Magic For The Blind, Deaf or Mute

At one stage in my career I was asked to do a gig for a charity that supports the visually impaired.

The challenge was, can you do magic for the blind?

I came up with a coin vanish from 'their' hand (comment 'circle' if you want to learn it) - and paired it with a single 'coin across' method that Branden Wolf told me, from their one hand to the other. 

I did cards across with a false count into their hands and Angle Z where they could finish the rip themselves (by putting two of the same card together and ripping both together to the 90% mark), then loading the dupe corner in their pocket before the 'selection' process.

There were people at the event that 'could' see. So these tricks were selections for all to enjoy. 

Not great choices, I know - But my tools & understanding were limited at the time, because...

Almost all magic relies on visuals.

I can perform 50 tricks for someone who can see, but my mind goes blank when I was asked to perform for people who couldn't.

HIJACKING THE SENSES

For me, this apparent focus on 'visual' tricks opens a real gap in our repertoires for tricks that aren't visual. Effects that play with the other senses too.

Last year's trick of the year at Ellusionist was HEARTBEAT by Juan Colas. A trick you cannot see, but only feel.

It spoke to us all - because it played with another sense that we rarely deploy. The sense of touch.

Then came Rubi Cup by Rubi Ferez, which has completely sold out and played with the sense of sound. Your ears fool themselves & then your eyes confirm it.

But what about our sense of smell? We got that covered too.

This week we are getting ready to ship out AROMA by Marcos Waldemar & Invisible Compass. It's no coincidence that Juan (feel), Rubi (sound) and Marcos (scent) are all good friends from Spain.

Those guys have discovered a new layer to magic by concentrating on weaknesses in our game as magicians. They're involving all of the senses in their magic.

By the way, if you want to pick-up AROMA you can get it now on pre-order & save $5 off the retail price. So you're paying less than $30. 

There's a full performance at the bottom of the product page, so you can watch Peter Turner get fooled here. 

Now I could get really salesy right now and say something like 'the sense of smell is the only sense linked to the emotional part of the brain, so it leaves a deeper impact' - which of course Google says is true.

But what I think is more important is to set you a challenge.

• Do you have tricks for the blind? Things that work, even if you couldn't see them?

• Do you know a trick using sound alone?

• Do you perform a trick that only uses our sense of smell?

If the answer is no, you could definitely take a break from buying a new card trick right now and concentrate on fixing the weaknesses in your game.

Expanding your knowledge - or even creating routines for those situations. 

Eric Jones has a coin appearance on the Metal series that you can perform with sign language. It's easy to learn and when I met a deaf lady at a wedding, who was looking bored - I had THE PERFECT thing to show her. 

Also this video will take you 15 seconds to watch and learn - but may make someone's day. 

So it's always handy to arm yourself with these kinds of routines - for those who aren't impaired, they are still magical - but for those who are, they become miracles. 

And even if that isn't your intention - it feels far more unique to play with all of the senses in magic - and not just visuals.