I am trying to routine some of my stuff and I want to put together a sort of mentalists/mind reading routine using Tarot, Runes, palms and stuff.
However, I seem to have lost my inspiration. Can anyone help me?
I obviously don't expect full routines, just maybe a few ideas to work on.
If not, thanx anyway.

Lyndonwebb,

The first step for me was research. Learn about what you are using; The Tarot, the Runes, so on. When you use these things in public they will have questions! Richard Webster has a great book on Palm reading. Minch has a book called Book of Thoth, Effects with Tarot Cards. H&R books is a great source for out-of-print magic books.
Check 'em out at http://www.magicbookshop.com
Hope this is a start for you!
Magickman

By Jim Magus :
- Mysteries of the Runes
- Turn of a Friendly Card: A Treatise on Tarot for Magicians

Can be helpful.

best-

Didier

You can also find all of Brother Magus' books and video here....

http://www.bizarremagick.com/jmagusproducts.html

If you want some good inspiration get his video to see what a bizarre show would look like. I'm not saying it is the end all be all, but it is a GREAT example.

Just my 2 drakma worth,
Doug

lyndonwebb,

It's me again - hope you don't mind...

Try this site:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages......page.htm

If you don't find yourself purchasing all the wares then it will prompt your grey matter...

While we're on the topic of helping a routine, I'm looking for a little advice. I've put together a séance routine, roughly structured into three acts.

Act I: I raise the psychic energy so that it becomes possible for my departed ancestor to communicate with us.

Act II: The dearly departed tells us the combination to the antique box that has been locked for 50 years.

Act III: Since the audience has lent me their psychic energies to help me open the box, I show them a few of the wonders inside the box. Then I realize that I contacted the wrong ancestor, attempt to banish him, and fail!

My problem is this, the room where I need to perform the trick cannot be completely darkened, and my big effect for the finish, "The Demon Ring" by Rick Maue, requires absolute darkness. Does anyone have any suggestions for a big finish effect for a séance, where the item central to the effect can be a prop that really looks 50 to 100 years old AND can be done in candlelight? I've read and agree with the "LESS IS MORE" approach to a seance, but when performing by candlelight, I need to give them something to look at.

I’ve already listed the basic format for my séance, but keep in mind, within the context of the séance, my magical talents are limited to purely mentalist acts. Only with the assistance of spirits or these arcane items can something more powerful/diabolical be performed.

Thanks in advance,
Rob

I don't think I explained this well enough.
I want to put together a whole show that is all about divining the future using the aforementioned items.
I do already have various bizarre sets, but I am trying to put a different slant on it!
I have been reading Runes, Tarot and Palms for some time now.

Cogliostro: Hmmm.... a seance finale that's not in a pitch black room? I'm unclear on whether you want this to be a mentalism effect as you implied. The seance we used (sort of a shortened haunted house version, about 2 minutes long after a long trip through "the house") ended up with the medium accidentally channeling malicious spirits. When the lights came up, her throat had been ripped open. And even though the room cannot be completely darkened, I'd assume you could darken it suddenly, perhaps enough to make it dark. Just not Seance Room DARK DARK dark. But just dark enough so the sitters can't see you put on a quick "ripped throat" appliance, or squirt some thick stage blood. Well, this is, granted, a bit of a shocker ending. Maybe not what you're going for ( I think you're going more along the lines of the "was it real?" performance, yes?) But you never know.

I've always loved the idea put forth in Eugene Burger's Spirit Theatre of having a candle suddenly fall off a table, throwing a room into darkness. Would this be a possibility? So long as you build up the conjuring of the spirits enough, the sudden noise of the candle falling and the ensuing darkness would certainly be unnerving. And the darkness might momentarily be complete enough to pull off a couple quick subtleties. Maybe a bloody handprint in the middle of the table, or some impossible change in the position of the object on your table. So long as the sitters do not have the chance to let their eyes adjust to the lighting change.

-Sean Covernton

Lyndonwebb --
You're doing a show about divination? That should be fun! Really, if all you do is give a brief history and an anecdotal story about each of three oracles, you'll have most of it done.

All that remains is to punctuate each of the stories with a visual demonstration of some kind. For instance, if you have a story about the runes being used to give a reading to a great warrior just before a battle, in which he drew a specific rune that foretold his impending victory, then you can "reenact" that reading. Explain the specific rune symbol that was drawn by the warrior ages ago, then mix it in with the other stones and have a participant playing the role of the warrior choose one; it is, of course, the one that that predicted victory. (This is only an example.)

Finding an appropriate story and visual demonstration for each of the other divination systems should be simple. For tarot or palmistry, you can actually do an extra-short, legitimate reading of an audience participant.

And if you want to end "strong," you can end with scrying. After bringing out the crystal ball or ink-blackened, water-filled bowl, you can explain that while scrying two weeks ago, you wrote your impressions on paper and immediately mailed them to a dignitary in the audience, who has had it in his possession ever since its delivery. It is, of course, an accurate description of the photo on page one of today's newspaper.

Cogliostro --
It seems that you just need a different haunted artifact that your departed ancestor could reasonably want to lock in a box for the ages. The literature has many to choose from. For example, it can be a "Ring of Glory" that protects its wearer from harm (put it on and perform your favorite self-mutilation-and-healed effect, from fire blisters to needle-through-arm).

The signal from your ancestor (as opposed to the mischievious spirit who pretended to be your ancestor and helped you unlock the box) to immediately re-lock the item in the box could take a variety of forms, from simple (the ring begins to constrict painfully around your finger -- all acting) to something more elaborate.

Then, just lock it hurriedly into the box (before it does any more damage) and involve all your guests in the ritual of restoring your ancestor to peaceful rest.

I hope these suggestions help.
Good luck!

Wow, thank you so much, Necromancer. That kind of hit the spot. I really like the idea of the Warrior. May I use it (with a few changes)? I promise that you will be the first to see the whole routine.
Again, many thanks.