Liam Montier

31 January 2015

Voodoo
Variations on Albert Spackman’s classic routine

Voodoo is a fascinating subject, and whether spectators believe in it or not, it’s got an
intrinsically interesting hook for everyone, which makes it a great plot for us to explore in
terms of magical presentation.
In the Art of Close Up Magic Volume One (Lewis Ganson) appears a simple and
effective routine by Albert Spackman. Since reading it, I’ve used the original version,
experimented with some tweaks of my own, and ended up with some variations that take the
plot in all kinds of directions. This little project wraps all of those up, and presents them to
you, to perform, change and adapt and innovate as you see fit.
So first up, what do you get? Inside the package you will find 14 photos. 6 of them
show a voodoo doll with a pin in a different position; head, heart, stomach, right arm, right
leg and left leg.
The other 8 photographs are all the same, showing the doll with a pin through the left
arm.

Prepare the photos by cutting them out. You can either just trim the white borders off,
leaving you with the distressed polaroid kind of vibe, or you can trim that whole polaroid
frame off as well, giving you a smaller set of pictures to work with - it is your call.

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 Armed with these photos, and using them in various combinations, you are set to
perform all of the ideas below.

ALBERT SPACKMAN’S ORIGINAL ROUTINE

Let’s start you off with this updating of the original ‘Voodoo’ routine. Grab 5 of your
force photos, and any 4 of the different ones. I avoid the opposite arm, so I end up using
Head, Heart, Stomach and either Leg.

Arrange the photos by placing a force one face up on

the table. On top of it, drop the remaining 4 force photos,
but the other way up, so they are upside down. Finally, mix
your 4 different photos into a random order, and drop them
on top of all so that they are facing you again.

Finally, grab a stack of your business cards, and draw

a basic outline of a man in black marker on the blank side of
one of them.
You now need to mark the force position, so either make a
large black cross on the left arm, or if you are feeling a bit more
artistic, scratch a cross into place with a craft knife, and then rub
some ash into the score lines to make it look a bit more
mysterious.

PERFORMANCE

To perform, start off by talking about Voodoo, and propose an experiment, explaining
that you will need a victim. Turn to one of your spectators and smile!
Put their mind at rest by explaining that actually, they just need to choose a victim, so
they think of someone that they dislike in some way.
Bring out your business card, and turn it around to show the spectators, ensuring that
your fingers cover the cross at the left arm. Make a brief comment about using the outline
instead of the real person to avoid any ‘bad mojo’, and then place the business card facing

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downwards on a spectators hand, and have them cover it over with their other hand to keep it
safe.
Granted, this is a very casual display, but bear in mind that the trick has literally not
even started yet, and the spectators have no idea what the effect is going to even involve, so
there really is minimal heat here, especially played casually.
Next, comment that you have something much more interesting to show, and bring out
your photographs. Note that by making such a comment, the spectators attention is pulled
quickly from the business card, and onto the photos.
Explain that the photos are of a genuine voodoo doll, and will work in the same way,
without having to carry a doll and pins around. Spread through the first 3 photos, briefly
flashing the top four as all being different.
Note that I don’t point out that all the photos are different, it’s enough to show them,
and make a comment about how some the wounds would be fatal, and some probably not.
This calls enough attention onto the pictures for people to convince themselves that they are
all different - which is much more compelling than us trying to convince them.
When you have spread off the top 3, push over all of the pictures except the bottom
one, taking the block underneath the different photos in the right hand, and immediately turn
them all face down onto the table.
At this point, the left hand is holding one photo (a force one) and you casually turn it
face down end for end, and drop it on top of the tabled stack.
You can tell if you’ve done this right, as the printed
dates on the tabled stack and on the photo in your left
hand should be the same orientation, as shown in the
picture opposite.
So, here’s the cool part. You now have a little stack
of photos, and the spectators have convinced themselves
that they are different. In fact, you have over half of the
pictures as force ones, and they are upside down. This
means that you can tell when a force photo is on top of the
stack by simply looking - if the date is orientated as the picture above, then a force photo is on
top. If the date is upside down, then it’s not a force one.
Pick up the packet and mix them together throughly, and then give them to a spectator
to mix as well, and have them table the packet when they are done.

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 Now, sneak a peek at the printing on the top card to tell if it’s a force card or not. 5/9
times, it will be. If it isn’t, ask the spectator to give the photos a cut as well, and continue
doing this until you see a force card is in position on top of the packet.
Direct them to take the force photo, take a look at it, and show it around, and as they do
this, quietly pick up and pocket the remaining photos.
Have the spectator direct their ‘bad mojo’ towards the business card, bearing in mind
the injury that they chose. Bear in mind that they saw the pictures were different, and then
freely shuffled and cut, so it’s a very fair procedure. Be sure to recap these points.
All that’s left to do is have the first spectator lift up their hand and turn over your
business card to show the mysterious cross symbol that has appeared in the exact location! It
can be examined, and of course kept, as it leaves them with your business details.

CREDITS

As mentioned, this is just an updating on Albert Spackman’s original routine. Instead

of cards, we are using photos, which look much more convincing. Also, because the photos
have the date printed on the back, this acts as an organic ‘mark’ which hides in plain sight,
making it much easier to identify when a force picture comes to the top. Finally, the use of
the business card just means that the spectators take home your contact details.

VARIATIONS

First up, let’s look at some different ways of forcing the picture, as the original method is
extremely convincing, but doesn’t reset, which can make using the trick commercially quite
awkward.
One Way Deck - You can of course use the full stack of photos simply as a one way
force deck. So, you put your different ones at the face, all the duplicates at the back, and then
you are ready to go. In performance, you bring out the pictures and spread through the top 5
face up. Because the photos aren’t card stock, and don’t spread easily, you are natural
justification for only spreading a few. Then, turn the packet face down, throw in a Jay Ose
False Cut if you like, and then spread the top half face down, inviting a spectator to remove
any photo, and of course, they get a force one. Then, to reset, you simply return the force
photo to the top half of the stack.

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 Spelling - This can be a very effective way of having the force photo chosen, and also
involves the victims name, so it makes the trick a bit more personalised. To do this, stack the
photos with 5 different photos at the face, followed by the 8 identical pictures, and then the
last different one right at the back. Start off by spreading the photos face up, pushing over 5
singles into the right hand, and then push off all the pictures above the bottom one in the left
hand, and take the whole block under the right hand photos as your left hand shows the last
picture, and then slip this to the back as well, so everything is as it started, and then flip the
packet face down.
Now, have the spectators name their victim. Direct them to spell the name by taking
photos from the top of the packet and dealing them face down onto the table, one for each
letter, and then turn over the photo they land on. Of course, this will be a force photo, and
you have involved the victims name, rather than leaving it as a loose end. And reset is fast -
just remember that the card at the face of the tabled packet is a different one, so slip that to
the top as you reassemble the photos, and you are ready to go again.
This works with any name from 2 to 9 letters, so gives you a huge range of freedom, and
allows your spectators to have the choice of spelling a victims full name or nick-name, say
‘Steven’ and ‘Steve’ for example, or ‘Thomas’ and ‘Tom’.
Night Out with The Girls - For a self working and totally examinable approach, you
can use the same selection procedure from the old ‘Night Out With The Girls’ packet trick
range. So, start off with 5 different pictures and 1 force picture, with the force one at the back
of the face up packet. In performance, spread the photos face up, and mix them casually, just
ensuring that the force photo stays at the bottom of the face up packet. Then, turn the
packet face down, and do a Down/Under deal as a demonstration, telling the spectator that
this is what they do as a Voodoo Ritual, and the photo left at the end represents the victims
misfortune. Table the photos face up as you go (the first one you table will be the force one)
and then go through the rest. Everyone sees that the pictures are different, and that the whole
procedure mixes everything. When you are done, gather the photos into a face down stack,
with the force photo on top of all again, and then give the cards a casual looking mix by
moving the top picture to the bottom of the packet 3 times in a row. Now, hand the spectator
the photos, and direct them to deal one to the table, and one under the packet, and keep
going until a single photo is left. It is, of course, your force photo!

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 REVELATIONS

I’ve also experimented with all kinds of revelations since I’ve been using this effect, and
have outlined some of the best ones below. There’s always trade-offs to be made and
circumstances to consider, but you’ll see the options below and be customising and creating
your own in no time.

Business Card Reveal - Of course, having the business card pre-marked with the X
is a bold approach, and it really does work, but it might not be for everyone. So, you make
make the opening display cleaner if you substituted in a switch. If you have a stack of
business cards, for example, you could use a double lift to show a regular and unmarked
drawing. Flip the double face down, and deal the top card (actually the marked drawing)
onto the spectators hand. You could even justify turning it face down by having the spectators
write the victims name on the back, or sign it.
Out To Lunch - Sometimes, doing card moves with business cards can be complicated
because of the stock or finish the business cards have, so you could substitute the old ‘Out to
Lunch’ principle here. That way, the spectator could sign the bottom of the business card, by
the feet of the drawing, and the X will still appear.
Actual Doll - A quick Google or eBay search will
reveal a ton of Voodoo Dolls available for sale, and you can
still keep things pretty commercial, light and easy to carry
by going for a keyring style one. (If you can fit the photos
in your wallet, and the doll on your keyring, you can use
the routine pretty much impromptu.) You can then burn or
mark the arm, or stick a large pin through the arm (being
sure to dull the point of the pin, so it doesn’t harm you or
your spectators) and use the actual doll as your reveal. If
you have burnt or otherwise marked the arm, the mark is concealed in the same way, behind
the right fingers as you show the doll, and then you can place it between a spectators hands in
the same way you would a sponge ball or similar.
Again of course, you could also buy two identical dolls, and switch them to make the
initial display cleaner - I found there was a little more ‘heat’ on using a real Voodoo Doll,
even a small keyring one, as it’s a lot more interesting than a drawing on a card.

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 Naked - At times I’ve had the photographs with me, but not a business card or other
reveal on me. The first time I performed like this, I had the spectator picture me as the
victim, and then shuffle and choose a photo. Of course, they got a force one, but I told them
not to show me, and simply imagine me being injured. I gasped and grabbed my left arm,
and got a surprisingly strong reaction from it!
PK Touches - If you are familiar with Steve Banachek’s PK Touches methodology, you
could easily set up this effect - have a spectator close their eyes and sit or stand off to one side.
Then have a second spectator choose a photo, taking a force one, and imagine projecting the
injury onto the first spectator. You ask the first spectator if she felt anything, and she replies
that she did, that she felt something on her left arm! This is a creepy effect and plot, and
really plays up to the Voodoo theme, as it involves people rather than the cards.
Needle Through Arm - It occurs to me that you could also force the spectator to
choose the left arm photo, not show you, and think of the injury. Then, you could remove a
‘Needle Through Arm’ prop, and move it around your body, apparently to divine or sense the
injury the spectator is thinking of. When you hover the needle over your left arm, you reveal
that you feel a sharp pain here - the spectators will react to the correct revelation. Then you
can go straight into the Needle Through Arm routine!
Name - Revealing the name of the victim the spectator has in mind is a very powerful
addition, and can sit logically next to the normal climax to make a strong routine. You could
do this by using any of the usual peek wallets or centre tear/billet techniques.
Flash - As Eugene Burger mentioned in a lecture I saw, ‘You can take any trick, add
flash paper, and now it’s a better trick.’ With that in mind, imagine this effect - the spectator
writes the name of their victim down on a scrap of paper, and then chooses a photo, while
you display a line drawing of a man and place it in a different spectators hands. The victim
paper is touched with a flame, and vanishes in a flash of fire! The first spectator then reveals
where the injury should have happened (left arm). Now, when the outline drawing is
revealed, there is a X burnt onto its left arm! This plays very, very strongly indeed.
Ashes on Arm - One final idea that you might not get to use often, as burning things
in commercial premises can be awkward, but in the right sort of situation at a house party or
BBQ event, can be a real showstopper. In effect, you show your outline drawing on a business
card, and isolate it between someones hands, and then introduce the photos, as usual. A
spectator verbally names a victim, say ‘Paul’, and writes it on a bit of paper. You then have
them shuffle the photos, and cut once or twice, and then show the photo that they cut to

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around while you look away. On turning back, you burn the paper, and then have the
isolated business card examined - the outline has a burn mark in the same place! But then,
you comment that sometimes Voodoo can go a bit far, and isn’t to be trifled with. Confirming
that the left arm was chosen, you rub the ashes from the burnt paper onto your own left
arm… astonishingly, the ashes spell out the name ‘Paul’!
Method wise, this is bold but simple enough. In your pocket, you have a chapstick, with
the cap off, and extended a little. Now, you get this into your hand covertly while the
spectator is shuffling the photos, and you are having them cut until a force photo is on top, as
in the original handling. Then you turn away as you ask them to show the photo around, and
this gives you ample opportunity to write on your forearm quickly with the chapstick, which is
all you need to do for the Ashes on Arm effect. The rest plays out, and BOOF!

FINAL WORDS

I hope you enjoyed the Voodoo Project, and inspired some ideas and love for a pretty
overlooked but powerful plot and effect by Albert Spackman.
Many thanks to Monster Creations who produced the photos - they look killer, and
having professional looking props ups the ante for this classic immensely.
For other cool Voodoo style routines, check out Eugene Burger and ‘The Burned Card’
and Guy Hollingworth with ‘Voodoo Card’.

Until next time,

Liam Montier
www.bigblindmedia.com

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