This month, rather than trying to discuss “theory” about the business side of things, I figured I would attempt to lead by example. Continuing our theme from last month about knowing your audience, below is a story of a gig I had where I had to put together a very specific set for a very specific audience. It’s actually an old blog post I wrote several years ago, but that blog is now dead, so I thought I’d move the post to the magazine. I’ll let you read the story and learn what you want to learn from it. Enjoy.

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So . . . one day, I was Bill Malone. Don’t ask me how it happened. It just did. The mushrooms on the pizza I had eaten have nothing to do with it. Why does every ask me that!? Anyway, there I was performing my signature effect, Sam the Bellhop and the 654 Club when I felt a rumbling sensation in my gut . . . then in my chest . . . then throat . . . my mouth . . . suddenly there were playing cards spewing, uncontrollably, from my mouth. It was incredible. It happened several times throughout the show. It was a running gag, literally . . . a gag. Then I realized a secret. Bill Malone really eats playing cards, and he really does regurgitate them. It’s not sleight of hand.

Alright folks, ridiculous story aside, you have to admit that when Mr. Malone does cards from mouth, that’s what it looks like. It looks like they really came from his mouth, like he really must have them inside of himself somehow. We all know of course that this is not the case, but the illusion is beautiful. I love the running gag of it all. Throughout the show Malone will do cards from mouth as a “lull-squasher.” He’s mentioned in interviews that many times he would do this gag just to lighten the mood of the crowd or to deal with awkward silences, etc.

I love that idea, but alas, it’s Malone’s and I don’t want to steal it. However, I’ve had several ideas over the years, some more practical than others, for a running gag that fit me and my style. One of which is this month’s free trick of the month. But before we get to that, I’ll share one of my less practical running gags with you. I have a method for you, but as I said, it’s not the most practical. But I will not be sharing the method. I want you to think through it and come up with your own method. Feel free to post it below in the comments section. If I get enough activity and request below, I’ll share my method.

Anyway, the running gag is meant for a stage set or maybe parlor setting. The basic idea is that many times throughout the show, I will “feel something in my shoe.” Then I will take off my shoe and dump out a whole ton of sand . . . more sand than the shoe can hold. By the end of the show there would be a pile of sand on the floor that’s about the equivalent of a 5 pound bag of sugar. But there will still be “something” in my shoe. This time when I take it out, there will be a huge rock in my shoe that I drop onto the stage. Enjoy the idea, and let me know if you want me to share my rough (untested) method.

The post Threads appeared first on Stone Cold Magic Magazine.

I’m a huge Bon Jovi Fan. I have just about everything they’ve ever released, including Richie Sambora’s solo stuff as well as Jon Bon Jovi’s solo stuff. Like I said . . . big fan.

My absolute all time favorite song from Bon Jovi is My Guitar Lies Bleeding in My Arms. It might possibly be my all time favorite song from any band ever. It’s definitely in the top five.

Here’s a live performance of it:

Take a moment to listen to the whole song all the way through.

The post My Cards Lie Bleeding in My Hands appeared first on Stone Cold Magic Magazine.

Some Dude: You’re a magician . . . do a trick.

You: Ok. See this magazine on your coffee table . . . Open it to any page you want. Then stare at the page while my back is turned . . . I see an image of fried chicken and another of Rachel Ray . . . then about half way down I see a headline . . . “The Perfect Mashed Potato Recipe.”

That sounds like an impossible effect, and maybe it is . . . but maybe it isn’t. After all, you’re a magician, and you shouldn’t be caught not being able to do magic. I’m not suggestion that everytime someone says jump monkey boy that you jump. You don’t have to perform magic everytime someone asks. However, your reason for saying no should NEVER be because you “don’t have anything on you” or that you aren’t “ready.” It should be simply because you choose not to, not because you’re forced not to due to the environment (or lack of it).

I’ve written about this in the past, and it seems to be a subject that people can relate to, so I thought I’d talk a bit more about it in this month’s Roots and Branches.

The post Grab It and Go appeared first on Stone Cold Magic Magazine.

A card is fairly selected and fairly placed into the deck. Half of the deck is fairly shuffled face up into the rest of the face down deck. With almost no moves whatsoever, the fairly selected card is fairly shown to be the only face up card in an extremely face down deck. What could be more fairly?

Requirements

For this you’ll need a regular deck of cards, three kerosene-powered flashpots and some mango-scented Baby Wipes (just kidding; only one flashpot is used).

I loved this Triumph effect when I first tried it and, after playing with it for awhile, I simplified the handling (meaning: I couldn’t do Mr. England’s move) and cleaned up a couple of, what were for me, trouble spots. Now, it’s way easier to perform.

Presentation

Spread the deck on the table (which shows all cards face down) and have any card fairly selected. I promise not to use the word “fairly” again in this trick.

Pick up the deck and give it a decent lengthwise bridge by holding the cards in mechanics grip and squeezing them. Instruct the spectator to “Show your card around to everyone” which, curiously enough, also instructs everyone to look at the card. This is an excellent opportunity to half pass the bottom half of deck. It helps if you can half pass a teensy bit more than half (I shoot for 30 cards) of the deck.

Reality Check

The bottom half of the deck is now face up and, from your perspective, there’s a decent gap between the halves caused by the curvature of the cards. Squeeze the top and bottom of the front end of the deck to keep the gap closed so spectators won’t peer into it. Leave the gap open in the rear of the deck.

Slide selection into the rear of the deck, INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE GAP, and get a break above the selection. Say, “Your card will go into the bottom half of the deck because I have something special planned for the top half.”

Slide the cards above selection forward for half their length and turn them face up. At this point, all of the cards are face up except the selection.

Re-grip the face up block (give each block of cards a momentary flex to take the bridge out of them) and do an excruciatingly-fair and painfully-slow in-Faro into the lower block of cards. Make sure that the selection remains on top (if you were able to half pass 30 cards earlier, you’ll find that the Faro-ing cards will fit nicely into the lower block of cards). It doesn’t have to be a perfect Faro but it should be a clean one, if only for esthetic reasons. Insert the face up cards at a 45 degree angle so that their corners jut out from all sides of the face down portion. Show the deck’s edges fairly from a variety of angles while pushing the cards flush. Take care to NOT flash the bottom of the deck. Also, don’t let the single face down selection slide around to expose any face up cards underneath it (Remember: all of those cards are SUPPOSED to be face down). Take your time, pausing occasionally to stress how much more difficult it would be to strip out the face up cards each time the cards are squeezed more flush.

(For you trivia buffs: this is the first time in the history of Jeff’s online magazine that the phrase “squeezed more flush” has been used.)

Finally, tap the deck on the table, squaring it completely. Cut the deck to the table (or Classic/Jiggle/Turnover Pass or Midnight Shift or Charlier or your favorite cut or whatever, geez, leave me alone, willya) and spread the deck on the table to show the selected card is the only one reversed. Don’t step in spectator pee as they lead you around the room for a victory lap.

(For you trivia buffs: this is the first time in the history of the earth that the phrase “Don’t step in spectator pee as they lead you around the room for a victory lap” has been used.)

Credits

D.E. Triumphs!
by Don England
from Onyx, Issue # 8 (July 1999)
streamlined handling by Geoff Williams
Used with permission of Mr. England

The post D.E. Triumphs! appeared first on Stone Cold Magic Magazine.

Anyway, here’s the award winning effect Mental Monopoly . . .

WHAT
A triple prediction using a Monopoly game. This effect sprang to mind while I was trying to come up with an effect to perform at a sales meeting for real estate agents. That was the genesis and here are the methods I worked out. First is a stand-up presentation, that is followed by a close-up handling. Feel free to try other methods or techniques that may work well for you. This effect was award the Best Mental Effect for 2003 by the IBM.

WHEN
On a large sheet of paper print a predication that says “I knew you would keep the dog, choose $220 and pick Kentucky Avenue.” Seal it in a manila envelope. Or you can take the actual deed, dog and money from a Monopoly game (take these from a second game as you will need the tokens and deeds for your performance set) and seal them inside a manila envelope. Take a full set of Monopoly cards and remove Kentucky, States and No. Carolina (the sides with color are the fronts/mortgage side are the backs).

On the table place BACK UP; No. Carolina, Kentucky the rest of the cards and on top goes States. You also need 6 game tokens (one of which must be the dog). You also need one Chance card (“You have been elected Chairman of the Board pay each player $50”) and one Community Chest card. Print “Go directly to next trick, do not pass GO. Give me a nice round of applause as I return to my seat” by hand or computer as large as you can and affix it to the printed side of the Community Chest card. Place both cards in an accessible pocket.

HOW
When ready to perform, introduce the props (game tokens, property deeds), sealed prediction and have a spectator join you on stage. Explain that the spectator will play a game of Mental Monopoly and show and place the sealed prediction in a prominent place. The three items will be forced as follows.

THE TOKEN
I use the PATEO (pick any two, eliminate one) force invented by Roy Baker. Basically what happens, is the spectator would pick up any two tokens, one in each hand. The magician then touches one hand and that token is eliminated and the remaining token is placed back on the table. Then you pick up two tokens and they eliminate one. All you have to do is remember to NOT pick up the dog. It will end with the spectator holding two tokens and you touch the hand that does not contain the dog. If using an odd number of objects the magician goes first, an even number and the spectator would go first.

THE MONEY
You use the backs of the Monopoly cards (Mortgage values) to force the amount of money. Spread through the cards and explain that each card has a mortgage value on the back and show that the values are different. Explain that they will pick two cards by chance, and remove the Chance card and have the spectator hold the card face down and insert it anywhere they want into the face down stack of cards and leave the card outjogged. LH thumb should obscure the top cards name (States), as much as possible.

Using Bill Simon’s Prophecy Move, you will turn the Chance card face up. You spread through the cards and take all the cards above the Chance card into the RH. The LH thumb holds the Chance card on top of the pack. The RH revolves palm down and the RH thumb contacts the face of the Chance card. As the RH turns the Chance card face-up the LH places it’s cards on top sandwiching the card in the middle of the pack.

This move appears to do nothing more but turn the Chance card face-up, but it really places the Chance card between States & North Carolina. As I do the move, I make a comment about the Chance card (pay each player $50). Now as you spread through cards take all the cards ABOVE States, and place on table face down, remove States, Chance card and No Carolina and hand to spectator with the request that they total up the mortgage amounts. Balance of deed cards are placed on top of tabled cards, (Kentucky is now the bottom card of the pile).

THE DEED
Now do a Cross-Cut Force. Invite your spectator to cut off a portion of the pack and place it to the side. You pick up all the cards that were not cut, turn it crosswise and place it on top of the portion they placed aside. For the needed time delay, retrieve Chance card and as you put it away, take out Community Chest card and have them pocket it without looking at it. Now you lift up the crosswise portion and tell them to “look at the card you cut to”, and show them that they have cut to Kentucky. Recap, and have spectator opened sealed envelope, and read prediction (or show token and deed) and count the money. To finish, have them remove and read aloud Community Chest card.

PATTER
I talk about the fun of growing up and playing indoor and outdoor games with my siblings. Our favorite game was always Monopoly. In fact I brought along a set tonight. Open box remove and show sealed prediction. We don’t have time to play a full game but let’s try a little experiment. Basically the rest is explained as we go along. When selecting the token, I explain how my family always fought over who would be the hat. That’s why we are going to use random elimination to select a piece. When your helper is left with the dog I say, “I wanted to be the dog”! The trick lends itself to many patter possibilities because Monopoly is one of those shared human experiences we can all relate to.

THIS
To make the trick play big and increase visibility, I made a copy of the The Monopoly Board and had it laminated. I have memo stand (available from office supply stores) that holds the board upright and I write in their selections with a dry erase marker. Here is a handling, which allows for a free choice of properties by using sleight of hand. The money and the dog token are inside the prediction envelope. They are both forced the same as before. The property would now be a totally free choice.

I hand them the marker and ask them to circle a property on the board (ex. Boardwalk). Offer them a chance to change their mind if they wish. Whatever one they decide, as they are circling the selected property on the board, spread through the cards and get a break below Boardwalk as you say “you know, if I’d of had a hotel on there you would owe me $ 450.00.”

Double Undercut at the break (bringing the selected card to the bottom). Turn the cards over and ask spectator to pick up and verify that the prediction envelope is sealed shut. As they do this (which gives you tons of cover), Top Palm the property card in the RH. As they state that the envelope is sealed shut, you say “Oh, I almost forgot to give you something important.”

Several things happen here. Follow the choreography with props in hand and you’ll see that it flows along naturally and logically. Your LH reaches out to retrieve the sealed envelope. Once it has the envelope, the LH transfers the envelope to the RH which holds it concealing the palmed property card behind the envelope. The LH reaches into your pocket and removes the Community Chest card and hands it to spectator as you say “Put it in your pocket and don’t look at it.” As they are doing that, the RH transfers the envelope (and palmed card) to the LH.

The RH picks up the box lid of the game and hands it to the spectator who is instructed to hold it waist high in both hands. The RH rips open the top of the envelope and the left hand inverts the envelope and lets the contents (and concealed property card) come falling out onto the box lid. The envelope is shown empty and discarded. Have the spectator first pick up and show the correct token, then display the correct property card and lastly count the money to show all three predictions are correct. Have them read the Community Chest card for the finish.

Here is a version you can use in close-up situations. All you need are the six tokens, the set of property cards (stacked as before) and the Community Chest and Chance cards. You also need a Kaps style wallet. In an envelope place $ 220 and gaff and seal the envelope and set it so that it is ready to receive a load in the wallet. Using paper clips, fasten the two cards (Community Chest and Chance) to the outside of the inside jacket pocket where the wallet resides. Introduce the six tokens and have one freely selected. Give them the chance to change if they wish.

Retrieve all the tokens in RH and retain the selected token in the RH as you dump them in the LH, which places them in the outside jacket pocket and emerges with the stack of property cards. The RH goes inside the jacket and loads the token into the wallet and emerges with the chance card. The money is forced just like the stand-up version. They freely name any property card, and like in the stand-up version, the card is controlled, palmed and loaded in the wallet as the RH emerges with the Community Chest card (message would be slightly different). Recap, cleanly remove wallet, open zipper, tear envelope and let spectator remove contents and verify.

Archer’s Additions

Not a lot that I can add to the effect. It has a great hook, because Monopoly is such a part of so many peoples lives. Most of us played it when we were young and then as parents, we start playing again with our own children (I just looked at our game shelf and we have 3 regular Monopoly games, 1 Catopoply and 1 Beatles version).

Back in the day, it was a real hassle to try and make the laminated Monopoly Board (and the prediction). Today with the internet, computers and Kinko’s it is the work of a few minutes. I use a paperclip stand (purchased at an office supply store) to hold the board upright and using a dry erase marker, I write down the selections so the audience can re-member them. I one version, the spectator themselves use the marker to circle the property they want.

There are so many triple predictions in the literature (the classic Rule of Threes) and Mental Monopoly adds a fun, playful presentation. I mentioned that the effect was awarded the Best Mental Trick for 2003 by the IBM. I am not sure of the date, but there is a funny story about how I found out. One day in 2006, I was out running errands and my wife calls and tells me that a big box had arrived in the mail for me.

I wasn’t expecting anything, and when I got home I looked at it. It was a rather large box addressed to me and with a return address from the Inter-national Brotherhood of Magicians. I opened the box and nestled among a huge pile of packing peanuts, I pulled out a statue. The plaque attached to the base declared that Mental Monopoly had been selected as the Best Mental Trick for 2003 by the IBM. Unfortunately in the three years it took to get to me, the magi-cian at the top has broken off, but I was still honored to have my effect singled out.

Mental Monopoly appeared in my first set of lecture notes called Working Alone.

The post Mental Monopoly appeared first on Stone Cold Magic Magazine.

The motivation here was to create a fast, interactive, four card routine which maintains an anytime anywhere function.

Effect

Four aces are placed in different parts of the deck, followed by a quick shuffle. With the spectators help, each ace is quickly located.

Set Up

None really, simply find and remove the four aces from any shuffled or borrowed deck, or have them left over from a previous lead in effect.

Begin

Hold the deck face up in dealers grip. Run your thumb down the top left corner, a little over three quarters of the deck down. You will be performing what I believe to be an Ed Marlo multiple shift. When you stop at a card you should be able so see its pip. Insert an ace above this card half way, and memorize it. (fig 1). For example let us say that you are now memorizing the two of clubs. Place another ace a few cards up in the same manner, followed by the next two aces exactly the same.

The four aces should be protruding from the pack about half way.

Now grasp the deck firmly in a high dealers grip. Place your left thumb on top of the deck pressing downward (fig 2). Now with your left index finger, push the aces downward, this should push a packet of cards out of the bottom.

Grab this packet and strip it out of the bottom followed by a Hindu Shuffle.

• Now if the deck were face down it should be set with 6 to 10 cards on the top of it, followed by the memorized card and then the four aces.

Phase Two

Holding the deck face up, thumb over some cards:
“No aces on the bottom.”

Turn the deck face down and thumb over a couple of top cards. Turn them face up to display them (fig 3).

“No aces on the top, I trust”

Now thumb over one card at a time, displaying it face up with the cards already in hand, turning over the whole packet until you get to the memorized card. Stop.

Get a break under that card and the whole packet above it. Double under cut those cards to the bottom.

“As a magician I will try to cut to an ace, it may be challenging, so let us give it a shot.”

Perform a “Braue Reverse” of the top card. When the first pack turn up into view:

“No ace? Ok one more cut.” “Still no ace?”

This sets one ace face up in the middle of the face down deck.

The situation now should be: One ace is reversed in the middle of the deck with three aces on top of the deck.

Phase Three

“The aces are being stubborn so I’ll demonstrate some sleight of hand”. At this point the deck is in my right hand, and I position it behind my back, snapping the card up over my left shoulder catching it in my left hand. This move is challenging to describe, any kind of revelation will do as the deck stays intact.
• There are some fine moves by Jeff McBride in his Card manipulation videos of which you could use for this sequence.
• If you wanted to get super simple, take the pack behind your back with both hands and then act like you pull an ace right out of the deck. Of course it comes right off the top.

Phase Four

Now we reveal the next ace with a very gutsy little sequence. Spread slowly through the top of the face down deck and ask another spectator to simply touch the back of any card. Be very careful, there is still a face up ace in the middle of the deck. Now when they touch the back of a card, slowly out jog it:

“Are you sure this one?”

Slowly remove it from the deck and touch it to the face up ace, (now on the table) then place it on top of the deck.

• While you are moving the touched card back and forth (from the pack to the tabled ace) it is a very easy matter to obtain a left pinky break above the top card.

Execute a double lift to show that they actually touched an ace. Thumb this ace off the top and at the very same time wrist kill the deck (turning your palm face down to hide the other card).

“Wow an ace, your psychic skills are exceptional”.

Regrip the deck with the right hand keeping it face up, then place it in left hand dealers grip.

Phase Five

Two aces have been located and placed on the table, or a spectators hand. Ask another participant to hold his or her hand above the deck and slowly turn it over.

“Your hand will influence an ace down in the middle of the deck”.

As you say this thumb through the face up deck until you come to the face down ace. Out jog it and ask them to remove it. They will show everyone that it is indeed an ace. After the ace is removed, cut the deck at the exact point the ace was removed. Turn the deck face down.

Phase Six

Ask another spectator to hold their hand over the deck and turn it just like the previous spectator did. Now thumb through the face down deck, or spread it, if you are working with a tabled mat. One card will be seen in the middle face up, and it is NOT the last ace.

“Oops , well that is ok, no problem at all- will you do me a favor and reach back into your life, maybe back to your childhood and recall a magic word of some sort, you’ve got it? Will you please say your magic word?”

• Usually people are quite quick to say some sort of magic word, and often times the will invent something very funny which of course adds to the presentation.

As you are saying this cut the face up card to the top of the deck. Obtain a break under the 2 top cards (the top one is face up, the second one is the last ace face down beneath it). Any magical way that you know of changing one card for another in this situation is good. I prefer to use sort of a delayed change. It is simply a modified double lift.

Start a normal double lift with these two cards but before it is turned over, stop. Instead of turning the double card over, turn the deck over on top of the double (fig 4).

Stop and wait, wave the deck over the three aces on the table (fig 5), saying their magic word in this case: “Abracadabra” then turn the deck over to find the card has changed into an ace. Thumb it off onto the other aces and cut the deck to get rid of any evidence.

• A one-handed “Charlier” would be perfect, or a pass. I personally feel this clean up is unnecessary. All I do is thumb off the last ace with my left thumb. Then I grip the deck in to Biddle grip with my right hand and swing cut the top half into the left hand and I keep the bottom half in right hand “Biddle grip”, pointing with the right hand index finger at the aces.

“The four aces”

Then I replace the right handed half onto the left hands half. Casual and smooth it’s invisible.

I’ve never yet had someone ask about the deck, and I have done this routine hundreds of times.

Notes

I trust you’ll try this one, it is very fun and VERY versatile. You’ll find it can be performed walk around very easily. Simply use a participants hand to hold the aces as they are produced. I prefer to perform it standing with no table, allowing more spectators to pleasantly get involved.

I have always agreed with many, that pulling the aces out of the deck just to lose them again, followed by finding them in a magical manner is seemingly illogical. Obviously producing them magically first is ideal. Sometimes I will have the aces preset on top of the deck or better yet I will pull the aces out to perform “Vacuum Cleaner Cards” or “Dr Daley’s Last Trick” or something else that uses the four aces, kings, or jacks. After a few of these effects, I can choose to perform this practical routine.

Please take a moment to reply and “like” this effect.

The post “Q” Aces appeared first on Stone Cold Magic Magazine.

To begin, spread the deck face down between your hands for a selection. Once a card has been chosen, square the pack into left-hand dealing position and direct the spectator to show his card to everyone as you turn around, presumably to avoid seeing it. During this brief moment when your back is to the audience, your right hand grasps and lifts the top half (or so) of the deck just enough for your left thumb to slip beneath the remaining (bottom) half and flip it face up.

In a continuing action, with your left thumb, drag the top card of the right-hand packet onto the left-hand packet, then place the right-hand packet beneath the left-hand packet as you square everything back into dealing position. All of this should take less than two seconds, and the order of the deck from top to bottom is now face-down indifferent card, 20 to 25 face-up cards, remainder of deck face down. Believe it or not, your work is almost done.

Turn to face the audience once more and retrieve the selection with your right hand as your left hand secretly props up the inner end of the top card for Vernon’s Illusion of Depth move (a.k.a. Tilt). That is to say, with the audience’s attention on your right hand retrieving the selection, your left thumb pushes the top card of the deck about an inch to the right so it’s resting on your second and third fingertips (PHOTO 1).

Without pausing, your third fingertip stretches out and engages the right edge of the card, then curls in, lifting the inner end a little less than an inch off the deck (PHOTO 2).

In a continuing action, with your right hand, insert the selection face down into the gap beneath the top card, but flat against the pack (PHOTO 3 is an exposed view). From the front, it looks like the card is going into the middle of the pack (i.e., Vernon’s Illusion of Depth-PHOTO 4).

Push the card flush, then grasp the pack from above with your right hand as you square it, at the same time allowing the top (tilted) card to fall flat against the pack. Say, “I’m going to show you some sleight of hand-watch carefully and see if you can catch it.” Slowly, deliberately turn the top card of the deck face-up as you would for a Double Turnover, then say, “How many cards do you think I turned over?

The spectator will reply, “One,” whereupon you say, “Actually, I turned over about half the deck,” as your left thumb pushes the top two or three cards to the right as a block, then continues spreading the deck up to and just past the first face-down card, showing about 26 face-up cards.

Pause a beat, letting the effect register, then, with your right hand, move the face-up spread to the right and turn it face down onto the block of cards in your left hand, allowing everything to square.

Say, “I’ll do it again.” Slowly, deliberately turn the entire deck face up into left-hand dealing position (I do this from the right side, like turning a page in a book), then say, “How many cards do you think I turned over that time?”

The spectator will reply, “All of them,” whereupon you say, “Actually, all of them but one,” then execute a pressure (or drag) fan with the face-up deck in your left hand, showing one card face down in the middle. Invite the spectator to remove the card and turn it over, revealing his selection.

Comments: The opening sequence with the single-card turnover resulting in a multitude of face-up cards has precedent in Roger Klause’s “First Teaser,” a double-lift gag for magicians in Virtual Foolery (Racherbaumer/Waters, 1997). And I believe Jon Racherbaumer was the first to publish a one-handed get-ready for Vernon’s Depth Illusion (Kabbala, March, 1971), but the idea had been “kicking around” (as he put it) for some time before.

-David Acer

For this and other great magic from David Acer, check out his site: www.davidacer.com

Please “like” This Effect:

The post Overtime appeared first on Stone Cold Magic Magazine.

As magicians, and magical enthusiasts we have a unique advantage over others. Inside of many social situations or circumstances we are regarded by our peers as being able to do things that are quite special (magical). Having said that I am reminded of a time some ten years ago, that really stands out in my personal memory.

I found myself living and working in the Southern California area (Orange County to be precise), and my job at the time was located in Irvine. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend there and the people were quite amazing. Intellectually and socially some of the best people I’ve ever had the chance to meet and know where there in Irvine.

So of course I would often show magic tricks to my fellow employees, and what eventually happened was that a few of my co-workers would continually say things like: “Hey even the way you remove your wallet and take money out to pay for lunch is magical”.

This was the first time I had ever heard anything like that . I, of course, asked what they meant. Their explanation would be one of the strongest seeds planted in my personal psyche which has grown powerful roots inside of my life.

They explained to me that because of all the magic I had shown them, they were always on the look-out because at any given moment I might do something strange or pull out a deck of cards etc. Combined with their observations for how I would handle small objects (I think you all know what I am referring to).

Holding objects in such ways as to maximize its uniqueness or handling items in such a way as to make them visible to spectators at various angles. From that moment on I had become more aware of not just the tricks I perform but also the assumptions which people see or even expect.

It took me several years to really understand the importance of this memory/observation, and I began to make efforts to take advantage of the knowledge. I started to take note of what words and/or phrases would create magical feelings (either inside of me or as feedback from others), and I began to treat these things exactly as I would treat a magic trick.

If you have ever even performed one magic trick for friends, family, coworkers, etc, everything you say and do will have a little bit different feel and appeal to them.

For instance if a small group of people are aware of the fact that you do magic, and one day you decided to borrow a lighter, you proceed to light it and hold it in the air, it is safe to assume that those same people would wonder what kind of magic you will do with the lighter.

However, if you were not a magician this action would be considered sort of funny and humorous at best.

Allow me to share examples of what I have seen magicians do who are aware of this. The following examples assume that the individuals who are involved have prior knowledge of the fact that you are a magician.

1. When performing sleight of hand, I’ve seen magicians purposefully show there hands empty not to over-prove anything but to simply toy with the audience.
2. When a magician is sitting at a table playing with a deck of cards (fancy cuts and shuffles)- s/he is sort of begging for someone to ask him/her to do a trick.
3. Asking to borrow small objects from people who know you do magic will create wonder as to what you might do.
4. Sometimes when I offer a piece of gum to my friends they are hesitant because they are naturally suspicious/ wondering if something might happen with the gum.
5. Expressing little magical gestures with your hands will create instant wonder within those around you.
6. Touching a persons clothing or asking them to hold their hands or arms in specific positions will cause wonder as well.

These are just a few examples of the mixture of magic and assumption. Now let me address some things that I do or have done that are magical without the element of “it” being a trick, yet often having the same or similar impact.

A few years ago, I had been doing some extensive reading on the conscious mind  (reactive mind), and I often came across the fact that the conscious part of our brain often acts as a wall. If a random stranger walked up to you and said- “Hey you are a smart guy,” your conscious mind would sort of wonder what is going on (raising an eyebrow).

The conscious mind’s relationship with the ego might cause you to think “Huh, that’s cool but who does he think he is? He doesn’t even know me.” Defenses go straight up, and more often than not these types of statements will distance us from others.

I really wanted to figure out a way to tell people (especially women) how beautiful or neat they are or how good someone is at what s/he does. So instead of causing a persons protective/reactive mind to raise with a statement as in the above, why not create a moment of wonder and magic? At the very same time bypassing that “wall” making a real/ genuine impact on someone.

Here is what I came up with. In this example I will be speaking to a specific magician I admire.

“Dan, I can’t TELL you how awesome you are, I CAN’T tell you that, I can ONLY REMIND you of that which you already know. Do you remember? Perfect.”

You can see how effective this is as a tool for achieving my mentioned objective. I suggest trying this out for yourself to see what kind of reactions it elicits.

At first you will feel sort of robotic as this is a script, but it is NO different (in my opinion) than the scripting we use when performing. The more you use and practice this statement the more natural it will continue to feel.

You will also find that it is very disarming and even if at first this feels strange to the person you are speaking to there will be NO wall raised and will simply feel like a nice reminder for them to carry with them throughout the day.

The whole point that I am getting at with this little article is this: “We” as magicians do NOT always have to be doing tricks to be magical or to make a difference. We can apply all of the skills we have been working on for our personal effects and presentations  to other areas of communication and wonder.

The second example of something which can have a HUGE impact on another person is what I like to call Just Now.

Just now is a concept that I discovered a few years back. There is a little story which comes along with my discovery:

A few years ago I got pulled into the world of texting quite strongly, and I had many friends who also were texting frequently. The thing that struck me the strongest was how immediate the communication was. Our phones are often continuously being held in our hands these days, so the messaging arrives instantaneously.

When my friends would text me something to the effect of “Hey how are you doing, how are things going,” If felt strange to me because I knew that person just created that text and sent it to me just now. “RIGHT NOW” is what I thought, and I wondered what it would feel like if someone happened to send me a text which read- How are you feeling right now at this very moment? ”

As you can see by reading this phrase as if someone sent a text to YOU right now- it feels more important. It makes you sort of ground yourself and pull your brain out of the normal drudgery of the day. As this is no surprise I get the most positive responses and usually elicit wonderful feelings in others when I do this.

By adding anything you wish into the blank space this phrase can be practically anything you wish. “how amazing”, “how gifted”, “how talented”, “what an amazing soccer player”, “how beautiful”, “special”, “unique”

“Shelley, I can’t tell you how _______________ you are, I CAN’T tell you that, I can ONLY REMIND you of that which you already know. Do you remember? Perfect.”

“How are you feeling right now at this very moment?”

Obviously with the above phrase simply substitute “feeling” with “doing“, depending on the circumstances.

I hope that I have provided you with a few communication tools to not only add to your magical life but also your personal life. More importantly it is my continued goal to provide a perspective for others to peer from. Instead of saying “think outside the box” I more wish to say “hey there are an infinite number of boxes available to assist with our creative progress, it’s just a matter of finding and sharing them.”

Until next time

With Great Thanks

Brad “Scarnecky” Gordon

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“And now for my next trick…” If you’ve ever said this, go wash your mouth out with soap and repent.  This is the death of any magician. Why is it the death? I want you to think about that for a minute before you read my answer. What’s the big deal about saying, “and now for my next trick.”

Here’s the big deal. First, magicians are stereotyped in a negative light to start with. I don’t care how much we think Blaine and Angel have changed the way people think about magicians; ask 100 people what images come to mind when you say the word “magician.”

You’re gonna get things like, “rabbit from the hat”, “tux”, “hack”, “some guy doing tricks”, etc. We still have a lot of work to do to change our “brand” as magicians as a whole. Meanwhile, some hack wearing a two-sizes-too-small tux with a cheap top hat is up on stage somewhere using the forbidden phrase, “and for my next trick…”

This feeds right into the attitude that a magician is just a guy trying to get attention by showing you how clever he is and how clever you’re not. ENOUGH! I’VE HAD IT!

Root:
Let’s remember our roots… I chose the title for this article to be “The Transition” for it’s double meaning. First, I want to discuss the transition between effects and how to avoid that horrific phrase. Secondly, this transition between effects is the starting point for the transition in magic.

A lot of people think I’m crazy for the amount of information I give away for free in this newsletter. They think I’m even more crazy when I tell them that my magic students are not charged for my services. I’m offering all of this information for free because it will get to more people. Let’s face it guys, as much as you all love my newsletter (hopefully), if I started charging for it, I’d have a lot of people drop out.

So, great, free gets the info to more people, but why, Jeff, do you want to get the info to more people? Answer: I really truly want to change the face of magic. Other pioneers have done a good job in many areas, but it’s a job that will never be done. I”m in for the long haul. So what’s the root for this month? We are entertainers! That’s our mantra; that’s our root. We are more than tricksters who show people how clever we are.

Branch:
Let’s build our branches… I want you, the whole month of February (and the rest of January) to stop and think about who you are as a performer. Are you just a show off who wants people to know how cool you are? Or are you trying to connect with your audience?

Simplicity is the essence of your branch assignment this month. It’s two-fold:

1. Do NOT use the forbidden phrase!
2. View yourself as a peer with the audience, not as above or more intelligent than them.

So how do you transition from effect to effect without the forbidden line? There are so many ways to do this. Try this: don’t say anything to introduce the next effect. Just go into it. Not all effects lend themselves to that type of structure, but some do.

Try to come up with lines that would smoothly transition you between each effect. For example, let’s say you’ve shown Stone Cold Color Change and The Target Card.  You now want to show them My Psychic Deck.

Here’s a way you might transition into this effect.  “… Now I’ve shown you how a deck of cards can act like a chameleon and change colors (Stone Cold Color Change). I’ve even shown you how a deck can be used as a gun (The Target Card), but I’ll bet that you didn’t know that a deck of cards can actually predict the future.

I actually have a psychic deck of cards.  Here I’ll show you.”  Then you would present the effect.  Now the words I just used there don’t fit everyone’s style, but you get the idea. I guess the best way to summarize is this, be aware of your audience and work with them, not against them, to create the best entertainment value possible.

Another thing, is a great tip I learned from my buddy Jay Sankey: Come up with a solid “in line.” For example, let’s look at a few of the Free Tricks of The Month that I’ve offered over the years, and I’ll give you the in-lines I use.  You can use my lines if you like, but it’s best if you come up with your own. It makes the magic your own.

• All Four One – Do you have a favorite card?
  
• Most Triumphant – I’m glad you guys are enjoying the magic; not everyone does; let me tell you what happened to me the other day.
  
• Triptych – I’m going to teach you how to do sleight of hand.

You’ll notice that there’s nothing Earth-shattering about these lines, but they keep the show running smoothly and feeling very conversational. Take the first line, “Do you have a favorite card?” That gets them talking about themselves, and it shows that I’m interested in them.

The line I use for Most Triumphant, is a combination of a Jay Sankey in line for a different trick, and an addition of my own. The beauty of it, though, is that it let’s the audience see the human side of as you tell a story about something that happened to you the “other day.”

The last one, of course, gets them excited because they get to learn the trick (so they think). They feel like we’re on the same team because I’m “Teaching Them the Secret.”

All of these lines help connect you to your audience, and all of these lines are “Forbidden Phrase” free. Take a moment to think about the lines you use between each effect. Don’t make your show about picking up this prop and demo-ing how it works. Then you pick up that prop and demo how it works.

No… make your show about connecting with the audience through smart patter, and audience interaction and through telling clever stories and anecdotes that weave things together. So this month, really focus on rethinking yourself as a performer, and for the love of all that is good and holy, stop saying “and for my next trick!”

Now go study the classics, and go discover your true magical self.

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