game as there is no set copyright on them (to the best of my knowledge), which means that magicians like you and me can freely enjoy the ideas of some of the greatest magicians in history…without destroying our bank balance!
In no particular order, here are 24 incredible classic magic books you can read for free HERE
NOTE: Just because these are ‘free’ doesn’t mean they don’t hold some of the most ‘cutting edge’ magic you’ll ever see. The principles and effects you’ll find in these books are the basis for a huge amount of the magic you see to this day. Your favourite magicians likely got their start reading some of this exact material.
ALSO, want to get your hands on 368 more Classic Magic books?
368 magic books, 30,000+ pages of content, 91 professional commentaries, authors featuring. Houdini, Erdanase, Tarbell, Hugard, and MORE—this is a veritable ‘cup of life’ to any and all amateur or professional magicians.
Ever heard this expression before?
“Want to find something new, read something old. Want to find something old? Read something new…”
This phrase could not be more accurate than it is in modern day magic.
And two years ago, we discovered that many of the best magic books EVER WRITTEN—Tarbell’s course on magic, Expert at the Card Table by Erdanase and Bobo’s Coin Magic are ALL public domain.
Yes, you heard us right, just between these three books nearly 3,000 pages of incredible magic content is simply bouncing around the internet.
(and hardly anyone is using or knows about it…)
Here’s why:
* The content isn’t easy to find (you have to know EXACTLY what to search for and be aware of which sources are reputable and which aren’t)
* Many magic companies make NO effort to ensure this stuff is readily available (but they do profit off product after product that uses effects taken directly from these books and given a ‘modern twist’)
* People don’t know where to start (300 classic magic books is an overwhelming number, and it can be hard to find the really good stuff)
* The magic companies that HAVE collected these books sell them at a ludicrous price and they’re vastly behind the times ($80 for a CD ROM is kind of a joke…)
Here’s what we’ve done to tackle this issue:
* We’ve put all the books in one place (let’s not even talk about the 1000’s of hours this has taken, we’ll get PTSD…)
* We’ve written a commentary for all the ones we think are worth starting with (91 to be exact)
* We’re making this accessible to the entire magic world (let’s just say our price tag doesn’t even get close to $80…)
Want to learn more?
Click here:
https://thedailymagician.thrivecart.com/daily-magician-classic-magic-book-s/
I think it’s time to tackle the elephant in the room…
Do you NEED to study ‘the classics’?
Well, we don’t want to tell people that they NEED to study the classics.
The truth is, they don’t.
You can totally become a world-class magician without ever touching ‘the classics’, and solely
relying on more modern resources (like our presto in pyjamas guide before).
That is a 100% valid approach.
However…
…it PAYS to study the greats.
Studying the work of legendary masters like Vernon, Marlo and others will give you huge insights into how the modern era of magic was shaped.
In fact, being a card magician without ever studying Marlo is somewhat like building computers without ever studying the life and work of Steve Jobs.
You COULD do it…but why would you?
See, studying the greats helps you understand the foundational building blocks and origins of modern magic.
The more you understand the foundational ideas, principles and effects that have shaped magic—the more effectively you’ll be able to combine those principles and ideas in new ways.
(Often, creating magic is often no more complex than taking a bunch of existing ideas and putting them together in a way that nobody else has thought of.)
Most of today’s great magicians spent a lot of time studying these legends—so by turning to the classics, you can go ‘straight to the source’ and learn from the same resources they did.
If you’d like to read our fully weekly issue on studying magic click the link below where you’ll learn…
- Why having so much magic available is making magicians mad.
- Why you’ll probably never invent a single magic trick in your entire life.
- Learn about the interesting side effects of taking ‘the gateway drug to magic’
- How to create an effortless flow-state in your magic study.
- About the 500,000 word rule and how it applies to magic.
- About the best magic book you’ve never heard off.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aiQaQj7_JjUkStYF5PLxUZVSXTtISbaj/view
Did you know?
We run the largest independent newsletter in magic, where we show magicians, like yourself, how to get the maximum results out of everything they do…
…Whether we’re pulling apart the science of creativity, brainstorming methods with world-class magicians, or discovering what card tricks look like in Vietnam, we’ll take you ‘behind the curtain’ with us.
To sign up, click below and enter your email:
How To Become A Professional Magician Without Conjuring a Penny-Pinching Disaster
In this final section we are going to be exploring how you can escape the amateur abyss and actually become a professional magician who get’s paid to perform magic. We’re also going to look at how professional magicians can get more gigs, boost their brand, and generally run a more successful business.
Before we get started we’re pushing an incredible platform that will help magicians get booked. We believe it’s going to grow very fast and now is the time to get your ‘foot in the door,’ so if you want to find out more click HERE
There are three key steps to becoming a professional magician and running a successful magic business.
1: Joining an close-knit private magic community.
2: Setting up your platform and marketing it.
3: Building up an incredible network.
Step 1: Joining a close-knit private magic community
You’ve probably heard the saying, “You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with,” right?
What if one of them was a professional magician?
By joining a close-knit community of dedicated magicians, you leverage the power of selective attention and can immerse yourself deeply in the craft, without having to pause for air.
This immersion is a deliberate practice that filters out the noise, allowing you to absorb all the little nuances that elevate your art. This total immersion, paired with the influence of elite minds, propels you towards becoming a distinguished part of the craft’s upper echelons.
Thankfully these types of communities DO exist and they offer as much as they can…
- Personal mentorship ✔️
- Full courses ✔️
- Effects totaling $1000+ ✔️
- Mindset training ✔️
- A vibrant community ✔️
- And MUCH MORE! ✔️
…Here are the three pillars that make up the most up of the greatest inner circle in magic:
(if any of them sound appealing to you, you can know for sure you’re the right fit for this membership!)
1. The Community
Our community features:
-2 weekly meetings that will happen WITHOUT fail (featuring anything from a casual jam to a lecture from Steven Bridge’s on gimmicked stage magic.)
–A secret Facebook page where you can make friends with like-minded magicians, share your discoveries, and get personal tutorship from some of the greatest magicians alive.
-Regular discounts on products from the biggest magic brands and independent artists (such as Vanishing Inc or Danny Goldsmith).
2. The Methods (Effects, Sleights, Routines and Courses!)
In terms of methods – you’re in for a treat!
Wherever you are in your magic journey we have a place for you!
We won’t just throw effects at you, but help you on your path.
From The Daily Magician (focused on the memorised deck – the greatest tool in card magic!)
Here’s just a small part of everything you’ll be getting from them…
- ‘The Babylon Secret’ (2-hour and 51-minute video course that will open a whole new world of magic, and make every effect you currently perform…instantly stronger!)
- A growing library of ORIGINAL memorised deck effects (such as a master class on A.C.A.A.N. and a course on weighing the cards!)
- Besides the memorised deck, a huge range of contributions from magicians such as Andrew Frost, Christian Grace, Ollie Mealing, and more…
And MUCH MORE!
From Steven Bridges (card, mentalism and coin routines that have been tried and tested on the streets, casinos and more!)
Here’s just a small part of everything you’ll be getting from them…
- Option 100 – Steven’s signature mentalism effect that leading UK mentalist, Ken Dyne said was, “… a brilliant, disarming and totally fair-looking selection method.”
- The Victory Shuffle – Steven’s best-selling release of all time. A false overhand shuffle that looks just like the real thing.
- The Overhand Shuffle Sleights Course – A full, half an hour course giving a deep dive on overhand shuffle sleights. (Including a tiny pinky adjustment that will help with almost every overhand shuffle sleight you use)
- Skip Track (a routine he kept hidden FOR YEARS, that magicians all over the world have started using as their killer opener!)
And MUCH MORE!
From Danny Goldsmith (everything you could need to pick up coin magic, or continue your advancement!)
Here’s just a small part of everything you’ll be getting from them…
- An exclusive beginner’s coin magic course (which he described as the SINGLE BEST WAY for any magician to start coin magic!)
- An exclusive advanced coin magic course (for coin magicians who want to take their work to the next level)
- Countless original moves and sleights such as the ‘M&M change’ a fun visual change that you can do with M&M’s, coins, and rings!
- Danny’s first-ever formal contributions to card magic (coming soon!)
And MUCH MORE!
* We know and ‘MUCH MORE’ is super overused in sales copy, but for real, there are around 100 total effects, routines, and sleights we left out of the bullets because it would take up WAY too much space.
You’ll just have to see for yourself on the inside!
3. The Mindset
As Dai Vernon said:
“Want to be an interesting magician? Become an interesting person!”
As part of Magic Mastery and our most private inner circle, we want to invite you to join in our deepest thoughts and exploration!
Every Friday, we send you a ‘Thinking Differently Essay’ as part of your weekly email.
The ‘Thinking Differently Essay’ will highlight a dazzling insight we picked up during our studies during the week.
It might be something we learned from $2000-a-ticket value marketing seminars, something we picked up from the autobiography of a world leader, or perhaps even something one of our own ‘in-house’ Inner Circle members sent in!
Either way, we want to give you a new philosophy for approaching magic (and life) that could potentially 10x your magic skills and understanding.
And for reference, along with the essay each weekly email you receive as a member will also more or less feature:
- 1 Piece of Theory Training (including audio training, essays, video breakdowns, and more!)
- 1 Effect, Sleight, Course, or Routine (from Steven, The Daily Magician, Danny, or one of our friends such as Ollie Mealing)
- 1 ‘Thinking Differently essay’ (an essay where we take a lesson from outside of magic and explain how it can apply and improve your skillsets in life and performance!)
- Community Updates (learn how your fellow members are doing, and join in their discussion!)
- 1 ‘Deal of the Week’ (claim your discounts on desperately sought-after magic!)
As you can see there’s a lot on offer.
We could have made this upwards of $50 like many other memberships have done.
But instead, it’s just $24 a month, or $0.80 a day!
(that’s much less than a good cup of coffee…)
Plus, as with everything we do, if after 30 days you haven’t enjoyed your experience, simply drop us a email and we’ll refund you your money!
But we highly doubt that will be the case…
All this being said – sign up here:
Step 2: Setting Up Your Platform
If you’re a working magician that wants to get booked, your first step is to build a website. Your website needs to be easy to understand and include a clear ‘call to action’ encouraging the visitor to book you for their event.
1: Business Name: Choose a memorable and unique name for your magic business.
2: Logo and Branding: Design a logo and establish a brand identity (colours, fonts, style).
3: Domain Name: Purchase a domain name that reflects your business name or the services you offer.
4: Website Building: Use platforms like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace to create your website.
5: Content: Include an about page, services offered, and testimonials and a contact page. Build up your portfolio. Show videos and pictures of your performances!
Rory Adams, founder of One Ahead, once asked a talent booker what details professional magicians need on their website.
This is what they had to say…
(btw, 9/10 magician websites Rory checked do not have all of this info on their site).
- Full Performing Name
- High-Quality Headshot Photo
- Multiple Performance Photos (w/reactions)
- Performing Style
- Events You Cater To
- Primary Location
- Additional Performing Locations
- Price Point Anchor
- Client Testimonials (Logos if Corporate)
- Contact Details
One extra crucial detail is that your email name, signature or address should include your full performing name and the word “magic” or “magician”. This makes it easier for clients to find you in their emails.
If starting a website sounds too intimidating there’s an incredible platform that will help magicians get booked. We believe it’s going to grow very fast and now is the time to get your ‘foot in the door,’ so if you want to find out more click here…
But the truth is, building the website is the EASY part when it comes to making money as a magician. The hard part is getting people to SEE your website!
If you’re a magician that wants to get booked more often, these two words are how…
Traffic + conversion.
Sounds technical, what does it mean?
It’s really quite simple.
If you’re a professional magician, clients likely find you by visiting your website and hitting the button that says something like ‘book now’ or ‘get a quote’.
If you want to get booked more often, you have two ‘levers’ that you can play with to boost your results. You can either increase both number of prospective clients that visit your website or the percentage of those visitors that hit the button—or both.
The number of visitors to your site is your ‘traffic’, and the percentage of those visitors that book you is your ‘conversion’.
Hence, the simplest way to become more successful as a working magician is to increase either your
traffic, conversion, or both.
How can you do that?
Social Media and Online Presence.
Create profiles on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Share videos, behind-the-scenes content, and engage with followers. When we started The Daily Magician nearly 5 years ago, we began by posting daily magic videos on our Instagram and now we’re on YouTube!
Online Presence Tips.
Optimise SEO. This can be used to help your website appear more prominently when people in your area search for magicians or entertainers for their events. I’d suggest starting with Google My Business. Set up a profile to appear in Google Map search results for local searches.
Step 3: Create An Incredible Network
Tip 1: Join magic clubs and forums: I’d recommend starting with MagicCafe.
Tip 2: Local Networking: Attend local events, business meetups, and other gatherings to showcase your skills and hand out business cards.
Tip 3: Magic Conventions: Attend workshops and magic conventions to learn new tricks and network with other magicians…
Call To Action…
I appreciate this is a lot of information to take in at once so I’m going to give you a couple of simple tasks to get you going in the right direction for this section…
1: Join Magic Mastery (and start building up you’re skills and network)! ✔️
2: Join bookamagician.com (or set up your website) to regularly get booked! ✔️
3: Start building up you’re social media presence (I’d start with instagram and then link out to either bookamagician.com or your website)! ✔️
Good luck!
P.S. if you made it to the end you’re a legend. Before you go it is my duty to tell you about an underground secret that is regarded as the most powerful tool in ALL of magic.