Alexandre - Seis (Bizarre Mentalism With Marked Cards)

SEIS Bizarre Mentalism With Marked Cards

by

ALEXANDRE

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 2002 by Eyes and Minds Entertainment Corporation

ALEXANDRE

INTRODUCTION

Pg. 3

What kind of marked cards?

Pg. 4

How to mark them yourself

Pg. 4

Method for reading the cards

Pg. 5

EFFECTS

Pg. 6

Carmilla The Vampire

Pg. 6

Spiritual Trace

Pg. 8

Paganini

Pg. 9

Spirit Writing

Pg. 11

Stalker

Pg. 12

The Fortune Teller’s Apprentice

Pg. 14

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INTRODUCTION The device most widely used by beginning magicians is the marked deck of cards, because they require no manipulative skill and are all but totally immune from detection by the average easygoing spectator. The problem here is that in the hands of a beginner, an easygoing spectator may soon realize this “magician” is too good to be true and decide to question the legitimacy of the prop. The beginner is often found out and a wonderful tool is now useless in their hands. I can say similar things about the Thumb Tip, but that’s subject for another booklet. A marked deck of cards is very powerful, with it one can perform amazing feats of clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition and many other mystifying effects, but it is often misused by the beginner who wants to run before he walks, “blowing” away friends with his “powers” only to be later embarrassed by having someone point out that the cards are marked. If you saw Copperfield or Blaine perform an amazing card effect would you imagine for a moment that they might be using a deck of marked cards? Probably not. Having been in magic since my teens I’ve been at both sides of this issue. I was a teenager once showing dad’s friends how amazing I was, pulling out a deck of cards, asking someone to touch one, reading the back, and revealing the card. My few seconds of acting as if I was somehow “reading minds” didn’t fool anybody. They figured the cards were marked. (this directness, by the way, is the worst thing you can do with marked cards, stay away from this sort of presentation). Years later, with more general magic experience, I performed a couple of effects for other magicians and they had no idea I was employing the use of a marked deck. I realized that a marked deck of cards needs the same kind of care as a loaded gun: you simply don’t play around with one unless you know exactly how to handle it. Having said that, included here are techniques and six effects I’ve used over the years that have left some magicians and mentalists, at least for a little while, wondering how I did it; not to mention the great success I’ve had with laymen. Put thought into performing with a marked deck of cards and it’ll give you many amazing results.

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WHAT KIND OF MARKED CARDS That will depend on how good your vision is. Years ago I created my own hard to read design with Bee cards, but I don’t use them much because I rather perform with a deck that has a white border. I have purchased many marked decks on the market and by far I prefer the Ted Lesley deck, though I mark it on just one side creating a oneway deck as well, but either way, the markings are clear, easy to read and not so easy to detect. I’ve actually handed the deck to someone to find the mark and they couldn’t, though I don’t suggest you try this because everyone is different and some notice things where others don’t. There are many marked decks out there, I suggest you create your own, or start investing until you find the one that better suits you.

HOW TO MARK THEM YOURSELF There is Cut-out and Block-out. In Cut-out you remove a tiny section from part of the back design at a significant place using a sharp knife such as an x-acto knife. Block-out is almost the same thing but parts of the design are covered with white ink, or the design is exaggerated with ink similar to that in which it is printed. You can do this by taking a single card to an art store and trying out different pens on the back to see what matches better. I have used these two methods to create marked decks of all kinds, including Tarot cards. If you really want to go

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through with this, you’ll have to come up with your own marking system—it’s trial and error. Good luck.

METHOD FOR READING THE CARDS I use two ways, the first one is the Fan Selection: fan out the cards and ask a spectator to touch one. You separate the cards there, and with practice, you can casually glance the back before they take the card away. After they touch a card and you’ve read the back, you can say “take it” somewhat impatiently as if that’s what you meant in the first place—or you might want to ask if they would like to change their mind, buying you an extra second. The other way is a Riffle Selection: riffle the edges and have them tell you where to stop. You then glance the back before they take the card. With minimal practice this can be done smoothly and naturally. I like this second method because it appears, at least to some magicians, that you have somehow forced a card on them, which drives them crazy. These are the two ways I do it, please research and find other ways and work with what works best for you. Whatever you choose to do, be careful in reading the cards, as this has to be done casually, smoothly and unnoticed.

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EFFECTS When using a marked deck of cards showmanship is of vital importance. Study the following effects carefully, don’t perform them back to back, always throw something else in your routine that does not use marked cards or won’t call attention to the fact that you might in any way be using them. For instance, during casual settings I like to perform Corinda’s Photo Memory (pg.313 – 13 Steps to Mentalism), but if I happen to have a deck of marked cards in hand I won’t do it, because it’ll call attention to the fact that I might be using marked cards. Use your judgment here, I don’t want to make things too easy for you, I believe one needs to put in effort in order to become a good performer. I’ve performed these effects for years with fantastic results, but not more than one per night ... you just don’t want to overdo it with marked cards. Enjoy!

CARMILLA THE VAMPIRE “Carmilla the Vampire ... anyone heard of her? Well she’s quite known in dark circles. She appears as a young woman of about 25 and of magnificent beauty. She’s average in height, slender, and wonderfully graceful. Her large, dark, lustrous eyes never seem to blink or rest upon objects for long, unmoved in their gaze. Seldom has anyone seen such hair, so magnificently thick and down to her shoulders, dark brown with something of gold in it. But Carmilla is not as nice as she appears. She lives in an ancient tower that stands in the Asdown Forest district of Sussex in the south of England. From there she controls a number of other vampires around the world. She has them paired-up working on her personal interests ... servants, if you will.”

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(give the deck a couple of shuffles and spread it face down ahead of the spectator) “Every once in a while, a vampire will try to break free from Carmilla, to live their own condemned life, doing whatever they see fit. Please push a card out, this is your escaped vampire. Look at it and hide it away for now.” (once the card is pushed out, read the back of it—after they take the card away as instructed, spread the cards face-up casually displaying a regular deck of cards) “The vampires are frantic! Please shuffle the rest of the cards, place them in front of me when you’re done. Carmilla is evil and powerful. She senses when a vampire has left, splitting the pair she created, unbalancing her bizarre group! And like Carmilla’s bizarre group, a deck of cards is unbalanced when one is missing, as every card in this deck has a match. Whatever card you chose, the matching card, still in the deck, will be one of the same color and value.” “Carmilla has no respect for the escaped creature or its partner for allowing the escape. So she begins a terrifying search for the leftover vampire, who will guide her to the escapee.” (begin looking through the deck at a furious pace, when you find the matching card, slap it on the table face down) “Carmilla has found the leftover vampire! Bring forth the escapee!” (once the spectator’s card is brought out, turn yours over, show that they match and pick them up together ripping them in half) “Carmilla has no mercy.”

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SPIRITUAL TRACE “My next door neighbor is a peculiar man, and I finally met him the other night. He calls himself, Dr. Crane ... a tall guy with graying hair in a ponytail and goatee. He told me he’s a Paranormal Investigator ... but I think there’s more to him than just that. Every once in a while when I happen to come home late at night I see strange shadows coming from his candle lit living room, shapes of people moving about … and strange noises I can’t even explain. Anyway, the other night ... he was robbed. Someone broke into his home while he was out and made off with a few of his strange relics. A couple of days ago I come home and see him standing out there as if he was waiting for someone and I approach him, just trying to be a good neighbor offering my support. But he surprised the hell out of me. He smiled strangely and told me he wasn’t a bit worried about the robbery. “The thief made a mistake,” he explained losing the smile. I didn’t know quite what he meant, so he went on saying that the individual had “touched” items he’d left behind—and when someone touches something, especially in an elevated emotional state, they leave a heated spiritual trace. The smile returned suddenly, and he assured me he would find this individual. “How?” I asked, and this prompted him to remove a burgundy velvet bag from his pocket—from the bag he took out an old deck of cards. “I’ll show you ... I use these for private readings,” He added. He handed me the deck for shuffling, and when I returned it, he had me take a card and look at it. (hand the cards to a spectator for shuffling. take the deck back and use whichever method you prefer to have the spectator choose a card while allowing you a good peek at the marking—have the spectator show the card around. perform the following as described assuming Dr. Crane’s maneuvers, guiding the spectator’s actions as you narrate) He instructed me to sandwich the card flat between my hands ... and to rub it. “The rubbing,” he explained, “is to leave a spiritual trace on the card, just as the thief had left his trace on some of my possessions.” He had me return the card to anywhere in the deck, then he shuffled looking straight into my eyes.

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It was rather spooky.... (the shuffle here is to throw people off—the skeptics might choose to believe you are some sort of legerdemain master) He handed the cards back to me and had me spread them face-up all over the patio table, mixing them further in the process. His hands began moving eerily over the cards ... “I feel it ... your energy is strong,” he told me. Suddenly, he stopped on a card—picked it up! “You left a spiritual trace on this card!” And he was absolutely right. Gathering his cards, he smiled and said, “you have a goodnight now.”

PAGANINI

“Born in Genoa in 1782, Paganini was the greatest violinist of his age, he had a strong influence on the developing technique of violin-playing, and through his virtuosity on the instrument, on the ambitions of performers on other instruments.

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He caused a lot of sensation and wonder wherever he went, because his phenomenal technique and speed gave rise to rumors … of a pact with the devil! He fueled these rumors by demonstrating his amazing relationship with velocity, when during his time as a solo violinist to the court of Napoleon’s sister, he joined a group of men playing cards and asked them to borrow their deck for a moment...” (take out your cards and perform the following as described, assuming Paganini’s maneuvers, guiding the spectator’s actions as you narrate) “He shuffled the cards and moving closer to the gentlemen, slowly riffled the ends, asking if anyone could tell whether a card was missing from the deck. They replied that even though the cards were riffled slowly, they were moving too fast for such calculation. Paganini assured the gentlemen that all cards were there ... but one would soon be missing. He handed the cards to one of the gentlemen for shuffling, retrieved them, and had another gentlemen take a card (read the back) instructing him not to see it or show it to anyone. Once again, Paganini riffled the ends of the cards slowly, every card was visible to the men at the table, and again they said the cards moved too fast to determine which one was missing. Paganini, who had been watching the cards as well, told them he knew which card was missing. “The missing card is ... the (whatever card)! And said astonishment!”

card

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SPIRIT WRITING “I’d like to try something that doesn’t always work. I have a spirit friend, a young lady who’s passed long ago but has taken a liking to me. Her name is Anne. I’ve had many conversations with her through a process know as Spirit Writing. In spirit writing an entity from another realm brings messages through you by using a writing implement, computer, or any other means of communication through the written word. This is an old form of divination in which messages seem to come out of nowhere through your hand and onto paper. I’ve heard that some who have attempted this form of mediumship have written lengthy messages, songs— even complete novels! But we’ll be simpler tonight—If she’s available of course. I need a volunteer to please shuffle these cards.” (take the deck back after the shuffle and have someone else pick a card as you read the back) “And you, please, choose a card. Now I’d like the lights to be dimmed.” (Once a card is chosen, lose the deck, you’re done with it) “I will sit in this chair with this pad and pencil. Please hold the card, with its back to me, above your head so that Anne can see it once she enters the room. She will then enter my body and write on this pad the name of your card. Once you see me writing, you can lower your hand. Let’s see if this works ... Anne?” (a moment of silence ... you close your eyes, your body begins to relax as you go into a trance. maybe something falls somewhere in the room, I’ll explain later. your body jerks, your hand eventually moves ... writing something on the pad. don’t look at the pad or the pen, let the writing come out strange. your body jerks again. when you wake up, appear to be a little lost, play it up. look at the pad, turn it face down onto a table and stand away from it) “It’s very strange when that happens ... I think your chosen card is written on that pad there ... what is your card?” (once the card is revealed, reveal what has been scrawled on the pad—quite spooky!)

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Note: It would be nice to have something move or fall when you go into your trance. You can accomplish this by some previous preparation, well worth the effort, by tying an invisible thread to a stack of business cards, papers or anything else that can be moved with ease without breaking the thread. Test this out. you can control it yourself, though I advise against it, unless you’re using a remote controlled reel. I suggest you get someone to cooperate with you by handing someone the end of a piece of thread with tape on it and asking them to pull slowly as soon as you go into your trance. It’ll add to the presentation and your associate still won’t have a clue how you knew what the card was.

STALKER “America has been hit with an escalating crisis it doesn’t know how to handle. Across the country, hundreds of thousands of people have fallen victim to individuals who have obsessively focused on them—this phenomenon is called stalking! Tonight, one of you will be caught by a stalker. Any volunteers?” (wait for a volunteer, if not, just pick someone) “Lucky for you we’ll only be using a deck of cards. Please take these and shuffle them keeping a card for yourself—that card will be you—keep it protected for now! (once the cards have been shuffled and the spectator has removed and hidden one, take the deck back)

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“For the past few months, you’ve been stalked by a strange shadow ... tonight, that strange shadow will be represented by the card I am now thinking of. You will be deciding your moves, as you would in the real world, but the stalker will be watching, and when the moment is right, the stalker will be upon you! Let us start by telling me where to stop.” (riffle the end of the deck and ask the spectator to tell you where to stop. note the card you have stopped at and have the spectator place their card above the one you’ve identified. give the deck a couple of casual false overhand shuffles and place the deck ahead of your victim) “Though you know you’ve been stalked all this time, you have not been able to identify your stalker, the card I’ve been thinking of. As promised, you will be deciding your moves. Choose a number … this will be the number of times you would like to cut the deck sitting in front of you. (once the number is chosen, have the spectator cut the deck that many times) “Very well ... you’ve chosen your moves! Now we will meet each other. The stalker, the strange shadow obsessing after you has been the (whatever card). And you are? “Please look through the deck and find that the stalker is upon you ... and the game is over!

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THE FORTUNE TELLER’S APPRENTICE

For this effect some memorization will be required, but well worth the effort. It is a one-on-one performance. The reading should be done slowly, as if you were actually feeling the information as it arrives. “I am quite familiar with Tarot card readings but I’ve been recently learning how to read regular playing cards with Natalia, a mysterious Fortune Teller from England, who loves to spend time here in (wherever you are). Go ahead and shuffle the cards please.” (once that’s done take the deck and spread it face-down ahead of your spectator) “Clear your mind and push five cards towards me, separating one of those to the side here.” (turn over four cards and go straight into your reading. for the ending, read the back of the separated face-down card and reveal as described below) “You pride yourself in being an independent thinker and you usually don’t accept people’s opinions without some sort of proof … at times I get the feeling you have doubts as to whether you’ve made the right decisions or done the right thing … you really have a great deal of unused capacity which you have not turned to your advantage … and though

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you seem controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and somewhat insecure on the inside … I see a serious love interest in your past and I also see that a third person complicated things … I see some financial concerns, you want to change this … I see changes within the next … four to six months … I also get the feeling based on what I’ve learned from Natalia and her years of fortune telling with cards … that your fortune card is the (whatever card). If this is the card you moved to the side here, you’ll have great news in the coming months. Please turn the card over. Thank you. (these are called subjective validations that hold true to almost anyone as we inherently find ways to match ourselves up with the description given)

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