The Magic Memories 210

Hello everyone!

Today’s topics are: Happy New Year!; The Magic Memories 2024 – A Confession… and the PDF; Corrigenda to Unexpected Agenda; ChatGPT: How can I make my card handling appear relaxed and natural?

These are The Magic Memories 210, gone online Sunday, January 5^th, 2025, at 0:07h sharp.

All The Magic Memories from 2021, 2022, and 2023, including the Magic Advent Calendar from 2020, can be found HERE.

Happy New Year!

First and foremost, please receive my very best wishes – to you and your family – for 2025: May it bring you more good and memorable things and experiences, than anything else.

Unfortunately, the less welcome things are unavoidable, which makes me think of a very wise woman – St. Teresa of Ávila (1515 – 1582) – who maintained that one should not ask God for no burdens in life, but for strong shoulders to carry them (this quote has been varied and appropriated by many, but probably goes back to Greek mythology, where Atlas asked Zeus for broader shoulders to carry the world). This might not be as pleasant to hear as the lot of kitsch that is uttered and wished for in these first days of the year, but it certainly seems to be a very realistic assessment of how life really works.

Anyway, let’s make the best out of 2025 🙂

The Magic Memories 2024 – A Confession… and the PDF

As promised last week, I spent a few days drag & dropping each installment of last year’s The Magic Memories into one single word-file (later converted into a searchable PDF), then roughly correcting and reformatting the hundreds of photos and links contained therein, check their working, do small corrections, deletions and additions, etc.

I did keep these “changes” to a minimum, mainly corrected obvious typos and streamlined the basic layout, all this to preserve the flavor of the original, which is – like it or not – just what it is…

As I went through each page, I was reminded of the many entries I had forgotten about… and if I, as the author, forgot them, how about you, the reader 🙂

So I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of diverse material: techniques, tricks, presentational ideas, professional opinions and advice, anecdotes, biographies, reports of all types (conventions, travels, lectures, shows, etc.), trick problems to be solved…

Some of the blogs took me almost a full day to write, some took less (I did take off on about half a dozen occasions), but I estimate that I spent an enjoyable ca. three hours on average per blog, resulting in over 150 working hours. (The new minimal wage imposed by law in Switzerland as of 2025 is different in each of the 26 cantons, but averages a 23 Swiss Francs, i.e. $25.50/€24.50, so I let you do your own math…)

Yes, the time spent on writing the texts, researching the content, finding photos, videos and links, etc., created the elated feeling that any writer knows, and that can be compared to the euphoria some joggers report about, with the difference that as a writer you do not have to change clothes before and after jogging and also you do not have to take a shower after each good time – this saves a lot of time, in which books are written, some of which are entertaining and instructional, some even both. Whereas  I cannot think of any significant contribution to the history of civilization from a jogger, except that in the exertion of their sport they kill dozens of useful insects on their trails…

Nonetheless, despite all the pleasure involved in producing these Magic Memories, after a few years (four!) it wears off. Maybe for you as readers it does too?

I have thought several times about stopping this projects, and have also said so, but was then each time uplifted by the several reactions I got from some of you, my dear readers (you know who you are!).

I have therefore decided to try a little experiment: Instead of giving the PDF away for nothing, I will charge a little something. How much? Well, how about 52 (the number of blogs) with 7 (the number of days it can bring enjoyment), resulting in €752? Or, even better, how about €5.07 (yes, FIVE Euros and SEVEN Cents – I let you find the logic in this one…).

Obviously, you do not need this PDF, as the content of all blogs are readily available HERE.

So, why spend that horrendous amount of money (€5.07)?

First, for a practical reason: You get all together, you can search for any term you like (Fred Kaps, Pass, Escuela Magica de Madrid…); you can extract your favorite paragraphs and create your very own Favorite Memories 2024; you can highlight, underline, add comments, etc., to the PDF; you can flag the pages that have interesting content for you and thus create your very own “Table of Content”… and so much more.

Second, without too much effort nor sacrifice, you can tell me that you like The Magic Memories, and say “thank you” without having to search for words and write a letter with profuse comments 🙂 Essentially, you can show your support and consent.

I’m curious to see how this works. If I get over 99 “reactions”, I will interpret this as a positive sign that will motivate me to continue The Magic Memories, if I get less, I will drop the project.

To get the searchable complete file of The Magic Memories for the year 2024, CLICK HERE.

Corrigenda to Unexpected Agenda

Unexpected Agenda seems to have reached everyone who ordered it from me, and I thank everyone who sent in comments and words of praise (I assume that if there are readers, who are not pleased with the book, they have the decency of keeping their opinion to themselves).

Denis Behr sent a list of welcome comments and corrections, and I thought that some of you might be interested in those. So, here is a short PDF that lists everything we have found up to now (CLICK HERE).

If you find any obvious typos, errors or other things to comment on, please send them along, as always using the “contact” menu-item in the webshop. I very much doubt that there is going to be a second edition (the first edition is of 1’800 copies), but if there is, I will certainly incorporate all changes (and there might be an e-book/PDF available sometime in the future).

Also, it is a pleasure and an honor to know that so many top names in magic are reading my books… the photo below shows Joachim Solberg, one of Denmark’s top professionals, and an international underground legend, got Unexpected Agenda from his wife as a gift for Christmas (I deduct from this that they are having a happy marriage…).

How can I make my card handling appear relaxed and natural?

My dear friend Claudio Viotto keeps sending in good ideas. He informed me that AI, e.g. ChatGPT, could be instructed to assume the identity of a certain person, and then answer as if that person was asked. That is an interesting concept I did not know, and some of you might not either.

He gave ChatGPT the following instruction, and then asked a question:

Act as the world-renowned card magician and author, Roberto Giobbi. How can I make my card handling appear relaxed and natural?

Here is what ChatGPT answered:

As the world-renowned card magician and author Roberto Giobbi, I can say that achieving a natural and relaxed handling of playing cards is an art in itself, requiring patience, practice, and a precise methodology. Here are some fundamental principles that can help you master this skill:

1. Internalize the Technique
   • Practice each technique until it becomes second nature to you. The goal is to perform the movements without thinking.
   • Start slowly to learn the correct sequences. Speed is not the goal; rather, it’s a natural result of precise practice.
2. Observe Natural Card Handling
   • Watch how non-magicians hold, shuffle, and deal cards. Their movements often appear more natural because they’re not performing tricks.
   • Incorporate these natural movements into your repertoire, blending them seamlessly with your magical techniques.
3. Minimize Finger-Fidgeting
   • Avoid unnecessary or exaggerated movements with the cards. Every motion should serve a clear purpose.
   • Keep your hands calm and relaxed, even when executing secret actions.
4. Refine Your Dexterity
   • Regularly practice basic card handling skills, such as shuffling, fanning, or cutting, to develop a feel for the cards.
   • Play with the cards while doing other activities (like watching TV or listening to audiobooks) to make handling feel more intuitive.
5. Work on Your Posture
   • Your overall posture impacts how your card handling is perceived. Stand or sit in a relaxed manner, with open, inviting gestures.
   • Hold the cards loosely, without tension—this signals confidence.
6. Use Rhythm
   • Every movement should flow in a smooth rhythm. A natural, even tempo helps to mask any secret techniques.
   • Pauses can be just as important as the movements themselves. Use them to highlight key moments.
7. Record Yourself
   • Film yourself while practicing and performing. Observe how your movements come across and identify areas that seem unnatural or unsure.
   • Learn to assess yourself critically and objectively.
8. Perform for Laypeople
   • Performing for non-magicians is the ultimate test of naturalness. They respond to the overall presentation, not individual techniques.
   • Their feedback—whether conscious or unconscious—is invaluable in assessing the natural effect of your handling.
9. Consider the Context
   • Tailor your card handling to suit the context. When telling a story or in casual conversation, your handling should appear effortless and incidental.
10. Enjoy the Moment

• Magic arises from the connection between you and your audience. When you are relaxed and present in the moment, this will be reflected in your handling.

Remember: There is no shortcut to mastery. The journey itself is part of the joy. Practice intentionally but with ease, and over time, your card handling will be as magical as the effects you create with them.

End of Roberto Giobbi aka ChatGPT Sermon.

RG comments in two parts

I left the text by ChatGTP completely unchanged, and would like to make two comments.

Part 1: As you will agree, especially those of you who are already experts, practically all answers make sense, although some could be more specific. As such they are, in my opinion, more motivational than practically useful.

Part 2: What is missing in the otherwise fairly good advice, is the most important thing, namely how to instill that specific piece of advice. In order to really understand and make the information your own, you do need a specific sleight or even better a specific trick, which is described in such detail, that it will identify the concept and tell you how to practically use it.

And this can only be achieved in three ways, as far as I know: one, thorough written instruction, two, through video, three, through personal coaching.

Lots more to say, but let’s leave it at this for today 🙂

I wish you all a successful January 2025!