Those nomads of Normandy with their descendants upon descendants can keep the secrets of Romany chiv unto themselves. It isn't given to our races ever to fully understand the words and thoughts of that ever-traveling tribe. Superstition has it that these people possess powers of unlimited value. Modern gullibility keeps that legend alive. Wanderers, yes. Soothsayers in reality, no. However, who are we to fly in the face of opinion? As we cannot defy such a person on this spot and at this moment we can but try to outdo him or her by presenting a means for the answering…
Picture this: The performer stands with his back to the person holding a book or dictionary, preferably the latter. The man opens the book and thinks of one of the words. The word is not forced, the performer does not know what word will be selected, he cannot see the spectator or the book, but he, the performer, tells the spectator the word of which he is thinking --- and it's a one man test which does not use confederates. The quite simple method is based, as bold as brass and as subtle as Satan, upon the forcing of homonyms,…
Most magical effects could stand enough of a "change of pace" during their execution (That last word is very fitting in too many cases. Ed.) to make them really seem different from the usual "here it is" followed by "now it's there," remarks. Of course, combining a number of separate tricks can produce some bad preponderosities. But there are exceptions, and I have thought the answer might be found by putting a strong finish effect with an otherwise mediocre and too standard start, together with a good starting trick of the mental type which so often begins well only to…
Here is one of those "what you make them think you do" ideas that carries its potential wallop in the presentation. It is impromptu and simple. "For ages the mind and its little known capabilities have been investigated by delvers into the mental and psychic field. I would like to show you one of these strange mind perceptions." A card is chosen, noted and returned to the deck. After a shuffle the performer explains that he wants someone to take the cards and retire to a far corner where he is to fan them slowly before his eyes. This is…
I was trying to be so busy with stenographic scribblings and photo records of the weirdest conclave in the annals of magic that my own contribution has suffered a bit from lack of originality, that is, if one considers what I have offered before in the line of billet reading effects and routines. Most of such routines have depended upon the assistance of several or more spectators, and there is a need for "reading" tricks wherein only one person is used throughout. I used to find occasions when it would have been very good for business could I have done…
One of the cleverest single die and cup effects I've ever seen was shown to me by a gambler several years ago. The secret of this truly impossible trick has been closely guarded. It is impromptu and uses only one die and a regular dice cup or a paper cup. The onlooker shakes the die in the cup and then turns the mouth of the cup downward upon the table. The seer takes hold of the cup without lifting it, shakes it a bit back and forth upon the table, and then announces the top number on the cube. He…
This very effective experiment, although built around the evergreen trick of a slate with a loose flap, offers sundry points of novelty in the details. Two slates, after being marked on both their sides with identifying numbers, are tied together with a piece of tape and entrusted to someone in the audience to hold. The titles of well-known periodicals are called out by various spectators and written down in succession by the performer on plain postcards, EACH NAME BEING VERIFIED AS IT IS WRITTEN by a gentleman who stands at performer's side. About half-a-dozen having been suggested, the cards are…
These two effects may be presented together, one after the other, and serve as welcome proof that a principle may be duplicated immediately if dressed entirely differently the second time. Both effects are workable with subtleties which very effectively cover their principles, even to those quite initiated. To me. At least, the simple idea of reversing cards end for end is an immortal magical thought. I hope my applications will find favor. The magician's apparatus consists of two decks of cards to be described, a slate with chalk, and a one-inch cork ball at the end of a length of…
Let ALPHA represent a conjurer and BETA an assistant from the audience. ALPHA presents a school satchel telling the audience that it belongs to his young nephew. Unfastening the straps he removes about half of a dozen books, five of which should be read at school, and one which obviously shouldn't. Next he removes the slate, a piece of chalk, a small writing pad and a pencil. (If he is a performer who essays the humorous manner he will no doubt fill in time by removing lengths of string, bits of toffee and the like) "There is Magic in everything"…
Locations are drugs on magical markets, especially when they pertain to cards instead of beautiful blondes of the type picturized by California press agents. But let's suppose a blonde is your "medium". Put her in another room. Give a spectator the deck for plenty shuffling. He thinks of one card. Take back the deck, ask him for the card's name. From among them you pick out that card and put it before him. The deck is laid down and you retire from active service. "Put your card anywhere in the deck," you say, "give them all a shuffle, and then…