When magic started to become more mainstream and acceptable to the general pubic, magicians took this oath very seriously. Currently with the proliferation of "reveals" on the internet, it seems that this Oath has become redundant.
The original intent of the Oath was to protect the secrets of the art, which were passed down from one magician to another and these secrets were very closely guarded. As all adults are aware, there is no "real magic" in the shows they attend or watch on TV. People go to the shows simply to immerse themselves in a world of "make believe" where anything is possible. Most patrons do not wish to know the secrets as it will then destroy the sense of wonder and childlike belief in Peter Pan. When people see magic, they allow themselves to momentarily indulge in the feeling that "anything is possible", even if only for the moment.
When we, as magicians, start to abandon the Oath, then we have not only let down our colleagues, but also the vast majority of people worldwide who have now been denied the great pleasure of basking in the "sense of childlike awe and wonder" and escaping the stresses of the everyday world. It is not only our accepted practice towards other magicians, but also our responsibility to the great masses who "live vicariously" through our entertaining mystical and magical performances. Who among us is willing to stand up and say "I don't care about the audience"? Well, consider this, whenever you reveal a secret or watch a "reveal" video on the internet, you are stating this very thing, maybe not through your words, but directly through your actions.
We are the Gatekeepers and hold the key in the form of the Magician's Oath. Whosoever takes the Oath is granted entry into a vast unknown where gradually the mysteries of the world are shared with them. When someone who has been given access to this intriguing world breaks the sacred Oath, it is imperative that we, the gatekeepers close ranks in an effort to protect not only ourselves, but also the uninitiated, who depend on us to provide the sense of joy and amazement they so desperately grave.
There will always be an ongoing debate regarding this matter and how we can stop the flow of secrets. Unfortunately, there is no real answer to this question. The best approach we can take is to constantly strive to create new effects, even if they are still based on the old and known methods. Once this begins to happen then the audience will not realize that that the tricks they have seen revealed are indeed the same method used in the new tricks. In this way, the "revealers" will gradually lose interest, as they find they have less and less credibility among the people they wish to impress by knowing the secrets.
In the final analysis, magic and the associated tricks and illusions have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years and there is nothing to indicate that this will change any time soon. The element of mystery surrounding magic is what many people find so exciting and enjoyable. As long as we magicians continue to produce entertaining, mind-blowing tricks, and adhere to, and promote the keeping of the Oath, then the magic will never die.
Author: rossco
