Resources : Fun :
Some Magic Tricks:
Voodoo Ash
Effect: A name is written on a piece of paper on a notepad by the spectator, the paper is torn off unseen by the magician, crumpled up and placed in an ashtray. It is then set alight.
The ashes are then rubbed on the magicians arm and the name of the person written on the paper mysteriously appears.
Preparation: You will need a small notepad, pen, ashtray, lighter and a small piece of soap or wax.
Method: The spectator is asked to write the name of a person or favourite anything of theirs on a notepad.
Then to tear of the sheet of notepaper, crumple it up and place it in the ashtray, where the magician then sets the paper alight.
The magician takes the notepad of the spectator and should be able to see the imprint of the name written on the paper above in the next sheet of the notepad.
Looking at the pad should not be made obvious and some misdirection carried out while he carefully takes the small piece of wax or soap and writes the name on the imprint on his arm or hand (this action should not be visible to anyone ).
The magician can then take some ash from the ashtray and rub it over the wax where it will stick and create an impression of the spectators word to their amazement.
This is a great trick but depends on the magician creating an atmosphere with an entertaining routine and patter about black magic to enhance the effect and create misdirection to allow him time to pull off the trick.
Card Through Window Trick
Effect : The performer asks the spectator to pick a card without him seeing the face and replace it in the pack.
The pack is then shuffled and the performer is apparently unsuccessful in locating the card.
After a few attempts, the cards are thrown against a window in a fit of rage. On looking at the window, the chosen card is seen to be sticking to it, even more surprising is the fact that the card is on the inside of the window.
Preparation : You will need two identical packs of cards and a willing helper.
Method: This trick should be performed in an area with a large window nearby and with the spectator facing away from the window.
The spectator is asked to choose a card from a pack, memorize it and without showing you, replace the card in the pack.
The pack is then shuffled and and a couple of attempts at "is this your card " tried followed by a look of disbelief when the spectator tells you that it is not their card (this is all part of the act as you don''t even need to know the card).
After a few attempts you fake an angry outburst and making sure the cards are squared up throw the pack broadside at the window, where they will hit the window and fall to the ground, except the chosen card which is sticking to the window.
Your helper was already positioned behind the window and spectator and had an identical pack of cards. He was able to see the chosen card and took the duplicate from his pack.
A small piece of looped sticky tape or magicians wax was attached to the duplicate card and it was stuck to the inside of the window.
The helper should then have walked away from the window.
This trick creates a real surprise but it is important to pick up the fallen cards quickly and to pocket the original chosen card.
Hindu Gypsy ThreadEffect: Performer takes a spool of thread, unravels about a foot of it, & then breaks it off, putting the spool down. Performer proceeds to break the thread into 6 or 7 clearly broken & different pieces, then holding one piece in one hand, the other pieces are rolled up into a ball and 'squashed' onto the piece from the other hand. When this is unravelled it is seen to be completely restored to it's original length. VERY visual, & very clean, pretty easy to do as well. Here's the routine.
Preparation: Only practice & you need a spool of cotton thread, preferably brightly coloured. It has to be cotton, otherwise you will need scissors to cut it. Or you could do a burned & restored thread.
Performance: First, before you approach the spectator, unravel about a foot and 1/2 to 2 foot of thread. Now make a tiny ball of thread out of the extra thread you have, so you should have a ball of thread, then a foot of thread (still on the spool). The ball is tiny enough to fit, unnoticed, into the fleshy part of your thumb & index finger when they are pressed together. Now there should be a couple of inches of thread, then a ball (hidden)(all in your right hand) then a foot of thread & then the spool (in your left hand). Now approach the spectator. Break your foot of thread from the spool, & give them the spool to hold.
It looks like you are holding a foot of thread, when really, thanks to the ball you are hiding between your index finger & thumb (right hand), you have more like a foot & 1/2. Break the 1st piece off, now the piece in your right hand looks like a 5 inch length. Thanks to the hidden ball it is a foot long (your restored thread). The pieces in your left hand can be broken as many times as you like, clearly show the thread to be broken. Now, by rubbing your (LH) thumb & index finger together, make a ball of the pieces of thread and 'squash' the 5 inch thread from your RH onto the ball, at the same time, tucking the ball so it's hidden between your index & thumb (LH). Now the ball you have been hiding the whole trick is visible, it looks like the ball you just made out of the broken thread. It can be unravelled & is restored. Give it to the spectator as a souvenir.
As far as patter goes you can pretty much say whatever you want, I'm sure you will anyway.
