Occult techniques

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Brad Henderson
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Occult techniques

Postby Brad Henderson » March 22nd, 2023, 7:22 pm

Occult means hidden. And in this month’s genii there is a lovely ruse that was hidden in plain sight - and revealed to those initiates who know where to look.

I’ve shown it to a couple of magicians and they all were fascinated. One so much so he subscribed because he wanted to know.

What is it? Well, sometimes we have to follow trails through locked rooms to find the hints we need to uncover the hidden stones of truth.

Do you take the right hand path; the left hand path, or the over hand path?

There is a knock at my door

I’ve said too much.

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Q. Kumber
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Favorite Magician: Tom Whitestone

Re: Occult techniques

Postby Q. Kumber » March 24th, 2023, 4:58 am

Brad, When you say, "This month's Genii, do you mean the March issue or the recently released April issue?

Jack Shalom
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Jack Shalom » March 24th, 2023, 1:24 pm

I think it's probably better used on magicians, rather than others. Worth trying I guess.

Philippe Billot
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Philippe Billot » March 24th, 2023, 2:32 pm

Do we go back to the good old days of the "underground"?

Brad Henderson
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Brad Henderson » March 24th, 2023, 3:40 pm

Quentin - it’s the issue with chipper Lowell on the cover

Jack - I think it will work with either though it’s initial appeal is of course is as a fooler for magicians for whom the shuffle will be the throw off. My advice is to give the person the deck to shuffle first to see how they do and decide if to go on with the trick from there. I’ve also noticed that magicians who don’t shuffle ‘right’ still often manage to get the card into position correctly, for some weird reason.

Philippe - sometimes it’s the hunt for the treasure that makes the treasure of value. But yes, the biggest problem in magic today is we have turned it into a commodity that trades in information sold to anyone with a credit card. Though that’s hardly the case here since 1) the information is in print in two places and 2) I’m pointing people to it (and I contend that my post will likely pique more interest than it just sitting there as it is).

Philippe Billot
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Philippe Billot » March 24th, 2023, 5:26 pm

If the "lovely ruse" is the one explained by JR, it remember me an application by Ed Marlo in his book The Unexpected Card Book entitled The Quick Cull Miracle.

Denis Behr
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Denis Behr » March 25th, 2023, 5:00 am

That shuffle force was vaguely credited in Marlo's Estimation as being in an old issue of the Linking Ring. I spent a few hours hunting it down some years ago (Vol. 26 No. 2, April 1946, page 56) and added it to the Archive listing of Estimation, and think that's the first time the name of its inventor surfaced again: John S. Frazee.

Philippe Billot
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Philippe Billot » March 25th, 2023, 5:11 am

Thanks, Mr. Behr. Another good reference!

Even in the Potter Index, they missed it.

BRAVO

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Q. Kumber
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Q. Kumber » March 25th, 2023, 12:50 pm

I was in Glasgow on Thursday sessioning with Gordon Bruce and Eddie McColl and tried it on them. I had been reading the Chipper Lowell Genii the day before. It didn't work on Gordon and would have worked on Eddie except he did a second shuffle before I could stop him ;)

Brad Henderson
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Re: Occult techniques

Postby Brad Henderson » March 25th, 2023, 2:21 pm

If they do two let them keep going for three. I’ve found that will often bring it back around again.

Also try saying - here. “Give them a little mix.” May be better than telling them to ‘shuffle’. It suggests less need for thoroughness and commitment


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