I have found 'Spirit Count' devised by Gene Castillon is a wonderful powerful sleigth, but have not found many tricks using it other than 'The Floating Phase' in "Kabbla'. I would like to know other tricks using the sleight.

One more question is puslbishing date of "Kabala" Vol.3 - No.4. I have bound volumes of "Kabala", but Jon Racherbaumer has erased publishing dates (as he does always with his bound magazines).

Hideo Kato

Hideo,

This is a total shot in the dark...

In his Encyclopedia DVDs, Daryl talked about something called the DM Count (Daryl Martinez Count?) which I think accomplishes the same thing as the Spirit Count (although perhaps not in the same method, I don't know).

In any case, if DM stands for Daryl Martinez, then perhaps there are packet effects of Daryl's where the Spirit Count could be applied?

Like I said, total shot in the dark. Sorry if that's incorrect and/or unhelpful...

Thank you very much Andrew Musgrave-san for the information.
I will check Daryl's video soon.

Hideo Kato

Hideo-

I had a chance to check, and apparently according to Denis Behr's (excellent) archive, it was in Secrets of a Puerto Rican Gambler and credited to Daryl Martinez and Brother John Hamman.

http://archive.denisbehr.de/archive/rout......,469,607

Apparently it's also referred to in Apocalypse #2 (volumes 6-10), and a version crediting only Hamman is talked about in Jennings 67.

Again, I'm sorry to say that I don't have access to any of those resources, so I don't know if the information in there might be helpful, or even if the Spirit Count can be substituted into any effects.

I just read the description of 'DM Count' in Apocalyspe. It is not same as the 'Spirit Count' by Gene Castillon in 'Kabala'. Both are 'Four as Four Count'. While DM is done in face up condition to show faces of four cards (seemingly), Spirit is done in face down condition to show faces of four cards (seemingly). (You turn face of each card towards audience after taking each).

'Spirit Count' is far convincing method.

Hideo Kato

Kato-san,

I just checked the indexes of apocalypse 6-10 and found no information on the spirit count. also checked Jon Racherbaumers Counthesaurus. the count is explained but no further informations on first publishing or so are given. Philip Goldstein explains the count in his routine `cry wolf´ out of `focus´, credits Castillon but gives no further references.
Oh, sorry for useless informations above: just checked the e-version of pabular: it´s in Volume 5 , No. 2, February 1979, p.639 (p.767 in the digital page-counting)
best regards
Axel

The Spirit Count is also described (with permission) in Jerry Mentzer's "Counts, Cuts, Moves and Subtlety," as a means of showing a 4-card packet of two ESP symbols as one symbol. I'm sure that I have seen it in one or more marketed packet tricks (from the 70s / 80s). I'll look through my collection and see what I find.

Thanks Axelchen-san and Magicguy-san for the information.

I read Phil Goldstein's 'Cry Wolf' in July 1978 issue of "Pabular". In that trick, amazingly, 'Siva Count', 'Eye Count' and 'Spirit Count' are used.
Phil Goldstein is a genius with Flase Count, indeed!

Hideo Kato

Other items from Kabbala using the Spirit Count:

TECHNICOLOR DISASSEMBLING JOKERS
Gene Castillon

FLOATING PHASE
Castillon - Racherbaumer

SPIRIT PRODUCTION AND TRANSPOSITION
Jon Racherbaumer

I think volume 3 is from early to mid-1974.

Still searching...

Hideo,

Yeah, I figured it might be a miss.

Is it one of those things where one cannot substitute a DM count for a Spirit Count at all?

Andrew Musgrave-san,

If your purpose is to hide faces of two cads (only), you can substitute DM Count for Sprit Count. You can also hide back of one card in Spirit Count.

Hideo Kato

Good to know. And the count is deceptive, you say? I've been meaning to pick up the Mentzer and Racherbaumer books counts...

Isn't the Spirit Count considered a false display instead of a count? The sleight is deceptive and the Mentzer book is the source that I learned the sleight from...

Cardamagically,
Dom.
:)

Dom,
IMO, the DM Count and the Spirit Count are both used as false displays. The emphases are more on the identities of the cards than on the total number shown. My two cents.
Angelo

There is a Goldstein effect using the Spirit Count in a copy of Pabular...it's funny because the editors didn't know what it was. If Hideo is still interested, I'll find the reference.

After two days absence (beause of the erthquake), I accessed Magic Café and found the above post.

Thanks, I searched digital Pabular and found many items.

Hideo Kato

I hope you are okay Kato-san!! Prayers with you and Japan!!!