This week my silk factory in China is closed for the New Year. It reopens Monday. For those of us who do silk magic, the Chinese new year serves as a reminder of how long the source of silk was active before the western world even was known.

This may be 2009 in the western world. There are three dates given for the new year in China. Those are 4606, 4607 and 4646. Understanding that the western world as known in Europe was discovered less than 600 years ago, gives us a very late start in the world of magic.

It also makes some of uninformed and arrogant claims to have “invented” magic tricks rather pompous. Think twice when the “New” appears before a trick that is for sale. Magic is indeed dependent on fooling people! (Let's assume that magicians are also people.)

Most of what we know about silk magic came to Europe after the 1200s. We are beginners indeed.

Enjoy your silk magic.

Happy New Year!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander