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Prelude Introduction Astrologistics I Have a Funny Feeling... Signagram Zodiesque Zodiattack Synthanagrams -Synthanagram I

-The Efficient Synthanagram -The IRS Synthanagram

Pre-Show Y} '

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Chelman's Zodiac

procedure

Dopple-Reading A11 In

Appendix Bob Farmer's "Fate Accompli" M"p Waters/Farmer Correspondence Background References

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13 19

2I 27 29 33 35 Z7 39 43 45

47 48 49 51

52

a

PRELUDE

Throughout my life as a performer, I have done much to make it difficult for those seeking thr methods of my ways to reconstruct what I am doing. I do this for "sport" in some ways, allowing fo the cat and mouse game of logic versus circumstance to unfold into an intellectual sparring match In this effect, these goals are achieved by constantly staying one step ahead of the person who's "mind you are reading. Just as they start to rationalize how you could have correctly guessed their zodia, sign, you are on to divining, with amazing accuracy, their exact birth date. But I have other motiva

tions as well. I am in love with the notion that when performing this effect, I am doing exactly what I say I an doing-reading and interpreting people's thoughts. In essence, you are creating a situation in which you spectator is forced to give you information that guides you closer and closer to knowing the information yor desire. Throughout this whole process, they remain unaware of where you are in the system, and even that system exists at all.

Publishing my various effects in totally different manuscripts and publications made it difficult fo anyone to piece together how I linked the systems together. But after 12 years, I'm giving it ail u1 Why? Because, frankly speaking, it's a beautiful system, and I'm proud of it. I've gotten a chance t live with it and explore and develop it for a iong time now. I think It's ready to be explored by othert

Upon reading it, if you are able to learn it in its entirety (which will take some commitment), the you will have a completely mapped-out psychological system which will allow you to correctl divine, at any *o-.rrt, a random volunteer's astrological star sign-then instantly repeat it number of times in a row for the same group of peopie and with progressively more challengir "easy to learn," any one of the conditions as each sign is revealed. If you are looking for something the phone while you simp systems can be learn"ed in a fair\ short time, and even practiced over try and understand it. If you ta scan the charts. This is a sysrem ihat only gets better the more you it seriously, you will truiy be earning an ability to read and interpret thoughts-real mentalis circrri.rta.rces besides a wiiling and intelligent volunteer' of cour with no necessary props o, ".r".r in communication' This is there will be times when the system wili fail, due to misinterpretations to ninety percent' Mentalism is r be expected, but with practice, your accuracy will increase easily always an exact science, but it is always an intriguing one'

Alain Nu May,2007

INTRODUCTION Divining a person's astrological sign, rather than simply asking for it, makes quite an impact. It is a novel accomplishment, and demonstrates the ,eaier's psychic ability to discern unknowable information' Many possible methods exist, and in this case, we will utilize a ..branching system.,, The use of branching systems began in the mid-eighties. Since I released, "Nu secrefs & Reaiities,, earlier this year, I have ,rrr.orruri informatio.r thi't I believe sets the record straight regarding the use of branching anagrams in conjunction with the zodiac.

As

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turns out' the information I have previously published is not entirely correct. After much research' and with the assistance of tt".ry of those a'ssociated with this effect, I can now present a much more thorough timeline regarding tt i, .orr."ft. sam Schwartz' Stewart |ames, and others including stanley Collins, who was the first to use the principle of progressive anagrams to perform a m"gi;effect as far as back in the 1920,s, dabbled with letter-to-word concepts, buinone had anything to?o with the Zodiac or Astrology. In Stewart "Anagramatic Facsilimie,"which ]ames, was published in Tops, (volume 1g, #3, March 1g53), an anagram was used in conjunction with po"*.

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In

1983' Sam Schwartz released a two-book package entitied "AsTRoLoGy: The Hidden Force." one of these books was a "force book" that utilizla anagram system in conjunction with the zodiac' To my knowledge, this was the first effect "n to be frr, o,ri that explores the concept of branching anagrams with zodiac signs. I have owned this effect since those days, and I can tell you that the anagram system in those b'ooks are tru1y impressive but compiex, needing an entire extra book (both hardbound) to read as just the instructions!

Later' in January 1986, Bob Farmer, inspired by wanting to simplify the schwarrz concepr with an "automatic deck" procedure, developed the idea of using an anagram system in conjunction with "personality-type cards" in order ,o iirri.r" the zodiac sign of a spectator. T.A. Waters was informed by Max Maven of Farmer's idea. without seeing Farme"r's idea, ie developed his own handling and he showed it to several people at The Magic castl"e. Later that same year Ray Grismer released *what,s my sign?', which also came with ;cfi oose a planet," and 'Thi;k of a sign or p;anet,,, published by Micky Hacles' strangely, there are no dates on these instructions that document the original copyright, nor is there anything in the description that documenrs its background or origination' This was, at one time, stanaard in the business of magic marketing. since that time, 5

Grismer has since been hailed :., ::-::, revelation of someone's astrologicaL s-:::

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idea. Regardless, onqinared the premise of the prop-less

Shortly thereafter, T.A. Waters quicl-r pub''shed -,{rEn,.e" tn -The New Invocation" (Issue #39, June 1987). Later on, in his anthologicai rone Tlind, Myth and Magick,'published in 1993 by Hermetic Press, it appears as though T.-\. is a bit miced about the popularity of nWhat's my Sign?", when he states diplomatically (without menrioniog *) names) that his effect was thought of "well prior to the marketing of a similar effect." Contacting Bob Farmer directly, I was led to more compelling (and less public) information. A letter 'Waters was faxed to me from Bob, which was a response to a letter he had written to T.A. ]une 30, 7987, regarding the publication of"Signse" in "The New Invocation " In his undated response, W'aters starts off by saying: "The reason I put Signse into INVOCATION - something I had not originally intended to dois that one of the people I showed it to was Ray Grismer, sometime more than a year ago. This past lanuary I saw it advertised under his name in the Hades Newsletter. I don't think Ray intentionally lifted it-just forgot where he had seen ir - but I did want to set the record straight and give credit to you for the inspiration."

What I would like to point out is that though it seems that Sam Schwartz was the first to work with anagrams in relation to astrology, it wasn't until Bob Farmer had come out with his idea with his concept that inspired a wellspring of ideas from many others to follow" (See References section, Page 52).

Bob Farmer, though his process was to ultimately involve card props used as a red herring, was the first to bring forth the idea of removing props entirely. T.A. Waters then took the idea and made some nice touches on the handling. In "Signse,"he includes two variations of branching anagrams in order to be able to repeat the effect. This premise opens up a philosophy regarding this subject that I wiil later explore to its depth. Those who did purchase the original 'What's my Sign?', however, would find that the systems used are completeiy different. The concept was merely being explored in a different way. Ray Grismer's variation allows you to reveal any zodiac sign thought of by a spectator, but also allows you to reveal the planet of their choice in a "second phase" experiment. In a more obsessive third phase, you can then second guess your spectator to think that you have a system of calling out the correct letter, and thus offer them a more impossible challenge to think of any sign OR planet, without telling you which. Nonetheless, you are still able to come up with the correct answer.

What is interesting to me about this bit of history is that it shows us that each variation of a concepl helps to perpetuate its own evolution and forward momentum. The concept of a prop-less divination of someone's zodiac sign sparked the imagination of many to follow, who challengec themselves with their own variations, adding subtleties and nuances to their own spin.

I was first introduced to Ray Grismer's

nwhat's

my sign," in 1gg0, and developed my own branching anagram, which took the form of "signagrain "At the time I believed this method to be too similar to Grisme.r's, since my anagram al-so l"g"r, with the initial call-letters ,R-I-A-s.,, I eventually published "signagram" in ")ffi(,,,peariy ldyears later. Of course, as you will see later in these writings, from the.moment I began working with progressive anagrams, I was also obsessing on alternative ways of getting around having to usJette., what foilows is my complete sysrem, ", "tt. which now utilizes anagram ,trrr.trrrur, branching iconography systems, as well as effective combinations of both, and other subtleties. fylhermore, my personal

system would not be complete unless I was able to include the use of a hidden Christian Chelman principle, which itself served as a primary motivator to push my explorations of this effect further. bhristian has kindly granted permission for me to explore his principle within these pages. The fact is, if it weren'r for all of these forerunners of this principle, I would not have been able to bring you the fuIl and complete system that you now hold in your hands. You have these people to thank.

ASTROLOGISTICS I spent the first 7 years of my life in San Francisco in the late 60's, and from a very young age had a fascination with things that existed on the edge of popular culrure and belief. My babysii.irrr.d to take me on errands, and would sometimes stop to get her fortune told. I believe that this is where I got my first glimpse into the world of mysterious and secret knowledge. Once I began to explore mentalism, I developed an assortment of methods which could be used to support fortune telling and gain further insight as to the character of one's sitter (the reader's subject). Although I do not personally tell fortunes for a living, I have always enjoyed being able to entertain friends and acquaintances with the intriguing notions that a character reading provides.

Anyone doing zodtac work even in this casual setting should have at least a basic understanding of the Zodiac signs, the dates associated with them, and at least one or two traits commonly associated with each sign. There are hundreds of books that one can read in order to learn about the specific character traits of each of the twelve signs. I recommend reading any of them to familiarize you with the archetypal references therein. You will probably find that you already have some knowledge in this area based on the characteristics of your family, friends, and acquaintances that fall under each sign. You can build on what you Tearn by taking an interest. in the zodiac signs of ofhers and using interactions with people to hone your skilis. Reading horoscopes will help too, but consciousiy tuning in to personality traits of real live people is the best instant framework to build on. The mere process of engagement with the concept of the signs will eventually help you establish your own independently functioning, and organically growing body of zodiac knowledge. That being said, you really do not need to possess any knowledge of astrology in order to work through these systems. The only function of the systems here are to subtlety decipher secret knowledge of one's zodiac sign amidst the act of engagement. That being said, there are a few things about astrology that you must know. You must know the names of the 12 signs, the images they conjure in one's mind, and the dates associated with them. The chart on the back cover of this manuscript is provided for easy reference.

On

note, between Bob Farmer's original idea (which is essentially a "lazy man's cold reading"), and my first published branching system entirled "Iconographic Fishing Exercise for the Zodiac," released in 1996, not one of the anagram methods mention, or even hint at, the idea of incorporating the act of giving your subject an astrological reading during the effect. Perhaps the idea was too obvious to mention, however, in my opinion, to disregard this as part of the presentation is to lose the main ingredient of the overall effect. Bob allowed the cards he used to give a side

9

an "automatic reading," but in all later writings (including Grismer's), there is nothing that eve suggests any further knowledge of the zodiac. In my opinion, by ignoring this obvious point, you ar turning what would really be a compelling demonstration of the mysteries of the zodiac into meaningless word puzzle.

Often times, the revelation of a small detail about someone is enough to open up a dialogu regarding that person's insights, hopes and dreams that can be quite intellectually stimulating an fulfilling for both parties. The medium and the sitter ultimately participate in a "game" in whic deep or even personal subjects or issues can be discussed in a playfully interactive manner. One c the most commonly used methods for opening up the dialogue is to attempt to demonstrate hor much one can tell about a person's character and the potential of their future by simply knowin their astrological sign. The zodiac is, in many ways, a perfect icebreaker and something that almos everyone finds intriguing, even if they don't "believe" in its ideas.

For the fully initiated reader, having astrological knowledge should provide more than enoug information on which to build a highly accurate reading for a sitter. Reading the characters an fortunes of others also establishes the mediums own personal life experiences as a source of insigh and inspiration in interpreting and presenting what is being learned about the subjects. Ever individual reader has unique perceptions that can be effectively developed to provide the bes experience for the sitter.

Just what is the experience you want to create? In my opinion the best use of "psychi entertainment" is to provide people with an opporfunity to think about iife and its challenges in a empowering way. The zodiac, in particular, focuses on an individual's characteristics independent c any situations they might find themselves in. It is pretty easy to steer towards topics like taking mor time in iife to be creative, envisioning positive future events regarding work, stress reductior spending more time with the people you love, and so on. But it is important to be prepared for th heavy stuffthat will invariably come your way if you chose to engage in psychic entertainment. Th most obvious rule of thumb is that it's essential to advise anyone with a medical issue, like a decisio regarding treatment, or a trauma, like a death or a past abuse experience, to find a quaiified menti health or other practitioner as appropriate. In general, I feel its best to stay clear of providing blac and white answers to all hear,y questions and develop ways of redirecting conversation towards th lighthearted and the personally empowering aspects of open ended thought. This puts th entertainment back into focus while still giving the subject something valuable beyond the momen

10

I HAVE A FUNNY FEELING Before we get started in how to begin these procedures, consider the notion that you will be able to provide a unique and personal experience that is not only unusual, but memorable as well. If there is ever a moment to promote yourself... the time is now.

The following systems can be employed for either on stage or the most intimate one-on-one conditions. Although the following idea can be used either way, I imagine it would best be used as an opportunity to offer your calling card to a potential client. To perform this, some preparation is required. Take twelve of your calling cards and on the first one write: "I have a funny feeling I would meet an Aries today." On the next-card write: "I have a funny feeling I would meet a Taurus today." Continue through the zodiac signs until all twelve cards contain the message specific to each sign. You wiil need toarrange these .""rd, in an order that makes it easy for you to quickly locate any of the twelve cards. One idea would be to divide the cards into four groups of three, placing three pre-arranged cards in each of your four pants pockets. you can arrange the cards alphabetically, seasonally (so that each pocket represents a different one of the four seasons, or by utilizing any other system that suits your style).

While using the foilowing systems in this manuscripr, you wili find that there will come a point in which you know what your spectator's sign is before ioo much has happened. This gives you the chance to remove the card with the appropriate sign long before you n."d io reveal it. Dolng ihis will add a nice convincing punch to the end of the demonsiration, and also leaves your potential client with your card and a strong personal memory. Also, should you be ready with this indexed set-up on a regular basis, you will become surprised at how many times you will just meet someone who just blurts out their sign in conversation.l.r these such cases, quickly remove the correct business card from your pockJt, showing it to her while explaining a little about what you do, and then turn it over to reveal what you h"d previously writtenl The very act itself calls upon the presentation. So long as you're ready, you'r" ,""dy.

there-perhaps it's a bit more preparation than one might expect from a series of techniques that are ultimately designed for impromptu circumstances under any condition. But it doesn't take much to convince anyone what a nice idea this is, so I thought I'd start by giving you all a little "prepared-scenario" that you can have as an incentive to leain all this ,tuff. I hope itris iaea provides you with just that. So

11

SIGNAGRAM Having been inspired by Ray Grismer's "What's My Sigo?' I developed -y own system based on his, but focused on calling out letters that seemed as non-specific as I could make them. With this as my first template, in what would end up being an extensive journey, I watched as many others tried their own hand at devising their own approaches. Interestingly enough, although each one of the new approaches had brought to the table many orher important developments, I still feel that my progressive anagram breakdown is the least conspicuous of the ones I have been able to locate.

My opinion is that certain letters can appear too specific to certain signs. The letters 'lJ', 'G', 'e, and even 'T'can make one feel a bit too much as if you might be prying, especially when looking as though you are expecting a response. I feel the same way about the use of double letters being ."il"d out. I believe that these examples lead peopie to suspect that the speiling leads ro clues, if "rp".i"lly(for the spectator in any way ends up feeling that her ability to spell her sign is being challenged instance, I believe that most Sagittarians would be surprised to find out that there is more than one "T" in the spelling of their own sign; tangentially, a Taurus might have to think for a second before realizing that there is more than one "IJ" in their speiling). In my presentation, I never want people to think that I am personaily focusing on the speliing. I want it to appear as though letters just come to me.

I would like to mention a few subtleties before we begin. When calling out letters, present my opening statement as follows:

I will

somerimes

"Sometimes when you see psychics being interviewed on television, you'll see them calling out what appear to be random letters from the alphabet, only to find out that they are the initials of some long lost relative. Now, don't worry... I'm not going to get into al| that stuff, but I am going to call out a couple of letters to start off with, that feel significant to me. I'd like you to tell me if they appeu in the spelling of your zodiac sign...'

Admittedly, this short statement really makes no sense. That being said, it serves its purpose, and people accept your subsequent calling out of several letters as being justified. The initiais of your dead relatives reaily have nothing to do with the spelling of your zodiac sign, but it sounds good.

13

RIASE

Always begin the letter-cailing procedure by asking if the spectator knows what her zodiac sign i It's important that you always ask your spectators to concentrate on their own zodiac sign, becaus there is always a chance that they won't know how to spell the different signs. But if they ar thinking of their own sign, your chances are increased.

This effect requires that the volunteers know how to spell (correctly) the zodiac sign that they ar thinking of, But it will also take into consideration that some people may not know the exact spellin of their own sign, and is designed to potentially accept possibilities such as this by having you cali or the most obvious letters that could be found within each spelling. You

will first need to memorize the code word- "RIASE."

Pronounce it whatever way you'd like, but most importantly, remember how to spell it, as this wor will be the backbone to this system. You're also going to need to remember five secret word Although these words have no meaning in real life, they are essential to get you through this systen The secret words are: Rei, Ias, Aor, Sa, and Es. Don't worry- you'll never have to say the words ot loud to anyone;you'll only call out the letters used to spell these words. Calling them out, as you gir a general cold realing, will help you divine any thought-of sign. iust try to remember the "words Try to especially remember how to spell them. By doing so, before long, you will be able to divine tl thought of any of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Notice that the code word "RIASE' is made up of all the capital letters in the five "magic words." ]u knowing this will help you to remember both the code word and the secret words. The basic rule is that you must first call out the first letter of each secret word- in other word simply recite each letter of the code word "RLASE" until the spectator tells you that a called-or letter is nor in the sign she is thinking of.

When the letter called is NOT in the spelling of the thought of sign, you wiil move to the spelling the secrer word that begins with that letter. This is the basic premise, however there are son nuances that one must also learn. For now, however, let's look into the "definitions" of each secr word, and how the cateogircally reveal each of the twelve signs.

REI: unlocks the signs Gemini, Leo and Pisces. Once you have the spectator concentrating on h sign, ask her to imagine it being whispered in her mind. Tell her that you hear an "R" sound, ar then ask her if there is an "R" in the spelling of her sign. If she says no, act as if you werer concentrating properly. Tetl her that you'll try to make it easier on yourself and then ask her if ther is an "E" (second letter in the magic word "REI"). She will say yes no matter what. Make a mentic that you are not good with the vowels, since you can't hear them in your mind. I always mention th when using this system, even though I cail out vowels. This way, on the occasion that I'm wrong, can point out rhat I told them earlier that I'm not good with vowels. It gets a good laugh since you': taking credit for having predicted your own failure. Tell her that you are sensing that the "E" is tl second letter in the sign that she is thinking of. If she says no, you know that she is a Pisces. If she sa' yes, you'll know that she is either a Leo or a Gemini. Consequently, if she says no, you can backtrac 14

by telling her that you are seeing it backwards-'ir's the second from the end, isn'tjr?"She will have to agree, since most Pisces' will know this. Continue by asking if there is an "I' in the spelling of her sign. If she says no, you know she is a Leo (For this, you can make the comment about how you're not good with the vowels-('See? what'd I tell you?"). On the other hand, if she says yes there is an "I", you know she is a Gemini. above, first react to your not getting the letter "R" by apologizing quickly, switching gears, and then announcing the letter "E." Knowing the piacement of the "E" pretty much redeems your first miss with the "R". The placement of the "E" at second from beginning will determine whether or not she is a Pisces (which has an "E" second from the end of its spelling). Following up by asking if there is an "I" will determine whether or not she is either a Gemini or a Leo. Of course, if there is an "R" in the spelling of her sign, proceed to the letter "I" in IAS...

In summary of the

IAS: unlocks the signs Taurus and Cancer. Before announcing the letter "I", make sure to make mention of the fact that you are not good with the vowels. If she says no to the letter "I", let her know that you had that feeling that you wouldn't get it right (On his Video Mind series, Max Maven uses this premise, which makes for a good out,). Since it's revealed that there is no "I", you now know that she is either a Taurus or a Cancer. The rule now is to go to the second letter of the magic word IAS, the letter "A". Say, "I'm sorry, it was a letter 'A'. It's the second letter in the spelling of your sign, yes?" You don't need to worry this time since an "A" is at the second position in both Taurus and Cancer; you're covered. Now, you announce that you also heard an "S" (the final letter in IAS). If she says no, say, "Are you sure? I thought I could hear an 'S' sound in the word as you whispered it in your mind... " She will have to say that there is an "S" sound in the sign she is thinking of (the middle "c" in Cancer). Now you can reveal she is a Cancer. If there is indeed an "S", you know that she is a Taurus. As you can see, this system does its best to work around any "no-responses" received. AOR: unlocks the signs Virgo and Scorpio. Act surprised when getting a yes response to announcing the letter "I" from the RIASE-code since you, after all, are not normally good with vowels. Try your iuck again with the letter "A". If she says no, your reaction should be as if you expected that your iuck was going to eventually run out. But now you know that she's either a Virgo or a Scorpio. Use the spelling of the word "AOR" to find out. Say, "It was an 'O' at the end of the word you were thinking of, wasn't irT"This should be, once again, a strong enough retaliation to the no response given to the letter "A", that it should redeem you of not having gotten the letter right to begin with. Not only are you guessing correctly, but you also are announcing where it is in the word you were focusing on. Since both Virgo and Scorpio end with the letter "O", you will always be correct. At this point, there are several directions that one can take in order to determine whether she is a Virgo or a Scorpio, but rather than running the risk of seeming too obvious by calling out more letters, I ask them to concentrate again on the letter "R". Ask them to concentrate on whether the R is near the beginning, middle, or end of the word. Say, ". ..and I'm sensing that the 'R' is about the third or fourth letter in, yes?" This statement is a soft hit, but now you close in with "Is it the third letter?" However she responds to this, will determine whether or not she is a Virgo or Scorpio for the obvious reasons. Even though this last statement has potential to miss, when it does, it still somehow psychologically comes across more as a "near miss."

SA: This two-letter word unlocks the signs Libra and Capricorn. 15

If you have gotten this far in the

RIASE-code, you know that your volunteer is now only one of 5 signs. Say, "I don't know for sure, but did" I also hear the letter "S'ilfshe says no, it will have been your first miss. Say, "1'm sorry- didn't I tell you I wasn't sure? Anyway, let's go back to the 'A'. k isn't near the beginning of the word is it?" Here, an interesting premise is being used. You are purposely vague in how you deliver the last line as a question. Saying this in this manner makes you appear correct regardless of how the spectator u.r*"rr. For lack of knowing what else to call it, I've dubbed this as the "ambiguous-negative-pump" principle. In other words, ii she says yes to your statement, you continue by saying "The second 7efter from the beginning!"which makes you look as if you were going there ali along. If she says no, you say, 'No, theie is oily one'A' and it is at the end of the word, yesT"This, once again, makes you as if you were already there. Either way, the ambiguous-negative-pump principle is designed "pp""i to feel like a hit. No matter, by the specrator's response, you will be left to divine, in whatever manner, her correct sign, be it Libra or Capricorn.

final three signs left to determine- Aries, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. If you've made it this far in the RIASE-code, congrarulations, but be careful here! The following can be tricky. With the affirmation that there is an "S" in the thought-of sign, announce that you will try once again for of the a vowel (remember, going for vowels is tough!). Announce that you are getting the impression letter "E'. If the spectator says yes, be careful because there is a chance that she might not be concentrating hard enough and be quick to assume that there is a ietter "E" is in the word Aquarius or Sagittarius. Say, "Are you sure it's an 'E'?" If she is sure, reconfirm by saying "And did I get all the letters, but scrambled?"If she says yes, you have her pegged as an Aries.

ES: unlocks the

If she tells you that you did not get all the letters, you now know that she is either an Aquarius or a Sagittarius. Continue by saying, "Let's go back to the 'S'. It doesn't begin with the letter S, does it?" As .".r see, just as with the secret word "SA", with "ES" you use tlne ambiguous-negative-pump yor, '(ANP) principle. To maintain a level of integrity as a mentalist, it's more powerful to use the ambiguous-negative-pump principie as few times as possible. Don't worry though, with the RIASEcod", .ro on" *ill heai it -ot" than once as you divine a sign, even though it appears more than once

in the system. Of course, if she responds that her sign does begin with the letter "S", you are ready to reveal that she is a Sagittarius. If she says no, it doesn't begin with the letter "S", say' "No, it begins with the letter'A', but it DOES END with the letter'S', yes?" You are correct; she is an Aquarius"

MDilNG IT UP

Using Signagram, you have what I believe to be a very subtle zodiac anagram system. This cannot be *ithont a lot of practice and experience doing it for different people. Mastery of this "..ontpiirh"d system will allow yorl to experiment with other ideas that can push even further its own capacity to be repeatable or even performed for several people at the same time!

Let's say you have just done this for a person, but now someone else steps in and wants you to try doing ii for him. Since the person you just did it for is sticking around to watch you do it again, and yolr Jorr', want either of them to notice a pattern, you can simpiy mix up the first three letters of the "A" nIRSE-coae (RIA) and then finish up in the same order, simpiy mix up by asking if there is an "S" "E". It will oniy and first, and then work your way back to "I" and "R", before continuing with the internalized an change the system rilgtrrty by mixing up rhe first three letters of the code, and with undeistanding of the Signagram sysrem, it is possible, by doing this, to repeat the effect for someone 76

else immediately after the

first person

sees

it.

Aithough trying different variations of letter calling is an interesting exercise (and a viable method worth exploring), you will find in the later chapters that we will endeavor further into this concept in much greater depth. In fact, it later turns out that my initial work using Signagram ends up playing a much larger role as we branch out into using these more involved systems. SIMULTANEOUS MULTIPLICITY Generally if I am working a progressive anagram strucrure in which I am calling out only letters of the alphabet, I will do it with more than one person at a time. I believe it is aiways more impressive to perform this effect with two or three people simultaneously.

After all, it is possible to do. Simply have each person concentrate on repeating in their minds, the name of their own zodiac sign, and then mention that you had a strong sense of the letter "R". While getting everyone's response to this first statement, if one or two people say that there is no "R", so long as ONE PERSON out of the three says that there rs an R in the spelling of his sign, you can count your statement as a "hit." So then you move on to the next letter of the code, and so on, until you know which of the five "secret words" can be ascribed to each of your three volunteers. From there, you can work with them individually, and know before too long, each of their individual zodiac signs. I have been playing with this since Max Maven wrote Thabbatical dubbed this the "SM Concept," for Simultaneous Multiplicity. When I find myself in situations where I am performing this for a larger audience, another ruse that I will use is to "take a poll" by asking my audience, "By a show of hands, how many people know what their zodiac sign is? Now by a show of hands, how many of you who know your signs, don't actually know what your zodiac sign looks like or representsT" By doing this, you will show a fairly high margin of people in your audience who actually do NOT know how to visualize the image of their astrological sign. For these people, continue by saying, "That's perfectly alright. If you look around, you'LLsee you are in good company. Now I'm going to try to work with you anryay. So out of all of you, how many can actually imagine your zodiac spelled out in your mind7" You wili now find two or three volunteers from this group to stand in the audience. You have now perfectly justified your reason for having these people concentrate on letters. Also, I generally act as if I am trying to hear "something" that indicates to me what letters to call out, as if I am hearing the sounds that the letters make, but I never make it that clear. I believe that by doing this, I am puliing their attention away from clues that could be found in the spelling, and more into the realm of "intuitively" hearing the sounds of consonants and vowels.

STUDY GRAPH To help you study this system, please refer to the map on the next page, which will give you a quick ovewiew of what you've just put yourself through here. I feel that by learning this system, you'll have learned the basic technique used in order to comprehend the more involved systems to follow.

t7

SIGNAGRAM MAP

r +yes: move to "1" of RIASE code / no: see below e +2nd letter "e"? yes: see below; no: PISCES ("e" 2nd to last letter) i +yes: GEMINI / no: LEO

T I

i tyes: move to "A" of RIASE code / no: see below a ->2nd letter "A"? always Yes s +!es. TAURUS/ no: CANCER (middle "c" sounds like

"s")

s +!es: move to "S" of RIASE code i no. see below

o +last letter "o"? always yes r +third letter "r"? yes: VIRGO/ no: SCORPIO ("r" is only 1 letter off)

s+!es: move to "e" of RIASE code I no see below

a+;'isn't near the beginning, is it?" yes: GAPRICORN i no: LIBRA

s+yes: "did I get all the letters?" yes. ARIES/ no: see below s+"it doesn't begin with "s", does it?" yes: SAGITTARIUS / no:AQUARIUS (ends with the letter "s")

18

ZODIESOUE worked on several alternative ideas in the early to mid nineties which involved rhe use of an alternative branching system outside the progressive anagram format. This particuiar strategy has srood the test of time, having been applied by me in various ways that gain an upPer hand and without any prior knowiedge of the members of my audience. Although its deceptiveness depends on the size of your audience, this is a fascinating concept that truly does approach this process from an unusual perspective. To perform, as long as you have an audience, you are always ready:

I

"For centuries, people have ascribed certain characteristics onto others based on the time of the year that they were born. For instance, let's get a show of hands- how many of you were born in, let's say, the colder months of the yeaL autumn or winter- raise your hand if you were born in the fall or winter months. You would be considered to be 'world-builders'- people who tend to be thinkers or developers. Engineers or project managers are more likely to be born in colder months whereas if you were born in the spring or summer, you would more likely be considered a 'risk-taker', an adventurer who lives by the saying, 'variety is the spice of life.' On a more metaphysical note, how many of you were born in the first half of the yearT A11 of you would be considered 'telepathic' people, as opposed to those of you who were born in the latter part of the year, who would be considered more able to forecast future events, you all would tend to be the 'clairvoyants.' Now although these statements are based on general archetypes, you can see how one might find certain truths in those dualities. Astrology, for example, is based on a much more complex archetypal system. The year is divided into twelve symbols, representing unique constellations, and each is given very specific characteristics. Who hasn't read their horoscope today, raise your hand. Don't tell me what it is, but you know what your zodiac sign is, do you notT Would you, young lady, kindly join me up here on the stage? "Let's try an experiment. Concentrate on your personal zodiac sign. Close your eyes and imagine what it looks like. Hmm... A bit of a tendency towards being self-critical- I can see a definite face on your zodiac, it's not a human face is it7 No, it's the face of a creature- but a very small creature, rightT l/or /ike a lion or a bull, but having more characteristics as one who observes and sees

objectively..." The mentalist now continues to describe her personality before revealing that she is, in this instance, a Capricorn.

This is accomplished by simpiy observing the audience as you recite the words from the first 19

paragraph" You need to spot someone who raises their hand twice. Because of this initial (and seemingly innocent) poll, you immediately know that the people who do so are going to have birth dates that fall under either Capricorn, Aquarius, or Pisces. But notice the nice use of the ASP strategy when you state "It's not a human face, is it?"This idea of visualizing "the face" of one's sign will become one that I use frequentiy in order to separate human zodiacs from animal zodiacs. If their sign has a human face, then they are an Aquarius. If they respond enthusiastically to their zodiac being a small creature, then they are a Pisces. If they are hesitant after this last statement, they are a Capricorn. I also suggest that it would be prudent to present a preliminary effect or two that immediately follow the reciting of the opening paragraph so that a little time lapses before going into the divination process. Otherwise, no props whatsoever need be used and you are always ready to go- however, if you are so inclined, have 3 hidden outcomes prepared so that you can conclude by having predicted their sign as well.

20

ZODIATTACK Originally I called this principle the lconographic Fishing Exercise on the Zodiac (or IFX) a name designed to scare people away from wanting to learn it. Looking back at how few people contacted me about this idea, the title did indeed fulfill my wish. In 1996, IFX was my first attempt at constructing a branching system based on images (or icons) that are understood about each individual sign. This version of Zodiattack is the one I use today. First published in leff McBride's "Mystery School Book" in 2003, the final version was published in February 2007 in my limited edition book, "Nu Secrets and Realities," and this is the version you will be reading. In "Nu Secrets," however, I only gave one clue which explained how this could be used in combination with other systems. For the first time ever, my ENTIRE system using branching zodiac concepts will be fully disclosed within these pages, linking effects published in several sources as well as quite a bit of unpublished material regarding the application of what I call "Synthanagrams." But more on that later. Try this bold strategy on first for size... Start by telling your spect ator , " Sometimes synchronicity plays a part in determining your star sign, for instance, the last three people I tried this on were a Virgo, an Aries, and a Gemini. Are you one of thosb three signs?" Here, your aim is to either discard three signs immediately, or narrowing your choices to three. The key is to make it feel like nothing yet has begun. You'll notice how the ANP strategy is throughout this system

RULE OF THREE This is an updated version of this section, and this particular part of the system was an intellectual hurdle which took years of re-examination to make this work. This section of this branching model has always been the weakest part of the system, but in this third edition re-print, I have made some adjustments that ailow it to feel more natural. I believe that anyone who has read through earlier models of this work will agree.

If, by chance, your spectator tells you that indeed she is one of those three signs, you have now reduced your odds to one out of three. Jump on this opportunity by saying "You're not an Aries, are

you?" 2I

Obviously what you are hoping for here is a hit, but because you are using the Ambiguous Negative Pump principle, you are asking this question with an ambiguous inflection. By doing so, if they tell you that they are not an Aries, you can respond with a statement that encourages your spectator to react in ways that will determine your next move.

I didn't think you were born in the springtime. You were born much later..." This statement will do two things. It will cause many Gemini spectators to disagree, since they are technically born in the springtime, or not much long after, but your Virgo subjects will take this as a hit. If they begin to disagree with you, cut them off at the pass and say, "You are a Gemini, aren't you?" They are thus forced to agree, but they still may take you to task since most Gemini's will believe correctly that they are indeed born in the spring. To this, you say, "I always thought Gemini was in the summer, probably because of the school year." Gemini will ultimately be the weakest hit of all of rhem, but the revelation of their sign will be disarming. Don't forget to tell them something more tangible about their personality in relationship with their sign in order to make it seem as if you were picking up on something about their personality, which made you come to your conclusion. This is the only way to get their mind off your pumping procedure. Finaily, if they simpiy agree with your statement about their sign falling much later than the spring, you wili already know that they are a Virgo. Say, "1

didn't think

so;

Remember that with each revelation using the Zodiattack system, it is essential to disguise the interactive pumping method, by cloaking it with an actual character reading of your subject, whether based on their astrological sign or not. Otherwise, it wili quickly become reduced to a guessing game puzzle (since that is essentially what this is). The purpose of all good mentalism is to always strive to magnify the strength of the simplest and most practical concepts for the intention to create the largest audience reaction.

HUMAN FACES On the flipside, should the spectator tell you that the signs from your "previous readings (Virgo, Aries, or Gemini)" do not coincide with her star sign, you say, "OK, perfegT- ls7'5 7et started. "Even though this moment could technically be considered as a negative or "no-response," it will be forgiven, since there are still 9 symbols left to choose from, and to the spectator, nothing has happened yeu you have only just begun. Continue by saying, "You do know what your astrological sign looks like don't you? I want you to imagine seeing it floating in front of you, staring you in the face." As in the aforementioned "ambiguous negative pump" (or ANP) technique, you will once again begin by separating the human signs from the animal signs. Nodding your head once, you say, "I see a face- it's not a human face is it?"Let'ssay the spectator says that it is indeed a human face. Reaffirm her response. "Yes it is," you say, "continue to concentrate-I do see a human face but the rest of it is not as clear. Were you born near the beginning of the year7" Based on your personal intuition about the spectator, you may decide to instead ask her if she was born near born near the beginning or the end of the year. Ultimately, you are secretly determining whether she is an Aquarius or a Sagittarius, but the statement will stiil appear vague to the spectator. Aquarians are born near the beginning of the year, Sagittarians near the end. The worst that can happen is that she wiil tell you that you are wrong, but either way, you will end up knowing her exact zodrac sign the moment she responds. 22

It is easy enough to backpedal on your statement by saying "I'm sorry, I meant near the end of the year-that is correct, isn't it?" The sitter will have to agree with you, and since, from the sitter's perspective' you could have said "middle of the year" your initial statement will be forgiven. Nevertheless, you have now efficiently and effectively gained possession of the hidden knowlJge of

the spectator's sign.

THE SCALES Contemplate the statement, "It's not a human face, is it?" Yerbaiized correctly, this statement can be a request for confirmation that she HAS visualized a human face, or confirmation that she DOES NOT see a human face. Slightly nodding your head once as you deliver this statemenr motivares rhe spectator to respond to you in some manner. Should she deny seeing a human face, quickly reaffirm her statement by saying, "No, it isn't a human face is it? And it's noi the face of a creature is it? Or is it a creature?" Watch the spectator's face carefully as you say these words. If the sitter looks confused or says no, she is most likely to be a Libra. Libras will tend ro act the most confused by any of the statements given with this technique, since neither a "human face" nor a "creature" represents their sign. Watch out for these clues in your spectator's reactions. Continue by saying, "...no, it's an inanimate obiect or symbol of some sort." Only one zodiac sign is nor represented'by a human or living creature and that is Libra, the scales. The average lalpersoi, thankfuliy, is not of this "*"."reading fact. Using the above verbiage will affirm that she is a LiLra. Cive the specrator a short Libra before divining her sign.

FORGIVEN REACTIONS At this time, it is important for me to point out that the purpose of any divination procedure of this sort should never attempt to go any further than the point wherein the spectator might begin to think that perhaps you are gaining information by theirresponses (since that is indeed r"6"t you are doing). Hopefully it is always before that point that you aie ready ro announce rheir correct sign. This is the way all predecessors of these techniques have tried to design their own systems. It has also been a general rule that one should attempt to get no more than rirro negative reactionsfrom the spectator during a "data-pumping" procedure.

Using this formula, because of the linguistic ambiguity of each sraremenr, it could be said that there are no more than two, but as few as zero perceived "no-responses" before one is ready to reveal the spectator's correct sign. As opposed to the past progressive anagram systems wherein, with each stated letter from the alphabet, one will continue to narrow the rnargin, ihis system was designed to be "partially intuitive," to allow for your hunches to play a role, and also the interpretatioriof the intuitive reactions of your spectator. Because of the linguistics used in this system, it is possible to get what I wiil call a "forgiven reaction" from a spectator at certain points of the revelatiorr(one example wouid be at the beginning as one discards the initial three signs). Interestingly, in most cases, the result of these forgiven reactions can be looked upon as a "hit" rather than a "miss" because of the open possibiliry that one can twist the scenario linguistically to your favor. It is the combination of this method of articulation used along side of the system itself that makes the overall method successful. I'd also like to point out that my friend, "]as Jakutsch" is the one whose "nod-technique" I am using to illicit non-verbal responses. You can read more about this in his "Completely Menta1 Series, Volume #7."

CREATURES Should the spectator respond that her thought-of sign is a creature (eliminating Libra) there remain 6 signs with which to work. From the spectator's perspective, you have just made one technically correct statement regarding her sign being a creafure. The next statement is just as ambiguous and slices the odds in half, or better!

SIZE MATTERS Boldly using the ANP technique again, say, It's a small creature, isn't it?" If a small creature represents the spectator's sign (Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio), she wili respond affirmatively; if she is thinking of Taurus or Leo, she will object immediately. Capricorn, the goat, is the only sign of the six that will cause an uncertain reaction or response. As soon as you notice this, say "I mean it's not a large creature like a lion or a bull.. . " If the spectator is a Capricorn, she will agree. If you are still unsure, however, ask if she was born in the winter. There is only one sign in the winter represented by a creature and that is the goat, Capricorn.

BULI AND IION As mentioned above, Leos' and Taurus' will generally object to their sign being represented by a "small creafure." At this, say, "ly'o, but you were definitely born in one of the warmer seasons-the Spring, am I rightZ" Since the "large creatures" only consist of Taurus and Leo (respectively spring and summer), by announcing only one season, you wili then learn by the spectator's reaction the precise identity of her thought-of sign. Also, from her perspective, it will appear as if you have four seasons to choose from, but you only have two. Thus one can state either spring or summer, whichever seems like the most intuitive choice. It's 50/50 as to whether the reader can guess the spectator's sign at this point, but given what has been deduced about the spectator from square one, the odds are in the reader's favor. Even if the spectator responds negatively, you have only to say, "I'm sortlr, I meant summer-I could tell you were born in one of the warmet seasons." Once again, the accuracy of your follow-up statement will cause the spectator to forgive the inaccuracy of your last statement. You can now launch into a more specific reading of whichever astrological sign you now know her to be.

CHANGING SEASONS With an enthusiastic confirmation that the thought-of sign is a small creature, it will seem as if only two correct statements have been made about the spectator's sign, yet you now only have 3 signs to choose from-Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio. In the description mentioned in the "Mystery School Book'C'version of this effect, there is a method that breaks down the images of the fish, the crab and the scorpion as astrological "water signs." Since then, I have found it more deceptive to attempt pinpointing the correct season of their zodiac, as utilized in other parts of this system. In this case, it will be either spring, summer or fall. Your first statement will be, "I'm sensing you were born in the later half of the year." If she hesitates at all, you will immediately know that she is a Pisces. If she affirms the statement, she will either be a Cancer or Scorpio. 24

Once again, it's 50/50. I generally look at the person and say, "You know I was sensing summer..." Immediately read her reaction, and if you sense that you missed, continue by saying, "iut something is telling me that it might be more in the autumn." Once she affirms or denies, you will know what her sign is.

When you know for sure what her sign is, give a short reading before revealing the correct answer. The time delay created by your intuitive reading, between the moment that yor, sure of her sign and your announcement of it, will increase the impact of your final revelation. "r"

ATTERNATIVE OPENING The opening of this system is very important because it lets you either hone-in on, or discard three signs right from the start. Rather than the "synchronicity ploy," which is designed to be used in the course of a formal performance, a more spur-of-the-moment way to instantly get into the system, is by simply asking immediateiy upon first meeting someon e,"You're not a Gemini, Aries o, Virgo, ,r" you?" As soon as they say yes or no, interrupt them and say "Don't tell me your sign, let me ,""1f L,n get it right... " I have used this method at an opportune moment for a client who I have just met, or immediateiy following a performance if I am surrounded by a small, post-show audience.

25

ZODIATTACK MAP

NO-

Creature

Face7-NO or HESITATIO I

"lt I

Small Creature?

\\

nnsIIA,TIolt lc"pri.or"l

No-springT-YES-@

\No-@

\ fi$- Later haLf of year?,-HESITATIONI I

YE

S-

Summ er Season?

-YE S- [-""*'l

NO-

26

@

SYNTHANAGRAMS Incidentally, once any of these strategies are used, it is not ever to be repeated for the same audrence or persons. So a back-up plan must be rehearsed in case a repeat performance is necessary' Armed with my new Zodiattack tactics, it wasn't that hard to realize from there that it is possible to apply the progressive anagram system in conjunction with the branching iconographic concepts for the pufpose of performing the same effect more than once for the same audience. Using the Signagram merhod with one spectator, and then Zodiattack with a different spectator, could be an interesting combination with each method strengthening the deceptiveness of the other. Also, one could cleverly combine the techniques to repeat the effect a third time for the same audience without resorting to the exact same formula. Once I realized this, an entirely new architecture was born, designed by applying the strongest tactics and from both systems and synthesizing them into a completely new efficient strategy. Upon this discovery, an interesting advantage came to light. Imagine this: after cailing out just a couple of letters, it's possible to say, "Okay, let's switch gears. I want you to visualize your sign rather thalt worry about letter correlations. Can you do that?" What happens here, usually after your first "miss", is that you are suggesting to try again using what appears to them to be a different "visualization technique." This justifies your miss, and also functions as a perceptual "reset button." Now, as you move inio a more authentic appearing form of mind-reading (based on images), you are already significantly ahead in a sysrem in which it appears you have just entered. For most audience members, the letters and images are completely unrelated concepts. As deceptive as all of these systems are, one may be tempted to combine all of them in one show. I would not recommend this. It is generaiiy prudent to save one or two techniques fot after your program, in case someone takes you to task under more challenging, informal settings. In these such inrt".r."r, the use of alternative techniques can save your reputation. That being said' I try not to exhaust ail of my systems for one audience, either during or after the show. I prefer to keep some of the systems stored away only to use for my most challenging audiences. If the job is already done, there is no need to pull out more tools. However, with the next three systems presented, you will find yourself more than equipped for any situation.

27

SYNTHANAGRAM

I

Here's a straightforward approach to combining methods. Start by asking if the spectator's sign has the letter "R" in the spelling of the word. If not, the sitter is a Pisces, a Gemini, or a Leo. Say, "It's not a human face, is it?" If they respond affirmatively, they are thinking of Gemini. If they negate a human face say, "You were born in the warmer months." If he or she agrees, it identifies Leo, if they hesitate again they are thinking of Pisces" Notice that by combining the strategies, you are also suddenly given much freedom to easily break free from the specificity of having to anticipate what letters appear within the speliing of their sign after a certain point. This also will give you the excuse, after your first 'negative affirmation' to switch gears and move into what will feel like a more intuitive system. Should the spectator then confirm that there is an "R" in the spelling of their zodiac sign, ask if there is an "I" in the spelling. If they say no they are either thinking of Taurus or Cancer. Go straight to "warmer months" statement and get another affirmation (they are both in the warmer months), then take a stab at either spring or summer. Since Taurus is in the spring and Cancer is in the summer, the sitter's response will immediately identify their sign. Once again, as you can see, you break free from the letter-calling immediately after your first no-response.

The act of calling out letters is actually used for a greater reason than simply mixing up systems of anticipation to create more combinations. In my experience, dne Zodiatack method can feel fraught with with harder*to-interpret subtleties that can be easily made more in-control by using an anagram pumping strategy. For instance, in this case, we will use the branching anagram to create a differentiation between the signs Taurus and Aries, since both are four-legged horned creatures found next to each other in the season of spring. When the spectator confirms that there is both an "R and an "I" in the spelling of their sign, however, they have separated Taurus from Aries, and eliminated five signs (Pisces, Gemini, Leo, Cancer, and Taurus) without giving a single "no-response." Once the letters "R" and "I" are affirmed, act like you are having trouble with the cumbersome nature of spelling the words out in your mind. S"y, "Concentrate on the image of your sign floating in front of you. See it staring you in the face. Ah, I see a face n6q1-i1's not a human face is it?" If the spectator says it is a human face, continue by saying, "You were born near the end of the year." As per the details in the "Human Faces" section above, their reaction tells you whether they are a Sagittarius (end of the year), Virgo (8'h and 9'h month of the year), or Aquarius (beginning of the year). If you say that you sense they were born in the later part of the year, there is a two out of three chance that you are correct. If they affirm that statement, then you can go one step further by taking 29

a stab and say, "in fact, quite close to the end of the year." By their reaction, this statement determine whether they are a Virgo or a Sagittarius.

will

Should the spectator tell you that it is nor a human face, continue by saying, "And it's not the face of a creature...hmm... concentrate on it's size... the size of whatever image represents your sign... wait, is it a creature?" This statement causes a bit of confusion, but by saying this, they must react, and how they do so wili determine your response to them. If they tell you it is nora creature, they are a Libra, and you can follow-up by saying, "No, the image you're thinking of really has no identifiable size. In fact, it could be either large or smaLl, depending on how you hook at it." If they affirm that it is a creature, follow-up with "... a large creature." Similar to the procedure in the "Size Matters" section on page 24, you can determine whether they are a Capricorn (the goat), a Scorpio (the scorpion), or an Aries (the ram) with this one statement. By using this approach, the process of initially seeing the letters within the word becomes not only streamlined, but also somewhat justified. By reworking the past branching anagram systems with this partially intuitive system, we come ever closer to the mysterious world of true mind reading!

Of course, should the above paragraph description feel too risky to the novice practitioner, by simply calling out one more letter-the letter