Of Water & Wizardry

Happy World Water Day! (March 22nd)

Photo by Lisa Kereszi

In 2017 I will travel to the desert to study the magic of water with a master wizard who runs a school of wizardry.  Literally.  I will take on this quest not only in pursuit of grand adventure and better magic but also so that I can use what I learn to inspire audiences with the importance of water.

The school to which I will return is McBride’s Magic & Mystery School of Las Vegas.  The Master Magician, and school’s Founder, is Jeff McBride.  Although I may look more like Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, youthful-appearing Jeff McBride has acclaim in the real world equal to that of the great wizard in Harry Potter novels.  I have been fortunate to receive Jeff’s support of my magical studies and my use of “enviromagic” (Jeff’s term) for environmental education.  When the opportunity arose to learn one of his master work routines, The Water Bowls, we both agreed that the time was right.  My “Magic of Water” magic show already shares the wonder of water and the power we all have to conserve and protect it.   Jeff’s Water Bowls routine will improve this show, bringing it to the “Vegas Level”.  The Water Bowls routine is wordless but powerful for the story it shares of human interaction with water as the source of life.  It will bring a very important and perhaps spiritual lesson to a show which already delivers messages of fact and science.  I look forward to learning this routine and to the time spent studying closely with a master magician.

  As a sustainability professional I must also offer thanks and gratitude to the environmental educators and officials who work tirelessly to ensure our waters remain abundant and clear.  This year I was able to partake in a unique training day in which the ties between waste and water were demonstrated for classroom teachers in Waterbury, CT and elsewhere.  TOMRA and Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) hosted Project WET, a national training and curriculum provision program, that brings water-focused activities to classrooms and nature centers nationwide.  Their efforts may not be magic shows in the strict sense of the word, but the fun and enlightenment that they bring to children can literally make all the difference in the world.

Enjoy World Water Day as well as the blessing, and magic, of water!

#worldwaterday #magic #water #enviromagic #spokeswizard #brasscitybuzz

 

Magic in Iceland

Iceland is a country renowned as a land of fire and ice, Viking settlers and northern lights.  I was fortunate to take in this magical landscape after performing “Recycling is Magic” for several schools in the Reykjavik area.  While I enjoyed sharing my environmental magic with my Icelandic audiences, the utter elemental beauty of the country reminded me that Nature is the greatest magician.

This adventure began with a magic to rival that of Iceland’s beauty:  love.   My wife and I decided to celebrate our 25th anniversary with a visit to a land for which we had such longing.   We were able to combine our own celebration with a partnership with Landervernd, Iceland’s most prominent environmental organization.  I worked with Landvernd’s Caitlin Wilson, Margret Hugadottir and Gundmundur “Mummi” Gudbrandsson (a fellow graduate of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies) to create a bi-lingual version of “Recycling is Magic” for elementary school children.  We made some cultural as well as language changes.  For example, my American “ogres” became Icelandic “trolls”, a strong cultural tie.

Given the love that Icelanders have for their majestic landscape I was surprised to learn that their recycling efforts are mixed at this point.  Reykjavik has curbside pick-up for residences, but recycling at businesses and other locales around the island nation is very intermittent.  As such my offer of recycling magic shows tied well into Landvernd’s efforts to help Icelandic schools participate in a growing international green school effort:  Eco Schools.  It was nice to contribute my own small bit of magic to help such a splendid land in its work to protect its environment.  #iceland #enviromagic #spokeswizard #recyclingmagic #recycling

Magic Can Change the World

“Magic, by its ability to capture the imagination, can change the world.” – CJ May

This video is a brief introduction to my two most popular shows, “Recycling is Magic” and “MAGITRICITY”, and how they help others see the magic they possess.

The video was masterfully created by Irene Liebler of Art of the Cell.  She, and her partner Sandy, showed such creativity in the still and video photography they showed me that I trusted this effort to them.   The finished video exceeded my expectations.

Magician for a Better World

Cyril the Sorcerer uses his magic to enchant and educate his audiences.   Whether demonstrating the magic in recycling, water or alternative energy and energy conservation, he conveys the message of sustainability through spellbinding performances.    The message and the magic make for a powerful and memorable experience.

203-737-0475    cyril.may@aya.yale.edu