Magic & Conjuring

A sleight-of-hand reference work for cards, coins, billiard balls, and thimbles.

Magic without Apparatus is the first English translation of La Prestidigitation sans Appareils, which has been recognized by authorities on magic as the world's greatest treatise on legerdemain with cards, coins, billiard balls, and thimbles. The French edition elicited such comments as these:

Leo Rullman (Connoisseur of magical literature): "The greatest work on pure sleight-of-hand in any language."

Professor Hoffmann (Author of Modern Magic, More Magic, Later Magic): "A contribution of the first rank to the literature...

Best of the Best is an effect that makes most of the potential of the pre-ordered deck. But don't worry because to perform it you will not need memory work and no complicated mathematical operations. Everything is super impossible but really simple to do. Three divinations plus a prediction, a surprising climax. The method behind this effect is truly amazing and fascinating.

• A normal deck
• No memory work
• No complicated mathematical operations
• No gimmick

1st edition 2022, video 17:34.

Here's a cool new ebook that everyone should have. How many hundreds of dollars have you spent on tricks you don't use? Well here's a priceless collection that includes some hilarious ways for you to 'select' someone to help you on stage or for close-up.

There are visual gags, a few one-liners and a dozen or so fun ways to involve your audience. From frisbees-to-fruit, you'll win them over before you even begin with these brilliant bits of business.

We love the 'Pineapple in the bag' gag which is so much fun and a guarenteed laugh-getter! Plus, there's a very clever bonus trick called...

Volume 1, No. 10: October 2022, 48 pgs.

The tenth issue of The Hermit Magazine features:

• EFFECTS
  • Central Intelligence / Scott Baird
  • Iterant Intelligence / Scott Baird
  • Close-up Miracle Prediction / Kyle Leon
  • Thank you, Eddie / Rico Weeland
  • Zombie Apocalypse / Chiam Yu Sheng
  • Drawing a Blank / Patrik Kuffs
  • Thumbnail / Chris Mayhew
  • The One and Only / John Carey
• ARTICLES
  • #hermitmagicchallenge puzzle
  • Casting Call
  • The Secret Psychology of Criticizing People / Jay Sankey

All the great masters of magic and illusionism recommend two essential points in their meetings:

• simplify the effects as much as possible, remove everything that is not strictly necessary,
• build a patter, a story that is worth telling, that excites the listeners, that contributes to the creation of the perfect climax for the ending, to amaze your listeners.

The patter and the story justify and accompany the performer in carrying out the effect, and are always important, regardless of the method and technique used; in card magic, both in sleight-of-hand and in automatic or mathematical...

Tutti i grandi maestri di Magia ed Illusionismo raccomandano, nei loro incontri, due punti essenziali:

• semplificate al massimo gli effetti, togliete tutto quello che non è strettamente necessario,
• costruite un commento, una storia che valga la pena di essere raccontata, che appassioni gli ascoltatori, che contribuisca alla creazione del climax perfetto per il finale, in modo da stupire i vostri ascoltatori.

Il commento, la storia giustificano ed accompagnano l'esecutore nello svolgimento dell'effetto, e sono sempre importanti, indipendentemente dal metodo e dalla tecnica utilizzata;...

Please note that the price of this ebook will increase to $20 after October 31st, 2022.

S.H.I.EL.D. (SelfWorking Honestly Impromptu Effect: card Location in the Deck) is a collection of four of my latest authomatic card magic effects, never previously published, characterized by the fact that they can be performed with extreme ease, requiring no technique or manipulation by the magician, and being completely impromptu, performable even with a deck borrowed and shuffled by the audience.

The first and last effects, "Say My Name!" and "The Final Countdown", in addition to being fully automatic,...

Si noti che il prezzo di questo ebook aumenterà a 20 dollari dopo il 31 ottobre 2022.

S.H.I.EL.D. (SelfWorking Honestly Impromptu Effect: card Location in the Deck) è una raccolta di quattro dei miei ultimi effetti AUTOMATICI di magia con le carte, mai pubblicati in precedenza, caratterizzati dal fatto di poter essere eseguiti con estrema facilità, non richiedendo alcuna tecnica o manipolazione da parte del prestigiatore, e di essere completamente estemporanei, eseguibili anche con un mazzo preso in prestito e mescolato dal pubblico.

Il primo e l'ultimo effetto, "Pronuncia il mio nome!"...

A new way to create an impossible souvenir. A card is selected. Show a small photo frame. Draw your prediction, which turns out to be wrong, but ... it turns into a correct one. The selected card rises out of the drawing. You can sign it and hand out the drawing as a souvenir, the frame, too if you want.

The construction of the gimmick requires arts and crafts. The clean-up, to get rid of the gimmick, uses a black art principle and thus requires a table with a black cloth or some other appropriate surface.

1st edition 2022, video 38:20.

A very visual version of the "detective" theme that is perfect for stage, parlor, and closeup. Adding another card allows this to become a sandwich effect. The deck can be borrowed, shuffled, and card signed.

A Jack of Spades is removed from a borrowed deck. Someone selects a card and the card is very visibly returned to the center of the deck. The card may be signed, and the deck may be shuffled. The Jack is then placed face up on the deck, the magician passes his hand over the card, and it vanishes. But it fails to return to the top of the deck. The deck is then spread and the Jack is found...

Throw a playing card into the air and have it vanish.

The method is based on the black art principle and thus requires a black background such as a black T-shirt. The gimmick requires several supplies you may need to purchase and arts and crafts to construct it.

1st edition 2022, video 15:43

James Breedon, or as the kiddies affectionately call him, Uncle Jim, was one of the busiest children's entertainers on the South Coast, and author of this delightful book in which, with meticulous care, and in detail, he describes the effects and routines developed over the many years he has been entertaining Children.

In the pages of this book, the student will find the recipe for handling youngsters, and the development of the skills required; humour, tolerance, patience and inventiveness. The art of encouraging the shy, and of coping firmly with the over boisterous, without loss of temper....

This book reveals some large-scale illusions and then teaches a range of easy tricks for the beginner.

• Introduction
• Secrets Of A Famous Magician Revealed
  • Buried Alive
  • Escape From A Milk-Can
  • The Vanishing Elephant
  • The Disappearing Horseman
  • "Needles And Thread"
  • Through A Brick Wall
• Magic Tricks Which Can Be Performed In The Home
  • The Handkerchief Trick
  • The Cord And The Handkerchief
  • The Vanishing Sixpence
  • A Bangle Trick
  • Try These Two Match Tricks
  • The Broken Match
  • The Coin Mystery
  • The Telegraphic Coin
  • A Blowing Feat
  • Lighting A Lump Of Sugar
  • The Three Boxes
  • The Tablecloth ...

This manuscript explains two routines, one which does not require any sleight-of-hand, and a second one that requires some basic moves such as a vanish, false and secret loading.

1st edition 1993, 14 pages; PDF 11 pages.

This manuscript explains basic routines and moves for the chop cup, with additional moves and routines by Goutam Guha and Mahadevananda.

1st edition 1993, 20 pages; PDF 17 pages.

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...

Discover and process natural force books.

In his "Autome" book test video, Max Maven demos a book test and a forcing method. What he does not do is explain how to find and process books other than the one he demos. That's what this manuscript does. My process, including all the required worksheets, teaches how to use almost any 300+ page popular novel, in any language, as natural force books.

The Effect: The mentalist introduces three popular paperback books and hands them out to the audience. As the books are examined, the mentalist has members of the audience record several random numbers....

A play-by-play exposé of the tricks of the card sharp's trade.

Moss gives general advice on how to avoid becoming a sucker or losing more money than luck alone would explain. The most interesting part is where he describes several sleights and strategies cardsharps use to cheat at the card table. Many of the sleights are illustrated with photos.

• Introduction 5
• Meet the Enemy 7
  • Who Are the Victims?
  • Suckers
  • Addicts
  • Defeating the Enemy
  • Luck
  • Greed
  • Amateurs
  • Advice
• Modern Cheating
  • False Cut Number One
  • False Cut Number Two
  • False Cut Number Three
  • False Cut Number Four
  • A Reverse...

Paul Curry is a name that captures the attention of magicians everywhere, thanks to his famous card trick Out Of This World. Invented by Curry back in 1942, it remains an absolute staple for the self-working card enthusiast.

Not to be overlooked, however, was Curry's initial blast onto the magic scene five years earlier. Launched in 1937, Touch was (and still is) by any measure, a superlative card mystery. Over the years, variations from the experts have appeared in print. Some of these have been downright disappointing because they have been far too complicated, or like Curry's original, the burden...

Eine neuartige, kommerzielle Kartenroutine zum Thema 'ehrgeizige Karte' mit einem unpräparierten Kartenspiel.

Der Vorführende zeigt einen Permanentmarker (Filzstift) vor und behauptet, dass es sich bei der darin befindlichen Tinte um ein sehr stark magnetisches Ferrofluid handle, das durch den magnetischen Marker angezogen werde. Dies demonstriert er, in dem er den Vornamen eines Zuschauers auf eine Spielkarte schreibt. Die gekennzeichnete Karte wird vom oberen Ende des Filzstifts angezogen und vom unteren Ende abgestossen.

Die gekennzeichnete Karte wird in die Mitte des Spiels gegeben....

Minor math-based tricks and procedural surprises.

Enjoy another free sample of Werner Miller's creations, all of which are based in one way or another on mathematics.

1st edition 2022, PDF 20 pages.

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...

IL PRINCIPIO ABBOTT’S TEN: Il principio, chiamato dagli americani generalmente Abbott’s Ten risale, in verità, ad un manoscritto italiano di circa cinquecento anni fa (Mariano Tomatis - Messmer in pillole - La Lollins e la magia del Cinquecento – Episodio 206).

In questa pubblicazione viene descritta innanzitutto la routine standard, con 10 carte; ho analizzato poi la possibilità di effettuarlo con un numero diverso di carte, addirittura con i tarocchi, ed ho studiato la possibilità di realizzarla in tutte le condizioni: in close up, in palcoscenico (due versioni, una con biglietti...

A remarkable transition effect using unprepared objects and little sleight of hand.

Four Queens from any pack are placed on the four corners of a square cloth. Two of the Queens are covered with squares of paper. One at a time, the Queens are put beneath the cloth thru which they penetrate and come up under the square of paper. It is amazing to see the identical card make the passage and appear under the paper along with the others, until all four are assembled under one paper.

Vernon's original methods and several puzzling variations - different from anything ever offered, no extra...

Excerpt from the Preface:

Gregg Webb shows how he incorporates a glove into some of his coin work. Some gloves are unprepared others are gimmicked.

1st edition 2022, PDF 3 pages.

Another interesting approach to the classic effect. This is a completely different method and principle to Propless Bank Night.

No props needed. No equivoque. No anagrams. No Math. Totally free choices. Everything happens in the participant's mind who is on the other end of a voice call with the performer, maybe thousands of miles away. The performer even tells the participant upfront the contents of each envelope involved in the routine. The participant chooses the envelopes freely, there is no force. And yet the participant is stunned with the result.

This can be performed one on one over a voice call...

Own a unique book in magic literature. Why use a brightly painted box that has some random nonsense fake Chinese character on it when you can easily customize the box with actual, correct, traditional Chinese characters that mean something relevant to your routine? If the routine uses water, or fire, here are the correct characters. Plus much more: Dictionary of 200+ words relevant to magic; colors; dynasties; seasons; numbers; colors, directions for transferring the characters to your props; essay on performing an ethical ethnic act; directions for properly writing characters; two Romanization/pronunciation...

Excerpt from the foreword by Val Andrews:

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

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...

Condurre effetti al telefono presenta alcune difficoltà “strutturali”:

Devi preparare una presentazione meticolosa e rivederla in dettaglio; in close-up o in palcoscenico hai lo spettatore in presenza e puoi verificare in qualsiasi momento se sta seguendo correttamente le tue istruzioni. Al telefono no! Devi quindi cercare di scrivere istruzioni semplici, univoche e devi controllare periodicamente (se non quasi ogni volta) che queste siano state eseguite come ti aspettavi.

Devi preparare (come per tutte le esibizioni) un'introduzione che descriva lo scopo del gioco, da dove parti...

The performer shows the back of a playing card. Suddenly the card has transformed into a foam heart. This is based on a black art principle and thus requires a black background. Arts and crafts are necessary to construct the gimmick.

1st edition 2022, video 24:34

4. Welcome to Issue #106 - Editor's comments
4. The Team
4. What's Inside
6. In The Phonebox: Alia Bhatt
8. Marvin's Magic - The World's Most Iconic Magic Brand - cover article/interview
   12. To Celebrate 35 Years of Marvin's Magic Here Are 35 Things You Probably Don't Know About Marvin and His Company
14. Reader's Letters
15. Facebook Competition
16. Pete's [Firman] Back With a Bag - interview
20. Masterclass
    20. On The Cards - Adam Hudson
    22. Poor Man's Raven - Gregg Webb
24. The Chris Cross Convention
26. A Quick Dip Into ... "Eugene Burger: Final Secrets" by Lawrence Hass...

4. Welcome to Issue #105 - Editor's comments
4. The Team
4. What's Inside
6. In The Phonebox: James Mercer
8. Christian Grace - Our New Golden Future is Here - cover article/interview by Graham Hey
14. Reader's Letters
15. Magicseen Competition
16. An Alternative Magic Universe - Mark Leveridge
20. Masterclass
    • Second Thoughts - Christian Grace
21. Facebook Promo Pics
22. Masterclass Classic
    • Dictionary 600 - Stuart Bowie
26. Starting as You Mean to Continue - Why even the pre-show time at kid's parties is important - Mark Leveridge
28. Wayne Slater...