Ascanio for Dummies or Ascanio for Non-Spanish Speakers?

We often see books on various topics like economics, cooking, or history with the phrase “for Dummies” in their titles. But here’s a question: who’s the real “dummy”? The one who hasn’t understood the subject, or the one who tried to explain it but couldn’t connect with the reader?

Of course, I understand the commercial intent behind these titles, and I’m not here to judge. However, what lies beneath this phenomenon is a real need for clarity and structure. It’s as if information has become oversaturated and scattered, leaving readers longing for a “messiah” to put everything in order—separating the essential from the trivial, the fundamental from the superfluous.

In that sense, and without claiming to be any kind of messiah (God forbid), I think there’s great wisdom in something one of my mentors, Faustino Palmero, used to say: “I’ve spent over 50 years studying magic so that my students can learn in 5 minutes what has taken me a lifetime.” How true those words are, and how fortunate I was to have someone like him—so generous, so accessible, sharing every detail and teaching in a way that always inspired reflection.

Now, I want to share something with you. As announced through Invisible Practice, Rico Weeland and I will be presenting a series of reflections during the Christmas season. In my case, I’ve decided to delve into “Ascanio in Magic: His Theoretical and Practical Conception.”

The reason behind these essays stems from the vast difference in depth and clarity between Ascanio’s original Spanish works and their English translations. My mission is to clarify, in a practical and concise way, some of the fundamental aspects of Ascanio’s conception of magic. If I can help readers understand these basic concepts and how to apply them, I’ll consider the project a success. And if, beyond that, I manage to spark their interest in exploring this Spanish constructivist philosophy of magic further, then I can die happy (though I hope to live for many more years—I still want to buy a ranch in Arizona!).

For this project, I’ve drawn on my notes from Ascanio’s works and Gabi Pareras’s revisions, as well as my own thoughts and notes from seminars, lectures, and masterclasses by Arturo de Ascanio’s direct disciples.

Ascanio focused on studying secrecy from a constructivist perspective. His efforts aimed to ensure that not only would the secret remain unseen or unfelt, but that its very existence would be beyond suspicion. While I deeply revere and study his work, my efforts have been directed toward understanding and proposing structures. That’s why, in each essay, I’ll highlight how Ascanio’s foundations positively impact the external life—what the spectator perceives and remembers.

If this project piques your interest, join us on this exciting journey and let yourself be captivated by the wonders of Ascanio’s magic.

Let’s dive in together!

-Al Berbel

This Project will start from December first onwards and the schedule will look as follows:

If this seems something that you’re interested in tell your friends by sending them the link of the web post, this would mean the world to us.