The Modern Mystic League
APRIL 2026
Blackburn & District Society of Magicians
Sabi Molnar is from Budapest, Hungary, and he and his wife Bogi are touring the UK giving lectures at various magic societies and enjoying visiting different parts of the country. They were off to Scotland after this lecture to the MML.
Sabi is an experienced professional magician with a deep interest in mentalism, and his lecture was mostly based upon his book in English, Miracles with ESP Cards, which I highly recommend.
After my introduction, he began with a simple ESP matching routine, and then ‘Marked Thoughts With Chips’, where choices made by the spectators are matched both with the ESP cards and chips with ESP symbols. Sabi explained the workings in detail, stressing that everything he was showing us has been used in his professional acts. He felt this was a good opening effect, as it is quick and to the point, introduces his act and involves audience members without their having to be on stage.
The next routine, ‘MentaColor’, uses coloured ESP cards. The spectator chooses a card in such a way that the front and back are concealed from the performer. After some concentration, the performer places a marker in the spectator’s hand which happens to be the same colour as the thought-of symbol. The performer then draws with that marker on a piece of card. When the spectator and performer show their cards at the same time, the performer has drawn the symbol matching that of the spectator. So, both the colour and the symbol match. Again, Sabi explained the workings in detail, including how to stack the ESP cards in ‘traffic light’ order. I like this effect, as there is a double ending matching the colour and then the symbol. Sabi has had his own coloured ESP cards produced, as they are now hard to obtain.
Sabi is an experienced professional magician with a deep interest in mentalism, and his lecture was mostly based upon his book in English, Miracles with ESP Cards, which I highly recommend.
After my introduction, he began with a simple ESP matching routine, and then ‘Marked Thoughts With Chips’, where choices made by the spectators are matched both with the ESP cards and chips with ESP symbols. Sabi explained the workings in detail, stressing that everything he was showing us has been used in his professional acts. He felt this was a good opening effect, as it is quick and to the point, introduces his act and involves audience members without their having to be on stage.
The next routine, ‘MentaColor’, uses coloured ESP cards. The spectator chooses a card in such a way that the front and back are concealed from the performer. After some concentration, the performer places a marker in the spectator’s hand which happens to be the same colour as the thought-of symbol. The performer then draws with that marker on a piece of card. When the spectator and performer show their cards at the same time, the performer has drawn the symbol matching that of the spectator. So, both the colour and the symbol match. Again, Sabi explained the workings in detail, including how to stack the ESP cards in ‘traffic light’ order. I like this effect, as there is a double ending matching the colour and then the symbol. Sabi has had his own coloured ESP cards produced, as they are now hard to obtain.
STAR LECTURE
with
SZABOLCS MOLNAR
with
SZABOLCS MOLNAR
After refreshments courtesy of Carl, Sabi began again with a coin experiment in which a coin chosen by a spectator from three coins appears to bend in the spectator’s own hand. Once more this was explained in detail, along with the ‘Bobo Switch’. This is a good effect for walk-around magic, as it is done in the hands.
Finally, Sabi showed his commercial item, the ‘A I Deck’, wherein a chosen card is found by the deck in a humorous way, with a plunger effect with cards appearing with messages. Once again, we were given a thorough explanation of how this works with lots of tips. Sabi also explained how this could be made with Jumbo cards. There were many tips and ‘bits of business’ throughout the lecture.
Bogi appeared to do good business with Sabi’s effects and book, and to close the afternoon I said “thank you” in Hungarian (!) and presented Sabi with the gift of a copy of the book Showmen or Charlatans? written by Brian L and myself.
Roger Woods
Finally, Sabi showed his commercial item, the ‘A I Deck’, wherein a chosen card is found by the deck in a humorous way, with a plunger effect with cards appearing with messages. Once again, we were given a thorough explanation of how this works with lots of tips. Sabi also explained how this could be made with Jumbo cards. There were many tips and ‘bits of business’ throughout the lecture.
Bogi appeared to do good business with Sabi’s effects and book, and to close the afternoon I said “thank you” in Hungarian (!) and presented Sabi with the gift of a copy of the book Showmen or Charlatans? written by Brian L and myself.
Roger Woods
