Magic & Mentalism

The traditional 20th Century Silks effect becomes a fish story for the ages when an adventure-seeking flounder breaks away from his friends and gets caught by a fisherman. A happy ending is in store when the wayward rainbow trout disappears right under the fisherman's nose and magically reappears tied between his friends. A heartwarming tale with a life lesson makes for crowd-pleasing entertainment.

Daryl Hurst's Hometown Magic routines are laser-focused on practical entertainment that can be performed in a variety of formal and informal venues without significant restrictions, giving professional...

Siamese Triplets is my version of the Gadabout Coins routine. It uses four normal coins, does not need a table, and is an "up" effect, meaning that the routine is performed at chest height, where it is visible to large groups. You can do the routine in restaurant walk-around, especially at long tables, at a strolling venue with no tables, and in a parlor setting. The trick has an interesting patter, is angle-friendly, and automatically resets.

Siamese Triplets also includes an easier version of the Gadabout Coins effect, Dead Kennedys, which uses a common gimmick. Dead Kennedys was my go-to...

Sealed message reading and prediction.

"PANACEA is wonderful... it's a very strong piece of work and one that I've been using quite a bit as of recently, thank you again for that!" - Jerome Finley

"Panacea - f***ing awesome! (Quote me!)" - R. Lee

The reader invites the sitter to write a detailed question on a blank index card or business card. A security envelope or coin envelope is initialed by the sitter, and the question is sealed inside the initialed envelope. It is kept by the sitter, never to be touched by the reader again.

The reader then writes a prediction...

Two chosen cards, seemingly impossible to track, are miraculously found by the magician.

From a shuffled deck, two spectators each select a card. While they look at their card, the magician divides the deck into two piles and turns away from the audience.

Each spectator places their card on top of a pile and thinks of a number between 1 and 10. To lose their card, they move that number of cards from the top to the bottom of their pile. Then, they assemble the deck by placing one pile on the other and may cut as much as they like.

Only now does the magician face the audience again. ...

Four blank cards, shown from both sides, suddenly have big holes cut through their centers.

1st edition 2025, video 4:25.

An amazing 'Any Card At Any Number' effect, in which a spectator chooses any card and finds it again, incredibly guided by a series of three simple operations, arbitrarily decided based on his free choice.

A highly original "Any Card At Any Number" effect, in which the illusionist explains how many of our decisions are influenced today, despite ourselves, by mathematics and computers, as demonstrated, for example, by the spread of Artificial Intelligence.

After taking a deck of cards out of its case and placing it face down on the table, he asks a spectator to freely think of any card...

Uno stupefacente effetto di Carta al Numero, in cui uno spettatore sceglierà una carta qualsiasi e la ritroverà, incredibilmente guidato da una serie di tre semplici operazioni, decise arbitrariamente a partire proprio dalla sua libera scelta!

Un effetto di "Carta al Numero" molto originale, in cui l'illusionista spiega come al giorno d'oggi molte nostre decisioni vengano influenzate, nostro malgrado, dalla Matematica e dai Computer, come ad esempio dimostra il dilagare dell'Intelligenza Artificiale.

Dopo aver estratto un mazzo di carte dal proprio astuccio ed averlo deposto a faccia...

This intro price will go up to $18 from December 22, 2025.

Vision Touch is a routine where the line of sight of a participant meets the performer's sense of touch which in turn leads to a colorfully amazing revelation.

In a way, this is delicious old wine packed in a fantastic new bottle. A classic principle is couched and disguised in an enhanced Stroop Test to give out absolutely stunning results.

There is a quick one-time preparation that requires just a couple of double blank cards. Personally, I use postcard-sized cards, but you can use any size of double blank cards that suit...

From a deck of cards, the spectator selects one card and, without showing it to anyone, loses it back into the deck. The performer then takes a second deck, shuffles it, and shows that the cards are in a random order, pointing out that two twin cards happen to be together in the center. Taking it as a sign of destiny, the performer decides to use those twin cards to find the spectator's selection - even though he has no idea what it is. After shuffling the deck again, the pair of twin cards magically capture another card, which, however, turns out to be the twin of the chosen one. Undeterred,...

Five lovely small packet routines involving apples from Stephen Tucker, Per Clausen, and Shiv Duggal.

The last routine plays off the 'Apple' computer angle. With Apple Inc. having made such a meteoric rise, with many having Apple computers or phones, this routine would probably play even better today than it did during the 1980s. Some changes in the patter will be necessary, but the general idea has merit.

The booklet came originally with six custom cards showing apples and an apple core, some with blank backs, some with regular backs. These cards are not included with this download, but...

... to be feted by fellow magicians.

This article, from the Brooklyn Eagle, gives us a nice overview of Jean Hugard's life, including a description of a performance of the bullet catch, where he was shot but luckily not killed.

For folks interested in the Erdnase mystery, this article is a bit of a head-scratcher, because it dates Erdnase's book to 1890. Since we do not have any other piece of evidence confirming the 1890 date, but overwhelming evidence for the generally accepted 1902 date (more than 100 first editions, copyright form, ads and mentions in periodicals), it is obviously...

This 19th-century book is a treasure trove of incredible magic tricks.

Magician Paul Gertner is famous for his cups and balls routine using metal balls. I don't know if the idea occurred to him on his own ... but this very same idea that seems so modern was already written over 100 years prior in this book from 1874! I'm talking of Jean Nicolas Ponsin's monumental work, Nouvelle Magie Blanche Dévoilée translated into English in its entirety. And I assure you that within its pages you will find many other excellent magic effects to enrich your repertoire in the 21st century! ...

Criminally good effects...

15 Effects - all self-working with a variety of objects (some you'll have to buy - but nothing that'll cost you more than a few bucks). Several brand new effects, a few crackers (including the Pencil Case Mystery) which have been published before, plus a few other ideas ... brilliant value! Ho! Ho! Ho!

McFooled: An easy effect which uses a McDonald's paper bag and a few pieces of card....

Predict-a-ball: A mentalism effect where a spectator comes up and selects a single, coloured table tennis ball from a stand and shows it to the audience, then replaces it...

One of the first lessons I learnt in my performing days was that a tongue-in-cheek presentation could be as effective and possibly much more entertaining than one with pompous pretensions. And in pursuit of this, I spent as much on literature devoted to patter and one-liners as I did to books with new tricks and routines, sleights and subterfuges.

Robert Orben was the "guru" - one just had to have everything he put out for magicians. There were many others like Harry Allen, Ken DeCourcy and Val Andrews, who took their presentations with a pinch of salt, and...

This is my adaptation of Marlo's A Number for Fast Company. I've reworked it to be completely impromptu, finishing with a clean, accurate cut to the spectator's selection.

The spectator shuffles the deck freely, chooses any card, and returns it before shuffling again. The performer then names the exact position of the selection and says, "If I know the position of your card, I should be able to cut straight to it." He then lifts off a packet - matching the number just named - and the final card of that packet is the spectator's selection. Full performance in the demo video. ...

A fun and simple routine using the Sanada Gimmick and a couple of sponge balls.

The trick is extremely flexible for writing different scripts, and the trick plays as well on stage as it does close-up.

1st edition 2025, PDF 15 pages.

After the spectator creates a two-digit number from cards numbered from 1 to 16, he shuffles the 16 cards, not once but twice. The magician deals them out, once for the past, once for the present and once for the future. The dealt matrix forms a magic square adding to the spectator's number in 80 different ways!

Works automatically. No memorization. No calculations. A new combination of principles never before used.

1st edition 2025, PDF 34 pages.

Effect: A spectator shuffles the deck, freely selects any card and looks at it. They put the card in an envelope. The friend is facing away from the spectator. The friend reveals what card was chosen without looking at the envelope or asking any questions.

Description: Do have that friend that wants to learn a trick? This is the perfect effect. Your friend is the star, and with the secret Crib they do not have to remember anything. You are helping them so they don't feel intimidated. This is a fun effect that leaves the spectator amazed.

• This is a great party trick.
• This can be done...

An incredible mentalism effect with cards, totally impromptu and hands-off, in which the illusionist will find the card thought of and scattered within a deck that the spectator himself, cutting in various parts, will shuffle several times, also faces against backs.

This is an incredible effect involving the retrieval of a thought-of card, totally impromptu, practically hands-off (the illusionist will only pick up the deck of cards at the end of the experiment) and therefore always ready for a performance, even if the magician only has a borrowed deck of cards, which may even be incomplete. ...

Un incredibile effetto di Mentalismo con le Carte, totalmente Impromptu e Hands-Off, in cui l'illusionista troverà la carta pensata e dispersa all'interno di un mazzo che lo spettatore stesso, tagliando vari mazzett, mescolerà più volte, facce contro dorsi!

Si tratta di un incredibile effetto di Ritrovamento di una Carta Pensata, totalmente Impromptu, praticamente Hands-Off (l'illusionista prenderà in mano il mazzo di carte solamente al termine dell'esperimento) e quindi sempre pronto per una performance, anche solo disponendo di un mazzo di carte preso a prestito e magari persino incompleto! ...

How the mediums produce their "manifestations".

In this article from 1893 from the Chicago Tribune, August Roterberg explains some of the tricks and techniques used by fraudulent spirits.

• Mediums Have an Easy Thing
• Other Ways of Doing the Trick
• How Spirit Questions Are Answered
• People Easily Deceived
• Mediums Exchange "Tests"
• Example of Cool Effrontery
• Uses of Luminous Paint
• Conjurers Only Need Natural Means

1st edition 1893, PDF 6 pages.

Celebrating a lifetime in magic dealing, author Ian Adair remembers a wealth of amusing incidents, all of which happened over fifty years whilst trading at the famous Supreme Magic Company - disasters, failures, catastrophes, misjudgements, misfortunes, blunders, bloopers and quirky situations which he reminisces with the readers of this ebook.

One such 'incident' happened outside the Supreme depot late one evening. Arriving early the following morning at the premises, we noticed the letter P missing from the Supreme sign. We later found out that a small gang of lads were returning home...

Two Jokers produce two Aces in the middle, and finally, the Jokers transform into the remaining two Aces. A classic effect with a unique and visual handling. Complete performance in the video.

1st edition 2025, video 4:53

A prediction effect with ESP cards that fits in your pocket.

The performer invites a spectator to take part in a brief experiment in intuition. He removes a small packet of cards from an envelope, holding it face down as he explains that it contains all five E.S.P. symbols.

After confirming that he has no way of knowing the order of the cards, the spectator freely names a number between one and five (inclusive). Let's say he chooses four. The performer counts the cards and removes the one corresponding to that number – let's say it is the Circle. The remaining four cards are clearly...

"When Daryl told me that he planned on making his living doing shows in an area that would have him sleeping at home every night I thought he was crazy. You have to travel to make a living in magic. He wouldn't succeed, I thought! HE DID." - Hank Moorehouse

There is room in every town for the magic collector, the magic hobbyist, the magic club and the novelty shop. There is also room for clowns, jugglers, and sideshow acts. Yet it requires a dedicated and competent performer of magic shows, with a proper magic table at their side, to become a true Hometown Magician. Someone whose claim...

Effect: A spectator names one of the four suits (Ex: Hearts). The spectators shuffle the deck. When the spectator spreads the cards, all the Hearts are grouped together. The magician seemingly never touched the cards.

"I really like the concept. It's clever, direct, and the psychological frame you suggest for the alternative presentation is a great touch. That the magician never touches the cards and yet the Hearts come together makes it feel genuinely impossible. The reset is also very practical: a big plus!" - Gaia Elisa Rossi

Description: Are you looking for a killer effect that...

This intro price will go up to $18 from December 1, 2025.

A unique principle is used to get an invisible and completely propless star sign divination method which is quick, easy, elegant and highly effective. There is no long drawn process here. The presentation here is not the typical astrology based one but goes on the lines of brain functions, human mind and general psychology. The sun sign reveal comes most unexpectedly as a surprising finale.

This method is completely different from any of my other over dozen star sign divination methods. And you do not need to own any of these...

An exciting mentalism effect in which the spectators themselves, after naming any card in the deck, imagine in their mind that they can find it as the only one still in its 'right' place in a shuffled deck, giving rise to an amazing "A.C.A.A.N."!

This is an original new "Any Card At Any Number" type effect, which will most likely be different from anything you have ever seen before!

"... Kudos for coming up with this stack that lets you find any card in its place... And congratulations also for the method you used... Everything is explained very well and in an understandable way! Great!!!...

Un emozionante effetto di Mentalismo in cui saranno gli spettatori stessi, dopo aver nominato una carta qualsiasi del mazzo, ad immaginare nella loro mente di poterla ritrovare come l'unica ancora al 'giusto' posto in un mazzo mescolato, dando luogo ad uno stupefacente "A.C.A.A.N."!

Si tratta di un originale nuovo effetto di Carta al Numero, che molto probabilmente vi risulterà DIFFERENTE DA QUALSIASI ALTRO CHE POSSIATE AVER VISTO SINORA!

"... Ti faccio le mie congratulazioni per aver ideato questo stack che permette di ritrovare qualsiasi carta al suo posto.. E complimenti anche per...

This is a guide on performing Identity Aura Readings, outlining a system for interpreting auras based on the colors associated with the letters of a person's name, insuring a unique and repeatable reading for every sitter.

It combines elements of color theory, numerology, tarot, Richard Webster's Psychometry, and astrology to create distinctive readings based on a person's name.

It provides a personal keepsake for clients, making it less likely they will discard the reading. The readings can be presented as psychic or psychological, and can overlap with other systems like tarot...

A practical treatise on mind reading, according to Stuart Cumberland and the late Washington Irving Bishop. Ventriloquism as practiced by Valentine Vox and others. Sleight of Hand secrets and methods of performing many marvelous mysteries, such as have astonished the public of all nations.

• CHAPTER I. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
  • The Mystic Wand
  • The Magician's Clothes
  • Magic Tables
• CHAPTER II. SIMPLE TRICKS WITH CARDS
  • United By A Single Cut
  • To Discover The Value Of Certain Cards On The Table
  • Cards Change Places At Command
  • To Name Successively All Cards In Pack
  • To Tell Whether The Number...

"I have a message for you."

Long out of print, this masterpiece of mentalism was offered as the greatest sealed message exhibition the world has ever seen. Questions written and sealed in envelopes by spectators, yet the psychic entertainer gets the answers, calls people by name, etc. What makes this routine different from other Q&A tests is the bold method that J. Thurman Lord used to supplement the written questions. Some audience members received a personal "spirit message" from the medium, without writing any question in advance!

Excellent for large parties, dinner shows, or theater...