I wrote a letter to Merlin

Dear Merlin,

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the state of magical societies around the world today and what your perspective on this might be. Over the past few centuries, people have gradually lost their sense of wonder and have pushed magic aside. Science, with its answers, has opened doors, but at the same time, it has limited the boundaries of our imagination. Let science be the answer, but let magic continue to question. That’s why I believe the problem has now reached a critical point because those responsible for keeping the flame alive—the very wizards—are starting to lose faith. Colleagues have told me to my face, “It’s all a big lie,” “It’s getting harder and harder to lead people into the world of dreams, I’m tired,” “No one believes anymore. And who am I going to convince if I can’t even find my own magic?”

During my experience as a magician over the past 10 years, I’ve also found myself doubting, but something saved me. After finishing a performance, Mille, the person in charge of the venue, who had already seen the show in its entirety about five times, approached me and asked with a smile full of wonder: “Do you believe in magic?” I didn’t want to lie to her, so I said what I was thinking at the time: “I create illusions, but I don’t think magic exists.” Her smile faded, and she replied, “What a shame, a magician who doesn’t believe in magic,” and walked away, leaving me with what felt like a push into the abyss of disillusionment. I could understand if someone didn’t believe or didn’t want to believe, but pretending to be a “magician” and not even leaving room for the possibility that someone else might believe is a disaster.

That, I believe, is where the answer—or at least an opportunity—lies. This revelation didn’t mean that I would suddenly start believing in magic again, but rather that I could change my perspective and understand that maybe I had been searching for it in the wrong place.

Everything that followed was a constant discovery, and today I find myself at a point where I feel the need to share this idea with you. It’s time to open the doors to the “secrets of magic” and not only teach illusions but also point out the places where real magic can be found. We need to give audiences the tools to restore our capacity to believe and create the impossible as magicians. We must set aside the ego that blinds us, makes us cynical and distant, and change the way we see things.

With deep respect, I await your response as I go on to teach illusions to some curious spectator, hoping to open paths where they might discover their true magic—not just the shortcuts of memory or the senses to deceive, but that these become mere excuses to elevate us to the possibility of the impossible, to push our imagination to its limits, and to surrender to the wonderful feeling of true magic that recognizes us as unique and special in every moment.

Regards,

R.V.