Phoenix

Introduction
By Jeff Stone

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll remember that this month’s “The Full Montoya,” you’ll remember that Donny Orbit is filling in for Jason. Donny’s article was focused on a technique to help you create a trick. Using this technique, he created the effect below. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Phoenix by Donny Orbit.

Effect:
The magician removes some business cards that have a plethora of different symbols drawn on them. One symbol is chosen to act as an incantation for the magic.

The paper clip that was holding the business cards is bent into a distorted shape and wrapped in tissue paper. The paper is lit on fire and dropped in an ashtray. Like the phoenix flying from the ashes, the paper clip is not only undistorted, it is now in the shape of the chosen symbol.

Setup:
You need about 20 business cards. On about ten different business cards, write down the names of 10 different symbols. Some examples are: heart, club, diamond, spade, star, square, circle, trapezoid, tetrazoid, whatever. On another 10 business cards you are going to write down what symbol you will force.

Assume you are going to force the heart. Place the 10 force business cards on top of the random cards and place a paper clip around them. Finally, take another paper clip and bend it into the force shape. I chose a heart because it is the easiest to shape, outside of a basic square or circle.

Place the heart shaped paper clip in your left pocket with your prepared business cards. Place a lighter and a piece of flash paper in your right pocket.

Go Time:
“Have you guys ever heard of the mythical bird, the Phoenix? In mythology, the Phoenix built itself a nest made out of cinnamon twigs which caught fire. It burnt to the ground with the bird inside. The bird then miraculously rose from the ashes born anew.

I don’t have any birds here with me, but I want to try something. I have a stack of business cards here with a bunch of different symbols written on them. I am going to let you chose one at random. Whatever word that is on the card will be used as an incantation to see if we can’t make our own Phoenix rise.”

Remove your business cards and drop the paper clip on the table. Turn the business cards face up and call attention to about 6 or 7 of the different words. Turn the business cards face down and cut about 5 cards from the bottom to the top. Fan the business cards out and have someone touch one.

You have to force one of the 10 central cards. After they touch one of the cards, let them remove it and keep it so that you don’t see the word written on it.

Place the business cards back in your pocket and pick up the paper clip. “We are going to let this paper clip represent our mythical bird. Sir, if you would please bend this paper clip into a distorted shape. Anything at all.” Let the person distort the paper clip. Make sure that they don’t try to bend it into any sort of shape.

Take the paper clip back and hold it in your palm up right hand. “I don’t have a nest to burn, but I do have some kindling.” Reach into your left pocket and pick up the heart shaped paper clip in finger-palm. Remove your hand and apparently place the distorted clip into your left hand while executing a shuttle pass to retain the distorted clip.

Immediately reach into your left pocket and ditch the distorted clip, bringing out the flash paper and the lighter. Wrap the flash paper around the heart clip and drop it in a nearby ashtray. “Say the incantation of the word you selected inside your head and light the tissue paper. Not only is the paper clip not mangled, but it is now in the shape of a heart. What word did you select?” Allow the spectator to show the business card around to everyone.

Thoughts:
If no ashtray is available, hold the flash paper at your fingertips and let the spectator light the paper. Gently toss it in the air as the paper ignites so that you don’t burn your fingers.

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