You Took the Red Pill the Moment You Started Learning Magic
Peter X on April 20th 2026
Remember The Matrix? Blue pill and you stay blissfully ignorant. Red pill and you can never unsee the truth again. Learning magic is exactly like that, except instead of dodging bullets, you are doing card tricks in your living room.
I was listening to magician Lloyd Barnes on his podcast with Craig Petty and he briefly mentioned something that I have not stopped thinking about since. He was talking about the Maverick Magicians on Britain's Got Talent and how some magicians were grumbling while the rest of the world were losing their minds. And the reason is that magicians took the red pill. We see tricks differently now and sometimes we forget what it feels like to just be fooled. That five second mention of the “red pill” turned into this whole article. Thank you, Lloyd!
You can watch the BGT performance below:
The Blue Pill Is Actually Really Nice
Before you learn magic, watching it is genuinely wonderful. A card appears from nowhere, someone reads your mind or a watermelon reveals your secret word. Your brain has no explanation and for a moment the world feels a little magical.I remember the first time I saw the Invisible Deck on TV. Someone was asked to imagine an invisible deck of cards in their hand, shuffle it, take any card they want and reverse it. No forces, no choices, just any card they want. Then the magician spreads a real deck and every card was face up except that card they selected. That blew my mind and I kept thinking about it and I wasn’t able to figure out a logical explanation.
That is the blue pill. And honestly it is a beautiful place to live.
Here is a video of David Blaine performing a version of the Invisible Deck:
Then You Learn the Method
When I found out how the Invisible Deck works, I did not feel cheated. I felt like I had my mind’s eye opened and was let into a secret club. The method is so clever and elegant that I actually loved the trick more after learning it.That is the red pill moment. You stop being fooled the same way but you start appreciating the craft in a completely different way. You watch a great magician and instead of just gasping you notice the misdirection, the timing, the tiny choices that make the whole thing mind blowing and entertaining. It is like going from watching a football match to understanding the tactics. Both are fun but just different kinds of fun.
The problem Lloyd was pointing out is that some magicians forget the first kind of fun even exists. They watch the Maverick Magicians make millions of people fall in love with magic on live television and instead of thinking "amazing, more people discovering magic" they start picking the method apart. Meanwhile KSI is standing next to a smashed watermelon having the best moment of his life.
What the Red Pill Actually Gets You
The upside of taking the red pill is that you get to be the one creating those moments instead of just experiencing them. Watching someone's face when they genuinely cannot explain something you just did is its own kind of magic. Different from being fooled but better in a lot of ways.And the tools available to create those moments have never been better. You can find many of them for free here: Free Magic, or if you're already deep in the red pill zone, you can find more awesome magic here: Magic Collection
Both Sides Are Great, Seriously
I love magic from both sides. I still love being fooled when it happens and I love performing even more. People's reactions when they see a trick and when they learn a trick are both fascinating in completely different ways.The blue pill world is not the enemy; it is the audience. Without people who still feel genuine wonder there is nobody to perform for.
So when the Maverick Magicians made millions of people care about magic for a week that is a good thing for everyone holding a deck of cards.
Which Side Are You On?
If you are still happily living in blue pill land, that is great. Magic was made for you!If you are curious about what is on the other side, the rabbit hole starts here. Browse beginner magic, pick up a free magic book or grab one of our many cool magic tricks and start creating your own watermelon moments.
The red pill is a one-way trip. But the view from the other side is pretty great too.
Peter X is the founder of Magic and Cards. He still gets fooled occasionally and considers it one of life's small gifts. Find out more in our About M&C section.