In ancient Egypt, wands were among the various articles left in Pharaoh’s tombs along with articles of personal use, weapons, amulets and magic texts. The wand was supposed to allow the soul of the Pharaoh to use all these articles. Moses is believed to have carried a hazel wand. In wall murals of the third and fourth centuries, representations of magic wands are found.

In some branches of magic, wands are used for the channeling of energy. Though wands are generally crafted out of wood or metal, crystal is also used for making them. A branch of oak, hazel or other trees is pruned and then carved or decorated to create a wand that suits the magician. Nowadays, readymade wands are also available and can be purchased from several stores or even over the Internet.

Works of fiction and fantasy have given magic wands the popularity that they are enjoying now. Wands are represented as spell-casting magical rods with the ability to change destiny by performing miracles. Fairy godmothers and witches are generally shown as carrying wands with a shining star or point on its tip. Most of us are familiar with the depiction of Cinderella’s fairy godmother’s wand and all that it did. Wands are also portrayed as weapons used in magical duels.

In the fantasy world of Harry Potter, a wand helps the wizard or witch to focus their energies and perform spells. Wands are generally required for most spells though it is possible to perform spells without them. Each wand is said to be unique and different from other wands. They are available in many varieties, being made of different woods, such as holly, willow, rosewood or oak and having different magical cores such as phoenix feather, unicorn hair or dragon heartstring.

Magic can catch the attention of any person. It can amuse a person by simply entertaining and making them think about the possibility of magic. As there are many people who get entertained, there are also more individuals who are interested in learning how to perform the magic tricks.Some magic tricks are very easy to learn and perform in social gatherings like parties. Such tricks require only common items such as matchboxes, bowls, coins and the like. Most tricks require some kind of pre-arrangement, but some can be done without any preparation.

One such easy trick is the “Ice Baby” trick. You pour some water into a bowl, say some magic words and turn it upside down and lo and behold, ice cubes fall from the bowl. This trick can be performed by placing a sponge and ice cubes in the bowl beforehand so that the sponge absorbs the water that is poured into the bowl and the ice cubes fall out.The jumping rubber band trick is a popular trick that needs no previous arrangements. A rubber band is wrapped around your little finger and ring finger. When you stretch the rubber band, insert your little, ring, middle and first finger into it and open your fingers again, the rubber band mysteriously jumps to the first and middle fingers.

Coin vanishing tricks are among the most popular tricks. A variety of coin vanishing tricks are prevalent the world over. A coin is placed on the table and when you pick it up and say the magic words and hey presto, it disappears! What you should keep in mind while performing this trick is that when you cover the coin with your hand and slide it to edge of the table to pick it up, you should push it onto your lap and then pretend that the coin is still in your hand. After that you say the magic words and open your hand, and the coin has disappeared from your hand.

Another interesting coin trick requires a glass, a sheet of colored paper, a handkerchief and a coin. The audience is shown the coin and an upturned glass kept on a sheet of colored sheet of paper. You put a handkerchief over the glass and move it over. When the handkerchief is removed the coin has disappeared. This trick involves a certain amount of pre-planning. A circle the size of the rim and of the same color of the sheet is taped to the glass so that it blends with the colored paper. Thus when the glass is moved over, the circle hides the coin from view and the coin appears to have disappeared.