Tarot Cards+Poker Player's Picnic

[Bob Farmer]

I have developed a routine that combines Tarot cards with the famous Poker Player's Picnic effect from the Royal Road To Card Magic. The most complete history of this effect can be found here:

https://www.lybrary.com/picnic-pocus-p-924586.html

My effect is a prediction. The Tarot cards are distributed in accordance with various numbers and words associated with the spectator (e.g., his astrological sign, etc.) and then four Tarot cards are revealed. The prediction lists each Tarot card revealed along with a reading for that card.

As far as I know, no one else has used this idea with Tarot cards but if anyone has a reference, please post it here.

Thank you.

[Denis Behr]

As far as I know, no one else has used this idea with Tarot cards but if anyone has a reference, please post it here.

Did you check this one? https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/b ... ight=68094

[Bob Farmer]

There is one entry for Anthony Raven's "The Tarot Touch" in Magick #160, 1976, p.797. I don't have that magazine so if anyone could send me a copy of the trick, I'd reciprocate with my full version (unpublished).

[Philippe Billot]

I have sent you your christmas gift

[Bob Farmer]

Thank you Philippe and I will send you your gift shortly.

[Denis Behr]

While using a bit of a different procedure to form the three piles (not four in this case), I'd say this item is also related: Past, Present, and Future.

[Tarotist]

I am afraid a wonderful tarot teacher by the name of Vincent Pitisci has beaten you to it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n9D5AG ... t&index=20

[Bob Farmer]

I don't read German so I can't review the effects Denis cites. I reviewed the Raven and Pitisci effects and though they use the procedure the presentation is really lame. They overlook one important fact: you can deal cards before you deal the three cards to the piles and there is no limit on how many cards you can deal (unless you run out of cards). This opens up some very interesting presentational points.

[Denis Behr]

Those are English lecture notes: https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/b ... ight=65541
You can contact Jörg if you're interested in the routine at https://www.zauberkunst.de/de/kontakt.html

[MagicbyAlfred]

Bob, your routine sounds quite fresh and creative. Reading between the lines, it sounds like you have managed to eliminate or mitigate what I have always considered the weak point in the presentation which is th the rote dealing of 3 cards to the bottom of a pile each time, which smacks of mathematics and lacks any meaningful justification. The reading that accompanies each tarot card revealed, or perhaps more accurately, predicted, is nice touch, as well.

[Bob Farmer]

Denis, does Jorg use the basic procedure but with 3 piles rather than 4? John Bannon did that in Stoned Soul Picnic in Genii.

[Tarotist]

I never do tricks with Tarot cards. It seems sacrilegious to me and I am afraid I might get run over by a bus or struck by lightning if I do it!
Come to think of it I actually did include a mindreading trick in my book on the Tarot which I pinched from one of the John Scarne books. I think the reason that I have not come to any harm yet is that the trick did not in fact use the Tarot.

[Denis Behr]

Denis, does Jorg use the basic procedure but with 3 piles rather than 4?

His procedure uses three piles but it is a variation of the Re-Deal Force instead of the Picnic procedure. It is motivated by "ritual", of course, like every weird procedure using Tarot cards always is. Then there's a reading of the cards and a prediction, which sounds like what you are doing.

[Dave Le Fevre]

the Re-Deal Force

I've been using that for several decades. And now I know the name of it, so I thank you for that.

[Bob Farmer]

David Britland also has a routine (unpublished) entitled, "Faux-Tune Teller. In addition, there may be related routines in Stephen Minch's book, The Book of Thoth, but I don't have a copy.

I understand Mark's reluctance and I agree with it to a point. I think it depends on the characteristics of your audience. If they believe in this stuff, it's probably not a good routine. However, if the audience sees you as a magician and not a seer, it works. None of my audiences (my lunch buddies) would take this seriously for a second. Plus, I exude about as much "seerness" as a watermelon.

[Tarotist]

My problem is not so much my audience believing in it but ME believing in it! Mind you, I can actually do readings with regular cards but I rarely do.