In this issue we review Annemann’s “The Master of the Message,” an impromptu thought-reading effect. We summarize Martin Sunshine’s “Cigarette Perception,” where a blindfolded performer identifies cigarette brands, and suggests the method could be repurposed beyond smoking. Jay discusses Orville Wayne Meyer’s “Card Box Sympathy,” which uses a P&L Metal Card Box, but says the written handling seems inconsistent and asks listeners with the prop to test it. Jay explains Calvin Cole’s “One of Those Things,” a calculator-age-and-change revelation based on a simple math principle, with Annemann’s note that personal details like age increase interest and could be paired with numerology. He covers Vincent Dalban’s “Something to Work On,” a plot with no method where the performer detects when a helper lies while calling out dealt cards. Finally, he summarizes Stuart Robson’s “The Twentieth Century Newspaper Test,” using page-number corners and classified ads to reveal an ad’s contents. Jay invites listeners to view the full issue for free at JinxNavigator.com, share feedback, and teases Issue #5 and its “With Sight Unseen” effect.

00:00 Episode 004 Kickoff: What The Jinx Navigator Podcast Is About 00:36 Issue #4 Table of Contents + Annemann’s Editorial Highlights 02:18 Effect #1: The Master of the Message (Impromptu Thought Reading) 04:26 Effect #2: Cigarette Perception (A Smell Test Without Smelling) 06:09 Effect #3: Card Box Sympathy — Pricey Prop, Questionable Method 08:44 Effect #4: One of Those Things (Age + Pocket Change Calculator Reveal) 10:19 Something to Work On: A Great Plot… With No Method (Yet) 11:31 Final Effect: Twentieth Century Newspaper Test (Classifieds Mindreading) 13:10 Wrap-Up, Where to Read Issue #4, and Tease for Issue #5

Jinx Navigator Podcast: Jay Jennings reviews issue number three of The Jinx, a roughly 90-year-old newsletter for magicians and mentalists, to see which ideas still hold up and how they might be tweaked for modern use.

Aside from the editorial, Jay covers four items from the issue: Les Gilbert’s “A Card in Transit,” where a spectator-initialed card vanishes from the deck and appears in the performer’s pocket using sleight of hand and a gimmick card; Annemann’s “A Real Psychic Card Test,” a simple thought-transmission drawing match using chalkboards (or business cards) and misdirection through distance/time; Annemann’s “Dead or Alive,” a living/dead name test using five cards and a prepared envelope, which Jay finds workable but dislikes as a presentation outside séance contexts and discusses envelope sizing/handling considerations; and Annemann’s “The Bending Swizzle Stick,” a gag based on the rubber pencil illusion involving glass stirring sticks and a final apparent permanent bend. The episode ends with mention of a poem Annemann received from the Great Lester at an IBM convention and a brief note about Lester as a ventriloquist and mentor to Edgar Bergen.

Jay invites listeners to read full instructions and articles on jinxnavigator.com, share feedback, and return for issue #4 featuring “Cigarette Perception.” 00:00 Welcome to Jinx Navigator:

What this podcast is about

• 00:39 Issue #3 overview + editorial setup (and name-pronunciation warning)
• 01:30 Editorial highlights: circulation, rival newsletters, and working pros
• 03:20 Who's working where: venues, acts, and close-up advice
• 04:00 Effect 1 — 'A Card in Transit' (Les Gilbert): signed card to pocket
• 05:40 Effect 2 — 'A Real Psychic Card Test' (Ted Annemann): chalkboard mind-reading
• 06:44 Routine — 'Dead or Alive' test: envelope handling + presentation rant
• 10:11 Gag/bit — 'The Bending Swizzle Stick': rubber-pencil illusion with glass
• 12:00 Closing poem from The Great Lester + wrap-up and next issue teaser

Join Jay as he dives into the second issue of The Jinx (1934-1941), the legendary magic newsletter that shaped modern mystery performance. This episode breaks down five effects from Issue #2, exploring which tricks still work today.

In This Episode:

We explore five effects from The Jinx #2, including Ted Annemann's "The Devil's Four Aces" (a visual four-ace assembly), Orville Wayne Meyer's "The Finders" (a behind-the-back card location with a killer kicker ending), and "Your Card" (a clever effect using Si Stebbin's technique that's been fooling people since 1898). Jay admits defeat trying to decode Annemann's "Synthetic Sympathy" and calls for help from card workers who can make sense of the confusing instructions. The episode wraps with "The Demon-Yogi-Goblin Book Test," Annemann's tongue-in-cheek title for a book test method that's surprisingly versatile.

Contents:

• 00:00 Introduction to the Jinx Navigator Podcast
• 00:39 Sponsor Message: FlashCake
• 01:12 Exploring Issue Number Two
• 02:21 The Devil's Four Aces by Ted Annemann
• 04:21 The Finders by Orville Wayne Meyer
• 05:52 Synthetic Sympathy by Ted Annemann ( -- help wanted!)
• 07:46 Your Card by Orville Wayne Meyer
• 09:05 The Demon Yogi Goblin Book Test by Ted Annemann
• 10:49 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview