A Newsgroup Post About Wil's Seance

Happy Holidays to all of my magical tightcircle friends. Although this has been a challenging year for me personally and professionally, I have much to be thankful for and a strong desire to make a significant come back. While my posts have become less frequent in this arena, I can assure you that my passion and involvement in the art of Magic has not dwindled. I live, eat and breath prestidigitation. There have been so many magic related experiences over the last few months. I don't think I could play catch up in relating all of them to you, but I will give you some brief highlights over the next few days.

Fall / Winter 2004 - Halloween - The place: the home of my good friend Wil Bryan and his girlfriend Carie (who is my Swing Dance Instructor). I was honored to be invited to a rare evening of Spirit Theater in West Seattle. This pot luck Halloween Party was an intimate invitation only event. After cocktails, dinner and a cigar; we retreated to the drawing room where an evening of bizarre entertainments began. Wil had asked me if I would present an introductory demonstration of legerdemain before he started the Seance. I was happy to perform a 20 minute program that included the Deans Box and the other 6 tricks I know. Buster was with me and performed a humorous shackle escape. Wil & Carie are blessed with an eccentric circle of close friends that were a wonderful audience. We took a short smoke break and came back to an unsure atmosphere. None of us had ever been to a seance before. Wil takes his Magic & his Magik very seriously. His extensive background ranges from Wicca to the Occult to Lock Picking. His combination of the disciplines of Witchcraft and Sleight of Hand are most unique. The Seance started with the lighting of a candle and some incantations. Wil shared with the group some of his and Carie's strange experiences in the house they recently moved into. They knew shortly after moving in that there was a ghost in the house. After some research they found out that her name was Emily and that she had died as a child in the house. Wil explained that he would attempt to communicate with her. I don't remember the exacty detail of all of the various events (perhaps Wil can chime in and fill in the blanks and tell you what I am missing). Needing a few drops of blood for ritual, he took a sharp blade and slit his wrist. After obtaining the necessary fluid the wound was immediately dressed as the blood continued to seep through the gauze bandage as he continued. I thought this was a strong way to begin. It was an unsettling thing to watch. The mood in the room was serious. The lights dimmed and the sound of Wil's voice carried us to a new part of our imaginations. There was a brief segment with a rustic home made Ouiga Board. As Wil continued to try and make contact with the spirit, strange things began to happen. She made her presence known by a startling series of scraping and tapping sounds coming from the walls and floor. We all looked around at each other wondering if someone in the audience was making these sounds, but it rapidly became evident that no one had moved, shit. . . they barely breathed. Wil asked some of questions. Emily communicated with taps. The questions revealed that she was pushed down a flight of steps and died. Wil asked if this is why she walks up and down them night after night. An erie smoke invades the room. Tapping and scrapping growing louder, Wil asks her to clam down please. . . then silence. "Are you still there" he asks? Two taps were heard. "Emily, if this is you, tap once". Two taps were heard, then a barrage of of sounds starting soft and growing louder. Wil says in a commanding voice, "Spirit, whatever your name we haven't called on you and do not seek your council! Be gone now". The noises get louder and more smoke mystically appears. " By the name of Uriel, I command you to be gone now! Ssalmani ia Ana Gishbar Tapquida Duppira!" All sounds suddenly stop. We look at each other and take a sigh of relief. Then a wine glass sitting across the room falls and breaks on the floor. A strange and bizarre sound is heard. All of the faucets in the house simultaneously start gushing water!! A sound is heard in the basement like someone falling down a flight of stairs. We all get up and look around. We go to the basement and at the foot of the steps a dolls head is found dripping in blood. No one else to be found. All I can say is WOW! Nice job Wil, and thank you for inviting me to an evening of bizarre spirit theater. I think Andruzzi and Burger would have liked it.