Bill Cushman - Trybil - The Multi-Bob Book

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venue you can eliminate the risk of their talking afterwards and discovering the same outcome. Just ask the participant to make one last move. If there is an object to the right of the money, have him exchange the cards as per usual and an d if not, leave everything alone. You know there is a card to the right of the money card since it is on the left. So you know it will end up in the middle and you can finish accordingly with the Multi-Bob. Another option along these lines that can also be inserted into the original presentation is to offer the participant an additional absolutely free choice. He can make one more move or stop where he is i s after the third time. This adds a greater sense of overall freedom to the proceedings. If he chooses to make one more move, m ove, proceed to instruct him to tune into the money again. It is i s a nice extra that this forms a pattern of unwanted item, desired item, unwanted item and desired item in a logical alternation. You can even say, should he choose to t o make one more move, “Since last time you tuned into an unwanted item, i tem, let’s have you tune into the money again.” Of course, end with him swapping the money if there is an object to t o its right. Again, you know there is and that th at the money is now in the middle. Or, if you know you will only be performing this once and want wan t to maintain the right, left, right pattern, you can instruct i nstruct him to make the exchange with the object on the left if possible since you know there isn’t one. Some final thoughts. You can of course use any theme you like so long as you follow the pattern of movements described above. This way it can be tailored to an event, crowd or person. You can proceed like Docc Hilford in his effect “Dead or Alive,” and peek the desired object secret via a wallet. Then after using the Multi-Bob to find the right card, end on the reveal of what was written. When doing this, and I recommend it for Docc’s effect as well, well , there is a stratagem C.L Boarde describes in his book One on One Mentalism. Mentalism. Once they have written the item or whatever down on the first card, explain that you don’t want to get it mixed up u p with other cards that are needed (and





































other cards and get the wallet out of play, peeking as appropriate to circumstances and type of wallet. Once the unwanted objects are recorded, remove the object of desire desi re from the wallet and give it to t o the participant to keep with the other two cards. From this point on proceed exactly as described above with the kicker of revealing the item written on the first fi rst card after the Multi-Bob finds it. By the way, knowing this item gives you reams of information i nformation about the participant that you can weave into your presentation if desired. But that is another book! You can also begin with a phase where the participant discovers they can use the Multi-Bob to identify their own card first. fi rst. Have the items written out as originally described then turned tu rned over in place so that he or she sh e knows the position of the desired card. Give the participant the Multi-Bob to hold h old over the three cards and instruct them to think “Move” over and over in their mind, directing di recting their thoughts to the pendulum that is above the money card. You can use the movement of your finger back and forth as described earlier to help “jump start” st art” the participant toward the desired outcome. And remember there is really no failure. failu re. If they get no movement or the wrong pendulum moves, explain that this is something that takes practice and that they will succeed su cceed in time. Then go into the initial presentation where you find the card “without knowing” its placement. If they do succeed, you still go into the original presentation. In either case, you can emphasize the need for tuning in to your helper’s thoughts given your not having any way to know where the card is via normal n ormal means since you have no way of knowing the order the cards started in. in . The holding of their hand above each card, breathing and direction for f or movement takes on the aspects of a necessary ritual. Emphasizing E mphasizing this point is even more relevant when they fail given they now know how difficult a feat you are attempting.





































Mauricio is the outcome of an international upbringing. Born to Colombian parents, he has lived in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Peru, the United States, Bangladesh and the Philippines, spending most of his life in Asia. His father was a diplomat and for f or this reason, Mauricio has been to t o over 30 countries around the world in his 28 years of life and is completely fluent in several languages. Thousands of people in several countries have been witness to his performances which are mostly based on his own personal creations. He has been experimenting with Mentalism since he was a young child and was entranced by the performances of Uri Geller. Now a full f ull time performer based in Bogotá, Colombia, Mauricio specializes in corporate events with clients including The Fox F ox Channel, Pfizer and Microsoft and is often seen performing at the private parties of local celebrities. He is also a well known leader of seminars in persuasion, motivation, memory and relaxation techniques. Mauricio frequently appears on television and radio and plans on presenting the Multi-Bob on an upcoming talk show that will take place shortly before the publication of this book! www.mauriciojaramillo.com

THE DEAD TEST BY MAURICIO JARAMILLO Effect:

A Multi-Bob witness pendulum is introduced. i ntroduced. The Mentalist explains how each of the pendulums can be opened to reveal a hollow chamber inside where liquids and other small objects may be inserted. After a brief talk about how this type of pendulum has been used to find oil, water and even missing people, the Mentalist asks a sitter to write down the name of someone close to them who has passed away, someone who brings only happy memories.





































The name is peeked via center tear, and an d then the sitter is asked to slightly burn the pieces of paper. The sitter is asked to select a pendulum, pen dulum, unscrew it and the Mentalist picks pi cks up some of the ashes, depositing them th em inside that specific chamber. This pendulum is screwed back to the chain lid and the sitter is asked to hold the th e Multi-Bob. The sitter is asked to focus on where they placed the ashes and to concentrate intently on some memories of the person being thought of, as well as the name. The selected pendulum will eerily begin to move as if to react to the sitter trying to connect with that memory. The Mentalist instructs in structs them that the pendulum will now come to a complete halt. As it does, the name is revealed. Extra Thoughts: •

•

While this follows a rather bizarre theme, the presentation can easily be changed to a happier happi er one, with the name being replaced with a country they’d like to visit or even with an emotion. The paper burning and ashes doesn’t make much sense sen se this way, but it can be handled handl ed in the following way, via a regular regula r Multi-Bob with no witness pendulums: Simply tell the spectator to think of something, an emotion for example, and ask them to transmit this emotion to one of the pendulums (they can rub it if they like). If possible, use detachable bobs that you can give away, like crystals for example. You now have a beautiful and memorable gift to hand them. Witness pendulums can be purchased cheaply, but if you’re having trouble obtaining any, simply find a little box or locket than can be





































•

The presentation can easily be turned into i nto one of the performer finding the pendulum with the ashes in it. As you introduce the Multi- Bob, unscrew each individual pendulum and leave them that way. After the paper has been burnt, “randomly” hand the sitter one of the empty chambers (which has been subtly marked) and ask them to place a few ashes inside. Turn around, a round, ask them to screw it in any of the Multi-Bob positions and then ask them to screw the rest of the pendulums back in. Now you pick it up and concentrate, making the marked pendulum move, before continuing with the name revelation. Make sure to have a clean tissue ti ssue available for the sitter to wipe their fingers.

ONSTAGE MULTIBOBBER BY MAURICIO JARAMILLO I love psychokinetic effects; they really add a memorable and visual experience to any Mentalism show. Here are 2 ideas i deas I really enjoy for stage work, inspired directly by Max Maven’s Onstage Bender idea, originally published in, The Green Book of Mentalism. This is perfect for close cl ose up, parlor and stage shows. For stage presentations I like to have my cameraman zooming in on all the important bits so they are projected on a big screen. Basic Setup:

The Multi-Bob is placed on a stand on the narrow end of a table, t able, facing the audience. By simply placing your hands firmly on the table and pushing down or to the sides a little li ttle bit, enough “vibrations” will be sent all the way to the opposite end, affecting only the one pendulum that you’re focusing on moving. This is hard to believe until you actually try it; you’ll be blown bl own away at how effective it is. I have videos doing this and it has never failed to work. Remember, it looks even more impossible when the table is long. l ong.







































1st Effect:

The Mentalist wishes to bend a small metal object, such as a key or coin in a spectator’s hand. The onstage spectator will be describing the heat they feel in their hand or how h ow much the object pulses inside. Besides this, the Mentalist wants everybody present to visibly witness the process of telekinesis. Following is the Max Maven inspired inspi red solution. Set up the table with the Multi-Bob Multi- Bob pendulum as shown above. After doing the required work to the object about to be bent, place it inside a spectator’s hand and ask them to t o hold it tightly in a fist. fi st. You then have them stand on the side of the table tabl e so all pendulums are visible to the audience and you stand on the opposite end, far f ar from the Multi-Bob setup.





































Ask the spectator to choose one of the bobs by number, clearly naming each number out loud to prevent any confusion afterwards. Make sure it is clear that this is a free choice and they are free to change their thei r mind. After they name a number, ask them to place their fist underneath the chosen pendulum, as shown in the image above. Place your hands on the table t able and begin your suggestions so they can feel f eel something happening. After about 45 seconds tell them they will start to feel the subtle movement even more now and tell the whole audience a udience to pay close attention. Slowly, the selected pendulum begins begin s to move and with every second, it seems to get faster, moving in huge h uge circles! This is pure telekinesis in action. When it seems seem s appropriate, have them open their fist, revealing the bent object. After this surreal experience, everything can be examined. 2nd Effect:

This is something I came up with 4 years ago while experimenting with a single pendulum. It works perfectly with only 1, but is taken to another very visual level with the Multi-Bob. The basic effect is this: Using the same table setup, you place a fork f ork or similar object in front of the Multi-Bob stand. stan d. You have a spectator randomly selected and ask them to choose one of the pendulums by number. You then stand on the other side of the table, concentrating intently on that specific pendulum and begin moving it. A few seconds after it eerily begins to t o move, the fork is also affected by the telekinetic wave of energy being sent from your mind; it i t slowly spins by itself! You then walk over to the fork and take advantage of the t he energy you’ve been transmitting finishing off by performing a series of PK bending,





































As you begin the routine, casually show the fork and ask someone to name one of the pendulums, it’s that easy. Whatever number they say, you set it up in front of them! Simply say, “A free choice, number 4! Let me transfer some energy from my hands to this pendulum you selected”. As you rub it, you secretly apply the wax ball to the bob. Absolutely nothing odd about that, simply sim ply explain that you’re going to try to affect that pendulum telekinetically and hopefully transfer transf er some of that energy to the fork. The image above should make m ake this idea very clear.





































the pendulum setup between them, each end of the Multi-Bob rod balanced on top of the objects. The fork should have the concave side of the tines facing down. Place it on the table and see if it spins freely. If it doesn’t, just give it a tiny bend until the center of the fork spins properly. The length of the thread depends entirely enti rely on the size of your multi bob stand, so you’ll have to experiment with it, something that shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Since every pendulum is of a different length, you’ll obviously have to place the fork a different diff erent distance away each time. Subtly marking these spots on the table will give you all the confidence you need during performance. This is a very flexible setup. I’m sure you’ll come up with plenty of other ideas using it; have fun! f un! Don’t forget to use Dr. Bill’s Bill ’s “Suggestion on the use of suggestion” from his book Suggestabilities in order to really get people’s minds feeling your telekinetic effects.

BOBBING FOR ESP BY MAURICIO JARAMILLO This is a quick and fun effect you can do with either the Multi-Bob Mul ti-Bob table setup or in your hands. All you need is a 5 bob pendulum and some ESP cards. Place one of each symbol face up up underneath every bob. Proceed by by having a spectator freely select an ESP symbol, unseen by you. Secretly find out which one was selected, via the marks on the back of the cards, a





































While I don’t find it necessary, you may also opt to have the symbols face down for more suspense. After one of the pendulums is i s seen to be swinging, you ask them to name their thought of symbol sym bol out loud and proceed to dramatically flip the card over. Also, if the spectator has proven to use a single pendulum very well in a previous effect, get them hold the multi-bob in their own hands and have them find their own symbol.

VIDEO







































Michael Weber is this year’s recipient recipi ent of the Creativity Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts and Sciences. His company Deceptive Practices designs special effects for film, theater and television including all the magic seen in films like The Prestige and The Illusionist. These two offerings are far from f rom Michael’s only “discoveries” with pendulum, and a small collection of even stranger ideas is in the t he works. Those interested in such things may send a note to [email protected].

A Branch from the Tree of Knowledge © 1989, 2010 Michael Weber All manufacturing, lecture, explanation, sales and television and/or recorded performance rights withheld.

The Wonder Worker unwraps a most unusual artifact—it is i s a dried branch which has been cut from a tree. Three lengths of natural cord are wrapped around the circumference of the limb. lim b. Slowly the Mystic turns the branch between his hands, allowing the cords to unfurl to their full length. Small acorn-like seeds act as a finials, one threaded at the end of each cord and all hanging to an equal endpoint. The Seer explains that this is a branch from the Tree of Knowledge, not the





































The method is the age old series of 3 differently lengths of cord, therefore

three different and independent frequencies of resonance are required to make any one of the pendulums move. But herein lies the difference— the three cords hang to exactly the same length. And therein lies the deception—the branch is not perfectly straight and even, but is knotted, twisted and differing diff ering in circumference at various points along its length, and the three th ree cords are inset into the wood at three different points. Each of these connection points lies at a different distance di stance away from the true center of the branch, therefore, although each of the finials hangs to the same level, the length l ength of each of the of the cords is unique.





































•

Any straight stick with strings of decreasing length can be held at an angle to make all the finials hang at the same level.





































its arc diminishes dimini shes as the stationary pendulum starts to swing in an every growing arc. This phenomenon will continue for a length of time long beyond its intrinsic entertainment value. The explanation is known as coupled coupled res onance. onance . The motion of the first pendulum “annoys” the other a little bit through the string which couples them at the top. As both pendulums pen dulums have the same length, both have h ave the same self resonant frequency and each cycle transfers energy constructively (very little loss due to phase difference.) After a while, the second pendulum acquires enough energy to 'take over' and start drawing energy from f rom the first one. Then the process repeats, in reverse. I first encountered this mystery in a volume of the Tarbell Course. It used a red and green ball suspended between two chairs and a folksy tale of a rural traffic signal whose action would indicate stop and go. My only contribution to this mystery was to take if off the chairs and place it into the hands of an audience participant. The two pendulums of equal length are tied a few inches apart from each other, in the center of a 20” length of string. The participant holds the ends of the string, one in each hand, and pulls the cord taught. You then indicate





































My performance of this precedes taking the two pendulums pen dulums off of the common cord and handing them th em to two different spectators for a further effect using the devices. If you are unfamiliar with the natural phenomena, you are in for a startling treat. Those who are aware of the resonance transfer will be pleasantly surprised at how much more magical it appears when placed in the hands of a member of the audience.







































Greg has been performing magic, in i n one form or another, since the age of five. Anything that has to do with entertainment will entice Greg. He's no stranger to stage, video, comedy, writing, producing, directing and just about anything that involves making a fool of yourself in front of a large group of people. That's why he restricts orgies to no n o more than five participants... not including the goat.

TRY ING ING TO ADD TO BIL BILL’S L’S EBOOK Okay, so I talked to Bill awhile back when he was first working on this book. I had NOTHING for him. I thought he had a great idea and an d I knew many would jump on board, but at the time I couldn’t think of one thing I could





































DIGIT SWING BY GREG ARCE The What: You show off your new pendulum. pendulum . It has three lines and at the

end of each line there is i s a metal number hanging from them: 1, 2 and 3. A spectator is told to think of a 3 digit number using u sing these digits, but they can repeat digits if they t hey want like 313. They write down their number and keep it hidden. Now you hold onto the pendulum and an d slowly one bob swings… it’s the 2 then it stops. Then the 3 starts to move then stops. Finally the 2 moves again, then stops. The number the pendulum made up u p is 232. The spectator





































INVISIBLE SWING BY GREG ARCE The What: A spectator picks four cards at random. You place one card each

onto the clips that hang h ang from your pendulum. Now you show another deck of cards and say that you turned tu rned one card face down in that pack. You have the spectator hold the Multi-Bob and just think of one of the cards. You tell him that when he thinks thin ks of that one card it will slowly start to swing. He stares at the cards and suddenly one begins moving. Let’s say it’s the 5 of Clubs. You say, “So you thought of the 5 of Clubs. Look, only that card swung and





































PENDULUM LINE UP BY GREG ARCE The What: You have four photos swinging from f rom the pendulum. Each photo

is of a different person. You explain that this is i s your new system for crime detection. You explain that there are three criminals hanging from f rom that line. One is an arsonist, one is a robber and one is a murderer. They will try and detect which is which plus free the innocent man. On the table there are three envelopes: One says Arsonist, another says Robber and another Murderer. You tell the person to think of who is the





































billet the name on the photo and produce it from an SUC case. Or nail write the photo’s name on a card as you turn it over. I leave the end to your imagination. imagin ation.

CONTACT SWING BY GREG ARCE The What: You show a pendulum with 5 lines attached to it. Each line has a

metal letter hanging from the line. li ne. The letters are L, R, F, B and S. You explain that R is for right, righ t, L is for left, F i s for forward, B is for backward and S is for stop.







































THE PENDULUM JUDGE BY GREG ARCE The What: From a briefcase brief case you take out the following items: a large





































Anyway, you have palmed three other slips that say the three final fin al words and just switch the appropriate ones as you remove them from the clips. By the way, I was thinking of other methods. You could just do some billet switches and not use Ostin Clips. Cli ps. You put the slips in 1, 2 and Murder order





































TRYBILYTE BY DR. BILL





































take your time, encouraging more concentration and stronger movment. Plus all eyes will be on the Multi-Bob. For even further cover, if performing for a small group, simply stand behind the rest of the audience to “give them the best view.” In other settings you





































He knows who he is!

THE LIVING PENDULUM



















































BY DR. BILL

Trusted by over 1 million members






































6/17/10 Trybil : AKA The Multi-Bob Book is dedicated to the “Companionage Community” of mentalists and magicians who put together and contributed to the amazing ebook fundraiser on the behalf of myself and my family. Without you, and of course those who responded by purchasing Companionage and/or Companionage and/or making a donation, it is unlikely u nlikely Trybil would have ever seen completion. Linda, Joni and I thank you all and want to take this opportunity to let you know how important and meaningful your support was to us during a very difficult time in our lives.





































FOREWORD BY TONY RAZZANO Dr. Bill is a good friend of mine, despite never having met in person. Certainly such relationships are a product of the times within which we live and the tremendous impact of the Internet. I first heard of Bill not long after I bought an original Zingg wallet. In a subsequent book of routines put out by Allen Zingg, Bill contributed an effect that is so good and fit fi t my performance requirements and philosophy so perfectly it became the only routine I used with the wallet from then on. That’s when I first saw the brilliance of Bill Cushman, and I have been a fan ever since. Our friendship grew and continues to do so through phone calls and emails. When Bill first mentioned that he was writing a book about Multi-Bob pendulums, I was very interested. The pendulum is i s a tool which I use frequently in my mentalism appearances. Everything from f rom cabaret to close up to house parties. They are received exceptionally well at house parties! I also use pendulums pendulum s in my private and group readings. There are some very well known mentalists who use them one on one with great success. The pendulum is a wonderful tool. I always liked the idea i dea of Multi-Bob pendulums as they abound with possibilities, especially in cabaret and close up settings. The problem that I had was that there were no Multi-Bob pendulums, save one and that was Viking’s Burmese Bells. They did exactly what the ad said they th ey did, but were attached to a terrible acrylic plastic rod that screamed “magic trick” as loud as it metaphorically can be screamed. Not being handy about making making things, I abandoned the the idea of using a Multi-Bob. Then along came Dr. Bill and Rich Hennessey. Problem solved. You have that solution before you now. Rich Hennessey has a great site called Mentalcraft (mentalcraft.com mentalcraft.com)), from which you can buy some beautiful pendulums, now





































store. The method is easy, and while the result may not be of the caliber of Rich’s own “objects de arte”, these Multi-Bobs are attractive and a nd have their own advantages. For example, later you will read about leading workshops for the public on using pendulums. A popular exercise at these workshops is the creation of their own pendulum by the students during which a connection is forged between the two. The same “bonding” process will obviously occur with Rich’s homemade Multi-Bob. Everything else you need to know about handling the Multi-Bob is right here in Trybil . In his typically clear cle ar and entertaining manner Dr. Bill teaches you how to properly properly hold the Multi-Bob. He explains how to first learn to master stillness and why this is i s so important. Next are the secrets of evoking all the different motions and combinations of motions possible with the Multi-Bob. Dr. Bill will explain, sharing some unique insights, the all important methods of assessing potential participant’s partici pant’s responsiveness that you will be able to apply to any kind of performance. This is priceless information. Then the routines! Dr. Bill has some very creative, talented and generous friends who share their routines alongside Bill’s Bill ’s own preferred presentations. These are excellent items from the repertoire’s of working pros, most of whom you know. Even more gold is there for the taking by those who look beyond the routines into the philosophy, history and psychology provided throughout Trybil . Dr. Bill provides, “The History of the Pendulum in Three Easy Movements,” a wonderful piece you can perform as is or use as a solid foundation on which to build your own routine. In any case, be sure to “mine” the routine for all the nuggets within. There are so many choices! My first thought was to use the Multi-Bob in a séance setting with the sitter(s) holding the pendulum and having its movements manifest in a manner m anner that they call upon the spirits to produce. You may perform the many contributions in this thi s book as written, but I predict they will also serve as a springboard to stimulate your own creativity. You know the old cliché the possibilities are endless? Well here here it is not a cliché.





































Trybil ends ends with a superb section courtesy of Jerome Finley. Those of you familiar with his work will not be surprised at Jerome’s high level thought processes on refining pendulum work alongside the language l anguage and objectives of hypnosis. You have a real gem before bef ore you. I am honored to be a part of Trybil . Tony Razzano May, 2010





































TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication

2

Foreword

3

Introduction

9

Rich Hennessey Making Your Own Multi-Bob

18

Dr. Bill Tea For 3

21

Coming To Grips

24

Stillness

26

Motion

30

Gauging Responsiveness

35

THE MULTI-BOB MOVEMENTS Jerome Finley A Few Brief Notes

39

John Riggs From A Slender Cord, Swinging

40

Stage Right, Enter From The Shower

41

Gerard Charmed Dr. Todd Landman

43







































Ron Martin A Brief Note On Ron Martin's Multi-Bob Routine

52

Dr. Bill The History Of Pendulums In Three Movements

53

Mental Workout

57

The Multi-Bob Hummer

60

Mauricio Jaramillo The Dead Test

64

Onstage Multibobber

66

Bobbing For ESP

70

Michael Weber A Branch From The Tree Of Knowledge

72

Pull My Swinger

74

Greg Arce Digit Swing

78

Invisible Swing

79

Pendulum Line Up

80





































SWINGING SOLO: EFFECTS WITH A SINGLE PENDULUM Docc Hilford Dead Or Alive

91

Brad Henderson The Everlasting Pendulum Trick

96

Kenton Knepper Sealed Pendulum

100

Dr. Bill The Bill And The Pendulum

104

Faucon of Sakin’el Pendulum Adept, Part II

108

Tony Razzano The Pendulum Party

110

Keith Barry Dochreidthe

113

Jerome Finley My Pendulum Routine

116





































INTRODUCTION I know there are lots of theories about enhancing imagination im agination and stimulating “aha” moments but I’ve never found them to work for me. Right now I have Lou Reed playing in the background instead of Mozart or Bach like I’m “supposed” to listen to when trying to t o increase my creativity. And I seem to remember reading somewhere that Stephen King listens list ens to heavy metal when he writes. I look at what I see as my most illuminating experiences when creating mentalism; at those effects or methods that I immediately knew were on track, unique, useful and had h ad powerful entertainment potential. Inevitably, these are the creations that have resonated with the mentalism and magic community and gone on to find places in the repertoires of many performers. And inevitably went on to stimulate their own creativity as th ey made them their own. Of course my ideas were influenced by the inventiveness in ventiveness of those before me as well as my contemporaries. I believe there is a progressive path of creativity with no end in sight si ght so long as we refuse to settle for less. There are those gestalt moments, as they’ve been referred to, where an idea materializes seemingly out of nowhere. I like to refer to these inspirations as appearing “whole cloth,” presentation and method arriving together, wrapped in a pretty package. I joyfully experience these instances as if I’m listening to someone else tell me a story. It is receiving a gift and as much evidence as I need to





































So where does the Multi-Bob fit in? It arrived via the disposal of an old rod that held our paper towels. The screw that attached atta ched it to the base of the contraption had become stripped and it just ju st seemed easier to toss the whole thing. I salvaged the rod just before it hit the garbage can and fifteen minutes, three pieces of yarn and three nuts later, l ater, I held my first Multi-Bob prototype. Of course I knew right away that I hadn’t h adn’t come up with a new idea. But I also knew that an old idea had occurred to me with a sudden clarity as the result of a rather neutral stimulus. And that it fit very well into the Zeitgeist of the current mentalism renaissance and would meet the criteria and impact described above. a bove. Not quite a gestalt or aha moment, ultimately ultim ately the nature of its development fell somewhere in between. I immediately knew that the Multi-Bob pendulum pendul um deserved a greater presence in the mentalism community. I believe this of all pendulums and I’m far from alone. al one. For many years several expert performers have said, or used words to the effect, “The pendulum is i s among the most underutilized instruments in the mentalist’s repertoire.” I have loved pendulums since I was about ten years old and began to experiment with the one that came with the Kreskin K reskin board game. It was a tacky plastic contraption, contraption, its size way out of proportion proportion to its purpose. You can see the game and pendulum here:





































But the coolest feature, especially to an impressionable im pressionable ten year old kid in love with all things magical, m agical, was that it actually worked! The Kreskin pendulum really moved when and where I mentally told it to! I had that pendulum for over 35 years and only in the t he last few have I come to fully full y appreciate what a powerful role it played in i n forming my own views of both mentalism and the human mind. Next there was a quartz pendulum bought at a new age store. I carried this thi s with me for years, never tiring of experiencing its impact i mpact on others, particularly when held in their own hand. Though I didn’t know it right from the beginning, this pendulum was refining my techniques of suggestion as well as teaching me to identify i dentify those most responsive to its use. Then two years ago I came to know Rich Hennessey and his artful line of pendulums. Befriended over the Internet, as I hope many reading this have or will be, Rich introduced i ntroduced me to a wide range of pendulums, eventually culminating in what is i s now a longstanding relationship with The Celt as I like to call it (Actually The Neolithic Neoli thic Component Pendulum – Stone): http://www.mentalcraft.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&produ ct_id=17&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=4 Which brings us right back to the Multi-Bob. Even more important than a long standing relationship with an ancient stone cutting tool suspended from an elegant chain, is my relationship with Rich. We have kept up a lively correspondence about many things, not all mental or magical. Rich has been a great source of inspiration during difficult times.







































The Three Legged Alligator

The Five Chinese Bobs





































MINI-BOB As Rich and I brainstormed various options to improve the Multi-Bob, I asked if there was a way to make the t he individual chains and pendulums removable.





































As I suspect won’t surprise you by now, n ow, a few days after this brainstorming session Rich sent me a photo of a Multi-Bob prototype with detachable pendulums! He ingeniously applied the magnetic magneti c system he already uses with some of his individual in dividual pendulums, most notably in concert with the Haunted Key. The result of Rich’s creative solution can be seen here.





































Also, there is at least one other rod with multiple pendulums on the market that I’m aware of (see Viking Magic’s “Burmese Bells” that Tony referred to in the foreword). Comparing this with Rich’s work demonstrates the vast distance in style that is congruent with my aims in writing this book and including the particular routines I have chosen. Though my first prototype was nothing to write home about, elegance el egance and mystery were always what I had in mind for the t he Multi-Bob. And as you can see from the above, Rich shares the same goals. The true origins of the Multi-Bob’s entrance into the realm of the mage remain shrouded in mystery despite consulting some of the best minds in mentalism. Kenton Knepper and Tony Razzano each shared that Galileo used a version for scientific experimentation and applications appli cations so we know it has existed for a very long time. According to Tony Razzano’s research the Multi-Bob style was first mentioned in Galileo’s "Dialogues Concerning the Two Chief World Systems" and "Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences". Sciences". Here is a quote quote from the latter that Mauricio Jaramillo sent along suggesting Galileo was aware of the impact on the observer of the Multi-Bob and wasn’t all work and no play!





































Despite my difficulties in finding other early source references in the literature of magic, the secrets se crets obviously got around even if only subsequent to Abbott’s description and endorsement. This is evident from the presence of individual routines in various books since Abbotts, some included here. One that particularly captured my imagination imaginati on is from Docc Hilford. He wrote on the Multi-Bob thread on the Café, “Mine were various Voodoo items attached to a small, black, New Orleans parasol. Each item was, of course, on a different length string strin g and each represented a different topic. A coin for money, a glass heart for f or love, there was a tiny skull, a die, an animal tooth, a rabbit's foot and most were from key chains. The subject thought of a question, questi on, concentrated on the item that revealed her topic and held hel d the parasol over her head. The odd trinkets danced around her head, until all but one stopped moving. Then, as if pushed pu shed by an unseen spirit hand, her item swung crazy! The magick man interpreted the swings to answer her unknown question.” Ingenious and what a great visual in an art that is often so bereft of props that capture the eye of the audience. Much like Docc himself!







































origins. Many pendulum aficionados afici onados felt a work addressing the Multi-Bob in detail was called for. As I described above, I have h ave always been entranced by pendulums. So I have also included effects using standard pendulums that I sought out and their creators generously contributed. Or their creators offered to contribute when they heard I was writing a book on pendulums. This part ultimately grew almost as large as the th e Multi-Bob section but I don’t think anyone will mind! Time to move on to the meat of this ebook! First are Rich Hennessy’s instructions on making up your own Multi-Bob then th en some tips on the best





































Rich Hennessey: For almost my entire life I have been interested in and fascinated by all things “Magical” By “Magical” I am not n ot just referring to entities related to the Magical Arts. For me Magical covers a much broader spectrum, including but not limited to the following: Nature; Animals; the Cosmos; Ancient cultures; Fossils, and of course the Art of Magic itself. I try to meld these t hese subjects whenever possible into my performance of Magic and Mentalism. I started my journey over two decades ago as a magic bartender, and that eventually evolved ev olved into performing tableside magic at local restaurants. th





































I believe this ebook will provide knowledge and ideas i deas from experienced pendulum users that will enable enabl e performers of all skill levels to include both single and Multi-Bob pendulums pendulum s in their performances. I do hope that you will join me on the “journey of enlightenment” regarding the “Power of the Pendulum in Performance”....especially Multi-Bob Pendulums. Now here are some simple instructions for making maki ng what I like to call:

The Office Store Pendulum





































4. I like the second longest pendulum to be about 75% as long as the longest pendulum so approximately 6 inches will work. Again go through the tying process. 5. The shortest pendulum should be 60% of the longest...so about 4 3/4 inches is fine. Again, these th ese are my own preferences. 6. Clip off any excess string as close to each knot as possible. First make certain each knot is tight and won't come undone. u ndone. You can also secure the knots with a clear drying white glue. Comments:





































TEA FOR THREE BY DR. BILL







































Use the steak knife to “saw” notches into a chopstick at appropriate distances from one another. Cut the teabag strings st rings as needed to create three different length bobs. You don’t tie the strings around the chopstick but instead tie a knot large enough at the top so that once the string is





































Tea leaves have been used for centuries as an oracle for divination. I know next to nothing about this practice. For someone who does, that and a bit of imagination could morph into a tasty presentation.





































COMING TO GRIPS At first, writing this section secti on seemed to me like it was going to be gratuitous. After all, who needs to be told how to hold the pendulum rod? Overkill,





































supersedes recent physical limitations. Here is a photo of Mauricio Jaramillo using this grip with a 5 pendulum Multi-Bob made for him by his girlfriend:





































STILLNESS Paradoxically, fine tuning your control over the pendulums movements is first gained by mastering stillness. That sounds very “Zen,” and perhaps it

















































































































































































































































Bill Cushman - Trybil - The Multi-Bob Book

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