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EARLE J. CHRISTENBERRY, JR. RING # 27 NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

International Brotherhood of Magicians Ronnie Charpio – President Earle J. Christenberry Jr. - Secretary Kevin M. Carney – Vice-President John M. Weeks – Treasurer

THREE MORE DAYS – MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

MONTHLY MEETING

August 3, 2012 Friday

7:30 PM

Metairie Holiday Inn – 2261 N. Causeway Blvd. – Metairie, La 70001 Come early and dine before the meeting.

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Magic Theme for August: Magician’s Choice

This is category is the default setting. Just bring “something” that is weird, wonderful, and perhaps profoundly mysterious.

UPCOMING LECTURE LINE-UP

Sat, Sep 15 - Dan Garrett Sat, Oct 6 - Danny Archer

There will be no lectures in November or December because of holidays. Also, these lectures are tentative and subject to change. Everything depends on our level of participation and interest.

TRICK OF THE MONTH

MYSTICAL COUNTDOWN

Richard Vollmer This is a modest variation of Richard Vollmer’s “Mystical Countdown,” which combined Method: Take a shuffled deck and divide it exactly in half, placing the 26-card halves face down and next to each other on the table. Ask the S. to choose either portion and shuffle it. You do the same with the remaining portion. Have the halves tabled again. Ask the spectator to cut off any number of cards from his portion and look at the card at the face (bottom) of this cut-off packet. You do the same to demonstrate. As you do, you casually glimpse and remember the card at the face of your cut-off packet. This will be a key card. Suppose it is the Jack of Diamonds. The next step applies John Hamilton’s procedure from “Eyes of the Gods,” which falls into the Automatic Placement or Free-Cut Principle category. Arthur F. MacTier named the principle the Inverse Replacement Principle. Have the spectator place his cut-off packet face down onto your table talon. You do the same. In other words, the replacement is switched. Suppose that the spectator’s selection is the Ace of Hearts. Place your half on top of his half to assemble the deck.

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False shuffle and false cut the cards. Explain that you will deal cards face up and one at a time onto the table. Add: “If you happen to see your card, please say ‘stop.’ If I happen to see my card first, I’ll stop.” Deal cards as explained face up to the table. You will arrive at your key card (Jack of Diamonds) first. When you do, do not stop but continue dealing. However, mentally begin counting to yourself, beginning with your key card. Count to 13 and pause, asking: “Obviously you haven’t seen your card. Neither have I seen my card.” Continue dealing cards face up and begin another mental count with the first card dealt after the pause—only this time begin counting backward from 13. As you do so, watch for a card whose value matches the “mental number” you are simultaneously counting. That is, if a Six appears as you mentally count “six,” stop on that card. If a Deuce appears as you mentally count “two,” stop dealing on the Deuce. If you “hit” a match during this second “mental count,” the spectator’s selection (Ace of Hearts) will be at that numerical position from the top of the un-dealt talon. Suppose that you “hit” on a match at the count of “seven.” Stop dealing and point to the face-up Seven on top of the dealt cards. Say, “That’s my card—the Seven of ______!” Continue: “How peculiar. If I count down seven more cards…” Quickly deal six more cards and deal the seventh card face down in front of the spectator, adding: “…we should find your card.” Have the spectator turn over the Jack of Diamonds to cap the effect. So, what happens if you do not “hit” and arrive at a match? If you do not arrive at a “hit” as you do the backward-count, when you deal the thirteenth card on the count of “one,” stop dealing. Point to the last card dealt and say, “That’s my card.” The next card to be dealt will be the spectator’s selection. Continue: “How odd! Your card ended up next to mine!” Deal the spectator’s selection face up to cap the effect. Roots: Richard Vollmer’s “Mystical Countdown” was initially published in Apocalypse #226 (Vol. 18 – No. 2: February-1995), pp. 2467-2468. John Hamilton’s “Eyes of the Gods” was a marketed trick put out in 1948 by Max Holden. Karl Fulves re-printed it in the Pallbearers Review (Vol. 5 – No. 10: August, 1970). I published a variation titled “Ayes of the Gods” in Cardfixes (1990), pp. 1-5. Hamilton’s Inverse Replacement Principle is explained in Arthur F. MacTier’s Card Concepts (2000).

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BONUS ITEM

AL BAKER’S SILK THROUGH ARM You need is an 18-inch silk handkerchief. Begin by grasping diagonal ends and then twirl the silk to make it more rope-like. Contrive to drape it under the spectator's forearm near the wrist, holding it by the ends with both hands. Bring an end up on each side of wrist and hold in preparation to essentially perform the same mechanic’s of Baker’s “Dissolving Knot.” That is, end A is held between your left first and second finger and end B is held between your left thumb, base of your left first finger, and between your left second and third fingers. (Photo 1)

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Reach through the loop just above the spectator’s wrist with your right hand, grasp end A, and pull it through the loop towards you as your left second and third fingers simultaneously tighten onto silk, turning downward and outward. This causes a smaller loop to form, which is held in place as silk is drawn tight around the wrist. (Photo 2) Be careful that the smaller (secret) loop is brought down far enough so that it is not seen by the spectator or the audience who should be stationed at your right side. (Photo 3)

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Next, bring end A over to the left and around the spectator’s wrist. (Photo 4) Then tie ends together with double knot. (Photo 5) Your right hand then grips the knot and pulls upward with a jerk. The silk will seemingly and effortlessly “penetrate” the spectator’s wrist. (Photo 6)

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PICTURE FROM THE PAST

Do you recognize the place and the performer and the trick he is performing?

SEE YOU AT THE MEETING? Onward,

Jon Racherbaumer