How to impress your friends...with magic!

You might refer to magic as a man standing on a stage pulling rabbits out of a hat. But if you know the history of magic it might change your mind.

Cave men and how magic started
Magic has been practiced for a very long time. In fact it goes back as far as 50,000 B.C. Can you believe it, 52,000 years ago magic was started?

Prehistoric people who buried cave bears probably started "magic". They probably did this as a magic rite (spell). Scientists believe those drawings and carvings are a form of magic. For example, hunters would probably draw animals or hunting scenes before going on hunting trips. They probably believed that the drawings would come to life while they were gone. They believed in its power but it didn't actually work. By drawing the scenes they gave themselves self-confidence. That was their magic.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Roman's magic
Ancient Egyptians used amulets, magic figures, and rites as their magic. Magic was very important to them because they believed that it would provide them with crop, punishments, and rewards, and keeping the pharaoh happy. Ancient Greeks and Romans tried to tell the future through dreams and crystal balls. They also consulted priests to get information from their gods.

Middle ages
During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed strongly in magic. Almost all Europeans believed in its power. At the same time they also thought it was sinful. At that time alchemist (chemists) searched for two very valuable substances, the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life. The philosopher's stone was believed to change iron, lead, and other metals into gold. The elixir of life was a miraculous substance that could cure diseases and lengthen life.

1500s-1700s
From the 1500's to the1700's, belief in magic continued spread around the world. Even the highly educated people believed in its power. For example, Sir Isaac Newton studied alchemy. People by this time were tired of witchcraft.

People believed you could tell a person's character in many ways, such as studying a person's hand, facial features, or even the moles on their skin. After about 1600 magic lost our attention because of scientific advances. Scientists revealed that magic was not real, it was our mind playing tricks.

Magic today
Magic today is way different than hundreds of years ago. Some people still believe in witchcraft or still read their horoscope in the daily newspaper, but we mostly use it as entertainment. It is also with us in superstitions, such as a lucky penny or a rabbit's foot.

Harry Houdini (March 24, 1874 - October 31, 1926)
Houdini was a Jewish Hungarian American magician, escapologist (widely regarded as one of the greatest ever) and stunt performer, as well as a skeptic and investigator of spiritualists, film producer and actor. Harry Houdini forever changed the world of magic and escapes. He was clearly one of the best performers of all time.
Initially, Houdini's magic career resulted in little success, however Houdini initially focused on traditional card tricks. At one point, he billed himself as the "King of Cards". But he soon began experimenting with escape acts.
Harry Houdini's "big break" came in 1899 when he met manager Martin Beck in rural Woodstock, Illinois. Impressed by Houdini's handcuffs act, Beck advised him to concentrate on escape acts and booked him on the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Within months, he was performing at the top vaudeville houses in the country. In 1900, Beck arranged for Houdini to tour Europe.

Some of Houdini's greater acts include the following:
The Mirror Escape
The Milk Can
The Chinese Water Torture Cell
Suspended straitjacket escape
an many more incredible stunts

David Blaine (born April 4, 1973) is an American Guinness Book of Records world record-holder, magician, and endurance artist. He made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic.
Blaine had his first break on a tv series called David Blaine: Street Magic
From here, he gained fame across the nation with such amazing acts as:
Buried Alive
Frozen in Time
Vertigo
Above the Below
Drowned Alive
Revolution
Dive of Death
David Blaine plans on more stunts and performances soon. One of his more exciting ideas is walking across the Sahara Dessert with no water or tools!

A good magician never reveals his secrets...however, im not a good magician so I am willing to let you in on a few good secrets :)
But before you do get started, know that a "double lift" is lifting two cards at once, creating the illusion that you only have one card.
Also, a word of advice...Be a good actor! act like you now what you are doing, lol