LESSON 13

REVIEW

Lessons 1 to 12

I know that you have been eager to make rapid progress toward your goal of becoming a Master Magician. There is just one thing I fear that will hinder your advancement -- and that is, neglecting to review carefully your previous work in your zeal to learn more of the secrets of Magic in each new lesson. I like enthusiasm and the ambition to forge ahead in my students, but with this enthusiasm there must be faithful study and practice, very careful attention to detail, and constant review of the principles learned in previous lessons.

Remember that my chief purpose in this course is to teach Magic to you scientifically -- to teach you its fundamental principles. Do not, then, make your chief purpose in learning the course be the learning of the effects. If you do this, you lose the great value of the course. You will never become a Master if you overlook the principles. I cannot overemphasize the tremendous importance of constant practice of principles to give you greater and greater skill in performing the essential moves of the great mystic Art.

Just remember: "It is not the trick that counts most, but the way you do it."

I want you to stop at this point for a thorough review of the twelve preceding lessons. And after this, with each day's study on a new lesson, spend an equal amount of time in review. You cannot accomplish your review all in one day, but arrange to cover a certain amount each day. I shall outline your review for you here. Keep this as a guide to which you can refer in your study.

Take all your lessons before you. Turn back to lesson 4. There I summarized the principles of Lessons 1, 2, and 3. Read over the page and with it as a guide, review the first three lessons.

I have no doubt but that you are by now fully imbued with the Scientific Spirit of my system of teaching Magic. In spite of this, I want you to read again, and to read every few weeks, my section in Lesson 1, on Magic as a Science. I consider it vital that you keep the great idea contained therein constantly in your mind.

Then review my discussions of the fundamentals in the first three lessons. You will be gratified to note how infinitely greater, now that you have actually performed as a Magician, is your understanding of the Psychology of Magic. Read again the sections on:

• The Power of Suggestion.

• The Credulity of People.

• The Art of Misdirection.

Do this to confirm for yourself your belief in the great power over other people which you have as a Magician. Apply this psychology to the effects which you have learned. Pick out a certain experiment and study it out carefully, noting where you use the Power of Suggestion on yourself and on your audience, where you play on the Credulity of your audience, etc. Analyze your effects every so often from these psychological angles and your mastery of them will increase immeasurably.

Now go over carefully again the fundamentals and principles of:

• Naturalness of Hands.

• Angle of Visibility.

• Finger Palming.

• Thumb Tip Manipulation.

Continue with Lessons 4 and 5, in which you learn the principles employed in Paper-Tearing Effects. In these lessons you get:

• Palming of an object.

• Thumb Tip Concealing in Box of Matches.

• Your First Construction Work in Making your own Paraphernalia.

• How to Accent a Point in Magic.

• Some Sleight of Hand.

• Discussion of How Magic Develops your Personality.

Lesson 6 teaches you Cut Cord Effects. Read over again the section on:

• Magic a Great Aid in Business.

• Here you also get your Introduction to Comedy Magic.

• Lesson 7 gives you Rope and Tape Effects with the great Fake Joining Principle.

• Study your Patter carefully in all your Effects.

Lesson 8 is a Mathematical Lesson. Read section on:

• Magic is Educational.

• Study the Mathematical Principles.

• How to Force a Sum.

• Some of the Psychology of Numbers.

Lesson 9 is your introductory lesson in Card Principles and Mechanical Arrangements for Card Effects. The principles require constant practice for perfection.

• The Simple Pass.

• The False Shuffle.

• Double Card Lift.

• Slip Change.

• Palming of a Card.

• Mechanical Arrangements:

• Closed Card Case Production.

• Slit Corner Envelope.

• Doubling First Card in Fan.

Lesson 10 is an extremely important lesson. Read it often to keep fresh in your mind the essential details contained therein:

• Confidence and Enthusiasm. • Good Will and Pleasantness.

• Dignity.

• Personality.

• Individuality.

• Showmanship.

• How to Present a Program.

• Arrangement of Paraphernalia.

• Arrangement of Audience.

• How to Get Volunteers to Stage.

• How to Deal with the Wiseacres.

Lesson 11 gives you Rubber Band Effects and Thumb Ties.

• Ring Passing Thru Rubber Bands.

• The Jumping Rubber Bands.

• Rubber Band Thumb Release.

• Thumb Tie — Wire and Cord Release.

Lesson 12 continues your instruction in wonderful Card Magic Principles:

• Card Transfer.

• False Count.

• Misdirection Palming.

• Pocket Concealment.

• Self-Contained Card Vanish.

• Back to Front Hand Card Vanish.

• Pivot Card Vanish.

• Mechanical Arrangements:

• Sleeve Pocket.

• Shoulder Concealment.

LESSON 13

In this lesson you learn some interesting stabbed card effects. I also teach you here the REGULAR PASS.

In Card Magic one of the most essential principles to know is how to get a card that is placed in the middle of the deck to the top or bottom where it can be kept track of.

Magicians for a long time have depended on what is known as THE PASS. It has answered the purpose to

a certain extent, but it is not a perfect principle. It must be performed in a perfect manner to be undetectable to watchful eyes. There is usually a flash of the cards which might lead a spectator to suspect something.

THE SIMPLIFIED PASS, which I taught you in Lesson 9, is best for the student as well as the skilled performer. There is almost no danger of detection and this Simplified Pass should be used in preference to the Regular Pass as a rule.

As a Magician, however, you should know the Regular Pass and be proficient in using it. There are times when its use is required and it is effective with proper Misdirection.

1. THE REGULAR PASS:

Fan a deck of cards and have spectator select card. Close deck and divide it into two parts, holding upper section A in right hand and lower section B in left hand. Faces of cards are down. Figure 1.

Have selected card returned to deck and placed on section B. Place section A on B, and in doing so, insert little finger of left hand between the two sections. Figure 2.

To the audience it looks as though the two packets have been brought together and the selected card lost in the middle. Keep front edges of cards well together so that audience cannot see that the two packets are separated.

Place first and second fingers of right hand (first joints) on front edge of lower packet B and right thumb on rear edge of B. Be careful not to exert any pressure on top packet A. Figure 3.

First, second, and third fingers of left hand are curved down over top of packet A.

Push up packet A with left little finger. The packet is securely held by little finger on left side and first, second, and third fingers on right side. Figure 4.

Raise packet B with right hand. Figure 5.

Curve fingers of left hand back toward palm, pushing packet A back down under B. Figure 6. Get packet A down in position which B was in at first. Figure 7.

Drop packet B on top of packet A. Figure 8.

The selected card is now on top of the deck.

Study the diagrams, Figures 9 to 14. These show the movements in the PASS. Packets A and B are marked. The line above Packet B designates the selected card.

THE PASS must be performed in a flash. It must be done, not as a series of movements, but as one quick move. You must practice it until its performance becomes automatic with you and you can do it almost without thinking.

Never look at the pack while you are doing the PASS.

Do not squint your eyes or make grimaces while doing it.

Some magicians close their eyes or do something peculiar while doing some important move like the PASS. You must watch yourself so that you do not give yourself away at a crucial moment by some grimace.

The best angle for doing the PASS seems to be the position in which the performer's right side is turned a little toward audience. Back of right hand and backs of cards are toward audience. Stand in front of your mirror and watch your reflection in the mirror in studying the Angles of Visibility in doing the PASS.

After spectator returns selected card to deck, wait a few moments before doing the PASS. Do not hurry to do it immediately. Wait until the audience is off their guard.

Remember NATURALNESS in performing the PASS. It must not appear that you are doing anything unusual or that you are performing any quick movements. Naturalness, you know, is the secret of good Magic.

When doing the SIMPLIFIED PASS you can go right ahead with it even when the audience is watching closely for there is no danger of detection. And this form of PASS requires no Misdirection.

HOW TO GET A CARD PLACED IN MIDDLE OF DECK TO BOTTOM OF DECK:

This is accomplished by the same method that is used in getting a card to top of deck except for position of little finger of left hand. The little finger, in this case, is placed under the card instead of on top of it, when card is replaced on packet. When packet A is placed on packet B, the selected card becomes the bottom card of A with little finger under it.

When the PASS is performed, packet B becomes the top packet, and packet A with the selected card at the bottom becomes the bottom packet. The selected card is then on the bottom of the deck.

When accomplishing this with the SIMPLIFIED PASS, you must perform it in this way:

Be sure to have backs of cards toward audience instead of the faces. In shuffling the overhand way in the Simplified Pass to get a card to bottom of deck, a different move is required.

Raise top packet A and place on other side of packet B. With left thumb slip off the selected card as you raise packet A again and shuffle towards front of deck, being careful not to disturb bottom card. In this case you shuffle away from audience, whereas when selected card is on top, you shuffle toward audience with faces of cards toward them; and you turn right side a little toward audience, whereas in the other way of working, you turn left side toward audience.

When doing the Riffle Shuffle, selected card at bottom of right-hand packet A is merely allowed to fall first to keep it at the bottom.

The card effects in this lesson are impromptu and can be performed at a moment's notice anywhere. They are suitable for parlor, club, or stage work.

2. THE CARD STAB

EFFECT:

A deck of cards is divided into two halves. From each half a card is selected and remembered. Each spectator who selected a card returns it to the deck and performer shuffles each into its respective half. The two packets are placed together to make the whole deck again. Performer places the deck behind a piece of newspaper and crimps the paper around the cards. A spectator is given a knife and told to stab through the newspaper into the cards. After this has been done, paper is removed. Deck is then opened at place where knife pierced it, and the selected cards are found, one on each side of the knife.

This is an effective version of an old card classic. In the original version the magician guided the knife himself in locating the cards, but in this variation the spectator stabs the knife into the cards himself and yet the cards are located.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1--A deck of cards (preferably a new one).

2--A table or pocket knife, or dagger.

3--A half sheet of newspaper.

SECRET and PATTER: To Perform:

Divide deck of cards into two halves. Place one half on table. With other half in hands, walk up to spectator and ask him to select a card.

"Will you please, sir, select any card?" Fan cards and give spectator free selection.

"Take the card from the pack, remember it, and if you care to, show it to someone else. Then place it back into the pack."

Open cards into two sections and have spectator place card on top of lower packet B. Then place packet A on packet B, keeping packets separated by little finger of left hand.

Do the SIMPLIFIED PASS, which brings the selected card to the top by shuffling.

Under cover of right hand bend the cards backward. They should retain a slight curve when put down -- not enough to get the attention of the audience. Figure 15.

Lay the cards on table with narrow edge toward audience. Keep long curved side away from spectators so that it will not arouse suspicion. Figure. 16.

Pick up other half of deck.

"From this other half I should like to have another card selected." Walk over to another spectator, fan pack, and have him remove card.

"Thank you, just any card. Make mental note of it and place it back in the middle again. We will shuffle these cards well also."

When card is returned to second section of deck, as before place little finger of left hand over it. Do the SIMPLIFIED PASS in reverse form so that selected card is on the bottom of this section.

Under cover of right hand bend the cards forward, in the opposite direction to that in which you bent the other half of deck. Figure 17.

Hold cards in right hand, and with left hand pick up the half deck lying on table. Place both packets together, the section held in right hand on top. Figure 18.

Hold both packets in left hand, pressing them together tight with left thumb. If this is not done, the space between the two sections of the deck caused by the opposite curves will be apparent to audience. To the audience it appears that you put the two halves of deck together without in any way keeping track of the selected card. Figure 19.

In spite of the fact that the thumb holds the two sections together, when it is removed the packets spring back to the curves and leave a space between them.

Request a spectator to come forward to assist you. Have him stand at your left and a little in front of you.

"You will help me, I know. I need a good, strong, handsome man with magic power. I believe, sir, that you possess this rare power which I am seeking."

Pick up knife from table.

"This is not a common knife, I assure you. It has strange powers in the hands of some people. Just hold it, sir, in your right hand."

Give knife to gentleman assisting. "We shall need this piece of newspaper." Pick up paper from table with left hand.

"Not so much for the news, but for wrapping or dress purposes, or for hiding the cards -- sort of hide-andgo-seek -- so 'twere."

Hold cards in right hand. Place sheet of paper in front of right hand, first showing paper both sides to prove absence of concealed articles or any trickery. Figure 20.

Push paper down around cards enough to show audience that paper has been placed over cards. Take hold of deck with paper over it in left hand.

Shift position of right hand under cover of paper so that you can hold pack by top and bottom. Figure 21.

Still holding newspaper in left hand, draw deck back from paper a little so as to give you free play. The newspaper tends to flatten out where cards were.

Push down on cards with right thumb and up with fingers. This pressure causes cards to bridge apart with wide space between two sections. Figure 22.

Release pressure and cards come almost together again. This is done to be sure that all is working as it should for final climax. Place cards back against paper again and hold with left hand so that form of cards shows plainly.

To gentleman assisting:

"Yes, that is a magic knife -- a magic knife that has an X-Ray vision that penetrates any object. For instance, it looks right through this paper. Hold it up, sir, and point the blade this way. See, it looks right through this paper and, would you believe it, it has its eye on the two cards that were selected. Even though one card has been shuffled into one half of the deck and the other into the other half, yet it sees them. If you will wave the knife in a circle, it will cause the two cards to become so attracted to each other that they will come together. No matter where they are, they will fly into each other's arms. Are you ready? Wave!"

Gentleman waves knife in circle. Without disturbing position of left hand on cards, look behind newspaper for a moment at cards.

"Yes, sir. There they are together. You must admit that there is magic in that knife. Just think, one wave and the two cards actually come together. But that isn't all. I'll show you something even more wonderful."

This has a comedy touch as the audience has not seen the two cards together and does not believe they are just because you looked. To them it isn't a trick. And when you consider it as such and say you will do another, they smile and wonder whether the next will be as ridiculous.

To assistant:

"Step up a little closer and place the point of the knife against the cards, or rather against the paper covering the cards."

Assistant places point of knife against paper. Figure 23.

"Fine. Now, draw the knife back a foot or so, and then thrust it through the paper and into the cards." Gentleman draws knife back.

"Right through -- any place."

Spectator runs knife into pack until it sticks out at other end of cards. While he is doing this, you press on cards as explained before so that knife will go into space prepared for it. Figure 24.

"Hold on to knife tight, and do not let go while I tear off the paper."

Remove paper. Keep cards held tight together. Hold deck so that audience can see the knife inserted in the deck. Figure 25.

"I told you that the knife caused the two cards to come together. Now, I am going to show you that the X-Ray powers caused this knife to look right through the paper and find the two cards together -- in fact, to come between them."

Hold lower packet of cards beneath knife blade with left hand and upper packet with right hand. Turn cards so that backs are upward.

Raise upper packet and show the bottom card. Figure. 26, next page. "The ACE OF HEARTS. Was that your card? Correct."

We are merely assuming here that the Ace of Hearts was one of the selected cards. Whatever the card is, call it out distinctly and with emphasis. This is a CLIMAX and you must drive home to your audience your remarkable POWER.

Remove lower section from under knife. Hold it up in left hand with faces of cards toward audience. With left thumb push off top card far enough so that audience can see it plainly. Figure 27.

"And on the other side of the knife -- the TEN OF CLUBS, the other selected card. Right!"

3. THE X-RAY KNIFE

This is another knife card stab which is very interesting.

EFFECT:

Performer requests that a spectator select a card from deck and remember it. Spectator then replaces card in deck and it is shuffled thoroughly into the deck. The cards are then wrapped securely in a piece of paper. A spectator is given a knife and told to thrust it through the paper and into the cards. Magician then removes paper and shows that knife has located the selected card.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1--Deck of Cards.

2--Piece of newspaper about 8 1/2 inches square or some colored opaque soft paper that can be easily torn.

3--A table knife, pocket knife, or dagger.

SECRET AND PATTER:

To Perform:

Fan deck out.

"Please select a card. Any one of the fifty-two." Spectator takes a card.

"Look at it, remember it well, and then replace it in the deck."

Cut deck at about the middle. Have card placed on lower half with little finger of left hand under it. Place upper half of deck on lower half. You now have the selected card as the bottom card of top section with little finger under it, separating top from bottom sections.

Do the SIMPLIFIED PASS, getting selected card to bottom of pack. Be sure to keep faces of cards away from audience.

"A little shuffling now and then is relished by the best of men."

Hold deck with right hand and pick up paper from table with left hand. Figure 28.

"A part of the daily paper, you see -- both sides."

Place cards against paper, backs toward audience. Hold them in place with left thumb. Figure 29. With right hand wrap deck in the paper. First fold up the bottom of paper. Figure 30 Then fold down top edge of paper over cards. Figure 31.

And finally, fold both sides of paper over to middle. Figure 32.

"Under cover of the daily news I wrap the cards securely therein. Now, I need a gentleman to hold this package for a while. Thank you, you'll be just the man."

Ask spectator to come up from audience to help you. Have him stand at your left. Pick up knife from table.

"You have heard, no doubt, of X-Ray vision. That is seeing through a brick wall or seeing things that nature did not intend you to see. This knife is no common knife — it is a miniature X-Ray. The point of this knife can look into the middle of next week -- through the side of a house — or a Scotchman's pocketbook. (To gentleman assisting) I'll take the package of cards and I'll let you hold this X-Ray knife." Give spectator knife and take the cards.

"Have you ever done X-Ray work, sir? A gentleman over there thinks I said extra work. No, I said X-Ray work. Hold the knife in your right hand and point the end of the blade toward the package."

Hold package of cards up with right hand, long edge of cards toward spectator.

"Bring the point of the knife up to about an inch from the cards." Assistant brings knife up toward cards. Figure 33.

"Somewhere mixed up with the other cards is the one which the gentleman over there selected. Can you see it, sir?

Perhaps not, as it is too well wrapped in paper. But the end of the knife sees it -- it looks right through the paper. Push the knife blade through the paper and into the deck."

Assistant pushes knife blade into deck.

"Hold the knife tight."

As soon as the knife has been run into deck, move it up and down to cut a slit in paper running to within about a half-inch from each end of the cards. With knife blade again in the middle, push left thumb into space above where knife separates the cards and right thumb into space just below knife. Figure 34.

Pull two halves of cards apart a little. BE SURE THAT AUDIENCE CAN READILY SEE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR THUMBS IN THE PLACE WHERE KNIFE IS.

Now turn slightly toward left, your right side toward audience. As you do so, pull deck downward away from knife and tear halves of deck apart with a sudden, quick movement. Figure 35.

Tear package completely apart, and as you do so, turn the left hand packet, which is facing away from audience, with face of bottom card toward audience. This must be done very quickly. This shows the selected card to audience. It appears that this card was found by the knife, whereas in reality this card has been on the bottom of the deck all the time. Figure 36.

"The eight of diamonds? Was that your card? Correct."

Make this statement positive and distinct, naming whatever card was the selected one. This is a CLIMAX and should be EMPHASIZED.

The whole movement with the left hand in turning the left half of deck should be very snappy. The audience thinks that the knife was actually inserted at the place where the selected card was. They do not suspect that you turned the cards to face the audience as your left hand swept upward. The cards held in right hand are faced away from audience and are screened by paper and hand so that spectators do not know which way the cards face.

While you are tearing the deck apart, the flat side of cards should be toward audience and not the edges. "A remarkable knife that -- it never fails to find what it is looking for." Take knife from spectator and place it on table.

4. THE MAGNETIC KNIFE

This is another knife location. In this case, the deck is not wrapped in paper.

EFFECT:

A card is freely selected by a spectator. It is then returned to pack and shuffled into it. Spectator is asked to run a knife blade anywhere into the deck. Performer separates cards and shows that selected card is at place where knife was placed.

PARAPHERNALIA:

1--A deck of cards.

2--A pocket knife.

SECRET AND PATTER:

Have spectator select a card from deck and remember it, then return it to the pack.

Perform the SIMPLIFIED PASS to bring the selected card to the TOP of the deck.

Do the DOUBLE CARD LIFT, showing the two top cards as one to the spectator who selected a card.

"Did this happen to be your card? No? (Replace top cards on deck. Show bottom card.) Nor the bottom card? Then your card is lost somewhere in the shuffle." Pick up knife from table.

"This is a magnetic knife from the land of 'Floor-no-Hoofa' where magnets grow, -- so called because the people have so much personal magnetism that they walk on the ceiling most of the time. They are a race of stickers."

Request someone from audience to come up to assist you.

"May I make you chief custodian of the Magnetic Knife? You have never been in Floor-no-Hoofa, have you? Will you, as chief custodian and royal executioner, be kind enough to place the blade anywhere in this deck of cards? Just any place you choose, because the knife will go anywhere it chooses anyway. (To gentleman who selected card) And you, sir — will you think hard of your card?"

Assistant is at your left. Hold cards backs up and have knife inserted anywhere in pack. Figure 37.

"Betwixt the magnetism of the knife and the concentration of the gentleman thinking of his card, it happens, naturally, that the knife falls in love with the card and goes to find its loved one."

Hold deck securely with left hand and place right hand over section of deck above knife. Here you perform THE SLIP CHANGE (see Lesson 9):

Raise upper portion of deck with right hand, swinging deck away from knife blade. Be sure to have left fingers tightly pressed against right-hand edge of cards. Figure 38.

Swing arms to right about twelve inches, away from knife blade. Under cover of this movement slip upper portion of deck except top card about three inches above lower portion. Figure 39.

Selected Card automatically falls on top of lower section. Immediately swing left hand to the left. To the audience it appears that you have just swung the cards away from the knife, separated the two sections divided by the knife, and swung one section to each side. Figure 40.

With left thumb slowly slip off top card of left packet, and as you do so, turn cards with faces toward audience so that audience can easily see selected card. Figure 41.

"The Queen of Hearts. Was that the card? RIGHT!"

You will find your next lesson very interesting as it deals with Card Magic in combination with the use of fruit. You will appreciate the clever principles you will learn:

1 -- An orange is passed around for examination and given to a spectator to hold. A card is freely selected from a deck by another spectator, who tears the card into a number of pieces and retains one corner. The torn pieces suddenly vanish. The orange is cut open, and the selected card is found in it, fully restored except for the corner held by the spectator.

2 -- Performer has a banana examined and a card selected. He says that he will cause the card to vanish and appear in the banana while the banana is held by a spectator. The card vanishes but fails to appear in the banana just then. After special communication with "The Devil," however, it appears in a most mysterious manner. This effect has a good comedy finish.

3 -- A banana is examined and peeled. The audience states the number of pieces they want the banana to fall into. Suddenly it falls apart into the selected number of pieces.

TARBELL SYSTEM, INCORPORATED, Chicago.