Jay

The forcing matrix spawned something neat...Thanks to John Bannon for naming this. I was using the descriptive (but boring) name, Diagonal Grid Force, and then he suggested the Backslash Force. Yes, please!I'd been playing around with a forcing matrix when I started looking for a way to force an object rather than numbers. I first put letters instead of numbers in the grid, trying to come up with a way to force a word, but had no success.Then I started looking at placing objects in the matrix and trying to see if I could force four objects that when put…

Making Emotions a better fit for meWhen the 1914 had their Black Friday sale, I ignored most things because I’m trying not to buy as much magic stuff as I have in the past (losing battle, I know), but I did buy Marc Paul’s Anywhere Act. I’d wanted it since it came out because I am a Marc Paul fanboy — his stuff is always solid and fun — but had decided I had “enough” of his stuff.HAHAHAHA!That lasted until the sale and then I grabbed it, because the words “enough” and “Marc Paul” just don’t go together that well.…

Larry Becker's effect that keeps on giving...Back around 1980 I bought a copy of Larry Becker’s World of Super Mentalism and one of the routines that grabbed my attention was CB Mentalism, probably because CB was big while I was growing up. (For those young’uns here, CB was kind of like a party-line phone, but with radio. Wait, if you don’t know what CB was there’s no way you’d know party-line phones…)I never did perform CB Mentalism at the time, but after my 30+ years wandering in the tundra I came back to magic and as I’d decided to focus…

Marked, for your convenience...Yes, ESP cards with a desert theme.While I absolutely love Eclipse from The 1914, because I live in the desert (Arizona USA), I wanted ESP cards that would be localized. So I created an “ESP” deck with symbols from things you’d find in the desert. (And now I don’t feel compelled to ever mention Dr Rhine and Duke University! ;) )I also assigned a meaning to each symbol so I could use them to give mini-readings.The snake (Change) is similar in shape to a circle, so it is the 1 card. There are 2 mountains (Stability), 3…

Nifty ways to hide the stuff you need to knowI’m working on a couple new routines and both of them have just enough info I need to know that I don’t want to memorize it. Don’t get me wrong, I can memorize anything, of just about any length — but there are two reasons I don’t want to memorize these:Thanks for reading Exclusive Magic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.I probably won’t perform these often enough to make sure I remember everything without needing to refresh those every once in a while. That’s just kind…

We don't need no steenking disclaimers...Here’s an audio version of this article as if two hosts were discussing the contents…And here’s the original text version as I wrote it…One of the biggest (ongoing) debate topics in the mentalism community is whether or not you should use a disclaimer in your show.A what? You know, say something so people know you don’t really have psychic powers. (I’m rolling my eyes right now.)Thanks for reading Exclusive Magic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Should you make a disclaimer, should you not, should it be before your first effect,…

The Improved Block Cord by William H. Brewe The Classic Block Cord effect has been taken to a whole new level. Using a polished four-inch solid block of Acrylic, you thread a nylon cord through the center of the block not once, but twice. The cord is held up, showing that the block is suspended halfway down its length. While holding the block in the other hand and using a slight flick of the wrist, the cord penetrates through the block, freeing the block from the cord! Included are instructions explaining Brewe’s improved handling of this great effect and his…

Below are the tutorial videos for Layne's Nightmare. If you want to use the Addicted To Love cards instead, the working is exactly the same. (There are presentation scripts for each in the PDF file.)Demo PerformanceThis is a quick look at how the routine goes -- this example uses an invisible spectator to help out. https://youtu.be/2iz49UMIKYI Setup and Method (The Secret!)Layne's Nightmare can be reset very quickly. https://youtu.be/rztqQXaakv8 The Extra CardsThere are a couple different endings for the trick, and this video explains how that can happen. https://youtu.be/OmEtXL4EXdY Addicted To Love Cards + Marks + Miscellaneous NotesYes, there are TWO…

Another use for ChatGPTWhile not every effect I perform has to have a story attached to it, most of them do. Sometimes, such as with Commune Contraband, the story fits a specific trick really well. But other times I need to work a little harder. For example, here’s something that happened to me long ago…When I was about 9 years old I overheard my Mom tell my older brother “Don’t sleep with a girl, you’ll get her pregnant!” A couple days later Mom dropped me off at her friend’s house while she went shopping. After lunch the friend decided it…

Some ideas on a different way to present mentalismThis is an unpublished post — it’s the background for brainstorming ideas for creating a stage show that’s mentalism as a play…A while back I listened to a podcast episode about directors that said something about magic shows being on a stage, but not actually a play and it got me wondering about the spectrum from magic show to play.I don't want to do a variety show (all mentalism, but just effect after effect) but am not sure about the workability of going full-on stage play with mentalism. That idea really intrigues…