Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

Course Five: Spectrum, Part 1 243

to your left front belt loop. Get an empty soda

bottle, and cut a stick a little shorter than the bottle.

The stick should be narrow enough to fit loosely

through the neck of the bottle. Now, make a small

slit in the bottom of the stick with a sharp

knife, and slip the end of the thread

through the crack (Fig. 5). Loop the

thread over your left thumb as you

hold the stick—threaded and down.

Pick up the bottle with your right

hand and hold it under the stick. Drop the stick

into the bottle as you transfer the bottle to your

left hand, leaving the thread still over your thumb.

Then move the bottle slowly away from your body

as you make “mystic passes” over it with your right

hand. As the thread pulls it, the stick will rise (Fig.

6). When it is almost out of the bottle, catch it in

your right hand, and pull it away, at the same time

pulling the thread out of the crack to fall to your

side. You can then let people examine both the stick

and the bottle.

Ball on a Tightrope

Illusion: You hold up a length of rope outstretched

between your hands and roll a Ping-Pong ball back

and forth along it, balancing the ball impossibly

upon the rope.

Arcanum: Use a rope and a piece of invisible thread,

each about two feet long. Tie one end of the thread

to each end of the rope. Hold the Ping-Pong ball in

your right hand, and insert your index fingers be-

tween the thread and rope, with the thread facing

you. Turn both hands palm up, and stretch the rope

(and thread) out tight between them, creating a ½”-

wide track for the ball to roll along (Fig. 7). Care-

fully release the ball onto the track and roll it back

and forth by alternately raising and lowering each

end of the rope to change direction.

When you have amazed your friends and family with

some of these conjuring illusions, I can guarantee that

they will ask you to “Do it again!” And everyone will

want you to tell them how you did it. But the special

charm of conjuring magic for an audience is in their

not knowing how it is done. Once the secret of the

illusion is out, it loses its mystery. Without that sense

of wonder and amazement, no one will be interested

in your illusions. So here are six basic tips from Grey

Council member Todd Karr’s book, Backyard Magic:

1. Practice in front of a mirror, including what you
   will say (your patter).


2. Believe you’re performing REAL magic.


3. Always have your audience in front of you when
   you perform, not behind you.


4. Put your props away after your performance to
   avoid exposure (keep them in a box or knapsack).


5. If your friends ask the secrets, tell them “It’s
   magic!” or just smile.


6. Never do the same magic effect twice for the same
   audience.

Lesson 8: Conjury Resources

Books

Gilbert, George and Wendy Rydell. Great Tricks of the

Master Magicians (Golden Press, 1976). This is

my favorite book on conjury, with 150 tricks ex-

plained and illustrated in a large format.

Hay, Henry, The Amateur Magician’s Handbook (Sig-

net, 1950; 1972). This was one of the first magic

books I ever purchased. My 1972 paperback ver-

sion cost just $1.95!

Karr, Todd, Backyard Magic (Scholastic Inc., 1996).

This is a perfect “starter book” of conjury for the

young Apprentice Wizard. 15 really neat and easy

tricks beautifully illustrated in full color cartoons.

Nelms, Henning, Magic and Showmanship: A Hand-

book for Conjurers (Dover, 1969). This book is

recommended by most magic teachers. Jeff

McBride even recommends it in his Master Classes.

Severn, Bill, Magic in Your Pockets (Young Readers

Press, 1964). Easy-to-learn conjury for kids all ages.

Tarr, Bill, Now You See It, Now You Don’t (Vintage

Books, 1976). When it comes to describing and

illustrating basic sleights, including palming, this

book is the best. Ideal for teens and pre-teens.

Other Resources

Here’s a performance magic video dealing

with “Pottermania.” Andrew Mayne video:

http://www.wizard-school.com/.

DragonSkull is a great Website devoted to Bizarre

Magik, including arcane effects and supplies:

http://www.dragonskull.co.uk/.

Here’s a link to Jeff McBride’s Magical Wisdom site:

http://www.magicalwisdom.com/.

And here’s the Miracle Factory: http://www.miracle

factory.org.

http://www.yourmagic.com is a good source for magick

books and supplies. They feature a great deal on

Jeff McBride, David Parr, and Eugene Burger—

one of Jeff’s mentors. Eugene’s books, tapes, and

effects are extremely useful.

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7 (Top view)

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