Inspire Friday

“The anthropologists got it wrong when they named our species Homo sapiens (‘wise man’). In any case it’s an arrogant and bigheaded thing to say, wisdom being one of our least evident features. In reality, we are Pan narrans, the storytelling chimpanzee.” Terry Pratchett

Switchcraft Version 34

It's been over two years since I bought Switchcraft but I got an email today about an updated version and I guess a few emails must of went to spam because this is 4 versions past the last update I got. I've not read it yet but I know it'll be good. I just feel like mentioning this cause nothing else I've bought in all my magic time gets free upgrades like this. It's approaching 800 pages and it would have been all too easy for Elliott J. Bresler to release all this work as 4 separate books at $25 a piece. This work is way past being a good value for the price and would hurt no ones collection.

Too much exposure.

So I've never purchased a magazine aimed at magicians before but i decided to try one on last visit to my local brick and mortar. So I got the April issue of Genii and here are my take aways;

I do not want to see Charlotte Pendragon naked. 

The thought of Mrs. Pendragon naked does not make want buy an overpriced Wonderball.  

Why would you do that to me Genii, I never did anything to you. 

Oh no! One of the effects I do often was on scam school.

Crap now that effect is ruined and every one will no how to do it. Wait but that's also where I learned to do it. And no one I've done it for knows it's secrets. I wonder why that could be? Oh wait, maybe it's cause we have different audiences. I perform for friends, family, coworkers, and random people at parties. Scam Schools audience is 90% amateur magicians and people who don't want to pay for beer.

So I guess the worry would be that if someone were to Google what I did they would get the Scam school video. So I tried that with the latest scam school video;

It was not very effective. As I've said before it's not easy hunting down a method if all you know is the effect it produces. You would really want to know badly in order to not say to hell with it and just go on about your day.

A Magicians Guide to Tarot by Paul Voodini

So when I saw that Voodini was coming out with a book on how to read the Tarot with a pretty cheap early bird pricing I figured why not.

A bit of background I do have some experience with a Tarot deck, I tried learning the whole deck a few times in the past, and for a while I did a tarot horoscope blog as a way to familiarize my self with the cards. But now I really only use the Major Arcana and my style is based 100% on the Fools Journey. So I can't really say that I know the traditional meanings of the cards. 

So lets get into it, this book is 87 pages and most of those are taken up by the card meanings. I did not read them all, I got no use for the minor arcana. I mostly skimmed looking for bits where he was talking about something else. Now as I said I do not really know the traditional interpretations of the cards but I don't think these are them. I can say they are nothing like my interpretations. Especially as there are three pairs of major arcana cards Voodini treats as interchangeable. (I  checked and besides being reminded of why I avoid "shut eye" forums, I found that those aren't how a lot of people see those cards) Though I do not think this is an issue, I think it is more important that one is consistent with the meanings they choose than that they use specific meanings. The meanings were given in a way that does look like it would aid in the learning.

As this book is aimed at entertaining with readings Voodini does not get very deep into the reading styles. He only offers two ways, one card readings and three card readings. He only recommends doing the three when thing are slow like at the beginning before you've drummed up interest. As for what to say during the reading Paul's system has you repeating yourself often, for example with each new group there is a little spiel he goes over remind telling people that the death card is not bad news. And with the minor arcana meanings he usually references that cards equal from a regular deck of cards to give the sitter a point of reference.

Now there is a there is a section at the end about mixing the tarot on magic, and I can't say that there really anything fantastic there. It opens with Voodini saying he used to be anti-trick when it came to the tarot, and I'm not to sure it still isn't. Most of the effects seem more like thought exercises that tested material. Though a few of them do recommended forcing a card on someone as part of the reading/effect and that I'm a bit iffy on, seems like cheating. I think if you want to add magic to your reading then the best bet would be go get a copy of Magic Mirror by Robert Neale and David Parr. It has a wonderful way of turning the three card reading into a bit of precognition.

Over all its not a bad book, not really happy with the meanings and magic part but the bit on how to offer readings seemed good. And I'd mostly recommend this book to those who had no idea what the cards mean or what to do with them but would like the skill for their repertoire without too much work.

What I been up to magic wise.

Not a lot, I went on the original hiatus as I got a job at a call center. And some may think that means I have a lot of people to do magic for so lots of practice on. And it's true, there are a lot of people there. But for the most part it's not a good place to do magic. The layout of the seats makes for bad angles, and the worst part is that at in moment a call can come in and interrupt, so I don't do magic on the clock. But I do magic else-when and I'm reasonably good at what I do. And word gets around, so I do get asked to do it randomly as I'm walking across the floor. I've found that my refusal to just do a trick at everyone beck and call and the fact that I'm not bad, has lead to a solid reputation as a magician. People who have never seen me perform are telling people I'm a good magician.

Also even though I've never done a reading at all at work. Women keep stopping me say "I heard you can read palms." Which is weird as I've never even do a reading or mentalism effect.

What I noticed.

So I've been going to see as many shows as I can to learn what I can. And here are some of the things I notice.

First why doesn't anyone advertise. Seriously finding shows to go require a rump load of investigations. It seems to me that most of the shows rely on the bars usual clientele. And the bars don't don't do more than put up the blurb on the website. That's how I found the last show I went to was I visited a bars webpage and there it was so I went to check the groups website and it was still advertising a show from a couple months ago and did not give an option to sign up for a newsletter and there is no fan page for the group or it members. That the group doesn't really seem to be doing any work to draw a crowd would make it kind of understandable that they don't really get much if any of the door. Which leads me to my second thing.

Hat-ing up the crowd. Every show so far has had a whip around for tips at least twice and  at one very poorly produced show they did it constantly and rudely. Going to some forums I've found this to be a rather common practice for burlesque shows here in the USA. One reply I got was that the groups cut of the door barely cover what they have to pay to use venue's "stage".  But as a audience member I don't want to tip after I've paid $10+ to get into the venue. But I will buy overpriced swag at a merchandise table.

Side note to the last thing of the last thing. The overpriced swag is almost always un-creative junk and pasties.

It seems to me a lot of troupes are missing out on the business side of show business.

So something I don't care for it the rudeness. Most talkies have a habit of swear at the audience and calling them names. Which is a double edged sword, if there is not a balance to it (usually through self depreciating humor) then it will turn the crowd on you quick fast and in a hurry.

As for the rudeness on stage by the talkies is nowhere near as bad as a performer being a bitchy drama queen mean mouthing the audience before her set. At the worst produced show I went to in the past month there was this woman just bitching like crazy before the show and at one point she called most of the audience a bunch of perverts. I didn't think much of it until later when she took the stage and I realized that it was that woman from earlier. I could not enjoy her sub-par act which probably had more to do with my attitude than her skills. After all they say if the audience likes you they will like what you do.