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TheArt01Close-UpLevitation

Copyright 1998The Underground

All Rights ReservedMind your manners and don't copy this!

(Your mother would be proud)

Introduction

Floating Finger Ring

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161- Stripping Out the Fiber 3

1--1 Floating Tootsie Roll 5

11The Floating Bill 8

Static Build-Up 12

=1 Hover 15.... Total Suspension 17

Face-Off 19.161. The Knot of the Phoenix 22----- -

Make A Thread Reel 25

Welcome to THE UNDERGROUND! Jon Jensen and SteveFearson have teamed up in Las Vegas and created a brand neworganization dedicated to bringing you the best from the magic"underground". Every city has a magic underground, a secretivegroup of hard core magicians. Guys who eat, breathe, and spitmagic. These are the guys who don't give up their best stuff easily.But we're going to get it from them for you, even if it means pryingthe tricks from their cold, dead fmgers. We promise.

When we get a new idea from someone it is presented to ourTrick Research and Development Center. We brainstorm on theeffect, knocking heads with various magicians and scanning agigantic library of magic to develop alternative handlings andpresentations before the trick is fmally brought to market. Thisprocess guarantees that you will receive the fmest possible finishedproject.

No expense was spared in putting together a brainstormingsession with some of the most creative minds in magic. The resultis this book on truly original floating effects. Our objective:levitations that happen right in front of the spectator. We feel thateach and every trick in this book is a reputation maker.

We want to thank all the magicians who took part in thebrainstorming session. We want to especially thank Phil Kannenwho flew to Las Vegas in between corporate shows to join us.

This book is dedicated to Gary Darwin, a true friend and agentleman. Gary is one of those exceptional men who would giveyou the shirt off his back. He helped with this book in many waysincluding a contribution and countless hours or research. We trulythank him.

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StrippingOutthe FiberMany of the tricks in this book utilize invisible thread.

This thread is actually a fiber made up of individual strands.Before performing any of these tricks, you will need to separatethese individual strand from the fiber. This is easy to do, but youmust develop a knack for it.

1) The fiber is stored wrapped around a card. This fiber looks likeregular thread; however, it is much more than that. The first thingyou will need to do is unwrap about four feet of the fiber from thecard.

2) You will notice that this thread is not invisible. If you lookclosely at the thread, you will see that it is made up of manyindividual fibers from the thread.

3) If you pluck at the end of the thread,you will be able to pull out a singlefiber. At first you may grab onto threeor four fibers, but keep on separatingthem until you have a single fiber. Itwill be easier if you do this under alight and if you hold the black threadover a white paper.

4) Gently pull out the single strand an inch or two from thebundle. Because the single fiber will be almost invisible to theeye, you will need to wrap the end of the fiber around a piece ofscotch tape and then wrap the stick part of the scotch tape arounditself. Now it be easy to keep track of the end.

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5) You will need to continue to strip out the fiber. Hold the tape with yourleft hand, and using your right hand, gently pull down the bunch of thread,exposing the single strand. When you feel the thread begin to bind, gripunderneath the bundle and pull gently down.

6) Continue doing this until you have stripped outabout four feet of a single strand. You are nowgoing to break off this individual strand from thebundle, but you will first want to wrap this end ofthe strand around another piece of the scotch tape.This four foot length of single strand is what youwill use in the following tricks.

7) You will want to wrap the strand back around the card, but first pull thebundled thread back to its original length. Be careful not to get kinks in thethread.

8) The individual lengths of thread are delicate and care is needed when youtravel with them. An easy way to carry stripped out thread around with you isto wrap it around a playing card. I will usually make up a dozen threads at atime, placing a normal playing card between the threads.

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To strip out long lengths of thread, it is best to apply pressure to thethread. Unwrap the desired length of thread and then put the card under abook. Find an individual strand from the other end of the thread. Gently pullon this individual strand, creating pressure, and you will find that the bundleslides right down the thread.

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out of life as he can. He doesn't perfonn magic professionally, buthe does try to create that unexpected magical moment. This trickis an example of just that.

THEEFFECT:

The magician takes a box of candy out of his pocket. Thebox is opened and the spectators can see the candy in the box.Then one of the pieces of candy takes on a life of it's own andbegins to move around in the box. The piece of candy floats out ofthe box and then from hand to hand. The candy then floats backinto the box, the box is closed and placed back into your pocket.

THESECRET:

1) This trick works best with a box of tootsie roll candies such asyou would fmd at the movie theater. If you have a tootsie rollphobia or for some reason you do not want to use this delectablecandy, other candy or objects can be used.

2) You will need approximately 18 inches of stripped invisiblethread with scotch tape on both ends. You can also use wax orsticky tac on the ends.

3) Open up the box and dump out about half of the candy whichwon't be needed. You can share this with your friends. If youhave no friends, we recommend that you first read' "How to winfriends and influence people," before attempting this or any trick.

4) Take out one of thecandies and carefully un-wrap it, keeping the paperintact. Starting about 9inches from one end of thethread, roll the threadaround the middle of thecandy couple of times.

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5) Press the thread softly into the candy and then carefully rewrap the paperaround the candy.

6) Place the prepared tootsie roll back into the box. Using the scotch tape,tape the end of the thread closest to the candy to the inside of the box. Theother end of the thread will go to your mouth when you perform. When youare not performing, you can stick the thread to one of your shirt buttons orunder your collar.

~1lhQ]

7) With a little imagination, you can use this hook-up for many differentapplications. Two of the variations I have used that worked very well are:

a. Hook up a drinking straw and place it in a box of straws.

b. Hook up a cigarette and place it in a box of cigarettes. This worksespecially well if you are at a bar and someone asks to borrow a smoke fromyou.

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1) Secretly obtain the end of the thread on your button and placeit in your mouth. Take the box out of your pocket and place it inyour hand. Open the box and show the candy in the box.

4) An effective move is to cause the candy to float from hand tohand. To do this you have to lessen the tension on the thread andsway your body from side to side.

2) Move the box away from you until you feel aslight tension on the thread. You are now readyto cause the candy to float in the box. Slowlymove your head back while at the same timemoving your hand away from you.

3) As you continue to pull back on the thread,the candy will rise up out of the box and float inthe air. You have total control of the candy byadjusting the tension of the thread and the move-ment of your head. By moving your head side-ways you cause the candy to move sideways.Make all the movements smooth and fluid.

~5) At the finish of the trick, have the candy floatback into the box. Close the box and place in backin your pocket. After a while, secretly take thethread from your mouth and hook it back on yourbutton.

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Perry Maynard probably knows more about invisiblethread than any other magician. His Lite-Flight is an all time bestseller, and seeing him perform the Floating Bill is like watchingreal magic.

THEEFFECT:

You are at the beginning of your journey on a wonderfuladventure. Part of what makes this trick so great is you are usinga borrowed object, a dollar bill that they know is free of prepara-tion; they know there is no hidden electronic magnetic generatoror solar powered weightless emulsifier, just a borrowed bill.

The effect is startling as you roll a borrowed dollar bill intoa ball and place it on your open palm. The bill slowly rises fromyour hand. Your hands circle around the floating bill, dispellingany thought on how it might work. You then hand the bill backfor a complete examination.

THESET-UP:

1) For this trick you will need approximately four feet of strippedout thread; the actually length you will need will vary dependingon your height and performing condi-tions.

2) This trick uses a two point hook-up,meaning that one end of the thread isattached to a table or wall and the other

end will be placed in your mouth.With the thread in your mouth you willbe able to feel the tension on your lip.

3) Attach the other end of the thread to a table, wall of whateveris appropriate and waist high using a small piece of scotch tape.You can do this secretly ahead of time and let the thread hangthere until you are ready to perform.

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1) Whenyou are readyto performthe floatingbill, takethe tapedend that is dangling toward the floor and place it into your mouthbetween your cheek and gum. You can do this while no one islooking or while apparently covering your mouth while you areclearing your throat. Don't make a big deal about this. No oneknows what you are going to do, so there is no heat on you whenyou set up. Act natural and the thread will never be detected.

2) Slowly back up until you create a slight tension on the thread.You will feel this tension across your lip. Although the thread hasa little' give" to it, if you pull back too far it will break.

3) Borrow a dollar bill from one of the spectators. It doesn'tmatter what denomination bill you borrow, but the larger thebetter. Because the thread is invisible, you will have to form animaginary line from your mouth to your secondary anchor. Holdthe bill by the ends in each hand under this imaginary line.

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. 4) Bringthe billup,usingbothhands,andcrumplethe dollar bill around the invisible thread. One of

the problems you will encounter is that the bill willslide down the thread, so it will be important foryou to twist on the bill as you crumple it into a ball.

I have found that the most common time

that the thread will break is when you are puttingthe bill on the thread. I have found that leaning in a little, creating some slack,greatly reduces the chance of breaking the thread.

5) Place the rolled bill into the open palm of yourhand. Slowly create a slight tension on the threadby moving your body back. As you move back, thebill will slowly float off the palm of your hand.Don't make any quick, sudden movements.

I usually rub my right forefinger against my shirt asif I am building a static charge. I then place my

finger against the bill and it appears as if the static charge is what is causingthe bill to float. Then, when you remove your finger and the bill is floating, itreally fries their mind.

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6) Let the bill stabilize on the thread so that it isn't bouncing, andthen slowly move your hands away from the bill. It will appear asif the bill is floating in mid air.

I only leave my hands away for a few seconds for tworeasons. The longer you leave an object suspended in mid-air, themore likely the chance that people will suspect it is hanging froma thread. The spectator is also more likely to grab the bill.

7) There are a couple of moves you can use to disprove in thespectator's mind that you are using thread. These moves aresimilar to a stage magician using a ring to prove there is nosupport with the floating lady.

Using both hands, (be careful not to touch the thread),slowly and mysteriously move your hands around the dollar bill to"prove" that nothing is supporting it.

8) Touching your thumbs and forefingers together, you can forma ring with your hands. With the thread running through thecenter of the ring, move your hands down around the bill. Do nottouch the thread as you move your hands. This is a very effectivemove.

9) By moving your head and body you can give movement to thebill. Remember that the spectators are watching the bill so theywill not notice any head movement. You can cause the bill tofloat from hand to hand or down to the table.

10) When you are finished performing, unroll the bill from thethread and hand it back to the spectator. While they are examin-ing the bill, pull the thread from your mouth and let it just dropdown.

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THEEFFECT:

This trick is worth the price of the book. This dynamiteroutine is the brain child of Gene Marvin and allows you toperform thefloating dollar bill apparently impromptu.

A dollar bill is borrowed and rubbed with a battery,building up a static charge. You then trap the static charge andcause the bill to float. The bill is then handed back for examina-tion.

What makes this trick so great is you are misleading thespectator with a pseudo-explanation. I have seen people literallycome back to Gene with a dollar bill and a battery they just boughtand tell Gene their battery is broken because it won't float theirbill.

THESECRET:

1) The beauty of this trick is that it is self-contained. You canwalk around and will always be ready to perform this trick. Yourhook-up is from your top shirt button or under your collar, to abattery. The battery will act as the secondary anchor. You cankeep the battery in your pocket until you are ready to perform.

J2) The three-to-four foot length of thread is running from your topbutton to the battery. The length of thread you use will depend onyour performing conditions. You can actually set up severalbatteries ahead of time for a quick reset in case of breakage.

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ThePerformanceI) Borrow a dollar bill from a spectator while you take the batteryfrom your pocket. Talk about the properties of static electricity asyou rub the battery against the bill.

Gene will try to borrow a higher value dollar bill and takeadvantage of the metallic strip embedded in the bill. He explainsthat the metal strip is for anti-counterfeit purposes, but that is alsoattracts a magnetic charge.

2) Set the battery down on the table. This gives you a two pointhook-up with the thread. The other end of the thread is hooked toyour top bottom; this doesn't give you as much sensitivity as if thethread went to your mouth, but you will still be able to feel thetension.

3) As you explain to the spectator thatyou are trapping the static electricityin the bill, wrap the bill around theinvisible thread. This gives you the I "'-

perfect reason to roll the bill into aball.

4) Set the bill in the open palm of your left hand. Rub the fore-finger of your right hand on your shirt, to build up a static charge,and place it near the bill. You can cause the bill to move by mov-ing your body back. It should look as if the bill is being repelledby your finger.

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5. Rub your forefinger on your shirt againand this time cause the bill to "cling" to thetip of your finger.

6) Slowly remove your forefmger and allowthe bill to float. This will totally confuse youraudience, especially if they bought into thestatic electricity explanation. You can then gothrough all the motions of the original floatingbill.

7. When you are done, remove the bill and return it to thespectator. As the spectator is examining the bill, pick up thebattery and place it back in your pocket. You are now ready torepeat the performance.

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This trick is great because you are perfonning it away fromany possible external connection which makes this perfect forwalk around magic. A credit card is borrowed and caused to hoverin mid-air. The credit card actually floats completely around yourbody and lands in the opposite hand.

THESECRET:

I) Hover is the only trick in this book that utilizes a one pointhook-up, meaning that the thread is attached straight from yourbody to the object.

2) You will need a 2 foot length of stripped thread. You will alsoneed two small dots of magician's wax (available at any magicretailer). Stick the wax to both ends of the thread.

3) Hook one end of the thread to the back of your right ear. Theother end of the thread is stuck to the fingernail of the forefmgerof your right hand. When you are not perfonning this trick youcan hook the thread to your belt buckle or lower button.

1) Borrow a credit card from one of thespectators. As you are looking at thecredit card, secretly press the dot of waxonto The center of the card You willwant to ensure that the thread is placedon the exact center of the card so that it is

perfectly balanced.

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ThePerformance2) Hook the thread through the crotch of your right hand. Whileholding the credit card with your left hand, extend your right handuntil you feel a slight tension. Spin the credit card using your lefthand and then let it go. It will hover in mid air.

3) You can cause the credit card to float up to your right hand byslowly extending your hand. This is a very magical move.

4) To cause the credit card to revolve around your body, hold thecredit card in your right hand and flick your wrist. The thread willcause it to circle your body and you can catch it in your left hand.Flick it with your left hand and it will go back to your right hand.

5) Secretly scrape the wax off the credit card and hand the cardback to the spectator. You can perform this trick with playingcards, beer coasters, or similar objects.

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Most of the tricks in this book utilize invisible thread. Fora change of pace, Dan Harlan has contributed two levitationtricks without the use of thread. Total Suspension is uniquebecause it uses no gaffs of any kind.

THEEFFECT:

A single card is placed between your hands and it proceedsto float. The card remains suspended two to three inches in the air,floating above your hands. The card then floats back into yourhands and everything can be examined.

1) A card is freely selected from a deck of cards. Hold the cardbetween your two thumbs. Your hands are cupped together oneabove the other.

2) While holding onto the card with your thumbs, tilt up yourhands while at the same time spreading your fmgers. This is agreat move because it shows that there are no gimmicks.

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3) Bring your hands back together in the cupped position. Your left handshould be under your right hand.

4) Slowly work the ring fmger of your left handbetween the pinky and ring finger of the righthand. This action is hidden by the playing card.Do this slowly so that there is no hand movement.

5) Continue pushing your ring finger through until itrests on the center of the card. Position the card so

that it is balancing on your fmger. You may need tomanipulate the position of the card using yourthumbs.

6) After the card is balanced, slowly move your hands away from the card.Straighten out your hands until they are flat. From above it will appear as ifthe card is floating three inches off your hands. with no visible support.

7) After a few moments, bring your hands back to thestarting position. Disengage your finger from the cardand bring it back to its normal resting position. Havethe card immediately examined and show both sidesof your hands.

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This is Dan Harlan 's second contribution and it has to beseen to be believed. I recently saw Dan Harlan do this at a localmagic meeting and it devastated everyone.

THEEFFECT:A card is shown and placed onto the face of the deck.

The card slowly floats away from the deck and mysteriouslymoves to the right. The card then floats back until it rests again onthe deck. You turn the card face down and handed out forcomplete examination.

THESECRET:

Face-off utilizes a hidden hinge which causes the card tofloat away from the deck. The hinge connects a double back cardto the back of a regular card. You can purchase a double back cardfrom any magic shop or glue two cards face to face.

The hinge is cut from a playing card to the dimensions inthe illustration. Scotch tape is used to hinge the playing cardstogether forming a rectangle.

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Tape one end of the hinge to the bottom left hand side of the doubleback card. Tape the other side of the hinge to the middle of the back of aregular card. ill our instruction we will assume it is the Jack of Diamonds.The double back card and the regular card need to be perfectly aligned. Thebest way to do this is to align the two cards before pressing the tape on.

I) Before the performance, set-upthe deck with the gimmick on topof the deck with the double back

card facing out, place the duplicateJack of Diamonds on top of thegimmick. You are set to perform.

2) You can force the duplicateJack of Diamonds by your favorite method or simply pick up the card andshow it. Place the card back face-down onto the deck. Do a triple turnovershowing the hinged Jack of Diamonds. Leave the gimmicked card on theback of the deck.

3) Hold the deck between your thumb and fmgerswith the hinged card facing towards the spectators.Gently tilt the deck allowing the Jack of Diamondsto swing away from the deck. This should happenvery slowly. It may help to get a thumb break be-tween the Jack and the double backed card. As youtilt the card forward, the Jack of Diamonds willswing away from the deck.

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4) Continue tilting the deck until the Jack of Diamonds is completelysuspended away trom the deck. If you twist your hand slightly, the card willcontinue to float to the extreme right edge of the deck.

5) Reverse your actions and the card will float back to the deck. There is aknack to doing this smoothly but it is not hard to do. There should be verylittle hand movement and everything should happen slowly and deliberately.

6) Do another triple lift bringing the duplicate card to the top of the deck andhand it out for examination. This trick is unbelievable and well worth thetime it will take you to make the gimmick.

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GarvDarwinAt first Gary Darwin's version of the cut and restoredrope will seem impractical;however, I have seen Garydo this many times and when the knot floats into the air,you literally see jaws drop.

THEEFFECT:

This trick starts out as the standard cut and re-

stored rope; however at the end of the trick the knotfloats up into the air and the rope can be completelyexamined. This is a totally different cut and restoredrope.

THESECRET:

Invisible thread is used to perform the actualfloating. This makes a great stage trick and you can usea thicker dull black thread. On stage you will need twoassistants hidden on either side of the stage.

The easiest way to perform this trick is to positionyourself in a doorway with an assistant hidden on eitherside of the door. Each assistant holds onto one end ofthe thread, causing the knot to float.

After the rope is cut and restored, the assistantslift up on their respected ends of the invisible thread.The knot will float up into the air. The knot can eitherfloat out of sight or the magician can pluck it out of theair. This trick should be practiced several times tocoordinate the actions of all involved.

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THEPERFORMANCE1) You are now going to perform the standard opening to yourfavorite cut and restored rope. Holding the two ends of the ropeand the center of the rope in the other hand, bring the middle of therope up and substitute the middle for a loop of the end of the rope.

2) Cut the "Center" of the rope with a pair of scissors and allowthe two long ends of the rope to fall away. It will appear as if youcut the center of the rope, you have actually cut a small piece ofthe end.

3) You are now going to tie a false pop knot around the rope. Atthe same time, you are going to tie on the invisible thread.

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4) Hold onto each end of the rope showing the knot at the center of the rope.With a slight tug on the ends of the rope, you will disengage the knot from therope.

5) As you lower the rope, the knot will float into the air. Have the assistantsraise the thread causing the knot to float up and out of sight.

6) You can do this trick using only one assistant by nailing a nail partiallyinto the door jam at the center above the door. The thread will go from theassistant to the nail and then straight down to the magician.

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SteveFearsonSteve Fearson is known internationally for his

inventive mind. He is able to take ordinary objects,breathe a little magic into them and produce miracles.The following two items fit into this category.

Thread reels, devices that automatically releasethread are notoriously expensive and hard to repair.Steve Fearson had invented a method of building yourown thread reel which only costs a couple of dollars andtakes minutes to build, and is well worth your time.

Steve Fearson's device is made of of a cloth tube

with two metal rings. The metal rings ride up and downinside the tube which releases the thread. You can useordinary invisible thread which is much thinner thanwhat is ordinarily used in thread reels.

The tube is made of a cloth tube 4 inches wide byapproximately 1 foot long. The tube needs to be madefrom a slick material such as polyester. The cloth issewn to form a pocket. This pocket is then attached tothe inside your jacket using safety pins.

THEBRACELETS:

You will need two or three heavy duty bracelets.The bracelets should be 3 to 3 1/2" in diameter and youshould be able to find them at an art supply or jewelrystore. You can also use the singles from a small linkingring set.

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THETUBE:

The width of the tube is determined by the diameter of the rings. Thewidth of the tube should be slightly wider than the diameter of the rings.

Cut the material approximately 10" by 14"and fold it in half.

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2) If you do not want to sew, you can use iron-on fabric tape. Line up thefabric tape along the long side and one of the short side and iron it. Thisforms a pocket. Fold the top edge ofthe tube outwards and use the iron-

on fabric tape. This will give you asmooth edge around the top of thepocket so that the thread will notcatch on it.

g3) Place two safety pins along the top and onesafety pin along the bottom. The safety pins on thetube will be used to attach the tube to the inside ofyour jacket.

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4) Safety pin the tube into the left side of your jacket.The open part of the tube should be located near thearmpit of the jacket. The safety pins make ut easy to putit in different jackets. You can also put it in a vest.

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You will need approximately fivefeet of stripped invisible thread. Attachone end of the thread to the inside of thejacket above the tube. The other end of thethread is placed through the two metalbracelets. The two bracelets are then

placed into the tube. Allow the bracelets toslide to the bottom of the tube.

Attach the other end of the thread to a deck of cards. After puttingon the jacket, place the deck of cards into your right jacket pocket. You arenow ready to use your thread reel. The thread is running across your bodyand can be used for many different floating effects. You can take the deck ofcards out and place them on the table and you have a two point hook up.You can use it for a any effect you would normally use a regular thread reelfor.

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SteveFearsonI first saw Steve do this several years ago and I

still remember the look on the spectator's face as herring floated down into her hand. This has to be one ofthe most beautiful, logical pieces of magic ever in-vented.

THEEFFECT:

A finger ring is borrowed and caused to balanceon the end of your finger. It then floats from hand tohand. The spectator holds out their hand and the fingerring slowly floats down to her hand and she can immedi-ately examine it.

THESECRET:

For this trick you will need a thread reel. Wehighly recommend Steve Fearson' s thread reel, how-ever, if you want to spend more, who are we to judge?

You will need to set up the threadreel so that the thread runs diagonallyacross your body.

1) Secretly wrap the thread around thebottom three fingers of your right hand.

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2) Borrow a fmger ring from a spectator. Do not use a ringwith a large stone or edges that can tangle the thread. Placethe fmger ring on your first fmger.

~') . 3) Move the thread up around your first~: finger and release the thread from your bottom three fm-., gers. This traps the ring with the invisible thread.

4) Rotate your hand forward and pull the ring off the first finger retaining thethread around the finger. You want the thread to loop around the tip of yourfirst finger.

5) Switch the thread so that it now wraps around your thumb. Bring the ringto your left allowing your right thumb to act as a pulley. Separate your handsby about a foot.

6) Balance the ring on the forefinger of your left hand. It will look as if thering is magnetically clinging to your finger. By moving your right hand youcan control the tension of the thread and control where the ring is suspended.

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7) Move your left hand away and allow the ring to float in mid air. This is avery magical moment but do not do this for very long.

8) Move your right hand down and the ring will slowlyfloat down into your right hand. This is done by a combi-nation of gravity and a slack in tension in the thread.

9) Have the spectator hold out their hand and have the ringfloat down into their hand. You are actually guiding the ring into their handusing your two hands. They are watching the ring and will not even noticeyour hands.

10) After the ring floats into the spectator's hand, release the thread off ofyour right thumb and allow the thread to be retracted into the reel. As thering is going towards their hand, have your hand get closer to the ring so thatthere is very little thread to be retracted. Allow them to examine their ring.

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