The Genii Forum

Daniel Z wrote:Hi Mark.
You can start here if you're interested in what's known about the original game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot_card_games
Apparently there's a lot of textual evidence in the historical record.

I'd be happy to lend you a DVD of my documentary on the Tarot if we can figure out where and when to hand it off (warning Mark there are tarot magic performances by Jeff McBride and David Ben).

Otherwise you can stream it from Gaia.com I don't know what they charge, but they have our doc on Crowley as well as a few others you may find of interest.

A word to Daniel. I now have in my possession the DVD in question and I thank you for leaving it for me. I will attempt to gird up my loins and force myself to watch the performances by David and Jeff McBride that you mention and pray that they do not horrify me too much. I just find it vaguely sacrilegious to use Tarot cards for trickery. And what is even worse is that tricks with tarot cards usually bore me to distraction

Still, I shall watch the DVD avidly and return it in the same manner as you gave it to me. Magic shops make an excellent postal outlet.

Daniel Z wrote:Hi Mark.
You can start here if you're interested in what's known about the original game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot_card_games
Apparently there's a lot of textual evidence in the historical record.

I'd be happy to lend you a DVD of my documentary on the Tarot if we can figure out where and when to hand it off (warning Mark there are tarot magic performances by Jeff McBride and David Ben).

Otherwise you can stream it from Gaia.com I don't know what they charge, but they have our doc on Crowley as well as a few others you may find of interest.

Hi Daniel, have you ever seen any of Eugene Burger's work with Tarot cards?

Hi Daniel, have you ever seen any of Eugene Burger's work with Tarot cards?

Hello Mr. Fish.

I'm a big fan of Mr. Burgers and have had the pleasure of watching him work many times in different venues (my wife and I were known to have driven from Toronto to Chicago on occasion to watch him work when he was a performer at Bigs). However, I've never seen him work with Tarot cards -- though of course it's easy enough to imagine!

I would've loved to have seen him at Bigs.
I too drove from Toronto to see him in Rochester in '97. I was lucky to have been able to spend considerable time with him there on one particular evening at the bar. Very magical experience.

I guess that should be Biggs. Yes - a great magician: skillful, knowledgeable and entertaining, and even rarer, a great person.

performer wrote:I know the presenter personally and can confirm that he is an unadulterated genius in this sort of thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnsjG6SRXRY

Unadulterated genius is exactly right. I absolutely loved this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3GSItQV6io

I wonder if the phone number Mark gave is real. I'd love to talk to him.

He is not very sociable I am afraid. What did you want to talk about?

performer wrote:He is not very sociable I am afraid.

And yet he seems so amiable. Just wanted to compliment him on his presentation, is all. Pass along my best wishes.

AMIABLE!!!
Best laugh of the day!

However, I will certainly pass on your good wishes to him. As for your positive opinion of his presentation I can assure you that he always appreciates adulation mixed with great praise and glory. I am afraid he doesn't get as much as he deserves, particularly here. So by all means feel free to lavish as much public praise upon him as you can possibly manage. It will no doubt irritate others and of course that will give him even greater delight than the praise itself.

tdk408 wrote:I have been searching for weeks, but I can't find a Tarot deck that has the size and feel of a regular bicycle poker deck. Can anyone suggest some?

I'm specifically looking for playing cards to incorporate into a magical routine. White border, poker-sized, regular playing card thickness, 52 cards....

If you truly believe such would be useful ... US Playing card company (and others) print custom runs of decks.

Jonathan Townsend wrote:US Playing card company (and others) print custom runs of decks.

Naturally I am aware of that. I can't recommend USPCC, because if they print only 90% of your order, they charge you for 100% with no refund. That cheat is in their contract.

And the same 310 GSM linen embossed card stock is used by other card printers which charge a whole lot less.

tdk408 wrote:

performer wrote:He is not very sociable I am afraid.

And yet he seems so amiable. Just wanted to compliment him on his presentation, is all. Pass along my best wishes.

I just did pass on your good wishes. I also passed on your compliments on his presentation. His response was "naturally".

It appears the Arcana tarot deck might not have been mentioned yet in this thread.

https://deadonpaper.com/collections/pla ... arot-light

Gordon Meyer wrote:It appears the Arcana tarot deck might not have been mentioned yet in this thread.

https://deadonpaper.com/collections/pla ... arot-light

Impressive - thanks for finding/sharing that link

I finally found time and inclination to watch a good part of the Tarot video that Daniel left for me. I was pleased to see that he treated the Tarot with the respect it deserves. I was amused to see the segment from the psychic fair since I was present there but not shown in the video. However, there is a bit of Eddie Diijon in there, who happens to be an old showman magician. I am not sure if Daniel knew about that. He was the King of the Flea Circus in his day. Here is a clip from a documentary about him. I know the chap who put the documentary together. Oddly enough he is a healer at all the psychic fairs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIQZ8uC2vZY