A Book in English: The card magic of Woody Arag6n

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A Book in English: The card magic of Woorly Alirgtirr

Look! I retnoued Aour co:rd!

A Book in English: The card magic of Woorly Alrrg(rn

NoI Seriously! I DID IT!

A Bool< in English: The card magic of Wootly Alirgt'rrr K

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The Spanish Card /llagic of Noody Aragdn

A Book in English: The card magic of Woody Arag6n TE

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DI o o h ffig[fiffiWritten by:

Woody Arag6n

Foreword by:fuan Tamariz

Translated by:Fernando Rosal

With some help oftRafael Benatar

Pictures by:Pepe Castro

Sandra AsenjoFernando Pelayo

Maricarmen Perea

Proof reading and notes:Harold Cataquet

Todd NeufeldMichael "Six" Muldoon

Plt Hartling

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Alirgrin

Nobody's FoollroBy JuanTsrnariz

When you meet Woody, the first thing that you notice is... hislrcad! That's because, believe me, Woody has a big, beautiful,lound head. And because of that head, his magic is full,st turated with intelligence, originality, creativity, intensity... Herrscs his head! And he presents his magic with beautiful scripts(rrrrritted incessantly and with dizzyng speed by the lips thatWoody has ... in his head!) that are full of intelligence, that aimlor the maximum magical impact, the maximum sense ofinrpossibility.

And it is a brilliant head. Whatever angle you look at it from,lris head shines. Because his ideas are as bright as he is bald. Hehls a big, shiny bald head. Shinier than the other bald heads(lhat so many men try to achieve by daily shavings). It shinesllrightcr than the rest because (and this is a secret, the first onein this book) Woody hides under his skin millions and millionsol' ncurons engaged in constant electrical and contemplativerrt'livity. Woody has always amazed me and I admire thet'orrstant flow of ideas that, if you look carefully from above, you('iur sc() nroving under his scalp. Ideas for incredibly practicalslt,ights (his "scparagr)n"), ideas for effects, methods (the geniusol' h is " l lunrlrt Sc:tlc", a vcrsion worthy of a standing ovation,

(t)'l'ln rtrillirt u/ Sprrrris/t till{'. "Ni rrtt pclo rlc lottlrt", littnrlhl tttcrttt.s "Mr/ a sinqle lnirrr/ rrl//irr1ss".'/7ris is tt,\ltrttriilt stttlirttl ttsarl lo tlrlticl trtt itrltllitltrnl pcrsotl.lltll)t'lttttrtlrltl, lltI r'l(r'r't'ltttl'', lu'lt|r'r'tt lltr sttrlittrl rtttl llrr rtji'tt'rtrcs ttt Wtxxly's lrcodtrrrr hul irt lt'tttt:;htlirttt

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Anrg(rrr

which I have seen many audiences give Woorly irs thcy areamazed and full of wonder after seeing hin-r purlornr it) andideas for the structures of acts and shows (his marvelous"Summary Suite" at the end of his one man czrrcl mugic theatershow is full of surprises, drama, and magic, all building inintensity: a genuine artistic discovery.)

And everything, or almost everything, comes from... his head!A metaphorical billiard ball (the rigorous geometrlz and internalharmony of his tricks and routines live up to the comparison); asymbolic "egg" shape, an egg that spawns life as the artistWoody, or should I say, Woody's head maintains a constant andjoyous creativity (isn't "creating" what brings an artist closer tothe Gods?).

Because that head in just a few years had shed what separatedit from life (its hair), it is always brainstorming, and this is thesecond secret in this book, there is a hidden "b" in describinghim as a bald man, it disguises the constant boiling state of themillions and millions of neural synapses. No one knows whetherit's a state of tremendous joy or brotherly merrymaking but, I'msure that it is constant and almost driven, crazy thinking.

And some of that activity, a "something" full of suggestions,ideas, brilliant effects (the light), rigorous and at timesmathematical (the billiard ball) and beautifully created ("egg-shaped") has been poured into this book just for you. And Istrongly advise you to enjoy it, just like I enjoyed watching,experiencing and applauding some (many) of them (others, I'veonly had the pleasure of having Woody explain them to me, butI never lose the hope of one day seeing them performed live infront of me).

But that's not all. Woody has a special gift that allows him tobe liked by everyone (Woody is such a nice guy!); and he'salways bursting with energy (both on ancl offstage). And thepleasure he gets from ltct'lil'rning lnagir: is absolutelycontagious, and mal<cs trs hirplry witlr lris lrirppirrt'ss.

Woody has already establishccl his value as a magician, butIrtr's also a rising star. His yor"rth ltas ahnost peaked, and for therrcxt 70 or 8o years we will have plenty of Woody's creativity,wit, energy and Magic. I am sure of this because of hislnthusiasm, his work, his efforts and his undeniableinlclligence.

'l'his is, then, my "summary": Every time a better artist, a great

l)(,r'son and nobody's fool!

A Bool< in English: The card magic of Wootly Alirgirrr

With luan, at his house in Madrid, TDorking on this book.(2011)

Introduction to this work(letts call it "work" for the moment...)

For a few years, after Istarted to travel and get toknow the international magiccommunity, and after makinggood friends in severalcountries (thanks to this greatart that unites us, and also to akind of intrinsic feature of ourguild - I don't know why, but itbrings together a majority ofnice people. I think g5o/o of themagicians I know are greatguys) a recurring story starteddeveloping in the back of myhead. Every time I met myfriends, someone always askedme: "When uill you torite a

ln x* itt littlllish? So, uill you urite a book in English someday?I' t tt t t 1t tl I rt ruritc cr book in English!"

Wcll, :rl'tcr' :rlrnost two years of hard work, "A Book in English"(lrr,rrct'tlrc titlc) has bccome a reality, and it is now in yourIuurrls. Arrtl it worrlrln't have happened without the enthusiasmirrrtl lrt'l1r ol'rrrarry pt'ollltr: My girlfriend, Maricarmen, alwayslrr.sirlr, nl(. or) rr.y.jorrrrrr'.ys, slitttttl:ttirtg itrttl l'ccding my passionlol r,r,r'r'vllrirtg I rlo. Slt'vt: llcanr, tlrt'l'irsl ottt'to cvcr publish,,rlr(. ol' rrry worlr; itr l,lnglislr. lit'r'rr:ttrrkr lltlsal, tirclcssItrrttsl;tlot'ol'llrir; lrr,llt'lrooli, lo wltottt I ;tttt rlt't'1ll.y grirtttlirl.

B

A Book in English: The card magic of Woocly Alirgrin

Rafael Benatar, who was the first to give me advice andorientation. Juan Tannariz, not only for his amazing (andflattering) prologue, but also for driving me to put the best ofme into this book (he is responsible for turning a small bookletof about 90 pages into... this book of more than 37o!). Thefriends who have helped correct this book, starting with thetalented Michael *Six" Muldoon, Todd Neufeld, who alsodid a great job, my admired Pit Harling, and I have to say, theoutstanding job of Harold Cataquet, which inspired andamazed me with its quality and thoroughness. Without his help,the bookwould be a much tougher read.

Every time I read a book, I always want to get to know betterthe person behind the creations. That's why my intention whenwriting this book wasn't to publish a cold, encyclopediccollection of tricks, to be dissected like a corpse, but instead Itried to be present, just the way I am, throughout it. My writingstyle (or lack of it, I should say) will be like a direct conversationwith you. Even though some of the finesses may be lost intranslation, I hope that you will feel comfortable with myapproach. I could not have done it any other way.

I also have to thank my friend, the great Ricardo Rodriguez(the current Spanish Magic Grand Prix holder) for the interviewwith which, hopefully, the reader will get to know me a littlebetter. With this end in mind, I will also fiIl in the blank pages ofthis book (they are there to help with the layout of the text) witha collection of personal photographs, in order to give you aglimpse of various moments in my recent life.

A good part of the material in this book is in print for the firsttime, but most of it comes from my previous publications inSpanish, properly revised, rewritten and translated. In regardsto the kind of card magic that I present in this book, you will seethat my tricks are mainly mathematical, but without avoidingthe use of sleight of hand. In fact, the first chapter is all aboutmoves, and some tricks you can do with thcm.

So, here we go! A littl(, lrit ol' lct:hlrirlue ovcr lrt,r't., a gooclchunl< ol'psychology ()v(,1'llrt'rr',;rrkl ;r I'isllirl ol'

rrrathematics, a little bit of tr:ick czrrds, a lot of Elmsley and'l'amariz (let the taste of influences be noticed!), add a coupleol'clrops of drama and comedy, let it cook slowly and say ther r ragic words... Abracadabra!

Un saludo en espaflol, your friend...

WoodyArag6n, Toledo, Spain, June zott

A Book in English: The card magic of Woody Arirgrirr

Willy Monroe, Hector Manchn, me and Harold Cataquet(2011)

BEFORE YOU READ ANY FURTHER...

HOW TO FIND YOUR OTHER HALF!

llccause I believe in "Learning by Doing", before I beginr,xplaining any techniques, principles or routines... please allowrrrc to do a trick for you.

Arc you "Lucky in Love"? No? Then you need to perform this"l,ovc Ritual"! OK? Do it anyway, you can neverbe too lucky!'l'lris ritual will guarantee you a week's worth of "Love Luck"!

I rrcr,rl yort lo l'itttl ittty lottt't'ittrlsvorr rlott't tnittrl lr,itt'irr1i.'l'ltt' rlrrll

llrrrrr ;rrr oltl rlt'r:li, otrcs thatrt,rprircrrrt'nt is tltirt thcy

_i 7:( 0d"

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A Llool< in English: The card magic of Wootly Arirgr'rrr

should have different faces, but the same backs. Go and getthem, I will wait for you right here...

You're back! Fine. Take the four cards and shuffle them. Donot look at their faces yet. If you want the ritual to work, thecards must be thoroughly shuffled, so that the outcome of youractions is completely random. That's how love works, myfriend...

Now hold the cards between your hands, in a slightly beveledposition, as you will see in the next picture. Your fingers willgrab the cards by their long edge, with your thumbs positionedon the faces. You are in the perfect situation to tear the cards intwo pieces. DO IT! Just like the hearts of a breaking couples aretorn in half. Just like they tear their pictures in two... it's allreally symbolic, isn't it?

Now place either the left hands pieces on top of the rights orvice versa. It does not matter if you put the right or the leftpieces on top. That's the good thing about love, no matter ifyou're left-uting or right-wing;love doesn't care about politics...(r)

r) In Spanish, being a "riglrt" or"'lt'll" lx'r's()n inrlir':rtt's wlrt'llrt.r'yorr lrglct.withright or left wing politics.

ok, so you've got a small "deck" made of playing card halves.What should you do with it? Cut. Cut and complete. When acorrple breaks up, they're "cutting" their bond, aren't they?

Make a small fan with the pieces of cards in your left hand.'l'lkc the three top pieces together, with your right hand, and

lrllce them somewhere in the middle.

A Bool< in English: The card magic of Woocly Arag<in

Square everything. Grab the top piece. Do NOT look at it, justplace it in your pocket or wallet. That is something loversusually do, they carry a picture of their loved one somewherenear their heart... mushy, isn't it? But true nevertheless...

Make a fan one more time. Take the upper piece and LOSE itin the middle of the fan. Do it one more time, with two pieces atthe same time if you wish. Do it once again, if you feel like it.That's what happens when men try to understand women, theyalways end up lost...

Let's make this even more complicated (such is love...). Takethe top piece... or the two top pieces... or even the three toppieces... and. You can either loose them in the middle of the fan,or just throw them away. Obviously, no one could ever haveknown how many pieces would be left in your hand by now...

Due to all that shuffling, cutting, losing pieces in the middle ofthe stack, it has become a total MESS. That's the way men are.And women really hate it... they say they always have to putorder in our mess... many couples argue over this kind of stuff.

And now, Iet's get ready for a week full of love... take the toppiece, and transfer it to the bottom, as you say: "Sunday".Transfer the second piece, "Mondey", and so on, one by one,until you finish with "Saturday".

So the week ends up with broken, cut, shuffled,lost and messyrelationships. And the only thing that can make us remembertrue love is the picture of our loved one, safe in our heart. Well,we can always pluck a daisy, and say SHE LOVES ME... SHELOVES ME, NOT...

Take the first piece, and pass it to the bottom of the stack, asyou say "SHE LOVES ME". Grab the second one. That onecorresponds to "SHE LOVES ME NOT", right? Throw it faraway from you! We don't want thosc who do not love us nearby,do we?

Repeat the ritual, passing a piece to the bottom every time yousny "SHE LOVES ME", and throwing away the pieces when yousny "SHE LOVES ME NOT". "SHE LOVES ME" (pass tob<lttom), "SHE LOVES ME NOT" (throw away)...

You'll end up with only one piece in your hand. That onercpresents you. Depending on your actions during the ritual,t:uts, shuffles... your piece could have been a completelyrlifTerent one. Take the one that you saved at the very beginning,put it right next to the one you ended up with, and...

l'l'S YOUR OTHER HALF! The miracle of love! Cupid did itrrgnin! Isn't it wonderful?

AI)DITIONAL REMARKS

I havc always loved tricks that the audience can dollttrrttsclvcs, just by following the magician's instructions(sonrcthing ,Iuan Tanrlriz recently named, quite appropriately,Vt.r'birl Magic). lt nright bc because I f<rndly remember when I,rrs ir t'hiltl, sirw,lrrirrr irt lltt: lcgcndary S1l:rrtislt TV program Un,l)os, 'l'rtrs irntl li.lt llrt, rnlllir: ltalrlrt'n, lilcritlly, in my ownItrrtttls.'lirtliry, I tlrinli lltttl cxllcriuttt't'lrts rt lol to tlo with who I

k4e

A tlook in English: The card magic of Wootly Anrgrirr

am, what I do for a living, and the very fact that you are nowreading this book.

As my methods usually have to do with mathematicalprocesses and principles, I find myself at ease with these kind oftricks. They have, in fact, become one of my "specialties" inmagic. I even designed a routine especially for NachoVigalondo, with the aim of promoting his movie The ChronoCrirnes, back in 2oo8. The Movie fans should go into itswebsite, and watch a video in which I did the "interactive" trick.The result was not only magic, but it also gave them the key to amovie-reiated "Chrono Game".

Internally speaking, this trick is based on the Australiandown-under deal. I took the idea, and added a basic principle Iread in Max Maven's Redivider that creates, in my opinion avcry "heartfelt" feeling of really shuffling the cards (plus, youcran clo the trick with only four cards, and there's no need to signanything). The only real shuffle is done at the very beginning,but, the result of tearing the cards in two is a kind of cyclicstack: Each half is four positions away from its match. You cancut this "deck" as many times as you want. Creating a stack fromfairly shuffled cards is something I am enthusiastic about.

On an external level, the idea of a collective "ritual" that willmake everyone lucky in love, appeais to the audience. Everymushy topic related to the theme, w;hich I constantly refer backto (the torn picture, the "other half', the daisy, "she loues me","she loues me not"...) justifies the procedures. And I think thatthe final image, with the spectators holding the two pieces thatform a whole card, is very suggestive.

For practical reasons, I designed the trick to not require atable. I usually perform it when I am the MC, in parlor shows,and even in theaters with two or three hundred people, eachholding their own four cards and following my instructions. Inthose cases, I stress the rnornt'rrt whcn thclc is frurcdclnt ofchoice, so that the fact thrl cvcry spr.r'l;rlor cirrr tlo sorut.lhingcompletely tli{lcrcnt bccorrrcs olrviorrs, llrrt cvt,r't'orrc gt,ls tlrt'ir'matcltittg It;tl1' ttt'vt'r'lltclcs:., t,';rlltinl', ;ur ittt;rossilrlc r'lirrrlrx. Il'

(,\,(.r'y spectator followed the sartttr iustructions, and ended uplirrtling the matching halves, thcy could (correctly) guess thatllrc wlrole procedure is just a "pl:rzzle", and that if they did theri;rnlo exact actions back at home the trick would also work.Irrslcad, I give them options, some spectators shuffle; othersjrrsl t:ut the halves, some of them once, while others do it fourlirrrcs. This makes for a shocking climax, as the "instructions"liivt'n by the magician couldn't possibly have predicted everyr;;rr,r'tator's choice. And I've tried to enhance this feeling byirrclrrtling an adaptation of the great Alex Elmsley's Australian,\t'll'-l lclp in the passing of one card for each day in the week.'l'lris irllows the spectators to get rid of some cards (their choice)lrt,li rrc doing the Australian deal.

I irlso Llse a false clue, so that no one in the audience canrr.lrrrrrluce the trick, should they try it later. I use the moment atrvlriclr the cards are opened in a fan, and the three top pieces arehrst in the middle. After that, the pieces are squared. Tell the;rrrrlicrrcc: "Do you knou uhy you haue to square the cards?/lr'r'rrrr.sc I forgot to do something uery important!"Ask them tolirlir, lht: top piece, save it inside the pocket, and now make thelrrrr orrr:tr again, in order to continue with the process. Later Irvilf rct::rll the actions as "YoLt cut the cards, took a piece and,,ttt,t'tl it, ttrul then opened the pieces in afan and sfuLfJled them"lrr,t';rrrst' that is what I want them to remember.

My ll'iuncl Pipo Villanueva has a great idea. If you're1-x,r'lorrrrirrg this trick for a group of people, before asking themlo 1,,r,t ritl ol'some pieces, tell them to take the top piece andr.rclrnngc it with another spectator. After the exchange, theyirlc lo losc il in the rniddle of the fan. Not only does this enhancellrr. irrrpossibility of the effect, as the spectators will be holdinglrilt'r,s ol'stranlScr cards, but it also has the added bonus ofnrirliirrg llrt' irrrrlit:uc:t' interact, not only with the magician, butI rr,l wt.r,rt I lrctttsclvcs.

ll Yorr wirrrI lo krrolv rr lol tttot't'rtllotll ltow ttl ltresent andlrrrlornr llrcst'liinrl ol lorrtittt's, I rcli't't'ott lo tltt'wisc andr,,,,,r,rrli;rl r,volrl:r ol llrc N4;rslt't',,ltt;ttt'l';trtt;ttiz, irt ltis lt<ltll<

Vrr"lxrl M:rgir'

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Aritgrirr

My one-man shozD "La llusion la pintan Calaa"(201o)

Sleights and moves

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arlgrin A book in English: l'hc cirrrl rrrirgic ol.Woody Aragon

THE SEPARAGON

'l'lrc Separagon is a move that I developed in tggg.It allowsyou to separate two groups of cards from a shuffled deck: Redrurtl black, odd and even, the two halves of a memorized deck...you can also control a single poker play, or one of the deck'ssrrits, etc. It's one of my most talked about moves. Recently, as Iwirs cxplaining how it works, David Stone got up and gave me aliiss on top of my head!

It is a simple move, and has the advantage of not beingr,xt,t:utcd completely in the magician's hands, presenting anirnllic of disorder and lack of control by the performer. Let's see

Ilrt,basic handling.

t. - The Separagon

Irrragine you want to separate the red cards from the blackorrt.s lhrm a shuffled deck in use. Hold the deck in left handrh,rrling position, face up. The thumb rests on the center of thelogl t:irr'<l's face.

'l'lrt, r'ight hand approaches the deck, with its palm facing you,irr orrlcl to tal<c thc top card, which is pushed to the right by theh,l'l lhrrnrll. Yorr shoultl rest it untlcr thc center "line" thatsr,lliu'lltrs thtr cirrtl's hllvtrs (right urtrkrt' thrr lcft thumb). Noticellrrrt llrt' lrl)lx'r' r'iglrt t'orrtt'r'ol'Llrc citxl is poirttittg "{)11t", and theIowr,r'r'iglrl corrrt'r' is poittlitt11 itl .yottt' pltlnt.

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arag(rn

The right hand grabs the card, moves forward and twists,turning the card upside dor,rm. When the card is face down, theright hand drops it (the card is thrown, not placed) on the table.

The move is repeated with the next card, and executed thesame waywith all of the cards that share color with the first one.The cards will form an unsquared pile on the table.

Whenever a card from the opposite color appears, you willexecute a very similar move. So much so, in fact, that it looksalmost the same to the aucliernr:c cvcn if they'ro loolcing directlyat your hands. The only rlil'k'r't.rrt't. lics in tlrr' position o1'theright thumb, which rcsls orr llrt.r':rrrl's lirt't', sliglrtl.v irlrovc the:Ieft thurnb. (ll'.yorr <livirlc llrr,r';rrrl irr lrrrll'willr rr lrorizorrl;rl lintr,

A book in English: Thr: carrl trirgic ol'Woody Aragon

llrun you would rest the right thunrb on the base of the upperlrrrll). The top right corner of the card should nowbe pointing atllrc right hand's palm.

'l'lrc result of this, after turning the card face down, is that thecrrrrl will form a 90 degree angle with the opposite cards alreadyrk,rrlt. Throw it on the tabled pile.

A Book in English: The card magic of Woorly Arug(rn

After going through the whole deck, changing the gripdepending on the card's color, there will be a messy pile on thetable, with cards pointing in different directions, which no onewill suspect you might have any control over.

While doing these moves, the body should be slightly turnedto one side, and the attention should be focused on the face upcards. The pile should rest at the side of the table, in the"shadow zorre". The reason for going through the whole deckdepends on the routine you're performing. We'll cover someideas later.

Now it's time to pick up the pile of cards. To do so, the palmsof both hands approach each side of the pile, and push themtoward the center.

A book in English: 'l'lrc crrnl nrrrp.ic ol'Woody Aragon

'l.he thumbs approach the nearer side of the pile, while the restol'the fingers grab the far side.

lnsert your thumbs under the pile and slide them forward,grabbing the pile with both hands, and hitting the table with thekrwor side in a squaring motion.

l

t A llook in English: The card magic of Woorly Arirgr'rrr

You will be automatically holding 2 intenr'yovcn packets ofcards. Black cards will be in horizontal position, iurcl reds in a

90 degrees angle. Your fingers should rest over the backs,covering the front angle.

Keep your left hand's fingers still. Your right index finger willpush the vertical facing cards to the left as you hit the table withthe deck (repeat the squaring action a couple times). This willleave you with z groups of cards, red and black, forming art "L"shape.

A book in Englislr: l'lrc cirnl rrupit' ol'Woody Aragon

'l'he Separagon in pictures. Audience view.

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\ lk roh irr linglish: The card magic of Woody Arag6n A book in English: 'lhc cirrtl ru11,li' .,1 Woody Aragon

lr.'t'he unweaving.

You will now unweave the cards. 'I'here are many ways to do so,rrrrrl I use them indistinctly, usllally adapting to the situation Irrrrr in when the time comes.

'l'he direct way.

ll might be the simplest way to accomplish the unweaving, butit is also the one I use most. I am holding the cards in the final" 1," position, after doing the Separagon. I have been looking atllrc thces of the cards throughout the squaring actions. Then Iririsc my focus and look up at the audience, and ask them a"lrlrrrring question". (r)

At this moment, both hands raise the "L", and my left handst'parates the vertical facing cards, rotating them out as theright hand holds the horizontal packet, thus making therrnweaving easier. Then the right hand deposits its cards overllrc ones in the left hand, completing what, in the audience'sr,.ycs, should look like no more than a simple cut.

Son'rctimes, in order to disguise the action a little bit more, Ilirlrlc thc deck and give it "one more" cut (this time for real)orrlo rrry krli hantl. 'l'lrcrr I follow with some "in the hands" cuts.

(| ) r\tt tttrcxpcclcrl r;rrr':,liorr llr;rl lrclps lo rrrisrlrlr,r'l llrr.il ntinrls. 'l'hc Magicol' Asr':utio " l lrr. lil r rrr'l rrlrrl ('orrcr,l rl iorr r rl Nl;r1iir"'

I

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A Uook in English: The card magic of Wootlv Atrrgr'rtt

The biggest problem with this method is tlr:rt s()tttetimes thecards g"iitrct and, if the audience notices it, tlrt'trnweaving ofa group of cards will be obvious- But, even whcn this happens,th6 urrdience won't suspect that you have contt'olled a specificgroup of cards, so as far as they are concernecl, the techniquewitt ititt work miracles because they cannot imagine the cards

you are unweaving are the ones you need, instead of justiandom ones. In any case, because it's the most directunweaving, it is the best to one do, if you apply the propermisdirection.

As you will see, many of the justifications to deal through thewholb deck consist of divination effects, or gags. This makes itquite easy to unweave the cards after a climax, on the offbeat ofan effect, or at the natural relaxation point that comes after aioke.

Hindu Shuffle unweaving.

This method is more doccivirrg tlt:rtr tht'1ll'trviotts ottt', [ttt it has

the disadvantage 0l' sliglrtlr, ;rllr.r'irrg lltt, otrlt't' ()1' ottt' ol' thcpackets. Yorr will go llrrorrl,,lr llrc s;ttttc ltt'liotls rts itt lllr'<lit't't:lupwcirvi,,g llrrl,;rl'lt.r'r'ollrlirrtq llrr,r'r,t'l ir':tl lritclit'1,;tttrl t't'slirrg tlrt'

A book in English: 'l'hc crrltl ltlit,'it'ol Woody Aragon

Irot.izontal one in the left hantl, thtr right hand continues theirr.liorr by giving its packet a llinclu shuffle. The whole move

,lisgrrises flr" ,ri*"uting as an action between squaring and

1,i,'i.ing up the deck, and the start of the Hindu shuffle'

l(r,st0r.irrg the order of the deck is quite easy, as_the lower halfr,, irl't'irrly itt order, a,d the upper half has only been cut a few

Ittrtcs.

t lsirrg tlrt"llrjtrnrph shuffle.

You will ont:c itgait-t start in the Separagon's final "L" shape' As

tlrr, r.iglrt lrrrnrl 1:sts 1ln the horizontal half, keeping it.still (and

,,1,,,, ,1,',v,,r'irrg thc bacl<s of the cards with its fingers), the leftllrrrrrrlr will rlotitlt,, in st-nall groups, all the cards in the verticallr,rll rrrrlil lrof tr lralvcs lool< the salne way, resembling the look ofir rlr,r,li rrl'lt.t'rt ril'llt'slrrrl'flt'.'l'hc t'otation of the vertical half couldl,r. rIrrrt' irr .irrst ot)(' nlovc, lltrt it lgol<s llcttcl'if done little byliil lr,: l'irst r.ot;rlr, llrt, r,;rxls ll(.ilt'('st .yott willr tltt' thtrmb, then thenr,rl ottr,s, lttttl stl ott. 'l'ltis ttttlvt'is ttlrtt't'sittlillll'to the tratural

rrity ll llilliirrli rrgr pilr,ol r,;rrrls rnirr'<l t';tttrl,rtttlY tlvt't'tltt'titlllcr,rrrrrl11,1i llrr.":, lrlrlr',.:," irlt.;r ottl 6l lltr,:rptcl;tlot"s tttitttls.

l

A Bool< in English: The card magic o1'Wootl\, ,\ r rrqirrr

Once both halves are in horizontal position, lircirrg cach other,table the cards and you will be in the pcrlirct position tosimulate the squaring of the cards, as in Vcluon's triumph,continuing with the extraction of the carcls hirlclen under theright hand.

Other unweavings.

Once you get to the "riffle shuffle" position, you can actuallydo any kind of false riffle shuffle technique (push-through,etc...) although I don't recommend some of them, as theyreinforce the idea of two halves being weaved in the mind of thespectators. The ideal would be for them to remember only thesquaring of the tabled cards. That is why I prefer the unweavingactions that look like shuffles in which you have supposedlysquared the cards.

3. Justifications.

The Separagon is a very deceiving technique, but not exactlywhat I would call fast. That means you need to justifiz, in thebest possible way, going through the whole deck card by card (ofcourse you can apply the technique only to half the deck, or agroup of cards). I have found several possibilities.

Looking for a chosen card, which you previously forced.Simulate memorizing the whole deck.After a fake memorization, revealing the cards by namingthem one by one (for example, if the deck is set inmemorized stack order) leaving the card(s) you want tocontrol in perpendicular position at the same time.Showing the cards to a spectator, and telling him to thinkof one, to be found Ial"er.You can also do the latter as a gag. Set a card with adifferent back as an open prediction, stating that the cardthought by the spcrt'trrtor will nratch yotrr' prccliction.After going throtrglt llrc wltolt' rlt'r'l<, tlrc tlrorrglrl ol'carclis nunrcrl :rnrl tlrt'rr yorr slrow vorrr'plr'<licliorr, wlrir'lr Irrrrrsorrl lo llt' ;r lrllrrrl' l;rcr. rvillr llrc w,olrl:; "\'( )lll( ('Altl)"

A book in E,nglish: l'ltc t'rrrrl ttt;r,tr' rtl Woody Aragon

written on it. You could lrlso rrsc the classic "52in 1" gagcard, or use a joker ancl statc that the joker can substituteany card...

l') If using a borrowed deck, yott can count the cards, just tornake sure the deck is complete.

Wlrt'rr I showed the technique to Juan Tamariz, he told metlr;rl going through the whole deck in front of the audience could,'rrrl rrp lreing quite boring. That is why you need to be very,:rrr,l'rrl with your script for this moment, so as to make theIrlr)('(,ss interesting. In any case, Juan proposed an idea forgrr r,sr,nling the Separagon anytime, any"where in an entertaining\\;l\'.

'l'lu'r'r' lrrdience members select a card. You should know therrlr,rrlil.y ol'the first two cards in advance (either by a peek orl,r't't,). Whcn returning these to the deck, make sure that theIrr:,t crrrtl goes in position L4to 2+ and the second one 30 to 40.l'lrr' '1"t t'irrtl (which could be signed) is either palmed or lapped,nr ;rlr,lxrnrti<ln fbr a "card to impossible location" effect (card torr,rllr,l, r';tt'tl box...)

Yorr will now go through the deck, with the excuse of lookinglr rr llrc st'lt't'tior-rs, and execute the Separagon, as you supposedly,lr',r';rrrl llrt' non-chosen cards. Ask the spectators to show youllr.rl lrcsl "pol<cr'f,ace", so that they don't give you a c]ue as tonlrrllr r';rltl is thcirs. Nevertheless, you find the first selectionrur(l ri(,1 il rrsitlc. Continue with the Separagon, and you manage1,, l,r';rlc llrt'sct'ond card. There is only one left, and youirrrnuun('(' llr;rl .yorr arc going to find it... but, after going throughllr. rr,lrolr. rlccl<, thcr citrcl is nowhere to be found. Then show ther rrrr I lurs lrrrvt'llt'tl Io .yottr pocket...

llrr:r rvrry, llrt' St.lxrnrgon stops being just a "technique" andlrlr'onru; ;rrr t'xt'ilirtg trirrl<, witlt effercts distributed during the,'lr,rlr"'1loirrg llrrortglr tltt'tlct:l<" l)r'(x'('ss, ittt:l'easing suspenselllrrrr' ;rrt'li'rryr'r';rrrrl li'lvct'r'rtt'rls lt'f'l llirltt wltit'lt yotl can get the, llr'l iotr ), irntI lr r;trr';rri:litrg t'litttttr.

a)b)c)

d)

e)

l

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arirgrin

4. Alternate handlings

THE RIBBON SPREAD

It might seem impossible, but before squaring the cards, youcan actually ribbon spread the deck on the table. This helps toenhance the apparent lack of control, without really altering the9o degree angle between the two groups of cards.

Simply spread the cards to your right, with your right hand, ina slight curve, as you can see in the picture. You can make aremark, depending on the justification you used for goingthrough the cards face up, or on the trick you are performing.But you have to refer to the deck. I mean, if you do it and say"These are all red-backed cards...." You justify the spreading ofthe cards.

Then gather the cards, just as explained in the description ofthe Separagon, with both palms pushing the deck from its side,only this time they both close the whole spread and square thecards.

A book in English: Tl.re clrl nutliic ol'Woody Aragon

s l,l l,A t(AGON To T.P.c.

'l'lrr, lirrrndation of this technique, placing the desired cards inpr,r'pr.rrtlicrrlar position with respect to the rest of the deck,rrrirkr,s it llossible to combine the Separagon with the T.P.C.('l'rrrrrirriz's Perpendicular Control), which is described in detaillrr Sorruta (t)

(lr llrlotrgh the Separagon, leaving the whole deck with its'rlrnll sitlt' krol<ing at the audience, and the four aces (I will usellrr,rrr irs irn cxanrple of controlling four cards) in perpendicular

lruriiliorr.

,'\llr,r'grrrslring thc side of the deckwith the palms and squaringllrr,"pilr," ol't::rrcls, the thumbs do not go under the deck.Irrrlr,rrrl, us(.your right hand's fingers to do a similar squaringrrrlinrr orr llrt'slrot't sitlcs of the deck, while picking up the deckrrlrl l'('lilirrg il orr llrt' l'irtgtrt's ol'thc lcrl't lrart<1.

( t | .ltrttt'l'itttt:tt iu. Sttttttltt. l'rrlrlislrcrl lrt lrt;tl.r,ott 11,,1;li5;, 1t)r)o.

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arlgrirr

Now you will seemingly square the deck, but what reallyhappens is that the left hand's fingers will reach for the ends ofthe cards in perpendicular position, and push the rest of thedeck to the left. Meanwhile, the right hand covers the right sideof the deck, where the aces are sticking out.

Now the right thumb pushcs the top car<ls ol' the deck,spreading them to thc riglrl, lhtrs covcling tlrc t:arcls inperpendicular position.'l'lrt' r'iglrt lrirrrrl tlkcs tlrc sprt'irtl, f irrgcl's

A book in English: The caltl rrrirgic ol'Woody Aragon

rrrrtlcrneath the deck, getting to Lhe same position as in anlrrrrrlard T.P.C. for several cards. F'rom this position, you canuH(, illly of the applications Juan Tamariz developed for hislr.r'lrnique. I recommend having the cards to be controlled inllrr, krwer half of the deck, so as to make the spreading easier.

'l'lrtr advantage of this combination of moves is going directlylu llru "f.P.C. spread from a shuffled deck, without having tor,r'nrclr tbr the 4 aces only to o'lose" them again in the deck.

6. - 'l'hc psycholory behind the Separagon.

'l'lrrrru are several techniques that allow you to separate cardsIrurrr l shuffled deck: Harry Lorayne's "The Great Divide",llolsirrzcr's Cull, Lennart Green's "Angle Separation"... TheSr,pru'irgon has fundamental differences from all of them, and as

',rrclr, llrcsents advantages and disadvantages when comparingll lu lltcnr.

I llrirrl< the main disadvantage is the need for a table, whichh'xsr,ns lhc Separagon's versatility. Another inconvenience is therlrn'rrlion of the process of going through the cards, due to thernng(,ol'the motions implied, it takes more time than thelr,r'lrrritlttt:s of Lorayne and Green, and even more than the timerrlx'nl in t:ulling.

'l'lrc rrtlvirntlges, though, are the psychological aspects of whatI ltr tttttlicnt:c sees.

ljlrsl, tlrc othcr techniques have a hidden secret action, andllrux lrrrtl lnglcs that you need to cover (cards sliding and joiningr,nllr ollrcr scclctly under a spread, packets of cards that need toLruk rrs tlury are squared, when in reality they are not...). InHr'pru'rrgon, what tlte audience sees is exactly what is happening:l'uu't'r, llrruwing carcls in an unsquared pile on the table. Theluyr,t'i1rl{ plint:illlcs (r) arc thus built into thc technique.

ttl 'l'lrr.MnBicol'Au'ttltlttVol.t"'l'lrcSltttllttt'itl('ottt't'Iliottol'Mttgic

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arirg<ilt

Second, the other techniques are all done in the magician'shands, with the deck under his control. On thc contrary, theSeparagon is done on the table. Because the magician does nottouch the cards, the possibility of using sleight of hand is muchfurther from the audience's minds.

Third, the result of the technique is connected to the effects inwhich you can do it: Tricks with hear,y deck stacking. Thenatural look, the seeming lack of concern of how the cards fallon the table, and the visual picture of the unsquared pile on thetable help create the illusion of a totally mixed deck. In fact, it iseasy for the audience to think that, after the Separagon, thecards are further mixed. It is a controlling technique thatconveys a complete lack of control.

And fourth, the extraction of the desired cards is justified bythe action of squaring the tabled deck, and it can even be donewhile the audience is burning your hands (they might thinkthat, instead ofjust squaring, that you have taken the cards thatget in your way and put them on top, but they cannot imagine afull deck control in the 4 or S seconds the squaring actiontakes). In the Loralme and Green techniques, theextraction/unweaving is done from a seemingly squared deck,which makes disguising the technique a little bit tricky.

6. -Apracticetrick.

The first few times you try the Separagon, you will probablyIose control of a few cards. I guarantee that once you master it,it is a too%o safe technique.

You have to be sensitive to the condition of the cards. An olddeck, with cards that "stick" to each other, can give y<-ru

problems. But the most dangerous are freshly opened decks,with cards that slide too much (Aviators, for example). Thedanger is when you throw onrr slip;tery card on lop ol'another,the falling card spins a bil rrl'tr,r' lrrrrrling anrl cntls rrp l;rr,irrg thewrong way.

A book in English: 'l'hc c:rrrl rruq,r( ol Woocly Aragon

ll you're very careful whilc c:xct'ttlirrg thc technique, obviouslyr',,rr rcduce the chances of losiug ittty of the cards. Nevertheless,nr\, ;rtlvice is to do it carelessly, with a total lack of concern, andtlrrrr rnake a correction if you feel you lost control of any card.l(r,rrrcmber what this technique is all about, the "messy" feeling\ ou wilnt to create, and you will realize that if you are toor';rlt'l'rrl about the way you put the cards on the table, you mightlr)nv('.y to the audience that you are purposely arranging theprlr,.

Irr rrrry case, at one point the Separagon will look really goodrvlrr,rr lrructicing it at home, but you might be scared of doing itirr lrorrl o[ a real audience, for fear of losing control of a card.,lrrrl so .you can practice, and start feeling confident, I will showr,rr ;r lrit:l< I've done thousands of times, which I could say is arr,r'sirrn" of the classic Oil and Water plot... but a little

, irrr,liit't'...

A Book in English: The card magic o1'Wootly Alitgrin

Explnittittg lltt Stlttnt,lrttr lrt,/ttl lttt',,,,,,,,,,r,,4it :'lrrtlt i11 Mirtttti('0();)

A book in E,nglish: 'l'hc crrnl tttitliit' trl Woody Aragon

CHEEKY OIL AND WATER

l,ct a member of the audience shuffle the deck. After he (r)p,ivr,s it back to you, execute the Separagon, use any excuse, andrir,l)rrirte the red and black cards.

Arrrrounce that you will now perform "the classic Oil andWrrlt,r'c('['ect", and you are going to take 4 red cards, and 4 blackLI l( 's.

S;rrt,atl the deck, with the faces pointing at you, so as to not letru ry(,n(: glirnpse the cards. Now you will seemingly look for eightr'irnls ol'your liking, what you really do is look for possiblerrrisltrlics in the separation. If you find a black card between therr.rl ont's, take it, and vice versa. You will end up with the deck',r'l)nrirl('(l by colors. Then pretend you're still looking for cards,lrrhirrg rirnclorn ones to complete the eight you need for the oilrrtrrlwitl(.t'.

ll llrcrc wcre more than 4 red and 4 blacks mixed in theuplrosilc gr'oup, correct the whole deck before taking the eightr ir r'( lli .you will use for the trick.

l'lrrcc llrt'rlcck asicle (as far away as possible), and focus yourrrllr,rrliorr on the eight cards you removed from the deck, and,,lirrl llrc l.ypical Oil ancl Water patter, sa)'lng that red and blackr rurls lrirvt' ;r tlill'crcnt density, and thus, just like oil and water,r'\r,u il vou wcilvr) tltcut alternating colors, after letting themr,'il, lltr.y st'piu'ittt' lty lhtrntsclves.

(t) l rvill rr:l'llr,.rrr;rlr, l)r'()noun lirl llrc lr':;l ol lltr lrooli, l'ttt st>t't'y aboutllrrl, lrrrl il':r tttot,'r'ottvctlit'ttl tlr;rtr rvlilirrli lrr'/:;lrr';rll lllt'tiur<'...

ll

A Book in English: The card magic of Woody Arlrgtin

With the cards facing dovrn, set them in recl-black order. Ifyou do this for magicians, you can simulate the actions of anyknown version of the trick, but without really altering the orderofthe cards.

Finally, make a quick move, as if flicking the cards, so that theaudience will think "there, he just did somethtng". Then say"Red and black cards, intertuouen one by one, separate if youlet them rest, so if I do this magic gestltre, uhat uill happen tothem?"

"They seperete" - should be their answer.

"Of course they don't, come on, are Aou kidding me? Hotucould they separate?" Say this as you show the cards are still inred-black order. The audience will laugh at the gag.

"Becettse, as I told you, the cards separate if you let them rest,and these B haue had no rest in my hands... On the other hand,the rest of the deck, that you shuffled yourself, has had plentyof time to rest... and nou red and black cards are completelyseparated!" Take the rest of the deck and ribbon spread it toshow the separated colors.

ADDITIONAL RE,MARI(S:

If the first few times you try the Separagon you don't get itrooyo right, and there are too many mixed cards when you aretryrng to find the red and black cards, you can just do a regularOil and Water trick, eliminating the full deck separation climax.I am sure the experience you will get from the failure will makeyour next attempt successful (and, if it doesn't... just keeptrying!)

This gag is more suitable for rnagicians than fbr layrnen, butyou can perform a couple o1'phitst:s of a stancl:txl Oi1 ortd Waterroutine, and finish with llrt't'lirrrrrlic cf'ltt'l rtl'lt:rvirrg thc fulldeck separatccl by cokrt's. I llrirrl< pt't'lirt'tttilrli tlrc r'l'li't't in thosecon<litiotts is :t gootl firrislr lo ;ttt itttllt'ottt;lltt t'ottlittr'.

A book in Englislr: 'l-lrc cirnl rrurliit' ol'Woody Aragon

SEPARAGON TRIUMPHr\ vcry bold version of the Triumph effect, but with a nice

r,rrrlirrg and very interesting performance conditions. Give therlr,r'k lo someone in the audience, and have him mix the cardslncr, lrgr and face down. Retrieve the deck, peek at one card, andlnrcc it thce down so no one can know its identity. Have themlroh I I lrc fbrced card away from the deck.

Arrrrounce that using your great memory, you will try torrrr,nrorizc the face-up face-down sequence. Tell the audiencerrlrorrl lhc great difficulty of the task, inviting them to rememberil loo. ils you show them the cards.

('rrl rrlrorrl l tlrirrl ol'tlrt' tlcr:l< arrtl rlo lltt' Iirst part of the'ir'prrrrr;iorr witlr il, st,prrrirling Iirct'rr1l irrrrl lirt't'rlown carcls in arli'irrrrrl" pilr, on llrr, lirlrlt', "lwistcrl" irt rlil'li'n'rrt itngles.

l\tlrrtrwltik., y()u (';nl trttnnlllr"'li;tt't' ttp, l;rcc rlowtt, litt't' tt11..."

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Alirgtin

Repeat the process with another third of thc clccl<. Then finishwith the rest of the cards. Ask the audience if thcy were able tomemorize the sequence. They will obviously be lost from thevery beginning. Now ribbon spread the "messy" deck. Everyonewill see a mix of face up and face down cards. Now pause andtake a good look at the spread, saylng that you will now use youphotographic memory to fix the order in your mind. What youreally want is for the audience to register this image in theirminds, so that they will remember it afterwards.

Now say that, if everything was right, you are ready todetermine the identity of the missing card. Name the forcedcard and, immediately after showing it, take advantage of therelaxation after the effect. Close the spread and extract the faceup cards from the face dov,n ones, turn over one of the halvesand square the deck. Then lose the chosen card, in reversedposition, in the middle of the deck. Give no importance to this;it should just seem as if you are gathering the cards to continuewith the memorization effect. Leave the decl< face up on thetable.

A book in English: Tho cllrl trrtgit' ol'Woody Aragon

liocus the attention back on thc clcck, remind everyone that itwrrs litirly mixed face up and fzrcc clown by the audience, andrrrrrkc a magic gesture. Ribbon spread the deck on the table, and',lrow all of the cards are face up, except one. Show that it is,urrcc irgain, the selection.

N( )'l'li: If you are working with a stacked deck, you can startlrv rkrir.rg a riffle shuffle, turning half of the deck over. (Anrr,rrrlrcr of the audience could also do the shuffle). After the real,rlrrrl'l'lu, execute the Wiper Move (a technique I will soonr,rlrlrrirr), and then go on with the Separagon Triumph. Therervill lrc a great feeling of disorder, but the deck will practicallyt r,l rr i rr t ho initial stack (you will only need to return the selectionlrrrrk into place).

A Book in English: The card magic of Woorly Arirgrin

With Maricarmen, my girlfriend, in Firenze(2008)

A book in English: The calrl trrtlitc ol'Woody Aragon

THE WIPER MOVE

l'lris is zl move I came up with while toying with the:illrnrirllon. It can be used an),time you need to seemingly mix a,ilrrr'lir,rl rlcrck, with cards face up and face dovrn, while retainingllrr, irrili:rl order, or if the face up cards cannot be shuffled withllrr, lrrcr,tlown ones: Shuffle Bored, etc...

Yurr slirrt lrom a deck that already has cards face up and facerLrrvn, in lcll hand dealing position. The foundation of thetr,r'lrrrirlrrt. is very similar to the Separagon. The right hand takesrr |r,r'ilil1) 0l' t:ards, with the thumb over them and the rest of thellrr1lr,r's rrrrrlcrneath. The right wrist turns, turning over ther iu rlr;, irrrrl thruws them on the table. The cards will fall slightlyl n,ir l u iu'(.( 1, iurtl turned over with respect to their initial position.

Nnrr', llrt, r'iglrt lr:rrrtl t'ornt,s lxtr:li to tlrt'rlct'l<, ilt orcler to grabrulrllr,r'llr'()ul) ol r';rlrls, lrrrt tlris lirttc licr'pitrli tlrt's:ttttc position

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootlv At'rtgtin

it had after taking the first cards. That is, with the thumbunderneath, and the four fingers on top. Thr: r'r'strlt is that, even

if you turn the cards over again, the cards tut'n in the oppositedirection (now the wrist turn so that the cards Ilove towards theaudience) and fall on another plane, also unsquared, over theprevious ones.

The move is repeated, alternating the direction of the turn(always in a natural way, since the hand is already in the rightposition after throwing the cards it carries).

You can say something like "I'll turn ouer some cards face up,some face down, face up, face dotun.." Actually, you're not1)org, but the truth is, turning some cards in one direction, andthe rest in the opposite one, is the same as turning all of thecards in the same direction.

You simply turn over the whole deck, which stays just like itwas before the move. But the impression you give the audienceis closer to the action of alternating between turning over a

packet and just throwing the next one, as it is, onto the table.

In other words, we want to create the feeling of breaking upthe order, and that some of the cards which were facing up arenow facing down (and vice versa), while others stly with theiroriginal orientations.

A book in English: Thc caltl ttrtp,tt ol'Wttody Aragon

;\r'lrrirlly, if you square the deck and turn it over, you1l ber,rrrrlly in the same situation you were in the beginning.

A Book in English; The card magic of Woorly Arirg<in

In London, performing a trick for Max Mauen's cousin(2008)

A book in English: Tho canl rrurllit' ol'Woody Aragon

CONVEX CONTROLIrr Arthur Buckley's Card Control book, there is an

"r,r1rt.r'inrent" by the name of ConuexedAces which is a multiplenrrrlrol of the four Aces invented by Joe Berg, and based on a\,rtt'v ( )t'iginal principle.

Al tlrc liscorial Meeting, some years ago, a great deal of timet,rrs rlcrlicated to Buckley's book. As I thought the said controllrrrrl nlilrly possibilities, I chose it as the theme for myprr.sr.nlation, and studied the technique for a while, trying tolrpkrnr its possibilities. I hope you enjoy some of my ideas.

('ONVIiXED ACES

llirsl, I will explain the procedure in Buckley's book. It has therrrlvrrttlitgrr of being very safe.

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Anrgrin

The idea is to place the four Aces separaterl in a row on thetable. But before doing that, bending thcrn vertically, bypushing on the long ends (as opposed to thc way you wouldbend them in the classic pop-up ending to an ambitious cardroutine), so that when you lay them on the table, face down, thecards form an arch and the center of the card is elevated abouthalf an inch. This is similar to the classic way to prepare thecards for a 3 card monte routine.

Now grab three cards from the deck, extend them a little, andput them over the first Ace, completely covering its back. Do thesame with the other three Aces.

Rest your left hand's fingers on the left side of the first Ace'spile, the one at the far left side. The Ace will work as a fulcrum,and the right side of the cards over it will rise up.

The right hand will do the opposite action with the secondpile, resting its fingers on the right side.

A book in English: Thr: ciu tl tttit;iit' ol'Woody Aragon

'l'ltr. lwo hands come together, dragging their respective piles,nrrrl grrrshing them into one pile. Done quickly, it seems like thelrrxls in the two piles are being randomly mixed, but the truth1,,, rlrrr. to the elevation of the cards over the Aces, and their bent,rlrrlr., llrcy are now together at the bottom of the new pile.

l(r,pr,irl lhc same action with the third and fourth pile, andllrlrr wilh tltc two remaining piles. You will have controlled thelr rrrr Act.s to the bottom.

ilASI(t 'l't,l,cHNrQUE

I plrrclit'crl this technique for a while, and I realized that mostrrl llrr, linrt.you tlon't need to bend the cards that much (unless

r'uu'r'r. worl<in1i with a deck that is in really bad condition).llrtr'kh.y sir.ys lhcrc should be an inch in the center of the archln,nlr,rl lry llrc t::rrd. Wlren we later press the cards over the Ace,llrr, lolrrl lrt.ight at thc time we "weave" the two piles is r.zllrlltr.r, rrtttl lltitt is not Irocessaly at all. The technique works;u,rlr,r'lly ;rs wt.ll wltctt tltc indil'f'cltrnt c:tt'tls are just slightlylrllllrlr llrrrrr llrc Accs, lrt'r'irttsc tlttt'to llrc lrt'tttl in them, theyarelltr,nttlv cirt'rls conlrtclirrg tltt't'lost'-ttp llirrl.'l'lrt'Accs are the,rrrly lrrttls llrirt "slirlr.''o\/('r'il,:rtrrl ottt'ol'tlrcrrr will lrit tlrc other

\

A Book in English: The card magic of Woorly Alirgrin

one, ending either directly above or bekrw it, but nevercontacting any of the indifferent cards.

If the deck is in good condition, and all of the cards are"straight", I usually do the following. Take the four Acestogether, and bend them, nonchalantly, Ren6 Lavand style. Laythem on the table, forming a line, and place a few cards (they donot need to be exactly three) over each Ace.

The Ieft hand will now approach the leftmost pile, but will notrest on it. Instead, you will place it in a vertical position, so thatthe side of the hand and the pinky contact the table (in a kind of"karate chop" position). The right hand does the same, next tothe second pile.

In a straight movement, the hands get together, and push onepile into the other. The hands barely touch anything but thesides of the cards. You'll see that the Aces still end up on thebottom.

This move is much more natural, and creates a much betterillusion, as it seems as you bardy touch the cards :rt thc momentyou push them together'. 'l'lrt' prrrblt:rn is, if tlrc lrirnrls clo nrrtcome straight at eadr otlrcr', w('r'un thc risli ol'rrccirlcntallypushing an inclil'l'crcnt t';rrrl lx'lwcctt lltt' Accs. ll's ;tt'lttitll.y itu

A book in English: Thc citrtl tttitlr,it' ol'Woody Aragon

r,ns.y rnove, but you will havc to pt'itctice in order to get the"hrrircl(".

(IONCAVES AND CONVEXBS

'l'lrc tact that you do not press on the piles has anotherrrrlvirntage. The non-bent cards will remain straight, and thatirlkrws cluplicating the control with four other cards on the top,lrr,rrl thc opposite way.

l,lrr cxample, imagine we have four Convex Aces, just as I justr,r;rlirincd, and we put indifferent cards on top of them... buttlris lirrrc we deal those cards, one by one. The reason is, the lastlrrru'r'rrrcls are kings, which we have also bent... the oppositerrir\'. 'l'lrc center of the kings contacts the indifferent cards, butllrr, Lrrrg cnds rise slightly over them.

ll wr, lpply the basic technique to the four piles, the result willlrr, llrirt thc four Aces will be controlled to the bottom, but alsollrr, lirrrr l(ings will end up on top.

,I'IIIq I)IRECTPUSH

,\ r;rrit'licr ernd "cleaner" way of controlling the cards, althoughir lillh, lrit riskier, is not to push the piles together one by one.llr rLrirrg the basic technique, but pushing the leftmost pile,rllrrirrsl tlrc rightmost one (that is, pushing piles r and 4 intor,nllr ollrt.r'), and letting them push the two in the center... itrr nt'lis loo!

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arag(rn

In this case, the feeling that you have no control whatsoeverover the cards is even greater: Four piles are pushed andshuffled into one, are you barely touch the sides of two of them.

CONTROL PLUS I-APPING (ACES TIIROUGII TIIErABLE)

I had the idea of combining the convex control with lapping,taking advantage of the fact that after the control, the four Acesare on the bottom of the pile, and still bent, creating a "bridge".The use of misdirection is directly taken from Gabi's switch, oneof the deck switches I use most, which I'11explain later on.

I use this combination for a super-fast and direct version ofAces through the Table. The Aces could be signed, but I neverbother.

Do the convex control (it is preferable that you use the directpushing method) and square the pile. The hands rest on it, inposition to do a tabled shuffle, thumbs on the inner long end,first fingers on top, and the rest of the fingers on the outer sideof the pile. But you will not take it. The right hand stays inposition over the pile. The lclt hand riffles the carcls, until thereare only four or five lcft.

A book in English: Thc clrrl rrrirliit' ol'Woody Aragon

'l'lrc lclt hand grabs those few cards and takes them to our leftahlt,, r'irising them to your eyes level. Follow that pile with yournlglrl, wlrose face will be flashed to the audience for a moment,lrrnl lrt'lirrc the left hand repositions it back to standard dealingprrxilion. '['urn your whole body to the left, focusing all of therrllr,rtliort on that pile.

Mr,rrrrwhilc, the right hand will slide its pile to the border ofllrr, lrrlrlt, antl, due to the bridge created by the convex Aces, theyrvlll rrlrrrost lap themselves. The right hand continues itsrnovr.nrcnl, placing its cards over the ones in the left hand andIrrrrrrr,rliirlcly starting a Hindu Shuffle, as you say "We'lI mix ther rl'rls lltis ttt<t!j, so that the Aces are lost euenfurther".

A Book in English: The card magic of Woorly Allgrin

Then, always following the cards with your eyes, place the pileback in the center of the table, once again directing our bodyand focusing the attention on the pile in the center. The righthand presses on the pile four times, as the left one goes underthe table, taking the lapped aces on the way.

A book in English: Thc cuxl rrrirl-iie ol'Woody Aragon

GABI'S DECK SWITCH'l'lris is the way I present one of the most direct deck switches I

llrow. I have been using it continuously since its creator, Gabil'lr'(,r'ns, showed it to me, and gave me permission to use it andlr,nch it (it was previously published in my A la Carta). Thisr,wllr,lr wisely applies misdirection at its best. You start with therh,r,k you want to switch in your lap. The magician is going torlrow his audience the different wavs to shuffle a deck of cards...

"'llris r.s lltc ouu'lturttl slnqffle, otTe ntore often used by thosetuut litntilitu' tuilh pluqirul cur(ls..."

'l'ltr,rlt,r'k is slrrrl'llt'rl itt tltu ttticltllc ol'lltt'tlhlc. You shouldbehrnlrlttg rrl il, so llrirl tlrt' 'ru(li('n(:(!rs itllcttliott is t:t'ttlttt'ctl <ln it.

Show the aces areAces from under thethrough it.

not in thc pile anymoro. 'l'ake the fourtablc, slrowirrg they hirvt' ;xrsscrl right

ll"-

A Boo[< in English: The card magic of Wootly Alag6n

"There's ako the Hindu shufJle, ushich consrsts of letting littlegroups of cards fall, just like thk..."

Turn your body slightly to the left, placing the deck in front ofyour face. Don't take your eyes off the deck, and the spectatorswon't either.

"You cen also shuffle by ctLtting the deck. It can be doneskillfully, using only one hond..."

Perform one or two (llrirrlicr t'rrls. lJccausc ol'lltt'sliglrt turn o1'

thebodyyou <lid llclort', lrrrrl willt llttr cxt'rrsc ol'r'ttllirrg tlrc dec:k

A book in English: Tlrc clnl rtrrgic ol'Woody Aragon

wllh only one hand, let your right hand fhll naturally to your lap,wlrcrc it will grab the second deck.

"t.t., tlou can also... well, you allknou this one, don't'you?"

l,rrrrl< nt your audience, and ask them a blurring question asynrrr lxrrly turns back to its original position. Both hands comelngr,llrtrr, and meet right over the edge of the table. Because yourrt'r, lrnsically crossing the gaze, the audience won't look at yourIrnrrrl. ll's the perfect moment to lap the deck in your left hand,rvlrk'lr will then be taking the bottom half of the switched inrlr,r'lt lirrnr the right hand.

lul

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arag(rn

"Well, Aou can just do a regular cut, just likc eueryone doesat home uhen playing poker..."

The right hand takes the upper half of the deck, brings itforward and, in the act of cutting, the whole body will moveforward. The left hand moves away from the table's edge,holding its half of the switched deck. Your gaze will be directedat the half you just tabled, so that the audience focuses on thespot where the cut will be completed.

"And there you haue it: a deck that's been shuffled in seueralu)aAS, andfinished off u:ith a traditional cut."

Complete the cut, and show your empty hands. You can askthe audience to perform one or two "traditional cuts", shouldtheywish to.

As you will see, no one will remember that you hid a handbeneath the table's edge, or even that the deck approached it,since in their minds, they will fuse the action of the Charlier cutand the regular cut into one smooth motion.

A book in English: The carrl tnrtliic ol'Woody Aragon nre

THE BREATHER CRIMP

Surrrc of the tricks in this book use a breather crimp("Mrrvt.r'icft" is based mainly on it). I will now explain it, andglvl you some of my ideas and "tips" about this marvelous,rt tlrlr,t'l'ttgc.

'l'lrr, lrrcather crimp is a technique that Dai Vernon importedIrurrr tlrtr world of gambling (t). I usually have one card with alrrr.rllrt.r'crimp in my deck, as you can use it to your advantagervlrr.rr nt.trrlcd, but it does not interfere the normal handling ofI lrr, r lr,r'l< wltcn not in use.

Hlt,lrlrr,rr Minclr, 'l'lttr Vcrrron (llrrorrir:lcs voltrtU'/.

r. L&1, Publishing,

I

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arag6n

To install a breather crimp on a card, grab it face down,pinching its center with the left hand fingers. Press with yourright hand at the same point, thumb on top and first and secondfingers on the bottom. Push hard with your right thumb on thespace between the first and second fingers, which should beslightly separated. Drag your fingers in a diagonal line, from thecenter of the card to the lower right corner, creating a small'otrack". Rotate the card and repeat the process with the othercorners. You will end with an X-shaped mark in the card'ssurface.

The crimp is almost invisible, and the card will almost stay"breathered" forever. From now on, sensing by touch, it will bequite simple to cut the deck so that the crimped card ends up onbottom.

In its original form, the crimp was done with the card face up,so that the card would end up on top, but I prefer to do theopposite (a "reversed crimp", so to speak). It is alsorecommended to use a picture card for the breather crimp, asthe complexity of the drawing helps further hide the crimp ifsomeone were to look directly at the card.

When I create a stack, I always try to place my crimped card atthe last position (the one at the bottom) so that the spectatorscan cut as many times as they wish, but I can still return thestack to its initial order by quickly cutting at the crimped card.Obviously, that card is also the 5znd in my memorized stack (ifyou Aronson's or Tamariz's stack, placing a crimp on the 9D willbe of great help if you later want to instantly return to the deckto its natural order).

If I don't have a crimped card in the deck, but I want to useone later, I have a method for doing it in front of the audience,in a way that flies right by them. I perform a quick ambitiouscard routine, ending up with the popular bent card ending (see"The Pop Up Card" in Expcrt Card Technique). Then,without making any conrnt.rrl, I .just take thc sclection anc]install a breather crinrp orr il itt ll'otrt of evcr'.yorrc. As the carclhas bccn bcnt lt llrt' r'rrrl ol' lltt' last cl'li'r't, lltr. ittttlicncc

A book in English: The caxl nrirliic ol'Woody Aragon

1rr,t'r'r'ives this as a normal action lix' r'cmoving the bend in thelrrrrl, As far as they're concerned, I am iust straightening out thellu'rl, so that it ends up just like the rest.

ll'thc deck is borrowed, and belongs to a layman (I don'trrttggust you to crimp your fellow magician's cards), don't betvot't'itrtl by the fact that he might notice the crimp when youy,lvr. lrinr back the deck.

tI"

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arag6n

ln Manhattan, u)ith one of my far)orite young magicians: the greatHelder Guimardes. I loae this guy... andhis family!

(200e)

A book in English: The caltl rrrirliit: ol'Woody Aragon

THE BROKEN CORNER(Gard to Wallet)

'l'lris is an idea that combines technique with perceptivelllrrsion, creating an effect that has all of the advantages ofrrxirrg a duplicate card, but which can be performed with as'r'grrllr deck, anytime, any"where: the card you'll use is not arlrrprlicate, but it looks like one. The only problem is, you can'trhr it with a borrowed deck... unless the ovrner doesn't mindyurr lrrcitlcing his cards!

Wlrcn I started toying with this idea, I used it in the contextul rrrr rrnrbitious card routine. But over the years, I've applied itIrr rrrrrrr.y other routines, such as Peter Kane's Elongated Ladyrrr lfrrrrrcis Carlyle's Homing Card. As I want to explain thisirL,n in the context of a trick, here's a version of "Card to.Wnllcl", which is one of the most direct ways to use it. But,qlrnrrltl you want to, you can easily adapt it for the routine youwnttl lo llurfbrm.

,loxt, (}rrroll, in his "Conflicts" article (r), said that a way to;4,lvr, rrroru clrama to "Card to Impossible Location" tricks, is to1r'r,Hr,nl lltc obiect (where the card will be) when the audiencelrlllr,vt.s tlrc card has not yet "travelled". A classic examplewurrlrl llc

1 1 ) ,losr. ( lrrlroll, 52 l,ovt'rs. lit'rtl<sott ll x rks, trtlltl.

Ir.

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arug(trl

Ring to Ringbox, in which the spectator belicvcs that he's stillholding "the ring" inside a silk (in reality, it's.iust a duplicatesewn on the inside). We'll use a similar ruse here.

Start by controlling any B to the top of the deck, followed bya 7 of the same suit. It's very easy to do this impromptu, byusing a cull. Use any kind of "stop" force (eg, riffle force), sothat you can use a double lift to show the spectator the 7 as his"selection".

Grab the deck so that the middle pip of the 7 is at the upperhalf. Ask the spectator to sign the face of the card, indicatingto sign right at the blank space under the middle pip. Don'tmake a big deal of it, just indicate to him where to signmarking the spot with your fingers.

Tell him: "Well, this signature means anAone can tell rhis rsyour card... if ute look at its face. But if you look at the back,you won't be able to tell uhich one is your card. Let me makeit easy for eueryone to keep track of it..." Grab the doublewith your left hand, being very careful so that the cards stayaligned. Then tear what looks like the upper index corner ofthe 7, actually tearing both the 7 and B corners. You will be leftholding a double card with a missing corner in one hand, anda "double corner" in the other one.

The first written reference for breaking a double card thatI've found is in Edward Victor's Further Magic of theHands (tg+6). He held the card vertically, with its facelooking at the audience. My grip is a little bit sturdier, but verysecure. I hold the card at a horizontal position, and keep theface towards me. The double card is kept squared with thefingers of the left hand, as you can see in the picture. Holdingit this way makes it impossible for the cards to lose theiralignment. And, even if the grip might look a little bit weird, itis justified by the "weirdness" of what you're doing: tearing thecorner of a card.

A book in English: Thc cirrrl nritlitt' ol Wottcly Aragon

As soon as you finish ripping the corner, the hand that holdsllrr,rkruble corner goes to the pocket, as if you were going toplrrct, the card inside. Quickly dump the "rear" corner (the B'slrrrk.x) arnd, pretending to change your mind, take therr.rrririning corner out, and hand it to a spectator to hold.

l'lrrcc the double card, face up, on top of the deck, andr,rr.r'lrlc a double turnover. Push the top card (the eight) aboutirrr irrt'lt t<l the right, covering the torn corner of the 7.

( irnb thc top card with your right hand, in order to place itnn llrc table. The left hand wrist kills", turning palmrlowrrwirrcl as it takes the pen, or the card box, and places ituvr,r' l lrt' t:arcl you just tabled.

'l'rrl<r. llrc tlcck fhce up in your right hand and place it back onvorrl k,l'l hancl - readjusting the deck (turning it 9oo) so thatllrr. lorrr (:onrer firces you. It will be in the perfect position forl'I'rlrrirst"s lrottom perhn (although any other bottom palm willrvurk ).

Allct' p:tltttirrg tlrt' t'ltt'tl, t'cilt:h ittio yttttt' lltlt:l<clt, and Ioad itlnln llrr,w;rllt.t ;rs \'(,lr :r1l1l:tt't'tttlv l;rlic ottl lltt'wlrllct. Place therlirllr,l otr lltc llrlrlr', llrr':tw:tv ll'ottt llrc rlt'r'l<, Yott t'itlt ttse the

LL b**

A Book in English: The card magic of Wooily Arag6n

typical patter, sayrng "if this trick fails, I uill giue Aoueuerything I haue in my wallet...".

Once again, take the deck with your left hand, in standarddealing grip. Take the torn card (the B) with your right hand,face down, and insert it in the middle of the deck. Leave abouta third of the card protruding, so that the broken corner canclearly be seen.

Take the broken corner of the 7 from the spectator. Tell himthat, no matter where the card is, it can be quicldy identifiedbecause the torn corner will only match that particular card.Keep showing the back, and place the torn corner close to theB. The card will not fit exactly, of course, since it doesn'tbelong to the same card. But, since the two cards will havebeen ripped off at the same time, the tear will be very similar,and if you keep them at the right distance, it will look as ifboth pieces belong to the same card.

Now you will raise the deck, so that everyone can see the faceof the card. Move the torn corner along, keeping its "place" inrespect to the torn card. Tht' scnsory illusion will be perfect(remember the brain lcrr<ls lo "llll in" thc rrrissirrg parts of a

picture). It will krol< rrs il'vorr'r'r'r'lcirrly slrowirrg llrr, 7.

A book in English: The carrl nrirllrt' ol'Woocly Aragon

l(r.turn the deck to a horizontal position, place the tornlonror back on the table (being extremely fair so that no onelrrrr suspect a switch) in front of the spectator, and push ther'rrrrl tll the way into the deck, losing it completely. You can,ilrrrl'l'lc the deck, if you wish. Then place the deck on the table,Irrcr, rrp, turning it so that the broken corner ends up facing\'oil.

l)o the magic gesture of your choice, or follow with yourlrn,lirrred patter for a card to wallet effect. Spread the deck to1'orrr right. The broken corner will be covered by the spread,rrrrrl lhc B will now act as a double index card. Its remaininglrrrk,x will show, allowing you to invite the audience to look forl lrr, r'ir rcl in the spread. Tte T will have seemingly vanished.

l,r,t lhc spectator open the wallet himself, and find the

',i1.,,rrt'tl selection inside. Let the spectator keep it, and checktlrrrt lhc corner fits (it will nowbe a perfect match).

N(lw you only need to find the broken 8, an easy fit if youlnkr, irrlo account that you can locate the torn corner by simplyrilllirrg lhc inner corner with your thumb. You can ditch itu:rinH,.your favorite method, or use it to present al\lrrlkr/l,trl)aul style torn and restored card.

bIt-

A Uook in English: The card magic of Wotttly Arag6n

Performing "Window Shop Magic" in MAGIALDIA! The one and

only conztention in Vi toria-Gasteiz.(2010)

A book in English: Thc crrnl rrr;r1'rt ol Wootly Aragon

MY ANTI.FARO

'l'lrr,r'r, are two moves that people usually refer to when,,1,,.rrliirrg of an "anti-Faro". One is the sleight created by Finnishnrrrf,,i('iiul Christian Engblom in which, just by springing ther rr r r ls, thcy end up in alternated injog/outjog positions, just likellrr'1' ;11'f at the moment before pushing the two halves of a Farol,1,,r,llrr,r' after weaving the cards. When my good friendt'lrrisli:rrr showed me the sleight at the meetings of Escorial,l,rrlk irr 2oo2,I thought it had to be one of the most impressive,rrrrl rlil'l'it.rrlt sleights in card magic.

l)n nr)l wony, we will talk about the other definition of "anti-l,un" in lhis section. The idea of using the mathematicalIrrr,lr(.r'lics <ll'the Faro shuffle, doing "reverse Faros" by dealingllrr,r';rrrls inlo two piles (a simple anti-Faro). Because the anti-Lr ,

' :ilrul'll(' will appear in many of the tricks of this book (in the.l'ruo Slrrrl'llt: and Factorial Dealing" article, and in the tricksllr,rl ttsr, lltt' "l)crmanent Deck" principle), I will show you myrrrr\ r,l goirrg througl-r the procedure, which is also valid for anylrtlh llrirl rrscs an anti-Faro (Redivider, by the great Maxllirlt,n, is ir lrool< cntirely composed of tricks that use this1,r, rlr,rlrlt'r,).

llrl lilsl llring .yorr slroulcl know is, if the number of cards is| \r,1. \'ou cirtt'l t'rrl llt'lwtrt'n liarrls. llrrt, il'thcc:ardsareodd,youlrr rlrl its ln:lny lirrrt's;rs.yorr witrt[. So, il'tlrc tlick I want tolrlrlnrrrr t'r'rltrircs ;ln ('\/('n ttrrtttltt't'ol'r'lrt'rls, I trstritlly add an, ,, lrrr lin'rl, willr ;r r isilrlc rruu'l< or rr crirrP orr il, so lltitl I cir-t, ,r ,tl\ ,lpol ;rrrrl r'(,nrr )\'r' il rrsinli ;ln\' ('\('u:i('.

l8.r -

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly Arag6n

That means we start in this situation: There's a group of cardsthat can be dealt into two piles, then gathered by placing eitherpile on top, cut, and dealt again... instead of simply doing this, Ilike to use an idea by Ram6n Riob6o for a kind of perceptivefalse cut, which works perfectly in this situation. Actually, thiscut conveys such an image of fairness that I don't think it'snecessary for the spectator to deal the cards in piles. I eventhink it's detrimental. I let the spectator cut the cards, but I dothe dealing, since it's something I have experience with. I have agood pace and I can do very quickly, something I think isnecessary in tricks that use these kinds of processes. Here is thewhole procedure:

r.- I quickly false shuffle the cards. If the pile is not too big, thenthe Charlier shuffle is an ideal choice.

z.- I let the spectator cut, and complete the cut.

3.- I stress the fact that I'11 start dealing on the card that thespectator cut to. I then deal the cards into two piles.

4.- There are now two pilcs on lltc table. I let thc s1-rcr:tator freelychoose one, and asl< Irirrr lo t'rrl llrirl pilc.

A book in English: The canl nrrrgic ol'Woody Aragon

h, I lll<e the other pile, and place it on top of the one he just cut(uvr,r' lhe former top half) with a slight diagonal jog. Then I say" ttu,ll, und the other pile..."

rr I lrrl<t: the remaining, bottom half of the pile cut by the,,ln'llrlor', and place it over the unsquared pile, aligned with thelrullunr hrrlf (the previous top one, now on the bottom). I, rrrlirrr rt. " ..:.:uill be placed right there, in the middle, at the spotrylrt't't' t1ort t:ut to."

' l'lrrrr I slowly square everything. And I finish by saying "...ttrt11t i1's cttrrtPlctelY lost".

ll ll llrt'sllrrctator wants, and the trickpermits it, I go backto,,llJr il"

l'lrr, pr,r't't,1ltivc principle that allows this false cut to work isllrr, ,irun(,irs wlrat makes the classic cross cut force work. Afterllrl,, Ir'olt,ss lhc spcctator f'eels that two piles were made, andllrrrl orrr.ol'llrcrn wirs krst irr thc n-riclcllc of the other, exactly atllrr, lrorliliorr ryl11rrr. tlrtr slttrt:tatol t'rrl. Ilowcvcr, this processr rlrlrl, rr p,r't'irlt'r' irrrllrt'ssiorr ol':r rt';rl irnrl rirrttklrtt rnix than if\ rn r)lrlv rlr';rlt tlrt't';rrrls ittlo lwo lrik's.

t

A Bool< in English: The card magic ol-Wootly At'irg,(rn

lnternntional gala at 4F conoention: Camilo, Bob Sheets, WillyMonroe, me, Luis Otero, Robert Jrigerhorn, Meir Yedid, the late l.C.Wagner, Antonio Romero, Sue-AnneWebster, Tim Ellis and Daaid

lnde.(2010)

A book in English: Tltc t'irtrl ttrt;iit ol Woocly Aragon

THE SWINDLE SHUFFLE

l';rrrl Curry invented a trick ("Swindle Switch", in his bookl'rrul Curry Presents) based on a move that created thelr,r,lirrg of two cards changing order, when that never reallyIrrrlrpcrred. Later, Terry Morgan, a NY magician, used the sametrh.ir (l)aul Curry himself explains it in Special Effects) as arvrry lo seemingly mix a group of cards (he dealt cards to thelrrlrlc, one by one, and the audience could stop him any time,,rrrr I lcll him to "switch" the order of two or three cards).

Wlrilc working on Mr. Morgan's idea, little by little I started torl,'r'r'krp the false shuffle I witl now explain. Although not',rrilrrlrlc fbr a whoie deck, I think it is great for a group of,,,

'rnr,wllcle between r5 and 35 cards.

Slirrl by false shuffling the deck, as you ask everyone in theirrrrlicrrt:c to think of a number between r and 5, inclusive. Tellllrcrrr yorr will ask them for it in a moment. You need to them totlrirrli tlrc rtumber in advance, so there will be no pause in the,,lrrr l'l'lirrg prrrccss later.

'lirlir. tlrt' cleck ir-r Ieft hand dealing position. Ask the first,ilx,('litlor to tcll you [l"re number he was thinking of. Let usirrrrrp',irrc ltc srrys "'l'ltraa".'fake, one by oue, three cards with1,,rrr li1,,lrl lrirrrrl. I)o rtol s(luillc tltctn. lrt tltc itt'tion of counting,r,,rr will r'('v('r's(' llrc cirtrls. 'l'lrt' r'iglrl lt;ttttl titl<cs the cards,,lrlilrllt,sptr';trlitt1,, Iltcttt.;ttttl l:t.ys Iltt'rtt olt Iltt'Itrlrlt'.

l

A Book in English: The card magic of Wootly AI'ag6n

Let's say the next number is also three. I{cpcztt the actionswith three cards, but lay them over the previours group of cards,in a lower, and slightly to the right position.

If the next number is two, count the cards (reversing theorder) and place them on the table, vertically aligned with thefirst group. The picture shows you this third group about to beplaced on the table.

The following group will then be placed in line with the secondgroup, then the next group will align with the first one, and so

on. Keep a quick rhythm, asking numbers and taking cards,tr)rrng to reduce the importance of the actions.

Actually, the only thing you're doing is reversing the order ofthe cards you have in your hand, but the process of taking thenumber of cards you are asked for, resembles the "randomfalling cards" idea that you presented before. You can leave thecards on the table in a carefree way, since as long as the lowercard of the group you deposit touches the upper card of ther

previous group, the order of the cards will not be lost when yousquare them.

Then ask your atttlit'ttt't': "lUlutl lruttrt1tt'ns rulu'tt rlrttt slu{'flc u

dcck o.l' r'rn'r/.s?" Itttilrtlc llrr' ;rr'liott ol'ir ril'llt' slrrtll'lc willt yottt'

A book in English: The calrl rrrirgit' ol'Woody Aragon

f ,rrl)ly hands, and explain "When 11ou rffie the cards,firstfourr'urrl.s will fall, then three on top of that four, then two...rtttxknnly, depending on put"e chance..." This is absolutely true,lrrrl .you are omitting an important detail: That the cards fallrrllr,r'rrltely from the two halves. No one will think about this, as

vrrrr irrrrnediately continue "... end the same thing happens in ant,t|riltuttd shuffle,first three cardsfall, thenfiue, then one..." as\'nu sliu't to mimic the actions of an overhand shuffle.

llrrr't fbrget about presenting the audience this "answeredr;nr,slion". Their acceptance of your definition of a shuffle is ofulur(,sl irnportance, as it will lead them to accept the actionsllrrrl will fbllow as fair.

I ltrn, yorr'vc l'inished with all the cards, the audience will seervlrrrl yorr slroultl cxpect if the process really matched a real riffleelrrrlllr,, 'l'lrt,y will sce a spread of cards after a shufile, which111,r,rlrr lo lrc srlrrlxrtl. Actually, it is a good idea to present thislttrrrp,r, lo lltt'irrrtlicrtt:c irt previotts tricks, after a real shuffle.llrnl will rrrirl<c tlrcrrr tlrinl< thert sqtraring thc spread they aretntv rir.r.irtg is llrc ctprivrtltrttl lo u r:otttlrlclc, rrritl shuffle.

I

A Book in English: The card magic o1'Wottrlv Arirg(ru

This is not the truth, but you will create thc [ccling of it beingso. Before squaring the cards, both as a "Parenthesis ofForgetfulness" (1) and as a way to reinforce the final effect,remind the audience "A deck, uhich u;as randomly mixedbefore, nout mixed by each and euery one of us, by choice... Idon't tuent to touch the cards..." Ask for a member of theaudience to square the cards himself and, if the trick permits it,to cut the deck. Everyone, including the spectator who squaresthe cards, will think the cards are completely mixed.

This is not a shuffle that you can use every time because of thetime it takes to execute, and the direct method it uses. But, atthe same time, those characteristics are precisely what make itan ideal choice when the effect will happen right after theshuffle, and depends heavily on the initial order of the cards(new deck order, coincidence effects, poker demonstrations,etc...)

((1-r'--

rF r 0 Js s * 5

ITIffiKffi W$Kffi ffiffiW ffiffiffiffisg

Revelations5!rner_sKll{s

Divinations and Pneeiiett*msPoker Demomstnati*ms

tL^

(r) The Magic of Ascittri<r Vol. t "'l'lrr, Stlrrctrrr.ltl ('ortct'pl iorr ol' Mlgir

A Book in English: The card magic ol'Woorlv Arag6n A book in English: The cartl rrrrrlqir ol Woocly Aragon

COINGIDENCES with Incidencesl,,lrlrl,lC'l':

\ r k,t'k is shuffled several times, both by the magician and the

'rrrlir,n('c. It is finally mixed face up and face down. Two',r,llllions, one face up and one face doum, are made. Theyare,,lrnrvrr, irrrcl they happen to be mates! Then the cards are dealtIn lrvo llilcs. Once again two cards are selected, stressing thellrrrr.) ll'ccrlom of both choices. Even so, both cards match

'rllrrin, liin:rlly, one of the halves is shuffled again, at the,nrrlitn('("s will. But once again, the cards in both halves match...rrrrrl llrr, ncxI r)nes, and so on with the rest of the deck!

rrl,,'l'l llr:

\rrrurgc llru cleck in a mirror stack (Rusduck's stay stack). Thisnrirnri llrirt tlrc tirst card is the last card's mate, the second onerrrtlrlt(.s llrc sccond to last, and so on, until the last two matesrrrr,r,l irr llrt. t'cntcr of the deck.

tlil,, t'il()t):

'ilrn l lry rkrirrg any number of Faro shuffles (the mirror stackr''lririns, rro nrlttct'how many times you Faro the deck). Do notlltrl',lr llrr. slrrrl'l.lc, llut instead leave the cards half weaved and',lrrlrrrl llrt'ttt ort tlrt: tirlllt:, llces down. IIere I use some of Juanl,rrrru iz's r.vil nrst's lirr thc liaro shtrl'flt. (r) to hide the fact thatlll'r rrt'rlr; ;tt'r'wt';tvcrl ()n('on ortt'. Asl< ;r sllt'r'litlor t<l your left to

rrr llr'rrtlllrlrl rrrrrsir': \,'ol. L Sorr;rlir. liilsl rrrnvr,rrrr.rrl. Slrrrlllt,s. Alrotrt thcItllrt

t&r

W A llook in English: The card magic ol Wootly Arag6n

"finish the shuffle" pushing both halves squar'o, iurd closing thespread.

Pick up the deck and locate the matching cards in the center.Cut the deck at this point. Arrange both halves facing eachother, but one of them face up and the other face dovrn, andpresent them this way to a member of the audience at yourright. "NILU it is your turn to shulfle" say, "but this time some oJ

the cards will be face up and some usill be face dolDn". Ask hinrto shuffle the two halves, but not to square them. (Before it wasyou who shuffled the cards and he who squared, but the script isdesigned so that every,.thing will be mixed in the audience'smemory, in order to create the feeling that both spectatorsshuffled). After the shuffie, tell him to spread the cards, ancl

square them.

At this point of the routine I usually grab the deck and executt'the wiper move, to make it seem that the deck is mixed further',but it is not necessary.

FIRST PHASE:

Spread the deck in yotr lutttrls skrwl.y, ittrcl asl< tltt's1lct:tittot'toyour left to lout'h ittty lltcc rl,,wtt t';tt'tl. llt'will t'ltoost'otttl, :ttt<l

yotr will nlov('.your lt'l'l lr;rttrl lottvrtt'tl itt ot'rlt't'lo lt';tt't'il rltl llrr'

A book in English: Thc curtl lrrrl',i1 ,,1 Woocly Aragon

l,rlrlt,, while the right hand holcls Ilrc carcls that were on top ofllrr, r'lrosen one.

Now you have to peek at what will become the key card: theItr:il lirce down card on top of the selection. It might be the onertglrl on top, which means it will now be the face card of thetlruul) you hold in your right hand, or it might be a few cards,r\vrv. ln this case, after tabling the selection, both hands comelulir,llrt'r'for a second, as if squaring the cards. Then, as anrrllr,r'llrought, the right hands turns over and points to the tabledr irrrl.,.r, irs you say "tuell, you could haue chosen this card, thatt,nt'... ot'uny other card". At this moment, peek at the key card,rrrrrrrorizc it, and turn over again the right hand, so everythinglr rnlis.irrsl the same as a moment ago.

Nlrv you nccrl to locate the face up mate of the key card.ll,r irn:i(,ol'llrc nril'rrrr stacl<, and the fact the two halves wererrrlrr,rl wlrilt' lirt:ing cach other, it cannot be far away from the1,,,r r'irlrl ilsr.ll'. Irr lirt'l, tlrc ncxt l'acc rrp card (the one under the1.,,r lrrlrl's rrurlt.) will lrc thc sclccliorr's nrirtc. You'll now forcelltl'r lirt'rl ott lltt'sllccltrtor lo yortt't'iglrl.

I trrnr;lly ttsc llrc cl;rssic lottt.;rs, il'rlonc cor'r'r'r'llv, il lras altnost,r |tilrrri,:iil('('(,ss r';rlio irr llrr.siltiltliorr \()u t(,in. Sllrrl sllrf'tttling

{a

A Ilooli in English: The card magic ol'Woody Arag6n

the carcls to the spectator on your right, and ask him to touchone, just as yoLl would do in a regular classic force. But, when her

is about to touch a card, you tell him "touch anA card... but ct

face up one". His last sentence warns him not to touch a facedown card, making him hesitate for a moment. Due to timing,he will accept the next face up card (the force card), which iscasually next in the spread...

Leave this card next to the first selection, and put the decliaway. Reveal the first coincidence. Then, isolate the choserrcards together, face up, in the top right hand corner of the table.

SECOND PTIASE:

You will now deal the deck in two piles, separating the face ulrcards from the face down ones.

Say that you will attempt to repeat the feat, but in a differerrtway, trying to use your intuition to make the coincidenct'happen again. When you're done dealing, grab the face dowrrpile, and do a fan with it. Show the faces to the spectator to yorrrleft, so that he can see all the cards are different. Tell him thrrtthere can be no shadow of doubt that he has a free selectiorrShow him the fan, face down, and ask him to touch a calrlWhen he does, cut the fan at this point, again grabbing tlrr'selection and the cards under it in the left hand, and the rest olthe cards in the right. You will once again table the selectiorr.but now, both hands get together, and the left hand deposits it:,cards on top of the right hand ones, thus cutting the pile at tlr,'place of the selection. Then, table the half, taking a peek at tlr.bottom card of the pile as you do so.

The mate of this card will once again be your key card in llr,'face up pile. Take the pile and, as you fan it, explain to tlrr'spectator on your right what lrc will rlo. You will presenL lrirrrwith the fan, just likc you.jrrsl rlirl witlr thc prcvious spccrlirlor'But this tirne all the r:lrrls rlill lrt' l;rcc ttp, so tlurl hc cau st'r' llrlcard that he is r:hoosinli. Ill rvill llrlrr l'r't'r'lv Iorrt'lr ;r t':rrtl irn,l.once itg:tilt, tltt't't'will lrc ir t rirtt'trlrttct'.

A book in English: The carci nurp,it' ol'Woocly Aragon

lrr ,,pilt' of the apparent freedorn that you are giving to the1,r r l;rlor', you will now try to force the first selection's mate on

lrtrrr, lrrsl like before. But this time, instead of using the classicl, r, r', \'()ll will use a different, much more subtle method, whose,r, , ,",:, rlcltends precisely, on having him lose interest in using

lrr lrr,r,rlonl of choice. That's what makes this phase so strong.

\\'lrirl yorr will do is this: When you fan the cards in front ofl,rrrr, l,r'rrlr,the key card. The card to be forced is the one underrl

'trr11 11.;1, .yotrr thumb to "arrange" the fan, and exaggerate the,1rr nrrf,, lrctween the two cards, so there will be a greater

t, n,,r( )n o1' the force card in the fan. Then ask the spectator toI' n(l ir lirrgcr, and touch a card, and mimic the action with

,,lr rr1,,lrl lrirncl. He will follow you with his finger, extending it,,,,1 llrr.rr vorr will slightly reposition your arm so that the forcing,,r,1 1r,,,, r'iglrt in f-ront of the spectator's finger.

\ '1, lrrrrr lo lowcr lris f ilrgt'r'trrrd torrt:h lr c:itld. go%ofthetimeslr' r, lll lurrr'lr llrc otrt' wt' wtrrr[.

\rrrl ;rl llrir; r't'r't'rrrorrcrrl, 1,orr rlill rlinlirrtt'tltr. t:onrpletelr,,,l,trrol rlroicr., lrrrilrlirrti lr.nsiott in olrllt lo ttt;tlic lltt'ttttlst of

ffiffiffiffi1

;

A llook in English: The card magic ol'Wootlv All96n

the effect. Tell him "This card? Are you srtr'<"? Ytsu can touchonother one if Aou Luant. This uill happen tto tttuLter uhich one

Aou choose. This one, that one..."

And the spectator will not change his mind, rnost of the time.Why should he? The previous selection was completely free. Youjust promised him the same freedom as the first spectator. Tomake things even better, the cards are face up, so there can beno doubt that, should he choose a different card, the resultingmate would be completely different. Most importantly, you gave

him the additional complete freedom to change his mind, andyou announced (with total conviction) that the coincidence willhappen no matter what card he chooses. He does not know whatmethod you are going to use to make the coincidence happen,but at this moment in time, he probably doesn't believe thatchanging his mind will make any difference.

Thus, under conditions of total freedom in both spectators'selections, you now reveal a second coincidence, and thatusuaily hits the audience very hard. Even better, you can now go

on to the third phase.

But now, my dear reader, you are probably wondering whatwould have happened if the force faiied, or if the spectatorwanted to change to a completely different card. Don't worry, as

I said before, the force will work perfectly due to the confidencethat you will have in its success. And this confidence comesfrom the fact that, from the very beginning, you know thatNOTHING could go wrong, even if the spectator selected a

different card.

If the force card is not selected, you simply switch to a

different effect, as you are now in perfect position to perforrrone of the possibilities in Eddie Joseph's Staggered: You nevelsaid that the two selections would match. Instead, you told thcaudience that you will use yottr powers of intuition to make surt'that, despite the total Ii'r.t'rloril ol'choice, thcrIc will llc anothcl'coincidence.

A book in English: 'l'ltc t rrrrl rrirl,r( ()l Wootly Aragon

l'r'oceed like this: After thc st't'ontl st'lcction is done, leave itIrrct, up next to the first one, anrl tlo rro[ say they will match. Justirurounce that, after two frec sclcr:lions have been made, yourvill now try to detect where a coincidence might happen. Cutllrr. sccond packet at the point the selection was made.

l,r.;rve it on the table, to the right of the other half, facingrlrrwn, and turn the top two cards face up. go% of the times theyrvill rrot match (if they do, show the coincidence and stop at thispuint). However, the card on top of the left half will be the newhr'1' 1';11'6. Start dealing pairs of cards on the table (the audiencervill scc there are no matches). If there is one, just keep on,lr,irlirrg cards until you deal the key card's match on the right;rrL.. Slop right there.

r\rrrrounce that the coincidence will happen with the next two, ru'rls. l)cal the right halfs top card and show it. Then turn thellll lrirll's top card face up... and show that the two cards do notrrrrrlclr. Show hesitation for a second.

'l'lrt,rr, as if suddenly realizing something, you point out thatllrr r';rrrl cloes not match the one next to it... but it does matchlll'r'lrtl the spectator chose from the face up cards in the fan.Ilril coirrcidence is a double one: If you stopped at a black king

' rn, l rr rt,tl nine, the two selections will also be a black king and ei

r ,'r I rrirrr.! l)ut the four cards together; face up, over the matchingr irrl:i l11)lll phase f.

( i;rllrcr thc cards. One of the halves will remain the same (the,l,',rll r';u'tls are taken together and added face dovrn, to the pile).l lrl ol lrr.r' half will be cut at the point you stopped dealing (turnllr,, rlr.;rll t'itrcls lace dor.rm, then take the rest of the pile and droprl 'rn lol)).'l'hus, each halve is, once again, in reverse order toIltr' uIltr,t'ottc.

I llllil) l,llASI,]:

l'r,ll orrt'ol'llrr,s;rccllrlols llrirl, lirr llrr. l;rsl t'oirr<'idcnce, one ofllrr lrrlvr.s will lr,':;lrulllcrl,;rnrl Ilrt'ollrcr rryill lit,t.p its current,,rrlr't ,\slt lrirrr lo poirrl ;rl llrr'lrilc lr,'rr';rrrlr; lo lt;rvt'sltrrltflccl,

A llool< in English: The card magic of Wootl.y Arag(ln

and table the other one next to him (if you wAnt, you can askhim to put his hand over the pile, so that it is even moreimpossible for you to change or modify the order of the cards).

After false shuffling the other half, announce that now"eueryone toill participate" in shuffling the cards even further.Execute the swindle shuffle, as previously described.

Gather the "mixed" half, and hold it in your right hand, faceup. Ask the spectator to give you the other one, taking theunmixed half face up in your left hand. Everyone will see thetwo face cards match. Pause, and let the image register in theaudience's minds. Then push both cards with your thumbs, anddeal them on the table. Two matching cards will be, once again,at the faces of the two halves. Be careful so as to stop for amoment, keeping your hand still, every time you show a newpair of cards, so everybody can see the total coincidence. Startdealing cards, two by two, until you run through the whole deck.

ADDITIONAL REMAITI(S:

This is lny vcl'siorr ol'llrl cl;r:lsic coint'itlt'ttcc t'ottlittt'lxtsctl ort

thc ntit't'ot'sl;tt'l< (r l.;r Nllrrlirr Nltslt's Ottttlitttt). I rlcvt'lrlllt'rl il

A book in English: Thc crrrrl nr;rl'r(' ol Woody Aragon

nrrurv /€&rs ago, in an atternpl to :ulupt the three phases oflirn;u'iz's Total Coincident:c [o a singie deck, whi]eIrrlor'porating my own techniqucs and handling. I chose toIrrllrrrlt: this routine for two reasons. Not only do I think it is a1',,r,rl lrick, but it also combines several of the techniques that,rrl cxltlitined in this book.

It

w A llook in English: The card magic of Wootly Arag6n

I don' t know why they are trying to make me look handsome, rohen

that's impossible.

A book in English: The canl nurltrt ol'Wrlocly Aragon

THE CHEERLEADER

l'lris is one of my many approaches to the spelling effect. Thisl rrrlirrtr s)mbines several effects, joining them into a solid block,rllllr llrtr advantage that everything apparently happens withoutllrr rrrirgician touching the deck.

l,llrlrl,lcT:

l'lrr. rltrc:l< is divided in four piles. A member of the audience, lrooscs one of them, shuffles it, and freely thinks of a card inllrrrl grilt'. [[e loses the card in the deck himself, and then cutsllrr, rk'r'l<. 'fhe magician asks him to spell his selection, dealing,rrr,('ru'(l on the table for each letter. At the end of the spelling,I I rr',ir,h.r'tt:rl card appears.

t't I ti st,:'r-uP

l'lris llit:h needs a small set-up, but it is very easy to prepare,n llrr, l'|.y. .lust look through the deck for rz non-diamond cardsr\,lrrrrr1, virlrrcs ure 4, S, g, J or K (these values spell with fourL,lllls), 'l'lrosc go on top of the deck, and right under them,1'lrrlr, rr r';rrrl with a normal breather crimp (unlike the one I,h,,,r'r'ilrcrl lrcrlirrc, crirnp the card on the face, so that it will be onlrrp rvlrr.rr .yorr t:rrt t<l it).

Iutr slrorrltl lx. irlrlt' 1o idcntify thc r:r'inrpecl card at a glance.It,,trirllY v(,lr ('iul t':rsil.y tlistinguislt ir t'r'irttlrt'rl clrtl by looking atll ,lrirr'1,, lrrrt il'y()lr'r'('irr rlorrlll,.yolr (';ul lrr;rt'li it snritll pencil dot

lL

A tlook in English: The cartl tttrtgic ol Wootlv Allg6n

on the card's back, or uncrimp one of th() ('ot't)('t's (leaving a veryeasy to spot crease on the card).

METHOD

Start by cutting the deck into 4 piles. First, cut to the lz cardgroup (with the aid of the breather crimp) and leave it in thecenter of the table. Overhand shuffle the rest of the deck,transferring the crimped card to the bottom of the pack. Cut offabout a third of the packet, and put it to the left of the first one.Leave the rest of the deck on the right, and then cut a fourthpacket, placing it further to the right. After this, there will be 4aligned piles on the table, from your point of view, left to right:Pile A, with indifferent cards; Pile B, with the rz-card setup; PileC, with the crimped bottom card (I left it face up in the picture,so you can easily see it); and Pile D, with more indifferent cards.Tell your audience that from here on, you will not touch thecards.

Use magician's choice to force Pile B on a member of tht'audience, and ask him to thoroughly shuffle it. After that, tellhim to spread the cards in a fan in front of him so that he cart

see all of the cards, and choost'rttly orle he that likes. Then he is

to put that card on top rtf rtltv olltt't'1tilc, shuffle the remaining,cards in his hand, antl ;rtrl lltt'ttt ott tolt o['thc strlct'tiolt.

A book in English: Thc clrl nrir,'r( ol'Woody Aragon

llow you proceed depends on whiclt pile the spectator put his',,'lrt'lion on, as your goal is to get thc Pile C on top of the one he1u',1 ;rlaced his pile. I use a great method, created by the Spanishr r rrrlqicil n Ramon Riob6o.

ll lrt' placed his pile on one of the piles at the sides (A or D),tlr.rr ;rsl< him to reassemble the deck, starting with the furthestlrtlr'(tlrc one on the opposite side goes on top of the center pile,,r rr,l I lrosc two over the pile in which the selection lies). It will be, ,'r y ck':lr if you mime the actions for the spectator.

ll llrc t'ards are placed on top of the center pile (C), tell him to' rl rn(l txrmplete the cut. Then discard the other two piles,

,rr rrr1,, I lrat they have been eliminated.

lrr irrry (:ilse, regardless of whether you are using the whole,1,, l, or orrly half of it, the crimped card is in the center and the,,lr,r'lion lics rz positions below it.

\',1, llrt. spcctator to cut the (ha10 deck. Because of the crimp,tlr,'rr' ;u'r. nrilny opportunities for him to cut right to it. Glimpsetlr, l,irr'li ol'the top card and confirm that it is the crimped card.ll tl r,,rr'1, tlrcn ask him to cut once again. If the crimped card is,till rrol orr lo1t, then give the cards to a second spectator and telllrirf f "f /(,1, t'iln c.llt, tOO".

ll irllr.r'rrll llrosc attempts, you still don't see the crimped card,,ir 1,,1r, t,rrl it yourself as you say "That's right. Eueryone can, trt l'ltt, itttltortttnt thing is for the card to be completely lost intlt, rlr,r'l.".

Irr rrro:;l (';ls(.s.yorr won't need to cut, but if this ever happens,tlr, ,rr'lrnrr is so wcll r:overecl (by all the other cuts) that people, ' tll r rlvlr rt.rnt'rnbcl that yotr touchecl the cards.

l,'ll tlrr.;rrrrlicncr. llurl yorr lr';rnrt'rl llris tricl< flrrm a mentalist, lrl r llirrlr,r'. 'l'lrc slrr.r'lirlol' rrrrrsl rrow lltirrli ol'lris t':rrrl .iust like a,1r,, rlr';rrlr't' worrlrl: So, il ltr, wtrs llrirrl'irr1,, ol llrr' ()trccn <lfI lr.rnrl,rrrlr;, lrt.rvorrlrl llrirrli "( littt' tttr'tt (,)" "( ii 't.tttt' rr I/", ltrrtl so

IL

A Book in English: The cartl tttitgtt' ol'Woorly Arag6n

on until the final "Give me an S". ThaL is ltow ltc must mentallyspell the name of his thought of card. 'l'cll hirrr to take the cards,and get ready to deal them one by onc ortltt the table, followingyour instructions, as he thinks of the card nttnte's letters.

If the spectator does mentally spell his card, he will feel a

greater impact himself (because it is as if you were able to hearhis thoughts). If he doesn't, it is not realiy important, becauseyou are the one who will really spell the card, and the finalspelling will prove to everyone else that you could read histhoughts.

Look at the eyes of the spectator as you point to the place onthe table where he's supposed to deal the cards one by one. Askhim to deal, 4 cards in a row (this is the value of the card). Afterthe first two cards, the rhythm for the additional cards shouldbe similar to saying "Hit Me" when playing Black Jack. Youhesitate momentarily, and then want him to deal another card.Then point to a second row, and ask him to deal 2 more cards("Of'). Finally, ask him to deal a final row of five cards. When heis holding the sixth card, instead of pointing to the table, openyour hand and say "Right there! Stop!"

At this moment, even though the selection has never beennamed aloud, it really does seem as if you were able to know it,because the spelling is correct. Remind everyone you never'

touched the cards, and ask the spectator to tell everyone thccard he was thinking of.

If it's a club, for example "Jack of Clubs", quickly spell '7ock"with the four cards on the first row, then "of', then "Clubs" witltthe five cads on the third row. Finally ask him to turn over tht'card he's holding.

If it's a Spade or a Heart, then you will do the same, but whcrryou get to the final row point to the card the spectator is holdirlgas the final '3" of the spell, rttttl itsl< ltim to turn it over. It will [rt'

the selection.

A book in English: Thc carrl rrur1,,rr' ol Woody Aragon

AI)I)ITIONAL REMARKS

'l'lrr, lirirness of the choices and the fact that the magicianlr,\'r.r' louches the cards after the selection makes it seemInrgrossilrlc for the magician to know the name of the card. Buttlrr, l;x,lling clearly indicates that you really were able to discernll,, irlr,ttlity. And what's more important, if you are skillful',ruu|,,lt in your presentation, the fact that the card appeared atllrr, r,rrtl ol'thc spelling sequence will just be a CONFIRMATIONl, Ilrc rrrrtlitrnce that you knew the thought of card. Even thoughllrr,r'tkrrr't know the real method, and have no clue as to how,r,ulrl yorr llossibly do it without touching the cards, they mustrrrrrllrrrlt, that yoll could not have moved the card to arlr,lr,r'rrrirrctl position because you didn't know its identity. Theurlntr, ol lltt. t::rrrl cxisted only in the mind of the spectator!

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A Book in English: The cartl tttitgic ol'Wootly At'ag6n

The banner for my one-man show, next to the wonderful Toletam

theatre, in my olon citY, Toledo.(2010)

A book in English: Tho caltl rrrirgic ol'Woody Aragon

ROUTINED SPELLING'l'lris is one of the routines that I have worked on and

Itrr;lrrrved over the years. Being a fan of stacked decks, I nevertttrrlcrrtrted the potential of the spelling plot, even though Illrlrrk it is really hard, at least in the Latin culture, to achieve aprr,rrl magical impact with it. Over the years, I have adaptedHuur(! ideas for the Si Stebbins stack to create severalittrh'pcndent spelling tricks. I started to combine them andt'r,rrlizud that, if properly structured, they could merge into onevr,r'y llowerful and original routine.

l,illlc by little, I developed the routine that I am about tor,rplrrin. I've had tremendous success with it in front of layrrurlit,nccs (because of its virtues, I regularly use it to start ar'L nt,-rr1l session), but it has also served me well with magicians(l worr the first prize in an Spanish close-up contest in zoo7,rurrl, vcry recently, the Award of Merit at the IBM conventionr r I I in t)allas... and right now I'm thinking, that when they findrrttl lltirt the only techniques that I used were a couple of falseqlrrrl'llcs... they'll hate me!). My thoughts when performing ther nrrlirrc (lnd winning the prizes) were with the Spanish maestroAlli'r,rlo lilorensa, a great supporter of spelling tricks.llttirt'lttrtatcly, he passed away just before I could fine tune ther nrrlirrc, so allow me to use these pages to honor his memory.

lilrtrtic't':

llsirrg ir slrul'llctl tlut:l<, thc nragician slrows the audience thatI ru(lH lll)l)(!irr ll.y color irccolcling to tlrt':rrrrlit.rrt:tr's wishes, whenlrr, ripr.lls lltr, st'lr,r'lt,tl t'olor'. llc t.rrrplrirsizt.s llt:rt this only

A Book in English: Thc caril tttrtprt'ol Wootly Arag6n

happens when the cards are dealt as tl)(' spt'llirrg is done, notjust by dealing the same number of t:itrtls. "ll is spelling aloudthat makes the magic happen!". Al'tcr tlris color test, themagician shows that suits can be also spellccl, with the sameamazing results.

To raise the stakes, in the next phase the magician does nottouch the cards! The spectator can shuffle as much as he wants,choose a card (a genuinely free choice, whose identity themagician will completely ignore), and lose it in the deck. He caneven switch the position of the cards as he desires, and theselection will appear when the spectator himself spells anddeals.

Finally for the astonishing final climax, a card is again freelyselected and, as the data of the card (suit and value) is spelled,the deck will tell us the exact identity of the selection, find itscolor matching mate, and even show the audience what wouldhave happened ifthe spectator had chosen a different card.

THE STACK:

For this routine, I use a kind of reduced, altered version of theSi Stebbins stack that I call "Rosary g".It is a rosary kind ofstack because I have memorized the values sequence: -!.o, 6, 4,A, J, 9, S, 2, K.The order of the suits is the SHCD which Imemorized using the classic mnemonic "SHoCkeD". So, thefirst four face down cards in the stack are 1oS, 6H, 4C and AD.

Stacking the cards this way, you'll have a cyciic sequence of thc36 cards. The rest of the deck (16 cards) are the values that are

not included in the rosary, which are 3, 7, B, and Q, which, yotrmay not have noticed, are all spelled with five letters.

Stack the cards in Rosary 9 order and, cut the cards so that tht'5H is the top card, and the gS is the bottom one. Place a Jokcr'under the gS. Put the rest of'tltt' tlct:l< (the r6 crttrls ttot incluclctlin the Rosary 9) in CSIII) ("('rrSllt'l)") ortltrr'- : lrlirt'l<, itttcl z t'ctl(the ordcr of valttcs tl<tcsn'l ttutllt't'). (lttl tt Slxrrlc lo lltt'lo;l att<l

prrt this gr'olll) ott loll ol llrl rllcli.

A book in Englislr: 'l'ltc t'rrrtl nrirJ,r( ol Wootly Aragon

l,'l ltST PIIASE: Color spclling.

Slrow the deck and do any conrplctc ftrlse shuffle. Tell them torurrrrc either color: red or black. Spell the named color, and',lrow that you get a card of the chosen color. It's not a great,'lli,r't (there's a fifty-fifty chance), but tell the audience you canr r,pr,trt it...

Yorr will always spell transferring cards from the deck in thel,'ll lrlnd to the right hand, without changing the order, and',lrowing the card spelled to by turning all of the right hand'sI rr'(ls lilce up to show the bottom card. So, if the spectator,,r.f r,r'ls "red", take off three cards one at a time (each card goingrrrrrk'r'ncath the previous ones), and then show that the bottom, irll ol'the stack (the last card to be dealt) is a red card. Thenl,rl,r,rrll of the cards in the right hand and, either transfer themlr r llrr. lrottom of the deck, or table them face up.

\l llris point, you will have to take something into account: Iftlr,'r'irrtl you just spelled to is a Club or a Diamond, then the,l'r'('lrlor can freely choose a color, and the spelling will work1,,'rlr.r'lly.'l-he situation is the same as in the beginning, and you,,rr irsl( krr a color again and repeat the effect. If you end upgr,'llirrg to a Spade or Heart, then the next spelling will not worl<

,rt ,rll (irr cither case). Far from tr)rrng to correct this with sleight,,1 lr;rrrrl, you will use this to your advantage, removing from the,rurlir,n('(,'s ntind the idea that the counting always works, or theirli,;r llr;rl nr:rthematics are somehow involved. Moreover, you

"rll r.nrpowcr the magical ritual of spelling the letters. "Btttl,'1tl,t" you say "Son7e of you might think that this altuaysrlr u'lr,,,.. I lottt rrtcut!) letters does "Black" haue... fiue? Well, lookrrlrrtl ltrtltltcrr.s i/' I corufi fiue cards, but do not spell..." Countlir. r'rrrrls, lnrl show tlrat you get a red card. "See, it doesn'tt t't,t'h I l\/rll, il trtiqlil ruork sorLe of the time, but that uould just1,, I'ttt'r' clttttur,, brrrrrr.sa it oril11 tutn'ks I|VERWIME u-then I1,,'ll lltt' t'olot'... Wlrrtl tlo tlrttt tutrttl rn<, lo sltall? ll.ecl or black?"llr,',,trl1,rlt.tiril lo lr.rrrurrllt'r'is tlrirt il'llrr.t'rrltl sltclled to is allr,rrl,llrlrt votrrlrorrlrlcorrrrl 5 irrslt';rtl ol spr.llirrg "/lftlr:/r". If the,.rr,l ';prllt.rl lo i:r;r lip;rrlr', llrcrr lorr slr,,rrlrl corrnl 11 irrstt':ttl ol'

A Book in English: Thc crrnl trrtlitt' ol Wootly Arlgcin

spelling "red". That is, in these cascs, :tlwrt.ys trsc the oppositecolor of the last card as an examplcr. 'l'lrctt yor.l can continuespelling until you have exhausted thc l(r t:itt'cls above the 5H, oruntil there are not enough cards [o cotttitrue with anotherspelling. You will be abie to spell the colors three, four, or fivetimes.

This means you will have to "jazz" a little, depending on thecircumstances, because each spelling depends on the audience'schoice and/or the resulting face card.

I know the effect of spelling one of two possible colors is notthat amazing (nor do I try to sell it as such, actually I do theopposite). But do not underestimate the importance of thisphase. One of the problems with many spelling tricks is that it'sthe magician who decides the word to be spelled. This phase iscreated precisely to avoid this fault.

SECOND PHASE: Suit Spelling.

Announce that you will go one step further, and cut the deckto position the 5H on top (you can just spread the deck to showthe shuffled state of the deck and spot the 5H, or you could usea short or crimped card, if you prefer). Really shuffle the bottom16 cards (I usually combine a full deck false shuffle with a realshuffle of the 16 card group). Say "Watch this: if I spellDIAMOND..." spell diamond and turn the cards in the righthand face up, showing AD. "Oh uell, I did say DIAMOND, sothere's only ONE diamond..- I should haue said DIAMONDSplural..." Place the AD packet face up on the table and spellDiamonds, and you will now get the 4D. Place this pile next tothe AD pile.

Continue spelling suits, placing each pile next to the previousone. You should spell the remaining suits in this order':HEARTS (KH), CLUBS (,IC) ancl SPADES (65). Suddenly, as ilhaving an idea on thc sprtt' o[' lltc momcn[, .yott will spt'llJOI(ER, and you will gct lo ottr'. Sltow it to tltt';ttttlicttct: ittttlremovc it; cithcr'plirt'in1i il insirlc l llot'l<t'l ot'ittst llrrltirrg ilasirlt'.

A book in English: 'l'ltc t'rrrrl rrr:r1,,rt ol Wootly Aragon

Al tlris rroment, all of the cards belonging to the Rosary 9,,lrrlli rrrt,on the table. The cards in your hand are the 16 non-,rlirckr,rl r:ards, so it's the perfect time to move on to the...

I I I I ltl) I'HASE: The spectator spells.

lirvr'llrt' t6 cards to a spectator, whose name is 5 or 6letters1,,rr1,, 'l'lris isn't a restriction, but it's better than a long name.\rr\rvlry, you'll be able to "adjust" to any given name. You willlr,rr r. lo l'irrrl <tut the names of some people in your audience, so\,,u ("ut t'lroose the right one. In while, reassemble the piles onllrr, lrrlrk. irr rcverse order (pick up the last pile you placed on thet.,rlrlr' ;rrrtl pl;rcc it onto the previous one, and then repeat withtlr,' r'r,rrr;rirring piles so you end up recombining all the packet),'rrll llrc r':rrrls will be back in Rosary 9 stack order. Put thisg r,rrlrr'l ltsitlt'.

lr,l':, irrr;rgirrc his llame Peter. Ask him to shuffle his cardstlr, 'r, rrrlqlrlv, lrt't'trusc "'thc spelling ritual uorks, no matter how,,rrt''lt tlrnt sltttl.'lk, lltc crtrds!". Ask hirn to select a card, but to doit l,r ';lrrllirrg: lllrvc lrirrr tlt'irl ontr t'irlrl onto the table for eachl. ll,'r ol lris nilnr(,. l' l,l 'l'-1,1, irntl looli rrt tlrt. top card (that1,, l,nl',,; lo "l{"). ;\sli lrirrr lo rt'rrrt.rrrllr.r'llrt't';rrrl, rr.1ll:rcc it face,l,rrn rrr lop ol llrr,orrcs prr.r,iorrslY rlr';rll,:;lrrrlllc llrc rt'st of the

A Book in English: The cartl tttitgic ol'Wootly Arag6n

cards in his hands, and put them ott to;r ol' tltc cards he justdealt.

This procedure will make the selection end up sth from theface of the pile, or 12th if you count from the top. For the nexteffect to work, we need to have it r3th from the top, so you willhave to transfer one card from the bottom to a position higherthan the selection. If the Spectator's name had six letters (e.g.

GEORGE), you would have to move two cards from the bottomto the top. To do this, you will use a fan shuffle. Ask thespectator to make a card fan, as best he can. You will now use aclever excuse, and say "Just in case I sato the bottom card, takeit and insert it somettshere in the middle" of the fan. Then askhim to take the top card, and lose it, once again, in the middle ofthe fan. Then tell him that, if he wants, he can even take one ortwo more cards from the top, and lose them in the middle. Thetruth is, that as long as he doesn't insefted a card below thebottom 4 cards, it doesn't matter how much he shuffles the toptwelve, as the selection will still be in the r3tr' position. Thefeeling of a totally fair shuffling and selection process (thespectator selects and buries the cards in the pile himself),together with the real shuffle done at the beginning of thisphase, will completely remove from the audience's mind thepossibility that a stack could be the method behind the spellingeffect.

When the spectator (or fellow magician!) has finished mixingup his card, reinforce the conditions: you never touched thecards, nor will you touch them. Ask him to name aloud ther

selection. As all of the cards' values spell with five letters, yotrjust focus on the suit in order to know how to instruct him tospell the card:

IF it is a CLUB, spell XXXXX OF CLUBSIF it is a HEART, spell XXXXX OF HEARTSIF it is a SPADE, spell XXXXX OF SPADES.IF it is a DIAMOND, spcll XXXXX DIAMONI)S.

A book in Englislr: 'l'ltc cirltl tttrrlitt' ol Wootly Aragon

l,lach word goes in a separatc rrrw. Il'thc selection is a club,llrcn the card will be the top caltl ol'thc pile in the spectator'sIrrrnd. In every other cases, it will lrc the last spelled letter.

As a nice additional touch, when you get to the last letter ofllrr,value, remember that there are 3 more cards with the samerrrlrrc in the group of 16 cards. This makes it very likely that alrrrrl with the same value as the selection will appear at the righth'llcr'. Peek at the card that belongs to the value's last letter and,tl il rrratches the selection's value, turn it face up. That is, if the,,r.lr.t'tcd card is the 7D, tell the spectator: "Spell the ualuefirst,ln,x,: S-E-V-E-Lr..." (Peek at the last card, if it was a seven, turnil rrvrrr') "So, logically, you spell to a seuen. And notu, spell the,iuil, DIAMONDS..." in any case, when you get to the last letter,rhr rrot reveal the selection yet. Quickly remind the audience ofrrll llrc shuffles, the fairness of the selection process, and remindllrr,rrr that you never touched the cards. You have to experiencellrrllrirnd the strength of the moment when the selection ist r.t,r,ttlctl.

lr( )t Ilt'l'H PIIASE: Spelling divination.

r\l'lr,r' r'cceiving a well-deserved round of applause, gather thet(r crrrrls that you just used in the last phase, and give them tollrr,sgrct:tartor who handled them, telling him to examine themllrurorrglrly. Now take the rest of the deck (Rosary 9 stack). Givellrr,r'rrrrls a couple of nice false shuffles (the Charlier false,,lrrrlllt, worl<s perfectly here) and ask a different spectator to cutllrr, rh,r'l<. l{ibbon spread the cards on the table face down, andrrrh llrt, spcctator to select any card by touching its back. Stressull('r, lrl{irin the fairness of the selection process. When hellrnosr.s ir cArd, you will pretend that you saw him touch thellrllrx ol"l'WO cards. Push both the selection and the card abovell rrrrl rrl'llrc spread, as you say "Well, you touched those twor r,t'r/s, rliiln'l rytnt...?"

r\r'lrrirll.y, .yorr slrorrltl luitl<c surc tlttr spcctator is not confusedll llris poirrl. llc slrorrkl lxr t:cr'[lirr wlriclr ol'lhc two cards her llltir,,

A Book in English: The cartl tttitgit' ol Wootly At'itg(rn

Isolate the two cards from the spt'cil(l, ittttl its you start togather the rest of the cards get a bt'citl< 5 t:itl'cls ABOVE theextraction point. [For reasons we will sco wlty later, if you spellCOLOUR (with a U), then get a break 6 cards above theextraction point.l I usually do this in two steps: gather the cardsholding a break at the extraction point, and then count five [six]cards above it.

Cut the deck at your break and table it. If you've doneeverything correctly, then the replacing the two selections inpositions 6 and 7, counting from the top, would restore theRosary 9 stack.

Ask the spectator which of the two cards is the one he wanted.He will point at the bottom one, so remove the upper card, bysliding it to a corner of the close-up pad, or table. Explain toyour audience that you will try to find out the identity of theselected card. But you wiII not use mind reading, like other themagicians do... but you will do it by spelling. Do not reveal theselection yet, but slide it to the front of the table/pad, where itwill be seen clearly by everyone.

Grab the deck, and spell"COLOR" for "COLOUR" if you took a

break about six cards] as you transfer cards from the left to theright hand, as you did in the previous phases. However, thistime, the bottom card (the one that occupies the "R" position)will not stay on the bottom of the pile. Instead, when you get tothe R card, turn it face up onto the other cards in your righthand, and place the pile on the table. So the tabled pile consistsof S [6] cards, with the original sth [6th] card being face up ontop. Move this pile to the right side of the pad, as you explainthat the selection's color will match the spelled one. Thatmeans, if you spelled to a red card, then the selection must bered, and vice versa.

Continue spelling, this time "S[JIT", and the "VALUE". Yonwill end up with three piles on the table, each inclicating somtr

data about the selected carul. Itttitgine the carcls ort Iltc top of thtrpiles are a black cat'tl, it Sp:rtlt', :ttttl a I(ing. 'li'll vottt' ittttlient:t'this nrcarts tltrr citt'rl is lrlrrcli,;t Slrittlt', itlttl ;t l(irrg. Asl< tht'

A book in English: 'l'ltc t'rrnl rnrrlirt' ol'Wrlocly Aragon

spcctator to turn over the sclcctiorr irntl, due to the suit rotation(r,very 4 cards) and value rotation (cvcry 9 cards, where SUIT +VALUE= 9 letters), the deck will f incl out the selection's identityorr its own!

IiNCORE: You will now quickly move on to a similar effect.'li'll the audience you can go even further, because you couldirlso find the card whose value and suit match the selection.SpaII "IDENTICAL" (oT "MATCHING"turning the next one... noorrc will tell the difference). It will be the selection's colorrrrirtch. Place this pile next to the others.

l,'l lr|'l I I'HASE: Final surprise. What if...?

l{r,rrrirrtl the audience of the unbelievable conditions in whichtll. tr,sl lras been performed. A deck, shuffled and cut both byllrr,slx,('tators and the magician, is spread on the table. A,rlrr,('lrrl(,r' sclected a card, w;hose identity is unknown tor,\ r'r'yon(,.!.At this moment, retrieve the card that was discardedrr I I I rr, I rr.gi n ning. " ...bry thc ruay, there tuos a moment in which Illtt4111l11 tlott ltud lotrclu<l huo cords, urul I ctsked you if youtt,ttttlul lltis ottt', ttr lltttl on?... t't,tttt,tttltct'...'? Wcll, let's take ahufi 111 i/..." slrow llrr.r'lrnl wlrit'h, lx'ing nr.xl lo lhc sclection,rr ill rrlwirvs lrr,ol llrc olrposilr,r'olot"'...scr', il's ttol t't,t'tt sitttiktr!"

I

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A Book in English: The canl tttitgit' ol Worttly Allrgtin

Take the card, turn it face down, ancl slitltr it ttttcler the originalselection. "But, u)hat if you had selcclt'<l tlrc other card? If,instead of selecting the King of Spades, qou salccted the..." tutnover the two cards,Ieaving the selection llco down, and showingthe "rejected" card "...tDhet if you hacl chosen the Tuto ofDiamonds? Then ell the rest uould also haue been theopposite..."

Match actions to words, and, in a constant pace, turn overeach and every pile, starting with the "COLOR" ["COLOUR"]one. Little by little, everyone will see that not also the COLOR

ICOLOURI, but the SUIT, VALUE and IDENTICAL piles allcorrespond to the new card...

RESETTING:

If you want, you can reset by gathering the cards this way:

r.- Hold the unused part of the Rosary 9 stack in your lefthand, in dealing position.

z.- Take the MATCHING pile with your right hand. Place itover the cards in the left hand, adding the reversed bottom card.Then turn over the rest ofthe cards, and place them on top.

3 and 4.- Repeat the same actions with the VALUE and SUITpiles.

5.- Take the pile of two cards (selection and rejected card),turn over the top card (the rejected one) and place it over theselection. Now place the two cards together on top of the deck'

6.- Take the COLOR ICOLOUR] pile, just like you did with theSUIT, VALUE and MATCHING ones.

Z.-Add the 16 non-stacked cards on top of the deck.

The deckis readyto r.r.1lt.irl llrt. lrit:l< (wcll,.yorr'll ttgtrtl t9 stat:l<

the 16 cards into CSIII) orrlcr',;rrrrl lr<l<l :r.loltr.r'lo llrt, lxrttotn ol'

A book in Englislr:'l'lrc t'rrrtl nur;iit' ol'Woody Aragon

tlte deck) or you can usc thc;3(r stlcked cards as a regularl{osary.

(}IJTTING INTO THE STACI( FROM NEW DECK0ITDER:

()etting the deck to the required order from this routine,slarting from a fresh deck, is quite simple. So don't be afraid of;x,r'fbrming this routine because the set-up is not practical!llcre's how...

t.- Place all of the cards in Ace to King order, in SHoCkeD suitlolation.

:r.- Go through the deck, outjogging the Q, B, 7 and 3 fromurr:h suit. I usually outjog them quite openly (pushing sevens;rntl eights together) and extract everything once I have the 16cirrtls. Leave them on the table.

:t.- Cut the Spades so that the ro is on top (transfer 3 cards tollrt' top)

, 1 . - 'l'he Hearts are cut on the 6 (4 cards to the bottom)

t;.- Clubs are cut on the 4 (zto the bottom).

(r.- l)iamonds are left in the original order.

',,. 2out Faro shuffles... etuoilall

A I ) I )I'I'IONAL REMARKS

'l'lris is a great routine, not only as a stand-alone trick, but alsorri lr l)ilrt of a longer act, mixed in with other tricks. I won't goIrrlo llrc l)r'ocess of analyzing each component effect, but I havelu.'iiry tlrat, lbr Latirr aucliences, who are not used to spellinglllr,r'ls, tlris rorrtinc worl<s rr:irlly well.

'l'lris rorrlint'r'orrrr.s ll'orrr v;rriorrs <lrigin;rl spcllirrg cl't'ccts that IIr,rrl rltvt'lopt'tl or','r'llrr'\/(,ilt's, togr.llrr,r'lvillr rrrr i<lcrr lirr it

I

A Book in English; The r:arl tttitgit' ol Wootly Artrgtin

spelling effect done with a group ol'lirirly slrrrl'llcd cards (alsooriginal with me, but reaching its lirll lrott'rtti:tl atter adaptingthe method so that it could be perfix'rtttrtl itt the hands of a

spectator, using Verbal Magic tttctltotls). I added mypresentation and an original adaptation to Spanish of an AllanSlaight trick ("Sly Stebbins", based on a Stewart James idea),with the surprise ending involving a second card and theturning over of the piles (which was one of the two great ideasadded to Slaight's trick by Steve Beam when he published it inhis Semi-Automatic Card Tricks series). Actually, I also didthe reverse of the original routine, where the effect was thedivination of the second card. I prefer to reveal it, so that theeffect becomes the appearance of the 4 cards when reversing thepiles, to achieve a higher climax due the "anticipation" (elatisbo, Ascanio dixit).

Using these effects as my starting point (actually, I realized Ihad always performed them one after the other instinctively), Iremembered the "half-mnemonica" concept (first published inExpert Card Technique) in which, by shuffling half of thedeck for real, the magician creates the illusion that all of themagic was performed with a fully shuffled deck. I thought that,if I could create a partial Si Stebbins stack (there was no way Icould shuffle half of the stack, as it would lose its cyclicproperties), I would then be able to, if had enough extra cards tofreely shuffle, empower the existing spelling effects, and usesome of my other spelling effects with a shuffled pile of cards...Finally, after working on it for a while, I came up with a stackthat allowed me to perform the routine that you have just read(although you are reading a version that was adapted for theEnglish language).

A book in English: l lrr. t';rrtl nrirl'r( ol Woocly Aragon

NEVER TELL THEMWHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN

(My AGAAN)

'l'his is one if my most recent creations (I created about a yearrrgo). But the effect has done so well, both for lay,rnen andrrrirgicians, that I finally decided to include it in this book, eventlrough I have not been performing it for as long as I'd like to. Ifvorrl audience experiences the same feeling of impossibility asllrose who have already seen this trick, it will be worth it.

IiITFECT:

'l'hc magician announces he will pefform the famous 'i4nyrttrd ot any number"trick. Members of the audience select, firstrr srrit, then several values. Throughout the procedure, the deckis rrot used. The spectator who selected the suit forms a cardwillr one of the named values, and the rest of the values are usedlo lorrn a number. The freedom of choice in the selectionpr'(x:oss is crystal clear. The deck is far away from the magician,Itt I'rrrnt of a spectator, who takes it himself and counts to theu'k't'lccl position. Impossible as it may seem, the freely selectedcrrnl lics in it!

'l'l I ri sIlT-uP:

Yorr will stat'l< llrc rlccl<, sctting up all tlrc cards in reverseorrlr,r', l(irrg to Acr'.'l'lrr.srrils slrorrkl lx'irr lr lirrown order (as anr,rirrrrplr', I'll u:r(, llrr, Sllo(ll<t'l) (Sp;rrlr.s-llclr.ts-Clubs-

L

A Book in English: Thc cilltl tttrtlr,it ol WootlY Arilgtin

Diamonds). Cut the deck so that thtr ()S is lltt'lrottom card, anduse a crimp, bend, out-jogs, or evclt sltol'lt'tt the other threequeens so that you can easily cut to tltcttt.

METHOD:

This trick uses a principle by Spanish rnagician Ram6nRiob6o, one he himself named "Inverse compensation". Ramonshowed it to me some years ago, when he explained me his trick"The Roulette", in which he uses it. Toying with it, I came upwith an idea. The values selection of the Roulette routine couldbe performed without cards, just by naming them, and if Istacked the whole deck (the original routine used only a partialstack) I could get, not to a card matching the selected value, butto any named card. The trick slowly became a super effective"ACAAN" routine, with an intense challenge element, and a

great deal of suspense: Both the selected card, and the chosennumber, are determined when the deck is out of the magician'sreach and, most important, after the effect has already beenannounced.

Since the fact of telling the effect in advance is so powerful inthis method, the patter tries to take advantage of it, relying onirony, and trying to make the selection procedure moreinteresting. One the deck is ready, introduce the ACAAN themeto your audience:

"There is one rule in magic that says you should neuer telluhat uill happen in a trick beforehand. Thrs is because

magicians use the element of surprise, and if people alreadykneu tahat was going to happen, the tricks uouldn't be half as

good, uould they?

For exarnple, ushen I perform the trick Aou are Qbout to see, Ineuer say it's called "the any card Qt any number trick".-. Idon't usant to giue you information in aduance! Then, uhettpeople start telling tne nutttlxt's, ond I tell thcrtt tlu11 haue tttcreate a card ttsinq u rttttrrltt't' tttul u uohu', it u'ill lx' rttrtt'c ttl'<t

surprrcr:... dott'l tlort lltirth''? 14/cll... t'rttild tlott tt(tttt('rr stri/?"

Abook in Englislr:'l'lre t':rrtl rrr;r;,.rr' ol' Woocly Aragon

Ask a spectator to namc a srrit. Now usl< three or four morepc<lple to name numbers, h'<trrr r lo r13. If someone repeats arrrunber, tell him to give you al clil'l'crcnt one. The mathematicallrrinciple will still work, but the efI'ect is less powerful from therlrarnatic point, as there would be fewer possibilities to createllrc card from).

As the spectators name values, you will have to add them uprrrt,ntally. Your key number will be 25. You have to try to get asllosc to it as possible. That's why the number of spectators whorvill name values is not set from the beginning. If you get closelo :t5 with three spectators, stop right there. If you still needrrrorc values, you will ask a fourth (and even a fifth!) one. Theirlcir is to get numbers whose sum is between twenty and thirty.

You will now cut the deck at the Queen whose suit is the;rlcvious one to the selected one (in our know rotation). In ourrvrrrrple, if they select diamonds, you will have to cut to the(.)rrccrl of Clubs. If they choose Hearts (the most commonr,pliou) you won't have to cut the deck at all.

l,t'l's get back to the named numbers. If the sum equals 25,lorr rlon't need to touch the cards. If the result is lower, you willlrrvt'to transfer cards to the top of the deck, in order tolorrrlrt:nsate the difference. If it was higher, you would have toIlrrrrsli:r cards to the bottom. That means, if the result is zz, yourvill lrave to run 3 cards from top to bottom. If itwas 29, you'drrrr ,1 t:al'ds from bottom to top.

'l'lris should be done quickly and nonchalantly, just before1,|;rcirrg the deck on the table, in front of a spectator. At thisrrronrcn[, czrll attention to the deck, and spread it in front of him.(ligrrr,:rrl only the top part of the deck, leaving the bottom as al,lulli.'l'his way, there will be no confusion as to where to start.,rurlirrg lirlnr).

Nlcrrrrwlrilc, yorr will s:ry "Oftl 77 is uertl irttltortant that, asttrttttltt,t's trtv lx,itrrl rtrllrtl, tlrc dcck rrrrrsl /rc llu'r<,, t'it1ht in-frontttl tt slt(,(l(tlor'.'l'lti:; tt'rttl il's t'trurlt1 .litt'ltirrt ltt lttlt,t't,ottnt therrn'r/r;, ttttt,lttl (tttt'. lt'ttrrr lltt'lttlt trf'lltt'rlt'clt..,ltttl,.sfrrcr,/rcis ltol

A Book in English: Thc clrltl tttrtltit ol WoorlY Alag6n

etuare of uhat's going to happen, U(nt'll.s('(' ltrh(Il u big surprisehe gets ot the end!"

At this moment, thanks to the amazirlg ;lrinciple by Riob6o, allof the "dirb, work" is done. You only rlced to stress theimpossibility of what is to come. "Arrcl rtoru i.s when I ask theguy who chose the suit, to combine it ruith one of the numbersthat heue been said, tuhicheuer he uants, to form a card. And,adding up the rest of the numbers, we tuill get a position tocount LLp to.And, since no one knous that uhat uill happen isthat the card they freely came up uith is going to be at theselected position, uell... Aou can imagine the amazement, andthe Ltstonished looks on their faces..."

Ask the spectator who selected the suit, to choose from one ofthe named values for his card (that means, if he said diamonds,and one of the spectators said 6, his card would be the 6 ofDiamonds. As soon as he makes a selection, offer him thechance of changing it. Should he want to, let him choose anyother value. If he doesn't (which happens most of the times) we

will recall this moment later to our advantage, and remind himthat, after he chose a card, he had the option to change it to anyother card in the deck.

Ask the spectator who will count to help you adding the rest ofthe named numbers. When the total is reached, say "imaginethe surprise of a spectator tuhen, after selecting number 17,

and the 6 of Diamonds, he counts Ltp to the tTth card, and thiscard IS the 6 of Diamonds... notu count, count!". The spectatol'will count to the chosen number, and there will be the selection.

"That's uhy ue neuer tell uhat uill happen in aduance,because people uould see it coming, and the trick wouldn't be

asfunny, uould it?"

ADDITIONAL REMARI(S:

When I perform this tr.it.li lirI lcll0w utagir:iltrrs, I rrsrtitlly cut Iothe QII,:rs tftg rlcllrrrlt srrit lirr llrr.r'l'li.t't lrt'r'orrrcs ('lrrlrs, w[icll I

think is tlrt' srrit nrosl tt;tttrlrl lrt' tttltHit'i:ttls.

A book in Elrglislr: 'l'lte t'rrrtl rrr;rlirt ol Wooily Aragon

On exceptional occasions, whcn thorc are not enough peopleirr the audience to reach 2t), I nume a last value myself.( )bviously, I name a value that gets the total up to exactly 25,llrrrs avoiding even the slight bit of manipulation this trick askslot'.

'l'he description of the "inverse compensation" principle canlrc lirund at Ram6n Riob6o's More Though of Magic (r). Thisprinciple is just the tip of the iceberg of wonderful ideas born ofllrc rr-rind of this genius. I can only wholeheartedly recommendvort all of his works.

( r) Mtis rrr:rgi:r lrcrrsrrrlrr, :,oto, l'irgirr;rs. Ar,;ril:rlrL'orrlv irr Sllitnish.

A Book in English: Thc clrrl rtutllit' ol Wootly Arag6n

Lecturing with Ram6n in our master class about semi-automatic canl

tricks, in Hocus Pocus Festiaal (2005)

A book in English: I'ltc t'rrrtl rrr:tl't( ()l Woody Aragon

MAVERICK

I,llrlrl,lcT:

'l'lris is a demonstration of "super-sensitivity" in estimating/ur(l ('utting a specific number of cards. The deck is thoroughly''lrrrl'llc<l and a member of the audience cuts the deck, keeping a',rrr;rll group of cards and giving the rest to the magician. Hellrr,rr proceeds to estimate the thickness and weight of the'ipr'('lllol-'s cards, and cuts a very similar group from the deckllrrrl lrc's holding. Both the spectator's and the magician's cardsrr r, lll(!n counted. The magician was able to cut exactly the samerrrrrrrlrcr of cards as the spectator!

I'lris is repeated a second time, but this time the spectator justllrrrrlis ol'a number of cards that he wants the magician to cut,,11, i\g:rin, the magician succeeds.

lrirrrrlly, l card is freely selected and fairly lost in the deck. Therrrirlliciirrr is able to name the selected card, and its exactgru'iiliorr irr the deck. I{e then cuts the exact number of cardsrr',r,rk.rl lo I'ind the selection in the deck.

\l,l't'-l [,

!,rr rrt,t.tl ir corrr;llt.lt' 52 calcl rk:r:l<. Yorr nrust also have al'1r';11111,;'r'r'irup irr posiliolr :.t(r (l rrst'1111'r1ol ('lrrlts because of itsr,rrrp;rlilrililv willr rrrt' rrrrrt,rrrorrit' slircli).

L

A Book in English: Thc cirrtl tttrtgit'ttl Woorly Arag6n

The crimp must be a reverse breatltct', wlrit:h rtleans that whenyou cut at the crimped card; it will always crtttl up at the bottomof the deck.

A quick way to position the crimped card in position 26, froma shuffled deck, is to cut it to the bottom, then run 13 cardsunder it, and do an out Faro. The crimped card will end up inz6th position.

REGARDING THE USE OF THE, FARO SHUFFLE TOCONTROL A CARD

It is important to be aware that when you use the Faro shuffleto control a card to a certain position (as you will do now, andlater in this routine), you can still use the Faro to control thecard you want, no matter how many cards are in each half, orhow perfect the Faro above it is.

Let me explain this:

Pic. I l)it'. 2

The position ol'tht't'r'itttpcrl r';rtrl (ttt:tt'l<t'tl witlr ir lrlitt'l< lint' irr

tl-rc piclrrrcs) is now t.l, ('()unlirrp', l't'olrt llrt'llrt'r'ol'lltt'tlt't'li. ll

A book in English: 'l'lrc c:url rrrrllrr' ol Woody Aragon

lorr rlo a per{ect out Faro (l'}ic:. t ), tlrirl is, cutting the deck in twor'vrt't halves (26 cards each), anrl purltctly weaving all of ther'rrrrls one by one, the new position of the crimped card will ber(r. 'l'hat is to be expected...

Now suppose you didn't get the cuts right (let's say you cut offnrrly 2t) cards, leaving 3z in the bottom portion). As you start tor\'r'irvo the card together (from the bottom up), you are perfectu1r lo the crimp. Above the crimp, you really mess up the weave(l'ir'. z). Amazingly, the result will still be EXACTLY the same:I'lrc t'r'irnped card will end up in position 26. All you need tor,nsur'o is a perfect weave for all the cards at the crimp andlrrkrw; anything that happens above the crimp can be safelylgrrorr,rl. When the cards you want to control are in the lowerpnllioll of the deck (as they are now), perhaps it isrr,r'orrunended that you Faro the cards face up rather than facer lurvil

'l'lris will give you confidence and a little more flexibility when,lnirrg llrc Faro in front of the audience, as the card would only.'nrl ul) irr a wrong place if you cut below it (less than 14 cards inllrr. r'xirrnple) or if the weave was not perfect under it.

I'lris inlirrmation will give you more confidence and a littlerrrurl llcxibility when doing the Faro in front of the audience, asllrr, r'rrrrl would only end up in a wrong place if you cut below the

' rinrlr (lt'ss than 14 cards in the example) or if the weave was11ll pr.r'lirct above it.

\nollrr.r'point is that the difference between an "in" and anrrrrl" lrrrrr only depends on whether you want the bottom card

lr r r'lrrrrrgc (in ltaro), or stay the same (out Faro).

t\l l,l't't tot)

l'lttttic t (tlrc l)t:nt:kzpc pringlpfu);

lilrrtl lrv slrrrl'l'lirrg lltt' lolr or llottortr lrorliorts o1'lhc cleck, whilel. r,r.lrln|,, I lrr. r'r'irrrl x,r I clr rr I irr 2(rrl, posil iorr.

L l'w

A Book in English: Thc trrrtl rrt:t1'.i1 ,,1 Woorlv Arag6n

Put the deck on the table and asl< ir sl)('('trltol to cut off a bigpacket, more than half of the decli, tttttl givt' it to you.

Now ask him to take the rest of thc citt'tls f}om the table, andgive them a good shuffle. Whiie you explain this to him, shufflethe cards you're holding, by doing an ottt Faro (again, you onlyneed a perfect weave up to the crimped card). Leave the deck,squared, on the table.

Take the spectator's packet for a moment, and hold it for a

second, as if you were calculating its thickness, weight, and so

on... then give it back to him and with just two fingers, veryfairly, and cut the deck at the crimp. Give the cards you just cutto a second spectator, and tell both ofthem to count their cardsat the same time. They will have exactly the same number olcards.

This miracle happens thanks to a wonderful mathematicalprinciple discovered by Alex Elmsley, which he called tht'"Penelope principle". In brief, when there is a number of cardsmissing from the deck, if you do a Faro shuffle with tht'remaining cards, the card in the middie automatically ends u1r

in the same position as the number of missing cards.

Phase z (The principle of equal packets):

At this moment, there will be two piles with the same nurnbt'rof cards on the table. This is a perfect moment to use tlrr'principle of equal packets.

Take the cards that you cut off in the previous phase. If tlrt'spectator reversed the cards while counting, the crimped c:trtlwill be on top. Shuffle the packet so that it ends up back on tltt'bottom. Now do a Zarrow shuffle with these cards and the I't':;tof the deck, or simulate losing those cards on the deck by lift i r rr',

only the top card and putting the packet under it. Whatever' yorr

do, the goal is to have tht'<'rtt of'f p:tcl<et (with the trl'itnpecl <':tt,l

on the bottom) otr lop ol'lltc tlct'lt, witlr ;ltl t'xtt':t t'ltt'tl ovct' it.

A book in English: 'l'ltt't rrt,l rr;r;,11' ,'1 Wootly Aragon

l,r'l's say that the spectaLor crrl t7 r';rrrls on the first phase.Itiglrt now the situation is: 'l'hcrr"s ir pilc with r7 cards on thel;rlrlc, and you hold the rest ol'thc rlt:t:l< with the crimped card ing,,,sition rB from the top.

\sl< the spectator to think of a number, this time a little bitlrrl,,lrcr than t7, so that the feat becomes more difficult. Tellllrr.rrr not to say the number aloud, or tell anyone about it. For,'r;rrrrllle,let's thinkhis chosen number is 23.

,\sli him to grab the deck and, while you turn your back isIrrrrrr,rl, deal as many cards as the number he thought of ontol lr. lrrlrlc, thus inverting the order of the cards. Then ask him tol'l 1'orr hold the cards for a moment, just like you did before.Itrrl, ;rt tl-re very last moment, BEFORE taking the cards, change1, rrrr rniild, and tell him to place them back on the deck, as you

', rll 1,,rrt.ss his number WITHOUT touching the cards. "I tuill useIt'lr'1xtllu,1 to guess the number Aou are thinking of. Not onlyllrrtt, ltttl I uill also cut some cards..." at this moment, cut at ther rnrl), lrucl spread the cards on your hands, quickly countingtlr.rrr. liirrish the sentence saying "... end they uill be exactly astttnul (ts Uour thought of number". Place the cards you just cutl,,r' 1. orr the deck. At this moment, knowing the spectator'stluulilrl o['number is very easy: Just add the number of cardsr,,rr irrsl cut to and the thought of number from the previous1rl1;1r;r' ( llris is a clever idea from my Argentinian friend Alfredcr\l;rrllrt'st'"Alnn"). In our example, there will be 6 cards abovellrr,r'r'inrp, since t7 + 6 = 23. Resist the temptation of revealingllr,rl nrrrrrlrt'r' to the audience at this point!

lrr,,l s;ry: "Wt' olso haue the cards from before..." and proceedt, l.rLr.tlrr, t7 cards pile from the previous phase, give them alrrlllr,, rrrrtl lllacc thern on top of the deck, completely

' lirrrrn;rlirrg irrr.y llossiblo rnethod from the audience's mind.

\\'lr;rl yorr llrvc tr;lpirrtnlly douc is .irrst gathered the whole'1,, l. ',o llr;rt il is cornplclr.rrli;rirr... lrrrt, tlr;rrrl<s to thc principle of',1r,rl lr;rckcls, llrr,r'r'irrrpt.rl ctrxls rrow lir.s in position 23, and,,,n ,rltrltrlY littorv lltt llrotrglrl ol ntttttlrct'. Lool< at the1,, , l,rlot'ri r,\'r,ri. rr;rrrrr' llrr, lttttttlrt.t, ;rrr,l irrrrrrr,rli;tlr,ly t'ul ;tt thc

A Book in English: Thc cirrtl rrurliit'ol Wootly Arag6n

crimp. Ask the spectator to say his nunrlrcr aloud. It will be theone you just named. Then ask hinr to cotttrt thc cards you cut, inorder to verifii your success.

Phase s (The principle of... subtraction):

To finish the routine, explain the audience the real use foryour "super-sensitivity": "If I know the exact location of a cardI need, I can cut to it and find it uery easily. Imagine houuseful this would be uhen I am gambling, and play the gameof "Cutting to the Highest Card". Or in a gome of poker, I canalways cut to an ace...Iet me shotu you".

Take the packet of cards from phase two, and once againshuffle it so that the crimped card ends on the bottom. Thenleave the packet on top of the deck. Now you will simulateshuffling the whole deck, while actually running some cards tcr

the bottom of the deck. In this case, since the packet had z3cards, you would run B, so that the crimped card lies in positionrS (zg-B=rS).

Tell a spectator to pick a card. He has a free choice, but yorrshould try to get him to pick one under the crimp (so that itstays in r5th position). If they insist in taking a card from thr'upper portion of the deck, let them do it, but keep in mind thalthe crimped card will be in the r4th position.

Let the card be shown around, and ask them to remember it.As the spectator is about to return the card to the deck, cut ltthe crimped card, so the selection is right under it. Square tht'deck, and shuffle the cards above the crimp without disturbingtheir position (16 cards can be shuffled, in our example).

Put the deck on the table, slightly beveled the long sick'stowards you, and put your hand over it, as if concentrating. Aslithe spectator to focus on the sclcction. You will start to "fct'I"something... "Your cord is... Irlot it... riqht urule.v slls c1 ttlclubs... positiort t6! 'l'lxtl ,t,('(,,r.s tlutt, i.l'I tottttl lo t'trI to it. I

need b cul cxtrclltl t.5 t'ut'(1s,.. 1/ri.s lilrrr', I ttron'l ll.sr' /tt,o.firttlt,t's.-. I tuill lry sorttt'lltirtrl ltrtt'tlt'r'...rt,illt ortltl ottt'l'itttlt'r'!"

A book in English: l'hc t'rrrrl rrrrl,,rr, ol Wooily Aragon

Nlovt. .y<iur hand to the beveled side of the deck, and hit itrrlrrvrrrtls with your first finger. The deck will automatically ber rrl rrl llrc crimp, and the upper packet will fall face up, showingllrr, r1 111'Ch-rbs (the card you said was on top of the ielection!).lrrhr, llrt'llacket and count it onto the table, showing that you, rtl rr;rcll.y r5 cards. The card on top of the deck is the r6rh. Askllrr,:;1rr,r'lator to name the selected card, and turn it overrlr.rtnirlir';rlly as you say "... I kneu) it".

A I ) t )I'I'IONAL REMARKS

I )rrl ol'tlrc magicians who's gotten the most of "Maverick" is\lrnln'lirrrr lkrm Tenerife. He's got a great patter for the trick,l,ir.rr.rl ,rr tlrc iclca of "The five senses". Since touch is alreadyl,',,r'nl (llrc rotrtine is practically an exhibition of touch), he1rr",r'nls crrt'lr phasc fbcusing on a different one. First he cuts by,t11lrl (r,slirrrirlcs), tlrcrr with hearing (he asks the spectator torllllr' llrr' llirt'l<t'l lrt'r'rrls, so llrat he carr "ht':rr"'how rniny cards itlr,r,,), llrr,rr lirstr'(lr. lrits tltt.sitlc ol'tlrt'tl.r.k with his tongue,ir,lr,,r(l ol lr l'irrgcr') rrnrl l'irr;rlly, lirr.srrrcll, lrr,rrrltls l plr:rse of his, rrr ll

A Book in English: Tltc crttl tttltlrir'ol Woorly Arag6n

This is one of the effects in whit'lt I lrtvt' invested the mosttime, and over the years, I have ittt:ltttlctl ltlitny versions andhandlings in my repertoire. The tricl<'s r):ullc comes from theMel Gibson movie, in which he always Lrictl to cut exactly at thecard he wished. In my first book [Cosas Mias (zooz)] Ipublished a first version of this routine that used a stackedpacket of cards, but some of the calculations needed wereconfusing, and that made me strive to create an impromptuversion, and that's how I invented the trick you have just read.But I have to say, that when I perform for magicians, I usuallyskip the last phase as, while being really appealing for laymen, itmakes the existence of a crimp obvious to magicians.

Not much later, I saw Pit Harling (a good friend, and an artistI really admire) present a very similar trick (Finger Flicker fromhis Card Fictions) at a lecture he did at the Hocus PocusMagic Festival in Granada. The effect was very similar, but themethod was very different from mine. Pit and I, are not onlygood friends, but we also share the same way of thinking aboutmagic, and have a similar style - not so much in presentation ol'the effects but in the methods and kind of effects that we like.This trick is only one example of the many instances over tht'years in which we have had similar ideas. So if you like thisbook, I really think you should take a look at Pit's great videos.books and lecture notes. They are worth their weight in gold.

Alan ntrrl

Me (201t)

A book in English: l lte t'ltttl lttltl't( ()l'Wprl{y Aragon

THE HUMAN SCALE'f 'lris is one of my most famous tricks and one of my essential

lorrlines whenever I perform stage or parlor magic. I am verylr rrrrl rrf it. Pit Hartling told me, not long ago: "I think this is theln,st "ueighing the cerds" I'ue euer seen."

titrtrECT:

r\ r'lassic plot: The magician is able to ascertain the number of,'rrrrls in a group, only by feeling the weight of them in his hand.

.!'I I 11 SET UP:

Yrrrr will need a complete deck of 5z cards (or a deck whoserrrrrrrlxrr' of cards you know). Place one of the suits in order, Acelo Kirrg (we'll use Diamonds as an example). The stacked suit,,lrorrltl llc on top of the deck.

MI|'I'IIOD:

,',llrrrl by shuffling the deck, without altering the t3 card stack

' rlr l()l), ils you tell the audience that, after years of practice with

llrr, rlr,r'l<, .you can even feel the cards by their weight.

"/,irr r,.rrrrrrpk , il'I tututtetl to ctLt to, sal1, t3 cards... uhat Irt'rtttltlrlrr i.s crrl tlu,tk,ck,.irrst like t|ru1..." Ilolcling the deck, cut

'rl,lrr'(l\ilnittt.l.y;r r;rilrIlr.r'01'it, tl'yirrg rr0l l() gt.l ntore than 13I in(l:i. Ar'l ;rs il lou ;rrt. wt'iglrirrg tlrr, r';rrrls, trncl use this,1r1rol'lrrrrily lo pr,t.l. ;rl llrr. lrollorrr r.;rrrlol llrr,pilr,. lls v:rlrrc will

IL

A Booh in English: Thc crtrl ttt:tl'it ol Wot,tly Arag6n

tell you how many cards are in yotu'luttttl. ll', lix'example, youcut to the JD, say "Hmmm... no, tlrctv ut'<' t t itt tlis pile... I needto get tuo more cerds..." - add two citt'cls ttttcler the Jack, andrepeat the weighting gesture - "riqhL, Llta'a ure 4 this time".

Give the rest of the deck to a spectator, and ask him to shufflethe cards thoroughly. Meanwhile, give the r3 cards to a secondspectator, asking him to count them, (or you can do it yourselfland thus reverse their order.

Don't give any importance to this effect (it's not really verypowerful, because you cut the deck). Its goal is to eliminate thesurprise factor in the next phase. If you didn't perform thisphase, you would be wasting the second phase because the nexteffect allows, and is more suited for, creating suspense rather'than surprise. It also justifies the shuffling of the rest of thedeck, while naturally isolating the r3 stacked cards that we neecl(the stacked ones). I usually perform this first phase as I wallithrough the audience, while they are still seated.

(REAL) FrRST PITASE:

Ask the two spectators to join you onstage. False shuffle the r:icard packet as you do so and, once on the stage, take the rest ol

the deck and Faro the 13 cards into it. Address the spectatorwho shuffled the 39 card deck "Did you giue them a gootlshuffie? Ok, let's shuffie those ones too.-." and Faro the twopackets. It doesn't matter whether you do an in or an out Fat'o.

because it's actually better if you weave the cards in the midcllt'of the pack. Just make sure that only one indifferent card gcts

between every two cards in the stacked suit.

Spread the cards, showing the apparent randomness of tlrccards, and locate the AD. Cut the deck two cards above it, itrtrlleave it on the table, face up. The situation is: The deck is on llrr'table, face up, and the AD is tht'third card crotttttittg frotn llr,'faces, the zD is the fiftlr,:ll) is tlrt'st'vt'ttth,:ttttl so ort...

A book in English: I lte t rrnl rrirt'r{ r}l Wootly Aragon

,,\sl< a spectator to cut sur.rrc t'rrrrls, lcss than half of the deck,,rrrrl ;llace them over your h:rrrtl. l(t't'p.yorrr hand flat, and yourIrrr1,,r'r's extended, so that uo oltc srrspccts you might be using\ r )ur' f ingers to count the cards.

\&lrt'n the spectator cuts the cards, there are two possibilities.ll tlrt,card on the face of the pack is a Diamond, multiply its

',rlrrr. by two in order to obtain the number of cards you arelr,,l1;11,*.

ll tlrirt was not the case, simply extend you hand slightly, sollr;rl llrc cards slide slightly over each other, allowing you toyqlrrrrlrsc at the index of the bottom card of the pile (it will be aI tr;rrrrond). Multiply its value by two, and add one.

Irr ;rrr.y case, you will knowthe number of cards you have inr,rrr' lr;rncl. Announce it, and give the cards to the spectator who, rrl llrt, t:ards. Ask him to turn over the cards as he deals them,n \'olu' harnd, counting them (as he is turning the cards over,llrl t';rr'<ls will stay in the same order). Once the spectator',unls. proving that you were right, take your deservedr;r;rlrrrrst', and put the cards back on the deck.

:iI,:('0NI) PIIASE:

l;rLr, llrt. cleck and, using the after-effect relaxation to your,r,lr;rrrlir,l,(', r'un rr cards from the top of the deck to the face.

,l,lr,rl lcrrvt.s the AD on the r4th position from the face, and so

I rrrr. ol llrc problems I find when performing these kind ofrl,(.t'l)ow('l's" routines is that sometimes it is so feasible that,

l,,t ,,1vs1',. 01'llrc auclience, it becomes more a display of greatrl,rlrlr', r';rllrt.r'thun ura11ic. In order to avoid this, I took the,,,nrlrliorrs Io tlrt' t'xtr'(.ll)(,, iu crcating this sccond phase. Thelr ullr i:;, t';rlcrrlllirrg lltr. rrrurrltcr' o1' t'ltrls in it ltile you arelr,,l,l1s11, is ttol so corrrlrlir';rlt.rl, ltrrt tloinr- so ilr llrc conditionstlr,rl I rvill rror,r' prlr;r,rrl ir;, i[' rrot rr';rl rrr;t1',ir', sorrrctlring that, ,,nr{,,. t,,t I r.l,r:;r, lo tl

A Book inEnglish: Tlrc t'rrtrl rtrtl'i1 ,,1 Wootly Arag6n

Ask your audience for a bag, ir s('lrl, a handkerchief...anything that can hold a deck of cat'cls insitlc will do. Hold itwith one hand, concentrate, and say sottrcthing like "this tueighsas much os... saA... 70 cards". Take thc cett'd box, and do the:

same.

Give the box to one of the spectators, asking him to examine it.Tell him that he is to cut a good chunk of cards, about half of thedeck - not exactly; a few cards more, or a few cards less. Theidea you want to convey to your audience is that, the more'similar the packet they ieave to the one they take, the harder ilis for us to calculate its weight. Actually, as long as the spectator'cuts between r3 and 37 cards, the trick will work.

After the spectator cuts the cards (it doesn't matter where ht'cut), ask him to put his cards into the box, close it, and put ilinside the handkerchief, bag... or whatever the item yorrpreviously weighted.

Throughout this whole procedure, keep your back turned tt,the audience. But, at the exact moment when you tell tht'spectator to put the cards into the box, address him by turningslightly, and use this opportunityto peek at the top card of th,'remaining pile.

Once again, there are two possibilities. If the card is ;r

diamond, after the first spectator has packaged the cards, asl.

the second one to put the remaining cards in his pocket, so thrrtwhen you finaily face your audience, there are no cards in siglr l.Take the package, put it in your hand, pretend to weigh it [dorr'tforget to pretend to subtract the weight of the handkerchief arrr I

the box from the weight of the package in your hand], and nartt,'the number of cards inside.

Obviously, you get the number by multiplying by two the valrrr'of the peeked diamond, antl a<lding tt to it.'l'hitt rncerns thirl ilyou see the 5D, 5 x z = Io. to I ll - ')1, fhc spt't'litt<lt'has clttt :'tcards.

A book in Englislr: 'l lrt' t'rrrrl rrr:r1,rr' ol Wootly Aragon

ll'you see an indifferent caltl,.irrsl tcll your audience "I need a',itu1le card as a tueight refi'rcrtca" rrrrrl when the spectator givesvorr the top card, peek at thc ucxt onc, which will be a diamondlrrrrl. Multiply its value by two anrl ackl 10 to get the number of,'rrrrls inside the box. Give the "ref'erence" card back to the';pcctators after weighing" it, act as if you were subtracting thervr,ight of the handkerchief and the box, and continue with thelr.r,t'lation.

,I'IIIRD PTIASE:

Asl< the spectator who put the cards into the box to shuffle hislrrrrls thoroughly, and ask the other one, who has the rest of the,lr,r'|i... to do the same. Even after destroying the stack, you willrrow rcpeat the demonstration in a very dramatic way.

" l)o lJou went to knotu how I do it? I uill explain it to you. Itr,. trttl only a skill, but I am actually a human scale... let me,.lttnu Uou..." Gather the deck, taking back the cards from the'ilr('('lirtors. You might be thinking: How can I know the position,I ;r rry carrds, after being shuffled by the audience? The answer isrilr t,irs}/ one: You know exactly how many cards each one had,l,r,r';rrrs(: you just guessed them in the previous phase!

.'\l llris moment, it has been a while since you guessed therrrrrrlrt:r'<tf cards that were inside the box. In this example, there\\r'r'(' 2t cards. Because you know this is a complete deck, youirl:,o l<rrow the number of cards in the other pile. In this case 5z'-,t ;1t. Let's call the smail number (zr) X, and the large onet rr) \'.

,\:;li llrc spectator holding the Y pile for his cards first. Placellrr,rrr llrt'tr up in your left hand. Remember the card on the face,,1 llrr, lrilc; it will be your key card. Place the rest of the cardsI llrr X pilc) face up on top ofthe Ypile. You are nowholding the,lllli, willr ir l<ey caxl irr position X+t(zz in this case).

\,,L on(,ol'tlrt,spt.r'l;rtors (rrsc tlrt'orrt,wlro has been leasttnr',,lvr.rl irr tlrt. lricli so l';rr')lo crrl :r pilc ol'r,;rxls,;rltotrt a quarter,,1 llrr,rlccli,;rrrrl pl;r,',,i1 ol,r.t'yorl'r'ililrl lr;rrrrl. lltsist <ln the

A Book in English: -lhc r'rrr.tl tttlrl'.tt ol Wootly Arag6n

complete freedom of his choicc, tcllirrg lrirn he can add orremove one, two or three cards bclirl'c ltlitt'itrg the pile on yourhand. Just make sure he cuts abovc yottt' licy catrd.

Extend your arms so that each hancl can be watched at alltimes by a spectator (once again, make sure that no one cansuspect that you are counting the cards). Be as serious as yotrcan, make a big deal of what you are about to do. If you can,piay some tense music and dim the lights. The contrast of thcstage with the situation of having someone with his armsextended, acting as a human scale, is a very funny moment, bulyour audience will be completely engrossed in the trick.

Acting as a scale, raise your right hand, the one with tht'smaller pile, and lower the left one. As if trying to reduce tht'weight difference between the piles, start dropping, one by onc.cards from your left hand. Meanwhile, start raising your lef't

hand, as the right hand lowers.

As you drop the cards, start counting backwards, keeping irr

mind how many cards are on top of the key card...(in orrr

example, think "there are 21 cards left...'drop one, then therrore 20 cards left...'drop another one, "19 left...') until you gt't

to the key card. The number you count down to when yorrget to the key card (which you see, trut do not count) isthe nurnber of cards that the spectator has cut (thosr'cards are in your right hand).

Now that you know the number, you only need to drop tlrr'necessary number of cards from the left hand. And, since yorr

now know the piie has Y cards, count the key card as "Y-1", ilt)tlcontinue counting. For example, suppose you counted t4 cartlsin the right hand pile. You remember the value of Y is 31, so y()rr

drop the key card and count "3o", drop the next one '29", llt'rlu28"... until you drop the card and get to "74". At that poirrlboth piles will contain the sitltte nllmber of cards (r4 in tlri:;case).

All of this st:ct'tl t'orntlirrli;rr'lrrlrllv lrcllts lo t'tttlvr'1' lltt'itttttlit',,1real cont't'tttlltliott. ;tttrl llr;rl ttt;tLr's lltr' <lcttrottr;lt;tliott ;t t't'tt

A book in English: l'lrr' r':rtrl rrr:rr,rr' nl Woorly Aragon

|.wt'r'ful one (if it looks "r't'lll", tlrr' ;rrrrlit.rrt:c genuinely feels the,lrllit'rrlty of the task yotr arc irllt'rnptirrg). Mren you finish with\ our' counting, relax. And, al- thcr nronrt:rrt your two arms are onllrr,sarne level, smile and show youl audience that you justrrr;rrlt' it! Many times, the audience will start clapping evenIrllot't, you have proved anything!!!

N;rnrc the number of cards cut by the spectator and,,lr;rrrr:rtically starts dropping cards in pairs, from both hands, atllrr,s;rnre time. Count them as you do it, until you reach theriun('(l number. The tension of the magician dropping cards onel,\ orrc, until he runs out of cards at the exact moment of the, lrrrr;rx, make this a very powerful ending to the routine.

A I ) I ) I'IIONAL REMARKS:

iionrt. people say that card magic does not work on stage. Well,I r';rn lrroudly say that I have even used this effect to close a,t;rll(' gala, performing after several professionals inrrr;rrrilrrrlation, great illusions and stage magic, with magnificentrr",ulls (cven I was surprised!). In any case, you can alsol','rlonn the routine close-up. Just drop the cards on the table.

\llr.r' prcsenting this version of the trick in one of the galas zrt

llrr' l',scorial meetings, some years ago, Steve Beam told me Ton-tllrrlrlrrrrl had a similar idea to the third phase of my routine. Irr, r,'r'lrrrl the opportunity to share my ideas with him, but Il,rllr rcrrlizccl that I had read Hubbard's idea in The Cardl\lrrgic ol'Nick Trost (I hereby suggest that you read it, as itr, 'luir'('s lr l<cy card in a specific position, but uses calculationsIlrirl ;rrt.rrruc:h simpler than the ones you have to do in myl',rrrrllirrg). So, the idea must have been lurking in mybrain for a,'lrrlr,, rrrrtil it gave birth to what I thought was a creation oflrlrr,. 'l'lurt's ury credit to Mr. Hubbard, with a sincere wish ofi', llrrrl lo l<rrow his worl< better (the few things of his that I'ver',r,1 ;llr. r't'rrlly llrilli:rrrl ).

I rrrll rrow corrli'ss llr;rl. lrltlr<lrrglr I sllt';rl< ol';r 5z card deck intlr, rlr,,;r'r'ipliorr ol llrr,rrtr,llrotl, Itrt'trrlrllv us(';t 5o r.:u'tl tleck, by, rllrr'r p;rlrrrirrl',;t ('()ul,lr.ol t';trrls lrt'lirr',, 1 :;llrll , or ll.y rr.ntoving

A Book in English: Thc citrtl ttt:t1'.it' ol Wootly Aragon

any cards, without showing them, tls I sil.y " l ruill nou) remouethe Jokers". The reason is tl-rat I'vc always been morecomfortable calculating the cards nccrlccl kr reach 50 at thebeginning of the third phase.

I will also tell you that I never use a suit in order, although itworks perfectly for the routine. In performance, I use the first 13

cards from my mnemonic stack. As I decided not to publish anymnemonic deck tricks in this book, I have described the effectwith the ordered suit idea, but if you use any stack (Tamariz,Aronson...) using the first 13 cards of the stack works perfectly,and allows you to fairly show the first 13 card pile (the ones inthe warm up phase). Another possibility is to have a packetalternating even diamond cards with odd clubs cards to disguist'the order.

Performing "Thc Hunrntt 5r'rrlt"' rrl lltr lt,qL'trLlary Grlilrc Cnlil.ei Srl,t

irt Nltrrlt irl('(ll(l)

AbookinEnglislr: 'l'lte trrrrl rrr;r1irr ol Woorly Aragon

SI FRY

Sorne time ago I created a trick, called The Lemon Pear (t).\ rrrrrltiple divination, after a genuine shuffle, that delighted,ur(li(.nces, both laS.men and magicians (and even me, whenlrrr'lirrnring it). It was included in my first set of lecture notes,irul irr my first book, Cosas Mias (z). I have to say it fooledrrrrrl,,it'ians like David Solomon, Gabi (g), and Henry Evans...,lr",us Iitcheverry read it in the EMM (4) newsletter and he,rlrurlrrlcly loved it, so he asked me to perform it at the meeting,,l llrr, Iiscorial (5) later that year. Tony Cachadifla, Joan Font,,rr(l (,von Herb Zarrow really liked it... I am not telling you all ofllrr,, irrst because I'm proud of the effect (which, of course, I am)l,rrl lrr,r'ause I want you to know how much I appreciate this,'llr,r'1, :rnd why I think it is reallyworth performing.

{'t)

ll)

A lt'rrron pear is a variety of the fruit that grows in Spain. There is:rlso ur cxpression with it meaning that something is great/cool.'l'lrirl's wl'rere the name comes from.l,itt'r'irlly meauing "My Things" (or My Stuff), it hasn't been publishedirr l,irrglish.( irrlri l)irlt:r'as, one of the foremost pupils of Ascanio. His ideas havellrr,irlly irr{lrrcnced many of the top magicians in Spain. He lives inIlrrlt't'krrtit."l,lscrrt'lrr Magica dc Madrid", Madrid's magic artistic School, whoserrrr,rrrlrt,r's irrr:lrr<lc, antongst many others, Tamariz, Ascanio, Jose('rrlnrll, (lrrrrilo Vut,<ptz,, llobcrto Giobbi, Aurelio Paviato, and manyoIltr,t's...'l'lrc irrvil;rliorr;rl rnct'l irrgs ol'l,lst'olirrl lrlt'lrckl cvcry year in thel'1:;r'ori;rl,rrr';rrN'l;rrllirl, lrt'.lrurrr'l'rurr;rliz,:rrrrl il lroslsnlrnyofthebestllo:rr, u1r \\,(,r'l\r'r', lr lor t rrr I I lrr, worlrl.

tL

A Book in English: Thc olxl tuitgic ol'Wootly Arag6n

I have developed several versions ol'this trick, depending onthe stack I am using at the moment (tnncnronic, arithmetic...)This is the most "popular" version because it's based on the SiStebbins stack. Steve Beam, who really loves this trick, came upwith the English name, Si Fry, when he published it in thevolume 6 of his Semi-Automatic Card Trick series, in a

chapter dedicated to my magic. Thanks Steve!

EFFECT

The magician tells the audience that he is going to find outnot one, not hvo, but as many cards as they want... but, tryingnot to make the trick take too long, a spectator will choose a

number between 5 and 15. The spectator himself will shuffle thecards, and he will take as many cards as he chose. The magicianwill have his back turned to the audience at all times, and willnot even touch the cards at any time. Even under thoseseemingly impossible conditions, the magician is able toascertain every single card!

METHOD

Start with a deck in Si Stebbins order. I usually stack the suitsin SHCD order (r), but, of course, the trick works just as well inCHaSeD order.

Have the spectator cut the deck, and then ask him to think of lnumber, and say it aloud. It should be a number between 7 and13, but I usually say a number between 5 and 15, so it seems thatthe choice is bigger.

Usually no one gives me 6 or r4...but if someone did, I woul<lpretend to change my mind at the very last moment, thinking it

would be a better idea to use more/less cards, and ask tht'spectator to give me a new number.

(r) The SHCD; or "l)i(li I\rl)o" irr Splrrish, is thc nrosl poprrlar striI ortlt'r'fbr thc Si Stcl)l)ir)s <lt'r'li irr Sprrirr.

A book in Englislr: 'l'lrc crrnl rrrrr;1rt, ol'Wrlody Aragon

l,ct's say the chosen numbcl' is to. Ask him to cut the deckrr14irin, and then deal ro carcls on tlrc table (thus inverting thoselrrr'(ls' order). You will look asicle as thc cards are dealt.

Ask the spectator to cover the cards with his hand, so that youlrrrrnot see them. Then gather the rest of the cards, and peek attltr,bottom card. Now transfer, from top to bottom as manyr'rrrrls as the difference between 13 and the chosen number. Inllrr. uxample, 1B-1o means you have to transfer 3 cards from thelop to the bottom of the deck, using a double undercut or anovcrhand shuffle (the best option ifyou need to transfer severalr'rttrls). The patter for these actions is 'You could haue chosentttttl other cardfrom the deck, you cut the deck, you shufJled..."

At the moment you say "you shuffled", act as if you arer'rrrrl'rrsed, pause for a moment, and then ask the spectator,'YoLtrlitl NOT shuffie, Did you?". He will say no, so you'lI reply "Ohtrn'll, I almost forgot the best part of the trick. Well, Iet's starttu1uitt..." Cut about z6 cards from the packet you are holding,lrrkirrg them with your right hand (do not leave them on thetrrlrlc). Then ask the spectator to return his cards to the center ofllrr. 1rircft. As soon as he does, dribble the cards you are holdinguvr.r' lhc spectator's, but a little bit nearer to your body. The first,'nrrl lo fall will be automatically injogged. Catch a break at the1op, with your thumb, and transfer it to the pinky as you squarellrr, rlcr:l< and prepare to start the trick again.

('rrl lhc deck at the break, table the two halves in front of therrgrr,r'lnlor, and ask "Do you knous hou to shulfle like this...r'rrli,,,o sttlle?" (NorE 1) Ask him to riffle shuffle the deck and, as helq rrlrorrt to do it, stop him and tell him that you are about to findrrrrl lris t:lrds, and it is important for everyone to see that yourlurcli will be turned at him every moment, and you will notlrrtrllr llrc cards anymore.

'l'lrr, spcr:tator ri1'l'lc shutlles the deck. Ask him to square it, andrrllr,ss llrc lirr:t thal rrow "'l'|rc cleck hus bcat utmpletely shuffled141 t1ott, r'iqht'? Olc, tlmt lrrkc...hous nt(tntl tttrtls tlid you say..?ll,'()lt, to... Ok, !ltt'tt ltth' to curds..."'l'ltis sr.nltrn(:(r has the goal,rl lrrliitt14 llrt,sgx'r'l;rlor lirrrrr llrt'sltrrl'llr', slr';riglrt irrlo tll<ing thc

A Book in English: 'l'hc trrltl tttrtltt ol Wootly Arag6n

cards, without giving him a chauc:t' to t'ttt, sotttcthing that wouldruin the effect (NorE 2).

Now you will ask him to look at thc citt'cls and concentrate.."meanwhile, you will calculate the value o1'the card that comesafter the key card you peeked at earlier. As we're using the Si

Stebbins stack, the next card's value results from adding g to thekey card. The suit will be the opposite suit of the sarne coloras the key card. That means, if the key card is the 4 of clubs, yotrwill calculate the 7 of spades (Value: 4+3:7, Suit=same color,opposite suit).

When you name this first card (it will always be one of thcselected cards, although there is an extremely low possibilitvthat you might make a mistake in the first card) ask thcspectator to show it, and place it face up on the tablc,confirming that your guess is right. It is important to keep tracliof how many cards are left (in this example, he said 10, so you'rt'now left with 9). Now you will start naming cards following tht'regular Si Stebbins stack (adding 3 to the vaiue and rotatiniisuits in the chosen order), and the cards will be shown as you

guess all of them...

But there will be a moment at which you wi1l be told that yorr

failed! Watch out for this: you have to be ready, this shouid notseem a mistake, and you should make it look as though it wassimply a miscail. Just fake having rushed too much in namirrlithe cards, making a mistake oniy at the suit. Immediatclrcorrect yourself, and say the suit of the last guessed card. If, lirrexample, you say "King of Spades, 3 of Diamonds, 6 of Clubs...and suddenly you're told the 6 of Clubs is not one of the cat'tl:,,say "oh, sorrA, it IS a six, but I meont the 6 of Diamonds..."'l'lt,'spectator will confirm you're right. Give a sigh of relief arrrl

continue naming cards again, in standard Si Stebhins ortk'r,from the 6 of Diamonds. (NorIi 3)

This mistake happens ottlv irt lltc Si Stebbins vtrt'si{)tt, :ttt,lresults from cr'(rssing tlrc ltvo pt'ittcilllcs tltat itllow lltc lt'it'li l,happcn. II<lwcvct', il ;tclu;rllt ptovitlt's rt goorl lrt't';tli l'trtrtt tlr.

A book in Englislr. l lrt't;rrrl rrr,u,r, ol Wootly Aragon

l(r'tl-Black color sequenc(f, il rrsrrirl wolr'.y when working withI lris particular stack. (No'r'r'r'l)

NO'|ES

( t) I usually refer to rilfle shuffling as a "casino style"shuffle for psychological reasons. In Spain, it is not anormal way of shuflling, except at casinos. If I asked aspectator to riffle shuffle, he might think ("What? Rtffleshuffle? What's this? Why can't I shuffle in the normaluay? Why? Do I haue to shuffle just the way he uantsme to? Will this allou him to control the cards,somehotu?"). When I say "casino style", I ciearly conveythe kind of shuffle that I want - the one done in casinos,where people play professionally. Everyone in theaudience will accept this, as it is a fairly common imagefbr them. This leads them to think "If this is the tuaythey shuffle in casinos, it must be because it is the bestuay to mix the cerds". And that's exactly what I wantthem to think: I want them to shuffle this way, because itis the best way to really mix the cards, not because thetrick's method requires them to shuffle that way.

(:,) In the first phase (a phase everyone will forget, or atIcast, will not associate with the rest of the effect, as noiu"tist would be so stupid as to make a mistake onl)urpose, and have to start again from the beginning),llrc cards were actually cut. You will use this to yourIrrlvantage, trying to mess with their memory andrcr:alling the action of cutting at the moment you want. Irrsrrally do this when there are only three cards left in theslrcctator's hands. I pause and say something like"Therettt't' orilt1 ttuo cards left...No?! Three? Aren't their ttuo?!Wttto... rue.ll, yott knotu, fhis ls not easy., Remember,tltm slntffk'd tlu, curds tlotu"self, tlott cttt them, you took(r.s ,,r(ulu (ts tlou ttrtrrtlcd... Brtt il's ok, tf't1ott saq yotL stillItttttt' !ltrt't,... irr.s/ ltrkc otrl lhc lrpo of'diontonds [forrxirnrplr'l trtrtl lltt'tt llt<,t'<, tuill lx' ltt,o... (1,)vcryrx-rc willl;rrrlilr ;tl llr;rl poirrl, llrt y'orr slill rrr;rrr;r1ir,rl lo trrl<l rlt'anralo lltt' lirr;rl r,'r','l;rlions).

@ A Book in English: Thc cirltl tttrtl',it' ol Wtrotly Arag6n

(S) And at the end, when thct'tr itrt' ottly two cards left, Ialways use Richard Osterlincl's Clrrrt/ Calling subtlety. Irefer you to his Breakthrough Card Systembooklet/DVD, whichever you pref'er. It's worth its weightin gold.

(+) If you want to further disguise the Si Stebbins colorsequence, you can name two cards in inversed order atthe beginning. For example, if the chosen cards are Aceof Clubs, 4 of Hearts, 7 of Spades... you could say "Ace oJ

Clubs, 7 of Spades, 4 of Hearfs..." and the final display o1'

the chosen cards on the table will have a more randomlook.

Performing "Borcd o.f Slrul'llirt;q" itr I)orr I:rrtrtcist'o's'l'V Prttgrtrtr trl

I lrri,,i:,itttt, itt Mitttti( t()l)t))

A book in Hnglislr: 'l ltt' r'rrrrl ur:r1iir' rrl Woorly Aragon

BORED OF SHUFFLING'l'lris is my personalized version of Simon Aronson's ShufJle

lhrtrl. The effect is practically the same, but part of the methodrrrrrl presentation are new, and good enough (in my opinion) tolrrstil'y its presence in this book. On one side, the decklortl'igtrration allows for the use of the Gilbreath principle, and,r(l(ls some freedom to the handling. This method will fool evenllrosr.who knowthe original, and has gotten me the praise ofrrrrrrry l'cllow magicians. The presentation, on the other hand,rlilli'r's from the original, and does not go for a feeling oflrnrl)l(!te chaos, but instead focuses on the clarity and freedom,,1 clroicc, something that, I think, reinforces the predictionlllccl.

l,llrlrlicT:

,\rr rrlrcrr prediction is shorrr.n. It states: "In the end, there uilllu' :,.1.1111,1r up cards". Two members of the audience are invitedt,, rilrrrl'{1c, cut and turn over packets of cards, while therrrirl',iciiur Announces that, no matter what they choose, theI'rr,(li('lion will still be right. The spectators control which cardsirrl lunr(!(l thce up or face down right up to the very lastrrr.rrrrr.rrl. Ncvcrtheless, the prediction will not only be correctlrrrl. wlrcrr cxrmpletely revealed, it is shor.rm to have also;,rr,rlillr,rl thcr color and suit of all the face up cards. Not onlytlrir,, lrrrl llrc ntagici:rrr sccmcd to know in advance that none ofllrr lrrcc rrlr t':u'tls worrltl lrt. :r r:orrrt cal'r1... wcll, there is one... butllrirl wrrs rrlso irr llrc nr;rgit'iirrr's;lrulit'ti<lrr, lrs (.v()tyone can seerrlrr,rr llrr, lxrpt'r'orr rvlriclr llrt'1tn'rli<'lion rv;rs wlillt'n is tr-rrnedI t\ l'l

I

A Book in English: 'l'ltc trrrtl tttrtt',it ol Wtxrtly Arag6n

METHOD

The original ShufJle Bored methocl crottsists of a procedure forseemingly haphazardly shuffling togethel two groups of cardstogether, some of which are face up ancl some face down, butfby using parity] actually keeping the two groups of cards easilyseparable. One of the two groups initially held all the cardsneeded for the final prediction (there will be X cards face up, Yred, Z hearts...) but when the two piles are combined, ther

predictions provide a logical reason for separating the twogroups. However, the magician has to keep track of this groupwith the necessary cards, and often, at the very last moment, tht'magician had to turn the whole deck over to ensure that thccards required for the final prediction were all face up.

My version grew from the idea of taking advantage of tht'ambivalence of the characteristics in the predicted cards (tht'prediction states "there uill be tz black cards" ot "6 of thetttu.till be Spades", without really saying which will be the exat't

cards). This allows me to use not just one group of cards, btrltwo. I mean, both the face up and face dornrn cards contairrexactly the same number of cards, the same number of re'tl

cards, of hearts, etc...

This frees me from having to control one of the groups to bt'face up, making it fairer for the audience, and has some mor'('

advantages, such as using the Gilbreath principle to start with ;r

real shuffle by a spectator.

But before I explain the details of the deck, let's talk about tlr,'prediction first. For practical reasons that I will explain later'' I

use this one:

THERE WILL BE Z4 FACE UP CARDS11 OF THOSIi WII,L BE RED

6 WII,I, ItI.] III1ARTSAr,r, oF THE IIliAlt't'S Wll,l, tlli NUMltl,llt cAltl)s,

N( ) !'l( "1'l lluis.

A book in Unglislr: lltt't:rtrl rn;r1'rr'ol Woorly Aragon

'l'hen, on the back of t[-rc prcrlit'tiorr, I write:

EXCEPT }'OII THE KJ OF HEARTS

I tlo this because, using a normal deck (I will later explain theirrlvirntages of using a duplicate), you can have two groups ofr'rrrrls that meet all the requirements on the front of theprr.rliction, but the final exception on the back isn't (can't be!)llrc snme for both groups. Since the audience will be free to,'lroose which will be the face up cards, you will not know, untilI I r r , vcry end, if the picture card will be the Jack of Hearts or theKirrg of Hearts. Writing the prediction in this manner, yolt canirrrl 1lu[ your thumb over the K and turn the prediction overrr illr .your hand, or pass it to the left hand and cover the J withr urrr lhumb.

l,r't's talk about the deck now. Before starting the routine, yon',lrrrrrltl remove the two red Queens and any 2 Diamond cardslrnrrr lhe deck. I usually leave them in the card box. Later on, Ir ,ur l)ul the deck in the case for a moment, then "change myrrrirrrl" ancl take out the complete deck to continue using it for,,llrr.r'c1'['ects. So, for this routine, you will have a 48 card deck.'ir'p;u'irtc it in traro groups as follows:

r:t lll:rr:l< cards, 5 Heart number cards, 5 Diamond cards, King,,1 I lr,trlts.

,lircli ol'llearts,5 Diamond cards,5 Heart number cards, t3lllrrlli crrrrls-

l'lris rrrt'ans that, if you cut the deck between the Jack and thel..rrr1,, ol'llt':rr'[s, tht'two groltps are sylnmetric, in a kind ofnultr)t'sllrt'l<.'l'ltis is r.rrorrgh to mal<c thc trick work, but if your\.url l() slrow lr sct'rrrirrlilv slrufflcrl rlccl<, vorr t'irn do one ortwol,rro slrrrll'lr,s. As lorr ;rlrt';rrly l<rrow, llrt'sv'rnrrrt.try <t1'the stack

',tll ttol Ircrlisltttlrr', l.

A Book in English: Thc clrlrl tttrtgit'ol Wootly Arag6n

PERFORMANCE

Start with a spectator on each side, and display the predictionwhile hiding a part of it with your I'rand, the box of cards, orsimply by folding the prediction itself. The audience should onlysee "There uill be 24 foce up cards". Now tell your audiencethat you will perform the famous "There uill be z4 face upcards" trick. The trick gets its name because, no matter whatyou do, at the end the prediction is always correct...

Cut the deck exactly in half (between the Jack and the King ol'

Hearts), separating the two groups, and tell one of thtrspectators to riffle shuffle the two portions together. Because o1'

the Gilbreath principle, the two groups will still be together,only in a random order.

Next, I need to cut the deck again exactly in half, and I coultlsecretly count z4 cards, but I usually cut by estimation and do lFaro check, as I talk about shuffling the deck (since the trick is

about shuffling, a Faro attempt is justified). Once you have tht'two exact halves, give one to each spectator, and tell them toshuffle their cards.

Now you will perform an adaptation of the procedure used b.r

Ramon Riob6o in Control in Chaos. Ask each spectator to plat't'his cards on the table, in front of him, and cut "a big, small ttt'medium packet, uhicheuer you like". There will be 4 piles orr

the table. Point at them, and ask "Wouldit be possible tofores<'t'the number of cards that are in each packet?"

Now ask them to turn over one of the two piles, in order lo

decide how many cards will be face up, and how many lirt','down. "Could I haue knoun in aduance that you uere goirttl tttturn ouer this pile, instcod o.l' this biqqer ot7e, ot' this .srrrrrl/

one?"

A book in Englislr: l ltr' r'rrrrl rrrrlirt' ol Wootly Aragon

Now lirl<c thcr firt't' trp pilc of one spectator and the face dor,rmpllr.ul'llrt'otlrt'r', ;rntl givt. it [o one ol'tltt: sltoctators so that he',lrrrlllcs llrt'ru logcllrcr' (witlrorrl x'vt'r'sirrg thc clirection the',rr(l:i ;lr'(' llrcirrg). 'l'lrr, sr,r'orrtl sllct'llrtor r,vill shrrl'llrr the other

t

A Book in English: Thc crrnl tttirgit' ol Wootly Arag6n

two piles together. This is a way ol' slightly motivating theexchange of face down piles.

After the shuffle, proceed with Aronson's original handling,but only once per spectator. Specifically, ask the first spectatorto cut a packet from his cards, put it in the center of the tableand turn it over. The second spectator shuffles this packettogether with his cards. The spectators now repeat theprocedure, exchanging roles (ie, the second spectator cuts ancl

rotates a portion of his deck and then gives it to the firstspectator who shuffles it into his deck).

Now you will tell one of them that he is to have the final choict'over the cards that will be face up and face dovr,n. Tell him thathe will choose one of the two piles, turn it over, and shuffle tht'two piles together. Stress the point that, if he chooses to turtrover his pile, the cards that he sees face up (at this point it isgood to spread his cards a little and name one or two) will entlface down, but if he chooses to turn over the other packet, thetrhis cards face up cards will stay face up, and the other cards willbe the ones to end face down... This decision will come back lohaunt the audience at the moment of the final revelation... If tht'prediction already stated that all hearts would be number carcls"exceptfor the Jack of Hearts", then they will think "but at tltt'uery last moment, I had the free choice to leaue this card fou'down!" I am not saying that everyone at the audience will junrlrto this conclusion, but the feeling of control over the finirloutcome is there, and they will perceive it.

No matter what they choose, you will now proceed to show tlrt'prediction, step by step, proving that each one is right arrtlrevealing the next step. At what will seem to be the lrrsl

prediction, the audience will see a picture card that should rrot

be there. But, since the spectators checked the first predictiorr(counting the number of face up cards) you will have sp<lttctlwhich is the picture hearls carcl ilt the group. This will allow yorr

to know in advance how lo grirlt thc predictiort, covering llrlletter you don't wattt io lrc st't'tt irr thc l'ittitl ltvclitti<llt, its I

explained in thc bcgirrrrirrli.

A book in Englislr: 'l'lrc t':rltl rnl;.irr'ol Woody Aragon

A I ) I ) I'I'I ONAL REMARKS

An I saicl before, you have just seen the description of therrrrllrotl lor a rcgullr dcck, with which yolr can just write theprr,rliclion on ilny l):rlxrr irrrytirne before the perfbrmance. But, if\nlt lu'(,going to 1lt,r'lirrnt tltis rnrrtint'irr ir ftrrntal setting, thelrrr.rlit'liorr t'irrr lx' sorrrr.llrirrg rrron' spt'r'il'ir'. I normally wear(!)lltr'ptr,tlicliott ott lr 'l'-Slrirt, irrr itlr';r lrl rnt,goorl li'icncl .Iuan

A Book in English: The clrrtl lltrtgtt' ol Wootly Arag6n

Esteban Varela from Chile (with thtr pt't'tlit:titttt at the front, andthe "except the ..." and a draw of thc I'irtal cat'd on the back). Isuggest you bring a prepared deck, in which you substitute theJack of Hearts for a duplicate of the I(ing of Hearts (or viceversa). In this way, you know for sure that the exception cardwill be the King of Hearts. Don't worry about the duplicatesgetting together in the deck, or being seen both at the sametime. Thanks to the Gilbreath principle, the two Kings will neverlie next to one another in the deck, but, if they did, one of thenrwould be face up and the other face down, so no one would bt'able to see them both at the same time.

And now, I will tell you the advantages I promised you aboulthis stack and prediction I made. You can get to the needetlorder very easily from the 4th Faro in the B-Faro cycle starting,from new deck order, which makes it possible to get to the staclrquickly from a deck in new deck order or Tamariz's mnemonicrtstack.

If you have a deck in new deck order, just position the two rctlsuits in the middle of the pack. If, for example, you open a freslrbicycle deck, just take the clubs and put them on the top of tht'deck, then do 4 out Faros. If you have a deck in mnemonit'rtstack, I refer you to Tamariz's book, where you can find tlr,'instruction to get to "Faro 4".

This "Faro 4" is ordered in a mirror stack, but it is not tlrt'order you need. To get to it, just run 20 cards (from the factr or

the backs, it doesn't matter which) inverting their order. Yorr

also need to remove, from the middle of the pack, the two tlrlQueens, the g of Diamonds and the z of Diamonds. If you cut ;rtthe center of the deck (between the two black nines), you rrr'('

now in position to perform the trick as explained.

A book in Englislr: l lre t rrrtl rrr:11'rr' ol'Woorly Aragon

GILBREATH DETECTIVE

I consider this a trick more suitable for magicians. By this Irh rrr'l rnean to say the rest of the tricks in the book will not foolrrr;rgicians (I have verified that they usually do); it is just that allll llrcm are composed, and most of the time conceived, bylor'rrsing on the effect, the feeling of magic, and the emotionsllr;rl I want to convey to the audience (be they la);rrten orrrrirgit:ians). Virtually all of them belong to, or have been in, my1,r'oli,ssional repertoire. On the other hand, Gilbreath Detectiuer', ;r lrir:l< that I would never perform in an act, and I have almostnr.\,(.r' llresented it to laymen. But it has worked incredibly welll,,r' nrirgicians, in lectures, and in postJecture sessions.

'l'lrt' r'cason is that, externally, it looks just like a card locationrrr rrr.irrly impossible conditions (One more amoung the myriad,rl vr,r'sions availatrle in today's magic literature). So it does notI , r i r rlt ir nything new to the emotional field. But from the internallruirrl ol'view, it relies in a very interesting method, as it,,h';,,rrrrll.y cornbines the Gilbreath principle with Annemann'slllt't'ttttlt, l)etection, resulting in a very deceiving trick for

rrrrrlr,iciirrrs. Nevertheless, I am not saying the old "pick a card,,trttl I tuill.l'irul it" trick will not have an impact on laymen, but Irr,rrrltl lil<c to warn you of a mistake that most magicians,tl,'lrrtlirrg rrrc, ntill<c: ll'.yotr consider the most important thing in,r lrrcli is tlrc rrrcllr<ltl, l sru'ltrisc cncling, or'one of the phases inl,.n li('ullu', llrt'rr .yorr will t,rrrl rrll unrlt.r't.stirrr:rlirrg the rest of therrrrrrrr,nls irr tlrr. lrit'li, prcsr.rrting llrcnr ;rs ;r rt'strll <lf inertia,rlnro:;l lrlrll' lrr';rrllrllt'. l'r'r'sorrtrlly, I ;rlu,lt\':' lr'\, lo 1lt.r'lill'rn this

a

A Book in English: Thc cirrrl tttrtliit ol Wootly Arag6n

trick experiencing the effect, l-r'yirtg to get the most of itspossibilities, trying to put the best ol'rttc at atn emotional level irrthe performance.

EFFECT:

The deck is divided into two halves. Each half is given to ;r

different spectator, and they both shuffle their respective cards.Then, they each select a card, return it to the deck, and shuftlt'again. Both halves are shuffled together. One of the spectator':,cuts the deck, and the other shuffles the complete deck and cul:,

again. Nevertheless, the magician is able to find both cards.

METHOD:

You will need to prepare a simple setup for this trick. Separa tt'

the red cards from the black ones, the z6 first cards from the "(,last ones in your mnemonic stack, or any other kind of setrrlr

that allows you to identify both halves (odd/evt'rr'straight/curve values, and so on...). You can use the Separag,orr

[earlier in this book] to create the setup right in front of yorrr

audience, or even to perform it with a borrowed deck. To mrtl','things clearer, I will refer to red and black cards for the rest ol

the explanation.

Separate the deck in two exact halves, and give each one lo ;r

spectator. One of them will shuffle the red cards, the other orr,'

the black ones. The audience should not know it, so make sttr,'they don't have the chance to realize the cards they are holtlirrr',are all of the same color.

Take both halves, one in each hand, and ask each spectatot'l,rpick a card from his pile, and remember it. While thev;rr''looking at their cards, exchange both packets.

A way to do this without ttsing any sleight of hand, is to lrol' l

each pile in one hand antl, ottt't'tltc cards have been stlt'<'lt'rl,turn yourback tc thc lttr<lit'rt<'t'(s9 lltitt.ygtt llitvc tl6 cltitrlt't',,1seeing them) antl lt'in,r'r,rrr.lr 1rilr, irr llrrrrt ol'ir sPt,t'ttrt0r'. Iirrl,

A book in Englislr: 'l'lte t rrt,l rrr;r1,rr ol Wootly Aragon

',irrt'c you've turned arouncl, tlrt, lrrrrtl llrirl was in your right is inr , rrrr left, and vice versa.

ll.you prefer to do the switch whilc scating, you can use any,rllrcr method (there are plenty of them) to have them returntlrr.ir card to the opposite pile.

'li.ll both spectators that, after returning their card to theirlrrlt', they should shuffle the cards again.

t )rrt'c they're finished, Faro both halves. Let one of the two'il)r.('littors push the cards together (so that later he willrrrrrcrnber the shuffle as his) and let him cut and complete asrrrrrry times as he wants.

Itr,rrrcrnber the conditions in which the trick was performed:'ipr,r'tirtors shuffling the cards themselves before and after,,'lq'lirrg the cards, and absolute freedom in choosing andrrlrrrrring the cards to the deck. Magicians should be cluelessr''llrr'(lillg the method, but the Faro shuffle gives them a possiblerr,rv lo rliscern the method to "hang on".

'ir now you will ask one of the spectators to riffle shuffle the,l'r'li, loHcther, and once again, cut and complete as many times,r', lrr, wlnts. Now, even the most analytical person in the,rrr,lrr,nt't,will have no idea as to howyou could find the selectedI tllllli.

ll'lorr. tll<ing the deck back from the spectators, you will act,r, rl vorr rcad some of the audience's thoughts. Doubt for a,r'r rn(1, rrrrrl then say "1 got one! I got the black one... I'm not sottrt' trltrtttl llrc red one, but the black one... Aes, I haue it. If's

t!tnn':,, t'iqhl?" Use this moment to identifiz which spectator,'llllr.rl tlrc rccl card, and the black one. Take the deck, and look

lll lrr1llr llrr. t:arcls, until you see two cards of the same color. Cutl,r'lrr.'r,r,n llrcrrr (orrt'slrorrlcl cnd up bcirrg at the top of the deck,llr. rrllrt,r' olrt' trl llrt' lrollont). l{rrrr llu'orrglr lhe cards, while1,,,,1, 1111, ;rl tlrt'ir l;tccs. Yott will st't'llt;rl t';rclr lliriro{'cards inthe,1,,l', ,;l;rlling ll'orrr llrr, llrct,, r'orrsisls ol ;r rr,rl ;rrrrl l lllack card.r,,r llrlorrlilr llrc clrlrl:r, lxrir' ;rl'lcr' p;rir'. lilrrrcrrrllr.r' il slrorrlcln't

A Book in English: Thr.: cirnl ttrrp,ir' ol Wootly Arag6n

look as if you're looking for the celr'(ls, I':rlllt)r'as if you're alreadycertain of their identity, and areiust scalclting fbr them.

You will find two pairs of "matching" cards, two red and twoblack. One of the cards in each pair is the one selected by thespectators.

Since you are looking at both cards, you can ask for a trait thatwill allow you to ascertain the selection's identity. For example:If the two red cards are the 7 of Diarnonds and the Queen o1

Hearts, you can ask"your card uas not e picfure, was it?".I1the cards are a six and a three of spades, you can ask"utes yourcard odd or euen?". You can ask for the suit, the valuc(high/medium/low)... Once you know the identity of both cards,place them on the table, and remind your audience of tht'conditions of the trick. Show them that you have found both olthe selections. Climax.

NOTE: IF you can't find the selections, because there are mort'than two cards of the same color, it means you cut at one of tht'two pairs than included one of the selections. That means one <tl

them is either the top or bottom card. Cut at the other pair thitlshares a color with it, and continue.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS:

A good presentation that I use for this trick is to pretend thal I

am clearly getting an image of one of the cards, but that thcother one is giving me a hard time. I claim to have some doulllsabout the two cards; maybe the clear image is beirrricontaminated by the blurry one. In order to get some ut.sttrr/

clarity,I look through the deck, and locate the first matchirrlipair of color cards (one of them will be spectator A's card, utrrlthe one that I am seemingly having a hard time finding). I lcar r'them outjogged, and continue running through the deck until I

find the second pair, which contains the second selectiorr. I

simply memorize the two cat'tls itt that pair and then I iust l'islr

for spectator A's card, :rrttl r'('nrovc it ljrrr-n thc tlccl<, ltlzrcilrg it

face down on the tablr'. l)lrtcc llrc rlct'l< rrsitlt', it<l<l sotttt'<lt'ilrtt;t 1,,

A book in Englislt: 'l'ltc t rrrrl rrrrl'rt ol Woorly Aragon

tlrc situation, and ask hinr [o rrirrnt' lris t'irlrl. furn over the card,rrrrtl show them that you wcrc riglrl. ltirst sclection found.

'l'hen I look at spectator B, ancl tcll hirn that now it is very easylor me to focus in on his selection, so I won't even have to touchllrr.cards. I will simply concentrate on (and fish for) his card. I'ilrrrt naming the characteristics of the second selection, but thelirst one that I mention is the one that allows me to ascertainrvlrich of the two cards in the pair is spectator B's selection. SooAul' lhe time, you will get a direct hit, so you can just continuelisling characteristics before ultimately naming his card. Theollrcr 50% of the cases you will make a mistake on the firstrlr,lrril ("1 knew it! That first card was distracting me... Please,lrl trut think..."), but you now know his card was the other one inllrr' pair. So, list a few more characteristics and name his card.

ll' you perform this as an isolated trick, an in-the-know,rr(li()nce might suspect that you are using a stripper deck, or,,rrc with several duplicates. I think it is important to hand therlr,r'l< fbr examination after the trick, or perform some otherr,lli,t'ts to make it clear that you're using a standard deck. Tollittrinate the idea of a stripper deck, aside from clearly statingllrr,r'ards can be returned in any desired orientation, you canrric l,cnnart Green's Rosetta Shuffie instead of a standard riffle',ltttlllc.

1,,

A Book in English: Thc cartl tnitglic ol'Wootly Arag6n

Feast in Madrid, with a lot of friends!

A book in Errglislr: 'l'ltc ciu'tl nrrrp,.ie ol'Woocly Aragon

PSYCHIC POKER'l'his practically self-working trick is a mentalism routine with

lrlrrying cards. It combines poker with divination, intuition and; r rrtliction effects under incredible conditions.

IiIIFECT:

While the magician turns his back to the audience, a Spectatorshrrl'fles the deck, and deals four poker hands, for him and threerrrorc participants. Each spectator covers his card with hisIuurcls, so that no card can be seen. Once the cards are dealt, thet'r.sl of the deck is removed from sight. Only then, when therenr'(' no cards visible, does the magician turn and face therrrrrlicnce.

I lrrrlcr these test conditions, and without ever touching a card,llrr, nragician is able to guess who will be the winning player. Hellrt,tt l4uesses what hand each player has, and he is even able tonrtt'ct'tain the position of the cards in one hand. A truly amazingk,rtl ol'intuition. For the grand finale, the magician shows helrrrrl prcclicted the winning hand... including the kicker!

't't I t,t sET-uP:

'l'his is the ftrll decl< order:(Jll, 75, 8FI, 65, 9ll, 55, r{lH, 45, JH, 35, zH, QS, 3H, JS, 4H,tuS,5ll, c;S,6ll, ttS,7ll,:S, KI{, AS, A(1, I(D, zC, QD,3C, JD,.;(', lol),50,91),6(', lll),7C,71), fl(), (rl), <t(l. SI), r<lC,4D, JC,;gl ), (.)(1, :tl), K(1, Al), Al l, KS

l

lr

,

rll

il

I

T

A Book in English: Thc t'rrltl trtrtlit ,'l Woorly Aragon

After the explanation, I will givc yotr sor)r(' sirttple instructionson how to get to this set-up from ncw tlctrl< ol'tlct'.

Write the foilowing prediction on a bill: "You tuill uin uithKings ouer Aces, and a Deuce kicker". Fold it, hiding theprediction.

METHOD:

Start by false shuffling the deck. Introduce the poker theme,asking if there is someone in the audience that knows how toriffle shuffle "casino style, like in real poker games". When youfind one, ask him to help you. Spread the cards face up, showing,the deck is fairly shuffled, and causally cut the deck at the retl

Queen in the center. Gather the two halves (both should have rr

red Queen on top), and place them on the table, so that tht'spectator can riffle shuffle them.

Tell him to shuffle "cesino style, just like in a poker gomd'(you are asking him to riffle shuftle, without telling hinrdirectly). Turn your back to the audience, announcing that

1

spectators will play poker, and you will not be able to see atrr

card. Ask them to follow your instructions very carefully, as yotr

don't want to be any cards to be visible after the dealing hrr:;

finished.

Actually, I recommend you to peek at the spectator whoshuffles the cards, as the trick will only work if both of the to1,

cards (the two red Queens) stay in the top five cards of tlr,'combined deck. If the spectator is not good at shuffling, artrl

lets, for example, the ro first cards of the left pile fall withorrtshuffling them with the right pile ones, you should tell yorrr

spectator that you want the cards to be thoroughly shufllt',lseparate the two halves again, and have him repeat the proct's:,So, if you feel the spectator rnight rrot shuffle the cards gor,,lenough, control the prrrt't'ss lrclirt't' ttlrning ytlttt' llitt:l< [o tlr,'audience.

A book in lltglislt: 'l lrt' t rrrrl rrr;r1,rr' ol Wootly Aragon

Ask for the help of firur rrrolt, spt't.tirlors, who will be playingwith the one who shulllcrl llrt'r.irxls. Ask the first player tocxtend one of his hancls, palnr rr1r. 'l'lrc spectator who shuffledllrc cards wili now deal five carcls onto the extended hand. Whenlrr.'s finished, the first player will put his other hand on top ofllrc cards, to prevent anyone fiom seeing his cards.

l{cpeat the process with the second player, who will get therrt,xt five cards.

llut, when the turn of the third spectator comes, tell the dealer"u,'e Aou dealing cards.from the top of the deck, or from thelxrllom? I knotu in some states people deal cards from theItttllorn of the pack, but I'ue been told here people regard thatrt:; <'lrcating... anALUaA, you might think I uas somehow eble toI'rtotu the cards on top, so... what do you prefer? Top orItrtllun?"

ll' lre says he prefers the top cards, say "Ok, then giue the third1tlttt1t,r" fiue cards .from the bottom". If he says bottom, reply'' liirra, deal one more hand.from the top to the third player."lJirr;rlly, the fourth player gets his hand (from top or bottom,,lr.pt'rrding on the previous choice) and saves the deck in one oflris pockets. All of the players hold the cards between theirlr rr rrr ls.

,\l this moment, just as you promised before, you turn andl,rcr. lltc zrudience. Announce that you will bet your money onllrc winner of the game, concentrate, and pass your hand overllrl lr;rncls of the players, as if "receiving" the cards in each one.'irlr.r'l thc player who got the bottom cards as the winner, and,r',1' lrirrr to separate from the other three. Give him the bill, and,r',1, lriur to hold it between his hands, together with his cards, as\ r,il ;ililroullce yoll will bet your money on him.

li;n "lrlr,//, rr.s /.irrsl lx'! rtttl nlotTetj ot7 LJoLt, let's saue yourr rtnls.litr tltc cttrl... it tt,ill lx,rrnre cxcitirttl lltis rucrtl! ButbeforeI ,,lttt'1 ,I ttttnrltl lil'r'tltttt" lloirrl lt tlrr.tlrrct.olhcr players "foIrrl,r'tt 1tt't'lr'ttl tlt,ttt't'(tt'tl\. I tt,ill ltrt'tt rtttl lttt<,lr Oll UOL;

L

A Book in English: 'l llc t'rrrtl trtrtl'tt ol Woorly Arag6n

ogoin...look at your cards, btt ltlurst' tktrt'l lc! utt!)one else see

them... ore Aoufinished? Fine, I'll lttnt lxtck ottut ctgQin..."

You will now announce, one by otttr, tlttr llitttcl of each player"Ask them to keep a poker face throughtttrt tltc process, and notto nod, make any gesture, or say any worcl trntil you ask them to"Concentrate, Iook at the eyes of the first spectator and, finally,tell your audience that he's got a pair of Queens. Then teil himthat you can clearly see two red Queens. Ask him to show hiscards, proving that your first prediction was right.

Continue the process with the second player. But this time,you will feign having difficulties in perceiving his cards.Announce that you can see nothing. Finally, in a suddenrealization, tell them "oh! Of course I could see

nothing...because you're actually holding nothing! I mean, it'sa no-pair hand!" Ask the second player to show his hand. Hiscards will be all different.

In order for you to know the next player's hand, you will havcto look at the cards of the previous two players. Just track tht'values that you can see, going from 3 to J, until you find ont'missing. Well, the third player is holding a pair of the missingvalue.

For example, if you see the two red Queens, and all of tht'values from 3 to J except for 10, that means the third player has

a pair of Tens.

Not only this, but you also know the position of one of tl'rt'Tens, and possibly the position of the second one. You will ust'this for an "intuition" effect with multiple outs.

Announce the hand of the third player. It should look as ilyou're in doubt, though: "Yoltr hand, hmmm..- don't surl

anything, I think Aou are holcling... a pair... of... tens... hnutrrtr.I'm not sure, but I thh:rlr i/ i.s rr pair of ferts... ok, I'll tn1

something rnore. Do rlrttr t'r'trtt'tttltct' llrc exoc! po.sifirlrt of'eucltten?"

A book in l',rrr'lislr. I lrt' t':rrtl nr:rl'r( ol Woody Aragon

No matter what thc spt't'trrlor s;rys, Irrrl your hand over his, asil'receiving something. 'l'lrcrr, rr';r<:lr irrlo the player's hands withtwo fingers, and search firr tlrc t:t'rrlcr card (third card countingll'om the top/bottom). Takc it ancl show it to everyone.

A) If it's a Ten (well, a Ten in this example), sell the effect as ifyolr were trlang to extract the two Tens from the beginning bynrere intuition. Say "here's one, now for the second..." And thislinre, grab the bottom card. It will be the second ten. Let thellrird player show the indifferent cards he's holding. Not onlywore you able to guess the spectator's hand, you even found thecrrrds by touch!

l)) It the card is not a Ten, continue by extracting the two topcrrrds of the player's hand. go% of the time they will be twoirrrlifferent cards. Say "If u)e were playing fiue card draulxtker, those would be the cards I'd discard. Because, if mAitttttition tuas right, you must be holding..." let the player showllrc two Tens in his hand. In this case the effect is just the same;rs the previous one, but leaving the selected cards in ther;;rt,ctator's hand, and taking the rest.

tl) If a Ten appears in the top three cards, just say "A Ten!/,rrrrlr.s like I'm on the right path...If I uas correct, there shouldItt' t)n€ more, and only one, in your hand-.. I'll try to find it byrrtt't'<, intuition!" Take the bottom card and show it is the second'l'r'n. [n this case, sell the effect as just one more divination. The',h rw tarking of the cards is justified by the doubts you had while;r r r r rorrncing the hand.

ll you'd rather not touch the cards, as the audience might',us1rur:[ of physical marks in the cards. You can ask the',1rccl:rl<l' to give you the cards. "Giue me the third card,r'ttrttrIittq.fi'omthe top... t7o1t) the second one..."

('orrlirruc saying: -lMall, tLta're left uith only one hand, and I',rrirl .l't'ortt llu' lx'rlirrtrittrl il ruottld be thrt ruinning hand, right?t'rtrtltl tlott ltlt'trsr'..;/rorl rrs tlttttt't'ttttls" Lct tlrt'last player showlrr:, r'lrr'<ls,;rnrl ;rr'l ;r:, il llrr,tricl< w;rs I'i nisltr.<1. lhrt, irl'tcr a few',,,r'onrls, (lropr,lrrllr )r rrt llrr,;rppl;rrrs(., l('ntirrrl Vorrr irurlicnt:e of

A Book in English: Thc errrrl rrrirgio of Woody Arag6n

the bill and, showing that it's bcttcr not to play poker with a

mentalist,let them read the preclictiort. Climax.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS:

This routine is based on a Karl Fulves' displacement Gilbreathprinciple. He used it in his trick ESP + Math.I've extended tht'original principle [a sequence of cards which results in eachplayer getting a pairl so that now each player gets a differenthand with no matching cards.

You might be tempted to modify the second hand, because yorr

might think that a "no-pair" hand is an ugly one... and yes.you're right. And that's precisely why it works so well, because il

enhances the "no set-up" feeling which is so beneficial for rr

routine like this. Actually, when I show the second hand, I likcto say "well, high card... what a pitA, sometimes ue get a niu'shoudotun, uith better hands... but not today"

The final climax, with the divination of the final hand, com('sfrom my routine Confederate Offered (in Cosas Mias). Tlr,'"intuition by touch" in the third hand is an adaptation of tlr,'final effect in Max Maven's Symbalance trick.

Since the cards are held between the hands of the spectatols,the pressure and sweat often ends up ruining the cards. As a lritof practical advice, whenever it is possible, have the cards derrlt

on the table, and covered by the players with only one hand.

GETTING INTO THE SETUP FROM NEW Pg(]I(ORDER

. Outjog the Clubs and put them on top of the pack. 'l'lr,'

deck is now in mirror stack order.e Do an out Faro (the blacl< Accs should remain as the lolr

and bottom cards). 'l'lris li;trrr-l cleck works as a classi,'t4lLsforce dech.

A book in E,nglislr: 'l'ltt' r'rrtrl nrirl'r(' ol Woorly Aragon

Turn the deck face up. l{rrrr ;; r';rrrls, one at a time to thetop. The zS will be thc lop lirt't, rkrwn card, and the QH willbe on the face.Pass the QH to your right hancl, then spread the deck ontop of it. \tVhen you get to the 7H, take it, with all of thecards on top of it, and pass it to the right hand, over theQH. Do not change their order.You will be starting at the 75 on your left hand. Continuespreading the cards, until you get to the zH. Pass theentire group to your right hand, on top of the previousc:ards.'l'he QS will be the top card of the left hand's pile. Pass allof the cards in your left hand to your right. The deck isrtow ready to perform the routine.

t

A Book in English: Thc t';tttl trtttl',i1' ,,l Wootly Arag6n

In Dallas, after a psychic poker play with the enormous Max Mauttt(2011)

Abook in [tlrglislr: l lrt't;rtrl rrr;r1'rr ol Woorly Aragon

GRANDPA'S POKERAlrout 10 years &go, I created a poker routine called

"{ lmndpa's poker". It quickly became a staple on my repertoire,,rs I think the method achieves the maximum impact possiblervlrilc being almost undetectable. Basically, the deck is FAIRLY',lrrrflled by two members of the audience and the magician, byrloirrg almost nothing, is able to set up several poker hands. Inr(,iur, from the real shuffle to the 20 or z5 set up cards there isrrlrrrost no intervention on the magician's side.

I lrlve created different versions, playrng with the same idea,rrrlirpling the core of the routine to the conditions I was workingrvitlr normal/stacked deck, more or less technique in thelrrrrrrlling, using a descriptive patter (like the version I will now,'rlrlirin) or a story-based one (with the Erdnase theme, which isllrc rrcxt routine in the book). The one I present here is, for me,llrr, rrrost polished and balanced version.

titrtrt4c'l':

'l'lrrr,c rnembers of the audience are invited to play a game ofpolir,r' irl3ainst the magician, in order to obserue the magician'slltr,rrlirrl3 skills. The magician deals cards, one by one, and asks arpr,r'l;rlor to stop him at one card, before the game even statts.'l'lrr, r'rrxl is chosen and put aside, and then the magicianrurlolnl('('s tlrat a rt'grrllr'poker game, with 5 card hands, will begrlrrt'r'rl.

Nou, lwrl ol llrr, r'olrrrrlct.r's slrrrl'l'lr, lrtrll rlct.l< circh. Theltrrrlii('i;lt t'('itsri('rrrlrlr", llrr, ;l;rcli, ;rrrrl 1,,ivcs il ;r t'otr1llt. ntorc

L

A Book in English: Tltc t rrltl tttrtliit' ol Wootly Arag6n

shuffles. He then proceeds to dcal 4 ltittrcls ol'poker, but he dealshimself only 4 cards. "5 to each ol'yott, btrt only 4 for me, as myfifth card will be the one you chosc bc{ore we ever started".Then the magician claims he has been able to not only dealhimself the best 4 of a kind, 4 Aces, but every other player alsohas a good hand, so ensures that they will place high bets. Thehands are named before being revealed. "I gan)e the first playera straight, with a King kicker... the second player receiued u

flush in Hearts, and the third player got three... Aces? Whatare the Aces doing inyour hand?"

The third player indeed has the Aces... But what about tlrt'magician's hand? Actually, actually he's got 4 sequential spatl,'cards. "Wait, I heue the B, 9, Jack and Queen of Spades... tTott'

giue me the card you chose for me!" The card is shown to be t I r t'

ro of Spades, exactly the card the magician needed to get tlrr'highest hand: A straight flush.

METHOD

This trick is based in l lirll tlct'l< stack, and uses otlt'gootlfriend, the Gilbrcath plirrt'i1rlt'.'l'lrt'ot'tlct'of thc dcck is tlr,'following (top to lto[[otn, l;rcls rlowtl):

A book in Englislr: l lrt' t';rrrl nrirl,rr' ol Woorly Aragon

n I), AC, 8C, zS, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, l"lS, 95, 1oS, JS, QS, KS, AS,,l I ), 5C, 6C, 7C, zC, 6D, 4C, 5l ), 8 I ), A I l, 4H, BH, 5H, QH, 7H,:,1),7D, zH,9C, toD, JC, QI), KC, I(ll, 3H, 6H, 9H, 1oH, 4D,;11),3C, KD, QC, JH, roC,9D.

You can do a couple of false shuffles at the beginning of therorrtine, but, as the following shuffles by the audience will be solrrir', I don't think it's really that important. Cut the deck in twoIrirlves, right between the AH and the 4H. Casually take theut)l)or half (the one with the AH on the bottom). Start dealingr'rrrtls face down on the table, inverting their order as you dealllrt.rrr. Now you will perform a timing force so that the spectatorrv i ll stop at either the B, 9 or 10 of Spades. If the card stopped ati:i the 5 or Jack of Spades, the trick will still work 9o% of thelirrrc, but there will be a slight chance of failing that is better tolrc irvoided. The way to make the force work is to deal cards onel11' one, slowly, as you start explaining to the spectator what youirrr,going to do. After dealing 5 or 6 cards, tell him "...say STOPrvlrr.ncver you want" and continue dealing cards, silently, whilevou intently look at him. The spectator will feel the pressure oflrr,irrg the center of attention, and stop you at one of the desiredlrrrrls. Take advantage of the situation, and offer him the,lrportunity to take the next or previous card, or even both,,lr.pt'rrrling on where he stops.

(iirlhcr the cards on the table and apparently put them overllrr,orrcs you still hold in your hand. Actually, keep a pinkyl,r'r,irli trnder them. Announce that the deck will be shuffled, notrrrrly l)y you but by the other "players". Cut the packet you'relrohlirrg at the break and put the two halves on the table, facingllt'lr olhcr, so that the first spectator can riffle shuffle it. Takellrr, ollrt'r' half of the deck, and show the faces to prove it is wellrrrirt,rl (rrncler this pretense, locate the two middle cards of thislrirll, tlrt. I(C ancl thc I(l I, and cut at this point). Present this halfln llrt, lhirtl sltct:lirior', sa.ying it will be shuffled just like therrIIrr,r'ottr'.

,'ilrow yortr t'lrrplr lr;rrrrls, so tllrl llrr.r'r' is rto rlotrbt of thelrrln('ssi ol'1,1 ,1,'';tr'l ton:r, ltrtrl llt;tl llrr.l'r.;u(.no nt()t'(.t.:u'tls (tht:

A Book in English: Thc, e irttl rttagic of Woody Arag6n

only cards in play are the ones tllov celn see on the table), and

invite them to shuffle them "casitttt style". Once they do it,gather the two halves and do a Faro shuffle. It does not matter ifIt'. un in or out Faro. Since there is a card missing in the deck, itwill be a straddle Faro shuffle (one of the packets willencompass the other). Take the deck face up, and do an

overhand shuffle, running ro cards from the face of the deck,

and then shuffling until you have two approximately even

halves, one in each hand. Once again, do a Faro. Just make sure

that the 10 upper cards of each half are perfectly weaved, and

that the card ihat was on the face of the pack (the first card you

ran on the overhand shuffle) becomes the top card of the deck'

Quickly give the deck a false cut, and deal 4 hands of poker,

wiih you is the 4th player. But, when it's time to deal yoursell'

the list (5th) card, d-o not deal it, instead keep only the 4 cards

you already have, as explained in the effect's description.

At this point, you're already done. Thanks to the internalmathemaglc workings, even after the fair shuffles, the firstplayer's hind will be a straight to a King.,The second player's

iru"a *iU be a flush, the third player will get aces, and yottt'

hand will be a straight flush that will be completed with the cartl

chosen at the beginning of the trick.

BNCORE:

You could finish the routine at this moment, but Juan Tamat'iz

gave me an amazing idea to add, in a very- simple way,-a Royirl

Flush climax. Due to the stack properties, the cards needed fol ilRoyal Flush in Spades will be near the top. At the- natut'ilI

relaxation that wili come after the final effect, just take the decli,

look for the Ace of Spades, and cull it. Continue going througlrthe deck, culling the King, and so on, until all of the necesslr'\'

cards are on top of the deck. This should only take you, a Ii'w

seconds, and you should perfolrrt ovcry action in a relaxed stittt',

as all of the heat will bc orr tlrt' t;rblcd catrds. Place the clct'l'

aside, and call the attr,ntiott ol lltc tttttligtt(:(', ils il'.yotr |acl irrstrememberecl soutellrirrl,, irtrporl;rrrt. "Alt, rttrtl I tTrtl lltis lrutrrl

A book in Englislr:'l'ltt' r'rtrrl tttrrlltr' ttl Wootly Aragon

tuithout using any discut'ds. I.[ I luul, I ruould get rid of thosec(trds" (take the cards that clott'l lrclotrg to the Royal Flush, and

;rlace them aside). Deal yout'scll' tlrc cards you just placed onlop, and reveal that you really clo ltitve a Royal Flush in Spades.

h,

A Book in English: Thc cirnl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

Performing "Grandpa's Poker" at the Escorial Meeting, with thc

assistance of the greatest poker experts: Christian and Pit(200e)

A book in English: 'l hc t rrltl rrltlirt' rrl Worltly Aragon

ERDNASE

'l'lris is a different version of "Grandpa's Poker". It was then,srrlt of a time in my life when I broke my left elbow, and Ilorrkl only use my right hand to do magic. In other versions, Ilrrrrl included several complete false shuffles and false cuts,r'r'irrrps, the pass... The version you are about to read eliminatesrrll ol' this sleight of hand (you can perform it with just onelrrrrrtl... I've done it!). It can be done with a regular deck of cards,rrrrrl rcquires a simple setup, which is very easy to remember. Itlri rrlso easy to reset, and you only need to set up the first 3o,'rrrrls in the deck, which means you can freely shuffle therlrrririning zz cards on the bottom of the deck.

I rr thc trick's patter I introduce the character of S. W. Erdnase

'rr(1, whenever it is possible, I try to bring with me an old copytrl li.r'1rtr"t at the Card Table and show it to the audience. Thisrnrrlit,s the story seem more real, and creates a great atmospherelur llrc routine. (I am, in fact, showing them one of the great,rn r r r'(,cs of magical knowledge).

l,llrlrlicT:

'l'lrc rrragician shows the audience a copy of Expert at the('nrrl 'lhble, and tells them about the legendary card cheat S.\\' l,l'rlrrasc, who wrrrlc all of his technique in a book that'slrrr13j1l1.'',..1 thc t'lrrl t'lrca['s bible, llrt wh<lsc real identityl,tttrrins ir rrryslr,r'.y.'l'lrt. rnagiciln corrlilrrrcs clescribing al,,1q,.ttrlirt'.y llol<t'r' 1,,:un(,, irr wlriclr lorrr clrt.:rls t,orrrpctccl to berrlnr'(l "linlttttsr":; llrif'.'l'wo o['llrcrrr slrrrl'l'k.rl tlrc rltrcl<, and

*'.q

A Book in English: Thc crrrtl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

the croupier dealt five hands (onc fbr each of them, plus a

symbolic hand for Erdnase). Thc l'irst player got a flush, 9 toKing. The second player got the same... and the third... and thefourth! The game was a four way tie! They say that Erdnase'sspirit was present in the room that day, and he did not wantanyone to be able to call himself his "heir". The final, s1T nbolichand is turned over to reveal Five Aces (Four Aces plus theJoker)! Just as the legend says, Erdnase won every game, even

from beyond the grave...

THE SET-UP:

From the top of the deck: 4 flushes. The suits should be mixed,but the order should be the same (e.g. 9 to King). Bridge thosccards, so you can easily cut to them later. The next cards will bctwo eights, a Joker, the Four Aces, one more Joker, and tw<r

more eights. Put this setup on top of the rest of the deck, whichshould be shuffled.

If possible, bring with yott il ('opy of Expert at the CarrlTable, the older the bctlt'r'.

A book in English: 'l'ltc t'irnl rrrrr;.1rt' ol'Wootly Aragon

METHOD:

llegin by telling the audience about S. W. Erdnase (if you don'tknow the story of the mysterious eruthor of Expert at the Card'l'uble, you will find a lot of data, in which reality and legend arerrrixed together, in the many books dedicated to his work:l(cvelations, etc...). Meanwhile, fairly shuffle the cards on thelrottom of the deck, maintaining the order of the top 3o-cardsctup.

I usually speak about the Erdnase anagram (a fact that usuallyxrrr'prises the audience), the mystery surrounding his realirluntity and, a little about what will later happen in the trick. Ir,xlllain about the importance of the book, because it was thel'irst one of its kind. Before Expert at the Card Table, thenttly way to learn how to become a cheat was by finding one whowould agree to teach you.

lixplain that there is a legend amongst gamblers that says thatl,lrrlnase had four apprentices. When Erdnase died, they allwrrrrted to keep Erdnase's writings, and all his cheating devices,Irr,r'iu.rse each of them considered himself Erdnase's rightfullrr,ir'. llut Erdnase had such a passion for gambling, that he evenrvrrrtc into his last will and testament that "my successor will bet l*'ided by a poker game" .

" ll ruas a gome utith uery strict rules. There usould be a pairttl crutttpiers, and the cards had to be shuffled just like this..."('ttt lhc cards at the bridge, and give the top pile (the one withlltr. lltrshes) to a spectator, who will be the first dealer. Tell himln crrt and complete his cards as much as he likes, while yourtl)l)lr'(rntly do the same with yours (actually, you will perform ar'u111111' of yOUr favorite false cuts).

'l'lrcn ask him to deal cards one by one on a pile on the table,tttrlil lrc l'eels he has two cqual piles, so that he can shuffle themlnlr,t'. Miltchirrg ircliorrs to words, do tlre silnte, but deal only thellvl l'irsl t:arrls (tlrrrs irrvt'r'lirr13 their orrlcl') r:rrl .your cards in two,,lttrilirt'llilcs, irrrrl k,irvr, lltt,fivc invt'r'tt,tl t.;rlrls ovcr thc bottomlrrrll, k,irvirtg llrt'lwo;rilr,s lirt'irrg r,;rclr ollrr,r'.'l'lris shoulcl be

I,

A Book in English: Thc clltl tnagic of Woody Arag6n

done nonchalantly, as if you werc just trying to save some time.As you are doing this, you say "Y{ttt should end up utith ttuoequal piles, more or /ess, so that you con properly shujilethem".

Right now, there are four piles on the table. Two of themconsist of the flushes, one pile inverted in respect to the other,and the other two piles have two aces on top each. Present yourtwo piles to a second spectator, who will be the second dealer.

"The most important thing in the game uas that only thosctwo dealers could shuffle the cards and, in order to preuent thc

four cheats from using their techniques, they uere neuerqlloued to touch the cards". Show your empty hands, stressingthe importance of this moment, so that everyone can clearly set'

that you are not hiding any cards. You will not touch the cardsanyrnore, and the shuffles will be fair.

After the two spectators have riffle shuffled their piles, ask tht'first one (who's holding the zo card pile with the flushes) to pulhis cards over the cards of the second spectator, so that the detrliis complete again. I don't want to make this moment looliimportant, so I just mimic the actions to the first spectator',asking him to put his cards on top as I say "nota reassemble tlu'deck, just like this". This way, they will only remember ntvasking for the deck to be reassembled, and it will seem likc I

didn't care which pile ended on top.

If you want to further shuffle the cards, you could false shufll'the two piles yourself (performing a push through shuffle), but I

prefer not to do it, as in this version of the trick I am l)olperforming a gambling demonstration. I am telling a story irr

which it is Erdnase's spirit that is responsible for the outcomc ol

the game.

Now ask one of the two crottpiers to deal four poker hatttls.But, as if it was one of the ntlcs ol'Erdnase's will, tell him to tlt'irlfive cards to the first pla.yt'r', l'ivtr t:itrcls to the second, ancl srr

on...

A book in English: 'l'lrc cirrrl rrurp.ir, ol'Woody Aragon

Once he's done, tell him "Bul, in lis.littcrl will, Erdnase turotelhot the croupier would deal onc ntore symbolic handfor him.llc was so passionate about poker that, euen after his death, heslill wanted to play..." Ask the spectator to deal five more cardsorrto the book's cover.

Sltow your audience the hands of the four cheats, revealing therlttrrtlruple tie. Place the flushes in order, 9 to K as they aret'r,vcrrlcd. Tell the audience that the chances of getting a flush inpol<t,r' ilre l in 255, but the chances of getting four identical onesIrr llrtr same game are astronomical. Tell them the legend saysllrll llrc four cheats were fooled by Erdnase's ghost, as he neverl'r,rrll.y wantecl anyone to call themselves his successor. Hetvrtttlcrl to let cvcryonc know that, even after his death, Erdnasetvrn llrc bcst thcrc (:v(lr wils, or will be. Brdnase will always winnny lx)l((:r glrrrc lhrrl lrc plllys. Show thc r:aruls on top of the bookrrrrrl rtvcirl lhc wirrrrirrg lrirntl. Climax.

A Book in English: Thc errrtl ttrltgic ol'Wootly Arag6n

ADDITIONAL REMARKS:

There is a chance for that the winning hand to be a Full Hous,'(aces over eights), so after the first hand is revealed, I usuallrsay "WotD, aflush! You'll need at least afull house to beat thrtl !"in order to prepare the audience for one possible outcome. I rr

any case, Erdnase will usually get the four Aces, and most of tlr,'times, the Joker (which gives him the five aces).

Since this is a more theatrical version of the trick, not only rl,,I bring the Erdnase book to the stage, but I also try to ust' ;r

Texan style deck, which looks more antique and appropriater li,r

the story. Not only is the atmosphere of the routine flirllrt'renhanced, but it also allows me to have the deck set up for llrlroutine in advance, so that I can do it at a moment's n<lticr'

Since I only use the deck for this routine, I can also prepare il :,r,

that Erdnase will always end up with Five Aces. To acconrpli:lrthis, I use four duplicate Aces and another Joker. In this t';rsr',

the setup of the to cards rtl'lt'r'tlttr lirtrr flushes is: AS, AIl, r\('AD, Joker, and the si'ttttt'l'ivc t';tt'tls ltg:tin. l)ttt: lo llttl ittvt't'si,,'rof the cards and GilIr't'rtlr's prirrci;tlt', ottly ottt'At't'<tl't'ltt:lt ltirr,lwill bc in thrr [ittitl lr:rrrtl.

A book in Englislr: 'l'ltc t'rrrrl rrr;rlirt ol Wootly Aragon

After the routine is finislrcrl, yorr orrly nced to gather the fourllrrshes (they are already sct rrp ilt 9 [o l(ing order), and restorellrc order of the to card group (ti, ti,,loker, Aces, Joker,8, B, orllrc duplicate set of Aces) to restore the initial order and resetllrc deck for the next performance.

A Book in English: The e irltl tttitgic ol'Wootly Arag6n

Lennart Green, Rubiales, Christian Engblom,lnaki Zabaletta snd M,

IMat a great shoLo!

(2006)

A book in Iirrglislr: I ltc t';rrtl nrrl'r( ()l Wootly Aragon

BLESSED POKER

lrr the process of creating a new routine, I usually try tor'ontemplate every possibility I have, as I think that a thoroughrrn;rlysis of what works best for me as a magician is a key step tolirrtling the best tricks for my repertoire. Sometimes, though, arorrline created almost by mere chance can end up being one oft'orrr best.

I'vc always been a fan of the classic Jonah Card principle, butrrrv problem was that, in Spain, most of my audience didn'thrrow th€ rules of poker until two or three years ago (God Bless'l'r,xirs Hold'em!). Gambling demonstrations, in which therrurgit:ian shows his ability to control certain cards (usually alirrrcy hand, like the four Aces or a Royal Flush) work becauselorr tlon't need to know the rules of the game to admire the skillrrl llrt.clreat. But a Ten Card Poker Deal, in which you can endrrlr slrowing a three of a kind beating two pairs, was a little bitr'rrrrlirsing, and very hard to present in my country.

lk,r':rrrsc of this, my interest and massive collection of thesel.irrrls ol'routines belonged mostly to my academic side of magic.I lovcrl studying them, but never presented them in public.

()rr llrt'othcl lurnrl,'l'V has been onc ol'nty main sources ofrrnrli. I lurvt, irllllr';rrcrl olr solno l)t'o,lt.iuns oll Arnerican TV,(ttrtitrlv ;tl)l)(,;u'rn('(,s irr IJrrivisiorr's t)on liranciscoI't't'st'ttl:t), lrttl tttorrll\', l'r,r, wol'kcrl in Sp;rrrislr 'l'V. I clidn't

I

M A Book in English: Thc t'rrrtl rrrirgic of Woody Arag6n

appear in a mainstream show, lrtrt I had a weekly 15 minutesslot totally dedicated to magic (sonrcthing very rare in today'sT\) for 4 years.

One day, I received a call from Rodrigo Garcinuflo, the show'shost. He told me he had something special for that evening'sshow, and suggested that I prepare a gambling demonstration,similar to the ones he had already seen, in which I presented m.t'

"uncanny ability" to control and classify cards.

When I got to the set, I understood why. They had invitetlManuel Sevilla, the current Spanish poker champion, and thcrhad arranged a showdown between the two of us. They hatltaken away the usual interview table from the set, and in ilsplace, there was a round table covered with a long table clotlr,complete with a card mat, and someone from the productiorrteam was even sent out to buy a new deck of (poker) cards. Tht'deck was unsealed and opened as they presented atttlinterviewed the champion. They put some money on the tablt',and Rodrigo and Manuel played a couple of hands to warttt:;things up. As you would expect, Rodrigo ended up losing.

It was a priceless moment. Many magicians (including nrt')perform Gambler vs. Magician routines... This one was FOI(REAL. I thought I had to get the most of the situation, and plrla game with him, with as much conflict as possible. I could hirr','gone on air, shown the guy how I could control four aces, ancl lr,'

would have said "oh, that's nice..." but that would have bt't'rr

wasting a unique opportunity.

So I quickly discarded the trick that I had planneil ()tr

performing, and thought of a basic routine, that allowed lor ;,

one-on-one match, and used the deck they had been just lx','rrplayrng with... I remembered the Jonah Card principle, arrrl I

figured that if I used it well, I wottldn't even have to totrc:lt llr,'cards. And in literally 5 nrintttt's, I had atssemblcd thc t'ottlirr,'that I performed that tltrv. ll wits so sttt:trt:ssfirl thitt, trt tltis tlrrr.they still know ln('its "ll'otxlt1. llrr r1ttt1 tulut hutl lltc lxtlt'rchatttltiort"t.

A book in LlrrLllislr: 'l lrr' t rrrtl nrirl,r( ol Woorly Aragon

I will now explain the routirrt':rs I pcrlonn it now. The trickwirs so successful, that I clid it lil' tlrc pupils at Ana Tamariz'srrr:rgic school, where I teacl-r. 'l'ltcy lil<ecl it so much that I startedlo perform it in public. The audience liked it so much, that Isltrrted to teach it in my lectures. And everyone liked it so much,tlrirt it has now become a staple in my repertoire, and as such, Iw;rnt to include it in this book. Throughout the deveiopment ofllris routine, I was always adding new details and additional.rrrbtleties.

At'tually, I didn't really take great pains when creating therolrtine's structure. I went for a classic, functional approach:'l'lrrcc phases, each one under more impossible conditions thanllrr, llrevious one. The first two phases are based on a method byNicl< Trost, called Eighteen Cerd Poker (in The Card Magic ofNir:l< Trost), and the last one comes from the ending of'l'irrrtariz's Ten Card Deal rolutine (published in the book that,'rrrrrc with the Magic Card Set, written by Santiago de la Rivalor liournier. To my knowledge, it has never been publishedurrlsirlo of Spain.)

THE TEN CARD DEAL, AND THE "JONAHCARD'/*STRANGER CA RD" PRINCIPLE

'l'lris is a classic principle, but I still thinkthat it's interestinglo r,xplirin, just in case the reader is not familiar with it. The idearr;rs l'irst published in Arthur Buckley's Card Control. TheIrirrciplc consists of taking 10 cards, so that there are 3 groups,rl llrrr.c and a "stranger" card. For example, we could take three,lirllis, three ICngs, three Queens and the Ace of Clubs. Becausellrr slr':nrgcr card (AC) does not help to form any poker handrvrllr llrt' r'cst of the cards, and the fact that there are only twolr;rtrrls irr lo carcls, wlrot:vcl'has the stranger card in their handrrrll lrirvt.tltt'wt':rl<r'sl lurl<cr har-rd. In othrlr.words, no matterIrrrrv llrt. r't.sl ol'llrr.r';rrtls;rrt rlcult, llrt. lurrrtl tlurt holds the Ace,,1 ( 'lttlts will lrlw;rvr; loosr'.

A Book in English: Thc t'ltrtl tttrtgic ol'Wootly Arag6n

In addition, the winning hancl will always be one better thanthe losing hand. So, if the losing hancl has a pair, then thewinner will have two pairs. If the losing hand holds two pairs,then the winning one will hold three of a kind. If there is a threeof a kind in the losing hand, then there will be a fuII house in thcwinning hand. That's it, there are no other possiblccombinations.

This principle has been extensively used for pokeldemonstrations, but it is also the basis for many different kindsof effects (Max Maven used it in a prediction; Vernet had rr

version with cards printed on a CD, etc...).

THE SET-UP:

First, separate 18 cards into two groups of nine. Each grotrlrcontains 3 groups of 3 cards with the same value, which shoultlbe between 9 and Ace. That means, you could make one grotrl)with three Nines, three Jacks and three Kings, and the otht'rgroup with three Tens, three Queens and three Aces. Make suttthat one of the Aces is the Ace of Spades. Justify this by sayirrri"We'll only use high cards, I don't taant to uin uith, say, a puit'of tll,os..."

INTRODUCTION:

You can talk with your audience as you prepare the set-up. I

usually tell this surreal story I came up with in order to juslilrthe effect:

"Some Aears ago, during one of ma ursits fo Granada, ant ttl,lGUpsU u)oman approached me. She uas selling lucky chcrrttr:''Please buy alucky charm', she said.'Or maybe I can do a pttlrrt

reading for you.'... What a pain! I.iust said'No, please leauc rrr,'alone!' But she wouldn't. And, lo rnuke matters u)orse, (1 sQfl)trrl

GApsU ceme along, antl slrc truulc cxuctly the sorne derturttrl:'l'Please buy a sprigl tll' t'os('ttt(t,'tl. t rt Oh, let tttt lruuc ct kxsk trl

(l) 'l'lrt's;rrig ol l{ost'ttt;tt t i .r ll lrir';rl lttt'liv t'ltltt ttr irr Sp;rirr.

A book in lmglislr: llrt't rrrrl rrrrltrr' ol Wootly Aragon

tltna- hands, I can reod qtnt.lirtttt't"....jttst lcoue me alone! Thisrttude them both uerA onqt't1 tuillr rrtt,, trtttl they started callingrtrc names!Thenthey botlt pul u qUl)st) cut'se onme...

...but they both did it at the sontc thne... Simultaneously! Andtltnt know, in mathematics they say if you multiply a negatiueIttl o negatiue, the result is a positiue... So, Aou con imagine.littcr since that day I haue been BLESSED, and I always hauerltxtcl luck. Man, you can't euen imagine how stressful that is.I'his ueek I win on MegaMillions, next tueek Potuerball...

n t t I h1, really tercible...

Olt, and poker. Does anybody here play poker? Do you play?()li, then let's play poker, the three of us, so that Aou can seeIttttu I always uin. Really,I always uin!

I txtk, I separated some cards. We'll play poker just tuith these,'rn'r/.s.' they are the high cards. Bg that, I mean that these aret,nly the high ualue cards, nine to Ace, so we uill only get,,1tt't'lucular hands... not a tiny one, like a pair of tuuos... andtlttn, please, start getting out some moneA, or uhateuer Aoutt,rtttl lo bet, on the table"

I 1r'ef'er having the audience bet something else other thanrron('.y, or at least something more valuable (besides, peopler,.rrll.y tlon't like putting too much money on the table). It isrrrrrllr better if they have to bet something to which we canir,,:ri11rr a great monetary value: the house/car keys, the latest1,,r'rrcrirtion cell phone... anything that they have at hand willrvorli. 'l'tren we can improvise a comment for every object thatllrcy rrsc to bet. I say this because I've always thought it is moreirrlrrr,sling if a spectator does not bet a 20$ bill (whose real\ rr lu(' (,v(]tyone knows), and instead he bets a pair of sunglasses.l',r'r.rr il' thcy zrre really cheap, you can tell the audience that\ln'r'r'playing fill a ;rail'of Ray;ban Santa Cruz Super Fashionl'lrnr srrrrglitsscs, llrt. orrcs thert all tlrc t:clcbrities wear, andr,rlrrcrl trl ov('r' $;;,ooo. 'l'ltt: :rrrrlicnt't' will suspend their,lr',lrclicl', rrrrrl llrt'lllrnrc lrccorrrt's rrrrrt'lr rrrorc lirn irrrrl clramatic.

A Book in English: Tltc t rrttl ttrrtliit ol Wootly Arag6n

FIRST PHASE:

This is my presentation, as it comes, of one of the phases irrNick Trost's Eighteen Cqrd Poker. In my case, I have a spectatorshuffle each of the two groups of cards, so that I do not have trr

touch the cards. I also added the divination of the resultinghands.

Give one of the 9 cards group to a spectator, and the otht'rgroup to a second one (don't say there are 9 cards in each, just

say you are giving them a half each). TeIl them to shuffle theircards thoroughly, as much as they want, as you don't want totouch the cards, since you are going to win anyway... You shoultlreally stress the situation in this first phase: you do not tout'lrthe cards, and the spectators can shuffle as much as they want.

Now you will choose one of the spectators as your opponerrlPlace your wallet on the table, as a bet against whatever he prrt

Tell him he can either place his cards on top of or below llr,'other spectators card, as he wishes (usually everyone wants lrr

place his ovrn cards on top). Once he's gathered all of the c&t'tL,,

tell him to deal two hands of poker, one for you and one li,rhimself.

The Jonah Card principle works automatically in this cirs,'

Since there are 9 cards in each group, the toth card will belorrr',

to the second group, and thus become the "Stranger" c:llt,I

Ironically, if you were the one dealing the cards, you would lrrrr,'to employ some tricky maneuver to get the stranger card irrl.'the spectator's hand (this is the case for most ro card poker tlt';rlroutines). But here, as the spectator deals the cards, it is natrrr';rl

for him to deal the first card to you, and the Stranger (1otr') t'ir r , I

to himself.

As soon as he's done clcitlirrg, lttrlirrc he has had timc to t't'r'trtouch the cards on thtr t;tlrlr', t'xt'lttirtt "O/c, I tttrttt!"'['hc sllt:t'tltl,,rwill be surprisccl, lttttl lltc rttttlit'ttt't'will llrrrglr lll .yotll's('llconfit'lt:rtgg. (llrttittrtt' lr1 ',;tt tttl',: "ll/cll, i/'.s llol lltttl tltttt ltrtt',

Abook in Iirrglislr: l lrt'r'rrrrl rrrry,rt ol Wootly Aragon

nothing in your hand. 'l'ltc ltntlilt,nr i.s //rrrt my hand is a littlelx:tter... but yours r-s rrol tltttl lxr<l... Come on, show it tot'ueryone..."

'l'he spectator will turn ovel his cards. He will be holdingsornething (there should, at least, be a pair). But the nice thingrrbout this is that you will hnow that you have the next bestlrirnd. So, let's say he's got a pair of Queens. You could say" Wou! A pair! And none other than a pair of Queens! Actually,tlutt is not a bad hend... the only problem is, one pair con neuerlxut ttuo pairs, and that's exactly what I haue... two pairs..."

'l'urn your cards over and, as soon as you see them, continue,rrs il'finishing the sentence "Tens and Kings, as Aou con see..."

'l'his first phase is really strong, but, as you will see, it will paleirr t'omparison to the following ones. That's why I urge you tot I r i rr k about it carefully. Don't just rush through it, thinking "fhrst:; 1l7o weak part, I need to get ready for uhat comes next..."llt.t':ruse as far as the audience is concerned, this is what iustlr;rppened: under the fairest possible conditions, two people',lrrrl'lled the cards, rearranged them at their will (which,',orrrt'how, substitutes for a cut) and then dealt the cardsllrr,rrrsclves. And, with total impunity, without even touching the,';u'rls, not only have you won, and you have been able tornrrourlc€ the result beforehand (winning in itself is not sorrrcrt.rlible, as in a legitimate game you would have a 5o%o,'lr;rrrt'c. The amazing thing is that you KNEW you were going torvirr ), lnd you managed to know what was in each hand before itlrrlot't' it was revealed. Suddenly, your blessing becomes morel,r'lit,v:rblc, and the spectators start to realize that, no matterrvlr;rl llrcy do, you reallywill win.

;\l;li .yorrr' <rpponent in this round "Well, if you haue a pair,tnt(l I ltuuc ltuo of' lltcrtt... ruho tuins?" He will acknowledge yourr rllor'1,. Oral; wlurtt'v('t' wits tlre bet, anrl ltlace it next to you. Illrrrrli it is rrt't't'ssrrY llt;rt yollr' opl)ont,nt t,orrf inns your victory,,r', it rvill rrr:rl<r. llrirrli:; t'lr.;rrr,r'lill'llrosc irr llrr.;rrr<lir.rrcc who don'tl.trorv ltow lo;rl;rr'poLr.t (;rrrtl wlr;tl lt;rrtrl lrr.;rls wlr;tl).'l'hcywill

A Book in English: Thc crrrtl tttitgit' ol'Wootly Arag6n

think "I hauen't the slightest itliLrt ubottl pluying poker, but ifthat guy, uho knous hous to plor1, sttqs he lost, then it must be

true".

SECOND PHASE:

This is the only phase in the routine that has been completelycreated by me, although it is based on the same principle as theprevious one. It is a way of getting the Stranger Card into thcr

ipectator's hand. Many fellow magicians praise it, and tell mcit's a great contribution to the Ten Card Poker Deal ptinciple. I

agree, but I can't boast about how much hard work I put in ttrdevelop it, as I came up with it while improvising a way to letthe poker champion choose which cards he wanted, while at tht'same time making sure he got the stranger card.

Pick up the two hands from the previous phase so that tht'stranger card (it will be the last card in the spectator's face ttlrhand) ends up being the bottom card of the whole face dowrrpacket. Then gather the cards that were not used in the firstphase, and put them under the rest, thus returning tht'"stranger Card" to its group, and restoring the two groups ol

nine cards. At that exact moment, act as if suddenly changingyou mind, and separate the two groups again, and give eat'lr

spectator one group ftop or bottom nine cards], and tell them loshuffle the cards once again. But this time, try to give the grorrlr

that includes the Aces to the spectator who will be yorrr'

opponent.

Place your bet against his and, once again, let him choose tlrc

order in which the two packets will be assembled (as I told yorr

before, people usually put their packet on top. That is why Yorr

should hand your opponent the Aces. If they appear in yottr'

hand in this phase, it makes the third phase a little bit easierr'. llhe chooses to place his pile on the bottom, it doesn't rcrrtllr

matter).Once again, you will ttol lttrtt'lt thc stack of carcls, ttntl llrt'

spectatorwillbe thc ck'irlr,r'. llrrl llris lintc, asl< ltipt to slowly tk';rl

a card fol yott, itntl ottt'lirr lrirrr. I'litt'tr yottl't'lttrl ttt'xl trt lris,

A book in [irrglislr: 'l'lrt' t'rttl trurl.itu ol Wootly Aragon

starting a row (where you will ttrll lrinr to place the rest of ther':rrds as they are dealt). S:ry "Mrrrl<l you like to changeyourutrdfor mine?". His decision clocsn't rnatter.

Now tell him to deal your second card, next to the first one,rrrtcl then one more for him. "Do you taant to change yourx,cond card for mine?" Notice that, while you are giving himrrrrlre freedom than the usual, there still seems to be a "rule"lhat allows him only to change each card for the one in front ofil. Again, his decision doesn't matter

After changing (or not), ask him to deal the third card. But youwon't just offer him the opportunity to change his card for\/oul's. Instead, say "Would you like to change your entireItund for mine?" Once again, his decision doesn't affect thettttlcome.

lrirrirlly, after he deals the fourth card, say "Would you like torlttttttlc rtrtyt of yotLr cards for anA of mine? Or euen changeytttrt' tulwlc hand... or, ntatlbe you would like to SEE ALL THEl',,1r{/)^5'?" Don'[ givt' lrirrr tirne to answer, iust start turning thelrrlrls ovt:r'. "'l'lutl's il. ltxtlc, I'll tunt llrc cunls.ltrce up, andyourrttt ltxtk ul lltrttt rttttl tk,citlt, tolticlt o,l(,s Uol toet1t... I don'tr'ttt\', l'll tttitt trtttltt,ttti'.

A Book in English: Tltc e lttl tttltllic ol Wootly Arag6n

So, what is really happening? Qtritc sirttplv, U of the 9-cardsabove the "stranger Card" are being clividcd ittttl two hands, buttheir final allocation will make no clil'fi:r'cllce to the outcome.

The way you've been increasing thc odds in favor of the

spectator, io the point of letting him choose the cards face up,justifies the fact ihut th" last card will be dealt face up. And, at

ihis .no*"nt, of course, it will be too late for him to change, as

the hands have been completed (and you've won!).

To top it all off, this is the phase with the most spectacular

hands. As the spectator can see all of the cards, he will naturallycombine themln order to get the best possible hand (usually

three of a kind, which gives you a full house).

As soon as the spectator has made his decision, tell him "OK,

d.eal the next card, face up for me.- nott; the last one, face up

for you..." And, despite the conditions, which make it seemingly

imp"ossible for him to lose, he has. You ask the spectator "So,

tttio won this hand?" Of course, it will be you.

My admired friend Gabi Pareras says about this phase:

"This second round is truly wonderful. Card by card, ahtays

face down, the spectator is inuited to test his luck, as thc"magician

witnesies the process uith a lack of concern thal

incieases more and more, building up the feeling that the finulresult is unauoidable. The spectator is betuildered, up to tlrcpoint where the magician turns the cards face up, and lets hittr

freely choose his cards. And, at this moment, he gets the best"pottibl"

hand uith the eight cards on the table! Right there, his

hand is better than the mogician's. The spectator is about lttwin, not just a round of poker, but a fight against fate, thisunknounforce that Seems to determine what will happen, euctt

against thefree choices that the spectator has had all the uaq!fieuertheleis, uhen the last card is dealt face up, and in just

one card"! The picture changes cornpletely and, ortct'

again, yet one more tinto, irt an unbelieuable hoist, llu'iagiciin uins. They xry t/r'.slirrr7 can be crue'l sontetimes' I

totally agree!"

A book in Irnlllrslr: 'l'lrc t'lrrtl rnrrliit' ol'Woody Aragon

THIRD PHASE:

This phase is somehow rcl:rtctl to the second one, but I think itgives a nice twist to the "clczrling" procedure. It is also "louder"(and, as such, more fitting zls an ending) as you are playingagainst three spectators "at the same time". Ask two spectators(who know how to play poker) to help the poker player. ThisI4roup of three spectators will act as a committee, and make allthe decisions.

"Maybe it's better if ue take out some of the cards. Let's makeit clearer, and play uith just 10 cards..." As you say this, gather:rll of the cards, and keep just three groups of three cards, whichshould include the kings. For example: three Kings, three()ueens and three Tens. Then add the Ace of Spades, which isnow the "Stranger Card". Meanwhile, we will cheat a little bit bysirying "I uill take just the high cards, the uery high ones. Sotue'll take the ACES, the Kings..." In fact, you are not lying, aslhere ARE Aces (we11, there's one). But saytng ACES aloudsrrggests that there will be more of them in the chosen pile. Therrrst of the cards go back on top of the deck.

Count the to cards aloud on the table, to make it clear there;u'c no extra cards involved. Then shuffle the pile, keeping theAr:c of Spades on the bottom.

"'l-his time, I tuon't just play against you, but against thetltree of you at the same time. If you uin, I'll giue you backn,arlJthing. Moreouer, ue'll do something dffirent this time, Ituill shuffle the cards and shou you the last one..." At thisrnornent, stop shuffling. The Ace of Spades should be on thelrollom of the pile. Show it to everyone (but do not look at itvrrrrrselfl and ask the spectators "For example, this card...torntld you keep this one?"

l,irr nrany psychologicll leasons (reasons that I will analyzelirlr,r'), thc slrct'tllor will lirl<c the Ace. Although you should rest;nisrrrt'rl thirl lrt'r,vill l;rlir, llrc Ar:t:, tlrc rlrrcstion rnost people askrrl llris lroinl irr rrrv lr,r'lrur,s is "llttl tttlutl il'llrcry dott'l take the

I

A Book in English: Tltc t rrrtl ttt:tliit ttl Wootly Arag6n

Ace?". This "force" works 99% ol'tltt' titlltrs, lllld they will sayIES

Deal the Ace face up, as yoll say "Yr:s? Ok, you can keep itthen. This one's for you. I uill cotrtittuc slrufJling, and then Iuill shout you cards, one by one. As I slrcru you all of the cards,you decide which ones Aou tuant to keep, and uhich ones Aouleaue for me. It really doesn't ntatter, as I uill uin again..."Shuffle the cards, this time for real, show them the bottom card,and stick to what you initially promised - you keep all the cardsthey discard, and giving them all the cards they want.

At some point in the procedure, one of the cards will not begood for their hand, but will be good for yours. They have twochoices now:

. If they keep the card, say "Good, aou are keeping thiscard so that I don't get a good hand. But keep in minclthat nou you haue a bad card in your hand... Btt

careful! You shouldn't be trying to preuent me frottrgetting the Eood cards; you should be trying to get thcbest possible hand".

. If they choose to give you the card, say "Well, I noticedthat you'ue giuen me this Jack lor whatever card it is l,but I already haue one in my hand. Guys, you're giuiru1

me all the good cards! Be careful! You shouldn't b<'

trying to get the best possible hand; you should bt'stopping me from getting a good hand" .

In any case, we should be able to split the focus of th,'spectators between playing aggressively and playirrgdefensively. This enhances the idea that the three participanlsdon't really know what they are doing, getting to the poirrt

where sometimes they will even argue over some of the choict's.That is great for us, as the rest of the audience is witnessirrgthese three people, who srtpposcdly know how to play pokt'r',

but they have no idea how [o lrt':tl ir guy who is showing thetrl irllthecardsonebyor-rr',irntl lcllingtltcntt:hoost'lltt'oltt'stItl.ygt'll

A book itr l'.rrllrslr llrt't rrrrl nrirl'r( r)l Woocly Aragon

Continue with the pr'(x'(.sis rrrrtil, l'inrrlly, we get to my favoritenroment in this phasc. Wltt'lr llrr'.y lrirvc chosen four cards fortlreir hand, say:. "Well, I sc<, tltur tntlq rrced to choose one morecard... Just pick onA otrc qr;tr tuurtl, trncl leaue the other onesfornre". Spread the remaining calcls in a fan. This is a really funnyttroment, as the three spectators will start looking at their hand,then at yours, then at the rernaining cards... and start doingt:alculations on what will happen, depending on their lastsclection... At this moment, rush up to them and say "Come on,tpu should pick one... it's rtot that hard, you knotu". Finally,they will pick any card and complete their hand. You completeyours with the remaining cards and tell the audience "Well, Iutn no expert at poker, but I can see you'ue gotten yourselues alxtir of Kings [or whatever hand they have], and I haue hoo1rirs, Queens ouer Tens... Who tuins?"

lle a good boy, and return everything they bet at the beginningol'the routine, and clearly state that you're an artist, and neverusc your powers for evil... because you don't want to, notIrct:ause you can't.

IIINAL COMMENTS:

( )abi remarked on the fact, and I agree with him, that theconclitions in which this routine is performed can deeply movevorr audience, even distressing them, as they might feel thatrrnrlr:r normal circumstances, both of you should have the samelrrcl<... So if you are having better luck than normal, that meansllrrrt they are having worse luck. In a way, you're stealing thelrrt:l< from them! One could say that the word "vampiric"1rr.r'lirctly fits the effect of this routine.

Itt.g:rrding the much feared faiiure of the Ace of Spades forcerrr llrc beginning of the third phase, I will give you my thoughts, rrr il, irnd I will givc yorr :u-t out in case there is a problem.

'l'lrc spcct:rlot' is pl;n,itr1i llol<er against yorr, and he wants torvirr.'l'lrc cirrrl willr tlrr, lriglrt,sl vitltrc is llrr.Ar.r', so rnost of theIrrnt,, lrt'will rr';rrrl lo lit't'p il il'orrlv lirr.tlris leilson.

W A Book in English: 'l'ltc t'llrtl ttt:tgit' rtl Wootly Arag6n

Psychologically, we've made this cartl cvorl lllore tempting. Take

a look at the whole routine:

- In the first two phases there are three Aces in play, so

there will probably be Aces in the winning hands, or, al

Ieast, multiple Aces will be seen during the shufflingsequences. In the second phase, you will try to have tht'Aces be a paft of the face-up selection process.

- When you are selecting the ro cards for the final phaser,

you will say "ACES', thus suggesting a possible hantlwith multiple Aces in the spectator's mind.

- You will keep the Ace of Spades, the one with the most

elaborate design, and the biggest picture. Even thouglrthe 4 aces have the same value, at a subconscious level.

we tend to think of it as the highest card there is. Thismakes it a more likely selection than any other Ace irrthe deck.

- The Ace does not appear because you chose it, you just

shuffled the cards and it happens to be there when yotr

show the bottom card (Just do any shuffle that retains it

as the bottom card, and try not to flash it during tht'shuffle). As the Ace seems to appear out of pure chant't'.it will not feel as though it's a part of a "trick". So, for ir ll

these reasons, no one is going to stlspect that yorr

actually need this card to be selected.

But... what if it does not work? Juan gives the solution in hi:;

original routine. The out to this force is in the way you ask llr,'question. "Would you keep this card...?" I show the Ace to orrt'

of the spectators. As soon as one of the three spectators says yt's,

I automatically give him the card. But what if he says no? ,lttsl

KEEP THE SAME ATTITUDE, and continue, as if finishing tlrt'sentence "No? Then this ctu'd usould be for me, the next ortr" il

Aou uanted it, tuoulcl ba .litt' ryrnt, ond so ot7--- Got it? Lcl':;

begin!" And then I stitr't lltt' 1rt'ttt't'ss aguitr, showiltg the Acc to ;r

SeCOnd SpeCtertor'. Atttl, ont'r' ;t1i;titt, llttlt'g's it <1t1'%, t:ltitttt:tl ltt''lltake it!

A book in lirrglrslr: 'l'lrc t rrrrl rrrirlrrr' ol Woody Aragon

I don't have an out lirr' llrc t'irst. whcrc the second spectatorsilys no, but I think it's such :rrr irrrprubable outcome, that it isrcally is not worth the eflbrt to try and come up with one.Moreover, if I stafted thinking about a possible solution, thatwould mean I would be contemplating failure, and I fear thatthis would affect my attitude when performing the routine, andIrirrm my execution of the force. Therefore, I am completelyconfident that the spectator will decide to take the Ace ofSp:rdes, and that's why they always take it.

And by the way, if you don't mind the fact that it is in Spanish,you can see what happened the day I played against the pokerclrirmpion. There's a video of the TV program on Youtube . Your'rrrr search for the two parts of "Duelo de Campeones" ["The('lrirmpion's Duel"].

I

A Book in English: Thc crrrtl lttttgic ol'Wootly Arag6n

Being transported from the 5 stnr hotel to the TV studio in a

limousine... the life of wL magicians, is sooo hard,..(200e)

A book in lirrglislr 'l'lrc t'irltl rrrirl-irt. ol Wootly Aragon W

Tricks with special cards

A Book in English: Thc cirtrl rtrirgic ol'Wootly Arag6n A book in Ilnglrslr: 'l'lrc cirlrl nur1,'.rr. ol'Woody Aragon

DO NOT GET CONFUSED...

l.'or a while, this trick became my preferred opener whenl)('rforming close-up or cocktail magic. It is my version of awrrnderful little trick by Nick Trost called Ttuisto-Blanko. you'llscc it is one of those tricks that almost look like a hallucination,lrttt the ending separates the effect and the cards from the restol'the deck, making it a great opener.

IiF'FECT:

'l'he magician shows the three picture cards from one of ther lr,t:l<'s suits. In a rapid succession, the cards turn, face up or facerlown, with no possible manipulation or possible explanation.Itinally, the magician shows that everything was just an illusion,.rirrcc the cards never had any faces or any backs, and he wasjrrsl holding four blank cards.

,I'I IE SET.UP:

You will need four special cards for this routine. A blanklrrrcltrcl King, Queen and Jack (all of the same suit), and a blankIrrcr, r:ard with a back design that matches the deck you will use.'l'lrr. rlcck starts inside the box, and the special cards are setirprrrl in the following older (starting from the face of the pack):(Jttr.t.rr, lllanl< I.'at:c t:ar'(l (r'cversed), ICng and.Iack.

**

A Book in English: Tltc t'rrttl tttrtliit' ol Wttotly Arag6n

PERFORMANCE:

When you are ready to start, take the four prepared cards and

place them over the card box, which contains the rest of the

deck, as you say "I will nou perform a trick using only threepicture cards" . This will make your audience assume the threeiards come from the deck that's inside the box. We could reallytake them from the deck, in different places, but that woulcl

siow down the pace of the trick, and it will not be consistentwith the trick's ending.

So, start by quickly performing an Ascanio Spread (showing

four cards as three) to show that you have three picture cards irryour hands.

A book in l'lrrp'lislr: I lrc t'irrrl llr1,.rt' ol Woocly Aragon

"This is the infatnou.s ,/rrt'k trick, in which the magician putsllrc Jack in the middle..." Usc your thumb to clearly slide the.lack between the other two picturc cards.

"And, euen uhile scmdwiched betuueen two other cards... itIttrns ouer on its own!"- square the cards and, in a continuousrrrotion, do another Ascanio Spread. The Jack will appear toIurvo turned over.

I

A Book in English: Tlte t'rttrl tltrtgit' ol Woorly Aragon A book irr lrrrlllislr: 'lltt't:rrrl nrrl'r( ()l Woucly Aragon

"Because the card tlutl's.sl//)/x).s(,(/ lo turn ouer is the King!"Once again, run two cartls ancl place the double on top ofoverything. It will seerr zls il'thc I(ing turned over.

"lltrt, do not get confused. Because, the truth is, for this tricktyru don't really need..." Square everything, holding a breakrrrrrler the bottom card (the Jack) with your left pinky. Hold theollrcr three cards as if they were one, and do Father Cy>hrian's(,)ttick Change. Everyone will see a blank back (on the other sideol'Ihe Jack, as your wrist turns over) then a blank face as you golrircl< to dealing position.

" ... u King, a Queen or a Jeck". Release the three cards over thecrrrrl in the left hand and square everything, as you go straightitrlo ir Flushtration count. But, in a similar fashion to what yourlirl hcfirre, the last two cards have to be placed as one under thelll'l lrlncl's thumb.

Using your left thumb, run lwo t:itt'tls sitrgly over the lefthand's palm. Place the remairrirtg two cttt'ds under the leftthumb as one. Say "But do not glet anlfitscd! It's the infamousJack trick because the Jack turns ouer! Sontetimes people thinkthat they see the Queen turn ouet'..." The card in the middle willstill be reversed, but everyone will think it must be the Queen,since they are staring at the faces of the Jack and King...

"But do not get confused, because that is not true! The Queen uclearly face up, as euerAone con see..." Do another Ascaniospread, just like the previous ones. It will seem like the Queerrhas magically turned face uP.

t

A Book in English: Thc t'rtrtl trrir;'.ic ol'Wootly Arag6n

Now you will reverse count the three cards into your righlhand by taking the first two cards as one. Finally, put the card irryour pocket (they can be seen blank on both sides). Contintrt'your performance by taking the deck from the box.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS:

I have to say that I think it is wonderful that in the first phast',using only one back, as the first round of effects happens, tht'audience assumes that they have seen the backs of every cartl(and there's no need for an introductory phase). Kudos to Mr.Trost for such a great idea! And, as a nice addition, the effecl irr

itself acts as a theme misdirection, as the audience is looking li,r'the secret move that allows the magician to turn the cards ov,'r

under their very noses. That helps to build up the final efli't't.making it a really powerful one, even more if you take irrl,account that the trick is performed with only three cards... or,maybe, because of it.

A book irr lirrglislr: l lrt. t'rrrrl nrirl,r( ()l Wootly Aragon

THE TRANSPARENT TRAVELLINGSPOTS

'l'his is my version of a classic trick in which the pips of apllying card travel to a white card chosen from a group of four.When I was a beginner in magic, this was one of my favoriteI rit:ks, because of the strength of the effect and the simplicity ofllrt' rnethod. The version I will explain now uses a very differentrrrclhod. It makes the trick look more impossible, and adds avr,r'.y visual element to the climax.

IiIIFECT:

'l'lrt: magician removes from his pocket four pieces of clearir('(,1;rt.e, the size of a playing card, and numbers them r to 4 withir l)(.r'ulanent marker. He sets the cards on the table, and takes a,lr,r'l< of cards. A spectator selects a card, which is then shownrrrrrl placed between the 4 transparent ones. The magician setsllrt, tlt:ck aside, and takes the selection and the four transparentlrrrrls in his hand. Gently waving his other hand over the cards,llrc spots on the selection are seen to visually travel upwardsnrrlo ol.lc of the transparent cards.

,I'I I I,I SET-UP:

A pcl'nr:rncrrl rrr;rrl<cr'.

A tltrcl< ol'r';rrr ls.

A lrl:tnli llrcr,rl r';rlrl (witlr ir lrlrr,li llt;rl rrurlr.hcs the deckyou'r'r'ttsirrri).

IL

A Book in English: Thc citltl tttttgit' ol'Wootly Arag6n

What will later appear to btr 4 tl'attsparent pieces ofacetate is actually just three picces. 'l'ake a sheet of clearacetate and, using a playing carcl as a template, cut outthree pieces, making sure that they are the exact size of acard.

Finally, choose a high spotted black card (the force card),and have it photocopied onto a sheet of acetate paper'.

Alternatively, if the type of acetate that you have allows it, yotr

can use a laser printer to print the card image onto a sheet ol

acetate. Cut this card (the transparent copy or TC card) to sizt'and, using the permanent marker, write the number one on itsface.

On top of the face down deck, place the force card fat't'

down. On top of that, place the TC card face dov,rr with tlr,'numbered end closest to you (Be careful not to reverse it!).Place the blank card face down on top of everything. Now plat't'the Ace of Spades on the bottom, with the tip of the Spatlt'pointing at the audience. This is important because it ensttttsthat you can instantly dctt'r'rttinc which end has the number t otr

it (the base of AS itr<lit':rtt's lltt'sicle whct'tr thct numbct'is

A book in lrrrglislr: 'llrt,t.irltl rrr;r1irt.ol'Woody Aragon

written). Place everythirrg irr lltt'r.irxl lrox, and place the box inyour pocket.

METHOD:

Show the transparent cards to your audience. Do not countthem yet, just say that there are four cards.

Take the permanent marker and number the cards, from 1 to4, in the same size and in the same location that you put thenumber r on the TC card. The technique (a classic of mentalism)consists of writing the number r, showing it, and put it back onthe bottom of the pile. Then you repeat the process with thesccond and third card. As there are only three cards, thesupposed fourth card is actually the first one. You iust need tot:ross the number one with a line, turning it into number four,irnd then show it to your audience as card number 4. Becausetlrey have seen four different numbers, the audience will assume.you are holding four transparent cards.

Now turn over the cards. Because the numbers are reversedrrrtd overlap one other, it will be very hard for the spectators torliscern anything, even for those who are watching the cardsvcry closely. If you want, you can perform an Elmsley count tosltow 4 cards. The count confirms that you have four cards, andpcr"forming it with the transparent cards is amazingly deceptive.( lt helps to create a "false fairness" effect.)

l'lace the transparent cards on the table, and remove the decklirrm its case. Cut the deck and hold a break. Force the cardrrntlcr the break, either by doing multiple cuts, and cutting tollrc break when a spectator says stop, or by using a riffle force.Arr.y force that doesn't let the cards fall or spread will work; thekr,.y is not to spread or dribble the deck and flash the TC card.

Oncc you've excr:rrtcrl the force, you will now do a pseudotriplc lift (whcn vorr tkr it, because of the thinness of the TClrutl, you will scr, llr;rl it is rtrally morc lil<t.ir rkxrblc lift): Turnovt.r'tlrc ltlirlrk r';rrrl, llrr,'l'(lr:irrrl arr<l tlrr. lirx,t't.irr.rl as one unit,itt ottlt'r'to slrow llrl lrrlc ol'llrt'lirrct.r'lrrl.'l'r'll tlrc irtrrlicrrcc that

A Book in English: Thc clrtl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

this card will magically travel, and let a spectator run his fingersover the card's spots to confirrn that the card is really there antlthe spots do not rub off.

Turn the unit over again, and just pick up the top two cards orrtop of the deck. That is, pick up the blank card and thctransparent copy card under it. This is not easy, and you willgood misdirection. I use the crossing the gaze techniqut',directing my look from the deck to the audience's eyes, as I aslithem a "blurring question", which should be something funn.v,and make some of them laugh, something like "I presume yortare allfamiliar uith the basics of matter transmutation, arett'tyolt?". Meanwhile, you will place this double on top of thctransparent cards on the table.

Now comes my favorite moment. Take the whole packetblank card face down, TC card, and the three transparent cardssquare it and turn it face up... it looks like nothing h;rshappened, but in reality, you're already finished.

I usually transfer the top transparent card under the blarrliface, as I say "I'II SANDWICH the selection u:ith tlu'transparent cards". Then I start to slowly wave my hand ovcr'the packet, as I start to relax my fingers, and let the cards slowlrslide apart.

The ghostly movement of my hand, together with the fact th;rlthe spots start moving offthe card on which they are supposctllrprinted, creates a sensory illusion, making it seem like the spotsare being transferred from the regular card to the transpart'rrlone.

A book in Englislr: 'l'ltc crrrtl rrrrrpir, ol'Wootly Aragon

i

i

You can have the audicrrct: cx:rrrrirrc the blank facer and theIt'ansparent cards, while you gct ritl ,f the top card of the deck.Yru can then have the deck cxamined, and cohtinue performingwith it...

AI)DITIONAL REMARKS:

YhV do I put the blank facer between the transparent cards(when I say I will sandwich the selection)? Because lf I leave thetrormal card under the acetate ones, then it would be verynlrvious that the spots move to the transparent card closest tollrc selection.By doing this, it gives the impression that therrgrrts go t\rough several cards until they finilly settle on onelrrrrl. Or at least, that's how I think.

Miguel Puga gave me a nice idea that will make it easier forv,lr to handle the blank face and TC card unit. Beforep.r'lirrming, slightly wet the surface of the blank card with a tinylril .f saliva, and stick the transparent card to it. If you don't lei1,, rnuch time pass, this will make them stick togeiher, makingll .irsie-r for you to transfer them from the deck to the top of thEuIlrcr three pieces ofacetate.

Arr,ther idea I sometimes try, is to psychologicary force therrrrrrrbcr r, so that it seems as if the spots traveled to a chosenr rurl. If you want to try it, you will have to do the force beforellrr,.hcginning of the trick (and, of course, before showing yourrrttrlit'nce the transparent cards). when the audience still dllsn'tlrtrrw what is going to_ happen, just ask a spectator ,,Could you1ilt,ttse giue me a number... but a really tiny, small one...,, Vfinylltrr.s, the person gives me number one, to which I responi"()ttr? Well, ok... thrs is the smallest number possible. I said Ittttutlul u small number because I didn't want you to namettutnlx,r t2... I tuttntccl e 7, 2... no more than a 4,because ue,llu,it, .l fltt'(ls.lin, tltis lr.ick..." I then removc the transparent cardsIt'utrr rrr.y llocl<ct.

ll lltr'.y 14ivt.nrr,;trr,llrr,t. llunlll.r', Isiry "No, no... e sntallerttilt'!", I llrt'rr ;rsli lirr rrrrollrt,r' rrrrrrrlrr,r' (lrrrl lrrrollrcr. nrrmber)

rlll

t&

A Book in English: T'ltc citrrl rrragic of Woody Arag6n

until someone names one. Thcrl I sety "RecllA? Did Aou reallllname one? Is it your freely clutsut number? Ok, gou carr

squore it, triple it, or eleuate it trt any power... and I willpiedict the result" It is a very silly joke, but it will not look as

ihough you just failed at a force. Next I continue performing tht'routine, as if this brief conversation had nothing to do with thctrick.

A book in lirrglislr: l ltr' t rrrrl rrlrlirr' ol'Wootly Aragon

EXAMINABLE CANNIBALS'l'his is one of several routines based on the "cannibal cards"

lrkrt that I have created in recent years. It's probably the mostprirctical, the technically least demanding, and the mostlirnctional of them all. And it fulfills what I think is an essentialrr,tlrrirement: the audience can examine the cannibal cards afterr,rrt'h vanish.

l,irr many years I performed the original routine, based on,\lt.x Elmsley's amazing Repulsiue Aces. The missionary cardsru'r, hidden between the cannibals, using any "5 as 4" display(rrsrrally the Ascanio Spread, but obviously Elmsley didn't use itirr lris original routine). Finally, before introducing the lastrrrissionary between the cannibals, all of the missionary cardsrrlt. tlitched on top of the deck. Even though this method'sr,ll'icicr-rcy is proven, I realized that the audience didn't applaudirl'lt.r' lhe first vanish, and only did it at the end. I fe]t there waslr.rrsion (and suspicion) throughout the whole routine, becauser,\'('n though the false displays were very convincing, therru(li('llc:c could not confirm for themselves that a missionarylnrrl had vanished. So, the feelings that such a strong effect.,rrltl r:r'cate (the complete vanish of a card!) were diminishedlrr,r'itusc it could not be proved.

,\s I tlrink thrr oriliirrirl thcn-re of thc rrrtrtir-re, and its patter(r'l'('irl(,(l hy Lin St,;rrlr.s) ;rnr w<lndcrlirl (;rntl I xrally enjoy thatlrtlscrrl;rtiorr), I corrsirlcrt'rl crr.irlirrg ir vcrsiorr o[' ]lrt' lrlutine inrvlriclr llrt';rrrrlicrrc. r',rrlrl li,r'1, lorrt'lr rrrrrl cxpr.r'ir.rrr.r. llrat only

A Book in English: '['hc crrnl rrragic of Woody Arag6n

the four cannibal cards were lcl't ill'tcr each vanish. And ever'

since I came up with it, this routinc has become a staple of my

repertoire, and the favorite of metny magicians- - ranging fronrmy good friend Pepe Souza to others such as Rafael Benatar antl

.lohn Carney, who have all praised the virtues of this routine'

This is one of the routines that I perform most often for m.t'

audiences, and I have created two versions of it. This versiott

uses trick cards, but, for those occasions where I don't have thctrick cards with me and want to per{orm the routine any"way, I

developed an impromptu version, that I will explain you later'

EFFECT:

The classic cannibal plot routine. Four spade cards [playirrlithe role of "cannibals"] capture three picture cards fplaying tht'role of ,,missionaries"] plaie them over the sacrificial stone (tht'

deck) and eat them one by one.

THE PROPS:

You will need to add two special cards to the deck. The filslone is a double facer - JH/roS. This should be easy to find, sitrt','

it belongs to the standard Bicycle set of double face cards.

The other one is a specially treated Queen of Hearts. The facr'

of this card is sticky, thanks to the use of repositionzr|1,'adhesive. what I do is to cut a rectangular hole slightly smallt'r

than the size of a playing card in a sheet of paper (the reasorr i.'

to prevent the caid from becoming sticky at_the sides). I l.ltt'rr

plice it over the face up QH and apply, from about 1.5 feet awir\ ,

u .pruy adhesive called "3M Mount Spray: Repositionultl''Adiesiue". This spray is easy to find in any stationery stot't' irr

Spain, so I think it (or a similar product) shouldn't be too ftrrrtlto find in any other country.

THE SET UP:

The regglar Qttcrt,tt ittttl ,l;tcli ol llt'itt'ls slrorrltl lrt'ott top ol'llr''clecrl<.'l'ltt.<lprrlrlt.llrr.r.r':,lr,,rrlrl lrc irr llrc rrritlrllc ol'tlrt'pitt'li, r,,,

A book in Iinglrslr: I lrr' r'rrrrl nr;rl'r(' ()l Wootly Aragon

tlrat when you spread tlrt.t'irrrls lrrcc rr;r, lhe JH side will show.'l'lre sticky QH should bc tht. lxrttonr t'irrrl, s<) that when the deckis turned face up, it will bc t lrc l'irsl t'iu'rl to be seen.

If I want to add the special calcls and set up in the middle of a:i('ssion, I cull the regular QII ancl JH to the top of the deckirrrrnediately after the previous eff'ect's climax. I then spread ther k'crk face up, and leave it just like that, in readiness for a classicrrrltlition technique. I have the two special cards ready in a

lrocl<et, or in my lap. The double facer on the bottom (JH facerrlr) and the QH face up on top of it. I palm both cards, beingt'irrcful so that the QH doesn't stick to my hand. Then I gathertlrt' spread with both hands, adding the two palmed cards ontoI I r t. fhce of the pack where they will rest together for a moment.

'l'here's another way to do it, that you could use in any';ilrration, which is to have the two special cards in the card box.t'rrll the regular QH and JH to the top, place the deck inside thelrox, r'ight on top of the two special cards. Perform a quick trickwillr coins, or any other different prop, and then take the deckoul ol'the box again. You will be ready to perform the routine.

ll' .you choose either of these options, when you spread ther lr,r'li lirce up and remove the picture cards, everyone will see the,ll I ;rrrcl QH together and right at the face of the pack. Don't trytr r irrstify this, just act as if the cards were together out of mere,'lurnt'c, and don't give the situation any importance.

MI,I'I'HOD:

St;rrt by apparently removing the three Heart picture cardsIr urn llrc cleck. Actually, you will remove the two trick cards, andllrr, r'r'grrlar I( of Hearts. Place them in a row face up on thelrrlrlr,. 'l'hcn rernove the 7, B, 9 and ro of Spades, the cannibal, ru'rls, irrrrl taltle tht'rrr irr a separate pile.

lil;rrt lry givirrg tlrc r':rrutib:rls to;r s1lr.r'lrlor so that he can

''\tulin('llrt.rrr llrororrl,,lrly. Il is rrt't'r'sstrry lo irrsist upon ther'\irnrinlttiorr ol'llrr,r';rlrls trl tlrt' vt'r'v lrr.lqirrrrirrg ol'llrt. rrxrtine, asllrr:, rvill sl:u'l lotvlt nrli lltr ittlct't'sl ol'llrc rpt'r'l;rlol'irr r.xirrrrining

the cards, helping us later (e.g., in the second phase, wh-en wt'

sneak the do;bl; facer in with ttre cannibals). But we'll tallrmore about that later...

Gather the cannibals, and tell the audience that they belong t<r

a tribe and, one day, they met three missionaries fpicture cards I

in the middle of ttre jungle, and then started to do their famous

feast dance. Match words to actions by performing an Ascanio

spread with the four cards, as they donce and sing metily'

you will now pick up the deck (you will refer to it as tlrt'"sacrificial Stone"). As you do it, you will need to transfer one' oI

the cannibal cards to the top of the deck. You can use tlt.Vernon transfer, palming, or any other technique that suits yotrr

technical abilities, but at the end of this explanation, I willexplain to you the method that I use. (note r)

Act as if you had forgotten something, and explain to yottt

audience that you should have placed the picture cards onto llrt'

stone "so thai the cannibalistic feast can begin". Take the 'lll(be careful not to show the back) and the KH, and_place thcrrr,

iu"" ,.p on top of the decl<. As ygrt tlg so, obtain a break urttllt'the top card (the cannillirl t.;r|tl yorr lransferrccl prcviously). Yorr

will b; holding thc cltrtrli willr ;r lrt't'itl< tttttlct' tltt'ct: t:itl'ds (thtr llrr'''

up I(I{, thc iat:c rrp,lll, rrrrrl llrc litcc tkrwtt t'itrtrtillitl tr:ttrl).

A Book in English: Tlrc crrltl nragic of Woody Arag6n A book in lirrglislr:'l lrc t.irrtl rru;irt. ol'Wootly Aragon

l'crform a Braue addition: lil't rrt tlrt' lrnrll< and turn the KH facetlown onto the top of thc tlct:li (x.vcirling the JH in your hand)rrnd then drop the JH cloublc on lop (the I(H is now secondl'rum the top). Then take or.rly thc ,l l-l and place it on the bottomol'the deck. The way that I do it, in order not to flash the back, ishy turning the whole deck over, placing the JH on the face of therlcck, and then turning the whole deck over again. Tell yourrrrrdience that the third picture card was "nof placed on theSucriftcial Stone".I usually place the KH on top, stating that hewill be the first course, the JH on the bottom, as he will be therucond course, and leave the Queen apart, as she will be ther lcssert.

IIIRST VANISH:

Oather the cannibal cards (If you think there might have beenrrrr anti-contrast parenthesis, you can perform an Elmsley countIo show there are still four cannibals. I never do it, as I do notllrink it is necessary). Now put the cards in the typical "mouth"lrosition. With the other hand, perform a one-handed double liftwith the top two cards of the deck to show the KH (I usually justgllll the two cards, replace them on the deck and take therLrttble fsupposedly just the top card]. This way the deck neverh'rrvcs the table. But if you prefer, you can grab the deck and do,lrrsc Carroll's "little juTnp" or Ren6 Lavand's double lift).

t_ *,qx

A Book in English: J'ltc t rrttl rrrlgic of Woody Arag6n

After the double lift display, ttlt'tt the double face down ancl

take the top card fthe previously t[a[rsf'erred cannibal] and put

it into the;'mouth". When the picture card then vanishes, yotr

are left completely clean. Show that the card has vanished using

an Ascanio ipread (actually it is not at all necessary, but it isnice aestheticilly because of the feast dance patter). Then hantl

the cannibal iards to a member of the audience fcrr

examination.

The spectator wiII usually grab the cards, take a look at thenr.

searching for the missing picture card, and then give you bacl'

the cardi when he sees that there is nothing hidden. At thi:;

moment you are going to condition him again, as you want trr

him to gei "bored of examination". Just say "No, no, please talit'a good look at them, see... Is there any t1a9e of-the kbulbeiueen those cards?" Hand the four cannibal cards, one lrrone, to the spectator so that he can thoroughly examine them'

SECOND VANISH:

Take the cannibal cards, and tell your audience thatthey will now eat their second course: the JH, which lies at 1lr,'

botlom of the pack. Once again, you need to transfer one of tlr,'cannibal cards to the top of the deck, only this time, you need t"make sure that it is the 1oS. I use the same move as in tlr,'previous phase, as it works even better now because of the nt't',1

io turn over the deck, and the appearance of the JH in tlr''audience's sight which creates a visual misdirection.

Grab the cannibal cards, and place them in "mottllr"formation, this time with two on the top and one in the bottorrr,

as you say'ottt)o on top, hao on the bottom, just like beJinl'Take the picture card, this time face up, and place it betweetr I lr,'

cannibals.

Since the card is now face u1-r, yOu will eliminate the auditrrtr',"',

suspicion of a possible swilt'lr. l|.y thcn perfonning an l'llrttsl, r

count, the audience will sct'lirttt't'r'gttl:tt'llitt:l<s, ittttl its y<ltt ltrrrr

the pile face p1'l tlo ittt Ascrtttio Spt'r':ttl to ot'tt't'ltliititl tlispl:rl'irrltlrirl y1lrr 9rrl.y hltvr. llrr. li,rrr ,';rrrrrilr;rl crtt'rls. l'l;tt'r'Iltt'tll 6rt llr,

A book in lrrglislr. I lrt' t;rrrl ru;rl,r'rl Wootly Aragon

lrrble, and stress the I'ac:t llurl yorr'r't, rrot lritling any extra cards.

Once again, you will h:urtl llrt' lirrrr r:ards, one by one, to theslrcctator so that he can crxlrrrirrc thcnr. Start by letting himclrcck the roS (the double laccr'), asking him to "touch it andrlreck there are no extra hicltlat cords", but you will not releasevour grip on the card, ensuring that he can't take it and turn itovcr. As soon as he says there's only one card, place it on thellble and continue by giving him the other three cards, which heurrr examine, this time for real.

'I'HIRD VANISH:

'l'he third vanish plays a remarkable role in the routine's'rlrrrcture. Regarding the "external life" of the trick, you get oneol' t'he strongest and cleanest vanishes possible. As for theirrlcr.ral life, it solves the problem that might be caused by ther lorrlrle facer that is now one of the cannibals.

,lrrst tell your audience that, as a dessert, the cannibals ate the(

| r r(,crl. And this lime, "for the sake of complete fairness", all ofllrt't':rrds will be face up, so that everyone can clearly see there;rrr. .just four cannibals, no extra cards, and the picture card that1',or,s t:learly in the middle. In addition, the picture card will not,r1,;rrrrach the deck at all.

Srrit actions to words, spread the cannibal cards face up,lirliirrg advantage of the moment to place the roS/JH secondIrorrr tlte top. Create the "mouth", tilting it slightly dorrr,nwards,rrrrl lo the left, to prevent everyone from seeing the JH side ofllrr, rlorrble facer. Take the Queen, nonchalantly show its two',rr lr,s, rrnd place it inside the "mouth". As you close it, the stickyl,rcr, ol' lhc Queen will contact the JH side of the double facer,rrrllrr.r'irrg to it, and thc resultwillbe a loswith a regularback.

lior llrt' sirl<t. o1'llrt' rrrrilirrrtrity of itt:lions, wait' a second before,lrorvirrg tltt. v;rrrislr, llrcrr 1lr,l'lirnn lu) Asr.rrrrio Sltrcacl, and oncetrli,rin (lt'ol) llrc r':rlrl:; ,rr lltr, l:rlllt., slrrwirrg lrollr sirlcs of theI ru(lri,;rttrl Prrrviru,()n('r,1r1,,;ritt llutl llrr.r'r.iu'(,no r.xlrit <.irrrls, 'l'hel,)ullrr luts r,;rrrillr,', 1 rr illrorrl lr lt';rcr,!

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I

A Book in English: 'l'hc crrrul rrragic of Woody Arag6n

This is a very strong climax. Iiirst, there's the tension create(lby the vanish of the Queen under seemingly impossibk'conditions, with the added pressure of being the third card thalhas vanished. Second, the last card has disappeared, somethingthat wiII lead the audience to think that the routine is over. Ilyou just relax, you'll see that the audience will start to applausc,without them asking you to let them examine the cards agairr.(Besides, the sticky card has just allowed you to show a ver'\clean vanish and display of the cards, and the spectator hirsalready examined the cards three times)

You will now act as if the trick was over. Grab the deck in lerlt

hand dealing position, and start gathering the cannibal carcls.Take the roS (the double facer with the QH stuck to it) antlplace it on top of the deck. Grab the second cannibal card antl,then suddenly, address the spectator, telling him "oh! Examfiu'those cards, please!" Give him the card you were about to placcon the deck and, immediately perform a second deal, giving hirrrthe regular roS. Then give them the other z Spade cards. Tlrr'spectator will be left with four regular Spade cards that he carr

examine to confirm that there is no trace of the Picture cards.

THE FOLLOW-UP:

You could end the routine right there. But I would like to lr,llyou that, if transfer the special card from the top to the midrlL'of the deck via a slip cut, then the spectator will be holding ,1

regular cannibal cards, and you will be holding the deck witlrthe three regular picture cards on top. You are in the pelli'r'lposition to perform the Jay Ose's classic collectors (ApexAccs),or any other version that you fancy, which will allow yorr l,make the picture cards reappear between the four cannibirl:rMaking the picture cards reappear is a great addition to tlrlroutine's structure, plus you can show all the cards to lrr'completely normal.

In order to clean ul), v()lr will orrly rtcccl to find thc sllct'i:rlcards (it's very easy lo tlo il lrv lorrclr, sirrr:c llrt'lwo c:alrls slrrcl'togcthcr will irt't ;rs ;r llrit'1. r';rrtl) irrttl lxrlrrr it, or tlitt'lr it irrlo ;r

A book in Irrrglislr; 'l lte t.lrrl rrlrltrt, ol Woorly Aragon

llocket, thus leaving yorr witlt ir t,ornplt,tt, nolmal deck.

(note r) MY TURN-OVtil( 'I'IIANSFER:

I will confess that my way of transferring a cannibal to the top,l' the deck is not_ really subtle. Neve-rtheler., u.rd maybellccause of-my performance style and handling, it suiis mepcrfectly. I hold the deck in left hand dealirg politio.r, and ther':rnnibal packet is in my right hand face uf.^the cards mustftr.m a messy spread, with one of the cards {uite injogged withr.spect to the others. The cards above the injogged one are the,rrcs that will be transferred to the deck. In Ii'is routine, thest't:<lnd card from the face is the one I injog. Thus, when I turnllrcr whole thing over, I transfer the former top

"a.d to the top of

l hc deck.

I

lI

Y,rr need to misdirect your audience (using the naturalr'lrrxirlirn after a joke, asking a brurring quZstion io therrrrrlit'nr:c or crossing the gaze) is you turn lhe'packet of cards,\'r'r. 'l'llc right harrrl. is- now empty, and starts to square thelrrrrls on lop ol'llrt'tlt'cl<. At the lzist nrolr.rcr-rt you pietend to.lrrrrrllr' y.rrr rrrirrrl, lr,ltl tlrc injoglicrl .rrrrls ,,n,1 nlithe cardsrrlr,vr,it witlr y,rrr.r.iglrl lrirrrrl,,i* yi,,,,. l.l't lrirrrtl tirkcs the deckrlrvry,'l'lris is r;rrilr';r lr,kl rrrovt', irrrrl r.r,r,n llrorrglr ir rnight berlIlcclcrl il'sorrt'rn(' rviri lrttt.nirrg .yorrr. lr;rrrrls, llrr, ovr,r.irll'in,irgc

li- lqn

A Book in English: Thc cirrl rrragic of Woody Arag6n

is that you just turned over thc gl'oup of cards in your righthand.

It is important not to move the right hand at all after tht'execution. The left hand leaves with the deck, never do tht'opposite. The audience must see the right hand in the sanlt'position it was holding the face up cards.

APPENDIX: IMPROMPTU VERSION

This version can be presented anytime, with just a regulirr'deck of cards. Start by removing the four spades and the thrt'r'heart picture cards, and placing them in the same positions rts

in the beginning of the special cards routine. That is, transfet' ;r

cannibal card to the top of the deck; place the QH on the tablt'lplace the JH and KH on top of the deck; perform a Brutttaddition and place the JH on the bottom of the pack.

FIRST VANISH:

It works exactly the same as in the version with special car'<ls

Only, when you hand the cannibal cards to the spectator for tlrr'second time, you will imitate the actions of a false count crealcrlby Nick Trost (made popular in his Seuen Card Trick, antl irr

Paul Harris' Las Vegas Leaper) which you will later use fol'tlrt'second vanish. Hold the cannibal cards face up in youl lt'llhand, take the top card, hand it to the spectatot'lirrexamination, and once hc's givcrt it back to you, place it llrr','

down on the bottont ol'tlrt';xrt'kt'I. As yott givc cach ol'llrr'remaining cannib:tl t'ittrls lo sllt't'titlot' lrlr t'tl-cxatttit-t:ttiott, tlo

exactly thtt samc.

A book in English: 'l'lrc clrrrl rrrrrl.tit' ol'Woorly Aragon

SECOND VANISH:

Now take the Cannibal Carcls ancl announce that they aregoing to "eat" the second card, the one on the bottom of therlcck. Turn the deck over, so that the picture card becomes theIop one, and is clearly seen face up. You can clearly show thelirur cannibals, and create the "mouth" with two cards on toprrrrcl two on the bottom, just like before. Now take the picturelrrld and introduce it, this time face up, between the fourcirrrnibals.

lly introducing the card face up this time, you will eliminatellrc audience's suspicions about a card change, while actuallyrrsirrg the Ascanio spread to hide the picture card during therLrnce, as done in the traditional Cannibal Cards routines.

'l'trrn the cannibals face up, do an Ascanio spread, and take therkrtrble card to the bottom of the packet so that the picture cardr.rrrls up face down on the bottom. You can now do Ascanio's

'rittt'cre spread, and then give him the cards for examination justliltt' llefore, executing Nick Trost's false count. The spectator willr.xrrrrrine the four cards and, at the end, it will seem that therenrt no more cards, and you are simply holding the cannibalsIttcc tlown.

,I'I IIRD VANISH:

l)crfbrm a Biddle count with the packet in order to transferllrr. picture card to the bottom and, as in the traditional version,lrukl it in your right hand while holding a thumb break over thelrvo lrottom cards (the picture card and the cannibal above it).

'l'rrrn thc deck face down with the other hand, take it, andprr,lt,ntl to give it to thc spectator. Change your mind and thenlr,ll lrirrr "rto, rur"ll tn1 sortrctltinq else...tuhy don't you eat ther'ttfil? 77ri.s /irrrr,, rltnt'll ttltt,t'utc tho ntoutlt/" Your left hand willrrpl)r'oil('ll llrc llirclicl ol'r.irrtls, in ol'tlt'r'lo lirr.rrr llrc mouth, andr ott will lirl<t' irrlvlrrrlirlic ol' llrc rrrorrrt.rrl lo rr'lllirrrtr the cardsttttrllr llrt'lrrt';rli,rr llrr rk'r'k. l)rrt llrr,r'rrrrls irr rrrorrlh position

l

M A Book in English: -l'lrc crrnl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

(there will only be 3 cards) ancl asl< the spectator to hold it withtwo fingers, just like you did beforc, and push the ends together'so that the mouth stays open.

Take the last picture card (QH) from the table (where it hasbeen throughout the routine) with your right hand, show it antlturn it face dovyn. Tell the spectator that not only should ht,push the ends together, but he should also loosen his grip on thccards so as to create a chewing action. Use this moment asmisdirection to do a top change between the QH and the tolrcard of the deck (a cannibal card). Alternatively, you could placcthe queen on top ofthe deck and do a second deal. In any cast.,you will be holding a cannibal card, and the QH will be on thr,top of the deck.

If you have a great top change, and there is no anti-contrastparenthesis, that's great and you can continue. But in my case, I

usually prefer to say something to the audience, place tlrccannibal card back on the deck, show the queen with a doublt,lift, and explain that it will be the last one to be eaten. Then I

turn the double face down and take only the top [cannibal] caxl.

Now you will introduce the card (everyone thinks it's the QII)into the "mouth" that is being held by a spectator. Insert it ;r

little bit, and, as soon as you see it is not going to fall, ask hinr topush it further in himself "Pleese, do it yourself, finish pushirr,lthe Queen into the cannibals' mouth... that's it, let tlrcrrrchetu.-.yum Aum-.. great! Square them yourself... turn tlrctttouer and... Make them dancel" (Explain this as you try to gel ;r:,

far as possible from the spectator).

He will try to slide the cards as well as he can (unless hc's :r

magician, of course), and then he will realize the cannibals hrrr','eaten the card once again. This time, it all happened in lrir,

hands!

A book in lrrrglislt: 'llrt.t.rrrrl rrrirllrt.ol Woorly Aragon

WINNER'S INTUITIONI wouldn't say this next piece is a trick. It is more of an idea for

rrn alternate handling of a trick that is one of the moderncl:rssics of mentalism. Let's go for it.

I.]FFECT:

'l'wo card boxes (one red and one blue, but they can belrorrowed)

_play a game o_f noker against each other. ihat is, aspcctator chooses ro cards from a deck, and places 5 cards (aprl<er hand) in each box [he has complete freedom Jf

"noi."].'l'lr. boxes are then closed. The magician is able to determinewlrich box holds the winning hand, even though he could notlrrs.sibly have seen anlthing. This is repeated seireral times, andr,rrclt and every time, the magician is correct.

Mh)THOD:

'l'lr.r'c is an effect thathas been doing the rounds lately, and itIrrrs bcen included in the repertoire 6f -uny mentalisis (andrrrrrgicians!). It is knor,r.n by various names, but r'r refer to it as"'l'lrt. ltclic". Usually, a spectator takes a medallion, coin, or any',irrillr object, andplacis it inside one of his closed fists. Thetrrlrrlalist is then able to ascertain the hand that holds the,l,ri.t'|. Iive. though it'.s not a great effect if performeJorr".,rvl,llr t'ontinuons lc;xrtition, the routine ends up becoming a truerrr irrrt'lc.

'l'lrirrkirrg irlr.rrt llrr. lrir.k, irnrl lr..yirrg l. hn.llrt.r' clisguise theIrtirrciplt'llrirt rrr;rlir.s it w,r'li, r hirrl ilrc itlr.;r ,l'rnixirrg iiwiththe'"1'r'tt ('ltt'rl l'olir.r'llr,;rl" lrr.irrr.iltlt', wlrir.lr I 11.r,r,i6rrsiy t,xllllinecl

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Llll

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A Book in English: l'ltc cittrl rrragic of Woody Arag6n

in the Blessed Poker routine (l tokl you that I loved lhe JonaltCard principle!) ... In case yotr didn't know, in the mostcommon approach, the magician hats a concealed magnet and,

by bringing it close to each of the spectator's closed fists, he isaLle to find out which one holds the (f'errous or magnetic) object

The reason for this particular association of ideas is that, irrTen Card Poker Deal rottlines, there's only one hidden object(the Jonah Card). If you know which box it's in, then you knowthat the winning hand is in the other one.

So I came up with this trick. I have to say that I don't normallyperform this in my shows, as I don't have a fulI routine for it yet.

I harre sho'nm it to magician friends while sessioning, and everv

single time it has fooled them. As I already said, repeating tht'effeit g or 4times greatly empowers it. I think those who do not

know the method and are reading this now and will get quite ir

big surprise.

The method consists of wearing a magnetic, or PK Ring (yorr

can find one in any magic shop) and a shimmed card (also

widely available for sale). Yol igst need to put the shimnrt'rlcard in a normal deck, altl lgrlt' t<l cards. The rO cards arg tlrr'shimmed card, and thx't' grorrps 11f'tfiree. It is inlpgrtant tltrrlnone of the car:cls irt tlrc lltlt't'gt'ottlls ltlts thc s;ttttt'vitlrttl its llrt'shim caltl.

A book in linglislr: 'l ltt, t':rrtl nril,'t(' ol'Wootly Aragon

'l'he audience can cxarnirrt't.vt.r..yllrirrg, boxes and cards(shimmed cards, if they arc rrrirtltr wcll, look and feel exactly likerrormal cards, and they only r.cvcal thcir nature when you bringir nragnet close to them). So, thc auclience will be unable to findorrt how you can always know tl-re winning hand.

Once 5 cards have been placed in one of the boxes, while therilrcctator puts the rest of the cards in the other one and closes it,vorr will take the box and place it on the hand that has the pKlin13, so that the box rests on the fingers. You then use that handlo lllace the box aside.

ll .you notice that the ring sticks to the box (believe me, if the',lrirrr is in the box, you will feel it), you know that the Jonah('rrrrl is inside that box, and the winning hand is in the otherlrux. ll'you don't feel anything, then you know that the winninglrlrrrl is inside the box you are holding.

r\llr,r' r'cpeated performances, I found it useful to change thenr.llrul slightly during one of the early sequences. Just keep thelr,r opt'n in your hands and look away, as you invite the',pr.r'l;rlor to place any 5 cards inside. This way you don't have torlrrllr lirr thc box, irs .yoll will be holding it from the beginning.

l)rrr. lo Iltt' lrrcclt;rnir,s ol'tlrr' '/trrr Cttttl l\ilct,t. l)ail, there is an,rrlrliliorr:rl lrlrr';rsirr,1i llr;rl yorr will l'irr<l rrsclitl. Al'ltl. you have1r.rl,r'rrrcrl llrc .ll.r'l ;r li,w lirnt.s, y(,u (.ln rrrrrnrlllt. sourcthing

I

about the composition of the tw6 ftands as if you cou]d almostsee the cards inside each box. Something like"Well, let's see..'

in this box... there Qre, at least, ttuo matching cards... but, irtthe other one... Aes, there's ttuo matching cards too... yes, ttao,

but in the other box there are more matches... yes! The cards ht

that box uin! This other box loses!"

Even though you are guessing one of two possibilities (onlv

which of the two hands will win), the secret is diluted in tht'apparent complexity of the feat, and the effect for the audienc:t'

is different. Ilthe spectator is unaware of the Ten Card Poka'Deal princi.ple, then he is probably thinking that you woultlneed io know the exact allocation of all ten cards in order t0know which box contained the winning hand. So, unlike thr'

Relic trick, you are not finding the location of one item, but ten.

A Book in English: 'l'he cirtrl nragic of Woody Arag6n A book in I')nglislr: l lre t'trtrl trrirllrt' ol'Woody Aragon

CLOCKWORKWOODYI have always liked the classic Clock Trick.I think the inner

principle that makes it work is very deceiving, while at the samelirne I really enjoy its "external life" (creating a "clock" using rzcirrds, and having a thought of hour match a selected card is avisual and suggestive image for the audience). Using my twolirvorite clock routines (one by Ram6n Riob6o and the other byAllbnso Molin6), I developed this handling which I think isr'l'l'cctive even for magicians. Don't disregard the extra climaxlirr er session finale!

IiITFECT:

'l'he classic effect in which a member of the audience selectsrrtt hour, and looks at the card in the corresponding positionlirrrtr a clock circle formed with tz cards. In most versions, thetrtrtgician just finds the selected card. In this version, therrrrrgician writes down a prediction for the thought of hour andorrc lirr the selected card, and both are correct. To top it all off,rrll ol'the other cards are blank!

MIi'THOD:

Only one regular card is used (put a mark on its back, so thatyou (:iln easily spot it).'['he card goes on top of a deck of blanklitt't,rl t:arcls. Obviorrsl.y, thc back of thc regular and the blanklitt't,tl r':tt'tls slrorrkl lrt' llrt' silntc.

l(il'llr,slrrrl'llc lltc rlccli, lir,t,grirrg tlrc l'r,grrlirr r,irrrl on top (let'srttvil istlrt.5oI llr,;rrlri). l)orr'l prrslr llrt'r.lrrrlslogcllrt.r.al'tcrr.the

shuffIe, spread the deck and let a sllcctator do it. (This move, as

used by ihe great Gabi, helps thc attclience imagine the faces ol

the cards being mixed, thus creatir-rg in their minds the image ol

regular cards with different faces being shuffled, while actuallrmost of the cards are blank faced).

Tell a member of the audience to think of an hour, one lotwelve. Pretend to read his mind, and clearly stating you aI'('

going to do it BEFORE the cards are used, write a predictiotrWhat you will really do is to use the "One ahead" principle, antl

write "CARD.' You uill choose the Fiue of Diamonds [,,'whatever force qard you are using]". Fold the paper, and place it

aside (inside a glass, ashtray, etc...)

Remove rz cards from the middle of the pack, and give therrrr

to a spectator, asking him to place them under the table, whet'''nobody can see them. I usually tell him something like this:"Take some cards... since there are only lz hours to choosl

.from, I utill giue you a bunch, there may be t4 or t5 cards, btrt

anAu)aA, you'll haue more than enough..." this helpg to thtrruthe audience off the method, and takes the heat off the unust'r I

cards. If you wanted to, you could even give the spectator' ;r

larger number of cards (but you must know exactly how mrttrt

cards you give him). If you gave the spectator X cards (X>t:')then just remember to transfer X-rz cards from the top of tlr''deck to the bottom just before dealing the cards that form tlr''"clock". So, if you gave the spectator 14 cards, you worrltltransfer z cards from the top of the deck to the bottom.

Ask him to take as many cards as the hour he's thought of, rttr' l

place them inside a pocket, or in any other place where nrl (),,'

ian see them, and place the unused cards on top of the deck.

Take the deck, and deal rz cards, forming a clock, in invt'r':"'counter clockwise order (starting with rz, and finishing witlr

one). This is justified by the firct tltat we are trying to m;rlit' rl

clear for to the audiencer, wlrir,lr is sittrated in front of us). ll r:,

advisable to place tht't'rtt'tls irr posilions 12,6,9 atttl ;; rrr

perpendicular p<lsitiolrs lo llrc rcsl ol'lltc t:lttrls, to ttutl<c il t'lr;i,'rior thc sltcgtatot'lo lor';tlt lri:. llrorrllltt rtl'ltottt'. As yott tlt'ltl llr,'

A Book in English: Tltc t'rrttl ruagic of Woody Arag6n Abookin [')nglislr: l ltt' t rrrrl nrrl,t( ol Woorly Aragon

r';rrds,locate the mark on tlrt'lr;rt'li ol'lltr, lirr.cing card. (Let's sayllrt: card is dealt at the 4 o'r:kx,li lrrsiti,rr). lJecause of the clocklirrce principle, it the cartl will cntl trp irr at the thought of hour.

Ask the spectator to look zrt thc car.cl that lies at the thought ofIrorrr. In order to keep you [rom glirnpsing it, you will turn;rround. Once he's seen the card, ask him to remember it, andlclurn it to its original position. Turn around, look at his eyes,rrrtl once again, pretend to read his mind. Tell your audiencellurl now you will write a prediction, this time regarding therirrcl. Take another piece of paper, and write: "TIME: Thelltought of time is Four for whatever value the force card is at]rt'(lock". Fold the paper, and place it next to the first one, so thatn( ) one can distinguish which is which.

Now comes a small "parenthesis of forgetfulness", in whichlorr will go over all of the things that have happened, while',liglrtly altering the truth:

" liirst, before we euen touched the cards, you thought of anItrtttr, and I tried to predict it on a piece of paper. Then, youlr rr r/t rr.s manA cards as the hour you thought of, tahich means ifttrt11 lvnss 7 cards in your pocket, you thought of 7 o'clock...ritlltl? Then, youlooked at a card. Andremember, the deckwastlrrtrouclhly shuffiedfrom the uery beginning, so you uill agreert,illt rtrc in that it utas impossiblefor me to know uhich cardstt'ttttl(l end up in the clock. And neuertheless, I made al,ntli<'lion about the card too... am I corcect? Well,let's see if In,tts t,iglt"

l)runp the two predictions from wherever you placed them,url, llrc table. Tell the spectator to read the predictions, butLrr,l) llrcm to himself. Ask him to take the cards from is pocket,,rrrrl ;,iivtr thcm to you (be careful so that the blank faces don'tllrrrlr). (lount thcnr ulorrtl, as you deal them on the table. pretendl, lr1, u..''.u hapl'ry:rborrl llrt. ntrmber (you got it dght!) as soon asr,rr lirrislr Ilrt' t'orrrrl. Vcril'y .youl su(](:(!ss ll.y irsl<ing the spectatorlirtttt' t'ttt'tlc! Au't'sorttr,... l)itl tlott t,utlltl lltirtli of'l,otu- o'clock?"

\',1, ltitrr l, r'r.;rrl rrlrrrrl llrr, linrt'pr.t,<lir.lirrr, pr.,virrll .you wererrlilrl.

k.

A Book in English: 'l'lrt' t'rttl nragic of Woody Arag6n

Now turn over the card at thc ltottr's position. It will be thcregular card. Ask the spectator to read aloud the seconrlprediction. Once again, you were right.

For the atrdience, this looks iike the end of the effect. Thlblank faces'climax is a very different one, and it might clue ther rr

in to the method, as someone might think that you already kncr,that the only regular card was the one that was going to lr,'selected. Don't make the mistake of rushing to this climax, atrr I

ruin the effect of the card and time divination. In order to avoirlthis, you need to take an assimilatton pause: stay static, arrtl

don't say a word until the applause fades. Try to live the effect rr::

if you had just finished with it, and you were about to starl ;r

new one in which the effect is that you will erase the faces of tlr,'cards.

"Actually, the effect you'ue just taitne.ssed rs quite a dffir'trltone. If you had chosen another hour, or ctnother cqrrl. I

couldn't haue done it. Infact, it only workeil bec(tuse yolt chtt:','

4 o'clock. Had you chosen three o'clock, I t:trtould haue guesx'tl.nothing (turn ouer the card at three o'clobk. The audience rt'illsee a blankface). Fiue o'clock, nothing... and here, and hen'..Turn over all of the cards on the table.

Once again, address the spectator "But not only those, but ttl:,,,the cards you placed in your pocket... those haue no .ftrr','either!" Turn his cards over. And finally, for the rest ol'llr,'audience "Euen tf ue look at the rest of the cards... thcr,""nothing on them!" Show the rest of the deck, so that everyorr,'can see all of the cards are blank. The only card with a face orr rI

is the chosen one.

AN IDEA FORA SESSION FINALE:

I present you now with an idea, in order to present this lri, I

as a closer for a close-Lrp sttssiolt, with a devastating intl'xtt'l ,,rr

your audience (this I gtutt'ltttlt't' yotr!). It looks sometltirlg lrl',this:

A book in lrrrgllislr: I lrt' t rrr,l rrr;11,rr ol Wootly Aragon

Start with the blank [irct' rlt'r'li in vorrr' lrocl<ct, with the regularr';rrd (in this case the 5 ol' I lr.irlts) rrl llrt' ixrttom (allowing you toslrow the face of the clccl< lor lrr irrslrrnt, without flashing thelrlank faces). Next to it, pl:rt:t' l t,irrtl llox Iull of poker confetti.'l'lris confetti is available in nrost palty supplies stores, or fromr';rsino/Vegas themed stores. lirx a very affordable price, youlrrn avoid having to manually cut out the pips from cards...

'l'lrroughout the show, use a regular deck with the same box;rrrrl back design. Perform any routine that ends with a card tocru'cl box effect (there's a very effective automatic version inl(irnr6n Riob6o's Thought of Magic that uses a duplicate cardrrrrtl a neat handling of the cross cut force, called "The Superl,).t'trct Cut"). Later, you will switch the regular deck and box fortlrr. blank face deck and the confetti box. (You can simply placelroth the deck and box in your pockets, do a coin trick, and thenlrrl<c out the other ones).

l'crform the clock routine, with the blank deck ending,,,lrrcading all the cards all over the table (Lennart Green style).\sli your audience "But, if all of the cards are blank... wherertn' llrc pips? Do Aou remember where did the cards trauel to?"

'l';rl<c the card box, open it, and slowly dump the confetti allovt,r' lhe cards. The pips went to the box!

A Book in English: l-he cirrtl tnagic of Woody Arag6n

The idea of the "traveling pips" is a creation of one of themagicians that I'edmire most, and one whose company I reallyenjoy, no matter whether I am watching him perform; sharing ameal or journey with him; playing songs on the Banjo or thebones; or even, just spending some time with him: the greatCamilo Yizqrtez. Camilo came up with the idea as an ending folhis "Pips Routine" which earned him first prize in the NationalMagic Convention of Madrid inrg7t.

With Camilo, after our ptrforrrttrttct' itt MondatlNight Mngit' nl llrt()ll llt'utrkwy

(.)001))

A book in Linglislt: 'l'lrc t'rrrl nrirlirt' ol Wootly Aragon

THE PSYCHIC DECK

'l'here was an idea in Juan Tamariz's book Mnernonica that Irlr.crned to be a wonderful one: that the deck would answer theirrrrlience's questions, depending on the color of the cards. Ther L,r'l< is false shuffled, and questions are asked. A spectator turnsovt,r' the top card, if it's red, the answer is yes. A black cardnl(rilr)s no. For example:

,t Is your c(trd red? I mean the one you selected, not theoneinfront of you...

Spectator looks at his selection. It is red, so the answer is, ' Yes. [Red card], , Is it a heart?'l'he spectator takes the next card. It is black., , -l/o. [Black card], , /.s ff a Diamond, then?, ) Yes. [Redcard],, ls the ualue an euen number?,, No. [Black card]', Oclcl ntLmber?, , No. [Black card], No? Tlis nteans tlrc card is a picture, right?

, , Y(,.s. lRed carrl I

, , /.s it u,loclc'?,, No. llllircl< r'rrrrll', A l(itrt1?

)'r'.s. I ltcrl r';rrrl I

' ' 'l'ltut tttt'(ttt:; tlrtrtl'1',,,'r1 is...'l'lu' kirtrl ttl'llitttttotuls!

l"*

A Book in English: l'lte t rurl rrragic of Woody Arag6n

As you see, the magician kecps on asking questions until ht'finds the selected cards thanks to tl.re answers provided by tht'deck.

Juan credits Alfonso Molin6 for coming up with the conceptbut he says that he composed the routine in Mnemonica aftt'rreading a simiiar trick that used the Gilbreath principie. I

haven't been able to find the original trick (it was credited t,,Nick Trost in a compilation of effects created by ReinhartlMiiller for the Escorial meetings), but I thihk I have been able t,,discern the original method. It is actually a classic effect, ort,'that allows you to know the sequence of colors in a shufflt'rldeck (Color Sense byNorman Gilbreath himselfl.

For several years, I performed this trick, and I started 1,,

polish it, trying to solve the problems I found while perforntirr,',earlier versions (the main one: having to turn colors ittl,,answers made it a confusing routine). I ended up with a soli,lversion, one that I have performed many times, in close-tr;,shows, and even in parlor shows. Actually, right now I have ltr,,versions: one for situations in which I am seated, and the otlr,'rone for situations in which I am standing. It is one of trrt

favorite tricks, and I really enjoy performing it.

THE SETUP

You will need a thick permanent marker, a blank faced tlccl'and a "puncher" (or a thin needle) in order to mark cards. Al:,,,you will need a box, altered following Annemann's wonclt'r'lrrlThe Mental Masterpiece Impression Pack idea: A pit't't' ,,1

carbon paper is stuck on the inside of a card box, so that wlrllyou place a paper on the card box and nrite something on it. llr,'writing is duplicated onto a card inside the box [the ott,'rlcontact with the carbon paperl. To aid transfer of the wlilirr'.stick a piece of paper onto tltt' lircc of one of the blelnl< l;r,,',1cards, and sand the insirlt'of'lltt't'rtt'cl box fort thc siclt: wlr,'r,'you will stick the crtt'lrott lrrr;tcr'1.

A book ilt l'.nllrslr. llr, ,:rr,l nr,rl,rl ol Wootly Aragon

'fake half of the blarrli r':rrrls, ;rrrrl wlitt. l ltig YES, in capitalIcttgls, on its face. Orr tlrc ollrr,r'lurll, wlitc NO. You will alsornark the backs of tlie No lr:rll'witlr tlrc t:ard punch, creating asrnall hole that can't bc clistirrgrrislrt'tl by sight, but easy to feellry touching the corner ol'tlrc r:artl. Once you're finished, do ali:rro, or an alpha shuffle with lxlth halves, so that the cards endrrp in alternate order. Cut a NO card to the bottom of the deck.

'l'ake the card with the piece of paper on its face, and place itorr the bottom of the deck (under the NO one). Place the deck inllrc box, with the papered card next to the carbon paper.

You will also need a piece of paper, and a pencil.

I'I]RFORMANCE

l,or close-up (seated) conditions.

'l'll<e out the deck, paper (or a post-it) and pencil. You can,rl)(,nly state that you will need a different deck for this trick,,rrrrl place the one you have been using aside (the reason will',oorr l)ecome obvious). Place the paper on the card box, as you,rrli rr spectator to think of the name of any famous person. Asklrirrr lo turn around (back to the table), so that no one can seervlrirl he writes. Give him the paper, and ask him to write therr;rrrrc of the famous person "right about here" (draw an ellipse,rr tlrc paper, indicating him where to write). Telt him to write,'lr,;rrly ancl use capital letters, so that the writing will be clear to,'\'('r'vonc at the end of the effect. Tell him that, after writing then;rnr(., he will keep the paper with him at all times. Also,llrrorrglrout the rest of the procedure, he should keep a pokerlirll so that he doesn't signal the answers to questions that yourvtll ;rsl< hint.

lly lcllirrg hirrr to trrrrr Iris bach to tl-rc table, yolr are justifyingllrr,rrr.r.rl tort.sl llrt'lxrpcrorrto;'ro1'thr.t.;rltl llox,andnotonthelirlrlr,. Wltt'rr Irt'is lirrisllrr,rl, irsli lrirrr to loltl tlrt, lxrlrcl twice, andl,r'r'1r il irrsirlc lri:; r'lo:rr,rl lisl.

A Book in English: 'l'hc eltrl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

Retrieve the deck, and tell thc auclience that it is not a regulalone, and that you don't want anyono to see the faces of the cardsyet. This will be your excuse to tilt the box at an angle at whiclrno one but you can see the cards. Take the cards oqt ofthe box.just enough to see the name of the thought of perstln, written brthe carbon paper on the face of the bottom card. Push this cartlback in, and remove the rest of the YES/NO deck. Address tht'audience as you do this "I strppose all of you must haue seett

one of those tricks in uhich the magician finds the chosetr

card. That is a normal thing: a person finding cards... but.haue you euer seen cards find a person?"

Tell them that you are actually holding a psychic deck. lrr

order to prove its powers, ask a spectator to think of any card irrthe deck. Take the bottom card, so that no one but you can s('('

it. Ask the person who's thinking of a card "For instanca... rlrt

you think there's anA uaA I could knou tuhich card you'r,'thinking o;P" When he answers "No", follow with the classic girl',

and show the face of the card. "That's right! No! It is clearfu rt

psychic deck!"

This is a classic magician's gag, and it has been used arr,l

abused for a long time. But in this routine, it is the perfect w;rr

of introducing the deck to your audience, while also justifyirrrthe fact of hiding of the deck while it was being removed fl'orrr

the box.

Explain to your audience that the reason why the decli ir,

"Psychic", is because it can correctly answer "YES" or "NO" 1,,

any question. Spread the deck, so that the audience can sec lltr'two words are mixed: they will not realize that the deck is in ;rrr

alternating order.

Do any false shuffIe, and cut the deck (you can also pet{trrttr ;r

Charlier Shuffle) as you say that, in order to complt'lt'lrrandomize the cards, you need an expert in shuffling, sotll('()rr('who's able to shuffle the catrls "t:itsino style". Givc the clct:l< [,, ,,

spectator, and have hirrr ril'l'lc slrrrl'llt'itncl cttt thc llat:l<.

A book in lrtrlrlrslr: I lrr. , rrr,l nr;ll,r( ol Wootly Aragon

Spread the deck oncc lg;rirr, slrowirrg llrc random order of ther';rrds after the shuffle, antl lot,;rlr, lwo itlcrrtical cards together inllrc spread (two "YES" or"'NO" r'irltls). Cut the deck at thispoint, so that one of two r:arcls bcrc<lr.r-rcs the top card, and theolher one ends up at the bottonr. l)cal the deck in two piles.

(live another spectator the chance of freely selecting whichlrilc he wants to answer the questions. Once the decision isrrrirtle, take the other one, as you say "u)ell, tue tuon't use thisont,, then". Keep the discarded pile in your hand while yourpcak for now, it is important that the audience gets used torrr,t,ing you with the cards in your hand.

l,lxplain to the spectator what will happen. You are going toIrrrrr yourback on him, and, as you askthe questions, he willl;rkc the top card of the deck, show it to everyone, and read theiurswer aloud.

'l'rrrn around, and move back from the table, so that yourIrrrrrls naturally fall into your lap. Under the cover of the tablelrrrrrl using your back as a shield], run the cards, one by one,rvlrilt' checking whether they are marked [NO] or not. Because, rl llrc Gilbreath principle, there will be a relation between your

',r'(ls and the ones the spectator is holding. If the card isrrrrrlicrl [you hold a NO], then the answer will be YES. If the, .rrrl tkres NOT have a mark [you hold a YES card], the answerrr rll lxr NO. In other words, you interpret the marked cards as a\ 1,,S, irncl the unmarked cards as a NO [opposite to their actualrrrirrliirrl3l. Since you already know the identity of the famouslr.r'son, you will just have to make a series of generic questionsllrirl rrntc:hes the answers you will get. On the second question,rrrrr will gct a little closer, and so on. After about t4l7; cards,r,rrr slrorrltl have a tlzllre or, if you're not very close, you shouldIr,rvr,r,rrorrgh inf<rnturtiolt to be able to glless the identity of theI I rrrt t1,,lt I ol' lttrls<lrr.

lirrrcc llrr.rr.'s lr lol ol irrrprovis;rlion irr tlris routine, Irr'r'r)nnll(.n(l yorr lo:;l;rr'l nt;rliirr1,, \,(.1'\, 1,,(,n(,t'it.tlrrcsti<lns, and,lrttl,.lrr littlr', \'()u (';ur :,1;rll locrrrirr1,,,,rr rl,r,r.ilir.rlcllrils irlrotrt the

A Book in English: I ltc t'rtttl lnagic of Woody Arag6n

person. But always make sure thitt yoll ask about things that carr

be divided Sol1o. Let me explain what I mean:

If the thought of person was Einstein, and you started askinliabout nationilities:'.Is he Argentinean?" "Is he Spanish" "Is lt,'

Chinese?" "Is he American?" you would have to go througlrmany NO answers before getting to the right country. If yorr

started asking questions about the nationalities, and the thirtlcard was a YES, then you'd be forced to ask if the person wrr:,

German. So, given all the countries in the world to choose frottr,it would be highly unlikely that you would have got it right t,rr

the third try. If this happened several times throughout tlrt'procedure, then it might signal to the audience that thert"rsomething "fishy" about the questions you are asking.

Sometimes, you will end up having no choice, but to ask thos,'questions. If you feel you need it, here is an out for you: Justilrthe "early success" by saying something like "Wait... I thinl' t

am getting something... he's German, isn't he?" Awarding tlr''success to your own intuitive powers, you can get out of ont'r,lthose really tricky situations. However, I really think it's mttt'lr

better if the magician doesn't "guess" anything, and the clt't'l'

does all of the work.

The way to avoid the audience suspecting that thert' Lsomething "fishy" about your questions is to avoid asl<irr1',

questions which are very detailed, very early on in llrr'

inquisition. Ask about broader concepts, trynng line up tlr''questions so that a YES or NO answer eliminates half o1'tlr''possibilities. It's like trying to fish for the name of a card. \','rrdon't start by calling out random cards. You start with the c:ol,,t ,

then the suit and then try to get the value.

Following the previous example:

o 1s she a uoman?o .l/oo That meetTs /tr".s rr ttt(ttt... f.s /lc tr clutt'ttt:lt:t' .fi'r'trt

antiquc firttr'.s?oMr

A book irr lllrllislr. I lrt' t ;rrrl nr:rl,rr rll Woorly Aragon

From the 2ott, <'t,tt!ttt't1'/YesAmerican?NoEuropean?YesEastern Europe?NoCentrel Europe?YesGerman?YesIs he dead?YesDid he write?YesNouels?NoScientist?YesA Scientist, male, German, dead... Mctx Planck?NoAh! He's German, but he left Germany because of thew ar... Alb ert Einstein?Yes

I'vr, given you an example of a bad situation, so that you could',r'r' wlrat kind of outs you can use. Actually, in a real situation, ifrrllr,r'irnswering YES to the Scientist question, I know the nextlirrrl is :r NO, I would say something like "WelI... scientist, male,t ;1,,',,t(nt, clead... actually, I think this rs quite obuious. I guess ittttttsl lxr liinstein. cotLld you shotu eueraone the paper with thentt,n(' ol' Llrc persotl tlotL tkought ofr" In this case, I eliminatellrr rrrorrrt:nt in whir:h thrr clocl< answers "NO" when you ask itI lrl rr;rrrrt. o1' thtr tlrouglrt ol' 1lt'r'son.

ll yorr wirrrt lo prr.sr.rrl llrc rorrlirrc slrrrrrlirrg, the method;'rr.r'iorrsly rlt.scrilrt,rl rr.,orlis ;rt.r'li.r.lh,.'l'lrr. ljrr.t ol'wr.i ting on top,,1 llrt,r'irrrl lrox ir;1rr,rlr.r,llt' jrrslilir.rl ((.\.r,n nror.r, llr;rn irr it close-ttlr:,r,llittli);rrrrl \orr,rrl\ trr,r,rl lo lrrrrr lorrr l,;rr.l. lu llrt,:rrrtlit.rrt.t'.

WI

A Book in English: 'l'lrc crrrtl rrragic of Woody Arag6n

Go to a corner of the stage (kecp your elbows close to your body,so that nobody notices you're ruttning the cards in your hands)and ask your questions from there, as the spectator becomes tht'star, in the center of stage, showing the cards to the audienct'(the words YES and NO are big, and different enough to bt'distinguishable from a good distance). I performed the routint'this way for almost one year, and had a great success with it...

... But I really hated the i&ea of having to turn my back at tht'audience for so long! It completely stopped my communicatinliwith them, and I ran the risk of giving the spectator in tht'center of stage the responsibility of holding on to that link firrme. Besides, the scene with the magician standing in a cornct'.with his back turned to the audience, is quite suspicious, antlnot very aesthetic.

I have found two possible solutions: The first, which I nevt'rdone in practice, is to present the routine with a partner, wlr,would be the medium. It is the medium who turns their back r I r r

the audience, or maybe even ask the questions from insidt' rr

spirit cabinet.

The second, which is much more practical, consists of showirI'the deck to your audience, and giving each of the two hnlvgs .Ithe deck to two different spectators. One of them consists ,lonly YES cards, and the other only of NO cards. Once you gt't

the two halves back, Faro them, alternating thg s21fl5. (ltrl'leaving a NO on top, and then I per{orm the following slocl'shuffle: Run B cards, place them back on top, run 4 cards, plrr,

'

them on top, run 5 cards, place them on top. That leaves tht' 'rfirst cards in an order I have memorized: YES, YES, NO, y'l',':

l/q NO, YES, NO,llO, and the rest of the deck is in altet'rrrrl''order, YES and NO. That is enough to eliminate any seetrtitrr'.

pattern, the spectators think they have shuffled the wholc tlt', l'

themselves, and I know in advance what cards the spectatot'r'r'illget. In this case, I will place hirn slightly behind me, ancl tlo ;rllof the questions witholt l96ki1g rrt him, while still fhciptri tlr,'audience.

A book in lilrglrslt: I lrt' r'rrrrl rrirl'r( ol'Wootly Aragon

ADDITIONAL REMAIII(S:

Asi Wind, a friend nr:rgicirrrr lhrrrr Ncw York, released twointeresting versions of tht: t:lassit: (\tlor Sense routine in hislrook/DVD Chapter Onc. Ilis rncthods could also be used inllris routine.

l-

t

Ytttrt, tlttttt!

A Book in English: 'l'ltr.' urltl rrragic of Woody Aragon A book ilt lllrl,lrslr I ltc t ;r,l nr,rt,r( .l Wootly Aragon

A Book in English: Thc cartl tnagic of Woody Arag6n A book in linglislr: l'ltt' t irtrl tttttl=',it' ol'Worldy Aragon

FARO SHUFFLES ANDFACTORIAL DEALING

I would like to include in this book some notes, which I thinkrrrigltt be of interest to those magicians who, like me, are in lovewith mathemagic (although I know they are more suited tolltosc who are already knowledgeable about these matters). Inrrry book Cosas Mias (zooz), I wrote, in the explanation of arorrline, that I had observed some curious relationships betweenItrrtrr shuffles and factorial dealing, as both include deals in alr.t'l:rirt number of piles that carry mathematical consequencesIrr llrc resulting order. Obviously, we are not just talking aboutrL,rrling in the case of factorial deals, but also in the case ofllnros, as anti-Faro shuffles can also be done by dealing.

'l'lrcsc are the main results in my analysis regarding thosen,lrrIiouships.

I llrinl< applying factorial dealing to magic tricks is a classiclntrrlrination, whose exact origins cannot be traced. Just keep inrrrirrrl lhat one of the most popular card tricks amongst laymen,"f'lrr, lrrn" (well, together with the "2L Card Trick") is basedrlllr.r'lly on this principle. I,'or more information about Faro andrrtrli liiu'o shuffles, I rtrf'cr you to the article in Sonata, wheretott will l'incl all ol"l'irnrirriz's worl< on lhu srrlr.icct.

,'\llr,r'wrilirrg;r rorrglr rlrirl'l lor llris irrliclr', I rcralized that Ir rnn(r lo irrr irrlcrt,slirrl,, r'orrclrrsiorr. I tlrirrli llrt, lilrl< that I amrrrrrkittg, t'orrlrl ()l)(.n up riorrrr,pussilrililir,s lor lirrrlirrg slrol'tt:rrts in

I

A Book in English: Tltc cirltl rtragic of Woody Arag6n

the bewildering paths of travcling between stacks, and tht'ability to get from one stack to another in just two shufflt':;

finstead of six!] is something that should not b''underestimated.

The relationships between the Faro shuffle and thr'factorial deal

When you Faro cards, you insert one card betwet'rrevery two in the other half. The most immedialr'mathematical consequence is that every card (countirrri

from the face if the card was in the lower half, or frorrr

the back if the card was in the upper one) will end up irra position whose value doubles the one it had before tlr,'shuffle. So, if a card occupied the roth position, it willnow be in the 2oth. If you do an anti-Faro shul'l'l''(dealing the cards in two piles) the result is the exrrr'l

opposite. The card's position will be exactly half the orr,'

it had before. (For the sake of clarity, I am intention:rllromitting the differences between in-Faro, out-Faro, ittrr I

even/uneven Faros).A group of n cards will go back to its original order tt I I , 'r

x Faros/anti-Faros. This is always true. You will necrl l"Faro more or less times depending on n (there is rttt r

value for every n value, as already mentioned by Al,'rElmsley and Luis Garcia in their studies). 'l'lr''

maximum number of times you will need to Faro llr,'cards is equal to the number of cards in the pile' \'r,rr

can apply this to deals in 2, 4, 8 or 16 piles, due to llr,'way that anti-Faros work. Regarding the pile's ot'tlt'r,the Faro is based on the relationship between lltr'number of cards shuffled and the powers of z.The same pile of cards will also return to its ot'igirr;rl

order by consecutively dealing it in a detcl'ttrirrr''lnumber of piles, by factoring the number of cartls irr rr

factors. Regarding tht: order of the pile, fttcloritrldealing is basccl ort lilrtling the prirnc factors olthe numbcr ol't':trtls ilr lhc pilc.Occasitxritll.y, ()n('ol'llrt'ljtt'tors itlvolvt'tl is

Obviorrsly, lltt't r.':r rro rlilli't't'ttct' irr rlr';rlittli t'lttrls itr I

A book in lirrglislr: l lrr' t :trrl rrrrlirr' rrl Wootly Aragon

piles because wc wirrrt lo rlo irrr iruti-Faro-z or factorialdealing. In thct, llrt' ploct.ss lncl the results are thesame!

o That means the rcst o1'thc prime factors fthe ones notinvolved in the dealingl will equal the number of Farosneeded to finish the re-ordering.

'lir sum up, as a rule, dealing the cards into N number of pileswill always equal a number of Faro/anti-Faro shuffles, if therrrrrnber of cards in the pile can be divided byl/.

(lonsider the standard 5z card deck. If we factor 5z into primenrrnrbers, we get 13x22

Wt: know doing B out Faros will return a deck to its originalol'(l()r', so we calculate the Faro number 28.

Wc now relate the prime factors (r3 x 2z) with the Farorrrrrrrber, and reduce terms. In other words,

lJ x 2z x28lJx26

Wc already know that, if we deal the cards into 4 piles, or zlrih's twice, that is equivalent to z anti-Faros. Factorial dealingIrrrllrt'r'tells us that we still need to do a t3 pile deal to returnllrl rlcr:l< to the original order. But, what that last line in thelrlrrirlion tells us that 6 anti-Faros is equivalent to dealing 13grih.sl

'l'lris lr:rs already been explained, although not explicitly, in the,rrli liilt'o article in Sonata. Tamariz says: Anti-Faro t equals,|,'rrlirrli irr two ltilcs; anti-F-aro z equals 4 piles; anti-Faro 3, Blrilr':i: rrrrli-lilrn 4 r.r;rrals r(r ltilcs; anti-Iiaro 5 (published as anInrpr';rclical possilrilit.v") ;12 pilt's... logit. t:lairns anti-Faro 6

'rlrotrlrl lll(.illl tlt.rrlirrg tlrc r.;rrrls ilrlo 64 pilcs, something, urrrplr,lr.l.v illogiclrl, ,;rs llrr.r'r. worrkl lrc nrorr, pilt.s than cards,llll'l',1tt;rrr r.xpllrirr:r llr;rl rrnli liirro (r i:r rlorrr. lry rlr.;rling tlrc cards

A Book in English: Thc cirrtl nragic of Woody Arag6n

in 13 piles (and gathering them in a normal way, unlike antiFaros).

The truth is that dealing the cards into 13 piles IS NOT arr

anti-Faro (because 1g is not a power of z), but the result is thlsame due to the rules of factorial dealing.

To all this, we can also apply factorial dealing because of tlrr'last multiplication by z, which equals an anti-Faro. Dealing tlrr'cards in z6 piles (r3 x z) would be an anti-Faro 7, as tht'r','would be one card Ieft to complete the cycle of 8: So, dealing rrr

z6 piles equals a Faro shuffle.

Let's look at a different example: A deck of zo cards returns lr )

its original order after 6 in Faros. This means

' The prime factors of zo are 2'x S.' In Faros: 26. 22XS-26or5-24

Therefore, we can deal in two piles 6 times, in 4 piles J tinrr':'.or in 8 piles z times. The reason is 26 = (z')s = (zs)2. In additiorr,dealing in 5 piles is the same as 24 (4Faro shuffles). We itls,,know that dealing in ro piles is the same as S Faro shuffles.

Here's a list of deck sizes that, because of the relationslri;,between n (the number of cards) and x (the cycle of li;rr',r

shuffles for n), I consider to be most practical for magic.

A7 card deck returns to its original order after 3 Faro shuffles.

A r5 card deck returns to its original order after 4 Faro shuffles.

A zr card deck returns to its original order after 6 Faro shuffles.

A 3r card deck returns to its oliginal orulcl after 5 Faro shuftles.

A 45 card deck leturns to ils oligin;rl ot'rlct'itltct' t: I"itt'tl slrull'lcs.

A st calrl rlct'l< n'[ttt'tts lo tl:: ot iliirt;tl otrlct itllt't'll li;rl'o sltttl'l'lcs.

A book in I:rrglislr: 'l lrc t.rrrl n1r1,11, ,,1 Wootly Aragon

A (r13 card deck returns t<l its or.igirrrrl or.tlr.r.rrllt,r.(r lraro shuffles.

A 73 card deck returns to its or.igirr;rl or.<k'r.trllcr.g l.'aro shuffles.

All of these decks are odd, which means that the Faro shuffleis cven, so the decks can be cut anyr,lrhere. But you can round allllt,se numbers up or down by adding or removing one card. Ifllrrrre is one card less, you will need to do in-Faros-. If you thereis ,ne card more, you will need to do out-Faros. If the number,l'r:ards is e-ven, you can't cut between the shuffles. But, sincerrrrrltiples of z are related to factorial dealing, even numberedrh'r'l<s are more interesting for applying the principles explainedirr this study.

t

A Book in English: Thc citrtl tlagic of Woody Arag6n

Hyde Park in London, after lnternational Magic "Ron Macmillatt':Conaention (2009)

A book in Irrrglislr:'l'lrt' t';rrtl nrrrl"irt' ol'Wootly Aragon

ON THE GILBREATH PRINCIPLE

I will now summarize for you a study I published several yearsrrgo (October 2oo2) in the Escuela Maqica de Madrid's circularh'llcr:

'l'lrose familiar with the kind of magic I perform, know thatorrc of the weapons in card magic that I use most is the fairlyurrknown Gilbreath principle. I insist this is a fairly unknownlrrirrciple: even though many magicians have heard of it, I havelorrrc to realize that most of them are not familiar with its innerworl<ing, and they are amazed when they see an effect in whichllrc application of the principle doesn't follow the few rules thatllrcy l<now about. As Ram6n Riob6o said "most magicianst/r irr/c.s the Gilbreath principle is all about red and black cards" .

Sorrtc time ago, while searching on the Web, I found somelorrrnrcnts from Max Maven (a magician I greatly admire and'ionr(lone who has published some amazing applications of theprint'i1rle). He was writing about the principle's authorship. It isutrivt'r'sally accepted that Norman Gilbreath discovered thelrrirrciplc, but actually IGrl Fulves had published some trickslrrrsr,rl on similar properties of a deck of cards years before.llowt.vcl', Fulves never identified the method as a mathematical1rlirrci1rlc. Merx Mavcn saicl something like: "Gilbreath principler,, ;rr.sl rt rtutllrututtiutl 1u'itttiplc. As.suc/r, if could neuer hauelnt'n itttttrttlal, urul llttrl tttt'tttts i/ t'rur lutu<t tto "author", .iust.,tttnt,(rttr tulut dix'rtt,t,tttl il. ltt tttttl ('(r.s(,, lt,(, cen onlA Speakttlxtttl llu, 1tt't'srttt tt,lttt linttttl, tt1ryiliul, rttxl ttxtl il,"

{

A Book in English: l'lre t'rtttl r)ritgic of Woody Arag6n

This would seem obvious, bttt rlctually it isn't. We know thrrt

Gilbreath's principle works when we shuffle two inverted serit',,

of cards. If we place the cards in a predetermined setup arrrl

riffle shuffle them, we will obtain a certain result. But... dot':

this mean that if the cards are not in a setup order, the principl''stops working? NO, the mathematical relation between tlr''cards when they are riffle shuffled are ALWAYS the same, tt"matter if the magician places them ordered by series of cartl:'alternating reds and blacks, shuffles duplicate cards, or even il

he is unaware of any mathematical principle. Actually, we cortlrl

say that the Gilbreath principle works EVERY SINGLE TIMI'I ;r

deck is riffle shuffled.

This idea pushed me to study the mathematical relatiorr''between the cards in depth, independently of the inverted set'it"'

concept that seemed to be a staple in Gilbreath principlt":;working.

HOW DOES THE PRINCIPLE WORK?

We already know this: If we have 2 groups of X cards (tlr''groups canbe colors, suits, values, inverted cards, etc.) that lrr''fuentical, but whose order is inverted in respect to the otlrcr

series, if you riffle shuffle them together, every group of X cartl:'

counting from the top of the deck, will contain every sin;il''element of X only once, but in a different order.

This is the general principle, but actually the riffle shufflt' r'

not necessary (I would like to remind you about the invt'r:'''application of the principle, first published by Nick Trost, wlrt't''X cards are freely taken from the top of two piles of canls)Neither is the principle only applicable to cards (we could alrlrlr

it to colored objects, coins, dice...)

In the beginning, Gilbreath published applications o1' llr''principle in which the only valttc of X was z (that tneittrs, lt''only used series of z calrls, :tllt't'ltltttrtl gne by ono, c.g. t'ctl rrrrrl

black). Later, when lrt'rlisr.ovt'r't'rl tlrirt X coglrl bg gt'g:tlt't'tlr;rrr2, and he lttrltlisht'tl ;rtt lrllttr;iotl to tltt'pl'irrt'i1llt', lttttl pt'rt;'l''star.tgrl <'irllitrg tlrr.rrr lir:;l .rrr,l :,,,r'orrrl (lillrrr';rllr prirrt'i;tlt's. lirrl

A book in l',rrllr',lr I lr,' , ,rr,l rrr,r1,tr ,l Woorly Aragon

;rctually, both princilllt.s rrlr, llrc s;rrrrr', or rrraybe I should sayllratthe second one cn('onrl);rss('si llrr. lilst.

,I'IIE PRTNCIPLES

'l'he First Gilbreath Principlc rcl'crs to series of two cards.It includes the most well l<nown ol its applications (the onelrrrlrlished by Norman Gilbrcath in his "Magnetic Colors", which,rlrirrkled the original interest in the study of the principle).Altcrnating red and black cards, and riffle shuffling two piles(orre whose top card was red and the other whose top card waslrlirck) will, after the shuffle, result in every pair of cards in the,lt'r'l< consisting of a red card and a black card. There is no waylo l<now the exact order, but there will not be any pair of cardsllrrl are both red or both black. Actually this works because weirrr,mixing a series of z card (red-black) groups with anrrk,ntical, but inverted series of z card (black-red) groups.

'l'lrc Second Gilbreath Principle (RS - Repeating Series1,r'irrr:iple) actually works in exactly the same way, only the',r'r'it's can consist of groups of four, five or more cards. If you,rrrlr.r'th€ suits in a deck - Ace to King, and Ace to King in onelr;rll, and King to Ace, and King to Ace in the other half (a deckrrr ortlcr, but in mirror stack) - when you riffle shuffle the deck,IIrcrr iI'you were to deal4 piles of 13 cards each [deal r3 cards in,rrr, pile, then the next], EACH group will have one, and onlyrrrrr. t'ilrd of each value from Ace to King. You can't control the,rrils, llut you can control the values!

I N I)I.]PTH STUDY

lhrl, at the beginning of the article, I said I would try to gol,r'1'1v1111 the concept of a "series of cards" in this study. Let's startlronr iln obvious st:rlcrrrcrrt: II'y<ru terke two groups of ten cardsrr ir s(,(llr()rrcc (t,.g,. Acr, lo'li'lr trntl At.r'to Ten), taking a group

',1 to cirrrls lhrrrr;rrn,wlrr,r'r.irr llrt.:.lo t'lrrtl s[:rt,l< is anotherwayoflicllirrg il llt'oul) ol to r';rrrl:l rvitlr orrlv onr.r'irrrl ol'cach value inllrr, st'r;rrcrrct' (irr r)ur r'\;lutplt,, Act' lo'li,rr ). Srrr'llrisirrgly, there is,r tll;rliott lrr'lwctrr llr', rrrr'llrorl;rrrrl llrr'( iillrl'r,;rllr prilrciltle.

A Book in English: Thc cirxl magic of Woody Arag6n

What happens when you apply the Gilbreath principle to ;r

series of cards? The cards on top of the deck after the shufl1t'will form a RANGE of the initial deck order (not inverted).

Imagine two inverted series of cards, ready for the principle to

work:

A book in lirrglislr: 'l lrt' t'rrrrl nurlirt' ol Wootly Aragon

nrspect to the position nrrrrrlrt'r's irr tlrt. original series) of the X/zcirrds in the original serics.

AN EXAMPLE:

'l'ake the first zo cards frorn your Mnemonic stack of choice.( ll' you don't use any stack, take any 20 cards, and writerrrrrnbers 1 to 20 in their backs, in ascending order).

t - z- 3- 4- 5-6-7- B- 9-t o- t 1- 1 2- 1 S-1 4-15- 16-12- 1B-19-2 o

Now run the first ten cards, inverting their order (you could alsorrrrr the last ro cards). The series will look like this:

t t t -t1- B-7-6- 5- 4- S-2- L- 1 1-1 2- 1 S- 14-15- t6- t7- t B- 1g-2o

Now, divide the series in two equal piles, in preparation for aril'l'lc shuffie:

10 77

912B1s7146 i-S

516417318219120

l(il'llc shuffle the two halves, and take the first ten cards.',irirrrlr lirl the card with the lowest value of the group, then thenrrl on(r, and then the next, and the next... you will see that the,, r'ru'rls that fbllow thc lowcst one, in order, are included in thellruul). (As I tokl yolt, yolt olttair-tcrl a r:cntnrl range of cards fromt lrr, irril iirl ',<l t:rrrrl scrics).

r\r'lrrirll.y, il'.yorr rvclc lo lrrurlyzt, llris cx;rrrrlllc in dcpth, yourrnrrlrl rt'trlizr. tlt;rt llris rlr.lilriliorr ol' llrtr pr.inciplet'nt'onll)ltsscs llrr' llrr.r,iotrs lwrl! Sirrrplt' lrt' trsirrg ir scrics

AceTwoThreeFour TuoFiue AceIndifferent Indffirent

If you riffle shuffle those two groups of cards, the first l'irt'cards of the resulting deck will always consist of an Ace, a Twr,,a Three, a Four and a Five (in any order).

But now, let's invert the series of cards on the right (so tlt;rtnow both series are in the same order), and imagir€ tlrr'

following chain of ordered cards:

Ace-Tw o -Thr ee - F our - Fiu e -Ac e -Tu o -Thr ee - F our - Fiu e

Now choose any RANGE of five cards, and move through tlr,'series. You will discover that you always end up with an Ac:t' l,Five group in your range, and there's another Ace to Five gtrrrr;,

that has been excluded by the selection process. Those excltt<lt'r I

cards are exactly the ones that would end up mixed with the I't'r;t

of indifferent cards, if the series was inverted and shuffled ( i I r ;r

manner that allowed the Gilbreath principle to work).

By doing the inverse operation of the one I just showed vorr,we arrive at the principle that I now propose, and joking call...

"Third Gilbreath principle". Given any ONE series ol \cards, in a certain order, if wc ittvert half (X/z) of the serics willrrespect to the other hall', itrrtl ril'llc shuffle tl-re two grottps, llrlseries formed by thc I'irsl X/:' t'itt'tls, t:ottlltittg llrltll tlttr lop ol

the deck, will c6psist ol';t l{AN(ll'l (irl t'ottlittttstts gtrlt't'tt'illr

FiueFourThree

A Book in English: Tltc crrtrl ruagic of Woody Arag6n

formed by two equal series of carcls, one after the other, tht'range of cards which we move always leaves, inside and outsitlr'of the said range, the same cards.

Another interesting idea, which I think has not been used yt't.is that a consequence of the range concept is that, if you shufl'|,'two series of cards from r to 5, and then take 6 cards, the sixtlrcard will always be either a 5 or a 1, that is, the cards next to llrr'5 card group ending.

THE TRICKS

Even though I am aware that, when you first read this, you willthink that this is not really a practical article, the conceptiotr ,lthe principle based on the "range of a series" idea has helped r r r, '

to create some very effective routines. Si Fry and Grandlxt','Poker,both included in this book, are good examples.

A book in Iirrplislr: l ltt't rrtrl nurl'r( ()l Wootly Aragon

The Permanent Deck PrincipXm

A Book in English: 'l'lrc cltrl lnagic of Woody Arag6n A book in lrrrplrslr: 'l lrt' , rrrrl nrrlrtr' ol Wootly Aragon

THE PERMANENT DECKPRINCIPLE

'l'he basic idea of what you're about to read came to me whilerrlrrrlying a Faro shuffle concept by Alex Elmsley which he calledllrc Restccking Pack The basic idea is this: During an out'ilrrrflle, the top and bottom cards never move, and the r8th andltsrl' cards just change places. The remaining 48 cards lie in sixllririrts, each chain comprising a sequence of eight positions. Alrrrrl at any of these positions will just move through each of theollrcl positions in its chain before returning to its originallrosition after B out Faros. But, if we put four cards of the samevnlrrc at alternate positions in each of the chains (eg, Jacks inlrrrsili<lns 1, 3, S and 7, and I(ngs in positions 2, 4,6, and B),llrr,rr we would have a deck which after every two Faro shuffles,rvottlcl retain the same value order! The suits would change, butllrr.v:rlues in those positions would remain the same (ie, for theprr,vious chain, youwill always have a Jack in the odd positionsrrl lltc c:hain, and a King in the even positions).

I rlitln't find many strong applications for this principle at thelrrp,irrrring of my investigations, except maybe for a storytellingIr icli (scc the Cotn"t Cards later in this chapter). Nonetheless, Iluttnrl llrc idca to bc cluitc a revelation, at least it was for me.

I llrorrglrt thc llrrrlrlcrrr wilh lilnrslcy's iclcra was that he limitedItltttsr,ll' lo :r slirrrrlirlrl 5z cirxl rlt't'l<. 'l'lrirt urcant that yourrrttlrltt'l crcirlt';rrr t'l r';rrrl llr;rirr willr rr singlr.r,irlrrc (becauseyourrorrlrl rrcr'<l ll ,l:rcli:;). ll t'orr corrlrl. llrcrr you worrkl lr:rvc an idealrlrr'1. ottc wlto,.;r' r.rlttr ut'rlr,t' tvottlrl rtol r'lr;rrr1,,r, ;tl ;tll itl'lct'cvcry

A Book in English: 'l'lrc t'rrrrl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

Faro. So, I started with the iclcit ol'Lrsing six cards repeated lltimes - each value (eg, AS) represented a chain. This allowc,lthe deck to keep its order after every out Faro... Obviously tlr,'deck couldn't be examined, but, at a theoretical, mathematic'rrllevel, it worked.

Later, I had another idea: Using an odd number of cards (l,rremoving one card), I wouldn't have to care where the deck w;r,,

cut, or if the Faro shuffles were in or out...

And right after that, one more: Why stick to a 5z card deck? :l r

and zr card decks return to their original order after 5 or 6 Frtr',,

shuffles, so their chains will consist of fewer cards... Evt'rr

better: if you wanted to use the reverse Faro (for example, l,rhaving a spectator deal the cards in two piles), fewer car',l,.

would need to be dealt.

And finally, I had the best idea: Why use a poker deck at itll,'lWhy not use a deck in which you can show the duplicate cartl,,and that the nature of the deck actually required it to col.tl;tttrduplicates? For example, an ESP decks, a Scrabble decks (witlrIetters on each cards, many of which would be duplicatt',').blank cards on which I could write letters, numbers ()r

drawings...

And I have to confess, I really love the results that I lr;rr,

found so far. I have called this the permanent deck principlt': ;r

deck that retains its order, no matter how many timcs it

shuffled! I'm still working on new applications, but I can slt;rr,'with you some of my results. Every trick that you're abtttrl 1,,

read uses a stack based on the permanent deck principle, wlri, lr

means that no matter how many times you do Faros, ot' lcl .r

spectator do reverse Faros, the cards will stay in the s&r1c ot'tllrYou could ask the spectator to deal the cards in two piles, g;tllr,'r

the cards, and repeat the process as many times as hc wrtrrl ,

(even while you're in the other room, so you don't knowilrg lr,,r'manytimes he's done the t'cvt't'st' Iiitro). The orclcr ol'tltt't'rrr,l',still remains the same!

A book in lirru.lislr: l'lrt' , ;rrrl rrrrl'rr ol Woorly Aragon

Let's take a closer kxrl< rrl lrow lo rrsr. llrt. ltrinciple, and how tolt'citte your own permancnl sllrt'lis.

'l'he first thing you'll havc lo tkr is to decide on the number of,'rrrrls for your permanenl clcc:l<. You can't just pick any number,,,irrce the number of duplicatc cal'cls that you'll need to use forlilling the longer chains is as big as the number of Faro shufflesrrtr.tled to return the stack to its original order.

l,or example, a22 card deck returns to its original order aftertt irr-Faro shuffles. That means that a zz card permanent stack,'orrkl only consist of rr duplicates of two different cards. And,llrr,r'c are some stacks that need as many Faros to return to its, rrigirtal order as the number of cards in them, which means yourvorrlcl have to use a deckwhose cards would all be the same!

llirvc a look at the list at the end of "Faro Shuffles andl"rrclorial Deals" (in this book) and check the most suitable,h,r'lis fbr this principle, and the number of shuffles required tolonrl)lcte each one's full cycle.

,\ll ol'the stacks I propose are odd, which means the Faro,lrrrlllc will be a straddle one and you can cut the deck as manylnn(,s its you want. But, if you need to, you can add or removerrrrr.('ll'(l from the stack. If you remove a card, the Faro shuffles

''rll lr:rvc to be in ones, or if you add a card, the Faro shuffles,' rll lr;rvc to be ouf ones. Most importantly, if the numberul'r'nrtls in the stack is even, you can't cut betweentlrulllcs.

l'lrr. srrnrc concept applies to the anit-Faro. The way to gatherllrl crrrrls will have to match the kind of shuffle (in or out) yourr,url lr) pcrtorm. I highly recommend (again) that you to take al,r,li lrl 'l'unrariz's strrtlics rcgitrcling the anti-Faro shuffles intolrrrlrr.

I rvorrlrl lil<r. lo rrr;rkr. ;rrr olrst.r'v;rliorr rt,1i;rrrling the singler' \r.t:ir'littro. Sirrr'r,\,()u iu'(,rlr,rrlirr1l lwo lrilcs, il'vott ttse an oddtnttrrlrrlcrl sl;rcli. \'{)u (';ln lr,l ;t rrlrr,r'l;rlol r'lroor;r. wltit'lt <ll'tlrc twolr,rlve; rvill 1ir) ()n 1,1,, rrr;rl'in1i llrr.n,lr,,l,'l)rr)('('(lrrrt. lool< lirinl'. If

A Book in English: 'l'ho cltrl rlagic of Woody Arag6n

your stack is even numbcred, you don't have thatoption. The pile that will go on top after each deal depends orr

the kind of Faro needed for the principle to work, be it out (th.second pile goes on top) or in (the first pile goes on top).

The stacks listed in "Faro Shuffles and Factorial Deals" are tlrt'ones that I find most suitable for the principle, because of tlr,'relation between the number of cards and the numberuIdifferent cards that you can include in the stack (which is tlrt'number of cards divided by the number of Faros). Nevertheless,you could apply the permanent deck principle to a stack of atrinumber of cards, but you run the risk of having to use too marttduplicates.

The next step is finding out the positions of the cards al'tt'reach Faro. I usually use as many cards from the mnemotrit';rstack as I need, and just write down their positions after eirclr

shuffle. If don't know any mnemonic stack, you can just writt' ;r

number on each card, marking their initial position.

Let's take a simple example: We'Il use a seven card stack, itrr,lthe names of the Three wise Men (the Biblical Magi: Melchior ,

Caspar and Balthazar). If I take seven cards, give each on(' ir

number, and start doing Faro shuffles, the stack will retut'tt l.its initial order after three shuffles. Going through these tltrr','steps, we have:

InitialOrder

After the1"t Faro

After thezrd Faro

After the?rd Faro

1 4 2 1

2 1 4 2

5 6

4 2 1

5 6 ,)

6 .) 5 6

7

As you can see, the Ttt' c:tt'tl ttt'vtrt't:ltattges its ptlsititln (llttt'lrtt:,,'of the straddle Fartl). Il will lrr, .yottt' I'trl'ct'crttt:g lal'{1, tlt3lttrirrl,,

A book in linglislr: l'lrt, t'rrrrl rrrul,ltr, ol'Wootly Aragon

that if you cut to it, yorr l<rrow llr;rl llrc t:ards are in the rightorder.

I first proceed by elirninating thc rrrws with number one andrrssigning them the name of thc l'ilst Wise Man.

You will realize that r, z and 4 always ends up in the same row,,io I assign those values to Melchior as well. This is our firstllririn. I then look for the second name, Caspar, which I assignlrr rrtrrnber 3:

r\ri .yotr can see, 3, 5 and 6 always end up in the same row, sollrusr,v:rlucs are assigned to Caspar. This is our second chain,rrr(l rrl lhis point, we're finished with our example. With a larger,rlrtlli, .you'cl havc to t'ontinuc ur-rtil you idcntified all the chains. Irvlll I'irrish lhis t'xirrrrplt' by irssil3ning thc last card a different\ rrlu(', irr tlris cirsc llrc lirsl rrilrrrtr, llirlthirzlrr'.

'l'lrrrl's i1! Ali(,t'lirllorvirrg r,;rt.lr slt,p, llrr,r,orrt,lrrsion is that ifrrrl ('t'(,;tl(,;r sl;rcl. rrl '' r'irrrls witlr tlrr,rr;rrrr,.:l ol'lltt.'l'ltrctc Wisc

A Book in English: The card magic of Woody Arag6n

Men, in the following order: Melchior - Melchior - Caspar -Melchior - Caspar - Caspar - Balthazar, no matter how manyFaro or reverse Faro you applied to it, the stack will always

retain its order.

A book in English: Tho card mrglo of Woody Aragon

ESP MEMORIZED DECKYou show your audience an ESP deck, consisting of z5 cards, 5

Iroups of 5 symbols. Actually, the truth is a little bit different.the deck does not have z5 cards, but zr cards, and the groupslre not equal (some have 6 symbols, while others only have 3),but the audience will be totally unaware of this.

?o construct this deck, you will need z ESP decks. The order ofthc stack is as follows:

t- Square8- Square9'I{aves4'Squaret- Star6. Waves/. Crosst. Square9'ClrclelO. Star11. Squarell. WavesIt- 9tar14- CrossIt'Clrcle16.Squarel7 BtarIt. Clrcle19'0tarlO. Starll. Crogc

T*

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A Book in English: 'l'hc clttl magic of Woody Arag6n

Put a reverse breather crimp on the 21st card, (so that tlrr'crimped card ends up on the bottom) thus allowing you to cut irl

the crimp and return to the iisted order after a spectator culr,

the deck.

Ideally, you could memorize the order in order to use this dert'l'

as a mnemonic ESP stack. Actually, it's not really that hartlsince there are only 21 cards, and you only need to memoriz,'the number-s5rmbol association (and you don't need l.remember the symbol-number association). Moreover, [lr,'

order has been created with built-in mnemonic-mathematir';rlpegs that will help you memorize the symbol numbers. Ii,,r

example, the square is associated with number four in the Irsl'deck (because of the number of strokes you need to draw otrt')If you look at the order of the stack, you will see that the squrrr ,'

occurs at positions L) 2) 4, B,7l and 16. Three of those r,','divisible by + (4, B and 16). Twelve is the missing one - wlrit lr

means 1, 2 and LL (1,2 missing r). If you don't want to memot iz,

the stack, you can always use a crib sheet with the stack ot'rl,'r

written in it.

There are ESP decks in the market made using Bicycle stot l',

with Bicycle backs. Those are the ones best suited to work u'itlrthis mnemonic stack, as they are one of the few ESP decks llr:rtyou can Faro properly.

With this setup, you can do several "small miracles" with tlrr,,

deck:

If you ask a spectator to cut some cards, and look ltl llr''bottom card of the cut pile, by knowing the nunltcr "lcards in the pile (counting the remaining cards irt llr''pack, or having the spectator count them aloud fol' st,tt,''

reason), then you know the identity of the card.In a similar way, you could estimate the number o[' t'rr r ,l',

cut and fish for tltt' st'lt't'lccl card (with onc tlislirr, I

advantage: the spccl;tlor will sotttctiltlt's t'ttt itt lt p;tt'l ,,1

the stack whttl't' t';tt tl:; ;tt c rr';lt'lttt'tl).

A book in l'.rrllrslr I lrt' , rrtrl trr;r1'rr ol Wootly Aragon

You can ask thcrn to rr;rrrrt' ;r rrrrrrrllt'r', count to it, and lookat the card at tlrrt posilion. l,lvt.rr bcfore the spectatorreaches the cartl, wt' will :rlrr,irtl.y l<rrow its identity.You can deal cartls onlo tlrc tirblc, and have a spectatorstop you at any cal'cl. You t:an [hen name it. You can alsoask a spectator to say stop, and give you any smallnumber. You can preclict which card will lie at the chosennumber, deal to it, and show it to everyone. You will beright (this helps to eliminate the suspicion of markedcards).You can simply name every single card in order (a grandfinale for a routine, and one that I use very often).You can telepathically send the order of the cards to amedium (who can either memorize the order, or have itwritten on a paper or crib).You can have a prediction, written or recorded detailingthe final order of the cards. Or have a deck with differentcolored backs inside a box, resting on the table from thebeginning of the routine. Tell the spectator (who can doas many reverse Faros as he wants, or choose the numberof Faro shuffles he wants you to do) that he can stopshuffling whenever he wants. Finally, the deck is cut, andthe order of this deck is compared to the previouslyisolated deck- proving the magician's intuitive powers.

Arrrl all of this, while the deck is fairly shuffled by doingl'ir'os (as many as you want) and letting the spectators cut andrlr,;rl cirrcls as many times as they want, dealing in either two orlrrrrr'lrilcs. Incidentally, if you deal the cards in two piles, dealllrr,rrr llrr:c Llp, or you will end up reversing the order of ther itl r ls.

I rr,t'orru)lcnd you nr;c the anti-Faro or "dealing in ttuo piles",r', llrr rrr:rirr rrrcthorl o1'hlving thc cards rnixed by a spectator. As1,1 ll11' rtgrrlar'lilrrr, I r'('('onrrncr.l(l yotr rrsc it as a false shuffle,lrrrinl,,llrt'rrrrrlirrt'(witlt tlrt'irtltlt.tl ltorrrrs tlr:rt thc shuffle is real,,rrl \'()lt ('iln ollcnlv slrow lrow llrt. lwo lr;tlvr.s ol'thc deck arer\,\'r'n,;rttrl givc llrr'rrr lo;r sPccl;rlor', wlrr) (';ut s(lltiu'c the decklrurr',r'll). llrrl,lrlloll llr lorrlirrr. lirr;rlr', I llrirrli il is;r gootl iclcirl, r'\lrllritr lo llrr':rrr,lr,'rrlr,rvlurl llrr.l,';rr,,,.ltrrlllr.is,;ttrtl slt<lw

L

A Book in English: 'l'ltc t rtttl tnagic of Woody Arag6n

how the cards are woven one by ono, just like Luis Garcia did ilhis wonderful Rife of Passage.

And, if you want to usejumbo cards, using thereverse Faro is also a greatidea. Outjog one card inevery two, stripping themout afterwards.

As the deck is composed of zr cards, andT x3 = 2t, you ('irrr

urse factorial dealing to give the spectators the opportunity "ldealing the deck in three piles. Ask them to deal the cards irr ,,

number of piles between one and five' If they choose 2 or' l,just deal the cards (the dealing equals a simple, or dorrl'l''reverse Faro). Should they choose three, deal the cards, ittllthen just say "Ok, nous I'll decil the cards in seuen piles" (or' ;r,'l

for a number between 5 and ro in order to force 7), anddeal t I r''

cards in 7 piles. By doing these two series of deals, the tlr'' I

returns to its original order.

Obviously, there's another advantage to knowing the orclt'r "lthe stack. You can actually hand the deck to a spectator, let lrrrrr

shuffle, then use the excuse of looking for a chosen/thouglrt "lcard to restore the order. Along the same line, there's & colrcr'plworth considering that I developed in my book Cosas Mi:ts 'r

good riffle shuffle, due to its similarity to a Faro, will leavc t'r, , t

card in its Faro position, or very close to it.

A book in l:rrllrslr. I ltt't rrtrl rn;r;,rr ol Wootly Aragon

YF{M SLOT MACHINH

lrr this trick, you will use the permanent deck principle in aprrcl<ct trick: Three spectators combine to create a random,lisplay from a slot machine.

Yorr will need one, or more special decks with the classic slotrrr;rclrine symbols on them. The more cards you have, the more',r,ts you can create and hand to the audience, thus involvingrrrorr, spectators in the trick. I usually carry 3 sets with me, asllrr,r'r. :tre usually three wheels on the classic slot machines, butr,,rr t'ould even hand a set to every member of the audience.

f ir rr trirch set, you will need 4 Bells, 2 BAR symbols, 4 Oranges,1 /'/rnrr.s and a special card, the back of which we will mark withtlr,, rlr';rwing of a coin.

I lrt:, i:l I ltc ot'rlct ol llrc sl;rcl<:

A Book in English: l'lrc crrrtl magic of Woody Arag6n

Bell, Bell, Orange, Bell, Bar, Orange, Plum, Bell, Orange, B:rr',

Plum, Orange, Plum, Plum, Coin Card.

Tell your audience that you had a dream last night, in whit'lryou all went to a casino, played slot machines, and, after rrrr

unbelievable winning streak, you and the audience both madt' ;r

lot of money. Unfortunately, it was only a dream, but, evetr ilyou can't take them all to a casino, you offer them a substittrlt'The Slot Machine Cards.

Take some time to show the cards to your audience, as mos[ ,Ithe times people find them really amusing. Tell your audiett,','that the card with the coin on it represents the process ol

inserting a coin into the slot machine. Give a set to errclr

spectator. Don't make the mistake of giving them the packt'lr,

before this explanation of the cards, as they are bound to charrli,'the order!

Ask members of the audience to think of small numbers (:.r, :1,

+...) and start improvising, asking them to transfer cards ll'r,rrrtop to bottom, bottom to top, or deal the cards in piles (two-1ril,'

reverse Faros, or four-pile double reverse Faros) and so on. llrrlalways offer the spectators a FAIR CHOICE of going throtrlilreach of the steps, or skipping them.

Here's an example: Start by asking them to cut the tlr','|.Obviously, each participant wiII cut at a different card. Tell tlrlrrrthat if they want to, they can cut the cards again.

Ask a spectator for a number. Imagine he says "4". Ask tlt,'rrtto deal the cards into 4 piles, and gather them in order'. lirrl.once again, tell them that if they want to, they can skilr llr,'dealing process.

Ask another spectator for a number. Imagine he says ":1". '1,'ll

the spectators that if they want to, they can deal the cArds itt lrr ',piles. Those who chose to <lt'al t:itn then deciclc wltclltct 1,,

gather the cards fi'om lcl't lo riglrt, ot' ll'rtnt right to lcl't.

A book in lrrrglislr: I lrt' t rrrrl nrrlirr' ol Woorly Aragon

Once again, ask lirr ir rrrrnrlx,r'. lnrirl4irrc the number 3 iscltosen. Tell the participirrrts llr:rt il'lltt'.y wunt to, they can singlyIt'itnsfer three cards filrrn tltt, lolr lo tlrc bottom of the deck, orlhrm the bottom to the [op. Anrl, i1'tlrcy want to, they can skipI rirnsferring any card.

lletween every step of the procedure, they can cut the deck ifllrr:y want to.

You could continue with this process forever, but Ilct:ommend you to stop here (after three numbers have beenrurrued) because, depending on the order of the cards after the;rrrrcedure, you might need to ask the spectators to deal thelirrcls one more time. Even though dealing 15 cards doesn't takeloo long, you don't want to bore your audience.

'lcll them it's time to find the coin that goes into the slotrrr;rt:hine, and test their luck. Have them turn the cards facer h rwn, and ask them to go through the cards, until they find theorrc with the coin on the back, and cut the deck to bring the coinlrrrrl to the top. Go to the first spectator with a pile of cards andlr,ll them to place the coin card on the table, and turn over thelop czrrd of their pile. Repeat with the second and third,i

I r(,('l iltors. Make a " Ding !" sound every time a card is revealed.

Itight now, there are two possibilities. The first one, is that thellrrt't'cards at the bottom of the piles have the same s).rnbol. Intlris cirse, it looks like the trick is finished, since you've got arr rrrlclr.

'l'lrt. other possibility, is that two of the cards have the same,ryrrrlrol, and the third one doesn't match. In this case, changellrr,sorrncl to a "Clonk! Clonk! Clonk!".It's one of the timesrvlrr,r'r, llrc slot mar:hinc lights up because you have the chance ofllr,llirrg l ltrizc, ltrrl .yorr lrirvtr [o dcciclc which spnbols to keeprrttrl wltit:h synrltols lo spirr.

lrr tlris r':rsr', lsli llrr. lrvo sllccl;tlors wlro gol llrt.s:trnc symbolln lrrrrr llrcil';lilr,:; l;rlr,rlulvrr,;rnrlrlt';rl llrr.r',;rrrls ont.t'irgirin. This

JIL

A Book in English: 'l-hc t'rtrl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

time, each spectator has to deal thc cards face doram into eithcrone, two or four piles.

No matter how they deal the cards, they will invert the ordt'rof the cards, ending up with the same order as the thir',|spectator. Ask them to turn over their cards, and the thrt','symbols will now match. Act as if that was the end of tlr,'routine.

But then, tellyour audience that, if luck is really with all of yoltonight, then a miracle might happen, just like in the dream y,,,,

had. Ask them to remove the top card of their pile, and the nt'rtones will also match, and then the next one, and the next ont'.every card, one by one, in the three piles of cards shuffled arr,l

cut in different ways by three different members of tlr,'audience.

A book irt l'.l11,lrslr I ltt' r':rrrl rrr,r1,rr ol Wrrotly Aragon

POSTCARDS

When a magician publishes one of his effects, it's obvious herlot:s it because he wants to share it with the magic fraternity.'l'lr;rt's why I am not publishing some of my material... becauseriglrt now, for one reason or another, I want those tricks to be,'xclusively mine. Pure selfishness, I know! And I have to sayllr:rt I almost did not publish the Postcards trick. I wanted tol,r'r'1r it to myself. But then, what good is publishing a new;rrinciple, if you don't publish its best application?! If all of thervorl< in the permanent deck principle has been worthwhile, Ilr,t,l it's because of this trick. Actually, the effect is just the;rrr.tliction of an order but, both at a visual level and as ar'rln('c)pt, I think it's very different to the others, and I canr,rurrirntee you that the audience will love it. Really love it!

Irr rny "La ilusi6n la pintan calva" show, I performed 9ottrirrrrtcs of close up magic for a big audience (in theaters,lorrli'r'cnce halls, etc.) with the aid of a video projector. Duringllrr, I'irst few years of its performance, Postcards was a centrallrrrrl o1' tlre show. And I have to say, Postcards was one of ther,lli.r'ls rnost remembered by the audiences after the show. Noturrly rkrcs it have a strong magical impact, but the audiencerrllr,lrls tlrc trick as custom made for them (since their very ownlurvrr is part of the trit:l<). Thc beautiful image on every postcard,rri il is slrown to tlrt' ('iul)ct';I, and ltrrfected in the big screen,ntrrl llrt, lircl llrt';rll ol'llrr':rrr<licnct'1lu'tit'i1-rartes in the trick'sproct.tlrrrr.... I tlrirrli llrc rtsull,lrs;r wlrolt', is vt'l'y nragical.

llrrl llrr,('()n('(,lrl ol llrr. r'orrlirtr, is rlrrilt, lr;rrrl lo r,x;llirin. I will belntr'r.rl lo lllrsr, llrr cr;rl;rrr;rliorr ol'llrr.r'orrlirrr,irr llrr.t'xitrnltlc Iilill liirr'\'()tl, :r, r'r, t1 lttrtr I ;)r'r'l);lrr',r ',r'l lol'llrr,/'o.s/rril'rl.s

A Book in English: Thc t'lrrl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

routine, something completely clilfcrent happens (maybe thatpart of the reason the routir-rc is so charming). As a prorr,lresident of Toledo, I will use 16 postcards from my city os tlr.example. This, while helping me to explain the routine to yorrwill also help you to know some of the wonderful places in llr,'imperial city (In case you're wondering, I am not sponsorecl l,rthe city's board of tourism).

And now, without further ado...

EFFECT:

The magician talks about the city he's performing in. He tlllthe audience about a dream he had last night, in whiclr lr,

visited this city, and was walking through some of its icorrr,spots. In his dream, he bought a postcard at each plact'lr,'visited, and posted it back home. After returning from his r i:,rtto this city, the magician wrote one final postcard. He then ;,rrtthis special postcard inside an envelope and wrote the n,r,l"Prediction" on it. What's even more interesting, is that wht'rr lr,'woke up, the magician found an identical envelope orr lrr',

bedside table! Intrigued, the magician went to a shop ;rrr,l

bought the postcards in his dream, with the intention of tri irr,',

to embark on the very same magical journey, accompanit'rl l,rtonight's audience.

He then shows the audience 15 postcards, all difli'r,'rrtportraying different locations in the city. The postcaxls ;rr,

shuffled and cut, both by the magician and the audienct'. 'llr,postcards are dealt in two piles, and the magician shows tlr,audience the order of the postcards. A spectator cuts the prrcl , t

deals the postcards once again, and the order is shown [o lrr' ,r

different one. The magician keeps on dealing the postc'rrlrl:, rrr

piles, and the spectators decide whether they want to cut or rr,land which pile should end on top of the other. Orrlv rr'lr,'',everyone in the audience wants the procedure to stop llrt'r';rrr ,,

they're satisfied that tht'olrlcr ol'the carcls is corrr;rllt,'lrrandom] will the nrrgi<'i;rtt rlo so. 'l'ltc nr;rgir:i:rrr Ilrt'rr trrl', ,r

postcard, one hc l;rlrclcrl ;rs "slrccirrl' fl'orrr lltt'vt'r'.y lrcgirrnirr,'.,,1the tritl<. llt'sltows llr;rl llr,'t,' rr, riol ltittg wrillr,rr ort lltr'1,'11 1 ,,1

A book in l:rrglislr. llrt.t rrrrl rrr,r1,r, ,,1 Wootly Aragon

IItc postcard, or on any ol' tIrt, oIIrcrs 1roslt,:rr.rls. The "prediction,,.trvelope is opened, autl rr prslciu'rl itlcrrtical to the special onel;rlls out. Tlowever, this p,stt';r*l lrrs :l ,lessage writien on it...orrc that describes the drcarn.iorrr.nc.y ol the migician.

'l'he magician hands the p.ccliction postcard to a spectator,rrrrtl asks him to read it. As he cloes so, eich postcard is ihown tollr. audience. The order in which the journty was described inllrr'prediction is exactly the same ordLr as tire postcards, evenirllcr all of the shuffling and dealing!

t't I t{ trRoPS:

\',rrr will ,ced an envelope, which should be fairly opaque, sollrrrl rr, ono can discern its contents. It should be slightlytigg",llrirrr ;r Poslr:urcl. You will also need rB postcards. Tliese consist,,1

t ltnlilli'rtrrl p,sr.rrrrl l,r'sirrrply . lhi, lriece of card] thatlrrrtr,l\' lils ilrsi<lc llrt, r,rrvt'lo1lc

l,lttlt';loslr':utl:;,r',lrr,s llr;rl sl;rrrr orrl li)r"s()nr('r'oasott. In'rilr r'\iuill)lr', rl'r"ll r],(';r ('orrr;rlr,lr.lt lrl;rcl. po:rlr.;rrtls wlriclr I call

I ',li',1,t rt! ttitlltl

A Book in English: 'l'ltc t'rttl rrtagic of Woody Arag6n

z Unique postcards, that represcllt a very significant place ol

the city. In our example, the Syncrgogue of St. Mary the Whit,and El Greco's picture "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz".

6 Pairs of postcards of the town. These pairs should refer l, '

the same general location [so that you could refer to each orr,'

with the same sentencel, but they should look different. li,,rexample, the same bridge by day and by night, or postcards ,lmonuments that are very close to one another. In Toledo, [lr''Zocodouer Square (the main square in the historical centet' r'l

tor.m) and the Alcd.zar (fortress) are just a few meters aparlYou only need to go up/down a short slope to get from on(' l.the other. By having two postcards portra)ang the slo1r,'

Zocodouer and the Alcdzar, you could say "l ualked dolLtrr t,'the Zocodouer square" ot "I uent all the up to the Alcdv,,rtou)ers", and even though you are saying different things, n11.1 .Ithe two postcards would appear to be right.

It is not always possible to get that many pairs of postcrtr'|"depicting the same place. If that's your case, then don't wor t \

You can just use two identical postcards depicting the s;trrr''

location, and walk through it twice in your imaginary journ('\'.

THE SET UP:

First, you will use the indffirent postcard, lo prepat't' llr''prediction envelope in a very easy way. Cut the postcard, so llr,rl

its length is exactly the same as the envelope's. Put the poslt ;rr. I

inside the envelope, and then put the two identical ./,'/,,

postcards, each with a different prediction written on it, rtlr,,r '

and below the indffirent one. You can choose which of tht' lrr "will fall out of the envelope by simply exerting pressurc o r t I I r, '

indffirent postcard (which is in the middle). This allows.vtttt l,have two outs for the final prediction, and there are rlnl.y 'l'\\'t t

possible final orders forthe stack (with each Faro yo1 ge lr,,rrrone to the other). Obviotrslv, votl (r:lll use any gl't[c t'ri:;lrrr'trick envelopes, or ap.V 9[lrt'r'rttglltorl lltitL.ygtt w:tttI lg ggt llr,'same effect.

Abook in l'.rrllr:,lr llrr',:rr,l rrr.r1,r, ,rl Wootly Aragon

Let's call X the ur:r,rlttt,poslr';rlrls, ;rn<l'/,lha,loke one, and the() l)airs of postcards will lrt.A, ll, (', l), l,:rrncl F. The order of thelrostcard stack is:

A, B, C, A, X, l), l,l, lI, I), X, b-, CrE,rF,,Z.

l,ot's refer to the picture siclc of the postcard as the back, andtlrc writing side of the postcard as the face. Throughout the'rlrrrffling process, the backs (picture side) will always be facingrrlrwards (In fact, the writing side of those postcards will neverlrt's€€fi, unless you show it to the audience!). The stacked;rostcards on top of the table should have an A postcard visibler )n [Op.

lr.t'cping the postcards in this order, take one of the Joke1,r'r.rliction postcards, and w,rite on its back, line by line, anrrn;rginary travel, so that each line matches its correspondinglroslt:ard. BE CAREFUL! The first and fourth lines, should notlorrlirin the same exact message (remember these are a pair of;,oslclrds, but the described location should be slightly,lrlli'r'cnt). You need to use the double meaning I told you aboutLr,li rrc, to define both postcards with two different sentences.

I n thc Toledo example, the journey looks like this:

We arriued in Toledo by crossing the Saint Martinltridqe.'l'lte city looks beautiful at night. The Cathedral, with itsliqltting, is an auesome sight.Wc parked our car in the Puerta del Sol.Arrcl rue crossed the bridge, this time on.foot...Attd urriuecl at the Synagogue.

t'orrrplt,Ic thc writing ol't.aclr stagc of the imaginary journeyrrnlif vorr trltirrurlt,lt'r.rrtl rrp witlt tltc,lol<c (Toledo at night)|"r,,I('iIt'(l.

t tl,r'iorrsly orrr,r,l llrl r'ool li';rlll'(,s ol llris rorrlirrt, is that you, rrr pl;ty lvillr llr,',,r,lrr ol llrr'por;lclrrrlr; (;rr lr)n1,, its yott sticl< tollrl rulr,s t(,1,,;u(lrrrr,. rrlrr, lr 1ro:rlcitt,l:, r'.,rr.,, 11,11,,1,,) lo tttltl<t'1h0

A Book in English: J-hc errltl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

imaginary journey match a real journey that you could actuallrmake [or would actually like to rnake], or you could &rr&n!ir'them to suit any other needs or intents. In other words, yorr

have to stick to the pairs order of the stack, but you can choos,'what will appear on pair A, pair B, etc...

Once you've written your prediction, deal the postcards in tu,,piles. Place one of the piles on top of the other, and cut it so tlrrrt

the Joke postcard is back on the bottom, creating a new stitt l'

order. The new stack order is

E, F, D, E, X, C, A, F, C,X, B, D, A,B)Z

The journey associated with this order is the one you'll havt' 1,,

write on your second Joke postcard.

If you deal the cards in two piles again, the order woultl 1,,'

exactly the same as the one described on your first,lol','postcard. You can test it out, if you want.

Place the predictions inside the prediction envelope, rrr

preparation for letting one or the other fall. Remember wltillrside contains the journey starting with A and which si,l,'contains the journey starting with E. You can either take tlrt' r ,

postcards and place them inside another envelope, or yotr (;rrr

simply bind them together with a rubber band. The only tlrrrrl'

that matters is to keep the order of the stack [it doesn't l-ttrtll,'rwhether is the A order or the E order] until the performanct'.

METHOD:

Start the performance just as described in the beginning ol llr,'"Effect" section. Give the prediction envelope to one ol llr,'

spectators, who will hold on to it until the final revelation.

Show the postcards to the audience. Insist on the litt'l llr,rl

they're all different. Take thc,/o/rt'otte, and show it to itll ol lluaudience. Emphasize its irrrpol'lltltt'tr, by sayirlg "Aclturllrt. I

remember this ucrs tlrc ltrst ltrts!t'rtttl I lxnrylil. Atrul it is rr s7r,', t,t/

one, .t1ou'll scc ru|ry lttlt'r'. "

Abook ilt l'.rrl,lrslr llr, ,;rr,l rrr,11,r, ol Woolly Aragol

Replace theJoke ltoslr.rrrrl irr ils pl;rt,t., irrrclfbllow."Well, sincellrcse are big postcartls, trnlil;c ltkttlitttl rrut.cls, you can't shufflellrcm easily. Well, lJou (un sltttl.'lla tlunt in small groups..."r,xecute an in-the-hands (lh:rrlit,r' shLrl'lle "but the shufJle is notraully random, since ntuul tru.tLs slick together... "

Start dealing the postcards in two piles. "So, in order to giuelhun a good shuffle, ue'll proceed just like this, dealing thelrrrds in huo piles, one by one. I don't think I haue to gotltrough this, but it's obuiotts that, if at this moment there's the7tx:odouer postcard, and right after it, the Burial of the Countttl'Orgaz, after dealing, the postcard next to the Zocodouer [slltc Alcazar, and the burial is next to the Cathedral...So, euerytittrt you deal the cards, Aou are creating a new order. And,,;itn,e. there are 16 or t7 postcards here, if there's anyone keen,trt rnathematics, he or she wiII knou that there's as manAlrrtssibilities os permutations of tZ elements, uhich I think('r)rurfs up to 3 trillion, or 3 billion..."

As you talk, finish dealing the postcards, and ask a nearby',1rt,r'lator. "Well, hous do you uant me to gather the postcards?:iltrntlrl I put the left pile ouer the right one? Or the opposite?"'I'lrr,spectator will choose which pile ends up on top. Ask him tolrrl tlrc pile of postcards. Take them, and deal them again.

"'/7rrr.s I uill keep on dealing the postcards, changing theirt't'.1('t' rtrtil you ask me to stop." Continue dealing the cards inI'ik,s, irsking members of the audience to choose the pile theyrvrrrl orr top, and letting them cut as many times as they feell,r.lwccrr dealings. The important thing is to remind them that',rrlv whcn EVERYONE is satisfied, and I mean EVERYONE,rorr will stop, and the final order of the postcards will be,lr,lr,r'rrrirrucl. Oncc thc.y lbcl I shor-rld finish, and they tell me theyrlrrrr'l witrrI rnc lo tlcirl irrr.y rrrorc r:irxls, I rrstrallyinsist. "Keepintrtttttl llrul, il' I lrtk'r llu, ltrtrlicliorr, t.uul il olotLd, and it's,,tt,ttt,ltout tt,ltt!ttl lrt !ltc ottlt,t' rtf' lltt,st' ltoslcttt,tls, you ulilltrltt,tttls lx, itt tlt,trltl tt:; ltt tt,ltrtl tt,ottlrl ltrrttt' lrttltltt,nr:fl, if youIt,trl rr.s/ir'r/ tlrr'r'tn'r1,, lrt ltr'tlt,,tll irt:;! (,n(, lp()t.( linrc.../ l r',/il1)N/, ttttt:.1 ttttt ('t't ll jtt.,1 ttttr'rtl tlrt11 11,ttrrls ntt' lo cltuttqrt

L

A Book in English: "l'lte t'rrttl nragic of Woody Arag6n

the order of the postcards, I Luill tleal them one more time. lleuerAone ogrees, then ue're .lirished... " Clearly stating th;rtthey're in control up to the very end.

Usually, the audience will stop you after 3 to 5 dealings, btrlno matter what they decide, you know they will end up in ont' ,,1

the two predetermined orders.

Remind you audience about the "special" postcard )()umentioned at the beginning, the last one you bought in yt,r,,

dream. Spread the postcards, looking for the Joke one. Takt' rt

and show its picture to the audience. Place it under all of tl','postcards that were on its right on the spread, and turn over I lr,

whole pile over, in order to show that there is nothing writl,'r,on the back. "There is nothing usritten on this one, becant*' I

bought it just before the shou, neither uas there anythinq ,,rt

the back of the one in my dream. But inside the enuelope..."

As you look at the envelope, assemble the postcards so tha I I I r, '

Joke one is cut to the bottom. Just place the pile you har',' ,,,

your right hand under the rest of the postcards. Watch ollt: \ , ,rr

don't want the audience to "register" the moment of briltl',rr,"the Joke postcard to the bottom, so don't call attention lo rl

And don't make a move out of it either. You already saitl llr.rtwas the l/.ST postcard, so it's logical that you place it ott llr,bottom. Do it naturally, placing all of the postcards on thc l;tl,l,'as you focus you attention on the envelope.

Take the envelope, and look at the top card of the pilc ttrr llr,'table, thus informing you of whether you need to read tht' lir ,t

(A) or the second (E) prediction. Open the envelope, ancl lt'l I lr,

right one fall from it, thanks to the pressure of the btdil.'ltt,'rttpostcard. In brief, if you press down on the A side, then ttrth llr,'A prediction card will come out as the indifferent postt';rrrl rr rll

buckle and hold the E postcard inside the envelope. Cotrvt't,,, lrif you press down on the E siclc, thcn only the E prcclictiorr , .rllwill come out as the indiifi'ttttl poslt:itrd will btttrl<lt: ittttl lr,,l,lthe A postcard inside Iltt' t'rtvt'lopt'.

A book in l',r11,lr:;lr l'lr,' , rrr,l nr;rl,r{ ol Woorly Aragon

Show the uriting orr tlrr. lrrt'li ol llrt, poslt:lld, and give it to aspectator, who will tlrcrr rt.;rrl il ;rlorrrl. As he reads everyst'ntence, you take thc top poslt'irrrl ol'llrc pile and show it to the;rrrdience (or, in my casc, to tlrc ctrrrrcra). When the spectator:ilirrts to read the next scrrtcrrt:c, llrrt thc postcard aside, turningil over to show there's r"ro writing on the back. The discardedpostcards will form a new pilc on the table. The ending, usingllt<,.,Ioke postcard, will give a nice and funny ending to the storyrrrirl<ing it a good climax.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS:

( )rre of the many things your audience will feel when youtrrlrlirrm this routine for them will be a sense of intimacy. Theyrvill understand that, if you prepared a trick just for their city,llrcrr it is because you really cared about them, and they willrr';rlly appreciate that. Moreover, because it's obvious that you,'rrrr't really use those postcards anywhere else, the audiencer,'rrll.y feels as though they are watching something very special,,rrrrl trulyunique.

'l'lurl's why, every time I present Postcards in a new city, II'rr'l)rrc a specific set of postcards for it. The good thing aboutllris is that you will be able to use that set every time you;,r.r'lirrrn in that city.

l lcrt,'s one more idea, or I should say one story about this trickllrirl I'rl lil<e to share with you. It is something I'm very proud of,,rrr,l ;r pcrf'cct example of how customizable the trick is. I was atr rrrrliit' r:onvention, when Tony Penyafort, a magician from\l;rllort'ir, approached me and thanked me for creating thisr,,ulin(', lrrcl letting him use it. I told him about it via e-mail,,rrrrl lrr, lrirtl the chant:c to pcrform it for a very special event. Herr,r,, pr,r'lix'rning irl ir pirrt.y Io cclcbratc a close friend's 56ttItrrllrrl;ry.'lirrry, witlr llrt. lrt,lp of Iris ll'it'rrrl's wife, got hold of.,rrrrr' piclrrx's 1l'orn ltis l'r'ir,rrrl, rlt.pit'lirrg rlil'lirrurnt moments inlrr,, lilr.. llc sr,lr,r'tt'rl llrr, rrrosl srril;rlrlc orrt,s, ;rrrtl ltcrformedl',,'.lliu'rls, llrrl rr:,irr1', r'r'r,rrlr. lirrrrr lris llir.rrrl's lili., trn<l lrrittdring1,lr,,ln1ir';r plts.

A Book in English: 'l'lrc crrxl magic of Woody Arag6n

Miguel Puga gave'rne another interesting idea. He suggestt',1having a duplicate set of the postcards, and giving them to ;r

member of the audience, and having him shuffle the postcartl,,Take them back and, using the excuse of bringing oul ;r

"Prediction" envelope, switch the shuffled postcards for tlr,'stacked postcards. This allows you start with a genuine shul'll,'and then follow with all of the cuts and deals afterwarrl,,Actually, I have tried this method several times, only to find 1 lr, rt

I don't need to switch the postcards. Shuffling a dgsft ,lpostcards is not easy due to the difficulty of trying to hatttll,'them as cards, and many times the spectators just end up doirrrinothing more than just a bunch of cuts!

In any case, I have performed this routine dozens of tirrr,",without the switch, and the effect has worked perfectly anyw;r\Nonetheless, I feel that Postcards is best suited for the last 1r;rr I

of a show, or as a closer, because a magical atmospherc lr;r

already been created, and the spectators will be less likelr t,,

question you about the trick's procedures. I really think thrrl, rl

you were to perform this routine at the beginning of a shon', ,,ras an isolated trick, it would lose a great part of its impil('l ,,nthe audience.

And, as a final note, there's something else I would like to l, llyou. Sincerely speaking, I have to say that many times wlttrr I

perform this routine, I don't carry the described precliclr,,rrenvelope with me. I simply carry an envelope, from which I l:rl ,'the r5 stacked postcards, secretly leaving an extra one insitlt', , ,rr

which I've written one of the two possible outcomes. Tht: ollr,'rone is written on the Jokepostcard that's part of the stacl<. ,lrr',t

by being careful not to show the writing on the baclt ol llr,'postcard, I can, at the end of the effect, proceed just likc irr llr,'described handling if I have to take the prediction otrl ol llr,'envelope. Or, I can cut to the Joke postcard, not willr tl,intention of placing it at the botl'om, but instead to show il i:r lllonly one with a written plctlit'liort olt its bacl<. In lhis t'ltst'. llr,'dornrnside is, that you crrrr'l ;nurolln('(' lirlm tltc vcl'.y bt'liitrrrrrrylthe location of t|tr ;lrt'rlir'liorr (l wotttlt:l' il' rlrit.ylrt' solrrl,rrlmight tlrinl< of l)liln.v rrrrrlliplr ottls/), llttl ott lltr'olllt't'sirl,' rl

A book in lirrglislr: I ltt' t rrt,l nr:rl,rr r)l Wootly Aragon mrrllltc order corresponcls lo llrt, poslr';rrtl irrsitlc the stack, cuttinglo it has a much better'.jrrslil'it'irtiorr.

SOME OTHER IDEAS USING I'OSTCARDS:

'l'he routine you've just read is my favorite one usingpostcards, but it's not the only one I've created. I have thought,rl rlifferent possibilities for combining the use of Postcards (ortrrrtling cards) and card magic techniques in order to creater,lli'cts for mentalism. I hope to someday publish my ideasrlgirrding my "other brand" of magic, in order to share my ideas,,rr rnental magic. In the meantime, let me give you some ideas:

,, You can force a postcard on a spectator, using yourfavorite method, and then read the picture in his mind.You can memorize a stack of postcards, give several ofthem to a group of spectator, and read their minds,guessing each one's postcard.Ily using several postcards with different famousmonuments of cities around the world, you could force apreviously predicted city.tlsing cards of the same size, you could create a Svengalirlcck of postcards, using different ones as the long cards,irnd several duplicates of the same one which you cutslightly for the short cards.You could combine a small group of postcards [with asirnilar themel, and fish for an image thought of by asllcctator.You could repeat the above group several times, creating al<irrd of Al Koran deck. (by the way, I recommend you totrst' the idea of including several different postcards of thes;rrrrt: location, allowing you to show a deck of completelyr I i l'lirn:n t postt:l xls)Yorr r:oulrl rrst' llrt.nr to clcatc gl'ollps using any of thenrir n.y tnit I ltt'tt t;r I ir';r I

1 rri rtci plt's t'xpl:r i rtcrl i n this book.

Yorr corrlrl wrilc orr llrc lr;rt'l< ol'llrr. poslcirruls, effectivelynurrliing Ilrt'rrr.You corrlrl rlill, :,1;rrrrps, itt t,;rriourr rrizr,s ;tntl t'olttt's, andttsc lltt'ttt 1o ,l,r'.';tly lltr' Poslr';url'r in l,itt;rt'1,, lr.t'lt:tt'y, or

A Book in English: 'lhc card magic of Woody Arag6n

quaternary groups (the equivalent of classifiring a deck olregular cards in colors, suits, etc.)You could stick carbon paper to the inside of a postcat'rl,using it to read a message written by a spect&tor orr

another one, in a similar fashion to Maxwell's "CarbottCard" (Telepathic Selection in Hugard's Encyclopedia ol'Card Tricf<s)

A book in lrrrltlislr: 'l lrt' r'lrrrl nutllt(' ol'Wootly Aragon

THE COURT CARDS

'l'his is the principle's most practical application. It's aconrmercial and a very easy automatic trick, and it always gets arrit:c reaction from the audience.

I usually perform this trick if I have to explain the permanentrlr,t'l< principle to someone, and I am not carrying special cardswilh me. In order to apply the principle to a regular deck, I('rnrc up with the idea of justifying the fact of taking only 15lrrrrls from the deck, by telling the audience I will perform alrick using only the picture cards: J, Q, K and A (I treat the Acerli ir picture cards, which for many people is somethingr'o r r r llletely normal).

'l'lrt: audience believes I use all of the picture cards, but inrlrrlily I leave the Ace of Diamonds in the deck. This is the stack, rt'rk'r':

K, K, Q, K, A, Q, J, K, Q, A, J, Q, J, J, AII'l'lrt, Ace of Hearts in r5tt position could be crimped, so as to

nrrrkr. t:utting to it easier.

'l'lrl slack should bc rnixed in with the rest of the deck. A goodlr lr,rr wotrlcl be t<l placc thc ordcred stack, on top of the deck, andlrl rr spcctutor' llcrftrrrrr ir ril'llc shul'flcr. Whcn you take the cardslrtl ol'lltc tk:t:k, llrt,y will still llt' in tltc rrrrtrrlcrl order).

You ('ill) rlo lrll ol llrt, liirro/r'r'vt,r'sr'litrro slrrrl'flcs, cleals, andIrnr'(.rili(.s tlr,scrilrlrl irr llrr,prr.viorrs lriclis, lrrrrl llrt.vitlucs of the

r* qk

A Book in English: Thc crrrtl rr.ragic of Woody Arag6n

cards will stay in the same ordcr. I use the method described irr

"My Anti-Faro", in this book. This process can be repeated ;r

much as he wants. But remember, if the cards are dealt an oti,lnumber of times, you'll finish with the stack in reversed ordt'rIn that case, just deal cards from the bottom, or place the pil,'face up.

You can do any of the effects previously described in /rlsi '

memorized deck with this stack, but because of the fact tlr;rtonly the value of the cards is known, I think the best idea is t, ,

present a story with the cards a la Sam the Bellhop.

Here's how I do it:

After all of the Faros, deals ... gather the cards, and cut to llr,crimped AH. Take the cards, spread them on your hands for.irr t

a moment, and secretly exchange the 5tt' and 4th cards fronl I I r,'

bottom of the pile. Then, start dealing as you tell the story:

"Once upon a time in Ancient China, there uas a l(iruy. ll,'had a brother, uho also happened to be a King, and liuerl i r t,,nearbg castle, and a dauEhter (Q). fhe King wanted to ruk' ,tllof Ace-sia, but, to his dismay, one day he found oul ltt,daughter (Q) tuas dating o uesterner called Jack! The ir.ttt,1

got reallg mad, so he summoned his daughter (Q) arul r,,l,lher: You will marry an Ace-sien prince! I don't Luant ltttt ttt

euer see Jack again! Nor his brother John eitherl" - Tal<t' llr,'two top cards in the right hand, and reveal the couple itl llr,'same time, keeping the last card in the right hand. - " IJtrt tlt,'princess (Q) alnd Jack managed to run awoA, and Lout: (,ll t t

reigned supreme at the end."

Obviously, by learning the story you also learn the stacl< o r r I , 'r .

which is always a nice plus.

ADDITIONAL REMAIII(S:

I usuallypresent "s:tttt llrt ltrllltoll" liirrtl <ll'lrtttlittt's ils il ltrr . rrla divir-ratiot1 cflf,st:l willr irrrlrtot'i:r;tliorr. I tt'll ttt.y;ttttlit'ttt't'llr:rl I

A book in llrrlllrslr l lrc r'rrtrl nr;rl'rr' ol Woorly Aragon

willtryto guess the clxls, irr llrc orrlcr llrtry have ended aftertheslruffles, and then try to irrrprovisr, ;r sloly ars I reveal them, onelr.y one.

'l'his presentation mzrkes sonsc il'you deal the cards from thelop, if the cards are in thc right olcler. But if the spectator dealsllrc cards in two piles an odd number of times, and the order isrcvcrsed, I don't reverse the order once again, neither do I turnllrt,whole pile face up (it diminishes the effect). I don't even:rwitch the order of the 4th and the 5th card.

What I do is ask the spectator to cut the cards one more time.,\ high number of times he will cut at the crimp, placing the AH,n lop. (If he doesn't, I do it myself by performing a quick cut). I,'rrrr.lirlly gather the cards, showing I am being completely fair,,n r( I l)lace them in my left hand, in readiness for the glide. If the.'\ I I is on the bottom, and not on top I simply take it andIlrrrrsl'er it to the top, as I explain the audience what I am aboutlr rkr: take cards from the bottom of the pile, naming themlr,lirrc and trying to make up a story.

'l'lrcrr I start telling the story, as I take cards from the bottom ofllr, lrilc and turn them face up over the table. When I get to the,\r'itlx:r his brother John!" part, I simply do the glide (the only,lr.ililrt in the whole routine) to get the Jack I need.

ll vorr think dealing the cards from this grip doesn't lookr,rlln'll, I will tell you that I think the effect looks even better for\r,ul' ilu(lience: Since you're taking cards from the bottom,llrlrr"s no way you could have seen any kind of marking in ther rurls, tlrrrs giving the audience one less possible solution foru ru r u nlx)licvable "divination".

Irr ;rrry r:irsc, il'yolt us() tho regular presentation for this plottllrr, rrurgit:iln tt'lls lr slory, irrrrl thc calcls uragically change their,rrlr,l'lo srrit tlrc slorv lrcirrg loltl) tlrt'r't'srrll is r:ryuallypowerful,'r', llrr,rttt'lltorl ;rllorvs lirr llrr,spccl;tlol to "lirirly shuffle" the,,tr rl:; itt nl;ulV WlrYi;, ;ut(l ;r:; ttt;uty l irrrr.r; ;r; ltt. wttttIs.

A Book in English: J'hc crrrrl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

GILBERT ALGORITHM 0.1 - SOURCE CODE

1o order=RND(*Randomize_cards); // CreateRandom Card Onder"20 BIN(cards); // Binany Convension3O *cards=RND++; / / Locate Pointer"40 IF (Order==RND && Spectator_Wants==1) GOTO

2@ / / If the onden is still Random and thespectator wishes, repeat the pnocess.50 RETURN (cards(*chosen-card));

_r$o-[_!Q_o_E_s_:_-

ERROR O3 - The card is the Five of SpadesERROR 2O8P - The card is the Two of ClubsERROR 14978 - The card is the Six of HeartsERROR 2OOR26 - The card is the Four of SpadesERROR 10001R5 - The card is the King of Spade',ERROR LlttOgOO - The card is the Ace ofDiamondsERROR 9O5RO95O55 - The card is the King ofCIubsERROR 119047291-1742876361- - The card is theThree of Hearts

Abook in l;rry,lr..lr I lrr (:r(l nr,rl,r( ol Woorly Aragon

GILBERT'S ERROR CODE

My good friend Alberto Fernindez "Gilbert" is not only a greatrrr:rgician, but also a computer programmer. He found out thisri(.(luence, ERROR 9o5Ro95oSS, that keeps its order norrurtter how many faro shuffles you apply to it, thanks to the; x'r'manent deck principle.

llc thought the sequence suited his profession well, and';lrowed it to me. I then developed the routine you're about torclrl, saving the revelation of the message for a final surprise,,'rrrphasizing the computer geek-themed presentation, andi r r lt I i rrg a macguffin in the form of a chosen card, which justifiesllrt'scquence of actions required for the routine, and makes itg,ossible not to show the message until the very end. I alsollrorrght it would be very interesting to play with the "Error", orrt'c1)t, as the magician's attitude in this trick can lead thernr(li(.nce to really believe something's going wrong, and an

''r r'or has been made, as the magician admits it. But suddenly,tlrr,srr;tposed "error" is revealed to be the effect in a veryrrrrrg,it':rl way!

lior this routine, you wiil need a group of r5 cards. They,lrorrlrl all have different suits and values. Just in case, deal the

, iu'(ls in two piles four times, and take a look at the resulting,,r,lr.r' in cuch <t1'tltr'4 lirlrr t:yr:lc. Make sure there's no seemingprtll(,t'n in tlrc vllrrr,s, t'olors <lr suits. l-lrc order of the cards inllr,'lirrrr r:.yr:lt's slrorrlrl look cornplt,lcl.y rirntlonr (as it reallyis).

l'ru'tt lltt.r'lu'rls l;rt',,rl,rrvn,;rrrrl rrsr, lr llrir.li pr.r'ttt:utcttt rnarkerl" \vl'il(,r.;tclr,rl llrr.r.nr)r ('()(lr"l; r'lt;rt;rr.ltt:: (\,ott sltottltl ttse red

A Book in English: l'hc cirrtl rragic of Woody Arag6n

backed cards, or custom decks with clear backs... even whit,'backed ones would do). Memorize the card in which you writ,'the letter E, as it will be the key card you will have to cut lrrlater.

Place the cards in a separate packet in one of your pockel:;.

together with a copy of the "source code" page at the beginnilrl',of-this routine. Before the trick starts, force the King of Clulr,,

from a regular deck of cards on a spectator, let him keep it, all(lplace the deck of cards apart.

"Haue Aou euer heard about professor Gilbert's famcttt'algorithi? Professor Gilbert is a computer genius, and he htt''

diueloped a "natural algorithm" that allows him to find 'tchosei card.. The problem with it is, he needs o uerA specittl

slLpercomputer, just like the ones they hTue in NASA, to run llt(need.ed operations. Or, a small packet of cards, just like tfii:'one." Taie the cards from your pocket and place them on tlr.table. Be careful to place them face up, so that the letters in tlr,'backs cannot be seen.

"This is still being beta tested, so let's giue it a try. I haue llt''algorithm's source code with me. You uill read it aloud, urllub will allfollow the instructions. If youlook at the cards, tlu'r1

are randomly mixed, right? Well, thanks to the algorithm, tlu'r1

uill arrange themselues in a specific order that utill help us t,,

locate your card. If all of the Diamonds end up together, llti:'means your card is a Diamond. If euen cards end up nexl lt)

eech other, then your card must be et)en... and so on." Give llr''sheet with the "source Code" to a second spectator, not to llrr'one who chose the card.

Ask him to read the code aloud. You will make remarks 0rr

them, and do the following:

Abook in l'.rr1'.lr:lr llr,',;rr,l rr;rt'rmI Wootly Aragon

"Create Randont (\tnl ()nlrt'... lltrtl tttt,ttrts ue should shufflelhe cards!" - Executc lr ('lrirllit'r'slrrrl'llc. llaving the cards facetup does not make it lcss rlt'r't.iving.

2O BlN(cards); // Binary Conversion

"Binary! That has to tks tuith all that Zeroes and Onesstuff... Ok, then I'll deal tlrc cards like this: Zero, One, Zero,(hte..." - Deal the cards into two piles, in readiness for "MyAnti-Ii;rro" handling, as explained in the "sleights and Moves"scction of the book. - "Notice that, as Aou con see, if hao cardslitllowed each other, after this process they uiII haues<,parated, thus changing the order of the cards".

30 *cards=RND++i / / Locate Pointen

*Well, this thing about the pointer is quite complicated. Iu,on't go through the details, just shou youwhat to do. Cut oneol' tlrc piles, at any point. Then place the other pile there, rightirt the middle..." perform the optical cut from the anti-Faro:i('(luence.

40 TF (Order==RND && Spectator_Wants==1) GOTO 20 / /I I the orden is still Random and the spectatorwishes, nepeat the pnocess.

*Well, if the cards are still in random order... and that',r'(',,r.s to be the cose... looks like use'll haue to repeat the uhole/,,'(x'(f.s.s... shall ute?" - go through the whole procedure onceirlqrrirr, clearly showing that the cards do not follow any,lir;r'r,r'rrable pattern after. - "Well, looks like the algorithm's notrt,rtrl;irttl... but matlbc uc cotLld try once more... but, if youu'(tn! lo, LUe cotl lt't1 ottt't, ttt1ttin..." - Repeat everything one moreI urrt,. lt will not w<lrl<, so irsl< .yorrr sltcctator if he wants to repeatllrt l)t'(x:css on(., lwo ot'llrn'c tirrrcs (you could do itrrlvcllltclcss... lrrrl rro rrrorr, linrcs,;rs vorr rrriglrt end up boringr ottt' rrrrrlit'rrcr,! )

LO 0rder=RND(*Randomize-cards ) ;Cand Order

L

/ / Cneate Rantlorrr

b)

A Book in English: 'f hc t'rrrtl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

order. After performing several rtttt reverse Faro shuffles, antl

asking a spectator to stop us whenever he feels like it, we carr

have [im call the resulting phone number' \'Vhen he does so, ht'could reach an answering machine, where a message w('

recorded earlier would reveal the identity of the chosen (well.

actually, forced) card or word.

Letters, words...

You could use a "scrabble" deck, with letters in each card, loperform Faro and reverse Faro shuffles, and still control sevet'r l

words you could later force. The letters don't even have to br'

together in the stack, as, by previously noting their position, it

will be easy to force them after the shuffles.

In this case, I believe the best choice would be the 63 carrl

stack, as there would be plenty of words you could fit in tlrt'stack. The problem is that performing a reverse Faro by dealirr,',

a 63 card deck in two piles would end up being extremely tirrrt'consuming and boring. One possible solution could be to let tlr''audience choose the kind of reverse Faro to be performed. Tlr:rt

is, by allowing them to name how many piles they want yott l,deal the cards into, in a similar fashion to the Slot Machirr'trick.

Treasure hunt.

You could use a deck with blank cards, in which you cottl'ldraw a compass with directions, arrows, etc. Or use a regtrl;rr

deck, and select a group of cards (r5 would be a good nutttlr.r ,

as it allows for the use of 4 groups of cards, plus a joker) rrrr'l

you could assign each suit a direction (Spades: North, Ht'rttl:'South, Clubs: East, Diamonds: West). After all of the shtrl'l'lirr|procedure, a prediction can be shown: "Here's my lrirtsrtr'''map".

you could use a map dr:rwr) ovcl'll squares gricl, lncl ll srrr:rll

figure, which you move ltt'r'ot'<littg l6 tltg "r1rtdottt rtrdcr ttf tlt'cards, created bq nu'n' t'lttttrt't)'. l)l';tw it litttl ovt't' tllt: l'ig,rrr''

path on thc ntal'r. Al't cl'loll,,rlirrlq;rll .rl'lltt'rlit't't'liotts, tltt' lir',rrr,

A book in l rrl'lr,lr I lrr' , rrrrl nrirl,r( nl Wootly Aragon

ends up in a locatir)n w(,\,(. prr.r,iorrsl.y written on a prediction.You could even draw :r ;xrllr orr llrr, prr.rlit:tion, one that matchesexactly the path drawrr orr llrr, rrrirp.

I think if the routinc w:rs 1rt'r'lirrrrrccl using figures and mapsfrom a role-playing gallrc, srrclr :rs l)uttgeons & Dragons ot TheLord of The Rings, Iht rcsulting routine would be quiteappealing, and the use ol'carcls to decide the path of the figurewould be completely justifi ocl.

rl) Red and Black.

I developed this stack in order to controlcolors with roo% accuracy, by using theprinciple:

t.- Red,z.- Red,g.- Black,4.- Red,5.- Black,6.- Black,Z.- Black

B.- Red,g.- Red,to.- Black,7t.- Red,tz.- Black,4.- Black,t4.- Black

the order of thepermanent deck

tg.- Red,t6.- Red,t7.- Black,tB.- Red,tg.- Black,zo.- Black,21.- JOKER

c)

'l.his is a zr card permanent stack. It allows you to retain theorder of the colors. After all of the Faro/reverse Faro shuffles,rlcals, etc. You can remove the Joker (as an excuse to cut to it);rntl then, you can guess the cards colors, separate then in redsrrrrrlblacks, and so on...

Sorne of the properties of this stack are not only useful, butcorrld also help you to memorize it. For example, you can see itis rrlrnost a mirror stack, except for cards 7 and 14, which arelrl;rcl< (Remembcr', 7 :rnrl l4 are the exceptions and they black.'l'lris will hclp yorr l;rtt'r'). (liri'rls I to 1o correspond to Cards rr to:,o, so that cvt.r'.t' lwo clrrrls, stlrrt ing lhrrrr thc ccnter of the stacklrrrrl going 1o clrclr r,rrrl (ro n,r) t:,[l t;1,;rrrrl s<t on) consists of atlrl;utrl l l)l;r('l\ (:u(I

h

reABookinEnglish:Ther:artlrrragicofWoodyArag6n

Moreover, if you take a look at the stack you will realize thatthe order of each of the three groups of 7 cards is exactly thesame, except for the 21"1 card (a joker).

If you take this stack, and replace Red and B1ack with Yes ancl

No, you could have the core of a very interesting version of thcPsychic Deck routine in this book.

A book irr l'.n1,lrslr I lrr' , irr,l ntitl't(' ()l Woorly Arzrgon W

I

Articles and es$ays

A Book in English: Thc cartl rnagic of Woody Arag6n Abook irr l,,rrlilrslt: Ilrt.r'rrrrl lt/tp11 1;l'Wootly Aragon

ANINTERVIEW

Ricardo Rodriguez interviews Woody Aragon.

Ricardo: Well, Woody... I think some of yourthoughts on magic in general are going to be explainedon the book. So I am not going to speak about them...

Woody: Yeah, right...

R: To begin, I think it would be interesting if you toldus about the motivations for your own magic. Is yourrnagic created to fool magicians, to entertain annudience of laymen, or maybe both...?

W: Well,I think I create magic...for me! By that I mean, thatt't,(tt"U artist tuho creates imagines an "ideal spectator", uho isttorrc other than himself. That is, you try to create somethingllutt youutould enjoy watching as a spectator.

llttt I do understand tuhy you're asking me that particulartlttt,stion. I'ue had a peculiar experience regarding "magic fortttttrlicians". As you know, I uas born and raised in Toledo, a::ttuill city (less than Bo.ooo inhabitants) near Madrid. And1tt't,t:isely because ir rs so small, there haue neuer been manyttttttlicictns in Toledo. Iirom the moment I started studyingttttttlit .front books, toltctt I runs tuelue, until the time I startedttllttulinry ntc<tlirtg ttt lltc trtutlit circle in Madrid, there taere lolt, l!-, Ucet's irt tt,lticlt ttttl ttttlry tttulicncc (rts ttrually happenstt,illt urttttlt'ttt' rtrtttlit,irttts) tttt,t.( ttttl .littttiltl, .fi.iends, co-tt,rl'('t,,s... ttlI rtl !Ittttr Ittt1tttt,tt!

A Book in English: Thc cirltl nragic of Woody Arag6n

Neuertheless, Luhen I startctl ctttending the meetings ctl

Madrid's SEI(t), and going to clirnrcrs, and conuentions, anrlpresenting tricks to other magicians... euerAone starts to sctrl

''Woody does magic for magicians..." something uhich realhlmade me think about my magic, QS, euen though I haue tut

admit the tricks fooled magicians, I hadn't created them frtrthis purpose. Actually, I didn't euen know the "magic fot'magicians" concept euen existed, and I would neuer hau,'

imagined that it LUas so popular amongst magicians.

But as time uent by, and I greu in "magical maturity", so l,'speak, I discouered some of the reasons this happened to me. I

think the main one is, since I felt comfortable tuith a cerktittstyte of tricks, and deueloped routines based on mathematiurlprinciples, memorized stacks, etc... that made the tricks deceir',

magicians, because they did not recognize the methods. In7ean, if I do a trickfor you, and I use an Elmsley count, or trttAscanio spread, Aou, as a magician, will be able to recogttit,'the uay I count, or hold the cards. You uill knotu what I utttdoing, and the consequences of my actions. On the other hatttl,if you knou a trick that works thanks to a mathematittrlprinciple, and I perform o dffirent trick bo-sed on the xrtrt'principle, altering the presentation, changing the procedurt'stf Aou are not an expert in that kind of magic, you probultltlu)on't recognize uhat makes the trick uork- That's tt'lrrtmathemagic is so suitablefor "magician's mo"gic".

In addition to this, mathemagic sometimes implies hauirttl t,'go through processes uhich are dfficult to present. Wltcrt I

taos o beginner, this obuiously led me to tricks thlt trt'r'''sometimes dull, and boring... since those tricks uere not rcttlltlattractiue in their presentation, but uere deceptiue euctt f ,'r

magicians. It tuas a logical thing for them to thbtk "?-his t1rtr1

just wants to fool me..." But I uould soA mA sll/)/)o.';r'r/"specialization" in magic for magicians u)as a cotTsequett((' t'lthe methods I uas keen on stttdllirtg and usingl, bul llrul rr',t"

neuer my goal.

r) SEI stands lirl Srx'it'rl;rrl l',:,p;rrrol;r rlt' llttsioltisttto. Il's lltt'tltrtitt ttt,r',,so<:icty irr Spirirr.

A bool< itt Itrrl,lr:;lr l lrt' r rrrrl nrrrl,rr ()l Wootly Aragon

R: Yes. I remcntlrt:l' lhr. lilrrc when you started toattend our meetings. I thirrh thcrc's been a great step,an evolution that h:rs grt-.:rtly changed your magic, bothin theory and in perfirrmztncc. And I've got the feelingthat something that rcarlly hclped you to evolve, to giveyou that great step fbrwzrrd, was becoming a full timeprofessional. I've seen a quantum leap in quality sincethen.

And today, and this is rny opinion here, you still havethe same sryle, the part that fools the magician, whereall the conditions rnakes it seem impossible for thetrick to work, and the methods are not recognizable...cverything is absolutely deceiving. But now your tricksare much more audience oriented, the emotions youconvey, the rhythm... even when there are longl)rocesses to be done, you have really worked on thepresentation, polishing every detail so that every stepof the trick is entertaining...

W: WelI, obuiously it's because my magic has changed as theI7,rlrs uent by... I needed to experiment, it was a "phese" Itttcl./ through... I tuould say that, thanks to insisting on1x'rforming that kind of magic, I deueloped a series of"t't,sottrces" that utere really handy later...

It: What I rneant is, that there are reollg gooduulhors dedicated ta those kind of tricks, a:nd rnornglriclc.s, sotne of thern reallg good-, o:nd. deceiuing. But ititt rtot so cotnnton for these tricks to be great forrttlet'tcrirting an anulience as uell. Your tricks houe ailirect effect, lhey (rre easy for the o:udience tottttilerstanul, uttd (r.$ sltntnino .for laytnen as forrtrrgicirrn.s...

llt: Wcll,llttrl i:: t'trtt'lltl ttttl rlrxrl tt'ltt'tt I 1x't'fitt'ttt. I clomybestIrt slttx'k un(l tnt,t,t' nnl tnltlit't,('t' t'r't1ttt'tllt'.;:; rtl'tttltclltct' lltcry aretttrttlir'itttt:;, or l,rrlrtt,'u ltttl, il I tt,rtrt! !rt tnttut' ttttl tttulicttt,t,, I

L

re A Book in English: Thc r.:artl magic of Woody Arag6n

haue to moue mAself first. That is, in selecting certain methods.it is not about the mathemagic being cleuer, or deceiuing. I

choose these kind of effects because I feel fulfilled, I anrtpassionate about them, and I haue fun creating antlperforming them. And this is an open door through ushich I u t t

communicate usith my audience. At an artistic leuel, there ar','some "heights" you cen't reach if you don'tfeel and "litse" whtrtAou are doing, from the depth of gour soul.

That's why I deemed it necessary to start from the methotllVhen I uas a kid, in the early years I spoke about before, I jttsrcopied the only magician I had access to (uia TV): JutrttTamariz. He had a brutal inJluence on me. I performed hi:,tricks, uith his patter, his presentation... and euen todey, l'r','been left with some "Tamarician" expressions that branded rrr,'

at that time, uthich I use in my euerydag lift, but not when I'ttrperforming.

As I grew up, I realized I had committed a big misteke, rt,,

there utas a moment in uhich I couldn't perform a trit'l,toithout being just a poor replica of Juan. And I thought, i1 twant to perform... not professionally, as at that time I didrt'teuen consider the possibilifu of being a professional magicittrtBut if I uant to perform something tuith an srtistic ualue, I lttt,lto deuelop mA own style. And I thought the first step woukl lx,to create mA oun tricks, and I imposed myself the rule of rct,,','performing a trick by Juan (I must confess, sometimes I tlttrt'tobey that rule, but at least if I do, I am aware of it).

R: But Juan is present in your tricks... his "spirit", soto speak...

W: Of course he is! He did haue an obuious irnpact on ntr',that is present mainly when I perform in English, becattst' ,tlour similar accent andway of speaking. But, euentually, tt,lrtrrI entered the second phase of mll education in ntagic, rtntl I

started going to Madrid ancl rtu,t,linq Juan euerlJ Mortdurl. lt,'still influenced me, but ha r/ir/ .so ul urt internol k:uel, rnot't, t,tmA conception of ntorlit'. ttrtrl I .litttttd tt ccrsier to ltc ttttlx,llbut, I haue to scry tlrul I lrttt'ttrtl rru'rtllhirul.fitutt ,ltuttt... ttttrl I

A book in l,.n1,lr:;lr I lrr. r rrrrl nr,rl,r( r)l Woolly Aragon

say it proudly!

R: Well, of cour.sc y()lt (.:tn s:ry ttrat. Juan is the mainreference... the gre:rt "lrr:rgit:i:rrr's magician,r... and forlaypeople too...

W: Yes, he's a true rtursk,r.. I/r.s tlrcttghts, his conception oftrrugic... he has createtl u sclutol: nrugicians such as-Manuill,laser, Pit Ha_rtling, Rttbktles, Aott, ,[ to a point, and me, offl)uffse... ute haue all "drunk" from his toell, absorbed hisllrcories, his conclusrons... and ue haue applied. them, and.unnparedJuan's point of uiew to that of other-magicians...

llrirrz (Pi! lltrllitt;1, liit trrtltt llorlyi;,111,-., lnrti Banitez, Me asr rtr11l11r1p1' ntttl littltirrlr".. rtllr't 1t11t ,,qtrltr itt " Mt,tttttrill Ascnnio" (2011)

A Book in English: Thc crrrtl nragic of Woody Arag6n

R: Yes, yourre right! Juan's influence is so wide... he'sa genius in every aspect of magic.

W: The great genius. But there's a danger in looking only ttrthe outside. That's uhy, and I'll go back to your preuiott'.ensu)er, in order to cornpensate the great influence he had it,

me, I decided I needed to create mA oun magic, and I stan"lt'rl

by focusing on the method. Thatb how I "geue birth" to tho:;,'mathematical, automatic and ingenious tricks, because they't','based on the methods I enjoy the most. But, once I had takt'ttcare of the method, I had to focus on the presentations. Atr,lafter uorking on them, it usas time to work on the construclit,rtof the routines, and then on how to create the structut€ ttl rt

show, and then I had to work on mA onstage persona... rttrtlrhis rs the road I'm in, Wing to slously master euerA aspet:l .lthis art, so I can then customize them end use them t,communicate uith my audience. And the final g oal has ahut t r t '

been the some: To reach my audience uith my magic, wlril,stickinq to uho I am.

R: Woody, do you have any kind of professiorr;rlrelationship with mathematics? I mean... many peoplr'think you're a mathematician, or something relatetl loit...

W: That's right. Many people tell me...

R: I don't know if that's trecause of the kind of tricl..you perform... or maybe because of your looks...

W: Because of my look? Do I look like a Math teacher?

R: Ha, ha, ha! I don't know... maybe.

W: Well, it might be, as some people approach nu urttl t,llme, "WeIl Woody, since uoirc tt ntathematicictrt...", bul llt,rlcan't be farther fro* lltc lnttlt. Not onhy ultt I trol tt

mathematician, I'ue hutl tt tt't't'iltlc litttt'ttsith rnulltetturli('.s {r, rr

kid at school, I'ue ulttttrtls ltt't'tt ,,,1 111trlirl ttrullt<'ttttrlit'.s.slttr/r'rrl /

preferrecl literutttrt', ( irtr'1, trrrrl lttlirt!

A book ilt lirrl'lr:,lr I ltr' , .rt,l nr,rJ,r, ol Woolly Aragon

I think that, tuhett tt ttttttlit'itttt pt't'fitrrrts ntost of his magiclrused on certain ntallrtxls, llut!'s ltt't'ttttst' it's the method that heatjoys the most. Thul's rplt!t, U'l .srt rr trtttrlician performing allo/his tricks based ort dil.'l'il-rtlt slaiqltt ol'hcrnd, I willpresume heatjoys using these lcirul of' lccltttitlttcs. And, since most of mAtricks are based on nrullutrttrlitrul principles... plus, many oftlrc magicians that speciuliz<t in rnath-based tricks are greattrruthematicians, and tlutL rt^ tlrc reason uhy they enjoytuorking uith those methods, and create their own style basedrnt them.

In my case, using mathematics in magic is not a result ofIwing mathematics itself, but rather because I loue whettnathematics can add to traditional magical methods. Insteadrrl'using a sleight, I go through a process that has no "trick",lnil has a result that seems impossible for my audience, sincellrctl can't relate the process to the result. There's an articlekttcr in this book about this, as I think combining "classicel"lrclmique uith mathematics, mostly applied to card ntagic,fltrt lead to amazing results.

ll: Actually, there's sornething I wanted to ask you.What do you think mathemagic could add to "regular"rrragic? You just said there's an article about this in thelrook, but... is there any.thing you would like to add inlhis regard? Something missing in the article that youwould like to say?

ll: Well, in the erticle I speak about uhet I think is the"rlttrule.rous" side of mathemagic, and ctlso about its besttlttulilie.s, uhich can ntoke it worthy of being included in anynt.t(tic ttct. Ancl ryes, I do think it's a kind of magic "frownedul,t,n irr .sonrrr cirr'/r,s. ll lurs lrcert xdd it i.s foo easy, boring and',rtilul onlq.fbt' lx'<littttt't's. ll4urrtutltilt', I llink a mathematicallutxtl lri<'k tru'tls tts tttttt'lr tt'lturt'sttl(rs o/r(' lrused on sleight ofIt,ttttl.

l{: Youtvc grll lo rr,ol'k orr il. ol'r'oursr'... ilts :r tliltl'crcntItirrrl ol' tt'orl., lrtrl

}*

A Book in English: 'l-ltc crtttl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

W: Yes, a dffirent kind oJ Luork, but uork neuertheles:'Euerything has to be quick and smooth... I think tue haue t,,

forget the idea of "tricks suitedfor amqteTtrs" and appreciut,the reol ualue of mathemagic, and realize uhat it can add t,'the artistic ualue of your show, because of its inner workfit,tnot just because it's easy. Actually, most of the tricks I perfu'ttt.while hauing parts being based on mathem(fiical principk',..use manA sleights end subtleties: Faro, false or stock shufJlt','

forces (b oth technical and p sy cholog ical), false dealing ...

Some people think I am specialized in mathematic tricl'"based on cleuer principles. I, on the other hand, belieue tlt,'

reoson why this style fits me so well is that my real speciahtl r"

composing and constructing routines that include that kirul ,'1

magic. I(nouing the ingredients you are working tuith, utr,lknouing hout to combine them to "cook", if I might say. I tltirtl'I knota hotu to discern uhat uorks in a shotu, after hauitt,tbeen in front of an audience in so many dffirent situcttittrr ,

And that brings us back to ushat you said before, regardiruy tlt,'

effect that becoming a pro had in me, what I learned.fi',,rrtJuan, Gabi...

R: ...well, I also think your background in musir'might also have been a determining factor.

W: Yes, composing syrnphonic music clearly influenced tlt,'

uay I created magic, later on. Actually, tttso or three ol llt,'main acts in my shotu,like the "Ouerture in Tuo Mouettrr'rrt"act, haue a lot to do, or haue been directly born from Qcktltlirt,lideas I used as a corry)oser.

R: Is there anything you try to tell your audiencc n'illryour magic? I mean, is there any message that nr:rLr'\you think before performingz "That's tohot I Ltstrrtl tttsaA with tnA ntagic", and then try your bcsl ltrcommunicate it onstage. Antl I'rn talking abottl lrollryour personalit5r, :urrl v()ltt' oltslitgc pcrs()ll:1. llct':ltrsr'you've always h:ttl :t vcrt' rlil'r't'l itn<l slr':right lirt'w:rrrlway of c:ontnrunir':t I i rrg rv i I I t t'otI l' ittttliettt't'...

Abook irr I rrllr',lr Ilr, ,,r,l nr,rl,rr rrl Wootl.y At'agon

W: Well, there lS xttrtrlltitttl, tttttl I utn (ttuore of it. But it hasbeen the result oJ'1ttu't, <'ttittt'itlt,ttt,c. l,cl is .say that, at a certainmoment of mA lijb, ltuo littt,s tltttt ltttd lrcut running parallel to<:ach other, suddenlty trt<'1, tttrtl lx,ctrttttt urc. At the beginning, Iruas not ou)ore oJ'tuhut I ttrttttlul lo communicate uith myrnagic (you need Aeus o.f' ltaflbnrirry experience in order toIrnow that) because ntll rttitrcl ruus busy taking care of othertlings: testing methocls, cJJ'ccts... But there was a point attuhich I became au)are oJ' my magic, and knew there u:assomething I wented to say u;ith it. And then I realized itttrutches mA personality. The uay I am influences the uay Iltresent mA magic, but it elso infLuences mA decisionstvctarding uhat I want to tell. For me, it uas a natural process.

As you just said, I am o uerA straight person, probablylx'cause arcogance is something I really despise. I like torclctblish a close bond tuith people, and I think no one is moreitttportant than anA other person, but anAone ls moreitrtportant than anything, including the art of magic. When I1x'rfbrm magicfor somebody, I really care ctbout uhat hefeels,rrttl ctbout "creating a mostetpiece". That's the uay I am, andrt,lut I want to tell uith my magic is, of course the feeling oftt,orrcler, and amazement, but also, I want the audience tohttotu that euerything in life is relatiue, and our "mltndene"rt'rtt't'ies are not so important. What really matters is being atl(t()d person. And, as mA grandma used to say "the mostttttlttn'tant thing is staying healthy".

l{: You know, sometimes this is sornething thatlrrrllpcns sometimes... I think, sometirnes, there arerrrrrg,icians that are really intelligentr you can tell theyru'r'. Ancl, when thcy pcrform, the way they presentllrr.ir margic sccnls lo bc scr.caming "lookhow srnozrt Ittttt!" Srmrelilrrr.s il's lrtrt:atrsc of the effects they1lr.r'lol'rn, brrl nt:lny lilnt.s il's :rlso bcczruse of theirrrl I il rr<le onsl:rgr'.

Irr yorrr' ('irs.', r'orr ;lr.r'lirrrrr rr.:rllv clr.r,t.r. trr:r;4it:....iustlry lrrkirrg tr lool. ll llrr. ll'icks 1'ou cl'r.rrl(., y()lr r.:tn tcll.

n

A Book in English: l-hc calil nragic of Woody Arag6n

But you don't "play" the part of an intelligent pers()rr.On the other side, some people really like showing ol'1.

And what I mean by this is that you can show y()rrr'magic is deep without constantly showing off how dcr';rand cultured you are. Or, you can have great artisl ir'

sensitivity, without having to be overly sentiment:rl,and constantly doing stuff tryrng to make people s;rr

"Wow! Whst a gug! IIe's so sensitiue!"

W: I think thqt's not the uaA to go! It canT !,,

counterproductiue. Sometimes, in a mouie, at the theater, utr,l'of course, in magic, a "trap" is sef for the audience. Arttl I

suppose some people taill like it, Qnd I don' knou if it dept'rr,l"on Aour sensitiuity, you cultural background, or simphl ,'rru.;hether you're used to it or not... but for me, u)hen I rtrtt

taatching a shotu and suddenly, for no reason, a uerA moritt,tpiece of music storfs to play, and then the performer pull:. ,r

child from the audience and starts talking about illusiort, ,ttr,lthe big things in lift, and euerything starts getting -frt.tu. t

somehow reject this kind of stuff, unconsciously. It pulls nt( ('ttt

of the shoru, and I don't like that at all.

I am not saying that I don't like to be moued by a nice slttt tl

or music, or by the mood created at a certain point of a slrttrt'

but I feel there's a big dffirence behaeen the times u)l7ctt t1,'tr

are moued because of the moment and the attitude of thc ttrtt 'r

creqte that feeling inside you, and uhen someone fri<'s /,''force" us to feel moued, ond tries to create that feeling tlu' t'r r

" t t

uay. I really think thlt you need to haue great taste to dtt tlrrrtkind of stuff well and, unfortunately, thrs rs not colttttttttltlseen.

R: Yes, some get into it when presented with tlrcsr'kinds of "scenes", and some others dislike it. Just lil.r'me. But in your case... there's nothing getting ilt llrr'way between you and your :ttrtlicnce. And I thinl< tlr:tl'sone of the great virtues ol'yottl' lnagic.

W: Well, n"tctql;a.solltt'/irttr':; i/':; rl t/t.srtt/ttttttltttlt'ltt(t, (l.s .strttt''

people niclht nrtl !trl;r' tttt' t't't'tl',,'r'iotts/t/... I t'<'ttlltl tltttt'! l':ttttrt'

A book in I')rrlllislr: I lrt' , rrrrl tttirlit, ol Wootly Aragon

ll: No, no... I really lilic it! I thirrl< that it is more pure,lirrm an artistic point ol'vicw. You can tell there'srrothing fake.

W: That's beceuse I think llrut, il'uhat I do for them is goodt'ttough, the audience will reulize it euen if I don't constantlytrll them. If I want to treat my audience os equals, I can'tttrtderestimate them. I knou that a magician can be as much ofttn ortist as a painter or a piano player, and that because ofttt'ltin prejudices against magic, some people do not ualue itrrs trntch as they should. But I don't thinkmy shous are aplacetrr "lecture" people about the importance of magic, or theltl.,stige it should heue. The only thing I can do is try to be asItrnu,st as possible, do what I enjoy doing the most, do the best It'ttn, qiue it oII I'ue got, and then it uill be their turn to decidett,lrcllrcr they think I perform art, or worthless junk.

It: Ok. ThankyouWoody!

ll/; ArIo, ThankYOU uery much. See you!

A Book in English: 'l'hc crrnl magic of Woody Arag6n

Monday night meetings: Iuan Tamariz,Ignncio de lourdan (fr,,ttrChile, aisiting Madrid), and Me.

(2007)

A book ilr l',rr1,11511; I ltt' , rtttl tttitl'tt' .l W..tly Aragon

TH EORETICAL RELATIVISM

Magicians love theory, and it seems that Spanish magicianskrve it even more. If you take a look at the international magicsccne you will discover that Spain, and the Latin culture,rlcvelop their theories about the art of magic to a greater extenttlran most. In lectures, articles, books, master classes, internetlirrums... and even in a casual conversation between tworrragicians, you will find not only discussions about the mostsrritable technique in the context of a routine, but alsorliscussions of theoretical issues, applications, and the validityol'said theories.

'l'his is probably a result of master Ascanio's influence, and therk,vclopment of the Escuela Magica de Madrid, whoselirt:ular letter has, for more than 30 year, been eminentlyIlrcoretical.

'l'lrc importance of Arturo de Ascanio's theories cannot berk'rriccl. But as others have previously noted, Ascanio did not"irrvcnt" them in a vacuum. His theoretical conceptions cameIrorrr watching other magicians perform (primarily, Fred Kapsrvlro Ascanio consitlcrctl to be the perfect performer). Ascaniol,,lrv(' nilmcs to cxislirrg hrrt lrrcviously undefined concepts that,rvlrilc alrctr<ly lrt'irrg inslirrctivcl.y rrsctl, were hard to define.'l'ltirttl<s to Arlrrlo's worli wr'('iln now irllllly a "parenthesis oflorgt.llirlrrr.ss",;rvoirl ;rrr ";rrrli t'orrlr';rsl p:rrr,rrlllcsis", and takerr(lviullilg(.ol llrr"'lrrlrl r'lli'r'1". rrol orrlt'lrt'irrslinct, ltut on ar'ottsciotts lr'r'r'1.

I

I

A Book in English: Thc crltl rlagic of Woody Arag6n

And that is the greatness of Ascurrio's works: The use of theorras a tool. Theory must be born from performing, analyzing yorrrperformance, and then returning to theory. If it doesn't, it i,,

easy to fall into the trap of merely senseless pondering.

But there's something that worries me. In my opinion, rtlexcess of theory, or, should I say, an exaggeration of it:

importance, creates the opposite effect. On the one hand, sottr,'of the younger magicians (including me) sometimes darc l, ,

make theories about some aspects of magic when we stil1 lat'l.years (not only in terms of experience, but also yet to reat lr

maturity). Besides, when theory becomes the foundation of orrr

magic, rather than just one more tool, it creates a rigidity in t lr, '

way one performs, thinks, creates and values. And, at the sattr,'

time, I see some people overreacting in a negative way wht'rrthey realize that theory, isn't always perfect. In the latter cits,',we can sometimes find articles and opinions that disctrs,,attack, and sometimes it seems that they even try to destroy tlr,'theoretical foundations on which we've based our work mrt',ryears ago.

The notion of "theoretical relativism" is something thrrl I

thought of, at an internal level, when I witnessed, ( )r

participated in discussions about theory, and someone defettrl,',1a trivial theory, as fiercely as if his life depended on it, or rts rl

the idea was an unmovable pillar on which rested the v.rrexistence of magic. Or sometimes, the opposite occurecl, ;tn,lsomeone stated that a well-established theory, used and prt)\'r'r I

for centuries, was no longer valid, and that magicians sltorrl,ldiscard it if we wanted our art to develop and reach a new lt'r , I

of depth and meaning.

Curiously, most of the time, the people presenting [ltr,',,

arguments had only been practicing magic for a f'cw vt'rrland/or were never abie to itt'tit:ttlat-c a practical ttsc lirt llr,theories they defended. So llrt'v llrilt'tl trl llxrvitlt' lttly t'vitlt'tr, ,

thatmighthave convittt't'tlolltt'ts llrrrt llrt'ir itlt'lts wt'tt vltlirl.

A book irr l'.rrllr',lr I lrr' r:rrrl lrr,r1,tr ,rl Wootly Alagon

Most of the timcs, rrry oPirriorr rvlrs llt:rt sorne parts of theiritleas were right, bul il is rlillicrrll lo lr'.y to lrresent a "universalIruth" in these kincl ol'rliscrrssiorrs, lrt't'lusc in magic there is nolbsolute truth about wlrlt tlrt'rrrrtlit'ncc should see or think.

I think Alex Elmslcy rrriglrl lurvc been a precursor of this"lheoretical relativism" irlca. llc wrote an article in which hecompared the trick to zr paLicnt, and theory to the remedy for itsillrress. "Btrt e person gocs Lo tlrc doctor only uhen he's ill, andtnily then the search for the right remedy begins". If a doctorlrve every medicine in the w-orld to a new patient, in order tolit'cp him healthy, he would probablykill him.

'l'[re lesson of this this essay is to be aware of how the differentllrcoretical concepts of magic can be applied to an actualpr,r"fbrmance. However, when I start working on a trick, I beginrrr;rinly from intuition. Theory vs. intuition? Are those concepts, rlrposite? Actually the truth is the opposite one, as probably the,l.t'tl for Ascanio's theories was is wonderful intuition. It is the';;urre for Gabi's concepts, Bob Neale's classifications, and'l';rrrrerriz's theory of false solutions.

llt'caruse what usually happens, when you create by intuition,r:r llrat you unconsciously apply all of the theory you know. If\'()ll detect a problem in your creation then, as Elmsleyg,r',rposed, it is time to try to find a remedy in theory. But iftlrr,ory goes against your intuition, I think that, when in doubt,rl's lrctter to follow the latter. Follow what's inside you, evenrvlrcrr it makes you question your theoretical base, and makesrorr li'cl unsure. But, if there's something that I am completely, orrl'itlcnt about is what I feel when I am performing a trick.\rrrl, il'sornething works for me, I'd rather not change it. I will

I r ;r vr , pknty of time to clctrrrmine why it works, and maybe, after',,,r'r,r'rrl .ycars ol' cxpt'r'irrrt'ntlrtion, and drawing conclusions, Irr rll l'irrtl :t rr('w Ilrt'or'.t' nrvscll'.

l'lr;rl is wlry I w:rrn vorr lo lrc r';u't'lirl wlrcrr tr':trliltg the articles,rrr lltcot'\' ittt'lrrrl,',1 rrr llrir; lrooli.'l'ltct' ;u'(' rrollrirtg ltt<lt'e than myr'l|illi()lts, ;ln(l llr,',,,il'.r'(lll('lr('{'r, ()l ttt\ {)\\ll {'\Pt'ti(.tlt't's itttCl nlytrrr'nlot's lr';tt lrttrr' .

A Book in English: Thc cirrtl magic of Woody Arag6n

When I began studying music, I found several handbooli,about creating harmony. They taught almost-mathematit';rlconcepts for a method that made that any melody you played t,rr

a piano sound "well The problem was that sometimes I woulclrr'tfollow the handbook's methods, but I would still get a goo,lsound - even though I was not following the estobhshed rules. \friend of mine, a viola player, told me, while recording oDC .lmy pieces with his string quartet: "I hope you knou ultrttyou're doing! This chord doesn't match the harmonyl" I almor;lfelt guilty for liking what I heard. Could it be that I had rr,,

musical talent? Was I wasting all of the basic principles ol

polyphony?

Years later, I was relieved when as I studied the works ol ;r

master who is considered by many to be the best authot'r,lmusic handbooks in the world: Walter Piston, famous for lrr:;

books on orchestration and harmony. In one of them, he stalt'rl"The rules presented in this harmony handbook are tt(,l

unchangeable principles that can't be auoided, but ntt't','guiding rules deducted from the toorks of composers durirt,lmore than 4 centuries. I uill not tell you how to do things,./nr',/houL they haue been done so far" .

I always try to follow his advice.

A bool< ilr lrnl,lrslr l lrt' , rrrrl rrrirl,r, ol Woorly Aragon

REGARDING MATHEMAGICI{eading through this book, I'm sure you realized that most of

the routines I explained rely on mathematical principles.

I must admit that I am passionate about mathematical cardtricks. However, I find it is an area that is somehow "marginal"in today's magic or, at least, one that is not studied with thesirme passion as other areas of our art.

I also must confess that my current thoughts on mathemagicIrirve completely changed from when I first studied magic. Atllrc very beginning, I thought these effects were nothing morellrirn curiosities, nice effects for beginners, but absolutelylroring, and not interesting at all for a real audience. At thatlirrrc, I thought transforming a 6 of Diamonds into a King ofSpircles using a double lift was much better than having twolrrrrls whose values, if added, would match the prediction of therrrrnrber of cards of a group selected by an spectator with ther\ r rst ralian (over-under) deal...

. Arrcl I was right, of course!

llt,t'ause my humble opinion is, that many of therrrrrllrcmatical-based tricks existing are, if not outright bad,"lrrrll-baked". Thc l)t'(x:css often works like this: A magicianrliscovcrs or f inrls otr[ :r t'lcvt'r' nr:rthcmatical principle, applies itlo ir tklt:l< ol'r:irxls, ;rrr<l lltt.rr ltrot.cctls to lterform the resultinglrill<. 'l'lrirt's il. Arrrl, wlrih' tlrt, lrrirrr.iplt' irrvolvt:cl rnight actually1,,.rlt,t't'ivin!1, iur(l prr,r;r.rrl ;r rrit,t' prrrr,lc lilr ir rnathematicsrttlltttsiitsl to solvr'. it rvill prolxrlrll'lrr';r vcr'\, lrorirrg trick for at,'1IttIltt' lrttrIicrrcr'

A Book in English: Thc crnl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

And I think it is an interesting idea to analyze the reason lirrthis. This is the same thing as when a magician who, aflt'rinventing a new technique, created a trick whose only purpos,'was showing the technique itself. But I will talk about tlr,

concept of "sleight of math" (mathematical technique) later.

You should also bear in mind that mathematical tricks, for llrr'most part, require going through a series of process€S ilrrrlcalculations, sometimes even on the part of the audience. Atr,l,for most people, mathematics are boring. Your audience will 1,,'

disappointed if they came to your show expecting to have sotrr,'

fun, and suddenly find themselves doing calculations rrrtrl

counting.

Nevertheless, I have to say that in mathemagic, which is ,,

widely experimental field, I don't think it is too bad to have ttt'rrmethod published, even if the effect they are presenting r'

boring, or not that strong. When this is done, the mitr',i,

community as a whole has a new technique available. 'l'lrir

technique, after some study and assimilation could be llr,'foundation of wonderful effects. I am now thinking of Maqttt'tt,Colors, where the Gilbreath principle was first published, or'l'lt,Scarne Puzzle that would later become Alternating the Colot's.

Sometimes, the reason for this "half-baking" of math b:ts,,ltricks might be caused by the ease with which a trick's 91'1';1l,rr

might fall victim to the lure of automatism. A mathenrrtlir'.rlprinciple is able to create a magical effect by itself, withorrl llr,need for skill or technique on the performer's side. That's ulrrthose tricks are usually classified as suitable for beginnel's. ,\ rrr I

constructing routines this way ends up stressing the crltst' ,'lperformance, not the effect's power.

My own idea of mathemagic completely charrgctl ;rll, r

witnessing Juan Tamariz per{irl'rn his 7ofn1 Coirt<:idarcr'. ,\:, ,t

solution to a card prolrlt'rtr pt'opostrtl }y Ltris (lltl't'ilt, .lrr:rrr

applies the characterislics ol'llrc rrriltrrt'stitr:l< trt rt t'tlnlritt;rli,'rrof two half clecl<s, ittvt't lt'rl irr lt':lpcr'l lo t'ltt'lt olllt't'. 'l'llt' t'llr', I

was dcrnolishing, lltt' ;tttrli,'rr,,' tt';trl ;tslottisltt'<1, ltttrl I lt'ilrl 1,,

Abook in l'rrllr';lr lltr',,rt,l nr,rt,rr rrl Woorly Aragon

ligure out the methorl lirr rrrorrllrs, willrorrt a clue as to how suchrr wonder was possiblt'. 'l'lrt' rl;rv I rr';rrl thc explanation of thetrick in Sonata was :r lrrppv rllrv.

And, if I still had any tkrrrlrl, tlisr'ovcring the method for Luis( larcia's Rite of PassrrrTc crrrlcrl nry own conversion to the "DarkSide" of mathemagic. In this nxrtine, not only a mathematicallrrinciple is the basis of the trick (in the early zoth century, in alrook by Maskelyne, it was first mentioned that a 5z card deckwill return to its initial order after B out Faro shuffles). Garciaopenly explains that this principle is the reason that makes alnrshly opened deck returns to its original order after severalslruffles. Mathemagic was so powerful that the final climax,cvcn after the open explanation, is unbelievable to the audience.

It<rth the Rite and the Coincidence are, in my opinion, two ofllrt. greatest card tricks in history. And both are math based, andvcry distant from the idea that I had been thinking - that allI Irose kind of routines were boring and not at all interesting.

Since then I haven't stopped investigating and creating newrrrrrthematical tricks. And I have managed, I think, to entertainirrrrl rnystify my audience (although sometimes, when I aml,yf11g with a new principle, I can't avoid taking some risks, butI will cxplain why later).

t. The role of mathematics in card rnagic.

'l'r't'lrnique, sophisticated gimmicks... they have a chance tolril. Mathematics does not. A mathematical principle inside alr icli will always work, and it will do so while beingrrrrrlr,tt'ctable. What I rnean is, the workings of a mathematicall,rirrcilllc are secret, and unl<nown to your audience (and mostlrl llrc tiurcs, iurpossiblr' Io rcconstruct) although sometimes,lrrr';rrrric o['lloor' plt'st'lrt;rliorr, lltr: Il'icl< "smells" too much likenr;rllr('nuttics (so nrrrclt so llt;rt it t'trn rlcstroy the magicalrrlrtrttsltltt,t't' ( t). trrrrrirrll ;r lrossilrlc rrrirgicirl cl'li't't into a pttzzle,tro nr;rl lt't' lton, r lccr'; rl it'r' ).

trt I'lrcMir1,,icol \'.rrrrrio\,,1 t "llrllilrrrr'lrrr,rl('rrrrr'r'Iliorrol Mrrgir"'

L

A Book in English: l-lrc clrtl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

But the principles are there, and they are completely self-working. That is why, instead of considering them as tht'barebones of a trick (and using them only in this way), yorr

should think of them as one more weapon to add to your

arsenal, together with manipulative technique, gimmicks, or tht'use of psychological subtleties. Sometimes you can base art

effect on them, sometimes you'll only use them to help create it.

One most fantastic advantages of mathematics is that, if yorr

combine them with more "classic" techniques, the"subtext of the magical method" so to speak, changt'scompletely what you do and the way you deceive.

Let me go into further detail:

Our goal as magicians is to make the audience feel that thoare witnessing, even participating in, is somethinliIMPOSSIBLE. This is the main trait of our art and, in fact, tlrcone we use to measure the "magic strength" of an effect.

I(eeping this in mind, you will see that what we try to achievt'with the traditional manipulative and psychological techniqucs,is to MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE SEEM POSSIBLE. It is

impossible for a note just burned to appear inside a lemon, btrtwe are able to "make it happen" thanks to our techniques. Arrtlthose have to be good enough so as to deny the audience atrlpossible explanation, one they will surely try to find after tlr,'effect. We are able to achieve this with the use of misdirectiorr,hidden manipulation, psychological forces, and so on...

But all of these techniques are "tricky", and intended to

disguise that the actual facts are different from what we pres('rrl,and that it really is impossible for the bill to appear inside tlr,'lemon.

The case of mathematit:s is tltc complete opposite of tlrrrl

Using mathematical prirt<'i1rlt's will Ittt'tt our goal ittto MAI(IN(;THE POSSIBLE SI'll':M lMl'()lil'illtl,l'1. Is it possiblc Io l<t't'1,

control of a gtrlttll <tl't'lttrl:'. r'r't'tl ;tl'l t't'it sllt't'tltlot' slrrrl'llt's? ( )l

Abook irr l'rr11lr:,lr lltr',;rtrlllillir( ol Wootly Aragon

course it is, but it tlot,sn'l looli lilir, llrirl lo the audience! Theydon't know what's lrirppr.rrirrg, tlrcy don't recognizemathematics.

Psychologically, thr. lircl< ol' kltowledge of the naturalprinciples involved (nrltlrcrnirtical in this case, but I think youcould apply these idcas to plrysical principles, chemistry, opticalillusions, etc..), which ilrc couullon to magicians and laymen,ensures the greatest covcl possible. Maybe that's whymathematical tricks are nlso very suitable for an audience ofmagicians. Most magicians know almost every classic sleight ofhand technique, but many of them are not aware of the innerworkings of mathematical principles.

So our only task is to enhance this feeling of impossibility(remember our goal, and I insist on this because I really thinkit's important: you want to make the possible seem impossible)with the use of patter, presentation... because if the audience isconvinced that what just happened is impossible, and that therehas to be a "trick", they will start looking for a "move" that doesrtot exist (in reality, you did nothing, everything worked on itsown, almost "magically"). And that, in my opinion, will make itcasier for them to "let go". Once they get tired of looking for the"secret move" that does not exist, they will not suspect laterwhen you let them handle a trick deck, or hold a palmed card.'l'he combination of both "sub-texts" (manipulative andrrrirthematical) will empower the magical atmospiere.

Most mathematical principles, when applied to card magic,rrrc related to the values or positions of a card. That is why theywolk well with arrangements of cards (set-ups), very well withrrrncrnonic stacks and memorization techniques, and extremelywcll with mathematic stacks (such as the popular Si-Stebbinsslrrt'k) (r)

(r) ll is wolllr rrolirrli llrirl 'l'irrrriuiz's nlrt,nrotrit'stircl<, as well as someollrr,r'(irrllrr,lrrr1,, rrrrrrr'),:rlr,trol orrll rurrt'rrrorrit'in thc sense ofcottt;rlcll rllr'1, otrllt tttltttot'iz;tlirrtr 'l'ltctl is ;rlso it tt.tittl.tcrt-natic

llt()('(':,', nrr',1r,,I ttt Iltl ntrlrt' oI Ilrl r';rlrl:l

I

A Book in English: Thc cirnl magic of Woody Arag6n

Bear in mind that the use of a mathematical principle does nolexclude the rest, and that brings me to the next point.

z. The "sleight of rnath" concept.

I really think that, in the same way we speak abotrlmanipulative (sleight of hand) or psychological techniques, wt'should also speak about "sleight of math".

In fact, you can even substitute the use of manipulativt'techniques with the use of mathematical principles. Controllinila group of cards to the top of the deck, after a spectator shufflt's.using the Gilbreath principle, can replace palming those cartl:;and then adding them back after the shuffle.

Because, if you know and assimilate several mathematit';rlprinciples, as if they were regular sleights, then you will be abl,'to combine them, even"jazzing", in order to create new effet'l:ror improve our methods.

That is why I rarely learn a math based trick and perfonrr it

"as is". I usually work with the mathematical principle until I

reduce it to its "skeleton", tryrng to assimilate it as best I tltrrOnce I get it, I have one more weapon, one more possibility, arr,l

I can now dedicate myself to creating a new routine with it, rrtl,lit to my existing ones, combine it with another principler,,,rsimply "throw it to the bin" (because, as well as sorn('techniques, some mathematical principles might not suit mcr).

Let's use the Faro shuffle as an example. Due to llrr'mathematical properties of this technique, you can cl'('irl('MANY magical effects using it alone. The exact result willdepend on the principles you apply, and the quantity antl llr,'order of the cards you shuffle. You can combine the mirrot'slrrll.(that keeps its properties after a complete Faro) witlr llr,'Gilbreath principle (two series of cards, after the shuft'lc, vrillstay separated in two grottps t'otttititting one card of cach st't'it':, )

with the principle of conslitttl lxrcl< (.yott t:otrld tlc:rl 4 pilt's, irll,'rthe shuffles, and eaclt pilt'will cottt;titr irll thc t:itt'tls of ;t sitrl',1,'

suit), or...

A book irr l.rr1,.lr:;lr I lrt' r'rrtrl nrrl!r( r)l Woorly Aragon

And you can also rnix llrosr, prirrciplcs with the anti-Faros,which involve dealing llrt' r'irrrls irr pilt.s in a way that mimics theeffects of one or sevcrrirl ltirro slrtrl'llt,s. Ancl all of those principleswill work at the samc lirrrt', lx't':rrrsc thcy work EVERY SINGLETIME a Faro shufllc is tkrrrc. You only need to know theprinciples, and be awAlc ol'lrow aucl when to apply them.

B. Facing mathemagic.

Well, it's time to start working. How do I use a mathematicalprinciple, without creating a trick that bores the audience todeath? Without sounding dogmatic, let me show you what Iusually do, because I think it works, at least for me.

The first approach relies not so much in working on thelrresentation, but in modifying the effect itself so that thernathematical essence is "out of sight" ("Maverick" in this bookis a good example). The point to consider is whether you can getthe principle to work in a secret way. You can achieve this byrlifTerent means, and I will use a well-known mathematicalprinciple as an example. I will call this principle "The sumllrinciple" or "The principle of to+1o=2o" (everyone knowslo+to equals zo, but let's imagine for a while that this could belritlden and would be a surprising fact for your audience... justlirl the sake of having a very simple example).

l,t,t's start with a "trick" based on this principle:

'l'lre magician, without letting the audience see, writes "2{)" onir picce of paper. Then he proceeds to fold it and hands it to arrrr.rrrber of the audience as a prediction. Taking a pack of cards,lrr, lirces the ro of lrealts to a spectator, and the ro of diamondslo ir sccond onc.'l'ht'.y art'asl<ccl to add the values of their cards.'l'lrt..y aclcl to:rntl to,;rrrrl gt'l lhc number zo. The prediction isIlrr,rr xrvt::rk:rl to rrr;rlclr.

M.y goirl ltt,l'r,irr lo urrr, llrt.s:rrrrr'prirrr.iplr.willtorrt letting theitttr I it'ttt't' pt't'r'r'i t'r' I ltlt r"r, "r'olt n I i trg" I o I rc r lotrr'.

A Book in English: 'l'lrc crrrtl magic of Woody Arag6n

One of my strategies for doing this is to convert what happerr:to numbers (the values of the cards) to quantities of carc'l:;

Then we can start talking about piles and positions of cards, n<,1

iust cold, abstract numbers.

r- I would start with the prediction in this trick. Predicting rr

number is mathematical in itself, so I'11 get rid of it. Instead' t

might use a deck and have a certain card in position 20, tht'rrpredict that card.

z- One problem with this is that there would be no clint;r'until turning over the zoth card, so there would be no effect irr

counting up to 20. I can avoid this by having a red backed cit r ,l

in the desired position of a blue backed deck, thus having ,,

visual effect at the moment of getting to the 2oth position.

3- On the other hand, adding numbers (ro+lo) is the same ;ri,

adding two groups of 10 "somethings". Instead of adding 1o* lo,

I could hold a break under the top to cards of the deck, thcrrhave a member of the audience cut "a small packet", forcing l,'take the ro cards over the break. Then repeat the operatiorr'forcing the next ro cards on a second spectator. Have thetlt l"shuffle the two packets together (and in the process of shufflirrlwe "add" them. We now have a zo card packet).

4- Next, I could ask them to count the cards they are holclirrr',

and then count to that position in the "prediction" deck. lirrlagain this counting process can be avoided: We could bollrsimultaneously deal cards on the table, revealing the predictiorrwhen the spectator dealt the last card (In doing this I lr;rr''successfully eliminated all the numbers, there is no countitr.q l'

'

be done, and there's no trace of any 10 or the resulting :'o,anywhere in the whole trick).

5- Finally, in order to add some more "drama" in the cltrlrlirrr',

to the last card process, and sccing that there will bc a rilll,'shuffle (that allows the nst' ol't't'l'Iititl Itlathetnatit:ill 1lt'ittt'i1rlt'rr],the trick could end up looliitrl', sorttt'llrirrg likc tlris:

Abool< ilr l rrllr',lr Ilrr',,rr,l nr,u,t, ()l Wootly Aragon

Start uith a bhu, dccl,. ltt tplticlt tltttt tttkl u red lo of hearts inposition 20, cotutlitul.lntrtt llrc ltrct,trl llu'dcck. The blue lo oflrcarts and lo o.f cliuttttttttls lit' itr lxr.si/iorr.s to and 20, counttnq.from the backs. Ilokl lln' tlrcl; .litct, tlotutt fu dealing position,lrclding e break utuk'r tlt<' lilttt' lxr<:lcc<l tens in Toth and 2oth

ltosition. Ask two.s;lcr'ftr/or'.s ltt t'tu'lt cltt "e small packet" fromtlrc deck, forcing thenr kt lrtlcc llt<, t:tu'cls aboue eech break. Bothruill get a packet oJ to t:uttls tuitlt u red to on the bottom. Theirlwo packets are rffie slu('llctl Lotlether, so one of the tuo redlens uill be the face card o.l'tlrc combined pile. Turn the rest oflhe deckface tq), end ask thern to deal cards,face doun, one byone. Magician and Spectator deal cards one by one, face upundface down, until the spectator gets to the uery last card. Attlis moment you are holding the to of hearts. Ask the spectatorIo turn ouer the last card, and it is either a duplicate or ornatching card. In anA cose, Aou nolu reueal that your card islhe only red backed card in the deck.

I have managed to change a trick which consisted of addingvllues and predicting numbers, into one of cutting and shufflinglrilcs and predicting cards, and even added a visual climax.

4- So... is it really worth it?

Lct's face it: this is still a bad trick. Or, at least, I don't thinkit's a trick worth performing, as I think the method should be onllrc same level as the effect, or the secret utility of the principlei r rvolved. If I really wanted to perform this effect, I wouid preferlo rrsc a brainwave deck: the procedure is more direct, lessrnvl<ward, and more impossible.

Arrtl this is another danger of mathemagic, one needs to bervrrr'.y ol. We havc lo cvirlrr:tte if, for us, the method is worthy ofrvlrrl we will ar:t'orrrplislr willr it. I would personally never spendlr;rll lrrr lt<lru'ol'<'rrlcrrl;rlions to tlisccnr thc added value of two',r'lt,t'lious, lrrrt I (r'r'r'r' of'lt,rr) rrsr' Ilrt' Oilllrcatl-r principle tolonlrol :r rricr.pokr,r'lurrrrl ;rl'l r.r'rr slrrrl'llc ll'orn llrt. itudience (thenlltr,t'ollliort:; rr',,rrlrl lrl lo p;rlrrr llrr,r';rrrlr;, lr;urrl llrt.rlcck to be',lrrrlllt'rl, lltctr ;rrlrl llrlrrr lr:rcl' in, ()r'lri(';r lllipllcr rlr,r'l<, t:xtracltllrl r';tt'rls llr;rl I rr.rrrl ,nrrl otrlcr llrr'rn, r,t'lt:;('lltr.r'rrll. ot'... I

A Book in English: Thc cirxl rragic of Woody Arag6n

think it's better to just use mathematics and have it happerrdirectly).

5- How to present data and processes.

You have just seen an example where mathematics, while stillbeing part of the method, is hidden to the audience. But this willnot always be possible. Sometimes, the structure of a trick willmake it necessary to "play" with the numbers, or for sontr'actions (cuts, "controlled" deals) to be performed with the onlrpurpose being to make the mathematics work, which makes tlr,'result very hard to "cover"... In those cases you'lI have to resot'lto presentation as a cover for the method.

First and foremost, you have to bear in mind that everythirrlyou do must have a meaning. If we need a member of tlr,'audience to think of a number, make it more "personal" if llt,'number comes from the personal data of that person (birllrdate, telephone number, id...)

Let's see some possibilities of presentation.

A) As a ritual, or as numerology

Cards and numbers have been used for centuries to divine orrr

future. If you buy a book on how to read tarot cards, you will s,','the procedure to do so asks that the cards be dealt in a spct'ilr,way, in a determined number of piles, gathered in a cet'l;rrrrmanner, and so on... or, if someone explains to you how to tlo :r

numerological analysis to try to ascertain someone's future, I I t, 'r

will explain that you have to do series of mathemrttit,rloperations, using personal data from the subject (date of biltlr.number of letter in the person's name...). Finally, after all tlr,'calculations, everything is reduced to a single digit, which lt;r', ,r

special meaning and will be his/her "destiny guide". 'l'his i:, ,r

generally accepted fact, and it is plrt of our culture.

You can use this 1o \'()tlt';ttlvltttlitgtt, lttttl ptt't'st'ttl ,r

mathematical princilllt' rts ;t ulru('r'okrgit'ltl :ttt:tl.ysis llltl .yott ;rr,

doing filt's<lnrr'<tttc itt lltr';ttt,licttcr', pt'r'scttlirrg il irt ;r nt()r'('r)r

Abool< itr I rry,lr',lr Iltr',,ttrlnr,rl'rr ol Wootly Aragon

less serious way, rlt'1rtrrrlirr1l ()n \'olu' pt,r'lirrrrring style and stagepersona. You can also rrsc l lt is prr,nr isr, i l' ir trick asks for a weirdway of dealing anrl grrtlrr.r'irrg t';rrrls irr lrilcs(e.g. an anti-Faro-4:16 piles) or tell the urrrlit'rrcc llurl voll lt'c going to perform "cardreading" (and, if thc 1r'it'li rrllows lil'it, we could even use realtarot cards). In fact, irr ',<lo4 I tlt.vcloped a funny character - Dr.Aceves. Since then, whilc playing ltis role, I can perform trickswith these kinds ol' ltruccrlurcs, using the excuse of being afortune-teller.

Both numerology and tarot reading also require some "rituals"to be performed. In the case of tarot, for example, the cardshave to be cut always with the same hand, depending on whatyou want to divine, or the deck has to be cut in 3 piles, or... I amnot talking about just using a Tarot presentation exclusively.You could tell the audience about certain rituals that have to beclone so that magic happens: magic dust, snapping the fingers...then ask for a set of instructions to be followed, tryrng to createthe feeling that it is a kind of "ritual", that is only part of thepresentation (and has nothing to do with the method), so it isrlone only to ensure that the magic works.

B) As part of the effect.

You can also justifir the actions that the mathematicalprinciple requires, by giving them a seemingly different goal,orrc that looks like part of the routine's structure.

lior example, some tricks use the "principle of equal piles" inwlrich a spectator is asked to cut a packet from the deck, thencolurt the cards in the packet, remember this "magic number",;rrrrl then look for the card that lies in this number's position inllrt.tlcck. The carcls art: gatlrered and in the end, the magician is;rlrlc lo find thc c:rrrl lrrtl/or nragic number.

Nt'vtrr'llrt.lt'ss, llrc st,lr,r'lir)n l)l'o('(.ss w:rs irwl<ward and has noirrstifir':rliorr. ll vorr rv;rnlr,rl lo l'i rr<l orrl lt 1'rcrson's card andtrurrrllr,r', wlry rrol jrr:ll lrll llrr.rrr lo llrirrli ol ;r rtrnrrllcr and looklor llrt'r';rrrl ;rl llr.rl 1ro:,rlionr'Wlrv crrl, r'orrrrl ;rrrrl t'clttrrt lhe,llrtttncrl prrt'l'r'l'

A Book in English: 'lhc cirrtl rnagic of Woody Arag6n

Well, maybe because you want to have a final confirmation: I

ask the spectator that, instead of cutting and counting the cartl:;,he is now to think of a number, take as many cards as [lr,'number he thought of and keep those cards in his/her pockt'lAt the end of the effect, I write dor,rm on a paper "You thought oI

number 12". He takes out the pocketed cards and counts tht'rrrout loud so that everyone knows, for the first time, the thouglrtof number. Then the prediction is shovrn, and proves to be rig,lrtThis way, the pile of cards is the same as taking a card insteatl .ljust thinking of a card, or asking a spectator to write down lri,'thoughts in a piece of paper: It is just part of the presentatiott :r, ,

that everyone can o'visualize" the spectator's choice.

It's possible to use this method to cover actions that belong t,,a mathematical principle's inner workings, and justifi, thent rr,,

part of the presentation; as a final proof of the effect (as in tlr,'case I just explained); as a way of making a selection "fairer" 1,,,,

that everyone sees that you could not "cheat" or "force" it); lr:; ,,

way of having several members of the audience participatc (lt'reach one choose a number, and add them to get a final sum); ;r'.

part of the routine's climax (if someone takes a pile of t'rtt,l',from the deck, puts it in their pocket, and the pile is firrrrllrfound to have a different back from the rest of the cards, llrr,action justifies the holding of the cards as it ensures I coultl tr,,l

cheat); and so on...

C) As the rules of a gambling game.

This is one of my favorites. In gambling, there are rtlu':rt ,

some set procedures: shuffling in a certain way and mottr('nl.dealing cards in a required number of piles, adding carcl v:tlrr,"to determine the winner, looking for the card with thc higlr,",tvalues, and so on...

You can start by checking if thc nrathematical principlt' .v( )rr I .working with adjusts to tht' t'ttlt's ol'itn existing gitltt(l: zl l";tt.shuffles on a 20 carcl prtclit'l is tlrt'silr))c as tlcalillg 4 ltitttrlr,,,lpoker. Or maybe, you t'ottlrl pt'r'st'ttl ;t tt'it'l< ilt wlrit'lr .yott llitvl 1,,

A book irr l rrl,lr:,lr l lrt' , rrrtl nrirl,tr' rrl Woorly Alagon

deal the deck in 4 pik.s ol' t1; r';rrrls,.irrst lilic in bridge (4 piles of4 cards are used in tlrc Slxrrrislr !l;un(,ol'rrrrr.s), etc...

But one thing that I x.irll.y liltt'is tlrat, if there is no game thatmatches the actions you rrt.t.tl lo ckr... you can invent it! Isometimes perform a trit:l< willr rrry nrnemonic stack in which Ineed to deal 3 piles of rlj carrls, so I present it as an exhibitiongame of Helsinki Briclqc, which is iust like regular bridge, butfbr 3 players.

D) Test conditions.

There's also the possibility of presenting the actions that willrnake the mathematical principle work as just the contrary: Atransparent "scientific" observation that emphasizes to theirudience that you have no control, or choice over what has to betlone.

For example, you could hand an ESP deck to a member of theitudience and ask him/her to pick a card, but in a way that willlct him/her have no control over the choice, and ensure it willlrc a completely random choice, by using a random procedurerlcveloped by Dr. Zenner and used in the Department ofl'trapsychology at Duke University in California: Put the topt'irrd on the bottom of the deck, deal the next one, put the nextone on the bottom... until there is only one Ieft (a pseudo-scientific way of presenting the Australian or doum-under deal).

'l'he best example of this kind of presentation would be the useol' tlre Faro shuffle in Luis Garcia's Rite of Passoge; The Faroslrrrffle is shown; so that everyone can see the cards are mixed in;r grcrf'ect way, one by one, so that no two cards could possiblycntl up together and thc whole deck is completely mixed.

l,)) For lrlrysir';rl r'(':rsons

Sttntt'titttcs \'()u (';nr irrslilt, tlrc rrrirlltt'rrrirtit'al procedureslrt.r'lrrtst'ol'tlrr,r'orrrliliorrl irr wlrit'lr 1,orr pcrlirnll, ol'thc propsyr)lt lts('. Ilyorr'r,,u:,nrl,, it irurrlro rlr,r,li, (,\,(,r'\,orrr,will trntlcrstitndllr;rl il is rrol r';r'.r l.'.ls111llr,il, r;r) \'()lr ('orrlrl rr:lr, lr ltt,r,r'.sr,/,'rrrrl

A Book in English: Thc cultl uragic of Woody Arag6n

(mixing cards by outjogging alternating cards, extracting all olthe outjogged cards at the end and putting the resulting pile orrthe top or bottom of the deck), or shuffle by dealing the cards irrpiles.

You could also use an incomplete deck, and say that sonrccards cannot be selected because they are not in the deck (e.,11.

the queen of clubs) so you will use two cards (a queen ancl :r

club) to create a selection.

A) As a mathematical trick

This is a very funny idea. If you believe the mathematit'rrlprinciple, or a combination of them, is deceiving enough for tlr,.audience, you could base your presentation on the idea olperforming a mathematical trick for the audience. Tellinlieveryone that you will perform a math-based trick justifies (olcourse!) the calculations, numbers, and counting needed. If llrr.final effect makes it impossible for the audience to imagine il i:,

a result of mathematics, then the presentation will just sct.rrrlike a funny way of showing an impossible and unexplainllrl,.magic trick.

Abool< in l,,rrlllislr: Ilrt,t.rrrrl trrrrp.rt'ol Wootly Aragon

PROPERTIES OF MA'I'I II.]MA( iI(':

- Mathematical llrirrt,iplt,s rrcvt'r' ljril (cxact science)- A different subjct,t: Muke t hc possible seem impossitlle.- Greatest possiblc <,ou(t,.- The "sleight of ntut lr" t:orrt.cpt (it can replace other techniques)

DANGERS (T)

- "Half baked" tricks.- The "ptzzle" feeling (it kills the magical atmosphere).- Boring the audience (mathematics = boring).

I)EVELOPING A MATHEMATICAL TRICK

- Assimilate the basic principle (sleight of math)- Disguise the internal mathematical technique.

Transform numbers to quantities and/or positions,Personalize numbers (ID, dates...)

- The goal of the presentation is to make the possible seemimpossible.

I' ITESENTATIONS THAT JUSTIF'Y PROCEDURES

- Numerology/TarotlRitual- Part ofthe effect.- Gambling game rules.- "Test conditions"- Due to physical constraints.- As a mathematical trick.

(t) Irr llrcl,;rll,,l llr,,rlrrrr;,,,,r'r rrrr.llrr,sltrrrr.: r\ l,r.olrlt,rrr irr thtr tr.icl<'st'orrt,r,;rliorr, .rrr,l llrirl',, u,lrrrl I llirrrl lo lrr.l1,,;olvr,willt tlris sltrtly, lirllttilt! lttttrrl,l,' ;rrr111l ll 1 11,1r,

A book in English: The cartl nragic of Woody Aragon

My alter-ego, the numarolog.tl t'.\'lrrl ntrd .ftirtunc-tclltr,A('(itt':; (.)00.\)

Abook irr l'.rr1,li:,lr llrr r'rrrrl rrrrrlqrt ol Woorly Aragon

CONSTRUCTION ANDCOMPOSITION:

THE STRUCTURE OF MAGIC

Many things have been said, and written, about theconstruction of magic (r)... well, actually, that's not true. Thetruth is, we've barely scratched the surface of the subject, if wecompare what has already been written on the subject to thetluantity of pages dedicated to describing techniques andcffects. So, if I want to be accurate, I should start by sayrng...

Not much has been written about the construction of magic.Nevertheless, some of the books on the subject are real gems.lltrt most of the time, they are focused on how to constructrnagic by combining effects and methods, in order to createsornething greater than the sum of its parts, the goal being tocompletely disguise the method, so that the audience neversrrspects anything, and the magical atmosphere (2) islrcightened.

'l'hat means that almost all of the good studies in the subjectrlr':rl with how to construct the "inner life"(3) of our acts:('r'ossing the gaze, parenthesis of forgetfulness, the tube effect,worl<ing after the effcct is finished, and so on...

(r) I ant nrlt.r'r'itr1i lo ;rll llrt. lcvcls of uragical construction: be it the({)llstl'll('l iott :r sitt1.',h' l1i1li, lr trrtttittc, 9r' ir fir'll act.

(.1) 'l'lrt'Mrtgil ol r\:l'rtttio Vol. t "'l'ltr',Slrrrt'trrrirl (lrrrr:clttion of Magic(:l) 'l'lrt'"itrrrcr'lil,"'r,l rr tttitllic llit'li is lltt'ttt'lietts ttrll psl'ccivedbythe

Ittttlit'ttr', ,\', r,lrlrl,r'rl lo lltr"'ottlt't lili"'. ln1 t,r:tltplt', i1 tr 1ifllc 1tass,llrr,plr.,, rr,,rrl,l l,,.p,ll ul llrr."irrrrr,r'lili"',:rrrrl llrt,r.illlirrgol'tlrrrtrar.dstvottlrl 1,,'1,'11' l, llrr' 'r,rrlr.r lilr."

l)ttclrtt

A book in English: The ctrltl lnagic of Woody Aragon

But what about the "outer life"? How to combine, build ancl

order our routines, acts, or magic sessions from the point o1'

view of what the audience feels? From what has been written so

far, sometimes it seems that "Sfort with a quick and uisualeffect, then perform tricks uith an increasing irnpact order,andfinish with your best trick" should be enough.

The best written work regarding these matters is an amazingarticle, published by Tamariz in the Escuela Mdgica dc

Madrid's circular letter, explaining how he structures his owrr

stage act, and going into details on the function of each trick,what the audience receives from it, and what Juan's objectivesare in doing that trick at that precise moment.

I should also say Gabi, in his multiple notes and essays

references the subject, but does not go into detail. Nevertheless,he makes a nice distinction between the two subjects I am tryingto explain here: The structure of our act in the "inner life"'which he calls the construction, and the structure of tht'"outer life", which he calls the composition. I will use Gabi'sterminology to try and make you understand what I will bt'talking about in the rest of this essay.

I learned about this subject, from these two masters: Gabi anrl

Tamariz. And I think referring you to anything written by therrris essential. I will be trying to give you my conclusions, based tttt

what I have learned, and combined with my experience atrtl

knowledge, not only as a performer, but thanks to my previotrsjobs as a script writer for video games, and orchestral musir'composer.

I want to make it clear that I want to wT ite this essay becaust' I

think this should be an essential subject for the advanct'tlmagician, but, at the same time, it is something that is not reallrknown, or studied, beyond everyone's intuition, solelybecaust' il

is subject generally absent sttliercrt Ii'orn rnagical discussions. Mrintention is to go beyon<1 .irrst slrowing that tl-ris is zt 1-ritt'[ ol

magic that should bc lirl<t.rr irrlrl ilr't.orrnt. Ily using il r'cal wol.lrlexample, I will show v()lt ttty tv;ty ol't'tlttt;rrlsittg:ttt :tt'1, ittttl tlrr'things tltirl I tltiltk;rlrrtttl,'ro llt;tl lltcV tttitlt'lt tttV ltt't'lirt't'llilll('('

A book irr l'rrlllr:.lr I lrr' , rrrrl tlrrll!.t{ ol Wootly Aragon

style. I don't want .yorr lo us(, ntv slvh, ol'r'onrposing, but rather Iwant you to think lrlrorrl yolu' (,wn. llrrl soutetimes I will have torefer to my persou:rl t'lroicr,s, ;rs I t'orrkl not explain myself inany other way.

Finally, before you start rr.irtlirrg, I have to say that throughoutthis (really long) essay I will tall< specifically about the structureof routines, acts, or evcn I'ull shows. Everything in this essay canbe translated to any o1' those other situations, so I will jumpfrom one to the other without regard.

The audience senses the structures

The important thing to keep in mind is that the audience willexperience our magical act in a completely different way, notiust depending on the individual components of the act, but alsoclepending of the order in which they are presented. And youshould be aware that while they will not analyze the order at thecnd of the act, they will be influenced by what has happenedpreviously.

I will use an example which is not magic related. If you attendrlifferent concerts by your favorite band, you will notice somet:oncerts are better than others. Of course, some days they willplay better than others (undeniably), but the set list for eachoccasion will also play a fundamental role. Not only this, butsometimes, even though the set list was almost the same, butplayed in a slightly different order, you would experience everysong in a different way. Each song left you in a certainrlisposition to face the next one and, at that moment, thestructure of a determined order will create a specific feeling onyoll.

I saicl "at thaI rrrorrrcnt" ltecause, as I previously stated, thatrrrrtlicncc will rrot ;rn;rl.yzc lhc inner structure at the end of anrrcl, irrr<l sa.y "Worr,/ l,Vltttt tttt rttttttzitttl itttrcr structure! I loueditl", lltrt lhr'.v will r';rllrcl lrr, lt,tl lry llrt'st'rrsirtions we create inllrr,rrr. I w;rnl lo rrrirkr, llris clclrr lrr,r';rrrst'il is one of thellrr.orr.licrrl srrlr jr.r'l', llrirl ( i;rlri rlclctrrls nrillr rrrosl pirssion, ancluttc llurl ln;ur\ 1rr,;rlr, lirrrl lr;rrrlr.sl lo 1ir';rs1r: 'l'lrt'rrritgir.i:tn,

I

A book in English: Thc crrnl rrragic of Woody Aragon

knowing the whole structure of a trick, bases his constructiorrand interpretation on his overall vision.

But I firmly believe (and, hopefully, you will agree with mt'tthat the spectator is never conscious of the trick's complel,'structure.

When he sees a trick for the first time, he lives tlr,moment: he is only affected by what he feels and knor,t,,in the moment he is living, because he doesn't knor,what will happen next... even if he believes he's "caughlthe magician, everything could be part of the plan (houmany sucker tricks rely on this!), which means th;rlanything could happen...But when the trick is finished... he doesn't know whrlhappened! At this moment, he will try to rewind, ittr,lanalyze the effect, but the only available data will bt' in

his immediate memory. Anything not registered in rt

does not exist. That means the audience can only ust' il,,immediate memories to try to reconstruct the trick, rtn,lthose memories will have been influenced by you us ,,

magician, their expectations, the structure... actuallrthey will never remember the trick "as it was".And, as time goes by, when they try to remembel llr'trick after some days, they will use their long tt'rn,memory, which is even less reliable than the short tt'rrrrone. The result is what Juan Tamariz calls the cottt.leffect. These are exaggerated memories in which, il'tlr,audience was mesmerized and fascinated by the ttt;r1',i,

the effect will become something short of a nlit';t, 1,'

(usually impossible to recreate in real life).

So, if a spectator wanted to be conscious of every singltr itslr.r'lof a magic trick (and I am hclt: sltc:tl<ing of a specil'ic rrrttlirr,'not just a whole session) ht'wotrltl ltltvtr to wattlr it tttittty litrr,'focusing his attention orl llvilrl', lo tttt'trtot'iz(', ('ottll)ttt'(' ltttrl

Abooli irr I rr1,lr',lr llrr',.rrrlrr.rt,rr ol Wootly Aragon

dissect every singlt' tlr,trril. 'l'lr;rl is, lrc worrltl lrave to become amagician.

That's why I thinli it I rr';rll.y inrporl:rnt to notice that, whenyou are creating a slrrrt'lrrn., rkrirrg something at a precisemoment, or orderitrl3 ;r st,r'it's ol'irctions in a certain sequence,you should be thinking uborrt wltat lhe spectator is experiencingat that precise morncnt: l)on'[ clo a false shuffle just becauselater, when the speclalor rcwincls, he will think "Just a sec!Could the aces haue beat on top of the deck .from thebeginning? No, ir can't be, he shuffled the deck..." The reasonshould be that, right at the moment when the Aces appear, theaudience feels that they are coming out from a shuffled deck.

The audience senses the method

There is one more matter that I believe is important. I willrefer to it later, and it is a concept that took me time to grasp,and even more to understand so clearly as to explain it here(zrlthough now I find it obvious): The audience is affected by themethod.

Throughout my life in magic I've heard many colleagues saylhat, as long as it looks clean and fools people, the audiencetloes not care about the method. They say that this is an internalthing, only for magicians. They think the magician should onlycare about the conditions in which the effect is performed, andtlrat nothing is "seen". But for the audience, the only thing thatrrrltters is the effect, the rhythm, the presentation... thest'rrtence, made popular by Colombini, that says"People pay forttthut theA see, not.for what they don't see" is misinterpreted,rrrrrl used as a souncl bite justification. In some extreme cases,I'vc heard peoplc rlclirnc'l terrible methods, and even outrightclrt.rrting (stoolit's, usirrg nurrkccl cards for straight divinationr,lli't'ls, ctt') lr.y srryirrg llt:rt lhc auclience only wants to"r.x1rt.r'icnct' tlrt' illrrsion". 'lir slllll ul), son)c lxx)ple think that,lrt,r';rtrsr, llrr';rrrrlir.rrr'r,ir; unir\,v;u'('ol'llrt'trit,l<'s sct:t.ct, they areittst,ttsil ivr, lo I lrl rrrrl lrorI

A book in English: Thc canl rrragic of Woody Aragon

I completely disagree with this generalized view. Not only do I

share Tamariz's vision, which is that method and effect are tlrr'foundations of magic, as opposed to construction artr I

presentation (I refer you to his lectures, in which he compart',,the trick to the skeleton, the construction to the body and tlr,'presentation to the make-up), but I also believe that, if 1rou ar.composing something for an audience, you have to take irrl,,account everything that might affect them, and that includes tlr,method.

Every method in magic has some characteristics, and tho:,,'affect the outer life of a trick. And those characteristics;tr,'perceived by the audience. If you do a trick that requires yotr l( )

do an Ascanio spread, the audience doesn't have to think yorr

are hiding cards from their sight, but they see you take, sprt';r,land move the cards in a certain way. Leaving apart the qualitrof the secret, as long as the way you hold and/or move the carr 1,,

affects the audience's perception of a certain moment in tlr,'routine, they care about the method.

Construction vs. Composition

First, your objective when structuring magic depends on wlt;rlyou are working on.

If you're working on the construction of magic, that i5, ,rrdisguising the method, then throughout your act you rlust lrtl',into account:

- What is the audience thinking of at this momenl ?

Am I controlling their attention? Do I need to rlo rl

now?Could they suspect the method? If so, you llitvt' 1,,

divert them away from it.If they were tryirtg lo llncl out et nlcthotl, llr.rshouldn't be ablt' lo ittt;tgittt'ortc that I'its willr r'r'lr.rt

they're settittg.

Abook irr l rrllr',lr llr,',,rr,lrr,rl'rl ()l Wootly Aragon

Can thc t'xlt.r'n;rl rrclions tlr;rt I tl<l help me to coverpart ol' llrt' lli<'li's inrrr,r' lili'? (lan I have everythingset up lor tlrt. rrt.xl lrir,li wlrt.rr I l'inish this one?Do thc cl'li'r'ls tlrrrt ltaltlten throughout theroutine/scssiorr t'rrrpowtrr cach other, so that theoverall rcsrrll is nrort. rlccciving?

Conversely, when worl<ing olt cor-rlposition, you have to think:

What does the audience feel at this moment?Will they understand the effects that theconstruction I made has in store for them? If thesensations I create are very similar to the previousones, will they like it? Or maybe it will be too much,and they will get bored, or even uncomfortable...Empathy: Try to put yourself in your audience'splace. This is FUNDAMENTAI.Try to find the best emotions for them to feel:Conflict, enjoyment, surprise, astonishment...Can you relate this moment to a previous, or later,one so as to enhance your act's clarity, unity,structure or rh'uthm?

I{ow does WoodyAragon create a structure?

As I said before, I will use my own choices as a starting pointin l rying to write about construction. All of them come from myowr) personality, concept of magic, criteria and, first andlort,most, my own preferences (which should be the foundationol'your style: what you like to do, and what you don't).

l)on't worry, I will rrot stalt cxplaining in detail how I like myrrr;r1iit'to bc, or wlr;rl I lrv lo ('onvcy to my audience. This yourvill scc.yorrrst'll', il vorr s('('nt(, 1lt'r'lirrnr sonrc day. Despite thelillr,, this st'r'liorr r,r,ill rrol lrt'llrt, lvpir':rl t'go-lroostir-rg script inrvlriclr it nlrliici;rrrrpr';rkr,;rlroul lrirrrsr.ll'lirr wlurt sccm to be,r1ir,s. I irrrr orrlr irrl.rr".l,,,l irr r';rr'lrl.irrli;rlrorrl lltc tlrirrgs thitL y<ltr,;rtr prol'il lrortr I rrrll lrr'lt:, r)n lr,llirrli lorr rvlr;rl rlo;rrttl wlLrt I

A book in English: Thc clrtl rrragic of Woody Aragon

take into account when creating the structure of a magical act' I

will talk about the main things that I keep in mind, but I knowthat you might consider different ones in your own personrtlanalysis.

I can basically sum up the whole process in the phras,'

"Variety in tnethod. Unitg in effect." Let me explain tlrt'three key points in this thinking:

Magic for the sake of impossibility: Some magicians lilir'to present feats of unearthly skill. Others want to move theiraudience with poetry, or with the symbolic images in theirmagic. Some aim to make people laugh as much as they ar','

astonished. Others look for spectacular, visual effects. I havr'nothing against any of these decisions, but my decision is to tL,

magic just for the sake of pure impossibility. I am completerlrconvinced that doing, watching and experiencing somethirrliimpossible is entertaining / beautiful / powerful / artisti,enough so as not to need any additional window dressing.

So, in words of Simon Aronson, it is not enough for me l,know that the audience cannot figure out how I do my magit'. I

want them to feel that what they have just seen cannot be dotr,'And, in order to create that feeling, I use the same kincl ol

construction for my routines (most of the time). As long as I t':ttrdo it, and it adds to the totality of the routine (and I think llr,'ones in this book are an obvious example), I try to ensure tlt;rlevery time an effect is repeated (even with slight variations) tlr,'method is a different one.

Magicians are keen on building a routine based on a sitrg.l,'

method (I suppose we think "well, I'ue got this nice mellrttlhere,let's try to get as much of it as I can')- Three aces tt'rttt'linvisibly and join a fourth one. The method is that the tltlt','aces are double facers... The carutibal cards eat tl-re cxplort'r,,and the explorers disappear. Twi<rc in a row this is accottt;llislrt',1with an Ascanio spread... A Six-lllrasc tltrcc crtrtl ntttttlt'completelybased ot.t t'ittrls willr lr tlottlllt'itttltlx... ittttl I t'ottltl r',,,

on and on, nat-t'tit.tg lttttlrlrcrl:; ,l tottlittcs.

A bool' ilr I rr1,lr',lr Ilrt r.rtrl rn,r,,rr ol Wootly Artrgon

But if you focus orr rvlr;rl 1'orr rr';rrrl lo corrvcy to your audience,instead of doing wlrrrl i:; llrl r';r:;it'r;l llring lirr you as a magician,you'll see that rllur.y lirrrt's t,r,r,r'\' plurst,ol'a routine can rely on adifferent method. Arrrl tlris crrrr lclrrirlly heighten its magicalpower (by means ol'tlrr' llturt't1 ol'.liilse solutions) as well asgiving the routinc's olrtt'r'lili'tlrt.valiety I was talking aboutearlier. But bewalc, I lrrr rroI rrrrtlcrcstimating the strength andusefulness of using tlrc s:lnrc rnethod more than once(McDonold's Aces, Iirr crxlnrplc, bases the three transpositioneffects on the use o1'dotrblc Iacers, and it is a perfect routine justas it is). But I think you should at least consider if basing aroutine's construction on a variety of methods might improve it.

And I try to go even further. I personally look for methodsthat, while being different, have some externai feature thathelps me to erase, in the audience's mind, the internalcharacteristics of the other methods I use.

Let me give you an example. In the spelling routine, most ofthe phases are based in the properties of a stack: Red-Blackalternation, suit rotation, the rosary for the final phase... but, inthe third phase, not only does the method not rely on the stack,but it allows for the cards to be fairly shuffled by a spectator.The fact that the effect happens in the hands of an audiencemember, and after he shuffles the deck adds fby means ofrnagical languagel something that a hundred false shuffles couldnever do for the routine.

Unity: Unity and variety are on the two sides of a scale thatshould be carefully monitored. Imagine that you perform a closerrp show, which runs for over an hour, completely based on"vanishing coins" effects. It will be a unified show, but you willprobably end u;r boring your audience. On the other hand, if('vcly tricl< in llrt'slrow uscs a clifl'erent element (coins, cards,r'ol)os, sill<s, firt'...), lr;ts;r rlil'lirnrnt size (parlor, stage, close up,illrrsiorrs...) rrrrrl ;r corrrplr.lt.lv tlil'li't'crrt stylc (comedy, poetic,ntirttiltrrlirliorr, I'irl':r rrrlrl,,ir'. rrrt,nl;rlisrrr...), tlrt'rr thcrc will berurlrrlirlly lo;rrlr ,rl r;rrillr'... lrrrl yorrr';rrrrlit'rrcc will cnrl u1-l bcingcottlitsctl.

k

A book in English: The cartl rrtirgio of Woody Aragon

Imagine a concert in which a rnusician started by playing a

ballad on the piano, then heavy metal with a guitar, then gospelon a trumpet... there would be variety in the show, but...

When building the structure of an act, you should choostrelements related to each other, or to your personality.Personally, if I build a routine based on a premise ("the Jokersare influenced by the ualues of the cards", "the deck finds tltccards you spell to") all the effects in the routine should br'related to this theme, so that everything works like a melodl'and its variations.

I am not completely against "beroque" magic, or routines thalstart with a sandwich effect, then a rising card, a triumph antl,finally, by having all of the cards in the deck turn blanli(actually, I do perform some of those kind of routines), but I

believe that this makes unity much more difficult to maintairr.and you run the risk of ending up performing what would seettr

to be a mdlange of effects with no apparent external structut't'.In any case, I think mixing effects is fine if including a certainmagic effect at a determined moment of a routine is the result ol

fulfilling the needs of the audience (needs created by orrr

composition, in the trick's outer life) and adds to the routinc':;totality. If you can take the effect out and the rest of the effet'l:rin the routine don't notice the difference, then those previtttt:,conditions are not met.

Variety: Variety in method also helps to create a vat'ictlact/session, as much as trying to perform different kin<l t,l

effects, and looking to convey different emotions to yotrr

audience.

The reason for this is related to what I exposed before, ilt llr,'"the audience senses the method" section. Since the ntctltorlaffects your audience because of what they "see", using a sitttil;rrmethod several times during your act will affect the auclictrt'r'. I

mean, if you abuse a certain tt't'ltttitlttc or grab thc c:itt'tls in ,r

certain way many timcs tlttt'irrg vottt' slt<lw, yottl' ittttlit'ttt't' tvillbecome aware of tl-re litrJttcncr';rrrtl il rrriglrt ucl itlt'rrtil'it'tl ;rr:rpossib'lc nrcrthorl.

Abooli irr I rrllr',lr llrr',,rrrl rrr,r1,rr ol Wootly Aragon

Over ten years ir,lo, I sl;rllr,rl pcrlirrnring close up shows inwhich I exclusivcl.y pcrlirrrrrcrl rrr.y owrr material. And, at thebeginning, the rcsult wirs il slrow rnorur repetitive (and boring)than when I perforrrrt'tl lliclis lhrnr otlrcr rnagicians. Some of myfriends told me "you trt't' tttrltl ttsirttl <rurds for a long time... youshould perform trir:/c.s tuitlt dil.'llrett objects". Their intentionswere good, but that was nol the answer to my problem. If Iinserted variety only in thc cxternal part fwhat the audiencesees] and not in the internal one fwhat you convey youraudience when performingl then the root of the problem wouldstill be there. I tried very hard to find the reason for why thiswas happening, as the tricks and the emotions I tried to expresswere very different (a gambling effect, a divination one,transformations, cards across...). It took me years to find out theproblem: When you are creating your own tricks, you do itbased on your ovrn style, your own creative resources, and usethe methods that you are more comfortable with. In my case,most of my tricks were based on the use of a mnemonic stackand mathematics. And, since the methods I used made itnecessary to shuffle in a certain way, or do similar processes likedealing cards in piles... the result was that, no matter how muchvariety of the effects I presented, there were some repetitiveirctions in every trick that imbued them with a halo of "this isllte same as before".

Ever since then, every time I am working on a new show, I trylo include a variety of methods in it. A trick based in a stack,lhen one based on sleight of hand, another one with trickcllds...

Composing tools

So let's go str':riglrt to tlrc point. How to face the task ofcorrrp<lsinli orrr slrowi' I s;ritl tlr:rl, il'wc want to structure our actso llr:rt llrt'wlrolc is lrrlgcr llr;rrr llrt'srrnr ol'its parts, you shouldlinow whrrl lo rlo, ;rrrrl llrr,olrlr.r'in wlriclr yorr shorrlcl do it, basedott wlt;rt lltr';rrrrli,'rrll ir; lr,r,lilr1,,... lrrrl. lrow rlo votr l<ltow what'IIrc rtttrIit'tr<'r' Ir','|','

A book in English: Thc cartl rnagic of Woody Aragon

Actually, it is obvious that you can never know for sure. That iswhy it is so important that you ernpathize with your audience as

much as possible. Try to put yourself in their place. Beyond thal,you will have to rely on your own intuition.

But if there's one thing you do know is what you have done irr

order to make the audience feel a certain way. That means your'starting point when trlnng to know what to do next should bcasking yourself: What is the state of the audience after the lasttrick? What are they feeling after the effect/patterlgag I just ditlfor them? If you just reached an astonishing climax, they mightbe wanting to see something even more amazing, or maybe tht'best thing would be to perform a "lesser" trick, in order to rel:trthem... Most of the time, your choice will depend on the nerxl

effect you will be performing, or on how far in the show you ar'('.

So, obviously, you need to know very well every detail of th,'effects you perform.

I wrote earlier that this should be an essential subject firr

advanced magicians. I did not mean that beginners have It,,right to present a well-structured act. The problem is that irr

order to gain consciousness about every aspect that will tali,'part in the composition of an act [at every moment, and in evt'r r

effect you performl, you will probably need years of expericttt','in performing.

Because this article is not about what tricks you can do, lrtrlabout knowing at every moment during the trick's performttttt','what you are conveying to your audience, in order to know tlri:r,you will have to go through a performance hundreds of timt's, irrfront of different audiences, in different conditions, itnrlunderstand why you are doing every part of the tricl< (wlriclrimplies testing different versions of the same effect). In otlrlrwords, if you want to have a good composition, you will ncrctl 1,,

work with a repertoire already in w'hat Ascanio callctl llrr'"assimilation phase", or quite close to it.

The more tricks yott nritstt't' ttp lo tlr;tl lttvd of prrrf icicrtt'v, llrr'morefreedom yoLI will lrirvc lrl lltc lilttt'ttl't:olttll<tsittg:ttt;tt'|. llyou arc brrilcling:t sltow rvillt ,l llli'r'ls,;ttttl lltost'r; ltt't'tltt'orrlt

A booli in I rr1,lr,lr I lrr'r;lrl nrrrllrr' rrl Wootly Aragon

ones you can per'firrnr, llrt,rr ,r,orr rryill .irrsl lrt: able to find the idea]order and distribrrliorr lirr llrosr, 11 t.l'lircts. But if you have 18tricks, from whicl) yolr ('iur clroosr, t.y, .yott'll obviously have manymore possibilities wlrt,r r t'o r r r

1 ros i r rg .you r act.

Actually, in somc ol'nr.y nlor'c (:onlltlex acts (routines like the"Ovetture in Two Movcrrrcnts", or shows like "La ilusi6n lapintan calva"), I startctl ll'orrr u list of the main tricks that Iwanted to perform ancl, or.rcc distributed throughout the show,when I felt like the structure was asking for a certain kind ofeffect at a precise moment, I created new tricks on purpose toact as fillers for those parts of the show.

Since the main idea is that the structure of your act should beexternally harmonic, let's see some examples of valid structures.Obviously, they will serve only as a starting point. You canmodify any of them, combining effects and developing your actat your wish, but it will be the whole act, not just the tricks thatcomprise it, that determine whether it has the "ideal" structure.

l,Vhen I speak about this subject, many people falsely believethat, if you were to copy the structure of one of Mozart'ssymphonies, changing every piece for a magic effect, you wouldend up with a well-structured act. But the truth is, Mozartcreated the symphony's structure for the specific pieces that arepart of it. And, when he used different ones to compose, theresulting structure was a different one. That means "copy &1)aste" doesn't necessarily work.

To sum up, it is the magical language that should rule ourstructure, not the musical, literary, theatrical orr:inematographic one. But, in order to make the examplest'lcrarer, I will constantly refer to all those other arts, which havetlcrvcloped thc srrlrit,t't to a nruch greater extent than our belovedrrt:rgic.

l,inear slru('lurr.. 'l'lrc rrrosl t'orrrnrorr stnrt'Irrle: A differentt'l'lt't't t'irt'lr lirnt', orrl lrllcr lltc ollrt.r'. 'l'lrc rrurirr tlirngcr of thisItirrrl ol'('()nll)or,rlrorr r, llrirl \'()u t'un tlrr,r'isli ol crt.lrling a l<incl of"r'it'r'us lilir,"',trrrlltttr' ,'\l lltr.r.rrrl ol r,r'r,r'\' lricli .yorr [<lrgcl

A book in English: The cartl rrragic of Woody Aragon

everything you've done before, and start a new, going into thenext trick with a "Well, that wcts the rising cords trick. Notu letme shou gou something with this piece of yellow rope" verysimilar to hearing "NotD, in the center ring, the knife-sut allou erl" from the ringleader.

There's nothing wrong with this composition, if that is whatyou wish (showing the audience a compilation of the tricks youcan do), but you should be aware that the feeling of watching a

well structured show is very different that the feeling of havingwitnessed a succession of independent effects.

Juan Esteban Varela once told me that he thought the answerto this problem was a simple one: Not only should you studyand practice the tricks you will perform, but also the interludesbetween them. If the transition between every trick and thcfollowing one is smooth, and there seems to be a plot, tht'problem will disappear.

In any case, and more so if you opt for this kind of structure, i1

is very important to keep in mind the classical three actdramatic structure: Setup, confrontation and resolution. Almostevery magic trick can be divided in those same three phases:The initial situation is explained ("here's a shuffied deck olcards..."); there is a series of facts that change the initialsituation ("pick a card, sign it, lose it in the deck, shuffie...");and a final resolution that usually happens at the same momenlas the magic effect ("the card trauelled to my wallet!").

But this three act structure can be further developed by addingtwo more "conflict points" at the end of each of the two firstacts. Something like this:

Setup: Introduction to the plot, characters...Setup > Turning Point: Something happens, a conflit:t ispresented.Confrontation Phast': A st'r'it,s <ll'conflicts or r:hallcngcshappen [prefelabh' i r r i r rcrr';rsi ng rl i I'lir:rr I t.y ortlt'r' I.

A book irr I rr1,lr.,lr llrr.r rrrrlurirl,t(.()l Woorly Aragon

Confrontulion ('r.ilir,;rl l,oirrl: A very strong conflictthat relatcs to llrt, I'irsl orrr,.Resolutio. l)lr;rsr': 'l'lrt, I'irrirl r.lirrr:rx is reached, and all ofthe conflicts ln. solvt.rl.

You will be able t, "l'ir" irlrrrrst ir.y .f the dramatic works youalready know into this str.rrt.lrrr.c. Allow me to give you anexample, using a st.ry tlrlt cvcryone knows: charlei Dickens'AChristmas Carol.

Setup: Meet Mr. Scrooge, a cruel and bitter old manwho doesn't celebrate Christmas.Setup > Turning point: Scrooge receives a visit fromthe ghost of Jacob Marley, his business partner.Confrontation: The ghosts of the Christmas past,Present and Yet to Come make him face severalmoments in his life, from his childhood to his eventualfuture.Confrontation > Crisis point: Scrooge, facing the visionof his own grave, realizes that he has wasted his wholelife. He repents, but knows that it is too late. He knowshe will die alone, with no family or friends.Resolution: Scrooge wakes up, transformed, anddiscovers that he's back in the present day. He has beengiven a second chance. He Eecomes a kind heartedperson, and joy{ully celebrates Christmas.

. Let me low present you with a magic example. This structurei's.masterfully adapted for the classic Matching the cards.If any,l'you perform it, you will already know it ii one of the mostwonderful effects that can be presented in front of an audience.'l'al<e a look at its contposition:

o Sctrrp: 'l'lrt. pt.r'lirnncr. introduces himself to the:rrr<lir,nr,r., ;rnrl slrows llrtrrn u shuffled deck of cards.

o Sclrrlr 'l'rrrrrirrli lloirrl: A rrrt'rrrllcr. of tl-re audiencesr,lr,r'lr, l (';n'(1, wlrost.irlcrrtil.y is rrnl<nown to(,\'(,t\r,rr,, 'l'lrl rrr;r1iir,i;rn sl,;rlr.s Ilt:rl lrr. t.:rrt fln<l thel lr lr.,.,,rr r l,, 11 il lr l lrr, :;;rnrr, r,;rlrrr, ;rt l lrr. st,lct.liolt.

A book in English: The carrl rnagic of Woody Aragon

Confrontation Phase: Even though finding the cardswith the same value is more a test of skill with cardsthan pure magic, the performer succeeds in finding,one by one, the three cards with the announcedvalue. The difficulty increases every time, as thereare fewer cards with the said value in the deck.Confrontation > Crisis Point: The spectator's firstselection is revealed... and it has a different value.The magician failed at his task, and all of his effoftshave become worthless.Resolution: The three previously found cards areshown once again. They have magically changed tomatch the value of the first selection. The performersucceeds, and proves he is a true magician.

I think I don't have to stress the importance of ther

cornposition element in this routine. Imagine the beginning o1'

the trick was the same but without the crisis point. For example,after finding three Jacks, the spectator's card was turned over,and shornm to be the fourth Jack. There would be no problenrfrom the technical side (construction), but... it would be a muchworse trick, wouldn't it?!

The importance of number three: I would like to remintlyou (and many other have done it before me) that using thret'parts when composing an act has always worked, ever sinct'classical Greek theater. Juan Tamariz has always defended tht'beauty of using number three in magic routines: Tricks witlrthree phases, the three bread crumbs by Ren6 Lavand, the thra'Cups and balls, three Linking Rings, the three card monte...There are four aces in an ace assembly, of course... but onlrthree ofthem travel!

It has been said that the reason for this beauty is that, sinccthere are three phases, each one "balances" the other two,making the whole look more complete. And there's also the flrctthat three is a good numbcr'ol'titttcs to repeat ati efl'cct lit tlrt'rrstarts getting a bit bolirrg [irr yottt' :ttttlicnccl. II I llrctlit:lt'rlsomething correctly ortt'r', I rrripilrl lutvt'ltct'tt ltrt'l<.y. lltrt il'l

A booli irr I rr1'lr,,lr l lrt. ,lrrrl rrrirl,rr ol Woorly Aragon

predict it correctl.y llrrr.r, lirrrr,r;, llrr,rr I r,liruinerte the element ofpure chance. Slroulrl .\,orr lr'\'lo rlo it to times in a row, myprediction is that.yorrr':rrrrlicrrct,will bc bored to death longbefore you get to tlrt, torl, prr,tlictiorr. In any case, I am onlyhighlighting this as irrr olrliorr vorr slrould be aware of, becauseits constant prescrrct' irr tlrt, t,lirssir: works cannot be ignored.Let's take another lool< ;rl A Christmas Carol. and analvzeeach act in detail.

SetupScrooge is a miser, he hides the coal from his employees,even though it is very cold.He hates his only nephew. He doesn't like Fred invitinghim for Christmas dinner.He is cruel with his employee, Bob Cratchit.

Setup > Turning Point.Confrontation phase

The ghost of Christmas Past makes him remember whohe is and why.The ghost of Christmas Present forces him to see howthe people around him feel.The ghost of Christmas Yet to Come makes him face theconsequences of his actions and forces him to witnesshis own grave.

Confrontation > Crisis Point.Resolutiona. Scrooge asks a kid to buy a turkey for him, giving him a

tip.b. He goes to his nephew's dinner, and apologizes to him.c. He gives the turkey to Bob Cratchit, and gives him a

raise.

As you can s()(), crrr:h ac:[ can be further divided in three phases.Antl this is sontt'llrilt13 (.ontrnon to many other dramaticcorrstnrr:I iorrs.

l'lrlt'l'hl'r.:rrls. 'l'lrlrl will trlw;r.ys lx' lwo plol lhr.cacls in yourircls. Orrc,l llrr,rrr rvill irrvolvt. llrr.;rcrlirrrrrcr.(.yorr!) ancl thcollrcr orrc rvill lrc rrr,r1,.rc ilsr'll. Nl;rlqic lrcls irri;r ('()nlnrolt t,lt'rttt'rrt

a

A book in English: The card magic of Woody Aragon

in every trick or routine yolt will perform. But having anadditional plot thread throughout the show, or bonding severalof the tricks into a longer routine, can be an interesting additionto your show.

The plot thread can consist of a theme for the wholeperformance (e.g., gambling cheats) which does not have to berelated to the effects you perform. On the other hand, the plotcan be built around the similarity between some of the effects ofa long routine that you perform.

Setting the stage before the show begins. Here's aninteresting option for you act. Before the beginning, setsomething in your performing space that indicates to theaudience what will later take place during the show.

Imagine that the spectators, even though you're not on stageyet, are able to see a table in which there's a candle, a crystalball and an envelope with the Zodiac signs and a big questionmark right in the center. Even though you've done anything yet,the first act (Setup) has already started. The elements on stagetell the audience about the magician, who he is, and raise thequestion about what could be inside the envelope.

The reprise. In musical theater, there is a plot that binds theshow together, but there are also independent acts, that arcsomehow similar to the magic effects we magicians perform. I

am referring to each song, ofcourse.

There is a resource often used to enhance the structure of tht'show, so it does not seem that the audience is being presentetlwith just "song after song". It is the repetition, or variation of :r

song, in the form of a reprise. It works like this: a song is playcrl,and then, in certain point of the show, it is repeated, with slightvariations, to create the feeling of a progression throughout tht'play. At the end, the song is usually developed until it reachcs rr

climax.

Actually, there's a sirlilirr l'(,sout'('(' tlrirt is oftcn rrsctl in rrrirgit':The running gag. Iltrt it rrsrr;rllv consisls rrrolr.of ir.iol<t., lltirrr tlrr

A bool< irr l,rr1llr,;lr I lrt. t,nrrl nutlitl ol Wootly Aragon

repetition of an cl'li't't llrrorrglrorrl llrr. pt,r'lirnnance. Bill Malonepulls cards out o['lris rrrorrllr rrl'lt'r.t'vcry etfect in one of hisshows. Imagine cloing llrirl sr.vt,r.irl lirncs, and end by slowlyproducing from yotrr rrrorrllr ir ,lrrnrlxr card, which had beenselected and lost irr ir .lrrrrrlro I)ct.l<. Alcx Elmsley, in his DazzleAct, repeatedly removcs tltt'.iol<cr. ljurl the deck (although he'ssupposed to have (kllc so prcviously, which results in asuccession of jokers bcing procltrced). Finally, right before theend of the show (actually, an amazing "super-reprise" in whichhe produced every carcl that had appeared in the act) he does apacket trick with the jokers.

Meter structure. A more elaborate version of the latterwould be repeating not just an effect, but several of them.Meters, or measurements, and their structures (ABAB, ABCBA,ABA, etc.) have been studied and used thoroughly in poetry andmusic.

Imagine you perform different transposition and sandwicheffects, and for some reason, one of the transpositions worksvery well with one of the sandwich effects. If you are aware ofthis possibility, you could try fitting the effects to one of theprevious structures.

Cyclic structure (starting from the end). One morepossibility in structuring your act consists of presenting asituation at the beginning of the show, and what looks like thetrnd of a trick. Then the show starts, and it develops until thesarne initial situation is presented, and the final trick ispcrformed. The feeling that a cycle has been completed, andcverything is back the starting point, can be quite interesting.

A similar option would be to start the show as usual (from thelrcginning), but cntling it so that everything is back to the initialsiluation, crcatirrl4 llrr, Ii'cling of an endless loop.

lknrtinc th:rl gor.s orr llrroughout the act. This ideacorrsists ol't;rliirrli;r nrrrlli ;rlt;rsr'<l rrrrrtirrr,, irrrtl s;x.cading thetrtttlti;rlt't'l'li'r'ls llrlorrl',lrorrl llrr,slrow. lrrr;r14irrt,rr srri/ Altporitiort(ltorrlirrt'irr n'lrir'lr llrr rrrrrliili;rrr prorlrrr,r,s llrl t;j r.irrrls of ir srril,

I

A book in English: Thc cirlrl rnagic of Woody Aragon

made popular by Ricky Jay in the United States and Jose Carrollin Spain) that happens throughout a whole act. The aces areproduced, and one of them is selected. It is the Ace of Spades.The magician sets it on the table, and cuts the deck to the Twoof Spades. Then he performs the first trick. Once it is finished,the Three of Spades is produced. One more trick, and thentheFour, and so on for the rest of the show, as the audience seesthe Spades in a ribbon spread, which slowly increases as thecards are produced. The show would end when the 13 Spadeschanged into Hearts.

An exercise. Take 7 blank cards. Choose a film, book,concert, or any other artistic work of your choice. Make a list o1'

the different scenes/acts, and select the 7 that you feel are moslrepresentative. You will usually choose the beginning, the end,and the main plot conflicts. Write the 7 scenes on the blanlicards, in order, and describe in each card what you felt whenwatching it flistening to it] as a spectator. (Rhythm, comedy,thrill, drama...)

Try to assemble a magic session, using 7 tricks from your'repertoire, respecting the same structure and emotions. Try touse effects that convey a similar feeling to what you wrote otrthe cards. Then check if there is an apparent variety in tht'effects, while trying to maintain some unity in the structure. Tnto find some recurring plot references, and build it into yourmagic structure.

Final thoughts:

It might seem as though this article is aimed at tht'professional, or semi-professional magicians, who already havt',or are building, a complete act. But actually, one of the moslcommon problems for amateur magicians, who perfortuinformal magic, is that, when they are requested to perfirlnr,they start improvising, doing trick after trick as one comcrs l()their mind. The problem is, if your empathy with thc auclicttccisn't good enough, or your rt'pt't'loitt isn't clccp cuottglt, it's vcrreasy to end up perl'ortnirrg t'l'li't'ls lltitt, ottt: itl'tt'l'lltc tttltt:t', ;tt'r'repetitive, ol' ntaybt' ltcrlirt tttitt,l', ;t tttittot' t'l'lct'l lrl'tcr' otl(' ()l

A bool' irr l'rr1,lr,,lr I lrt'r,trrl rritl,t( (rl Woorly Aragon

greater impact, or sirrrlrlr, lry lrllv;r.vs rkrirrg lhe same tricks, justbecause being on tlrt' spol, llrr,rt,'s rro lirrrc lo think "What shall Ido now...?".

My advice for rtragit'i:rns irr llris sitrratior-r is: following the ruleson this article, try to ;rsst.rrrlrlt' "srnall acts" composed of threetricks (a beginning, a st't.onrl, ulore complex trick, and apowerful effect fbr thc cntling) suited to the performingconditions you will firrcl yorrrsclves in. For example, what deckwill you be able to usc (stacked deck, normal deck,borrowed/incomplete cleck)? Will you use a table? What's theenvironment like (you need to adapt for noisy places wherevisual effects are more important than patter)? and so on...

This way, you will organize your tricks into "blocks" whosestructure you have analyzed, and you know that it works. Afterperforming one of them, if you feel your audience is ready formore, you can always perform another one, or maybe think ofan "encore" trick in advance. If, on the other hand, after one ortwo tricks the circumstances you are performing in change, thiswon't be a problem at all, as the same structure might end upleaving your audience "hungry for more", which is always agood thing.

This subject could be the subject of a whoie book, but I hopethis article serves as an introduction, and also as a way to try tospark your interest. If, after reading it, you feel like examiningand starting to work on this area of your magic, my goal will beaccomplished.

i

A book in English: The r:artl rnagic of Woody Aragon

THE ROLE OF STUCTURE.IN MAGIC:

The audience faces the structure: They are affectedby it at an unsconscious level. The only thing thatmatters is what they feel at every moment.The audience faces the method: They only careabout the method's "external life"Construction vs. Composition.

MY WAY TO STRUCTURE:

- Magic for the sake of impossibility.- unity in Effect.- Variety in Method.

COMPOSING TOOLS:

- Linear Structures.- The importance of number three.- Plot Thread.- Some Structures:

o Linear Structure.o Meter Structure.o Cyclic Structure.

A book in l'.n1llr:;lr I lrr' r'rrrrl rrrrrprr' ol Woo<ly Aragon

MY MASTERS

Some years ago, I interviewed Spanish magician MiguelGomez. He told me that he thought "there are tuo kinds ofmasters: the ones you get to know in person, and those uhoAou neuer meet, but are able to make you change the way youund er s t and maq ic neu erthele s s " .

This means that a master is a magician that influences you insome aspect of magic, up to the point where he becomesfundamental to your understanding of the way to perform andapproach magic. That means all of us end up having severalmasters, no matter how their work has reached us - "live", inbooks or videos. And today, where you can find magic schoolssuch as Ana Tamariz's, in Madrid, where pupils have the chanceto learn from different magicians, and about the differentcategories of magic (but all of them associated with the figure ofJuan Tamariz, the school's flagship magician), there's a newgeneration of magicians that, in years to come, will have a longlist of magicians as their masters. Lucky them!

In my case, due to the "magical isolation" I experienced in mycarly years as a magician, everything I learned was quite self-taught (with all of the resulting problems). Nevertheless, thereItave been somc nragicians that did bring that the change ofnragical vision tlrirl Migucl Gomez talked about, in differentrlcgrees. An<l I worrlrl lilit' 1o cxpress the main thing I learnedll'onr cacrh orrr., rrrrrl lirr wlrit'lr I'rrr lcrllly gr':rtclfirl to them.

.lu:ur'l':utt:u'iz ir, trrv trrosl rlirr,r'l rrutslt,r'(lor thirt I can sayI'vr,ltt.r,rr rr,;rllr lrrll,t ) rrrrrl llrr.otrlv ortr, llr;rl I r';rrr sity lrits bccn

{

A book in English: The carcl nragic of Woody Aragon

1,oo(% my master. His shows and his books have had a grealinfluence on my education as a magician, and probably as :r

person, ever since I was a kid (I remember experiencingVerbolMagic for the first time, in a trick I did with him through TV irrthe popular quiz show f/n, Dos, Tres, when I was barely r<lyears old.) I learned his tricks, his sleights and his style olperforming and presenting magic. But that was only tht'beginning. Even though I met him in person at Madrid's SEI irr1993, soon after joining the Circle, it wasn't until tgggf 2ooothat I had the chance of meeting him regularly, and I started tomeet him once or twice a week for several years, and little bvlittle we developed a friendship as well as a teacher-pupilrelationship, both of which I've had the luck of enjoying greatlv.And during the recent years, tricks haven't been the mostimportant things I've learned from Juan, but much deept.r.aspects of magic. He's taught me the techniques, and thr,importance of communication, art, and the symbolism inhererrrtto magic tricks, construction, psychology... and he's passed orrFrakson's ideas of loving magic, and loving through magir..Magic is happiness, which means I am happy when I sturlr.practice and perform magic. And that means nothing elscmatters, and I don't suffer anymore if something doesn't wor'|.like I wanted it to. The most important thing is the feeling youconvey your audience (and you receive it too, as feedback frrrrrryour audience) and the relationship between magician :rrrrlaudience. Because it's obvious that, if you enjoy doirrlisomething, and are able to "send" your joy to your audierrt.,'.they will feel that joy too.

Juan can also tell the virtues and flaws of a trick... or ir

performer. And he doesn't want his pupils to become "littl,,Tamatiz" clones, but he rather encourages you to be yoursell', lr,tyour own personality show, and convey it to your audient.r, irrthe best possible way. And, first and foremost, to enjoy doirrlq ir

I remember what he told me just before starting nty at'l irrFISM, zoo6 in Stockholm: "Woody, remember you ccurtc ltt,r.,,to shotu your routine to the whole utorld. Nou ftis tirtte lo t,rt jotlit. Don't uorcA about tuirttrirttl.'l\t rtte, tlou ah.corlry ut<nt llrtGrand Prix." I didn't gcl ir prizr., lrrrt I hatl l goorl rlrrllif ir.;tliorr(I scored 6tl,) and, wlritl's rrrorr,irrrportirrrl, !r'rr.ioyt'rl il gr.r.;rllr

A hool' irr l rr1,lr,,lr Ilrr'r rrrrlrlrtlrtl ul Woorly Aragon

Thanks Juan.

Fernando Pclayo, wlrorrr I rrrr,l l)r,rlrrcntly before starting tospend time with ,lrurrr. llt, lrirrl lx't.rr l<nown Juan since the 7o's,and for some y(|:u's lrt, l;rrrglrt nrt. 'l'irnrariz's magic philosophyfrom his expericrrt.t,, irrrrl girvr, rrrc r.cllly sound advice. Fernandois not a professionirl nrirgit.iirrr (cvcn though I think he's gotmore than enough cltralit.y [o woll< professionally) but watchingone of his rare pcrlornranccs is n real treat. His main *ay ofenjoying magic is thruuglr thc study of tricks: analyzing them,searching for their weakuesses, creating new versions... Ilearned from him (ancl encled up doing it constantly, almostindiscriminately) to "toy for the joy of toying" with tricks. If Isee or learn one I like, I immediately start thinking what tochange, where to modifiz it, if I can give it a twist... even if Ireally liked the original one! Most of the times you end upruining the trick, but if there's something I learned fromFernando, is that it's worth it: Your own version of a trick, evenif it's worse, is enjoyed because of the very process of itscreation- The only important thing after that process is beingable to discern if you really added something worthy to the tricland, if that's not the case, then abandon your version andperform the trick as you learned it. This eliminates the dangerof ruining a good trick, and makes "toying" just a game to enjoyoneself, and an exercise in creativity.

Alex Elmsley, speaking of creativity, is one of the secondkind of masters Miguel Gomez spoke about. I never met him inperson, and when we eventually planned a trip, it was too late.Nevertheless, after having the chance to see his works for thefirst time (thanks to Stephen Minch's books) I was completelyfascinated by his creative genius. Since then, I've been collectingand studying every,thing he's come up with. As I said in theprologue to ttr: Sltanish version of his books, Elmsley is acontinuous splrl< lo t:r'cirlivily. His methods amaze me, and hehclped ntc l, r't'tlrirrli rrr.y nragic, antl think about magic fromtlillbrcnt 1rt'r's1rt,t'livr,s. Willr lrirrr I lcirr.rrcrl to appreciateinvcrrlivt'rrcss irr rrrr'llr,rl, ;rrrrl llr:rl ;rrr irrlr,lligt'rrt :rrralysis <lf atttcllrorl, irrclrrrlirrli ,rlcililrl ol lr:rrrrl, is lrr,ilr.r' llr;rrr sllcntlingttlottllt;t['lct'tttottllt lrt'ltr'lilittlg lr t1(]\,(,. I lirrrrrrl s9r1t't,grrt.t.1tls

A book in English: The r:artl nragic of Woody Aragon

regarding the structure of a routine and "theoretical relativism"that made me feel that I had found a twin soul in magic.Because of this, and much more, I always acknowledge theimportance of Elmsley, who's been unfairly pushed into thebackground. I think he's one of the most creative and originalmagicians in the zoth Century.

Gabi Pareras, an unbelievable case. In spite of his youngage, he can be considered one of the true masters of our art inSpain. He studied and assimilated Ascanio's teachings, thencontinued working on them, and was able to take some of themto the next level. I met him about B years ago, and since then wemeet two or three times a year, when I visit Barcelona.Watching one of Gabi's lectures is like turning on the director'scommentaries in a DVD: he doesn't just tell you what to do, butwhy, how it works, and the name of the concept he's isolatetland labeled, so that you can use it anytime you want, juslnormal sleight of hand (and it works just like it!). Anvconversation with Gabi is that and much more. His tricks, as

simple as over-whelming, create really powerful magicirlmoments, and feelings very different to the ones we're used toin magic.

Over the years, Gabi has taught me some of those concepls(and we have talked about many of them for a long time), anrlthat made me finally realize that there's a main underlyirrliconcept. The most important thing I've learned from Gabi is notto limit myself; to try to think outside of the box. In magic, it

doesn't matter whether something is true or not true, or logir';rlor not logical. The only thing that matters is what we convey loour audience. All the rest are archeffies created by magicirrn:rfor our own comfort. The problem with that is that sometirtrr':,this ends up limiting our creativity.

Lennart Green, is the iast magician I can considcl rrn"master", but his influence in magic was not as direct as itt llrr'case of Juan or Gabi, as my cot.ttitt:ts with him havc bct:tt sl):u'sr'His case is a strange ouc, ittttl rltrilt'trrritlttc, as thc t:ltitngc itt llrr'way I see magic th:rt Irt'pt'ovolit'tl in nttr t:ittttc:tbottl lltt'otrl',lrwatching him on virlco, ;r rrrcrli;r so ol'lt'n t'r'itit'izt'rl. l,'t'r'n:rrrrl,,

A bool' rrr I ttl,lt',lt I ltr' r rttrl tttttP,tr' ol'Worltly Aragon

Pelayo had alrt'irrlv lolrl rrrr, ;rlrorrl lrinr, lrut I though his wordswere exaggeratt'tl. W;rlclrirrg l,r,rrrurrl (lrccr-r for the first timecompletely chlrrgt,rl llrr, wit.y I llrotrght of many magicalconcepts. Thanl<s to lrirrr I h,irrrrr,rl rrirtutarlness in handling issomething petsorrirl, irs sorrrr,llrirrg tltat looks natural for oneperson can loolt wt'irrl irr irrrollrcr'. I also rediscovered thepleasure of magit: irr itst'll': l,crrnlrt clidn't have an appealingpatter for his triclis (lrt' rlirlrr't cvcn seem to know the languagehe spoke in thosc virlcos rcllly well), and he was not reallyfocused on trying [o lrc "t:ourmercial". But he shocked andamazed me more thun rnany other magicians, because you cantell he's put in so much lovc atnd work into what he does, and it'simpossible not to be touched by his magic. And that's what Juanused to tell me: If you work on a trick, caress it, look after it, andenjoy performing it, your audience will feel it, and enjoy it withyou.

Regarding sleight of hand, Lennart was a turning point for me:before watching him, I considered sleight of hand to be a "lesserevil", something I didn't like, but had to go through in order toachieve the magical effect. With Lennart I ended up greatlyenjoying the mere practice, creation, or presentation of atechnique. I discovered the table is a "third hand" that has to betaken into account. I felt comfortable using his " chaotic-controls" as much as I was when using classic techniques.There's a different side to Lennart's sleights, nevertheless, thathas to do with his Snctp Deal andhis amazing flourishes, whichare completely opposite to the sleights I like to use, but I enjoyimmensely r.vtren I see him perform them.

I was lucky enough to meet Lennart in zoo6, at the magicfestival Toledoilusion (a convention I organized, in whichLennart was the main artist, thanks to the great Dani DaOrtiz'shelp) and at that occasion, and in some more that would comelarter, I spent some days with him, and showed him mySepcrragon (a slcight that I could only have created afterwittching hinr). I also got to see some of his ideas live. Itlisc:ovcrt'tl llr.'s vr,r'v lit.t.rr on mathematical principles, and thatIrt''s ir grr':rl pclsorr, lrrrrrlrlt.irnrl l<inrl. Lcrrnirrl is always full ofposilivr'(,n(,r'1,,\', rrrrrl I llrirrli llt;rt sllt.rrrlirrg tirrrc willr hinr ural<crs

re

A book in English: The caxl nragic of Woody Aragon

you want to live life to its fullest.

That's about it. But, I must say there's a different group o1'

magicians in Spain that, without meeting Miguel Gomez'srequirements to be considered as my masters, they have had a

great influence on my magic, helping me to grow as a magician.Miguel Angel Gea, Ram6n Riob6o, Juan Esteban Varela, MiguelGomez himself, my partner in magic li.aki Zabaletta... I willspeak of my "lesser masters" on another occasion.

TO SUM IT UP:

Juan: The goal of magic: Joy, Love, Communication,Emotions.

Fernando: Being fond of magic, "toying" with it. Enjoy theprocess, "taste" it.

Alex Elmsley: Enjoythe method. Originality. Analysis.Creativity.

Catli: Fighting "magician's logic". Create feelings.Lennart Green: The joy of sleight of hand. Relative

naturalness.

I could say, then, that I try to have Elmsley in my heacl,

Fernando in my taste, Lennart in my hands, Gabi in my eyes'

and Juan in myheart.

A bool. irr I rrl'lr,,lr llr,',;rr,l nrrtl'rr'rll Woorly Aragon

Appendix:

WOODY'S CHANGE BOX

Every time a magician llcrlin'rns tricks similar to the ones inthis book, that requirc stacking several cards (or even the wholedeck) prior to the start of the trick, being able to perform a deckswitch comes in real handy. That's why I will now explain howto build a gimmicked box I invented around r99B (although Iwould not be surprised if someone had invented somethingsimilar before me), and that I even sold in Spain for a while.

The gimmick looks just like a regular box, but allows you toswitch up to half the deck when you introduce it inside the box,and later take it out.

What you will need: Two identical card boxes, scissors oran exacto knife, glue, and about 3o cards, preferably old ones, incase they are stained with glue.

Start by flattening out the card boxes completeiy. You will onlykeep the front (the "face"), sides and flap of one of them, as youcan see in the picture.

W

A book in English: The carcl nragic of Woody Aragon

Place 3o cards over the same "face" of the complete box.

Bend the side of the box at the right of the 3o card group, so

that the box becomes as thick as the cards. When you place thebox over the cards, there will be some excess of the box on theIeft. Bend it and cut it, so that the box is even. Stick the side andlower flaps. Finally, make an exaggerate cut the "bite" in therear of the box, as you can see in the picture. You wiII end upwith a "half box" that can fit half a deck.

Stick the other "half box", lcaving space for another 29 or 3ocards, over the cut at thc lt:rt'l< .yott.ittst ntitde. The flap shgtrlcl lrt'

A booli, irr I rt;,11,,11 lltr'r'rrtrl rlrr11it'el Wpgrly Aragon

on the oppositt.sitlc ol'llrr, ollrcr, lrox's l1ir1r. 'fhe result will be aregular sized box witlr two r.orrrpiu.lrrrt'nls.

The only thing left to do is to cut a slit in the lower part of thefirst "half-box", between the "flap" and the "body", so that bothflaps can be closed. It should look like a regular box.

In order to use it, take a look at the box. you'll see that one ofthe sides (the "half-box" one) that will only allow to insert andoxtract cards from the top. The other part, if you open bothflaps, lets you tal<c out cards from both sides. "Loadt the halfrlccl< you wanl to r,hlngc on this compartment. Close the box:tttrl 1ll:r<:c it in vorrr'1lot,l<t'1.

t

A book in English: The carcl magic of Woody Aragon

Whenever you want to change a packet of cards, even halfdeck, take out the "loaded" box, and open the flap of the "halfbox", placing the half deck you wish to change inside thecompartment with only one opening. Place the box on the table,turning it upside down in the process. Since the box has no"front and back", no one will notice it.

Open the flap of the "half box", and tilt the box so thateverything falls from inside. The base of the "half box" wiilprevent the cards you loaded on it from falling.

I think there are two important details when working withthese kind of boxes. First, the "looseness" of the cards inside thecompartment. If you were really placing half a deck of cardsinside a box, there would be no sense in trying to "fit" it. It isalso important that one of the compartments prevents thechanged half from falling off the box. If you were really takingthe cards from a regular empty box, you would never put thcfingers inside it to retrieve the cards, you would just tilt it s<r

that the cards inside would fall.

A [rool. nt I ul,lt,,lt Ilt( r'ltrl rrrlllrl ol'Woorly Alagon

FINAL THANKSBeside the several friends I already mentioned at the

beginning of this book, I feel there's still people I shouldmention as, while they didn't participate directly in its creation,they have done so by contributing to my magic, my thoughts, ormy personality.

My family, for obvious, but still very importantreasons.

- To Juan, Fernando, and Gabi, the "direct" masters Ijust told you about. Not only for what they havetaught me as a magician, but for sharing theirfriendship with me.

- To my colleagues in Magic, from my generation, withwhich I have shared (and still do) so many things,mainly with my brother in magic, Rubiales, and my"partner in crime", Argentina's Iflaki Zabaletta.

- To the magicians at Madrid's SEI Magic Circle, aplace where I always feel loved.

- To Fernando Blasco, with whom I share a passion formathematics, for his help and enthusiasm.

- To everyone in Ana Tamariz's magic school, from myfellow teachers to all of the alumni who have boredwith my incessant rumbling...

- To thc ntany friends I have met thanks to the Art ofMlgic. I,)vtrryone at FFFF, the Escorial meetings...'lir llrrrrrorr l{ioll(ro, lirr bcing ir go<lcl lr.icncl ancl an;rlrsolrrlr, l,,t,rrirrs (still lo llt' tliscovr.n,tl h.y lltt' l:u.gr.

'1,

A book in English: The carcl rragic of Woody Aragon

magician audience), for every dinner, congress andsession you've shared with me.To Maricarmen, who's had to "live" with this bookfor the last months (picture taking included),because the best thing that could ever happen to meis sharing my life with you.

- And, last but not least, to you, my dear reader, withthe sincere hope that you have enjoyed, at least,some part of this book.

I love you all,

WoodyArag6n

A booli rrr I;rrp,lislr:'l'lrr, t'trlrl rrrrrp,ir' ol'Woody Aragon

A Book in Englishlndex

Nobocly's lirol! (by .lutn'famariz)Introclrtctiott to lhis workYorlr othcr lurll'

Slcighls :urrl ltror t'sThe Separagon

Cheekic Oil and WaterSeparagon Triumph

The Wiper MoveConvex ControlGabi's Deck SwitchThe Breather CrimpThe Broken Corner

Card to WalletMy Anti-FaroThe Swindle Shuffle

17

2t25

35

555761

65t3

81

81

879l

'X'ricks w€{fu mmy *fe*kCoincidences with incidences 97The Cheerleader 107Routined Spelling 113

Never tell them what's going to happen 125Maverick 131The Human Scale 139Si Fry 141Bored of Shuffling 153

Gilbreath Detective 161Psychic Poker 167Grantlpa's Poker 115Iirtlnirsc I 8 I

lllcsserl l)okcr lltg

A book in English: The card magic of Woody Aragon A book ln Eryllthl Thr oud rarylo of Woody Aragon

YrteXcs with special cardsDo not get confused...The Transparent Traveling SPots

Examinable CannibalsWinner's IntuitionClockwork WoodyThe Psychic Deck

T&re P.$"F. {Serxxlxxeexa* I}ee}<

The Permanent Deck PrinciPleESP Memorized DeckThe Slot MachinePostcardsThe Court CardsGilbert's Error CodeWait! There's still more!

.&rticles amd &ssxysAn InterviewTheoretical RelativismRegarding MathemagicConstruction and CompositionMy Masters

AppexdiNWoody's Change Box

Fimx$ ?'hamksFinal Thanks

2072t32t923123s241

$Ie&ght *S smath

Faro Shuffles and Factorial Dealing 253

On the Gilbreath Principle 259

Pr&xaeip&e)

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//lore Woody in...

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