Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Spinning card
illusion
whenever you
want!
By Wilhelm Eberhard

• Perform the classic card illusion at

any moment!
• The thread is hidden in the card,
not in your body. Have complete
freedom of movements with no risk
of breaking the thread!
• Affix the anchor without having to
look at the card!

st
San José, Costa Rica, December 21 2010

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Contents

Spinning card illusion whenever you want! 1

Introduction 4
Preparatory actions 5
Preparing the wax anchor 5
Preparing the thread 5
Preparing the card 5
Preparing the deck 5
Method 6
Transferring the anchor to your thumb 6
Transferring the anchor to your thumb later 6
Floating the card 7
Advanced methods 8
A clean finish 8
Multiple levitations 8
Aces from different pockets 8
Other methods to produce the Aces from different pockets 8
Performing for challenging spectators 8
“The Flying Card” that really flies! 9
Combine methods! 10
Useful showmanship techniques 11
Emphasize the uniqueness of your performance! 11
Reward attention 11
Use your art sparely 12
Handle applause gracefully 12
Triggering an ovation 12
Receiving applause 12
A magician is both actor and director 12
Learning more about showmanship 13
Final section 14
Why was this method created? 14

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Additional credits. 14
Final thoughts 15
Disclaimer 15
About the author 15
Useful links 16
Excellent books about showmanship 17
Other versions of Bob Hummer’s trick I have found using Google 17

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Introduction breaking the thread during the day. You may really perform
This is an alternative method to the classic floating card the illusion at any time, as you do not need to look for a
illusion invented by Bob Hummer and marketed in 1943, favourable opportunity to transfer the anchors.
originally called the Hummer Card and later the
Finally, you may keep several prepared cards in different
Hummingbird Card1. This floating card illusion became
pockets. There is no need to transfer the same anchor several
popular among magicians thanks to Geno Munari and Mark
times. You may simply discard the anchors, and let them fall
Blais’ UFO Whirling Card and Michael Ammar’s Easy to
to the floor. Consequently, there is no need to handle the
Master Thread Miracles series.
anchor carefully. You simply use a new anchor each time.
The original method uses a long piece of thread anchored on
the head. The thread hangs in front of the body and tends to
get entangled in the hands or in objects during normal
movements. Because of this, the thread may be damaged just
before you could perform the illusion.

To the best of my knowledge, the first available method to

perform this illusion without the long thread anchored to the
head was the “Whirling Business Card”, in Michael Ammar’s
Easy to Master Thread Miracles series, volume 1, “Section
Three - Magic with Invisible Elastic”. This method uses a
prepared stack of business cards that can be carried in the
pocket and used to perform the floating illusion at any
moment.

However, if you want to levitate a playing card, the method

in Michael Ammar’s video requires you to transfer two
anchors from your shirt buttons. One anchor has to be
transferred to the bottom card of the deck and the other to
the exact centre of the top card. A procedure to accomplish
this is not provided in the video. You must find an
opportunity to do it while handling a burrowed deck.

This alternative method uses a shorter piece of thread hidden

in the card, not in your body, similarly to Ammar’s Whirling
Business Card. But the anchor is transferred from the card to
your thumb nail.

This allows you to keep the card ready to perform the

spinning card illusion at any moment, eliminating any risk of

1
See the entry for the “Whirling Card” in Magicpedia at
http://www.geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Whirling_Card
And the entry for “Hummer Card” in Wikipedia at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummer_card

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Preparatory actions make the pink wax anchor somewhat bigger, so you could
This section explains all you need to prepare in advance. easily find it by sense of touch alone.

Preparing the wax anchor Preparing the deck

You may use ordinary magician’s wax. But thee optimal anchor Have a duplicate of the prepared card in the deck.
for this effect uses a mix of flesh wax and red wax to create a
At any moment, preferably ly after performing other card
pink coloured wax that matches the colour of the thumb nail nail.
effects, force the duplicate of the prepared card by your
You will also need card wax matching the back of the playing
favourite method and have the card returned to the deck.
card you are levitating.. You may also use black wax to attach
the thread to a black pip, or white wax to attach the thread You may allow the spectator to shuffle and lose the card in
to the face (see the links to the products at the end of this the deck.. But control the card to the top or bottom
bott if at all
document). ). These instructions assume the anchor is aattached possible to do so.
to the back of the card. But they continue to be valid if you
attach the anchor to the face of the card. Put the deck in your pocket next to the prepared card and ask
the spectator to name his chosen card (the one you forced).
Preparing the thread
The length of the thread
between the anchors is the
same as the distance from your
thumb’s nail to your pinky’s nail
with your fingers extended
extended.
Make
ke sure you detach a longer
piece of thread, as you will
need to roll some thread in the wax to create the anchors.

To prevent the invisible thread from cutting through the wax

anchors, you may roll a tiny piece of ordinary sewing thread
in the wax pellet. Use sewing thread matching the colour of
the wax you are using. The invisible thread will get entangled
in the sewing thread instead of cutting through the wax.

Preparing the card

Stick one end of the thread (the one with
the pink wax anchor) to the back of the
card, near the corner.. Stick the other end of
the thread to the centre of the card’
card’s back.

Put
ut the card in your pocket. As the thread is
so short, you don’t even need to wrap it
around the card.

Make the anchor that goes on the middle of the card aas tiny
as possible, but still capable of holding the card. You may

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Method Place your thumb nail next to the pink

This section explains the actions that will permit you to float wax pellet. Pull the wax anchor over the
the card. thumb nail with the index finger.
finger

Transferring the anchor to your thumb

Pretend you will locate the card by sense of touch in the You
ou may hold the card facing the spectators to cover the
pocket. When your hand is in the pocket, it will be easy to transfer of the anchor.
locate the pellet of pink wax in the corner of the prepared
card and transfer it to your thumb nail. But it is not necessary to use
e the card to cover the transfer,
transfer if
the movement of forefinger is minimal.
minimal The small anchor is
By pretending to detect the card by sense of touch in a completely covered by the finger.
shuffled deck, you also justify any amount of extra time
required to correctly affix thee anchor to your thumb nail
nail. If Only the movement of the forefinger might look suspicious, if
you have any unexpected difficulty doing this,, yyou are simply you draw attention to it.
looking for the card.

The optimal areas on n the nail to affix

the anchor are shown in the
illustration. If the wax is flattened and
smoothly extended until it touches the
skin, the anchor will not look bulky, but
will blend with the natural curvature of
the nail.

You are now ready to produce the prepared card from your
pocket and float the card.

Transferring the anchor to your thumb later

You may remove the card from your pocket and transfer the
anchor later on, for instance, to perform a standard
boomerang card throw.

When you transfer the anchor to the nail,, do it without

looking at the card. Use only your left hand, while you
perform some other action with the right hand
hand. Proceed like
this:

Hold the card between the thumb on the

back and the middle finger on the face.
You may also hold the deck in dealing
position with the prepared card on top.

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Floating the card Warning: Do not throw the card forward. The thread is too
short and the card may fly forward too much and be
suddenly pulled back by the thread. If this happens,
hap even
Throw the card from your left hand to though spectators cannot see the filament, they will have a
your right hand. This simple move clear indication that the card is actually attached to a thread.
proves that the card is not attached to
your left hand and also helps you
position the card in front of the lower
Next, turn the left hand
right part of your torso, so you may
palm down, catching the
extend the thread
ad to full length before spinning the card.
thread between the middle
and ring fingers of the left
hand.
Move the card down and a little to the
right, away from the left hand until the
thread is taut. Turn the left hand palm
up, facing your chest, to facilitate
catching the thread between the middle Maintain the right hand
and ring fingers later on. under the floating card as a
decoy. Apparently, the card
floats between your hands
Extend your left index finger and let instead of hanging from your
the thread lie over the side of your left hand.
left middle finger.

Float the spinning card from right to left

and upwards. When your left hand
reaches about shoulder height, extend
Your right hand takes the card by the the left thumb to pull the thread and
corner as shown in the illustration
illustration. cause the card to float up while you
maintain your left hand static. Your right
hand continues to follow the upwards movement of the card,
however.

These actions create the illusion that the card’s movement is

To spin the card, extend
xtend the middle
independent from the left hand’ss movement.
finger sharply. At the same time,
quickly move the right hand Finally, catch the card between your hands and detach the
backwards. The card will rotat
rotate in anchor from the back of the card. The card may now be
place,, under the left hand
hand. examined.

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Advanced methods After that, produce and levitate each of the three remaining
This section deals with advanced methods to make your aces from different pockets.
presentation of this illusion even more incredible.
Your deck will have only four aces at the end, as you
A clean finish discharged the four duplicates in the first pocket.
If you controlled the forced card to the top or bottom of the
Other methods to produce the Aces from
pack, you may leave it in your pocket when you take the
different pockets
deck.
You may have noticed the previous effect would be similar to
Now, you have no duplicate cards in the deck. Milton Kort’s “Travellers without Palms”, in page 109 of The
Magic of Milton Kort, by Stephen Minch, published by
Multiple levitations Hermetic Press, of Seattle, Washington.
If you wish, you may have more than one duplicate card
prepared with thread and wax in the same or different You may perform Kort’s version of this classic effect, and still
pockets. To repeat the illusion, locate the duplicate of the produce prepared aces ready to be levitated.
next prepared card and force it.
Force the four aces using the “Obliging Aces” presentation
You may practice levitating cards that are anchored on your from page 125 of the “Royal Road to Card Magic”, by Jean
left or right thumb nail and produce cards from left and right Hugard and Frederick Braue. Then, switch the aces and burry
pockets. four indifferent cards in different parts of the deck or use a
multiple shift to control the aces to the top or bottom.
An efficient method to locate the necessary duplicates of the
prepared cards is to perform a trick that requires you to Finally, palm the four aces or discharge them in the pocket
remove specific cards from the deck. using Milton Kort’s method, and produce the prepared aces
that you can levitate.
For instance, in gathering the red and black cards you need to
perform an oil and water routine, you may also cut the card Also, if you don’t mind having to practice a complex sequence
you need to the top of the deck, so you may force it later. of Elmsley and Jordan counts, you may prefer to use the
spectacular effect “The More Things Change”, from page 126
Aces from different pockets of Peter Dufie & Jerry Sadowitz’ extraordinary book “Card
Why not have duplicates of the four aces prepared in Zones”, published by Breeze Books, London.
different pockets?
Performing for challenging spectators
Control the normal aces to the top of the pack with a An effect with multiple solutions permits you to triumph over
Vernon’s Multiple Shift, for example. adversaries or obstacles no matter what and finish the
performance with dignity after a victory.
You may also use a packet switch, and bury four indifferent
cards (apparently the aces) in different parts of the deck. This is why, if you have the type of spectator who is trying to
expose you, and you consider it is not safe to attempt to
Palm the normal aces from the top, and leave them in the
control or palm the card while he shuffles (because that’s
first pocket from which you remove the first prepared ace.
what he expects you to do), you can still let that spectator
Spin and float the ace, remove the wax from it, and return it burrow the card in the deck himself and shuffle the pack.
to the deck.

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

You may even use the dramatic tension created by such a have only 52 cards (really 53, but the duplicate is adhered to
challenging situation to make your presentation more the back of an indifferent card).
interesting.
In most cases, the cards will adhere so well to each other,
And you may still produce and levitate the duplicate card, that you may allow spectators to handle the deck and they
even if the original card is genuinely lost. will not detect the double card. You may ask a spectator to
deal the cards face up on your hand, pretending you want
Of course, if something like this happens, it is better to end him to find the aces for the next effect. No one will notice
the performance triumphantly at this point. that one of the cards was actually two cards adhered with
But, assume the worst case scenario and suppose you have wax.
reasons to suspect the troublemaker may know about
Once you have the aces, you may perform the routine where
forcing. He could eventually imagine you used a duplicate you produce them from different pockets, and levitate each
card. of them, or maybe levitate only the last ace.
Before he could even think of this solution, you may proof If you want to be absolutely sure that the cards will be
him wrong by showing the deck has not duplicate cards. perfectly adhered, use an 8, 9 or 10 with a tiny pellet of card
This requires only a little extra preparation in advance, to wax affixed to each pip, to make sure the cards will be
bring into play the classic principle used to vanish a card in immovable.
Prof. Hoffmann’s effect, “The Flying Card”, described in In emergencies, you may transfer the wax from your nail to
Chapter VI, “Card Mysteries employing diachylon”, in the
the card’s face, and stick it to the top card as explained. But,
“Encyclopedia of Card Tricks”, edited by Jean Hugard. as the card will be fixed by means of only one pellet of wax, it
You will not employ diachylon or saliva, as in the traditional might not be entirely immovable. It is therefore not
method, however. Happily, cleaner products are available recommendable to allow some spectators to handle the deck
these days. in this case.

Have four small pellets of coloured card wax adhered to the “The Flying Card” that really flies!
corner pips of the duplicate card in your pocket. Use red or Finally, why not be ready since the very beginning? If you are
black wax that hides in the pips of the same colour. After performing only this trick with the deck, or you don’t mind
levitating the duplicate card, remove the wax anchor from its having two cards stuck with wax for the rest of your
back with the nail, place it on top of the pack, and press it on performance (you might even find uses for this double card),
the top card. The duplicate card will adhere to the top card you may also vanish the selected card from the deck as in the
thanks to the wax pellets. original trick, “The Flying Card”.

You may wish to shuffle the pack to lose the double card in Have the card prepared with wax on the bottom and the card
the deck at this point. to be forced on top.

Or you may prefer to simply cut the deck and squeeze the Backslip force the top card. Cut for the return of the forced
cards as recommended in the “Encyclopedia of Card Tricks”, card and complete the cut.
for the cards to adhere.
Squeeze the deck and proceed to show that the chosen card
Now, you can spread or fan the deck, and even drop the vanished from the pack.
cards face up on the table one by one without exposing the
duplicate card, and end up clean. The deck will apparently
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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

But, instead of producing the card from a card case, as in

Prof. Hoffmann’s version, you produce the duplicate from the
pocket and levitate it.

You can perform this illusion completely surrounded by

spectators, as there is nothing to palm or any bad angles at
all, which makes this illusion perfect for strolling magic.

Combine methods!
You can still have the long piece of thread ready to perform
the original version. You may even have the piece of elastic
thread with the two anchors fixed to shirt buttons as
suggested in Ammar’s video. You may also carry a prepared
stack of “Whirling Business Cards”, and handle one after
performing the spinning card illusion with a chosen card!

The approach provided here does not replace other

procedures or prevents you from using them. It is an
additional method.

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Useful showmanship techniques Or maybe it is privileged knowledge that will save you from
This section explains basic showmanship techniques that will dire consequences: Gamblers unaware of the danger you are
help you bring your unique personal charm and talent into going to expose lost immense fortunes.
play.
Allow yourself to fantasize about why your effect is unique:
Showmanship is basically the skill to create a special Do you use an irreplaceable object? It took you 10 years of
experience for your spectators. How? By emphasising the study and practice to acquire the skill you are going to
uniqueness of your performance, rewarding attention, using demonstrate? Was it incredibly difficult to persuade a
your art sparely, handling applause gracefully and having a reluctant magician to teach you the real secret of this
clear vision of how your show will be. routine? Are you demonstrating an inexplicable ability or lost
secret of an ancient civilization, society or tribe? Did you find
Be different! Go beyond simply learning how to perform a a lost artefact that allows you to do this? A rare matter is
trick by discovering your unique wonderful ways to make use consumed, so you might not be able to repeat this
of showmanship. You will be delighted by the results! demonstration until you find more of the substance? It works
only at special times or when you experience a special
Emphasize the uniqueness of your feeling? Is it a routine you perform only for people you are
performance! fond of? Or is it associated to cherished remembrances of
Extremely rare or unique things arouse interest and become your childhood? You became able to do this after some
associated to special experiences. This is why you must exceptional event (accident, near-death experience, trauma,
emphasize a characteristic that makes your performance etc)? Is it an unexplainable unique ability you have always
unique. had and you don’t know how it works?
To illustrate this, imagine a pair of handcuffs Houdini himself Act, think and feel as if all you said about the “uniqueness” of
used in his act. Imagine you received these handcuffs as a your effect were absolutely true, no matter how fantastic it
prize, in a special ceremony. is. It is true for you as an actor in the context of your
performance.
Now, imagine an identical ordinary pair of handcuffs you
bought from a dealer who sells items used by escape artists. Also remember that you may be as fantastic as you want, as
The objects are identical. But the experience is entirely long as all you say matches all you do or show. You may say
different. that an obviously fake diamond made of plastic is a real
diamond that was cursed to look as a cheap imitation. But
Tricks are like objects. They cannot create special experiences
you should not pretend it is a real diamond if it is obviously a
by themselves. The peculiar circumstances around them
false one, because this would destroy the illusion you are
create these experiences.
creating.
Use your patter to establish the “uniqueness” of what you
are going to show. If you persuade spectators that they will Reward attention
see something special, mysterious and uncommon, they will Once you have secured the spectator’s interest with your
be attentive and interested. patter, you may make a silent pause for the meaning of your
words to sink in. Look at your spectators. Focus on those who
This “uniqueness” may be related to historical events. Maybe are paying attention. Smile at them. Reward their attention
the ability to carry out this particular magic act used to by making feel you are also paying attention to them.
determine whether one would be accepted as a wizard in
some ancient society. Then carry out your effect.

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Perform for those that are paying attention. Do not worry Give your entire attention to spectators at the end of your
about spectators who do not seem interested nor try to force performance. Never complete complex secret preparations
them to pay attention to the show. If, at some point they while receiving applause, as spectators may notice you are
begin to pay attention to you, look at them while you talk and not paying attention to them.
smile at them, so they know you are pleased.
Always consider your performance to be a dialogue.
Use your art sparely
In a dialogue, you must give your listener a chance to say
Remember that you may repeat an effect. But you can’t
what he thinks. Your interlocutor has respectfully paid
always repeat the experience your spectators had.
attention to you. Now, you must make clear you finished and
Do not ruin a special experience by performing an effect too are respectfully paying attention to him or her.
often. Just because you can do an effect whenever you want,
Applause in a formal performance -or simple praise in a
you don’t have to do it whenever you can.
casual performance- is the way the public has to tell you
Common things cease to be connected to the experience of a what they think. You must make clear that you have finished
special moment. Use your art sparely and always leave and that it is your turn to listen to them.
spectators wanting more.
This is why it is so important to plan how to clearly mark the
Handle applause gracefully end of your performance, even if it is an improvised
Handling applause gracefully requires you to know both how performance for someone you met in a corridor!
to trigger an ovation and how to receive applause.
Also remember that you must always leave spectators
Triggering an ovation wanting more. This is an important part of the spectator’s
Applause is an important part of the spectator’s experience. experience! Perform an additional effect after the concluding
To trigger an ovation, make clear you finished and thank the effect (an “encore”) only when you are sure spectators are
public for their attention. capable of giving you an even greater ovation if you do so.
Always terminate your performance at its highest point.
You may conclude a formal show by taking a bow and saying
something along the lines of: “And this concludes my A magician is both actor and director
performance. It was a pleasure to entertain you and I hope As a director, you must have a clear vision of how your show
you had enjoyed my performance too. Thank you for your will be:
attention. I wish you a lovely evening.”
• How will it begin? How will it end?
Also finish small improvised performances by making clear • What will make the spectator’s experience special?
you finished and thanking the spectators for their attention. • How will your show arouse the spectator’s interest?
Spectators may simply praise you instead of applauding when • Are there intense parts (danger, laughter or surprise),
you perform in informal conditions (such as when performing slow parts (suspense, contemplation or reflection),
for a small group at a restaurant table or for a friend in a fast parts (skilful manipulation or flourishes) and
corridor). which events trigger the rhythm changes?
• How will your voice and demeanour convey the
Receiving applause
adequate feelings at those times?
We all want to feel we are special. If you make spectators feel
• Will your spectators be active participants or passive
special because they are applauding, they will applaud even
witnesses? How will you clearly communicate to
more!
spectators what is expected from them?

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

• Have you eradicated all the common mistakes, such

as shifting from foot to foot, fidgeting and other bad
habits, such as inadvertently repeating some
unnecessary words or expressions?
• All you need to guarantee the success of the
performance is available? Attire? Lights? Props?
Adequate rehearsal? Is the show adequate for the
target audience?

Have a clear vision of how your show will be. Do not merely
perform the moves taught in a book or DVD that explains
how to perform a magic trick. You are unique. Produce a
show in your unique way, even if the show consists of only
one magic trick performed for a friend in a corridor and it
lasts only 2 minutes.

Be a showman! Think of every performance as a show.

Learning more about showmanship

There is a list of useful books on showmanship in the links
section at the end of this document. I am sure you will love to
read them, if you have not done it already.

You will enjoy studying showmanship. By creating a special

experience for your spectators, you will also create an
extraordinary and different experience for you as performer
and director of your magic show.

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 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

Final section I initially thought of a simpler way to eliminate the need to

This section is for those curious about all that made possible transfer two anchors: Have a card with both anchors fixed on
publishing this work. the face in a pocket.

Why was this method created? I would control a selected card to the top, put the deck in
Why another method to perform this classic illusion? The that pocket, find the chosen card in the pocket, remove the
original method is still excellent and offers you many deck from the pocket along with the card on the bottom of
interesting possibilities not offered by the method presented the pack, place the chosen card on top and transfer one of
here. the anchors to the middle of it.

Nevertheless, it was still necessary to look at the card while

However, the traditional method has two problems:
transferring the anchor, to make sure it was fixed in the
1. The long piece of thread might not remain intact enough middle of the top card. This is not always easy to do
time to be available when you want to perform the levitation. unnoticeably.

2. You also have to transfer the anchor to the exact middle of I did not like to do it while showing the bottom card to
the card, forcing you to look at the anchor during the spectators. That’s a little like saying: “Please look at the
transfer. bottom card while I carry on these secret preparations on the
top card”. Besides, it does not work when you are
These problems of the original method may be due to the surrounded, as people seeing over your shoulder will notice
fact that Bob Hummer did not use invisible thread when he what you are doing. And I wanted to levitate the card at any
began performing the floating card illusion. He actually
time, even when surrounded by people.
allowed a series of hairs from the back of his head to grow
long. These hairs would be attached to the card using wax. So, the reason why I developed this method is to really be
able to perform this illusion with a chosen card whenever you
Only later was invisible thread used to perform this effect want!
and the thread was, naturally, attached to the head,
as in the original method. Additional credits.
I have already credited Bob Hummer for inventing this
Michael Ammar provided the first method I ever found to
illusion and Geno Munari, Mark Blais and Michael Ammar for
perform the levitation at any moment by carrying a prepared
being the masters from which I learnt it. Now, I have to credit
stack of business cards in the pocket.
one final magician for empowering me to create all I have
But this method has two limitations: invented on my own. This magician is Aaron Smith.

1. I wanted to levitate a chosen playing card, not an It was until the Magic Depo released the flesh coloured wax
indifferent business card that happens to be on top. and red card wax that I finally came up with a satisfactory
And I wanted the deck to be unprepared, so I could solution to the above mentioned problems.
handle it freely.
The coloured card wax manufactured by Aaron Smith
2. To perform the illusion with a burrowed deck of
includes red and blue coloured invisible thread. It was this
cards, the method suggested in the video requires
coloured thread and wax that suggested to me the idea of
you to transfer two anchors from shirt buttons to the
hiding the whole set up on the card’s back.
deck.
I experimented with both anchors attached to the card’s back
and I realized that it was more effective if the permanent

14
 Spinning Card Illusion whenever you want!

anchor is the one that goes in the centre of the card to be Disclaimer
levitated. To the best of my knowledge, I have mentioned all the
creative magicians who contributed to develop or popularize
It is not really important to affix the other anchor to a precise
this illusion.
spot, as long as it holds the thread. So, you can transfer it in
the pocket without looking at it. If I have failed to mention anyone, I apologize to this creative
person. I will be glad to mention his or her contribution.
Finally, I have used pink wax to fix invisible thread to my nails
for years. But home-made pink wax is not good enough. I was Any similarity between the method I developed and other
finally able to produce the perfect wax by mixing the flesh method I don’t know about that might have been published
coloured wax and the red wax sold by the Magic Depo. These by other magician is coincidental.
new waxes allowed me to solve the problem of levitating the
card at any time. About the author
I was born in San José, Costa Rica, in February 1974.
Final thoughts
Note that I developed this method to perform the Floating My mom enrolled me in a magic course from an extinct
Card illusion at any moment. The method is not intended to distance learning company called “Modern Schools” when I
perform the advanced manoeuvres, such as floating the card was about 6 years old. The course author was said to be Fu-
around the body. Nor it is designed to imitate the “ascending Manchú, (stage name of David Bamberg2).
air draft” effect in Ammar’s version, because the type and
I liked the course, but I was mostly interested in cold reading
length of the threads and even the spinning technique are
(a tradition in my family), until I got my first regular job: I
different, and the floating card will not behave as in the other
worked as a casino dealer in the 1990s. That job paid for my
versions.
university studies and I was fascinated by card magic.
If you want to perform these advanced manoeuvres, I
I speak French, English and Spanish, I am vegetarian, live in
recommend you to study the original method in Geno Munari
San José, Costa Rica, and you may find me in Facebook. I will
and Mark Blais’ booklet or DVD. You may also want to check
be glad to add you as a connection and know if you liked
Michael Ammar’s Easy to Master Thread Miracles, volume 1,
“Spinning Card Illusion Whenever You Want”.
“Section Three - Magic with Invisible Elastic”. Study the
“Whirling Business Card” and you will not be disappointed, as Best wishes,
it is an amazing, easy and practical effect you will surely be
happy to use.

Finally, if you want to learn a really clever and practical

routine to produce the four aces from different pockets, I
recommend you to study Milton Kort’s “Travellers without
Palms” in Stephen Minch’s book, “The Magic of Milton Kort”.

I have also added links to other commercially available

versions of the Hummer’s floating card effect I found in
Google, even though I have not studied all those booklets
and DVDs, to help readers investigate those products if they
wish. 2
See the entry for Fu Manchú in Magicpedia at
http://www.geniimagazine.com/magicpedia/Fu_Manchu

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Useful links

Flesh coloured wax:

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=6193

Black and White Card Wax

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=6584

Coloured Card Wax (includes coloured invisible thread)

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=6578

WaxTaqs Quick Stick

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=6519

Geno Munari and Mark Blais’ UFO Whirling Card

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=1676

UFO Whirling Card DVD:

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=4181

Michael Ammar’s Easy to Master Thread Miracles series:

Volume one:
http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=2978

Volume two:
http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=2979

Volume three:
http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=2980

All three volumes:

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=3444

The Magic of Milton Kort, by Stephen Minch

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=460

The Royal Road to Card Magic, by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue
http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=3973

Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, edited by Jean Hugard

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=3785

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Excellent books about showmanship

Magic and Showmanship, by Henning Nelms

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=3889

Showmanship for magicians, by Dariel Fitzkee

http://www.lybrary.com/showmanship-magicians-p-357.html

Expert Card Technique, by Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue (Chapter 2 of part VI offers very valuable information about
showmanship).
http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=3789
http://www.lybrary.com/expert-card-technique-p-36.html

Our Magic, by Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant

http://www.lybrary.com/our-magic-p-138.html

Tarbell Course on Magic

http://www.magic.org/store/product_info.php?products_id=2962
http://www.lybrary.com/tarbell-course-p-34.html

Other versions of Bob Hummer’s trick I have found using Google

Although I have not bought or studied all of these versions, I am including them here for readers who might want to explore
these products:

Bob Hummer’s original whirling card trick, by Royal Magic

http://www.amazon.com/Hummers-Original-Whirling-Card-Trick/dp/B000SVC2CK

Ellusionist’s version of the Hummer’s Whirling Card

http://www.ellusionist.com/hummer-whirling-card-trick.html

Jon Jensen’s versión

http://www.magicworld.co.uk/magic-shop/product.php?productid=84

The Hummingbird Card

http://www.trickshopmagic.com/hummingbird.html

The Trickshop version

http://www.trickshop.com/hummer-card.html

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Flitter Fairies (a curious toy based on Bob Hummer’s trick)

http://www.x-zylo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=7&Itemid=94

Steve Fearson’s famed Floating Cigarette routine and Area 51 routine:

http://www.downloadmagic.com/levitations/levitateobjects/

The mentioned Fearson’s routines are not a variation of Bob Hummer’s trick. But they use similar principles. Also note that a
variation of Fearson’s Floating Cigarette routine using an ordinary mint flavoured candy instead of a cigarette is described in
Michael Ammar’s “Easy to Master Thread Miracles” series.

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