The latest issue (#10) of The Wizards' Journal revisits Stewart James' Sefalaljia and shows how it can be constructed from a Dollar Store plastic crate, opening it up to new uses and routines at the same time. Jim Gerrish and I both contributed sections from our different routines for it. I added the magical history lessons along with it, and Jim photographed himself making it in his backyard workshop to show how easy it is to put together.The blurb describing it is rather brief, but here is a list of all the routines in our ten minute Sefalaljia Revised Act:

The Ball in the Glass*
The Knotted Silk*
Three Knots in a Rope
The Rope, Safety-Pin and Finger Ring* < the most famous use for the Sefalaljia today
The Ghost Drinks Milk*
2" Brass Ring on Rope
Red and White Linking Ropes (similar to the Dean's Box routine as invented by Elizabeth Warlock, but with a gimickless variation)
Red and White Linking Ropes (based on Paul Curry's Linked, but on a smaller scale)
The Shrinking Rope
Bell, Book and Candle

The items marked with an asterisk (*) are from Stewart James' original Sefalaljia routine. The only James' effect we do not use is the Smoking Cigar, substiututing a self-lighting candle effect in "Bell,Book and Candle" instead.

Now I am working on getting either Jim or one of the Wiz Kids to perform the entire routine for a DVD.

I am not familiar with the Wizards' Journal, but I would be interested in your routining with Sefalaljia. I own one of the Jeff Busby Automated Sefalaljia II cabinets and am always looking for other "Sefalaljia" type tricks and routines to put in with it. Please let me know how to find this material. Thanks--Rocky

It's on my site. HINT: Look at my signature.

Rocky

The new Encyclopedia of Rope Tricks has a chapter devoted to Sefalaljia. It also has many other effects that will work very nicely in this type of cabinet.

You might also check the Miniature Haunted House for ideas for some "spooky" type of effects, but overall I think the encyclopedia is a better resource.

Do a search on the Café for Deans Box, or Sefalaljia.. and you will get some other ideas.

John