Mentalist Stewart Cumberland offers his observations on magic-as-tricks in his post Where Has The Mystery Gone In Magic And Mentalism?.
The comments are worth reading, too. My quick two-cents is that many magicians are afraid of magic. The powerful mystery angle is the antithesis to the "life of the party" promise that permeates modern magic, so you have to really seek good examples and mentors to explore other approaches to the art. In my opinion the work of Robert E. Neale best represents a contemporary, wonder worker who isn't performing magic to be a buffoon or run some sort of power game.
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