Magic & Conjuring: page 132

It is not easy to define, in a few words, Mariano Tomatis, but I want to try: he is a "Curiosity Generator". Because his books, his conferences, and, above all, his "pills" on Youtube (Mesmer in pills) are for me an inexhaustible source of information, culture (magical or otherwise), ideas, and, above all, a continuous stimulus to know, to seek, to try, to create, to "go upstairs".

Two pills, in particular, struck me and interested me (n ° 92: Coin, pen and cell phone, and n ° 228: Seeing with the third eye): once seen, I tried to analyze possible developments, discovering Masters, authors,...

This collection of math-based tricks includes two effects suitable for virtual shows. One is a Triumph effect the other a spelling trick that works both in English and French. Again, Miller includes some nicely designed print templates which you can print out directly from the PDF to perform the tricks with appropriately themed cards.

• Star Day
• Doppio
• Left or Right?
• Talmi 1
• Talmi 2
• Separo 1
• Separo 2
• Gigl-Gogl 1
• Gigl-Gogl 2
• Verifying an Oddity
• Sweet and Luxurious
• Hands-off Triumph
• Buoyancy
• Boarding
• Chef’s Special
• Chiamato
• With Comp7ements I
• With Comp7ements II
• 25 cm
• Magic...

From the Preface:

The content of this publication collects the notes of a conference held some time ago to friends and colleagues, dedicated to the problem of "truth / lie". The book, published in Italy, has had a flattering success in bookstores: I think it is right to share the content also in the English language.

A good mentalist must necessarily acquire a good knowledge of the messages of the body and interpret the moods of the viewer to best conduct the effect. An excellent mentalist is always able to understand if the viewer is sincere or if he is lying, often leaving him the possibility to choose...

Tricks about travel and more.

Here's a selection of cool self-working magic and mentalism tricks perfect for close-up and stand-up.

For example: The spectator freely selects a luggage label that has a holiday destination written on it. When a world map is opened, their chosen destination is circled.

Or how about this: A selection of postcards is shown - they're moved from the back of the pile to the front. When the spectator calls 'STOP!' the very next postcard is the only one with a hand-written message on it.

Or: Three luggage labels with vacation destinations written on them are...

Unpacking the Smith Myth and the Rashomon Concept.

This collection of tricks focuses on a similar motif because they fit the precise definition of that word and, in each case, the goal is to show what unifies and specifically defines each one. I'm also using the term "curate," because I sifted through lots of material so readers can compare and analyze everything. I consider this to be a contextualizing exercise that reveals the motif's history and pinpoints its rightful place in the Creative Continuum.

The two motifs compiled here are the Smith Myth and what's popularly known as the Rashomon...

Here is a small collection of automatic and semi-automatic out-of-hand card effects, empowered by the "chaos" philosophy brought forward by Lennart Green and Dani DaOrtiz.

The effects are easy to do and they don't require you to be another "David Wiliamson" or "Dani DaOrtiz" in order to perform them. Just a regular, normal magician. More important than the routines you will see and learn how the chaos handling is applied to this type of effects - you will be able to apply those ideas later in many of your effects to make them more fooling and fun.

The effects included are:

Mr. Green Goes Red:...

A comedy magic routine that really packs a punch. Plus bonus routine with a kicker-ending.

A terrific comedy routine with audience participation and plenty of laughs. Direct from Jay's one-man show. Different from the mainstream - you won't have seen a routine like this before.

The magician tells about a recent incident that led him to create his Criminal Catching System. A mock-mugging takes place between you and a participant. At the finale, you reveal your system worked with a brilliant prediction and a guaranteed laugh.

Plus a more light-hearted bonus routine with a kicker-ending. ...

The "Magic Ink" line of book catalogs.

Excerpt from the introduction:

Two effects: Ticklish! and Pizza Time.

A fantastic comedy opener and closer to any stage or parlor show, guaranteed laughs, and easy to do. These are comedy routines and not mind-blowing magic effects but ... if you are looking for routines that play strongly and entertain then these are for you.

Ticklish! Is an easy-to-do and simple-to-make opening routine that you don't have to be a comedian to get laughs from.

Pizza Time is the perfect comedy encore item or closer for a stand-up show.

After nigh-on two decades as a pro-comedy performer, Jay Fortune is now releasing many of his...

The effects of "remote" mentalism (with the performer blindfolded, in another room, or, even, on the phone, with only the audio connection) generally use mathematical principles. Often, with a little pack of cards (or billets) real miracles can be performed: if the cards are to be shuffled by the spectator, it is necessary that the shuffle appears as random as possible, even if it must necessarily be a mathematical one.

With this publication I have addressed some well-known moves, used in different ways, alone or in conjunction with other shuffles or other principles; once the principle...

Tricks are grouped in the following categories:

• Beginning Magic
• Card magic
• Money Magic
• Close-Up Magic
• Mentalism
• Kids Show Magic
• Stage Magic
• Miscellaneous Magic
• Prices

1st edition 1994; PDF 224 pages.

Water and oil is an effect that has always fascinated me, but the principle is so simple that I think it is impossible to invent something more effective; moreover, the effect requires a secret manipulation that is impossible to replicate, if everything is expected to be done in the hands of the spectator, "on the other end of the line" (of the telephone).

I, therefore, followed a different path: to try to replicate, in the spectator, the amazement of finding the separated cards, when they were arranged alternately by his hands, in front of his eyes.

Also in this publication I propose,...

I saw the first spelling effects a long time ago, studying Aldo Colombini's DVDs; they were in English and I gave up almost immediately, due to the great difference in seed letters and numbers: from diamonds to diamonds there was an ocean. I saw, I appreciated them ... and then I gave up. Some time later, trying and trying again, a light bulb came on: I thought I had invented my spelling in Italian; beautiful exceptional. Later I discovered that I had not really invented anything, there were dozens and hundreds of similar and ... almost the same. Then, continuing to study the great masters, I began to collect...

Manosutra in Sanskrit means 'Mind Principle'. This is a stunning piece that you can include in any of your performance sets. Using just a few blank business cards, you can impossibly read the minds of your participants. The reactions will please your heart and boost your ego. Everything happens in the mind of the participant and yet the performer is able to divine the thought of the participant in the most direct manner.

There is a one-time preparation of a few double blank business cards which will take all of 3 minutes and you are then set for many performances - until these cards wear...

This catalog is great because not only does it list various books in different categories, it also features informative articles. The articles you will find are:

• Building a Collection / Leo Behnke
• Are Magic Books Worthwhile? / John Mulholland
• Books about Books / Robert Lund
• The Calculated Risk / Dr. Edwin A. Dawes
• Magical Bookie / S. R. Patrick
• The Magician and Comedy / Robert Orben
• Quest for Magic Books / George Jenness
• Buy Lines / J. B. Findlay

1st edition 1968; PDF 147 pages.

Thought Shadows is a dramatic and visual piece of mentalism. It uses a novel presentational concept that even our thoughts can have shadows and based on those shadows a skilled mind reader can read the thoughts behind the shadows.

Everything happens in the mind of the participant and on the mobile phone of the participant. Nothing is ever spoken or written down. The participant just needs to have a phone with Google search on it. No special apps are needed on the phone. And the one piece of paper which is required to complete the routine is carried by the performer in his wallet or pocket....

ABOUT RUB-A-DUB: The rhyme is of a type calling out otherwise respectable people for disrespectable actions, in this case, ogling naked ladies - the maids. The nonsense "Rub-a-dub-dub" develops a phonetic association of social disapprobation, analogous to "tsk-tsk," albeit of a more lascivious variety.

The Rub-a-Dub Move's inauspicious beginning began in 1909 at a time when, relatively speaking, magicians had a limited number of utilitarian sleights and techniques at their disposal. Besides, the Rub-a-Dub Move happened in the blink of an eye and was only an offbeat way to make a card disappear. ...

X Deck is a cyclical stack. Given any card in the stack, you can almost instantly know the next card. It is based on a couple of simple algorithms. The stack looks quite random both value-wise as well as suit-wise. An equally easy variation X Deck 2 is also included. Easy to learn and simple to use, you should be able to get this down in a few minutes.

1st edition 2022, PDF 9 pages.

I love the mentalism effects on the phone, and I often use them in close-up and sometimes - appropriately modified - stage performances. I have collected more than 100, in the last 2 years and, slowly, I am proposing them with these publications. Some draw inspiration from real "pearls" of great artists, which I allowed myself to face, with extreme humility, developing them with a new setting, sometimes adding some interesting details. Others are a little older, even centuries, maybe even well known, but they are often "disruptive" as never before! Still, others are mine or, better said, by...

Conducting effects on the telephone presents some "structural" difficulties:

You have to prepare a meticulous presentation and review it in detail; in close-up or on stage you have the viewer in your presence and you can check at any time if they are following your instructions correctly. On the phone no! You must therefore try to write simple, unique instructions and you must check periodically (if not almost every time) that these have been carried out as you expected.

You must prepare (as with all performances) an introduction that describes the purpose of the game, where you start...

Two card frames, made from one card, visually link and unlink. You will also learn how to make a permanently linked version which you can hand out as a souvenir. Ideal for your social media feed or wherever you need a first-class visual miracle.

1st edition 2022, video 31:15

THE ABBOTT'S TEN PRINCIPLE: The principle, generally called Abbott's Ten by the Americans, actually dates back to an Italian manuscript about five hundred years ago (Mariano Tomatis - Messmer in pills - La Lollins and the magic of the sixteenth century - Episode 206).

This publication first describes the standard 10-card routine; I then analyzed the possibility of doing it with a different number of cards, even with tarot cards, and I studied the possibility of doing it in all conditions: in close up, on stage (two versions, one with billets and the other with the Tarot) and even on the...

Four excellent ESP effects with cards - and they're easy to do.

The introduction provides a wealth of information about performance, spectator control...and even jokes. These four effects will fool magicians...just wait until your next club meeting...especially the title effect, UNSEEN!

1) UNSEEN is a devilishly clever effect that will fool anyone. Shuffle a deck of cards (it really is an ordinary deck) and display it, faces outward, for all to see - then shuffle it again. The performer never once looks at the faces of the cards. The spectator makes a free selection and then shuffles the...