Welcome to the November Monthly Update for Martyâs Magic Ruseletter! This will be the final update before we dive headlong into the Christmas festivities (or madness, depending on your point of view). I hope you all find plenty of opportunities to perform some cracking card tricks for friends and family. Forgive me for wishing you all a very early Merry Christmas!đ
As our American readers celebrate Thanksgiving this month, Iâm also reminded of the importance of gratitude. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to each of youâespecially the handful of paid subscribers who make this newsletter possible. It really does make a difference to know that people are reading and enjoying my articles. And it makes me feel especially warm and fuzzy that some of you enjoy my content enough to pay for it (paid subscribers currently have access to over sixty trick tutorials, all accessible from this page).
Now, Iâll be honest: Iâve never been a fan of Black Friday (see Monthly Update #23 for last yearâs Grinchy thoughts on consumer culture). What started as a single day of sales now seems to stretch across most of November! The frenzied commercialisation and FOMO tactics feel antithetical to the thoughtful art and craft of magic. But when Cary, a dedicated Ruseletter reader, suggested I consider a seasonal offer for those whoâve been thinking about becoming paid subscribers, I reconsidered my stance.
Hereâs my compromise: instead of a time-limited deal in November, Iâm offering a 25% discount on annual subscriptions until the end of the yearâgiving you time to decide without the usual Black Friday hype or pressure. Whether youâd like to treat yourself to an early Christmas present or wait until the festive dust has settled, the choice is yours. And if youâd rather remain a free subscriber, thatâs cool with me, too. Youâre still paying with your attention, which I also appreciate.
Right, thatâs enough of that. On to the good stuff!
New on MBOT: Brain Rot đ§
This month, I wrote an in-depth blog post about the â6-7â viral meme and shared a new card trick that exploits so-called âBrain Rotâ content for magical purposes. (I decided to bump this up my content production list because the theme may well have a short shelf life.)
What started as a fun challenge to create a card trick inspired by Internet culture evolved into something unexpected: a genuinely commercial and entertaining piece of magic that bridges generational gaps.
In the article, I explore how viral memes like â6-7â have become part of Gen Alphaâs1 everyday vocabulary, and how we can use this cultural phenomenon to create moments of surprise and connection. The trick itself is deceptively simpleâthe magician accidentally produces all of the Sixes and Sevens from a thoroughly shuffled deck!
The real magic happens when younger audiences realise youâre speaking their language, or when older spectators discover what their kids have been laughing about. Itâs a perfect example of how staying culturally relevant can enhance our magic without sacrificing any of the mystery.
This would also make an excellent card trick to perform around the dinner table or by the fireplace this Christmasâthough be prepared to explain what âskibidiâ and âonly in Ohioâ mean to the grandparents! đ˝đ˝
Soulmate Sorcery
I was hoping to finish the latest edition of Tricks, Tricks & More Tricks this month. However, while I was writing up the six or seven tricks I originally planned to include in the column, I accidentally came up with several additional variations! This happens frequently when Iâm in deep thought on a particular plot, principle or method. I usually make a note of the idea to return to it later. However, because these ideas were so similar, I thought it made more sense to publish them all at once, giving you a smorgasbord of tricks to choose from.
As you may have already noticed, I adhere to the Marlo school of thought when it comes to publishing. While I think there is wisdom in publishing only the very best version of a routine (as Vernon preferred), you might disagree with me about which version is best. Therefore, Iâd rather offer you several options so you can select the one that suits you best (not me).
The complete articleâfeaturing all thirteen routinesâwill be published before the yearâs end as a special gift to ALL subscribers, both free and paid (Iâm aiming to get the article finished ASAP, so youâll have time to learn some of these tricks before Christmas). Hereâs what you can expect:
Double Happiness - From a thoroughly shuffled deck, the Eight of Hearts and Eight of Diamonds (representing the Chinese concept of Double Happiness) are located using numerology. The presentation centres on a âHangbaoâ, a red Chinese lucky envelope. đ§§ĺ (This one is already available, see Easy Does It #8.)
Date of Destiny - The date of a coupleâs anniversary (or engagement) is used to locate the King and Queen of Hearts in a thoroughly shuffled deck. đ đ
Loved Eightfold - Yet another romantic location effect involving the King and Queen of Hearts. This one exploits the Count-Back Force for all its worth! â¤â¤â¤â¤â¤â¤â¤â¤
Lucky in Love - Three dice combine with the Count-Back Force for a game of chance thatâs anything but random. đ˛đ˛đ˛
Raffle of Romance - Another fun routine that uses the Count-Back Force and raffle ticketsâthe type used in cloakrooms and at school fetesâas instruments of fate in a romantic routine for couples. đ
Soulmail - A two-phase coincidence/prediction effect using the Si Stebbins stack and an envelope. đ
Soulmate Synchronicity - A variation of âDouble Disclosureâ by Karl Fulves from his classic book Self-Working Card Tricks.
Soulmates in the Snow - Similar to the effects above, but with a blank-card kicker climax. Inspired by Dean Dillâs classic card routine, âBlizzardâ. đ°đ¤ľđ¨
Snowblind - An alternative handling of âSoulmates in the Snowâ using a small packet of cards rather than a full deck. â
Star Sign Soulmates - The zodiac guides two souls together in this celestial card mystery.
Surefire Soulmates - A matching King and Queen are located by a spectator in a thirty-two-card Piquet pack, inspired by Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser.
The Joker and the Queen - A treatment of the Count-Back Force inspired by a pop song by Ed Sheeran! đđ
Wedding in Wonderland - Yet another simple location effect in which the groom finds the Queen of Hearts, and the Bride locates the King of Hearts. đ
While these tricks were designed with weddings in mind, they can also be adapted for most festive family gatherings where love is in the air!
Become a Blizzard Wizard! âď¸
You may have noticed that most of the tricks mentioned above rely on the traditional Count-Back Force and feature inventive ways to disguise the mathematical process. However, Iâm also including my variation of Dean Dillâs âBlizzardâ, one of the most devastatingly beautiful card effects ever created.
For those unfamiliar with Dean Dillâs modern masterpiece, hereâs a brief description of the effect: a spectator merely thinks of any card, e.g., the Seven of Hearts, and with no questions asked, you hand them four face-down cards (the four Sevens). Without looking at the faces, they point to the one they believe is their card. The other three cards turn blank, then the Jokers turn blank, then the Aces⌠and suddenly, in a flurry of motion, the entire deck transforms into a blizzard of blank-faced cardsâexcept for one: their named selection.
While writing my romantic variation, âSoulmates in the Snowâ, I found myself delving into the various approaches to this plot. The original uses an ingenious deck switch thatâs bold but psychologically invisible.
I have accumulated most of the variations of this plot over the years, such as the alternative approaches devised by creators like Antony Miller and Aaron DeLong, so I thought it would be interesting to write another âHot Listâ on one of the coldest-sounding card tricks for Martyâs Bag of Tricks!
In the meantime, you might enjoy reading the first hot list I wrote on Al Leechâs âThe Hot Card Trickâ. Iâm also planning to write a review of the âBlizzardâ rerelease by Penguin Magic, which includes Dillâs original handling plus several modern variations that address the practicality concerns some performers have with the deck switch used in the original.
Three Videos Worth Watching đş
This month, Iâve been reacquainting myself with classic methods for the Card Through Handkerchief because Iâd like to perform it in a future parlour show. For this reason, Iâve included two excellent videos on the trick below.
Card Through Handkerchief with Chris Ramsay
Duration: 5 minutes
A beautifully shot and edited overview of the Card Through Handkerchief plot by magician and professional YouTuber, Chris Ramsay.
Elliott Terralâs Card Through Handkerchief
Duration: 28 minutes
Hereâs an elegant and refined approach to the plot from Elliott Terral via Jeremy Griffithâs YouTube channel.
Let It Snow! đ¨
Duration: 3 minutes
Speaking of blizzards and blank cards, hereâs Olâ Blue Eyes himself to get us in the holiday spirit. After all, whatâs November without a little premature Christmas cheer?
Thatâs all for this month! I hope youâll explore some of the soulmate-themed effects with your loved ones this holiday season. And remember, the 25% discount on annual subscriptions runs until December 31stâno Black Friday rush required.
Until next time, Merry Christmas. Keep your cards close and your loved ones closer!
Yours Magically,
Marty
Gen Alpha includes anyone born roughly between 2010 and 2024. They are the first generation not to have known a world without smartphones and social media. All three of my daughters belong to this cohort. Born in 1980, I am a young Gen Xer (yes, everything was better in the 80s!).