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I won't go into why I learnt braille as my eye sight is perfectly good but after several years, I've become quite proficient in reading this type of text (only grade 1, which by the way isn't too difficult to learn, it's the feeling that takes time to get used to). Anyway, today I happened to be talking to a friend about it and the thought popped into my head that this may be something useful in magic.

Has anyone ever incorporated this type of thing into magic before, and if so how? If not, then any ideas? I'm not saying I have any desire to do so but it would be interesting to think about. I know braille playing cards are available. Who knows.....

Thoughts anyone?

That is a good point.. I remember years ago when we use to play cards at my friends house, and every now and then we would play for a few penny's after work and as you can imagine things sometimes got a bit heated about over who would deal the cards fairly without cheating!!! not as though we ever cheated , so my friend always let his brother deal the cards, and his dealing was of the highest quality just like a Vegas casino dealer but! he was blind!! We always ask him how he had such skills, and he said he just learnt from practicing by himself, but he always dreamed of learning more skills but sadly there was no special books to learn from. So the moral of this story is your point I suppose?? Regards Garry

I once came up with a two person telepathy thing that used invisible markings you would read with your fingers. Not actual Braille but a way of passing on information absolutely invisibly.

Mr Invisible, that's interesting about your friend. I guess that there is little in the way of resources for people in such a condition who are interested in magic.

As for Lenoir, that's kind of the thing I was thinking, perhaps using braille covertly in some kind of magical effect. I'd be interested in what you were working on. Not method of course as I'd never ask but perhaps some brainstorming you may have had over the matter.

Braille is too obvious in some cases though variations of it have been used in Mentalism acts with more than just playing cards.

Well I'm open minded, it's just a thought. I wouldn't ever have suggested using it in such a way that a spectator could see or feel it themselves.

This is not something that I've observed in wide usage but there most certainly are card marking systems which use raised points on the backs of cards. I've come across such a thing on a number of occasions in relation to ESP cards.

Bicycle do a braille deck, you can probably get one from Cards4Magic is you want to dabble in this area...

hds02115 wrote:I know braille playing cards are available.

But thank you for the enthusiasm. I don't really know what I was after, perhaps just the right nudge in the right direction to spark some inspiration, if nothing else perhaps some others might have taken some from this.

I feel that cards being marked in this way may be a little too obvious for what I usually do, close-up work. Still, who knows.

TheStoner wrote:Bicycle do a braille deck, you can probably get one from Cards4Magic is you want to dabble in this area...

That would be an awesome "hook" though; a blind card shark that had a hustler/charming cheat personality -- someone really needs to track down a 20 something with looks & personality that would be willing to work on this. It's too novel an concept to not be commercial.

Craig Browning wrote:That would be an awesome "hook" though; a blind card shark that had a hustler/charming cheat personality -- someone really needs to track down a 20 something with looks & personality that would be willing to work on this. It's too novel an concept to not be commercial.

I actually had this thought a while back too. A magician who was blind, but who secretly wasn't. It would open up a world of magic that would seem impossible. Imagine sitting there with some shades on, apparently just looking dead ahead, but behind the shades, the eye's are at play (not to mention some of the lines you could use "I'd ask you not to let me see your card but..... well, who are we kidding").

I feel though that it would take an awful lot of work to keep going as when looking for and being hired for work, you would have to keep the act going, and just think of the outrage if for what ever reason your cover was blown.

There are blind or partially sighted magicians out there though.

Rather than use braille, why not perform for blind people. I imagine it is easier, but I'm not sure. I do know there is a magic club for blind magicians.

But I do know what you are suggesting. A good breather card comes to mind.