The earliest recorded magic trick is found in ancient Egypt, around 2600 BC, more than 4,000 years ago. The Wieska Manuscript, discovered in 1823, records a magician named Dedi who was summoned to perform for the Pharaoh. He could decapitate a goose, which would then continue to walk, and finally reattach its head, restoring it to its original state. The record describes the magician performing the same trick on a pelican and a bull. However, when the Pharaoh demanded that he perform the same trick on prisoners, he refused.
　　Ancient Greek temples also utilized principles of magic. For example, when priests opened temple doors, bellows would blow towards the ground, causing flames to appear on the altar. There were also talking idols created using wind pipes.
　　The earliest recorded magic trick is the Cups and Balls trick, which is the oldest known trick. It is also recorded in Egyptian murals (Tomb of Baqt III at Beni Hassan BC 2500), as shown in the attached image. The earliest recorded performances of this magic trick date back to the first century AD. It was very popular in the Middle Ages and widely performed by magicians in marketplaces. Magicians at that time were called jugglers. These traveling performers, along with musicians, poets, and acrobats, entertained villagers with simple tricks in open spaces.
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, the magicians faced hardship. European magicians began to face strong opposition from the church. Because people at that time strongly believed in witchcraft and the supernatural, any magic not recognized by the church was considered black magic. A magician would face trial if accused by even one person. Many magicians were accused of allying with the devil.
　　Despite the persecution, magic remained a dangerous yet popular profession. Some magicians were favored and protected by wealthy landowners and nobles. Traveling magicians of this period had only a limited number of tricks to perform. Playing cards were not yet common, and tricks requiring large props were expensive. Therefore, magicians relied on skillful manipulation and storytelling techniques. Magic tricks performed with birds and animals were quite popular.
　　Nearly three hundred years ago, religious persecution of magic intensified; during the reign of King Henry VIII of England, the punishment for performing magic was death. By the late 16th century, the persecution of witches had reached the point of massacres. Due to these acts of madness, many magicians faced death threats; if they did not share their secrets, they risked execution. This led to the creation of the first English book on magic, *The Discovery of Witchcraft* in 1584. The author, Reginald Scott, aimed to save magicians' lives and to distinguish magicians' skills from the evil powers of witches. The book revealed many magical secrets, proving that these seemingly miraculous feats were actually achieved through natural techniques, not through evil forces. His work indeed prevented many magicians from being burned at the stake.
　　Historically, wherever people gathered, magicians' performances were always packed. In the 18th century, the most common places for people to gather were the annual markets. Various circus performances and acrobatic shows would come here. But in this competition, the only star was the magician. The greatest magician of the 18th century was Isaac Fox. He rose to fame in the 1720s and could be seen in the main markets of every town. Isaac's classic magic trick was the Egg Bag, from which he would continuously produce eggs and small items from an empty bag. To see Fox perform, one had to pay a shilling. He was the pioneer of this technique and thus became a high-income earner, even with a loyal following. When he died in 1731, newspapers reported that he left behind an estate of £10,000, equivalent to $1 million today, which shows how popular he was.
　　In the 19th century, with the rise of theaters, magicians found a new stage. The first magician to bring magic to the theater and make a name for himself there was the Scottish magician John Henry Anderson (1814-1874), known as "The Great Wizard of the North." His innovative performance style influenced countless magicians throughout history. Magicians combined skillful manipulation with lighting and stage effects, ushering in a new era for magic. Magicians reached the pinnacle of their art, with many magic tricks created specifically for theaters. The late 19th century was the golden age of magic performances, with theaters packed to capacity. Magicians wore formal tailcoats, much like the theatergoers, marking the origin of the trend of magicians wearing tailcoats. Some magicians even became household names.
　　The most famous magician of the early 20th century was the escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926). A legendary figure in America, Houdini was renowned for his escape acts, including those involving handcuffs, a tight-fitting suit, milk jugs, a Chinese water dungeon, and most famously, an underwater escape. Houdini was also a pioneer in exposing so-called psychics who used magic to deceive the public. His deeds are still remembered today.
　　However, the rise of the film industry in the 1930s led to a rapid decline in the magic performance market. Because in movies, any kind of magic could happen. Only true magicians could captivate audiences.
　　Today, the demand for magic has risen again. The neon lights of Las Vegas have replaced the ancient campfires. The development of entertainment cities like Las Vegas, combined with the allure of television, has created a new generation of magic superstars. These magicians charge exorbitant fees and have supporters all over the world, something unimaginable for magicians of the past. Today, magic still satisfies people's need for wonder and entertainment.

　　Magic tells us that life is full of wonder and dreams; it also tells us that things may not be as they appear on the surface. And the history of believing in magic will continue to develop along with the history of humankind into the more distant future.

Magician's Ring

   (i) Respect fellow practitioners.
　　(ii) Practice diligently.
　　(iii) Do not perform before mastering the skills.
　　(iv) Do not teach magic without a price.
　　(v) Do not reveal the secrets of magic.
　　(vi) Do not explain the effects of magic before performing.
　　(vii) Do not perform the same magic trick in front of the same audience.
　　(viii) Develop magic in a righteous way .
　　Explanation:
　　(iv) Do not teach magic without a price :
　　Does this mean I must communicate with others before teaching, or that others must pay me before I can teach? Communication with other magicians is not subject to this restriction.
　　The reason for this rule is that in the past, there were few magic enthusiasts, only professional magicians, and magic was their livelihood. To pass on this skill to another person, it is certainly not possible to do so without a price. In most cases, they only perform magic when there is monetary income or other benefits. In addition, in the eyes of ordinary audiences, magic is a "secret." If the secret is revealed, magic seems to lose its meaning. They do not think about the time and effort invested behind it, nor do they think about anything other than the secret.
　　This also raises the issue that professional magicians don't want the general public to perceive magic as free entertainment; their performances should be rewarded with income. Magic isn't something readily available; it has value, and knowing its secrets requires a price. If learning magic didn't require a price, then magic would lose its value.
　　(V) Not revealing the secrets of magic.
　　I've had friends ask me how I do magic, and I said magic can't be taught. But they said if magic can't be taught, why can't I teach them? This left me speechless. How should I answer?
　　Magic is a fascinating art form; everyone who sees it is curious and wants to know the secrets. But only one in ten people (or fewer) will be willing to spend time practicing and then performing after knowing the secrets. Magic isn't unteachable, but it should be taught to those willing to spend the time and effort. You can tell your friends that there are books on magic in the library; if they're interested, they can borrow them. If they are truly interested and willing to spend time learning, the most basic effort is always warranted.
　　(vi) Do not reveal the magic effect before the performance .
　　Have you noticed that, apart from some magic tricks with very abstract names, most magic shows rarely have names? This is because magicians cannot reveal the effect of the performance beforehand. Doing so would diminish the mystery of the following act. Without mystery, the magic is half lost.
　　(vii) Do not perform the same magic trick in front of the same audience .
　　If a period of time has passed, is it permissible to perform the same magic trick again?
　　If there are three audience members, and only one has seen it before, should I perform it?
　　The original intention of this rule is that audience members are also intelligent. If we perform the same effect several times in front of them, they will have ample time to think and thus guess the method of the magic trick.
　　The purpose of this rule is to prevent the audience from having time to think. If an audience member has seen the magic trick before, you can still perform it, but you should not perform it several times consecutively in front of them.
　　Sometimes, we use the same technique to perform the same effect several times, but this is not necessarily wrong. The appearance of the same effect several times may lead some audience members to a conclusion or guess, and when they think they are right, the second effect completely negates their idea.
　　(VIII) Developing Magic in a Righteous Way
　　Magic is an art form with over a thousand years of history, originating in China. However, many people in society believe magic is a deceptive trick. I believe this perception stems from the fact that many people use magic to cheat others out of money and goods, claiming it's a special ability. Even worse, some learn magic to gamble and cheat. These are all improper practices, exceeding the scope of magic itself. Developing magic in a righteous way means using magic to bring joy to the audience, give performers confidence, and make them the center of attention.

The Three Laws of Magic Performance

American magician Howard Thurston (1896-1936)
　　's Three Principles:
　　(1) Never reveal the secrets of magic.
　　This is the first and most important rule for all magicians. Without secrets, even the most difficult and dazzling techniques are useless in front of the audience, and the magician becomes a clown performing tricks and being ridiculed. If you don't tell them, you're a genius; if you do, you're a fraud and an idiot.
　　Some people agree with the masked magician's statement: the secrets of magic must be revealed in order to improve magic. That's right, the secrets of magic should be revealed to those who are willing to learn magic, but not without cost and without restrictions. Magic is not something everyone can do; certain thresholds are necessary. This statement is just an excuse for him to create a tragic hero image. Because of his shows, some magicians in certain areas lost their jobs, while he himself made a lot of money. Is this a morally justifiable behavior? He insulted the audience's right to appreciate, yet people still applauded.
　　Masked magician shows may have instilled incorrect concepts of magic in some beginners and the general public, causing them to disregard the secrets of magic and disrespect the performance. If you agree with the masked magician's claim that the secrets of magic must be revealed for magic to improve, why not practice what you preach and demonstrate your own secrets to the audience after each performance?
　　The secrets of magic are the source of a magician's power, just as the hair in the Book of Judges was significant to the great-grandson of Mighty Man. A magician who loses his secrets loses his power; he is merely a lion trapped in a cage. He may still be majestic, but he has no ability to harm.
　　Hopefully, next time you perform, you can ask yourself: Can I keep a secret?
　　Nowadays, magic is easy to learn; many techniques are easily acquired through exchanges, cheap lessons, or online videos. As a result, precisely because they are so easily obtained, some people completely fail to cherish them, or even understand the value of a technique, casually tossing it away to the general public.
　　I hope every beginner can appreciate the true value of magic and not easily give this gem away to the general public. They will not only not be grateful, but they will also bite you back. Secrets are meant to be cherished, not talked about.
　　People who possess magic are very valuable, and I hope everyone will recognize the value of what they know. If you only share magic as a fun little game or an internet joke, you will lose its magic.
　　(2) Do not perform the same magic trick in front of the same audience.
　　If the audience asks you to do it again after your performance, it means your performance was very successful. Please remember, never do the same trick again, because you will risk being exposed and becoming a clown. It is also best not to use the same trick more than twice, so as not to be seen through by the audience.
　　(3) Do not explain the content of the performance in advance.
　　Magic emphasizes the so-called sense of surprise. If you let the audience know what you are going to do next, what is the drama and sense of surprise? Just like a movie or novel where the outcome is already known, it loses its magic. Therefore, please do not say the effect and result of your performance before the performance. And there is also the risk of being exposed. On the other hand, the performance of magic should not be rigid. The content should be varied to attract the audience.
　　The three principles of Thurston are the most basic rules that magicians and magic students should follow, but often some people ignore them.
　　Before teaching magic in the first class, I usually emphasize the Thurston Three Principles, explaining that a truly skilled magician is courteous when appreciating others' performances, respecting their peers (and also respecting the predecessors who invented these techniques). They don't try to crack or expose others' tricks (some people know a trick or two and think they're experts, trying to expose others' tricks). I even bring this up in later classes.
　　Anyone who doesn't adhere to these three principles is not qualified to learn or perform magic.

Magician's Essential Tools - Magic Props

   Any object used by a magician in a performance can be called a magic prop.
　　However, it generally refers specifically to items that contain hidden mechanisms and function within the magic performance.
　　Props are the tools used by magicians in their performances. Props are also the crystallization of a magician's wisdom. They represent the combination of wisdom and art achieved by transforming conventional thinking, utilizing simple principles of physics, and employing various modern scientific methods.

How to appreciate magic

The magical and incomprehensible are always impressive, and magic performances offer the joy of forgetting reality, which is precisely its most attractive aspect.
　　Stage magic can be integrated with various performing arts, such as dance and drama. Therefore, audiences not only witness the wonder of the magic but also experience the synergistic effect of its combination with other performing arts. In close-up magic, the magician is right beside you; whether it's playing cards or coins, you can not only observe closely but even participate, offering another kind of enjoyment.
　　Frankly speaking, magic is inherently fake, but most importantly, the principle behind any magic trick, no matter how simple, is the crystallization of the designer's intelligence and effort. Therefore, to respect the designer and to ensure the audience enjoys the best effect, from the performer's perspective, one should not perform lightly before mastering the art, nor should one casually explain the principles afterward. Conversely, from the audience's perspective, demanding that the performer reveal the principles or lend props for observation is inappropriate unless it's a formal magic teaching session. Especially when watching close-up magic, it is absolutely forbidden to "touch" or interfere with the performer in any other way; this is a basic respect for magic performances.
　　Given the current lack of general public understanding of magic, this article aims to enhance the audience's enjoyment and gain their support and recognition, and also hopes to encourage more enthusiasts to join the ranks of performers.
　　Many years ago, when people thought of magicians, they immediately pictured them on stage, wearing tacky tuxedos, pulling rabbits out of hats, or shouting three times at an empty box to produce ribbons. For many, magicians were associated with lowbrow, deceptive tricks. However, thanks to the times, today's magicians have begun to shed this traditional image. They may dress like you and me, and instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, they possess superpowers such as predicting the future, turning back time, or reading your thoughts. On stage, magicians conjure large objects like airplanes, helicopters, cars, and even trains, combined with sophisticated high-tech stage effects, and blending exquisite theatrical and dance elements. Magic is no longer just magic; it's a diverse form of entertainment.
　　Correspondingly, today's audiences, as they've matured, have come to understand that appreciating magic is about enjoying the thrill of being "tricked." The focus isn't on how the magician achieves these amazing effects, but on how much enjoyment these "performances" bring. I often say that watching a magic show is like watching a movie. It's about appreciating the actors' performances, the director's techniques, and the captivating plot, not analyzing how the film was made. When watching a magic performance, our appreciation should be based on the magician's acting skills, performance style, creativity, etc., not on guessing how the magician performed the tricks. This is how we get the most enjoyment.
　　This January, I was invited to perform at the World Magic Symposium in Las Vegas, USA, where I met a magician from Mexico. He performed a series of incredible coin tricks in front of renowned magicians from around the world, leaving them all speechless and completely baffled as to how he did it. For magicians, due to their understanding of magic, the experience of being tricked is rare. His performance reminded me of the incredible, wonderful, and awe-inspiring feeling I had when I first encountered magic. When the Mexican magician prepared to explain the secrets of his tricks, everyone present, including myself, immediately ran away, covering our ears, unwilling to listen, because we wanted to preserve the wonder and beauty of magic in our hearts. We all know that once the secrets behind magic are revealed, there is no more fun to be had.

Simple magic trick tutorial

The "Poker Ear Trick"
　　: After shuffling the deck, the cards are laid out for the audience to see. If there are no problems, the audience draws a card. The performer then holds the remaining cards in their hand and listens to their ear to know what card the audience member has drawn.
　　The procedure is as follows:
　　1. Remove the two face cards.
　　2. Arrange the entire deck into four rows in the following order (first row: spades, second row: hearts, third row: clubs, fourth row: diamonds), face up. Then, starting from the left, collect the cards in the first row (K), second row (3), and so on. 3 over K, 6 over 3, 9 over 6, Q over 9, and so on.
　　3. After the audience member draws a card, place the cards above the drawn card under the remaining cards.
　　4. Before drawing a card, observe the face-down cards. If the face-down card is a 3, the drawn card must be a 6. If the face-down card is a heart, the drawn card must be a spade.
　　5. Remember the rule: "Peaches, Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, add three below." For example, if the face card is "6 of Hearts", then the card drawn by the audience must be "9 of Clubs". The heart is followed by a flower, and 6 plus 3 equals 9, therefore the drawn card must be "9 of Clubs".
　　6. When taking back the drawn card for the performance, it must be placed on the back of the deck or on the face of the deck, not inserted in the middle.
　　7. If the flower cards are not removed, the performance can be arranged as desired; remembering the names of the two flower cards is also acceptable.
　　Quick Card Guessing Game:
　　The performer takes out a deck of cards, shuffles them, and takes out twenty-five cards (the remaining cards are put back in the box), arranging them in four horizontal rows, face up on the table. The audience is then invited to identify the cards, randomly choosing one card from the twenty-five and remembering its rank, without revealing it. However, they must specify which rows the cards with the same rank are in. The performer can quickly identify the ranks. This surprises the audience, who then asks to try again. The performer then rearranges the cards. The performance is repeated, and the audience guesses correctly again. This method involves multiple attempts, ensuring a perfect guess every time.
　　Performance Method:
　　1. The performer initially presents twenty-five cards, pre-arranged as follows: one each of Ace, 2, 4, and 8; three each of 7, Jack, and King; and two each of 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and Queen. The card values ​​must be in this order; suits are irrelevant.
　　2. Arrange the cards in the following order: First row (seven cards): 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, Jack, King; Second row (six cards): 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, Jack; Third row (six cards): 4, 5, 6, 7, Queen, King; Fourth row: 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King. The first card in each row from left to right—Ace, 2, 4, and 8—is crucial. The correct card value for the performer is calculated by adding the values ​​of the first card in each row. For example, if the audience says the cards they recognize are in the first and fourth rows, and the first card on the left in the first row is an Ace, and the first card on the left in the fourth row is an 8, you would add Ace (1) and 8 to get 9, and immediately guess that it's a 9-point card. If they say it's in the first, second, and fourth rows, you would add 1 + 2 + 8 to get 11 (J), and so on.
　　3. If the audience requests another round, to increase the mystery and avoid any omissions, you can actively rearrange the cards, but the principle is that different points can only be exchanged within the same row, and the same points can be exchanged between different rows.
　　4. As for the initial shuffling of the entire deck, that only refers to the part of the deck that was not properly arranged.
　　Poker Mind Reading
　　This is a card-guessing magic trick, which is to guess the card someone is thinking about.
　　First, randomly take nine cards from a deck and let the audience randomly choose one (she just needs to know in her mind). Then, divide the nine cards into three piles (like you would when playing cards with several people). Next, take each pile one by one and ask her if it contains the card she randomly chose. Then, take the pile that doesn't contain the card she randomly chose, place the pile that does contain the card she randomly chose in the middle, and then place the other pile on top. Immediately afterward, divide the cards into three piles again and ask her again if each pile contains the card she randomly chose. The second card in the pile that contains the card she randomly chose is the card she randomly chose. Reveal it, and she will be incredibly impressed.
　　Actually, some people have tried this (the principle is very simple, using the process of elimination, which most people wouldn't think of)
　　a completely new type of magic – "video magic."
　　Video magic is a new type of magic that has emerged in recent years. Many close-up magicians have used it to push street magic to its limits, even to a godlike level. For example, the super popular Japanese magician Cyril and the famous American magician Criss Angel. It can be said that video magic has elevated the effects of traditional magic to an extremely high level, giving countless television viewers an unprecedented and powerful shock. Most viewers feel their traditional beliefs have been overturned, and some even question whether it's a "human" performing.
　　There may not be a precise definition of video magic, but broadly speaking, any magic trick that utilizes blind spots in the camera or the differences between the video performance and the actual performance to achieve a magical effect can be called "video magic." Consider the following typical video magic trick: the magician performs a trick where he claims to bend a plastic spoon using his mind, but in reality, it's achieved by an assistant using a high-temperature blowtorch off-camera. However, the audience watching the performance is completely unaware of this because the camera's field of vision is limited. The assistant's actions off-camera go unnoticed.