L. W. de Laurence

http://openlibrary.org/authors/OL2316634A/L._W._de_Laurence

Chandu's Psychoanalysis

Ad - The Linking Ring for May 1951

David Britland said you can find a "cheap" copy of this. A search on the Internet, at least, reveals that there are no copies available, and the ONLY copy available is at 33 EUROS (plus shipping).

The effect is described in Dariel's Fitzkee review-column in Genii for May 1951:

"George Armstrong of London, publisher of The Magic Wand, The Wizard, Pentagram, and numerous books, has issued a unique presentation giant on a mental act. It is in the form of a 12-page printed booklet
bound in boards. It is entitled CHANDU'S PSYCHOANALYSIS and was written by Mr. Armstrong to describe this young Hollander's original routine. The booklet contains the introductory lecture,, a description of the effect, detailed instructions on giving the "analysis," a list of the required materials and details of the
routine. In effect, roughly, a spectator freely selects certain picture cards mentally. The performer, taking down notes himself or using another spectator as a secretary, machine-guns questions at the first spectator in a pseudo association-of-ideas manner. By studying the notes of the spectator's responses, he apparently
"analyzes" what picture or pictures the specttor selected mentally. I think this idea is extremely clever.
I do not know the price but, quite probably, the item will be offered for sale by dealers in this country."

This is EXACTLY the same effect as Docc Hilford's Psychoddodle. Docc's effect is cheaper than the used copy, and probably, up to date in terms of modern audience.

Who was "Doc" Mahendra?

* Work in progress *

"One, this material has been used by magicians for centuries, and in fact shows up in as prestigious a tome as Greater Magic, in which Doc Mahendra's presentation for the coin routine involving three coins and three spectators offered by Baker and Record was given with four variations" - Perennial Mystics N. 16, p. 11

"Bill gave us a brief lesson on the history of the Presidents of Ring 18, noting that we have had 47 different Presidents since the Ring was formed in 1941. Doc Mahendra, our namesake, was president six times" - Linking Ring, Vol. 80 nro. 20, p. 121 (December 2000)

Pictures from the Past - Linking Ring, Oct. 2000

"Certainly most of you will recognize the white-haired gentleman in the pin stripe suit. But, what about the other two - man and wife, both superb mentalists, and he was an author, and Linking Ring columnist in the 1940s. He was president of the Playing Card Collectors Association and his own collection numbered more than 8,000 playing cards. He was an excellent cook and she was a fine dancer, performing as such in their act for many years. Older Chicago and Texas magicians have the best chance of knowing this couple. Answer on page 71" - Linking Ring, Oct. 2000 pag. 43

ANSWER TO PICTURES FROM THE PAST Harry Blackstone, Sr. is the man in the pin stripe suit, of course. The couple is Ann and M.S. "Doc" Mahendra (a.k.a. Frank Sterling). Frank authored Modern Card Miracles (with Hugh R. Johnston, vaudeville card man; Amazing Card Miracles, He Can't Read My Mind, Mahendra's Mind Reading Dope, and Crystal Gazing Act. A member of the I.B.M. Executive Committee in the 1940's, he appeared on the cover of the October, 1940 issue of our journal. While his early days were spent in Chicago, and a goodly portion of his life was spent on the road, "Doc" and Ann ended up in Texas,

where they were very much a part of the magic scene as, indeed, they had always been." - Linking Ring, October 2000, pg. 71

Feng Shui

Feng shui Luopan compass (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It has ocurred to us that the wisdom known as "Feng Shui" could be used and applied to magic. How to arrange your stage or your "close up pad" to generate relaxation, etc.?
We don't know enough of thi field to talk about. Maybe the readers could provide us more information?

http://www.about-fengshui.net/

The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience

This seems to be a must-have for magicians. There is a chapter on Uri Geller also!

The 7 "Forbidden Arts"

English: From Mal Corvus Witchcraft & Folklore artefact private collection owned by Malcolm Lidbury (aka Pink Pasty) Witchcraft Tools http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39NzdEVyfY8 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Geomancy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomancy

1. necromancy, 
2. hydromancy, 
3. aeromancy, 
4. pyromancy, 
5. chiromancy (palmistry), 
6. spatulamancy (scapulimancy)

Related articles

• 17th century palm-reading chart

Secret of Paul Harris Creativity

On creativity (Photo credit: Bohman)

For some readers this will sound like an obvious and absurd thing to say, but for some it will be a complete revelation. The secret of creativity is many times (and specially, when presented with a revolutionary creative person or with a very high output of creative stuff) a completely different world view, or better said, a completely different perception of reality. It is not simply the act of sitting and thinking, it's the act of perceiveing a completely different world.

That Paul Harris perceives reality in a very different way is an understatement.

There are some clues in Paul's books as to what are his sources of inspiration. We could find at least 4, and here they are:

• Zen stuff
• Ripley's Belive it or Not
• Escher's drawings
• Cliff Pickover. There used to be a link to his site in the Paul Harris Presents page, but now it seems that is was removed.

The Tamariz FISM Act

* This is a work in progress! *

Production of 3 jokers

Production of 3 coins under the jokers

Backyard Magic - Todd Karr

This is one of the best "bizarre magic" books out there. Is very small (32 pages) and looks like a magazine. The illussions are simply beautiful. Catch sunlight and turn it into sunflowers. Catch the shadow of your hand. Take a reflection of the moon on a mirror. And much more. Highly recommended! By Todd Karr.

The SMS Card Trick

Spectator thinks a card. Hands his cell phone to the magician.

The Magician concentrates on the phone. Suddenly an sms message rings. It's an anonymous message with the content "Your card is the..." with the name of the card.

EB W.

E. B. WARMAN'S WORKS.
Practical
Orthoepy
and
Critique
.
Cloth, #2.00
" "
Half Mor.
2.50
" " "
Full Mor.
3.00
Warman on the Voice 2.00
How to
Read, Recite,
and
Impersonate
. i.oo
Physical Training
i.oo
Worcester and Webster School Charts . 8.00
Warman's Series Worcester's School Dic-tionary
Half Mor. i.oo
Gestures and Attitudes
(Delsarte
Phi-losophy) 3.00
IN PRESS.
Critical
Analysis
of Poe's
"
Raven."
What to
Read, Recite,
and
Impersonate.

The Sharpie of Magic

Card to Hat - from ECT and a psychological memory ploy

The Pendulum and the Card

Pendulums are in vogue today.

Learning from the masters: make yourself an expert in some area

from Jimmy Grippo.

Grippo claimed was an expert in astrology, palm reading, hypnosis, and other branches.

The Golden Bough - recommended by Sam Sharpe

An anthropology book recommended by Sharpe. Read under your own risk and responsability!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Bough there are download links on the bottom.

Magician's Code of Morality

Magicians have a moral code that states that the more important you are in the world of magic, the less morality you should have.

Here are a few of the crimes perpetuated by famous magicians, without names of course:

• plagiating acts of other magicians;
• publishing other people material without permision;
• conducting irresponsibly with other people money;
• cheating on their own wife;
• adultery (the other woman was married);
• murder;
• stealing;
• cheating at cards and other scams;
• drinking & alcohol;
• & etc.

So remember - the more you progress, the worst you should become as a person.

Dani daOrtiz

We never liked too much Dani. He's certainly NOT an exotic mystifier (he's not Chan Canasta). However, lately we started to like things about him. First of all (and most important probably) he has a good heart. He looks very casual, almost as a computer hacker. He tries to be funny but he's not (only a little). It shows in every word and every movement that he watched Tamariz even in his sleep. Every one of his words, gestures, jokes, everything is Tamariz.

He has a very important quality, and we noticed that David Williamson has noted it also:

"Two of my favorite magicians were Albert Goshman and Del Ray. They had the ability to connect with an audience through their magic on a basic emotional level. There was an honesty in their work. Their ingenious methods, impeccable technique and their irresistible characters were intertwined to create a whole experience greater than the sum of it’s parts. I can think of few performers today who rise to that level. Dani is one. His performances seem spontaneous, his miracles real. An audience feels that they have been treated to a unique experience, not an over-rehearsed stale presentation. To watch him with a live audience is a lesson in what close up magic ought to be, an imitate shared experience of miracles and humanity. His casual style disguises his deep understanding of fundamental magic principles and applied psychology. Any student of magic, at any level would do well to pay close attention.”

One more thing. He's very inteligent.


There is much to learn from him. Good luck.

Docc Hilford's Real Name

John Michaels Hilford

The Vernon-Marlo School of Magic

This is the school most magicians go and belong: doing tricks with a "good" plot, without any importance to presentation; only the trick. The result? most of all the magic we have today. 1000 methods for doing "Triumph" - and counting. But - how many different presentations for it we have? And the same for the Four Ace Trick, The Rising Card, Coins Thru the Table, and so on and so on. RIP Magic.

"Extra Secrecy" Ploy

Copperfield's system to make everyhting look more secret and private than it really is.

On the Other Side by Dr. X - free book

Here is a classic mentalism book published in 1922 called "On the other side of the footlights" written by "Dr. X". The book is: "an expose of routines, apparatus and deceptions resorted to by mediums, clairvoyants, fortune tellers and crystal gazers in deluding the public". As a generosity act we're giving this book for free. That's right, for free. You can get it here. It looks like a VERY interesting book. Enjoy!!

Free Hypnosis Book

Art

a nice work of art about magic:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gazeronly/2953835724/sizes/l/

Paul Harris' Sister

http://www.facebook.com/janetville

New ESP Deck and critic

I just saw a new ESP deck here http://www.esp-origins.com/product/14

The problem with this is that they made it look just as "playing cards" deck. Actually, they asked someone who designs "decks" to design this... So it's a good way to move from the "mentalism" frame to the "tricks" frame. Actually, the guy in the video is doing "flourishes" with the ESP cards... as funny as absurd as you can find.

Acts

Francis

Buckley coin act

Atomic Magic

Bill Ma-lo-ne!

I never liked Bill too much, until a few weeks ago.

Jimmy Grippo

Orville Meyer

A nice and simple presentation for "Triumph"

Until now I never saw a decent presentation for this.
Choose a spectator to help you. Say that you are very careful wich assistant to choose, because of a "learned lesson". Offer to explain what happened. Ask him to take a card and show it (can have it signed or not). Return it to the deck and control it. Tell that once you chose a spectator to help that was a little clumsy and unfocused guy. Say that as you where pattering to the audience, he took half of the deck face up and halg face down and mixed them like this (do the shuffles). Say that when you realized what happened, you suddenly understood that the trick is ruined! (This suggest the idea of more impossible conditions for the trick). Tell that you stood there for a moment, without knowing what to do, since the card can now be face up or face down (do the "cuts"). Fortunately, someone in the audience came up, looked me in the eyes, took the deck and riffled the cards...(do it cleanly). He stared me in the eyes like saying me something. I understood. I spread the cards and...Since then I'm very carefull, not always there is a master magician in the audience to help me!

Three Ball Trick

Speaking of toys, I never liked that stupid old 3 ball trick. It's simply ridiculous and it's not magic. Why?Simple. If you make something vanish, you HAVE to show the other hand empty; if not it's not magic. People are not stupid. And also that thing of putting your hands in your pockets over and over again, looks unprofessional and clumsy. At least I have an presentational idea for you. Say this are the small balls you used to use to play with your friends when you were a kid, but soon they never wanted to play with you again. Explain why...performing this horrible (but classic) routine.

Those plastic "props"

Recently I had an idea on how to introduce those pastic props that look exactly, like, well, props. Introduce them as the "toys" you had when you where a kid. You can say that many people ask you how you got started in magic. Say that your fathers gave you toys but you soon discovered your inner powers...

A nice trick from Stanyon

4 Ace trick with meaning

What are your sources to learn Indian Magic?

Rattled by Dan Hauss

Dan Hauss is a very special guy. He created the best trick in the history of magic, in our opinion.

Looking for playing cards 1

Eddie Joseph

Eddie Joseph was certainly an exotic mystifier. We are looking for a biography of his, and pictures. Also a complete bibliography.

The Exotic Mysteries BookShelf

Bookshelf (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I just saw in one of the issues of "The Jinx" (the first one?) a Magic Bookshelf by Annemann. Interesting. What is the Bookshelf for an exotic mystifier?

Main Works

Swami/Mantra (of course)
Dunninger Complete Cyclopedia of Magic (the BEST magic book ever published)

Ormond McGill Presenting P.M.

Secondary Works

JG Thompson
Eddie Joseph
Everything by Docc Hilford
Everything by Kenton Knepper
Will Dexter