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Khopri Loyal user Austin, TX 237 Posts |
First off, I really dislike the word "Trick" to describe an illusion, presentation or effect in magic, so it's only in the efforts of clarity that I am using it here.
I'm sure there are thousands out there, but I'd like to see what my peers can come up with: What tricks can be done around "the soul" as a topic for magic? |
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Khopri,
You might want to check out the e-zine Visions (www.online-visions.com) for my monthly column Bizarre Bazaar. There are a couple of routines there that might be what you are looking for: The Devil Deals a Hand is highly recommended. Visions is a free e-zine, no password, and some real heavyweights writing for it. |
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Khopri Loyal user Austin, TX 237 Posts |
Peter,
I already have it bookmarked. Thanks! OK, how about this: The Qur'an states that that the creation of man involves Allah "breathing" a soul into a person. It wouldnt take too much work to use this train of thought along with an Okito Voodoo doll to achieve a pretty strong effect. |
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
OK, Khopri, on that theme, you might want to look at Creation, in my column in Visions. It uses an Okito doll, "coming to life".
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silverfire9 Veteran user Rochester Hills, MI 323 Posts |
For that matter, why not use the effect I read about on Dragonskull, where you make a small clay 'golem' that comes to life and starts walking? Lots of very cool effects on that site. http://www.dragonskull.co.uk
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Clifford the Red Inner circle LA, California 1941 Posts |
As my street game wound up, mainly because the mark lost his paycheck, I smiled at the mark. He looked at me, dejected, and said, "Brotha, you've got no soul."
"Very astute. Perhaps another game for yours?"
"The universe is full of magical things, waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Eden Philpotts
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Black Hart Elite user Scottish Highlands 475 Posts |
Hello
Here is one effect with a 'soul' theme: Your story revolves around how a discarnate spirit can always find its own coffin. Your volunteer has a free choice of ‘soul’ cards and they end up with the name of a famous deceased person. You open the front of a coffin pendant that is hanging around your neck and inside is a picture of the chosen person. It is called 'Requiem'. Nice props as well. Keith Hart
Black Artefacts, manufacturer and dealer of weird, bizarre and psychic magic: www.blackhart.co.uk
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Misty Lee New user 73 Posts |
*waving* Hi, Khopri! And Peter - a big ol' magical hug for you - I LOVE that routine!
Dan Harlan also has a pretty good script for what is (if I'm remembering correctly) a Stebbins effect in which God and the Devil are bartering for possession of a soul. It's in one of his lecture notes books. Ever seen it? You could always use a similar premise (but the same system) to formulate your own scripting and effect... And also, a question: I'd posted this in a different forum, but got very little by way of replies, so I'm hoping you'll all have more to offer: We're working on a routine for our illusion show in which I battle the big guy. If you were the devil himself, which effects would you use to represent yourself in a magical dual? Just 'playing dirty' doesn't count, boys. I need visual stuff. *grin, wink, poke*
http://www.mistylee.com
Whoever said the hand is quicker than the eye never tried rolling the two down a ramp. |
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silverfire9 Veteran user Rochester Hills, MI 323 Posts |
I need to make an addendum to my comment above, lol. A couple people have PMed me, saying they can't find the effect on Dragonskull. I took a look myself, and I was unable to find it either. Now, I *thought* it was on Dragonskull, but it's either on a different site that I'm not remembering, or it was taken off Dragonskull.
My apologies if I've led anyone on a wild goose chase. That was not my intention. If you want the details as I remember them, feel free to PM me. And if anyone is familiar with the effect I'm describing and knows where it really is, please feel free to share the link so I don't get inundated with PMs, lol. |
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Silverfire9,
I thought The Golem was in my contributions to Dragonskull but it's actually in Visions, near the bottom of the index on my Bizarre Bazaar, as The Golem. |
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Khopri Loyal user Austin, TX 237 Posts |
Peter - your Golem routine is nice. Quick and simple with just the right amount of story to entertain and not bore. In other words, its classic Marucci!
Misty - if you are going to do battle with 'ol scratch, why not go a different route and veer away from the stereotypical red suit and pitchfork stuff. Maybe make him (or her?) look more like a lawyer - Armani suit, breifcase, etc. On an empty stage of all red light, a simple looking man in a realy sharp suit would be pretty cool. ("Devil's Advocate is one of my favorite films) For effects, I'd use some flying stuff. And fire. Lots and lots of fire. And if you can throw the smell of sulpher into the mix, all the better. |
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silverfire9 Veteran user Rochester Hills, MI 323 Posts |
Just read your The Golem effect, Peter. It's a good one, but it's not the one I was thinking of. The one I was thinking of has you making the golem out of clay, and then it starts walking. Oh well.
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Seance Elite user Talking on the other side with 427 Posts |
Silverfire9,
The golem effect that you describe sounds exactly like "Manikin Macabre" from the chapbook, Handbook of Horror, pgs.40-41, by the late Charles Cameron. He is prominitely featured in the Dragonskull site. |
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Mystician Inner circle Wallachia 3485 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-05-25 09:44, Khopri wrote: I'm pretty sure ol' scratch IS a lawyer !! Ever see Devil's Advocate (Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves) ? That was just way too good of a match-up for comfort! Historically, Satan was usually referenced as a "tall man in black", supposedly he took this form when trying to trick or persuade mortals into his employ. You could even just keep him as nothing more than a silhouette: have a tall, thin actor dressed in black stand in the shadows, towards the back corner of the stage perhaps.. and let the audience's imagination fill in the rest for themselves, this is usually more effective anyway. Although glowing eyes would be tres' cool !!
Just hanging out with the rest of my fellow dregs.
http:// www . phrets . com Visit http://www.bizarremagic.net |
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silverfire9 Veteran user Rochester Hills, MI 323 Posts |
I think you're right, Seance. I still can't find the effect, though, lol. And I *know* I've seen it. I didn't just pluck it out of the ether (and I don't have the book, either ).
Odd. |
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ptbeast Special user Oregon 831 Posts |
We lawyers get such a bad rap. We are always trying to help people, especially lost souls. Why just a while back Daniel Webster.... oh, nevermind.
Anyway, if you are going to make the devil a lawyer you had best get a signature on a contract when buying souls. The OTL principle works well here (I think Rick Maue used to do this in his Haunted Chamber?). If you decide to use the above idea, you will want to make sure that the contract is binding. I would be willing to review it for just a small fee... Dave |
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Khopri Loyal user Austin, TX 237 Posts |
Ptbeast, I decided to do just that.
I purchased a soul on eBay for .99 and figured that I could do a better job of presenting it than the person that sold it to me. I did a translation of a quitclaim deed into latin, changed a few of the words ("property" became "Human Soul" etc) and used a nice hand-drawn German blackletter font to lay it all out (God bless those Lovecraft fanatics.) My next plan is to age the paper, stick a ribbon and wax seal on it and put it inside a nice glass frame. Its a soul contract that would be worthy of the big guy himself. If you'd like the soul when I am done building the certificate, let me know and I'll give you a good price. Not familiar with the OTL principle. Can you elaborate? |
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Misty Lee New user 73 Posts |
Khopri, I love it. That's the kind of thing you make several copies of, keep in your wallet and let 'fall' out onto the table every once in a while.
Basically what we're looking to do is a version of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" a as a backstory for our illusion show. Making him a lawyer isn't all bad, but (and maybe it's easier to understand now that I've established our motive) there's got to be a duel in there of *some* kind.
http://www.mistylee.com
Whoever said the hand is quicker than the eye never tried rolling the two down a ramp. |
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Mystician Inner circle Wallachia 3485 Posts |
For starters, it'd be cool if maybe each of you had violins outfitted with this baby:
http://www.theatrefx.com/moreinfo_mu04_m......ash.html or this one - http://www.theatrefx.com/moreinfo_mu05_m......oke.html Blast away at each other ! To go even weirder, use otherwise invisible UV reactive makeup - when you or Scratch gets blasted, a focused blacklight temporarily shines on the target, revealing the makeup, perhaps applied as a skull or something. It'd almost appear as an X-ray effect for a second after the blast - ebbing life force, something like that. I dunno.. it'd be theatrical, for sure. Not particularly magical I guess. Perhaps after the battle, you could arrange for the signature on a soul contract to slowly vanish, as the devil's power fades, freeing the soul from the contract. I'd imagine there's a few chemical tricks that could accomplish that.
Just hanging out with the rest of my fellow dregs.
http:// www . phrets . com Visit http://www.bizarremagic.net |
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Khopri Loyal user Austin, TX 237 Posts |
Misty, how about the following. It's very "Copperfieldish" but it ties in with something I've been talking about on another thread and allowed me to get creative:
We begin by discussing the philosophy of the soul. How some religions believe it is the center of life, etc etc. And yet, this delicate essence of our being which is something so coveted and prized by its owner could be so easily lost in a moment of indescretion. The audience suddenly begins to smell brimstone. The lights illuminating the empty stage flicker and fail with a sound of howling wind. A moment later a single shaft of blood red light bathes a man standing on the stage, appearing out of nowhere. Dressed in a fine black Armani suit, red silk tie and an immaculate felt fedora hiding his features, the individual approaches as you turn to tell your audience the story about a magican who wanted to sell his soul to be the greatest magician the world had ever seen. With a cheshire smile, a challenge is presented by the dark figure. Should the magician win a contest of magic, their wish will be granted. Of course, if he loses... you know the rest. The contest begins. The figure umbottons his coat, tosses his hat and very smugly produces a small flame from his fingertip. The magician counters and quickly produces a candle from his hands. Annoyed, the dark individual produces a flaming dagger. Somewhat startled at the obvious weapon, the magician counters again and produce a flaming sword. Angry now at being bested every step of the way, the dark figure quickly throws off his coat, appears to grow twice his size, produces a second flaming sword and charges at the magician. A battle of magic quickly turns into a battle of flaming swords (ala a recent film perhaps?) The dramatic exchange of fire and steel goes back and forth (but not too long) until in a fit of rage that had been building since the begining, the individual stops, takes a step back and with a mighty roar, bursts into a huge flash of brilliant red flame and dissappears. When the smoke clears, all that's left is a simple book sitting on a suddenly quiet and empty stage. The magician walks over to the book (which we see is smoldering), carefully picks it up and cautiously walks off stage. -scene- |
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