Magic

My favorite magic trick is the French Kiss card trick because it really connects with spectators by being performed on their mouth. It's best suited for smaller audiences. What about yours?

Hey everyone. I've recently read that magicians don't have a good opinion of "magician" Antonio Díaz (aka Mago Pop). I haven't seen his show, but they say it's really good. Does he really use stooges and claim other magicians' effects as his own? If he uses stooges, he's only fooling himself and devaluing the art of magic. If he claims other magicians' effects as his own, he might fool lay audiences. We can perform tricks we learn from courses, books, etc... What's the limit? Only what's published? Should we say, 'This trick is by [magician's name]'? Best,

I saw a magic trick where the spectator named a number, the magician took out their phone, and the time dropped by that many minutes. For example, if it was 9:30 and the spectator said 5, the time would decrease until it showed 9:25. Then, the spectator would take out their own phone, and it would actually be 9:25. Does anyone know the name of the app for this?

Many years ago, I became fascinated with Taoism. I don't quite remember how I stumbled upon it. I was deeply immersed in meditation (reading books by Bokar Rimpoché) and Chinese martial arts. I think one day I found a small book in a bookstore, The Tao of Lao Tzu (translated by Thomas Cleary , which for me is the best version). I devoured it. Some of its chapters are simply wonderful. Nothing ness as creator, non-form as its basis, the non-action as the engine of action. Like the non-form of the Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee . I am in motion yet not moving at all. I am like the moon above the waves, always rolling and swaying. It's not about "I am doing this," but rather an inner understanding that "this is happening through me" or "this is doing itself for me." Self-awareness is the greatest obstacle to the correct execution of any physical action. Tao of Jeet Kune Do - Bruce Lee Interestingly, there was a magician in Spain, Gabriel Moreno who was captivated by these same philosophies in his magical work. He took the ideas from "Zen in the Art of Archery" and applied them to magic. His ideas of letting the elements, the cards themselves, do the action , so we don't have to, are brilliant. Gabriel Moreno thus developed a whole theory on the practice of magic and non-action, in order to convey that absence of action to the spectator . I recommend reading the wonderful article about Gabriel published by Miguel Muñoz in Maese Coral 2 . More recently, Giancarlo Scalia set out to study magical techniques, or rather the needs of magical effects, from the perspective of non-doing , or almost non-doing, in his work on the Bluff " Much More Than Nothing" . In it, he exports the philosophy of the bluff pass (or non-pass) to many more techniques and concepts. For example, understanding the tensions and forms of normal actions, to mask non-actions , like shuffling without shuffling. In this case, it responds to a pragmatic philosophy, from necessity to action, bottom-up, rather than a top-down paradigm imposing action. And that allows us to understand a bit more the power of non-doing itself. In a way, it's the closest thing to the philosophy of magic itself. It should appear that we're doing nothing, "the best technique is the one that doesn't exist," as Ascanio used to say. The less it exists, the better. In fact, this idea was what drove Gabriel Moreno in his magic, and it resonated especially well with the Zen he discovered later. Another approach, as I've mentioned, is Giancarlo's, who masks his non-actions with "virtual" actions. Simulating an action, like in a false shuffle, where we pretend to perform a real shuffle while moving cards up and down, controlling them, but reaching the extreme of not acting at all , not moving a single card, even though it appears we are. Brilliant. Here, Gabi also comes in. I believe one of his greatest contributions—and I've always said Gabi is much more than fictional magic—is the distillation of magic effects. His ability to perceive the needs of effects and strip away everything unnecessary. Gabi quoted Saint-Exupery : "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." What a profound statement; it's crucial to keep it in mind when performing magic. Magicians have a natural tendency to create more and more techniques. As Gabi himself said, the internal life—the technique—is overdeveloped compared to the external life in magic. I believe this tendency arises because often the audience we perform for most often are other magicians . And wanting to fool other magicians, we rush to find new methods. As Darwin Ortiz says in "Strong Magic" , if a magician doesn't catch 10% of an effect, they applaud us for having fooled them. We strive to achieve that 10% for magicians, neglecting the other 90%, and it turns out that—again, as Ortiz says—if a layperson catches 10% of an effect, they already believe they've caught us, and the magic is lost. Another reason is the misunderstood way of adapting an effect to our personality. Sometimes it will be necessary to change a technique because it's more favorable to us, or to adapt it to our vision of the external life, but not always. It's not bad to have our own style; in fact, it's good, but we don't have to obsess over it . Sometimes we can adapt only the external life to make it our own. We also have the feeling of being a better magician if we use more techniques, always trying to put a new spin on things. I believe that's inevitable, and it's a path almost all of us take, but it's part of a "magical adolescence" that should eventually pass. It's true that the more technical baggage we have, the more effects we can perform, the more routines we can build, and the better the technique, the less it will be noticed. But we'll feel the need to cram those techniques into effects even when they're not needed, creating a baroque internal life and also a lack of clarity in the external life. On the other hand, the magicians I've mentioned who seek simplicity are in fact very technical people—Gabriel Moreno, with his legendary abilities, would be the pinnacle of technical skill—but as Ascanio used to say, "to conquer the princess of simplicity, one must first defeat the dragon of difficulty." Once we've reached a certain level of magical maturity, we can look back and remove everything superfluous, introducing only the necessary technique and what best resonates with the effect. Ascanio also used to say that technique is only 10% of an effect, but it's an essential 10%. Like salt in a stew, it's small in comparison to the other ingredients, but it's a vital component. The criticism of over-technique is based more on its abuse, on the saturation of moves, on not understanding magic as an effect/phenomenon seen by a spectator, but rather as a display or self-gratification stemming from the internal life. There are some effects, like Bannon's Spin Doctor , where suddenly an extra card appears—which, to make matters worse, reveals the method—just to keep adding effects in a "more is better" mindset, which, in my view, destroys the fiction, the illusion, and the experience, all for a magician's desire to inflate their own ego. It's an effect with four Aces, but then you reveal you have an extra card, then they're colored backs...As Vernon, said, confusion isn't magic, and some believe that confusing with a thousand effects is magic. Another reason I believe we add too many techniques is guilt, we reiterate, over-shuffle, over-display (Ascanio's Spreads, Elmsley Counts,...), when it's not needed. In an effect a friend taught me, there was a display with an Ascanio's Spread, and it didn't convince me; it didn't feel organic from the perspective of the external life. I removed it, and no one noticed, nor did the magicians who saw it question me—"a display here to corroborate... Nothing." If there are 10 black cards and I've shown them, why do I need to show them again if nothing in the external life has suggested they've stopped being black? The purest magic, and here Ascanio comes in again, is the contrast between a clear initial situation and a clear final situation and the less that happens in between, the better (or the less it *seems* to happen, thanks to actions in transit). Gabi's 'Incauto' effect, for me, is a paradigm of the search for simplicity (among many others, like the palindrome deck or the attention test). He takes an effect with a multitude of duplicates, counts, palms, etc., and reduces it to its minimal expression. A multiple turnover, an Ascanio's Spread (which I actually remove too), and a simple lap. And it remains the same effect, but much cleaner, simpler, and all-terrain (borrowed deck, incomplete, impromptu). As Joaquín Matas says at the end of A Fuego Lento Vol. 2, we need to learn to differentiate between classics and "magician-pleasers." They're not the same, and that happens because we don't listen to the audience. There are effects that blow us away as magicians because the technique or method surprises us, and we think it's going to be a bombshell, but it turns out the audience is much colder to it than to the incredibly simple and brilliant "Double Prediction" (the first effect in Fundamental Card Magic ). As Juan Tamariz comments in The Magic Rainbow , classics are, putting aside the allegories to primal desires, effects that are conceptually simple from the spectator's point of view. The broken and restored thread, the Linking Rings, The Miser's Dream,... Not changes, transformations, transpositions, productions without rhyme or reason. We need to listen to the audience, simplify. What's important, as Wonder put it in other words ( The Books of Wonder Vol. 1) is the external life. Visualize the effect exactly as it would be if you had genuine magical powers, and try not to stray from that vision. The further we stray, the worse the effect will be. Similarly, if it's an effect we already know, we should seek its essence and distill it until nothing is superfluous and nothing is lacking, as Saint-Exupery said. It should have the least possible noise, the greatest clarity, and the greatest economy. Although these are sometimes antagonistic concepts, I believe there's a point where both can be enhanced equally . We need to reach the point where improving one compromises the other. If both can be improved, it's our duty to do so, because otherwise, it's not a good effect. Bibliography Meditation: Advice for Beginners. Bokar Rimpoche. Dharma Publishing The Magic of Ascanio Vol I. Jesús Echeverri. Páginas Publishing The Books of Wonder. Tommy Wonder & Stephen Minch. Páginas Publishing. Maese Coral Vol. 2. Strong Magic. Darwin Ortiz. Páginas Publishing. A Fuego Lento. Vol 2. Joaquín Matas. Mystica Publishing The Magic Rainbow. Juan Tamariz. Frakson Publishing. Tao Te Ching. Trans. Thomas Cleary. Edaf Publishing The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Bruce Lee. Eyras Publishing

Hey everyone, lately I've been learning quite a few tricks from these two courses. Thanks to them, I put together a routine with some that, in my opinion, flow pretty well. But of course, there are more and more tricks, and I'm trying to figure out how to keep track of them. So here's the question! What systems do you all use to organize your tricks so none of them get forgotten? Thanks!!

Hey everyone! I just got my 'Te Falta Calle' kit. Does anyone know what to do with the marker? I can't find any tutorials or anything for it. I thought, 'Okay, at least I can use it to sign cards,' but it's totally dry and won't write... If anyone can help me out, I'm really not sure what to do with the kit, I can't access any product tutorials, and I don't know how to use anything. Thanks so much for any help! Help!

Do you guys have any recommendations for magic apps for phones? I currently use one, but I'd love to start incorporating more, like calculator tricks, time changes, forces using phone notes, etc. I'd really appreciate any suggestions you have. 😄

In this first look at the structure of magic, I'll try to explain some concepts to get us all on the same page, a starting point from which to build a common language within the theoretical framework of magic, so we all speak the same language when we talk about this performing art. In Greek, the word 'theater' means "a place for contemplation." It's the branch of performing arts related to acting, which presents stories performed in front of an audience using a combination of speech, gestures, set design, music, sound, and spectacle. It's also the literary genre encompassing works conceived for a stage before an audience. The two Greek Muses, Thalia and Melpomene, daughters of Zeus, represent the world of dramaturgy with their joyful and tragic masks. 2500 years ago, buildings were constructed in classical Greece for public enjoyment, and Greek myths, tragedies, and performances are well-known to all. We could say that performance is as old as civilization itself, and from then until now, philosophers and thinkers have debated and redefined the conceptualization of this major art form. Let's fast forward a few centuries. In 1817, British poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge made a significant contribution to the conceptualization of the performing arts by coining the term “suspension of disbelief.” It’s an expression referring to the viewer’s/reader’s/player’s willingness to accept the premises on which a fiction is based as true, even if they are fantastical or impossible. Suspension of disbelief or “suspensión de la incredulidad" is such an important term that it continues to be used in other modern performing arts, like television and cinema. It refers to the audience's ability to immerse themselves in the fictional world presented to them and engage with it without interruption, without leaving the created scenario because they find something in it unbelievable. Thanks to the suspension of disbelief magicians can create an alternate reality where, for the duration of the magician's performance, and solely by their sheer will, the audience can believe a playing card can change color, a ring can invisibly travel inside a padlocked box, or a rabbit can appear from a top hat. But let's not kid ourselves; this doesn't just depend on the audience's capacity or ignorance. It depends on a skillful, creative magician and their arduous work of planning, practice, and creativity. Without straying from our objective, we face a dilemma when approaching magic; let's call it a “meta-magic” approach , beyond tricks, illusion, gimmicks, or suggesting emotions beyond mere astonishment. I consider it fundamental to understand the ground we're on to define our boundaries when constructing a magical experience. There will be time later to discuss who we want to perform magic for. Magic is a theatrical discipline . It's a performance offered to entertain an audience. Bernard Beckerman, director of the Performing Arts Program at Columbia University, proposed a classification of three basic types of spectacles: Glorification Spectacles: parades, festivals, etc. Skill Spectacles: circus, juggling, acrobatics, etc. Illusion Spectacles: theater and magic. Notice the last classification. Theater and magic are so intrinsically related that they are grouped together under the same type of spectacle. The immortal Robert-Houdin defined the magician as “an actor playing the part of a magician,” and a fundamental aspect of the magician's theatrical persona is that they possess magical powers. The audience may or may not believe in them, but visual, sometimes tactile, and even sensory evidence demonstrates that the impossible happens at the magician's command. Many magicians believe their job is to present flashy tricks in an entertaining way to fool the audience. I believe this attitude does more harm to magic than anything else . If someone is fooled by a magic effect, they feel they've been messed with, or even worse, that they've been taken for a fool. If they are astonished by a magic trick, they might feel cheated because they know there was a trick involved at some point and they didn't see it. Framing magic as a competition where the magician is the smartest person in the room is to completely sacrifice the magical experience, subverting the emotional appeal of the miraculous to the strictly intellectual appeal of the puzzle. It is, as we'll see from a neurological standpoint, exciting the wrong hemisphere of the brain . Not every audience member is willing to enjoy the experience; not everyone has an X-Files poster on their wall that says “I Want to Believe.” Just as there are people who don't like theater (or superhero movies, or romantic comedies) and prefer Iranian cinema in its original version or the * nouvelle vague* genre, where protagonists experience everyday things while feeling lost in a homogeneous world they don't understand, there are also spectators who don't like magic because they conceptualize it as a puzzle, a riddle, a deception, a challenge—all situations in which they lose. Don't bother with them (as Juan Belmonte said, "there have to be those who fall "), don't try to evangelize them into magic and illusion, and instead, focus on the spectators who *are* interested in magic. The best situation for your audience — those who will watch you with expectations but whom you haven't yet earned the right to call your own , is to find some kind of balance between magic's mythical appeal (right hemisphere) and its puzzle-like appeal (left hemisphere), just like a bow and arrow, and from this tension, create a unique magical experience. If, as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote half a millennium before the birth of Christ, “beauty and truth are found in the tension between opposites,” then perhaps this is where the magical experience is created: in the tension between heart and head, between emotion and intellect. The magician's job is to make the audience enjoy the impossible *because* it's impossible, not because they believe it's true. Magic is not deception; magic is the control of perception for entertainment purposes . Engrave it in stone, tattoo it, write it on a blackboard—do whatever it takes not to forget this premise, and don't question it; treat it as a dogma of faith. If you alter it, you'll be doing something else, but it won't be magic. It is fundamental that the audience isn't aware they are being deceived, as, paraphrasing the painter Picasso from Malaga, if all art is a lie that tells the truth, the art of magic must ensure that the audience achieves that suspension of disbelief, under the rules the magician imposes, for the duration of the show. The magical moment. American magician Simon Aronson noted: “there’s a great difference between not knowing how something is done and knowing that it *cannot* be done.” Only the latter of these situations satisfies the audience's appetite for wonder, their deep desire to believe in magic. It's to that point one must arrive to offer a unique magical experience: “I don’t know what he did, I don’t know how he did it, but it’s impossible.” Now, though.... Is that the only way? Absolutely not. Just because magic is a branch of theater doesn't mean it doesn't have its own language, its own rules which, by their very nature, can and, I emphatically state, must be broken . In fact, the greatest innovations in the last 100 years have emerged from breaking those rules tacitly imposed in the 19th century, inherited from Robert-Houdin or Hofzinser—authors whom I doubt intended to impose a doctrine. During this time, other disciplines have been incorporated, such as spiritualism (so reviled by Houdini, in the form of mentalism, séances, etc.); escapology, by Houdini himself; gambling demonstrations, Oriental magic ( supposedly Oriental, Okito and Fu Manchu were British-Dutch) or close-up magic (which emerged due to the proximity of cameras and the ability to view the effect from various angles). On the other hand, magic shows had to adapt to the speed demanded by the audience, who, with the rise of television, no longer tolerated hour-long theatrical performances, and magical gimmicks had to become smaller and more portable to save on transport costs. Regarding the structure of the magic show, amidst the artistic upheaval of the first third of the 20th century, German playwright Bertolt Brecht decided that the suspension of disbelief was useless if it didn't change society . He coined the term * Verfremdungseffekt* , translatable as “distancing effect,” to define his artistic intent. Brecht aimed for the audience to remain aware that they were watching a performance, and therefore, from time to time, his actors would address the audience directly to remind them that they were indeed actors. The goal was for the audience not to get carried away by their feelings, not to be emotionally moved by the story itself but by its meaning (anti-war sentiment, for example) to motivate their action. The use of the distancing effect in magic is a technique sometimes employed to place the audience where the magician wants them and even to enhance the subsequent effect. Who doesn't remember the renowned Anthony Blake reciting his mantra: “everything you’ve seen is a product of your imagination,” as a demonstration that he is beyond the audience's credulity, giving us a final jab. Putting aside Gabi Pareras' classifications (another great magician whom I doubt intended to indoctrinate, something his followers seem not to realize) regarding the magician's attitude toward effects (to be covered in other articles), the magician's persona can and should be unconventional in their performance. Let's remember that in magic, there is no fourth wall , that we perform for an audience who lives, feels, and is moved by our actions every step of the way. Any stylistic device is acceptable within a context that enhances the performance, making it different and unique, ensuring that the memory, the magical experience, the suspension of disbelief, or the very affirmation of the impossibility of what is happening, arises from motivations different from our own person, from feeding our own vanity. The right to wear the magician's cape does not come from knowledge, practice, or specialization, but from the ability to evoke emotion and be credible, leaving the spectator with no doubt that what they have witnessed is impossible, astonishing, and entertaining. That it is pure theater. Bibliography Biographia Literaria (1817), Samuel Taylor Coleridge Theatrical Presentation (1990), Bernard Beckerman Memoirs of Robert-Houdin, ambassador, author and conjurer (2023), Robert-Houdin, R. Shelton Mackenzie Shuffle-Bored (1980), Simon Aronson A Little Organum for the Theater (1948), Bertolt Brecht Mystery School (2003), Charles Reynolds

Does anyone know any tricks with ESP cards (or Zener cards)? Thanks!

On May 7th, right after school, I had to go perform a show for 140 kids! Naturally, I was a bit nervous when I got there, but I prepared myself both physically and mentally. (It's super important to prep yourself mentally and give yourself a positive pep talk, because that way you enjoy it more, which makes the audience enjoy it more too!) Once everyone arrived, I hit record on the camera, and here was my set list: Pre-show Wand Production D-Lites Handkerchief Production with a Change Bag Manipulation Ball Routine (productions, transpositions, vanishes) Snow Storm I only had 15 minutes, and the theme was the letter M. The show itself went really well, and I talked to them about how Magic, Mateini, and Goals all start with M, and how they should always chase their goals and dreams. They were already hyped up before the pre-show even started; I chatted with them a bit, and when the actual show began, it was one of the best feelings I've ever had performing magic because they were so cooperative, but only when I needed them to be; and especially because THEIR FACES OF AMAZEMENT AND THEIR COMMENTS WERE AWESOME! When they saw something amazing, everyone clapped and yelled WOW; or WHAT?! And at the end, they told me I was “THE BEST MAGICIAN IN THE WORLD”…😂 From that day on, I fell in love with kids' magic. Unfortunately, there was a technical glitch, and only the first 3 minutes were recorded, which only includes 1 minute of the pre-show. But I've included some photos from the show below 🎩. Thanks so much for reading, and may magic be with you! Magician Mateini.

Hey everyone, the other day I came across an effect where, after making a prediction, the spectator names a number. The magician then pulls up the notes app on their phone, and there's a numbered list. What's written at the chosen number matches the prediction. I'd love to know what the effect is called, and if anyone knows where I can buy it, or if it's a freebie.

Hey everyone! These days, a lot of folks are getting into putting on shows. And we all know what it takes to put on a good show, right? Good effects, skill, courage... And music. I've found some tracks that you might find interesting. Here's a list of some interesting music for magic: - - - - - Let's just say I'm not the best at picking music, but if any of you find these useful, I'd be absolutely thrilled. To each their own! Hope this helps, and may magic and luck be with you! P.S.: No need to worry about copyright... The music is royalty-free.

Good evening, everyone, I wanted to share with you all the deck stand I built recently. I made it by repurposing the top of an IKEA kids' table my son had outgrown, and tailored the dimensions to fit a specific spot on one of my shelves where I wanted to put it. If anyone's inspired to make one for themselves, just hit me up and I'll send you the plans—I'm not sure how to upload them here... Cheers.

Can anyone help me out with Beat the Devil? Thanks a lot! Here's the effect:

Hey everyone, I was wondering how this trick works, where a scrambled Rubik's Cube is put into a paper bag, and it comes out solved. Here's a link if you want to check it out: 🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️😀😀😀😀😀😀

How to Be More Creative in Your Magic Just like in many artistic disciplines, every magician eventually faces The Big Question. What's that Big Question? Well, it usually goes something like this: Do I keep performing other magicians' tricks, or do I start creating my own versions and adding my own ideas? Today, I want to share some insights from magician and visual artist Joaquín Durbán , drawn from his lecture “Creative Magic.” What's his take? Here's a breakdown of some of his key ideas. First off, creativity isn't something that just appears “out of thin air.” It usually sparks while we're working, studying, or actively engaged in something. As Einstein once said, " the creative process follows a very specific quantitative formula: it's 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.. ." So, how do ideas actually emerge? New ideas often hit like sudden flashes of insight, springing from a wide variety of places and experiences. What helps boost creativity? Living a calm, worry-free life... if that's not your reality, keep reading! 😄 The author shares 3 principles to supercharge your creativity. Accumulate positive influences. Act as if you were the most confident and self-assured person in the world. Unleash the adventurer within you to try new things. Silence your inner critic, and shut down those voices that tell you you can't do it. Cultivate a hungry curiosity and a thirst for “all” knowledge. Always remain a student. Have a clear direction and pursue it obsessively . What kind of magic do you want to create? Originality . Pay attention to what most magicians do, then try doing the exact opposite. You never know where that approach might lead you. Eliminate negative influences. Get rid of the mindset that everything's been invented and that you can't contribute anything new . That's simply not true. Understand that your fear of not measuring up is completely normal, and it's precisely what drives continuous improvement. Be wary of believing that you already know everything , because that's impossible. We're lifelong learners. Not sharing your ideas means missing out on the power of collective intelligence and ultimately stifling your own creativity. Being in a rush to get results often leads to settling for mediocrity. A relentless pursuit of success at all costs: the key is moderation. Seek out supporting factors. Start setting yourself magical challenges and puzzles and learn how to solve them. Seek collaboration , ask for help, consult experts, or start a new discussion in the Club . Work as part of a team : 'two heads are better than one.' Share, debate, and so on. Be consistent : don't get discouraged by small failures... success is built on failure after failure!! Clear criteria: know what you want and be critical of the quality of your work. Healthy ambition to evolve and grow. Watch all types of magic—the good, the bad, the mediocre... knowing how to identify what you *don't* like will help you define your unique style of magic and artistic vision. CREATIVE METHODS. Inductive : An idea strikes you, and you bring it to fruition. Deductive : Starting with an existing technique or trick, you develop a new idea. Tactile : Inspiration hits while you're working with your hands, practicing, or just playing around... new possibilities emerge. Imaginative : (Inductive) Solving a real-life problem sparks a magical idea. Imperative : The need to find a solution to a specific situation (creative tension). Linked : Brainstorming , where one idea leads to another. Comparative : An idea emerges by analogy with a possibility achieved through a different technique (e.g., drawing inspiration from other creative disciplines like photography). Reversal : Doing the opposite of what's typical, turning it on its head. Transformation : Replacing old, familiar elements with new ones. Variations and Enhancements : Continuously seeking improvement, varying what's given, taking it a step further. FINAL TIPS: If you get a new idea... WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE! Start developing that idea; don't let it just live in your imagination. Find ways to bring it down to Earth. Practice it. Take it into the real world, and you'll clearly see what needs improvement, adaptation, removal, or addition. Have you tried any of these creative methods? What challenges do you face with creativity? Do you have any new magic ideas brewing? 👇 👇 👇

Hey everyone! There's a free digital magic magazine called La Dama Inquieta that was published between 2001 and 2008. I thought the forum was closed, but it's still active (at least the last post on their FB was a year ago). It's true that it's pretty abandoned; I joined in 2014, and the last thing I read there was over two years ago. The good news is the magazine is still online and accessible to everyone. Here's the link so you can check it out:

Hey everyone! I'm posting this to see if anyone knows how to do the following, using the Glide technique. Imagine I have a packet of 8 cards arranged as follows: King of Spades, Ace of Spades, King of Hearts, Ace of Hearts, King of Clubs, Ace of Clubs, King of Diamonds, Ace of Diamonds. The bottom card, meaning, the one visible if I show the entire packet squared up, is the King of Spades. Now, I turn the packet over, showing the backs of the cards, and using the Glide, I push the King of Spades back and take the next card, the Ace of Spades, which I place on the table, making the spectator believe it's the King of Spades. So, what I have left in my hand, in order, is: King of Spades, King of Hearts, Ace of Hearts, King of Clubs... What I'm trying to achieve now is to show the packet again with the King of Hearts visible, to do the same move with the Ace of Hearts. But the King of Spades is right there at the front, and I don't know how to get it to the top or get rid of it unnoticed. I'm looking to do the same thing with the King and Ace of Clubs, but if I manage to place the Ace of Hearts on the table, making them believe it's the King of Hearts, I'd already have three Kings together. Does anyone know how to achieve this? I think it's the mechanism used for the "Find the Queen" effect. Thanks!

Hey fellow magicians! 🎩✨ I need your help this Christmas. I'm putting together two effects to surprise my 30 spectators, but I have some questions and I think you could help me improve them. Here's what I've got: Effect 1 : Before dinner, I'm going to hide a card under the tablecloth. During dessert, I'll ask a spectator to choose a card (forced, of course), look at it, and then I'll lose it in the deck. I'll fan the deck and show their card isn't there. Then I'll ask them to look under the tablecloth… and BAM, there's the card! 😮 But here's where I'm running into trouble: The tablecloth will be full of plates and hot food, and I'm worried the card might be discovered or get ruined. I'm also worried someone might catch on too early. Any tips to make this cleaner and more secure? Effect 2 : This one is a bit more ambitious. I'll tell them I'm going to put them into a dream by snapping my fingers. When I do, I'll tell them this is a dream and when they wake up, nothing will have happened. The idea goes like this: I'll have two glass jars, each divided by a mirror separator. In each jar, there will be two different amounts of ingredients (for example, lentils in one and chickpeas in the other). On one side, a small amount will be visible, and on the other, a large amount. I'll have a yogurt that looks freshly sealed, but it will be pre-gimmicked: I will have opened it beforehand and placed an internal separator with two compartments. On one side will be the mixed ingredients, and on the other, the yogurt will be intact. I'll show the jars and put the ingredients into a bag. When I take them out, I'll say they've “traveled” to the yogurt. I'll open the yogurt, and they'll see the ingredients, but not the yogurt. 😱 Finally, I'll seal everything with tape, put it back in the bag, and take it out again: the yogurt will be intact, and I'll be able to scoop some out to show. Questions: How can I easily make a mirror separator for the jars? How can I make the internal yogurt separator foolproof? If anyone has ideas to simplify or improve these effects without accomplices, I'd really appreciate it! 🙅‍♂️ Thanks in advance! Magic regards and Happy Holidays.