Sub Rosa: A Utility Move and Applications

Sub Rosa is a wonderfully deceptive and versatile technique that you can learn in seconds and master in minutes. It’s simple and direct, suitable for stage, parlour, and close-up, and is equally at home in magic and in mentalism. It has dozens of applications, such as:

• Card or Bill in Cigarette
• Coin in Bottle
• Linking Finger Rings
• Paper to Bills effects
• colour separations
• Colour-Changing Knives
• predictions and divinations
• paddle routines
• Torn and Restored effects
• Brema Nut and similar

and countless others. Over sixty effects of all kinds are included:

• predictions and divinations
• a card revelation
• coincidence effects
• key bending
• card matching and a date revelation
• design duplication
• transpositions and transformations
• book tests
• Seven Keys and a Watch Box
• a headline prediction
• spirit writing and spirit photography
• a Linking Pins finale

and much more. Many effects have fully scripted presentations: straight ones, humorous ones, even a couple of Bizarre ones. Themes include: 

• an experiment in an ESP lab
• tattoos and voodoo
• dead celebrities
• a dead clown
• the magic postal system
• shopping for gifts
• buying groceries
• a murderer
• a would-be student of divination
• good luck charms, amulets and feng shui
• a night on the town
• what’s for dinner
• holidays
• school for spies
• a murder mystery
• a game show

and more. With the Sub Rosa technique, you can often use inexpensive, ordinary items instead of specialized apparatus to accomplish similar effects. Add it to your arsenal and open up a new world of strong yet easy-to-do magic.

“... if everyone knew great magic could be done this easily, we would be out of business. Well done.”

—Jim Byrnes

Jim Short, seasoned worker: “I have arthritis and essential tremor, but I still want to perform strong magic. I’m always on the lookout for things that don’t require me to deal out 21 cards into 3 piles multiple times, and things that look like, well, magic.

"I recently ran across Sub Rosa by Ariel Frailich. It ticks all the boxes for me. I can handle the technical aspects easily despite my issues, and the technique will fool even the most eagle-eyed spectator. The misdirection is almost built in.

"Ariel doesn’t just give you the concept, though. He gives you some great routines to get started. However, even though these routines are worth doing, I would recommend using them as a jumping-off point to develop your own material. Sub Rosa is so versatile that you’ll be coming up with card, coin, mental, and children’s magic (and more!) of your own in no time.”

Paul Pacific, professional mentalist: “With Sub Rosa Ariel has taken an organic and versatile utility move and applied it to many original effects. The presentations are very well thought out and can be used exactly as written. There is something for every student of magic in this book. Bravo!”

Jim Byrnes, seasoned worker: “Great, easy-to-use utility move. Worthwhile investment, especially if you’re looking to do less gymnastic sleights to accomplish truly professional magic. It’s a secret because if everyone knew great magic could be done this easily we would be out of business. Well done.”