Transcendental magic is a unique practice that combines elements of mysticism, philosophy, and ritual. This form of magic was developed by French occultist Eliphas Levi in the mid-19th century. It is based on the belief that individuals have the ability to tap into the divine and harness its power for personal and spiritual growth. At the core of transcendental magic is the belief in the existence of a universal force known as the "Great Magical Agent." This force is believed to be present in all things and can be harnessed through symbolic rituals and gestures. Transcendental magic seeks to align the individual with this force and unite the microcosm with the macrocosm.
“All those kind words were an honor,” van der Put said. “It certainly helped.”
Van der Put s career started to take off in 2008, which was when he started sporting the dragon costume and worked humor into his act, which the audience embraced. Oddly, the first one you see is from a guy who wrote this about you He has the energy of a man who has had to perform as a dragon for way too many kids birthdays and is now officially done with life.
Transcendental magic seeks to align the individual with this force and unite the microcosm with the macrocosm. One of the key principles of transcendental magic is the concept of the "as above, so below." This principle suggests that there is a correspondence between the spiritual and physical realms, and that events and phenomena in one realm can influence those in the other.
Piff the magic dragon and the spectacular magicians
If you’ve never witnessed a Piff the Magic Dragon show in Las Vegas or elsewhere, you are in for a real treat. The recent “triple crown” winner in the 2019 Best of Las Vegas Awards for Best Comedian, Best Magician and Best Headliner is coming our way. Piff will be performing at Park City Eccles Center on Sunday, December 22nd at 8pm. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the holidays than at a Piff the Magic Dragon show. In advance of his appearance in Utah, I sat down with Piff in Las Vegas for a chat.
TS: Congratulations on winning the triple-crown in Vegas. You won for best magician, best comedian and best headliner. Which takes more work: magic or comedy?
Piff: When you talk to stand-up comedians, they always talk about turning their material over every year. And that is much more achievable in comedy than in magic. Because in comedy, if you have an idea, you can try it tonight and find out whether it’s funny. Whereas in magic, if you have to have an idea, you have to make it work first, and that can take, you know, three or six months … or a year. And that’s just to get the idea working. Then you have to take it on stage to see if anyone even likes it.
TS: Confession: The only magic I really watch is Penn and Teller and you. So this might be a rookie question, but, for example, the notorious “urine” trick that you recently did with Penn Jillette in Florida is a variation on an already existing trick. So the question is: is all magic and illusion a variation on something that’s been done before? Or is it still possible to create something that’s brand new?
Piff: I guess you can. Like, with any sort of writing you’re using the same alphabet. But you can reconfigure it into a way that is new. So, it’s the same with magic; there are building blocks, but it’s the way you put them together. Penn and Teller are the kings of that. Everything they do looks like nothing else; they really put their stamp on it.
TS: You were raised as an evangelical Christian. I ran across this term reading about you. What is “gospel magic?”
Piff: Gospel magic is when you use magic tricks to spread a bible message … to preach with magic tricks.
TS: You went through a very serious bout with acute pancreatitis some years ago. This was before Piff came into existence. Did all that ordeal lead to Piff the Magic Dragon as a career?
Piff: Maybe. It just meant that certainly I would rather concentrate full-time on something that I’d been doing part-time. So I quit my IT job and I really tried to make a go of the magic. And then also, it encouraged me to not take things for granted. You know, not be like, ‘Well, I’ll try it but if it doesn’t work out then I can try it next year.’ I was a bit more like, ‘Maybe we should try and get this working today.’
Photo courtesy Piff the Magic Dragon
TS: I was looking at your America’s Got Talent videos on YouTube where some 10.5 million people have viewed your performances and there are, like, 5700 comments. Oddly, the first one you see is from a guy who wrote this about you: “He has the energy of a man who has had to perform as a dragon for way too many kids’ birthdays and is now officially done with life.”
Piff: Yup. I spent 10 years doing restaurant magic … doing the same 10 minutes over and over again, 10 or 15 times a night, 5 nights a week. And so yeah … I definitely felt like ‘this is Groundhog Day.’ I thought it would be funny to put that onstage and build a character around that vibe.
TS: A reader wanted me to ask you: Was it difficult to adjust to moving from “moist” England to a place like Vegas, with a climate that’s closer to the surface of the sun?
Piff: No. Every year I used to tour Australia in January and February and March, because I was so fed up with the English winters. So I was very happy to get out here and I love it.
TS: Do you get recognized in public without your dragon frock?
Piff: Not very often, but more than I’d like. I love being anonymous.
TS: I feel like somewhere lurking within Piff the Magic Dragon, there’s some bawdy, ribald material wanting to get out.
Piff: You know, I like trying to tread the line. And in our shows we can sort of dance around that line, whereas on shows like America’s Got Talent you have to be very clean. But you know, honestly, for our shows we get kids and we get families and I quite like those dynamics.
TS: You have a way of blindsiding your audience with your humor and comedy. They don’t see the jokes coming and you don’t telegraph them. Do you work at that? Like, when you do a card trick and tell the audience member on stage that they picked the wrong card.
Piff: Right. I don’t know, I mean I think there’s a thing in the world of magic where magicians go on stage and they tell the audience they have these amazing powers and then when things to wrong, the magicians I’ve seen kind of have a tendency to blame the audience. And I just thought doing that intentionally would be really funny.
TS: One of our readers said he suspects that you have a ‘punk’ sensibility. Maybe that comes from the PiffPod podcast theme song.
Piff: There’s definitely like, that iconoclastic element to it … I always try to question things. In magic, people are always like, ‘Well, this is how you should do it.’ And I’m always like, ‘Really?’ And sometimes it’s funny and sometimes I end up going, ‘Oh, now I understand why you should do it that way.’ There’s a technique in magic where before you do a ‘reveal’, you recap what has happened in order to fully maximize the applause. And I prefer to not explain or recap [he says, laughing]—to do the reveal and then berate the audience for not fully understanding what happened. That’s much funnier to me. So that would be an example of doing things backwards in magic. Magic 101 would be ‘maybe you should explain what happened before you do the reveal.’ I’m on Magic 102.
TS: You’re coming to Utah just before Christmas. Do you have anything special lined up for the holiday audience?
Piff: We’ll probably do a couple of Christmas-y tricks. The great thing is that we put these shows together and we do a mix of old favorites and new tricks on the road. So every time someone comes out to our show, there’s usually at least half of it they haven’t seen before. And every time we do a trick, we use someone from the audience. So it’s always different anyway. It’s always amazing to me how different each night is.
Jade Simone aka Mrs. Piff, Author, Ted Scheffler, & Piff the Magic Dragon
Originally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine, and travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, music, and reading, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers. Ted is also the author of the Utah Bites newsletter, which is published in partnership with Utah Stories. Before moving to Utah, Ted lived in New York City, and numerous states in the US, as well as in various countries overseas, Spain, Japan, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. He earned a Master’s Degree in Anthropology from the Graduate Faculty of The New School for Social Research.
TS: You have a way of blindsiding your audience with your humor and comedy. They don’t see the jokes coming and you don’t telegraph them. Do you work at that? Like, when you do a card trick and tell the audience member on stage that they picked the wrong card.
By understanding this principle, practitioners of transcendental magic seek to create harmony and balance within themselves and the world around them. Rituals play a crucial role in transcendental magic. These rituals often involve the use of symbols, gestures, and words to create a connection with the divine. For example, the use of pentagrams, triangles, and other geometric shapes is believed to represent various metaphysical concepts and forces. These symbols are used in conjunction with specific prayers or invocations to evoke specific energies or entities. In addition to rituals, transcendental magic also places a strong emphasis on meditation and visualization. Practitioners are encouraged to enter a deep state of concentration and imagine themselves as part of the universal consciousness. Through visualization, they can transcend the limitations of the physical world and tap into higher realms of existence. While transcendental magic does involve the use of rituals and symbols, its true essence lies in the spiritual development and transformation of the individual. It is not simply about performing supernatural feats or acquiring material wealth but rather about attaining enlightenment and wisdom. By aligning oneself with the Great Magical Agent, practitioners seek to achieve spiritual growth and union with the divine. In conclusion, transcendental magic is a mystical and philosophical practice that seeks to tap into the divine and achieve spiritual growth. It combines rituals, symbols, and visualization techniques to create a connection with the universal force and achieve harmony within oneself and the world. By understanding the principles and practicing the rituals of transcendental magic, individuals can unlock their inner potential and experience spiritual enlightenment..
Reviews for "Uncovering the Mysteries of Transcentral Magic: its Doctrine and Rituals Explored"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Transcenral magic its doctrin and ritual". The book seemed to be a hodgepodge of random information without any clear organization or structure. The author discussed various magical rituals and practices, but it felt like they were thrown together without any coherent explanations or instructions. Additionally, the writing style was dry and difficult to follow, making it even harder to understand the concepts being presented. Overall, I found this book to be confusing and lacking in substance.
2. John - 1 star - "Transcenral magic its doctrin and ritual" was a complete waste of my time. The author claimed to provide a comprehensive guide to transcendental magic, but all I got was a jumbled mess of esoteric ideas and practices that made no sense to me. The explanations were convoluted and filled with unnecessary jargon, making it almost impossible to grasp the concepts being discussed. Furthermore, the lack of clear organization or structure made it difficult to navigate through the book. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a genuine understanding of transcendental magic.
3. Emma - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Transcenral magic its doctrin and ritual", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The book lacked clear explanations and examples, making it hard to comprehend the concepts being discussed. The author seemed to assume prior knowledge on the subject, which left me feeling confused and frustrated. Additionally, there were multiple grammatical errors and typos throughout the book, which further hindered my reading experience. I was left feeling unsatisfied and disappointed with this book.