About – Martial Magician

It's all about time...

Let me ask you a question. How much time do you have?

I’m Tom Meseroll, magician, actor, author and I’m humbled by the extraordinary journey life has unfolded for me. Armed with a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, I had the honor of serving as the Director of Systems Engineering for Boeing Space & Intelligence, as well as assuming the role of Program Manager for NASA’s renowned Deep Space Network.

I am fascinated by time and space.

So, I’d like get to know you and vice-versa. How much time do you have?

Phases of the Tom

Great! Thanks for giving me a minute… Like the moon has many phases, so do I!

I’m an astrophysicist, a magician, martial artist, pastor, actor and, as you have probably read already, an author.

SCIENCE – my focus was captivated by the enigmatic Black Hole at our Galactic Center during my Graduate School years and later as the Program Manager for NASA’s Deep Space Network.

A crowning achievement came in the form of a patent award that recognized my contribution to the field of Quantum Entangled devices, and a method for communication faster than the speed of light (186,000 miles/second). Plus, a method to communicate with the past and future!

Stepping beyond the realm of science, I’m driven by a profound passion for MARTIAL ARTS achieving black and brown belts in Tang Soo Do and Shotokan.

MAGIC – in all its wonder, has been a source of unending joy in my life. Recognized as “Magus: Master of Martial Magic” within the Magic Community, I combine my adoration for both Martial Arts and Magic. Among my most cherished feats is “The Sightless Samurai,” an act where I blindfold myself and cleave a watermelon in twain with a katana held by a member of the audience.

What is a Martial Magician?

I’m driven by a profound passion for martial arts. With black and brown belts in Tang Soo Do and Shotokan, respectively, I’ve also embarked on a dedicated PATH of studying Iado & Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu at The Budo Academy LLC, a renowned institution tracing its lineage back to the esteemed Samurai tradition.

I have been training for some years in Iaijutsu (the art of quick-drawing the sword) under the tutelage of Sensei Tom Duffy at the Rhode Island Budo Academy.

Magic, in all its wonder, has been a source of unending joy in my life. I’m recognized as “Magus: Master of Martial Magic” within the Magic Community as I combine my adoration for both Martial Arts and Magic. I’ve had the honor of performing at distinguished venues including the illustrious Magic Castle in Hollywood, Carnival Cruise Lines, with Jeff McBride in Las Vegas and for 2000 people at corporate events.

Among my most cherished feats is “The Sightless Samurai,” an act where I blindfold myself and cleave a watermelon in twain with a katana held by a member of the audience. Read on…

The Sightless Samurai

Would you trust me?!

First, Playdo covers my eyes, a metal mask follows, all wrapped with a bandage and finally a bag is put over my head (which is examined). I disorientate myself and then, with katana in hand, I tune into the moment.

I sense where my participant is. I sense their abdominal energy and then I trust my instincts and slice the air.

The blade splices the melon in two… stopping just above their navel.

For me, this performance is the embodiment of how I define myself as a Martial Magician.

WEDDINGS

Pastor Identities

I’ve been blessed to have been conducting wedding ceremonies for decades, including CIA agents, martial artists and gay marriages.

I guess you could say I have been blessed to bless!

As a pastor, I conduct weddings in formal, preacher dress abnd druid dress.

Many of the ceremonies I have been honoured to officiate have become dear friends. It’s a unique kind of magic and I love these occasions. From woodland hand-wrapping ceremonies through to traditional weddings.

I love LOTR

As a bibliophile, I’m endlessly fascinated by the pages of history and wisdom. My collection boasts magic books that date back to the early 1600s, interspersed with philosophical gems and cherished first edition novels, many graced with the signatures of their esteemed authors. A library housing approximately 3000 books serves as a testament to my lifelong thirst for knowledge.

Among my very favourite novels is the classic Lord of The Rings.

Rings are magical. They bind us. As a pastor, when conducting wedding ceremonies, I often use magic during the exchanging of the rings. Enjoy this script!

Do you believe in Magic? I do.

(At this point, I reach into the air and magically produce a rose at my fingertips, handing it to the bride.)

I am a magician, a prestidigitator with cards and coins, a mentalist capable of reading minds, and a conjuror of illusions. But today is no trick, no illusion. There will be no smoke and mirrors, only true magic, the Magic of Love. Love is the magical secret we all hold in our hearts, and when this secret is shared between two people, the result is mutual respect, adoration and a friendship which when nurtured becomes a lifelong union in marriage. The circle is the symbol of the sun, earth, and universe. It is the symbol of peace. Let the rings you exchange today be the symbol of unity and peace in which your two lives are joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever you go, return unto one another and to your togetherness.

Your rings are forged from precious metals, similar to the art of the masters who forged the sword of the samurai throughout history. The sword was considered the soul of the samurai. It was not thought of in traditional Japan as a severing instrument, but as a representation of the honor, duty and respect that was bestowed on the Samurai. It was even traditional that the shogun, and the members of their families, would exchange gifts of swords on special occasions such as weddings and births.

In this capacity, I have a small version of the samurai sword here on a stand.

(Here, I lift up the samurai sword resting in its stand onto the podium.)

May I have the rings?

(The rings are placed in my hand hand by the best man.)

These rings represent the individual lives, which have been forged thru the endless folds of experience.

(I wrap the rings together in paper and say…)

In order to forge the union of you both, the rings will be forged together as their lives will be forged together.

(I now set fire to paper, which I throw it in the air. The small parcel vanishes into a dazzling flash of fire! The rings vanish in the flames.)

They will not be forged together as one solid ring. Just as they will retain individual personas throughout theirs lives, they will remain individual rings, however they will be forged together with their strong foundation of martial arts within their marriage, just as the rings are here in union on the ultimate symbol of honor and respect, the sword of the samurai.

(The rings are magically found together on the samurai sword. I slide the rings off the sword onto the pillow and present them to the bride and groom.)

Found something interesting ?

if you like magic and fantasy, you'll enjoy my books

in the beginning…

There was music and magic...

I admit it. I’m a performing junkie! Always have been.

MUSIC – has served as a constant companion throughout my life, and my identity as a drummer has been nurtured through guidance from the renowned jazz drummer Tony DeNicola. This love for rhythm and melody has seen me contribute to Rock and Jazz bands for over four decades.

ACTING – My artistic journey took me to New York City, where I studied acting under the tutelage of Sanford Meisner and William Ald at The Neighborhood Playhouse. This education paved the way for appearances in soap operas, off-Broadway plays, national tours, and even the realm of movie and television work in Los Angeles. Currently, my wife Annette and I are producers of a full length movie.

Tom's Top Fascinating Facts!

Favourite Tree?

The Giant Sequoia I planted in my back yard 4 years ago when it was nothing more than a six inch twig! [See Gallery for photo of how this has grown in my yard!]

Favourite holiday destination?

Disneyland with my wife.

Favourite drink?

Ah, trick question! I am totally sober.

Current woe?

A formidable challenge in my life’s tapestry is the presence of Parkinson’s disease. Despite its trials, I approach this chapter with humility and a resilient spirit.

Do I believe in ghosts?

I have been a senior member of the Paranormal Investigation Committee for the S.A.M. for 25 years. COMING SOON: A presentation I did to the Committee in 2023.

Am I a foodie?

You bet! I’ve also had the pleasure of managing Verdi Ristrante Di Musica in Santa Monica, CA, where I balanced my role as bar manager with appearances on the stage during operas and Broadway shows.

But let's get serious...

That’s me in the Pentagon doing a card trick. You can’t get more serious!

Armed with a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, I had the honor of serving as the Director of Systems Engineering for Boeing Space & Intelligence, as well as assuming the role of Program Manager for NASA’s renowned Deep Space Network.

In my capacity as a scientist, my focus was captivated by the enigmatic Black Hole at our Galactic Center during my Graduate School years. Simultaneously, I had the privilege of contributing to the groundbreaking work of The F.A.S.T. satellite team, delving into the study of Field-Aligned Currents in the inner magnetosphere. A pinnacle of my academic pursuits was my dissertation titled “The Variability of Magnetic Field Perturbations and Interplanetary Magnetic Field Control of Field-Aligned Currents in the Inner Magnetosphere.”

A crowning achievement came in the form of a patent award that recognized my contribution to the field of Quantum Entangled devices. These devices opened doorways to communication across distinct Temporal Zones, enabling dialogue with both the past and the future using time dilation in special relativity.

Awards

Receiving an award from your peers is truly humbling. I am dedicated to the art and performance of magic. I think of myself as a lifetime student of the art, studying all aspects of the wonderful craft of magic; from movement, to sleight-of-hand, breathing, scripting my magic performances and then the hours and hours of refining technique, rehearsing and performing. With every performance, I revise my work, tweaking it and pushing the magical moment to its edge, leaving my audiences - hopefully - in a state of wonder. As an astrophysicist, the wonder of the universe is never lost on me. It is the most awe-inspiring magical effect. We are a living mystery wrapped in a mystery. These awards mean a lot to me as the time and energy I pour into my magic (and my writing and other creative pursuits) was recognised by my mentors and teachers. I am truly grateful.

Close-up Magician of the Year

I won the Close-Magician of the Year from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M. The LA Chapter is the second oldest chapter of this prestigious organisation).

The S.A.M. has a rich history of famous magicians including Harry Houdini. I’m deeply honoured to have won this title with my magic performance of the Cups and Balls, adding my name alongside Dai Vernon and Albert Goshman to name just two of magic’s heavyweights!

Magic magazine feature

In Issue 89 of MagicSeen – Europe’s No.1 magazine for magicians, I was interviewed by my good friend Jay Fortune.

The four page feature article is a fun read (well, I would say that!) as I get to talk about my life of magic and more.

Thanks to MagicSeen for allowing me to provide the full article for you to enjoy here!

Sleights of Mind

I was honored to be a contributor to the book Sleights of Mind. [Above – a photo of magicians for the release party led by my dear friend, the late Max Maven.]

About the book…

Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde, the founders of the exciting new discipline of neuromagic, have convinced some of the world’s greatest magicians to allow scientists to study their techniques for tricking the brain. This book is the result of the authors’ yearlong, world-wide exploration of magic and how its principles apply to our behavior. Magic tricks fool us because humans have hardwired processes of attention and awareness that are hackable—a good magician uses your mind’s own intrinsic properties against you in a form of mental jujitsu.

Now magic can reveal how our brains work in everyday situations. For instance, if you’ve ever bought an expensive item you’d sworn you’d never buy, the salesperson was probably a master at creating the “illusion of choice,” a core technique of magic. The implications of neuromagic go beyond illuminating our behavior; early research points to new approaches for everything from the diagnosis of autism to marketing techniques and education. Sleights of Mind makes neuroscience fun and accessible by unveiling the key connections between magic and the mind.

Verdi Ristorante Di Musica

One of the most enjoyable times of my life was the many years I spent as Bar Manager at the magical Verdi Restorante Di Musica.

Click the Verdi logo to read all about it.

So, that's my story... but what's yours?

let’s make contact. Please email me here.