Ashes to Ashes
by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon

Combining card magic and mentalism demonstrates some of the best affects you can conjure. This one is a mind blower, a magical impossibility, if you as a magician can set the tone for the act. This is a very easy trick to do, and it is based mostly on your ability to convince the spectators that something mysterious happens.

The Presentation:

You pull out a deck of cards, borrowed or otherwise and scan through the deck removing the jokers. Tell the spectators that there is nothing funny about what you are going to do next, and the Jokers are not needed.

Call on one spectator to choose a card by mere chance. Let them know that you, as a tricky magician, can often cause those unsuspecting to choose the card of your desire by moving them around in your hands in a special way. But this time, you are going to let them cut to the card completely at random. Have them cut the cards, but do not let them complete the cut. When they cut the cards, have them place the cut cards as a packet to the left of the cards still on the table.

At this point, pick up the other half of the deck and place it juxtaposed on top of the cards they cut and say “We are going to mark the place where you cut the cards.” (One pack is on top of the other sideways.)  Immediately explain the power of mental prediction. Explain that before you even met there, you had a certain premonition about a card that you will now write down on a blank piece of paper. Write down your prediction, fold it up, and then hand it to the spectator and have them hold it, not open it.

Next, direct their attention back to the cards. Say, “Now let’s see where you cut the cards to.” Pick up the top packet and have them look at the card, and then show you the card - let’s say it is the 2 of clubs. Tell them, I could have you simply open the paper up and find that I have written down the two of clubs, and you would be amazed, I’m sure, but let’s try something different.

Tell them there are no such things as coincidences. Take out a lighter, take the paper, keep it folded, and have them light it on fire, and place the ashes in an ash try. Let it burn, and roll up your sleeve. While the paper is burning look intently into the flames and even wave your arm around and through the rising smoke a bit.

When the paper has burned out, take some of the ashes and lightly and gently rub them on the inside of your forearm. As you rub, mysteriously, the ashes begin to transform on your arm into some number and symbol. It’s vague; it’s hard to see, it takes a little explanation, but there, written on your arm, is the two of clubs.

The Secret:

1) Chapstick and 2) Equivoque (the magician’s force).  I’m not going to tell you any more than that. You should, if you have just a little card conjuring in you, to figure this one out with the two key words.