Enchantments

Magic for Cards and Hands

2004
Written by Wesley James
Work of Wesley James
491 pages (Hardcover), published by Hermetic Press
Illustrated with drawings by Tony Dunn
Language: English
205 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
Wesley James Preface
ix
Wesley James Introduction
  • Performance - The Art of Magic
  • Academia - The Craft of Magic
  • Repertoire - The Material of Magic
  • Format - How to Read this Book
  • Knowledge - My Assumption
  • Credit - The Creation of Magic
 		xi
Part One: Forgery, Packets & Principles
1
Section One: Forgery
3
Wesley James Forgery fusion of card with odd-backed card, credit information
  • Method 1
  • Method 2
  • Method 3 (Preferred Method) - "final"
  • Clean-Up Procedures
  • Further Approaches
  • Progeny (selected references for the plot)
Related to 5
Dai Vernon, Wesley James Side Glide Handling
Inspired by 8
Reverse Bottom Slip Cut with pull down
 		11
Philip T. Goldstein, Dan Tong Goldstein and Tong Tip tip for "Forgery"
Related to 12
Derek Dingle Derek Dingle Approach tip for "Forgery"
Related to 13
Frank Garcia Frank Garcia Touch tip for "Forgery"
Related to 13
Section Two: Ace Effects
17
Wesley James Trapped Ace Surprise "beta", spectator pushes ace in deck next to other ace, then four-card-catch
 		19
Wesley James Hit Double Lift Handling
Inspired by 20
Harvey Rosenthal Four-Card Catch
Inspired by 21
Wesley James Catch-Ace-Trap-ee "sewt", transposition effect involving four Queens and two black Aces
Inspired byVariations 23
Wesley James Fake Reverse Reverse deck apparently turned over but not really
 		24
Wesley James April Fools' Aces "beta", McDonalds type routine with duplicate aces instead of double facers
Inspired by 28
Wesley James Veeser Concept Handling
29
Wesley James Ace-and-Three-Card Vanishes three cards and an ace, ace is shown to have vanished, four methods
Related to 31
Wesley James Edge-Off Displacement Edge-Off Displacement, Edge-Off Count, counting off a number of cards at first counting movement
 		32
Wesley James James Alignment Move a bit like a small-packet strip-out addition
 		33
Broken Elmsley Count
34
Wesley James Ace-and-Four-Card Vanishes four cards (apparently 3) and an ace, ace is shown to have vanished, three methods
 		34
Wesley James, James Steranko The Steranko Move Handling bringing a double from dealing position to the fingertips
Related to
  • "The Steranko Move" (Steranko, Genii, Vol. 27 No. 3, Nov. 1962, p. 127)
 35
Wesley James Catalytic Progressive Aces "sewt", progressive assembly with a "catalyst" card
 		38
Wesley James Block Push-Off Scoop Addition as tabled packet is scooped together with scoop card
 		39
Unloading on Deck four cards shown, only 3 removed
 		41
Section Three: Packet Effects
47
Wesley James Below Zero Minus One "beta", visual small packet elevator, history information
Inspired by 49
Wesley James The Spread Displacement out-jogged card in packet displaced, cull
Related to 51
Dai Vernon Through-the-Fist Flourish
53
Edward Marlo, Wesley James The Marlo Flexible Count Grip, modified
Inspired by
  • New Tops, Vol. 3 No. 12, Dec. 1963
 54
Wesley James The JEHHFOWJ Count "Jordan, Elmsley, Haxton, Houghton, ?, James"
 		55
Bruce Cervon, Wesley James Semaj-Novrec Masked Packet Reverse for small packet
Inspired by 57
Wesley James Snap Reverse bottom card of small packet
 		58
Wesley James Turn Me Down Why Don't You "beta", four aces turn over one by one between two black tens, then change to kings
Related to 61
Wesley James The Direction of False Count clarifying the counting direction
 		62
Roger Smith K. S. Spread credit information
 		63
Wesley James The James Gang "beta"
Inspired by 67
Alex Elmsley Elmsley Switch à la ATFUS
Related to
  • Pentagram (Vol. 10 No. 12, Sept. 1956, p. 91)
 68
Edward Marlo, Wesley James The Marlo-James Multiple Shift
  • Jog-Through
  • Block Alignment
  • Strip-Out Cuts (Longitudinal Cut, Swivel, Swing)
Inspired by 69
Tenkai Ishida Step Break credit information
 		75
Wesley James Quick Three-Way, May Way "final", with all-backs phase
 		77
Eddie Fechter Peek Gambit "did you get one?"
 		78
Flex Glimpse
78
Henry Christ, Theodore Annemann Alignment Move
80
Quick 3-Way Display
80
Wesley James Small Packet One-Handed Top Palm "SPOT Palm"
 		82
Wesley James New Faces of 1234 "beta", Aces change to Ace through Four as kicker
Inspired by 84
Wesley James Spread ATFUS
85
Wesley James Hyper-Warp "final", ending with Hyper Card stapled to other card as souvenir
 		89
Wesley James, "Senator" Clarke Crandall The Crandall/James Force see also p. 328
Inspired by 92
Section Four: Two Principles
99
Wesley James The Sigma Principle force in which spectator cuts off pile, counts it and counts down that many cards in rest
 		101
Wesley James A Sleight Case of Murder "beta", card predicted, names on every card back and selection has spectator's name
  • Alternates for the Pass
  • Alternate Methods
  • Premise Variations
Inspired by
  • "Who Killed Roger Rabbit?" (Dale Dewey)
 104
Wesley James Anthropomorphization of Playing Cards
105
Tommy Tucker The Tommy Tucker Pass Stratagem display pass
Related to
  • "What Next", Tommy Tucker, 1936, p. 28
 109
Wesley James The Fake-Take Dribble Force deck dribbled on table, copped card added to bottom of right packet
 		111
Charles T. Jordan The Slip-Back Move
112
Wesley James Vanishing Eleven and Placement "final", eleven cards vanish, only selection remains, Nine-Principle Placements (digits added, credit information)
Inspired byRelated to 113
Biddle Steal
114
Part Two: Techniques
117
Section One: Palming
119
Wesley James Palming... essay and basic palm positions
  • Classic Palm
  • Classic Palm Grip with First Finger (Marlo)
  • Thumb Palm
  • Gambler's Flat Palm
Related to 121
Wesley James Named Travelers "final", named four-of-a-kind appears on top, then travelers
 		125
Wesley James Secretly Disordering the Deck
Inspired by 127
Wesley James WJ Bottom Palm
Related to 129
Wesley James Card from Pocket while Palming three cards palmed, one of them removed from pocket, others remains in palm
 		131
Edward Marlo Lapel Load from palm
Related to 131
Wesley James, Patrick Cook Holdout Holdup "sewt", signed kings placed in sleeve openly, kings then travel to deck, stacked for poker game, change to Aces, Kings in wallet, five methods
 		133
Table Edge Poker Hand Switch two methods
Related to 135
Wesley James From Jacket to Lap packet secretly paper clipped, apparently put in sleeve, then dropped to lap
 		137
Gene Maze Universal Stock number of hands chosen by spectator, combining riffle stacking, second and bottom deals, only briefly explained
Related to 138
Noel Coughlin The Coughlin Palm Replacement
139
Dr. Jacob Daley, Wesley James The One-Handed Daley Switch packet on table switched as it is picked up and deck set down simultaneously with one hand
Related to 141
Wesley James Chameleon Colors Revisited "alpha", reds and blacks separated, some red cards change to black and back, then halves transpose
Inspired by 144
Wesley James, Dave Ossip De-Flourished Ossip Slip Cut in the hands
 		145
Section Two: Lifts
151
Wesley James Naturalness - The Double Lift and - more
153
Wesley James The Double Lift general comments and approaches
 		155
Wesley James WJ Two-Step Double Lift push-off and stud turnover
 		158
Wesley James WJ Two-Step Double Lift Hit Variation
161
Wesley James, Stuart Gordon A Stuart Gordon Turnover Variation credit information
 		164
Wesley James, Juan Tamariz The Unload Subtlety credit information
Related to 167
Wesley James My Ambitious Card Routine "final", wallet finale
 		170
Edward Marlo The Moveable Card Pass to face
 		173
Wesley James One-handed Pen Re-Cap
175
Wesley James Coming Up in the World a.k.a. The Load-Up Move, credit information
 		177
Wesley James The WJ Side Steal
Related to 181
Wesley James Tip for Body Rotation Sleights on sleights that can use body rotation as cover
 		184
Wesley James, Bill Simon Covered Side Steal
185
Wesley James Peel Change Hofzinser Change with different stroking action
 		186
Wesley James The Simulated Shuffle - A Palm Cover claimed by Wesley James
 		188
Wesley James The James Palm Transfer right hand classic to left gambler's palm
 		188
Wesley James, Derek Dingle The Speed Load - A Wallet Loading Technique
188
Section Three: False Deals
191
Wesley James Deals
193
Wesley James Bottom Dealing - A Developmental Perspective
  • Appearance Factors:
    • Grip
      • Full Grip
      • Mechanic's Grip
      • S.F. Grip
      • Erdnase Grip
      • Straddle Grip
      • Master Grip
      • Modified Erdnase Grip
      • Pseudo Grip
      • No Grip
    • Take
      • Standard Take
      • Stud Take
      • No Take
  • Technique Factors:
    • Covert
      • Method
        • Buckle
        • Push-Pull
        • Pre-Loosen
        • Strike or Rip
    • Overt
      • Action
      • Cover

all with references
 		195
Wesley James Follow That Card II "alpha"
  • Phase I: Ace through Four of Clubs & Spades are sympathetic, with additional red cards in play
  • Phase II: repeat variation
  • Phase III: follow the leader with the two four-card packets
  • Phase IV: four spades put in different pockets, clubs vanish and reappear with spades as pairs in pocket
Inspired by
  • "Follow That Card" (Bro. John Hamman, marketed item)
 208
Wesley James Half Pass Strip-Out Addition with reverse of the cards that are added
Related to 211
Wesley James Feed Biddle Count break in both hands, cards interlaced
 		212
Edward Marlo, Wesley James Propelled Lapping Switch
216
Wesley James Small Packet Double Deal
217
Wesley James P.K.A. Cheating "beta", "Professionally Known As Cheating", center deal demonstration
 		219
Wesley James Fair Risk "final", "Spectator's Open Prediction", spectator makes prediction
Inspired by 223
Sleeve Add adding card from sleeve to deck
 		225
Wesley James Back Right Bottom Deal Handling brief, "take and turn"
Related to 225
Wesley James One-Handed Reverse all the cards except top card
 		226
Wesley James Second Dealing - A Developmental Perspective
  • Appearance Factors
    • Grip
    • Take
  • Technique Factors:
    • Covert
      • Method
        • Push-Off
        • Two Card Push-Off
        • One-Card Push-Off
        • No Push-Off or Dead Thumb
        • Strike
        • Take
        • Side Strike
    • Overt
      • Action
      • Cover

all with references
 		228
Wesley James The Moon is Made of Blue Cheese "alpha", face-up/face-down packet, selection vanishes, reappears face up and odd-backed
Inspired by
  • "Where has it gone?" (Hideo Kato, Genii Vol. 34 No. 1, Sept. 1970)
 237
Wesley James, Alex Elmsley Concealing Odd Back with Second Deal credit information
 		238
Wesley James Sympathetic Blacks "beta", credit information on the plot
 		240
Wesley James Historical Note on the Jordan-Finley Shuffle Principle, chain principle
 		241
Edward Marlo Marlo's Future Reverse - Broken Form
244
Ken Krenzel The Krenzel Square Reverse in center
Related to 245
Wesley James Etude for Dealers credit information on the plot, four Aces kicker
 		249
Wesley James The Option Second Deal including "The Countervailing Motion Principle"
 		254
Wesley James Miscellaneous False Deals - A Development Snapshot discussion of various false deals
 		259
Wesley James Center Deal discussion and sources
 		261
Wesley James A Hand Too Few "beta", two mates held in right hand, deck in left hand and spectator peeks at a card, immediately a card appears between sandwich cards in other hand, it is the selection
 		263
Wesley James Center Glimpse step
 		265
Wesley James Middle Deal Considerations one-handed
 		266
Wesley James Double Deal discussion and sources
 		269
Wesley James Third, Fourth and Fifth Deal discussion and sources
 		270
Wesley James Theory Thirds
  • Fourth, Fifth, etc.
Inspired by 271
Wesley James The Undifferentiated Middle
  • Adding Differentiation
 		274
Wesley James Greek Bottom Deal discussion and sources
 		277
Wesley James No Deal and Swap Deal discussion and sources
 		278
Wesley James Theoretical False Deals
281
Section Four: Shuffles
283
Wesley James False Riffle Shuffles essay and introduction
 		285
Wesley James The Zarrow Shuffle
  • The Problems
  • WJ on the Zarrow
  • Recap
 		288
Wesley James The Tabled Winnipeg Cut
Inspired by 294
Wesley James I'll Put Money on It coin appears in deck next to selection, rest straightened out
  • Method 1 (Basic)
  • Method 2 (Tabled Reverse)
  • Method 3 (No Turn)
  • Method 4 (Coup de Grace)
Inspired by 297
Wesley James Tabled Reverse Handling tabled riffle shuffle, with hidden coin in deck
Related to 302
Russell T. Barnhart Passive Table Reverse
305
Wesley James Color Triumphant
Inspired by 309
Clyde Cairy Cutting Reverse misnomer "Braue Reverse", credit information
Related to 311
Edward Marlo, Tenkai Ishida Pivot-Step
311
Bruce Cervon, Wesley James Half Reverse Cut Variation as deck is cut onto table
Inspired by 312
Jack Merlin, Wesley James The Merlin Push-Through thorough
Related to 315
Wesley James An Alternate Strip-Out Procedure three-packet cut
Related to 319
Wesley James, Al Cooper The Strike Push-Through
322
Wesley James The Crand-bler's Prediction "beta", signed card to matchbox
 		327
Cliff Green Cliff Green Push-Off
329
Wesley James Matchbox Switch
330
Section Five: The Pass
333
Wesley James The Pass essay on the sleight
 		335
Wesley James The Basic Position
337
Wesley James The Edge Pass
340
Wesley James The Squeeze Pass
343
Wesley James The Pivot Side-Jiggle Pass "This may be the fastest pass ever devised."
Inspired by 345
Wesley James The Diagonal Pass deck taken out of hand and on second thought placed back
 		347
Wesley James The Automatic Pass
349
Wesley James The Anomalous Pass
Inspired byRelated to 351
Section Six: Toolbox
355
Wesley James Low Lateral Palm The Position
 		357
Wesley James The Deal-Out Subtraction "alpha", secret subtraction alternative, using low lateral palm
 		359
Wesley James Low Lateral Control lateral palm from center
 		361
Wesley James Low Lateral Conversions
  • Low Lateral Palm to Gambler's Flat Palm
  • Low Lateral Palm to Tenkai/Slydini/Marlo Palm
  • Low Lateral Palm to Bold Steal
  • Gambler's Flat Palm to Low Lateral Palm
  • Tenkai to Low Lateral Palm
  • Bold Steal to Low Lateral Palm
  • To and From Gambler's Flat Palm
 		364
Wesley James Add-Backs Low Lateral Palm Replacements
  • Standard Add-Back
  • No Contact Add-Back
  • Bottom Add-Backs
 		367
Wesley James Low Lateral Steals
  • Top Steal
  • Bottom Steal
  • Middle Steal
 		370
Wesley James Low Lateral Switches
  • Low Lateral Addition
  • Low Lateral Substitution (with half-pass on top of deck under cover cards)
Related to 373
Wesley James The Christ-Annemann Alignment Displacement Sequence "A WJ Technical Variation", similar to small packet strip-out addition
 		377
Wesley James Four-as-Four (Hiding Two, FAF-Two) Counts discussion of 4-as-4 counts
  • The FAF-Two C Count
Related to 380
Wesley James Splay Grip small packet buckle, similar to reference
Related to 382
Larry West, Jonathan Townsend, Wesley James West-Townsend-James (WTJ) Count Elmsley-style Gemini Count, backs and faces of four cards
Inspired by 384
Bob Farmer Turnantula half pass as pack(et) is turned over
 		389
Wesley James, Ken Krenzel The Egress Vanish card vanishes and reappears when pushed perpendicular through four cards, visual
Inspired by 393
Wesley James A Refinement for the Bluff Shift lifting no cards
  • The Bluff Shift as a Control
  • The Bluff Shift as a Riffle Force
Inspired by 398
Part Three: Mental Effects & Gaffed Methods
405
Section One: Going Mental
407
Wesley James Mental Magic chapter introduction
 		409
Wesley James The Vibratory Prediction card chosen from face-up spread matches mate prediction
  • Preferred Method ("beta")
 		410
Al Schneider, Wesley James The Intention Force psychological force of odd card in a group
 		413
Edward Marlo, Wesley James Push Switch Variation tabled card pushed forward
Inspired by 415
Edward Marlo, Wesley James The Kick-Off Switch tabled card lapped, palmed card switched in, slight variation by James
Inspired by 415
Wesley James Blushing Leaper "beta", thought-of card has odd back
Inspired by 418
Steal-Back card stolen back as cards are counted with faces towards spectator
 		420
Joe Berg, Wesley James Bold Double Deal
Inspired by 421
Wesley James Brownian Movement The Sequel, "final"
Inspired by 423
Wesley James The Veeser Concept and Alignment Assurance
425
Wesley James Ham and Ace Sandwich "beta", sandwiched prediction on top of deck, "kind of matches" selection a few times, then finally it is a selected card
 		428
Ralph W. Hull Front Tilt credit information, see also p. 432
 		430
Wesley James Thoughts on Tilt credit information
 		432
Wesley James Devine Miraskill "alpha"
 		433
Down-Jog Separation in and out jogging cull with strip-out cut
 		435
Wesley James A Vision or a Dream? "final", thought of card, spectator does some procedure according to value and suit of card, at the end all cards are blank except selection
Inspired by 438
Wesley James Inside Pocket Switch
Related to 440
Edward Marlo Fishing Sequence
Related to 442
Section Two: Seriously Gaffed
443
Wesley James Why Not? chapter intro, on using gaffs
 		445
Wesley James Wishuffle "final", deck shuffles itself, then Triumph, twenty-six double facers, credit information
VariationsAlso published here
  • marketed 1976
 446
Wesley James Hand Rotation Turnover
449
Wesley James Birthday Aces "alpha", hinged flaps
 		451
Wesley James Slide-Under Switch Handling credit information
 		453
Wesley James Veeser Concept Handling
455
Wesley James Watch the Wild Ace "final", double-face & split-faced, indifferent cards change into an ace of each suit, then all into aces of clubs
Inspired by
  • "Watch the Ace!" (Peter Kane, Hugard's Magic Monthly, Vol. 19 No. 8)
 461
Wesley James NoLap Switch claimed by Wesley James
Related to 464
Paintbrush Change
469
Section Three: General Tips
471
Wesley James The Hands caring and lotion
 		473
Wesley James Breaking In the Cards
475
Wesley James Routining
478
Wesley James Closing Comments
481
Data entered by Denis Behr, October 2016.