A glass orb is placed on its petastool, awaiting my arrival as the people are seated. The crystal's polish making it so clear that it is almost missed. As the guests are seated.

* I walk in after giving them a few seconds to setal down. The orb then englufs in a babyblue mist of smoke encasing the inner core *

" We can all see I am in a great mood today. Just look at my mood sphere, rare things indeed. They were used by "doctors" if you will ages a go, they would lay them by patients who were taken ill. The color flucuated, at ease almost to the brink of death is a pale shade of the ocean, relaxing and soothing, When the orb turned to that color, He knew the paitent had left, Or was leaving to a better place. Red, means anger, unease. Yellow means curiosity."

I then continue with my routine if a heckler comments " I seen it! I know what you did!" I continue with my performance but the sphere becomes red.
I am also going to work in that the mystical vampire cannot touch the emotion sphere because he has to many emotions running at once, and they study slieght of hand to learn to control there thoughts. They learn to think more rationaly.

Then at the end. I am going to ask if anyone cares to see the emotion sphere, at the same time my hand is going to guide to it but about nine to twelve inches away, the orb loses color and glows bright yellow with light, then visibly cracks. The light burst through the cracks for a split second before letting out yellow/paleblue/and red smoke from all the cracks.

" I apologize my thoughts appear to be scattered. Good night to you all."

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I like the idea. I mite like the presentation after I get my entire routine kicked up. But I do like this idea. Give me your opinions, allways willing to learn and see it from several view points guys.

Your friend,
~Mayo

Sounds beautiful bro...so good to see a fellow magi seeking to inspire...abreath of fresh air I tell ya!!

so are we talking the D'... or what?? that, at least would be feasible heh?

Baba

I love to see your thinking evolve. I think you have the
potential to put together some great material. Keep up
the hard work.

Dave

I have been playing with color changing crystal balls for a while now. ( My website boasts I am the master of sphere illusion after all)

Imagine holding a ball in front of you with your left hand. A d-lite is on your right hand closer to you than the ball. Point the ball directly at the person. Turn on the D-lite behind your 4 fingers. Slowly open fingers and turn hand to give the gradual effect of the light rising - rather than just clicking on.

It is only really effective for one person. The optics of a crystal or acrylic ball are tricky. From the wrong angle it is lame. From the right angle - you might get a religion started after you.


Walk In Peace,

Sensei Strange

Hehe, I so I take it you contact juggle also? Contact juggling I love, specialy when I am in a situation where performing magic is either frowned upon, or just not the right setting. Pull out a cyrstal and go david bowie on them .

I discovered the D'light effect awhile back. I was like, " I found a container for my blood! reached up pulled the light from my neck, then tossed it into the orb.*
Her jaw literaly dropped. A very strong effect no doubt. I will look into your website, I may start asking you questions considering you are the master of sphere illusions

Always nice to have ideas tossed into the mix, You can really study when and see them evolve. Someone gets inspired by one effect so they give there spin, then it goes on and on like the song that never ends

Right now I am thinking of getting liquid metal, and something else but I am not sure what. I need a dazzler for a park thing I am going to. So far I have.

( out of character just performing for every one )

"Guys check this out. Dose anyone have a quarter? Oh, good. has a nice weight to it. Okay I will need your hand, palms down like this. Alright, can you feel the coin on the back of your hand? Can you guys see the coin on the back of her hand?
Everyone gather round and I need you all to concentrate on the coin. burn the coin with your eyes, Burn it! Get a mental image of the coin. My hands are going to pass over hers, but keep the image in your mind stay focused, we will see what kind of power the human mind really has."
Perform the raven.

Another one not neccisarly right after. just sometime nothing really flows in this I plan to hop around. A trick here a trick there.

"I have studied quite sometime now on this magic thing, and have come to the conclusion, it is all in the persons mind. For instance I can squeeze my fist, and let my imagination run wild, and pick what I want to happen."
Perform the hankerchief

"Have you ever seen a ball like this? Probably not like this one, this one is very rare. It is a magical ball. Let me show you. Here take it and squeeze tight. Now we need to think of a number, considering we are working and this is your first try lets go with smaller number. A number more at hand. I work the person to two using magicians choice."
perform the Multi-spongball trick

"You guys want to help me out. *wad up a piece of paper and toss it onto the table* I need everyone to focus on that ball. We are going to try something, When I say, 'now' I want everyone to say 'up' say it and feel it keep saying it until I say stop. Now!"
Perform the floating dollar bill trick.

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Just a bit of fun. Which that mite be enough, but I am looking for something new, in metal bending I would like something more visual then banacheck. Would liquid metal do it?

Also, anyone know where the clay golem trick is? What book? Is it caprion tales. I can't remember the right name for the book or even where to get it
Any help would be appreciated

Your friend,
~Mayo

For reference purposes: That was actually performed by juggler Michael Moschen, and OBSCURE TRIVIA TIME he grew up next to Penn of Penn and Teller - maybe there was something in the water?

Azrael

I love orbs. This past halloween, I went nuts looking for something that could be used as a special effects crystal ball - a specific plasma ball that doesn't resemble the average plasma ball: it has a milky kind of opacity, rather than being completely transparent, and there is no telltale center rod, the plasma skits around the inner circumference of the sphere. After placing orders with 3 different places only to be told it's not in stock, I found it was discontinued - but had a close cousin, so I got that, which you can see here:

http://www.blacklight.com/items/spelecm

Also, I want something that can be handheld, and they do make portable, battery powered plasma balls now, though these currently are the traditional type. It doesn't look like the base is small enough to conceal in your hand yet though:
http://www.epartyunlimited.com/portableplasma.html

BTW, take your time and visit the site above, especially under the "battery lighted" section, there is some amazing things there, including an LED glove of sorts that looks like something from the Borg - I picked on of those up at Spencer's last year, and the thing is totally cool, just to play with even. If I ever do a halloween party with an alien or borg theme, I'm wearing this thing all night long !!
Here's an item that fits Mayos description above in a necklace pendant:
http://www.epartyunlimited.com/magic-necklaces.html#

Also, search for something called Lightcubes, they're like icecubes with colored lights inside, really weird.
As much as I like the electra ball I bought, it was a bit much for a more traditional seance type setup, so I wound up buying a geniune crystal ball too, about 4 1/2 " in diameter, which is pretty large as scrying balls go. That too works well with a D'Lite.

Ah someone well versed I see hehe, Micheal inspired me to get into contact juggling, I watched the making of labyrinth about three to four years ago, and started with it. He is often considered the father of contact juggling. Pretty cool really hehe.

Mystician, I will be looking into those sites as soon as I get some sleep where I can keep everything in my head that I see and want lol. Thank you for the many links!

Your friend,
~Mayo

Jim Henson said, "Michael Moshen's work is the closest thing I have ever seen to real magic"

I agree

but, Michael might be the Father of this art form, but I hope to be its saviour.

I loath the word contact juggling. I HATE IT.

When I first started, yes I was a juggler. But , after I would perform I kept hearing people say, "that is the best magician I have ever seen." The weird thing...I wasn't. Or was I?

Sphere manipulation is pure and simply magic. It is floating balls without a gimmick. It is some of the most clever illusion work to be developed - in my humble opinion.

I have been working hard to promote it as a system of magic - both performance and spiritual. In fact next week I am entering my first Magic Competition and doing a bizarreish sphere manipulation routine. I will have my day!!!!

It is amazing the world of magic that be found in something as simple as a ball.


Neat toy links.




Walk in Peace,


Sensei Strange

I'm thinking that if you can apply makeup, ink, pencil residue or something that would leave a "burn mark" on the back of the person's hand - it might be a nice kicker for the vanish.

Just a thought.
EVILDAN/

Been studying CJ and have not gotten to the point where I can include it an any routine, or even just as a happenstance. I've been stuying and working on adapting some of the moves in Labrynth, but I'm just not there yet (darnit). I never intend it to be a big part of any routine, just something that happens, like in the movie.

Azrael

Turning a contact juggling routine into a magic routine, I am not sure how well that would work. Because really, there is no logical way unless you are dealing with billard balls to start contact juggling with a ball. And then you have to explain,
" I must focus. " or whatever for the butterfly, or you could just say, " Watch this flurish!" and get a better result. Yes! It is magical, but you don't mix the two together because it will negate the reaction and leave the crowd, " Wha? ".

So, IMHO that is a bad Idea. Now times do arise and you would want to be ready. Like if you are sitting in a book store reading, The balls are clear. no one pays anyone mind. Pick up a new age book start reading, then look up and pull the crystal from the sky, and start doing butterflys.
Or do a butterfly back back false transfer and have a rose in your other hand. IE
" You are on a brisk walk with your girl friend, ' the night is magical you say' as you then reach up and grab the orb, you do a butterfly then do the false transfer and give her the rose."
It looks as though right in front of her the orb transformed into a rose.

But anywho. that's my two cense on tying the two.

Your friend,
~Mayo

Well, I'm not planning on making it an effect in and of itself, just an extra (ie: "I seem to have forgotten my crytal. This will have to do..." super bubble (with bouncing) to crytal w/ a bit of CJ thrown in w/ that).

Azrael

I do make it effect in and of itself. In my humble opinion to not much is more magical than a well executed isolation set.

Mayo, even though you think it is a bad idea, I have been quite succesful doing it for the past three years. I am very curious though how it will do in a magic competition. I will be performing at next Monday's SAM competition with a sphere manipulation set. We shall see...

Interestingly, the originator of the art loathes the word Contact Juggling - Moschen called it dynamic manipulation. I like sphere manipulation or just sphere magic.

I wish you luck with that. But may I ask what moves are in the set? How it is going to be staged. Isolations, Yeah I will agree 150% that those things are amazing when performed properly, and do look like real magic. But how many isolations are you going to perform?
What is the theme behinde it? I am trying to learn from this. Because I have been trying to construct a solo act with sphere play. For quite sometime. But it always goes back to, "He is really talented.", " How long did it take you to do that!?", " Woa look at that guys balance."

The only thing I can think of is a mind over matter patter. But when someone says, " That takes balance." That gets shot down I am afraid. I would love to hear your routine.

Azrael, That I feel could work. Giving them a stunning effect, a pause, then almost a comical/magical blast with the ball. Sounds good to me! I would love to see where you take this!

Your friend
~Mayo

Anyone know about "Contact Mind Reading Expanded"? It's an old pamphlet from the 40's by Dariel Fitzkee.

G

Only that I see it on eBay a lot. Do an eBay search on "Fitzkee" if interested.

Found this little darling on ThinkGeek, and thought it might be appropriate here:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/5da2/

Seems kinda close, Mayo.