For more than a century, members of The Order of The Magi in Manchester have received a monthly copy of The Magi magazine, the Society’s long-running journal covering magic, magicians, lectures, performances, club news, and the rich history of one of the UK’s oldest magical societies.
Recently, a question was raised regarding the numbering of The Magi magazine and whether the 2026-2027 Society year ought to be appearing as Volume 118 rather than Volume 116. What initially seemed like a small point of curiosity soon developed into a fascinating journey through more than 100 years of magical history, archive material, and Society records.
Following a detailed review of physical copies of The Magi magazine, digital archive scans, photographs of historical editions, and supporting correspondence, it has become clear that the correct numbering for the 2026-2027 Magi year should in fact be Volume 117.
The Beginning of The Magi Magazine
The earliest available evidence for The Magi magazine’s publication can be found in a contemporary archive article concerning the Society’s first editor, R. Mervyn Varney. The piece states:
“R. Mervyn Varney was the first editor of ‘The Magi’ the monthly Journal started in May 1910 and published every month without interruption up to the present day. He was taken ill in August 1910 and had to relinquish his editorship. His death in July 1911 was a great loss”.
This historical reference confirms that the first issue of The Magi was published in May 1910, making it Volume 1, Edition 1.
Since then, The Magi has been published every single month, documenting the life of The Order of The Magi, magical performances, lectures from leading magicians, club events, competitions, and the ever-evolving world of magic in Manchester and beyond.
A Historical Numbering Error in 1950
The investigation uncovered evidence of an earlier numbering anomaly.
A letter held within the Society archives, dated November 1995 and addressed to then Secretary Walter de Ruyter, explains that a mistake occurred in May 1950, when what should have been printed as Volume 41 Edition 1 instead appeared as Volume 50 Edition 1.
The error was corrected in June 1950, though it did leave the unusual situation of there technically being two separate editions of Volume 50 Edition 1, published ten years apart.
Interestingly, the May 1950 issue also appears to have marked an important milestone in the Society’s history, being the first edition of The Magi to be professionally printed rather than duplicated.
The Change to the Magi Year in 1988
For much of its history, The Magi magazine followed a straightforward publishing cycle, with each volume running from May through to April.
However, in 1988 a subtle but important adjustment appears to have been made.
At first glance, Volume 78 (1987-1988) seems to contain only eleven editions, raising suspicions of a missing issue. Closer examination, however, revealed that no magazine had been lost at all.
Instead, what would have been published as Volume 78 Edition 12 appears to have been deliberately renumbered as Volume 79 Edition 1, bringing the magazine into alignment with the Society’s April to March syllabus year.
From that point onward, The Magi volumes ran from April to March, ensuring the magazine year reflected the annual cycle of The Order of The Magi more accurately.
The Source of Today’s Confusion
The apparent “missing year” can be traced to a far more recent administrative oversight.
Volume 107 ended in March 2017, meaning the following issue, published in April 2017, should naturally have begun Volume 108 Edition 1.
However, the April 2017 edition was mistakenly published as Volume 107 once again.
As a result, Volume 107 ultimately ran for twenty-four editions rather than twelve, unintentionally placing every subsequent volume number one year behind where it should have been.
Given the practical realities of producing a monthly magazine for a busy magic society, this appears to have been an entirely understandable oversight that simply continued unnoticed over time.
Why the Correct Number Is Volume 117
After cross-checking publication dates, volume numbers, surviving archive material, and historical correspondence, the evidence consistently points to the same conclusion:
The correct volume number for the 2026-2027 Magi year is Volume 117.
The Society is therefore updating the numbering moving forward to ensure the historical record accurately reflects the remarkable continuity of The Magi magazine.
More Than a Magazine: A Living Record of Magic in Manchester
Perhaps the most important discovery from this research is not a numbering correction, but a renewed appreciation for the extraordinary history of The Order of The Magi itself.
Founded in Manchester in 1909, The Order of The Magi remains one of the UK’s oldest magic societies and continues to welcome magicians of all abilities through lectures, club nights, competitions, and special events.
The Magi magazine stands as an important part of that legacy. Published continuously every month since May 1910, it serves as a living historical record of magic in Manchester, preserving over a century of magical knowledge, Society news, visiting lecturers, performances, and memories.
The Society is proud that The Magi remains recognised as the longest-running monthly magical magazine to have been continuously published without interruption, a remarkable achievement and one that reflects the dedication of generations of members, editors, and volunteers.
The Order of The Magi would also like to thank members who contributed thoughts, archive material, photographs, and discussion during the investigation into the magazine numbering. It is hoped that this clarification will help preserve the Society’s history for future generations of magicians in Manchester and beyond.
The Helen Moran Memorial Lecture this year took place on 25th April and was presented by John Archer. There was a good turn- out of members and visitors and included Peter Moran.
Helen Moran was a much respected honorary member of The Order of The Magi, who worked very hard behind the scenes. When Helen sadly passed away, she kindly left a bequest to provide the first magic lecture of the Society’s year.
I last saw John at South Tyneside a few weeks ago as a performer and it was great to see a lecture where he showed not only how his effects were achieved but how to and where to obtain the laughs. By the use of various methods he illustrated how a magician screws up can be turned into a positive result with hilarious consequences.
He went on to show the envelope routine that fooled Penn and Teller and brought him a trip to Las Vegas. It was indeed clever thinking and one can understand why they were fooled!
His coincidence routine with a very attention grabbing story was simplicity in modus operandi, but needed presentation work to achieve the right angle. Apart from two decks of cards all it needed was some ******** (you should have been there) and you were off.
His dog pet name was a much improved and simplified working of an effect he has demonstrated at a previous lecture and now a lot stronger.
A mind reading routine of a chosen celebrity went down well.
A routine with ESP cards was another hit. All routines were described in great detail with all the pauses and asides clearly shown. Yes, I can understand why this man fooled Penn and Teller!
On your behalf I would like to thank Peter for continuing the sponsorship to keep in our minds all the hard work and massive input Helen Moran put into this society.
Report by Geoff Newton
(Webmaster Note: Parts of this report, which features in full in the members’ only Magi Magazine, have been edited to keep John’s methods secret. For full explanations, we recommend that you speak to John Archer directly, who will be able to advise which of his lecture note packs contain the relevant tricks)
A routine with ESP cards was another hit. All routines were described in great detail with all the pauses and asides clearly shown. Yes, I can understand why this man fooled Penn and Teller!