Jinx Navigator Podcast — Episode 9: Issue #9
Issue #9 of The Jinx features one of the most widely used envelope techniques in mentalism, a mathematically driven counting effect dressed up in Depression-era politics, and the effect Annemann himself called one of the greatest one-man psychic pieces available — and it’s hard to argue with him. The editorial is lively too, with convention news, a rare unprompted book recommendation, and a very satisfying mathematical footnote.
Effects Covered
[0:51] The Modernized Reading — Theodore Annemann A method for secretly reading the contents of a sealed envelope while it’s still being held by the person who sealed it — using a prepared envelope, one piece of ordinary office supplies, and a natural-feeling moment of staging that arouses no suspicion. Annemann traces the idea back to 1924 and notes this is the cleanest version he knows. Jay points out it’s almost certainly the precursor to Alan Shaxson’s famous envelope work, and adds some tips of his own in the comments at jinxnavigator.com.
[2:41] The Renovated Sphinx Card Trick — Eddie Clever Three helpers each initial a freely chosen card, all three go into a hat, and from there the cards travel back and forth between the hat and the deck in ways that shouldn’t be possible. Two specially prepared cards do the heavy lifting — one a familiar gimmick many card workers already own, the other a small but clever alteration to a single index. The sleights involved are minimal enough that Jay prefers to call them moves.
[4:08] A Matter of Policy — Theodore Annemann A mathematical counting effect built around a 1935 political joke — twenty oversized cards representing Republican and Democratic employees get counted off every tenth one, and every single Republican ends up out of a job. No sleight of hand, just a very old principle in a topical wrapper. Jay notes the method works regardless of what’s on the cards, so the presentation is wide open for updating.
[6:20] Pseudo Psychometry — Theodore Annemann A dozen helpers seal personal objects inside envelopes while the performer’s back is turned — and then the performer opens them one by one, sometimes describing the owner in detail, sometimes walking directly into the audience to return the object without asking anyone to identify themselves. The method requires nothing but the envelopes and a system simple enough to hold in your head while performing. Annemann called it one of the greatest one-man psychic effects available, and Jay wholeheartedly agrees.
[8:07] Editorial — Theodore Annemann Annemann reports on a busy convention season and notes the Jinx now has 859 readers as of May 2, 1935. He defends his five-foot shelf list from the volume of argumentative mail it generated, announces a new Jinx Extra — a 16-page special edition twice a year for $1 — and revisits the unauthorized endorsement controversy from Issue #8 now that he’s actually bought and examined the trick. He closes with a mathematical curiosity from Royal V. Heath: 84 is the only number between zero and 4,800,000,000 spelled with ten completely different letters — which Annemann notes makes the Jinx’s uniqueness official.
[10:19] Outro Links and a preview of Issue #10 — featuring Annemann’s Extra Sensory Perception, a mind-reading effect that Jay calls one of his personal favorites.