"Beyond Bizarre" was a life-changing experience for me, as was each of my forays into the McBride Magic School.

I had always found myself attracted to the "gravitas" of bizarre magic, but as I had seen it practiced and from everything that I had read about it, there was an unfortunate "Count Floyd" self-parodying quality that seemed inescapable.

The sessions with Jeff and Eugene at this event forever freed me from the shackles of the past expressions of this art. I learned how to be, shall we say, "appropriately bizarre" (or as Jeff says, how to use "set, setting, and dosage" correctly) and that "bizarre magic" could be, in fact, *great* magic.

I remember every moment of our sessions together, but two of them are most precious: One, the gentle one-on-one tutelage of the sage Eugene Burger, and a "works in progress" session in which attendees were invited to present their in-process work: the support and respect for the process and for each other was a palpable force in the room, and I will never, NEVER, forget it.

If I can swing it...I'll probably go AGAIN. If you like bizarre magic at all, or even just "slightly spooky" magic...or if you are interested in the ceremonial roots of magic...this is the one for you. I can't recommend it highly enough.