DES FLEURS (OF THE FLOWERS) * LEWIS LE VAL
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A B R A V E M O V E
Thank you for purchasing this ebook. I am very aware that the material in this book will only appeal to a specific type of performer, which is exactly why I wanted to share it. If you have made the decision to purchase this, you have obviously thought about it, found a potential place for it in your repertoire and “taken the plunge”. I think there are only two types of people when it comes to this unusual world of purchasing magic or mentalism material. There’s the method hunter, and the effect seeker seeker. The method hunter is more interested in living within the community, and has slightly less interest in performing out in the real world. They are hungry for knowledge of methods (which isn't a bad thing) but expect every method of every effect to be totally new, groundbreaking or completely non-existent in their current library. They feel as though their money is going towards bringing them a new secret, and when a part of that secret is too simple or has been used before, they loose interest or feel “cheated” in some way. The method hunter naturally focuses on the how and not the why of an effect or routine. Then there’s the effect seeker. The effect seeker understands that when it comes to method, simplicity is key. They don’t mind revisiting old or known methods, as long as the effect it is used for is worth revisiting those methods or techniques for, or has some clever, useful or worthy additions, variation or reworking. They feel as though their money is going towards bringing them a new effect, a new performance piece to incorporate into their current, performing repertoire. They are also happy when the method for the effect is one they feel comfortable with using. The effect seeker naturally focuses on the why and not the how of an effect or routine.
Personally, methods don't bother me or particularly interest me. What interests me is the end result, the part that, on a realistic level, actually matters. I am one of those people who can’t help but instantly spot a method. It is pretty easy for me to pinpoint the method to an effect upon first viewing, whether it be live, on tv, online or even in magic trailers. I am not looking for the method, I just happen to recognise what’s happening. I am not bragging here (pretty sure there’s nothing to brag about), I am just simply saying that it is not often something “gets past” me. HOWEVER, when something does get past me,
it is always because of the presentation and not because the method was so good that I couldn't figure it out. Methods sit in plain view until they are masked by presentation. Just think about equivoque for example. When a layperson does a card trick using equivoque, it is always blatantly obvious because they don't know how to present it. However, However, put that th at exact same method in the hands of a mentalist and suddenly, everything is better because they know how to mask the method with the correct presentation. I have watched many episodes of Penn and Teller’s Fool Us, and while all on the show are good performers, their presentations don't always entirely mask or bury their methods. Not that I could do better, I just wish to point out that, to me, all of this is proof that an effect is only as good as its presentation. The method is irrelevant. With this idea that methods are irrelevant, in the past year or so, I began thinking, “If methods are irrelevant, how much of them can I get rid of?” The definition of method is; a particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one. But in magic and mentalism, we define method as; the secret part that makes things work. So what if I could get rid of that secret part that makes things work (or as much of it as possible), and still have my effect? Of course there is
a method in the standard definition of the word, there has to be, but in our definition of the word, maybe there doesn't have to be. I am saying all of this for two reasons. Firstly, anyone reading my material might be interested to know what my current thoughts are regarding mentalism, and secondly, I can reveal the methods in this ebook with just one word, and that word is, OBSERVATION… … Method hunters will be furious.
TAROT DES FLEURS
A completely impromptu, hands off, reading and reveal. After the spectator has shuffled the cards and selected one, not only can you provide a detailed reading, you can also reveal the exact card they're holding. This can be done with tarot cards, photographs, playing cards, business cards, pieces of paper, etc.
Performance “Have you ever seen that game, mostly played by children, c hildren, which involves pulling the petals off of f a flower one by one, saying he/she loves me… she loves loves me not… and the phrase said at the last las t petal is supposed to indicate the truth? This is of French origin, and it originated with tarot t arot cards. People People who did not have tarot cards saw fortune tellers in the street doing something similar and decided to mimic what they saw, with flowers. This became known as Tarot Tarot Des Fleurs, tarot of the flowers. What I would like to try with you is the original tarot reading technique that inspired the flower game, it is one of the oldest and most intuitive tarot reading traditions.” Unprepared and ungimmicked in any way, you hand the 22 major arcana tarot cards to your spectator and ask them to shuffle them/mix them up. Then ask them remove any 8 cards, face down, and give them a further furt her shuffle.
“The 8 cards you have selected are 8 possible answers to a question you have on your mind. In a moment I will show you how to find the t he 1 card that holds the correct answer. answer. So please tell me, what in your life or on your mind requires an answer?”
Your Your spectator tells you the question they are thinking thi nking of (more on this in a moment).
“Ok. Let’s Let ’s find that answer for you. Hold the cards up to your forehead and just ask the t he question in your mind. Now here’s here’s what I would like you to do. Deal one card onto the table, and put the next card to the bottom bott om of the pile. Deal the next card onto the table, t able, and the next to the bottom, and keep doing this until you are left holding just one card. This card will provide your answer. When you find this card, take a look at it and then hold it against your heart. You do not need to show me what it is.” The performer then provides a short reading and answer to the spectator’s question, followed by a revelation of the card.
“There is only one card in the deck that I feel can give you the best answer at this time, and that is the *reveal card*.” card*.”
The bits you need to know. I only use the major arcana for a few reasons. Firstly, these are the cards that make the tarot what it is. Without these 22 cards, you are left with a deck of playing cards. The minor arcana focus on everyday actions and decisions we face, and the major arcana reveal messages about the bigger picture of your life and its long-term direction. Secondly, these cards create a much nicer visual for the spectator. Some of the minor arcana cards, regardless of meaning, can look rather dull in comparison to the major cards. So by using only these, it creates a more aesthetically pleasing image for the spectator during the reading.
The flower game really is of French origin, but it is actually called Effeuiller La Marguerite. It also, as far as I know, has absolutely nothing to do with tarot. Don't worry worry about people trying to google this and not finding anything, not everything is on the internet, and secrets that are widely and easily available are no longer secrets. I chose to relate the flower game to this routine because the dealing process you have the spectator do reminds me of it, so I wrote the script bringing everything together. The handling here, in case you haven't guessed is the classic Down Under Deal , or Down Under Force. Basically, if you take a pile of 8 cards and deal the first card down onto the table, then put the next card under the pile, then the next card down, the next under, down, under, and so on until you have one card left in your hand, the card you are left with was originally on the bottom of the pile. Example to clarify; You You take 8 playing cards face down, bottom card is i s two of hearts. Deal one card down, Then the next one under the pile, Then one down, One under, Down, Under, Down, Under, Repeat until you have one card left in your hand. It will be the two of hearts (original bottom card). So once your spectator has shuffled the cards, selected 8 and then shuffled again, You are ready to ask them what their question is. I
never try to justify why I ask them to take 8 cards specifically, but if they ever ask, I simply say, “In some cultures 8 is a number of discovery.” and leave it at that. It fits nicely with the searching for an answer to a question in the presentation. I used to use impression pads and/or peek devices to secretly learn what my spectator’s question was so I could mysteriously answer it without ever apparently knowing the question. I was convinced this was the best part of a reading, however, over time I realised that this was quite pointless. Your spectator believes you are interpreting the card anyway, and they do not care if you know the question or not, as long as they get their answer from the tarot. It is far more impressive to them if you are able to intuitively interpret a card that you haven't even seen, and give them an answer in that way. In their eyes, if you were somehow able to know or sense what card they have, they will have the same belief in the answer/interpretation you give them. It is a much better and clearer display of ability. If you wanted to, you could swap the reading and the reveal around. So before the reading, you intuitively connect with your spectator to reveal the card they are holding, and once this connection has been made and the card has been revealed, you can both look at the card as you provide the interpretation and reading. Revealing the card first can act as a short but sweet convincer of your abilities right before the reading. In most mentalism routines, the spectators are asked to keep all information a secret so that we can read their minds (or whatever) and reveal it. So as long as your performance doesn't lead your spectator to believe that they need to keep everything a secret, they will have no problem sharing their question with you.
Here is a good line you can use if your spectator doesn’t want to tell you anything. Simply take out the death card and say, “Your question provides context for the reading, and I will use that to t o provide you with the correct interpretation of the cards. For example, this card could represent a new beginning… Or an unexpected death… Depending on the context of the question. Anything you tell me is kept completely confidential, and I only use what you tell me to make sure that you get the clearest and most accurate message from the cards.” Of course you will never let the death card represent death, and should it come up during the reading, allow it to take on a positive meaning. In the rare event that your spectator’s question does involve death, maybe that of a friend or loved one, allow the card to symbolise the end of grieving, and not the end of the person’s life. If the question is regarding their health and the death card comes up, allow it to symbolise the end of fear, and the start of a new, positive outlook. If you don't feel comfortable using the death card, choose another. You simply need to mention and exaggerate two possible, opposing meanings for the same card. Once your spectator understands that, without context, the reading can go in a completely wrong direction, they will be very quick to tell you their question. Now for the best part, you need to peek that bottom card once the spectator has shuffled the 8 cards. Another great thing about tarot cards is their size. As they are quite a bit bigger than poker size playing cards, they're more difficult to shuffle, meaning your spectator will probably unknowingly flash that bottom card during their shuffle or squaring up of the cards. If you are familiar with the major arcana cards in the deck you have, sometimes even just the tiniest glimpse of the artwork is enough to let you know what the card is.
If the card does not flash, simply ask your spectator to hold the cards up to their forehead as they ask the question in their mind. This of course will give you the biggest, clearest peek ever at the bottom card. If you don't behave like you are up to something, they won’t think you are. Just act casual and don't stare at the card. Sometimes, the very second I see the card, I close my eyes and take some deep breaths, just to subtly show that I am not looking for anything. Don’t treat this like a trick and it won’t feel like one. I also like to avoid recapping. Usually in a mentalism effect, we recap all of the things we want our spectators to remember, right before the reveal, but in routines like this I try to avoid using any language patterns that I would use in any other magic or mentalism routine. The less your spectators have to relate this to trickery, the more real it feels. Once you know what the bottom card is, you have everything you need to do your reading. All that is left to do is have the spectator do the dealing process which will leave them holding the card you just peeked. I never tell my spectator not to show me the card, I simply hold my hand up and say, “Take a look at the card, you don't have to show it to me, just have a look then hold it against your heart/chest/ flat on the table” as I turn my head away slightly. So I haven't told them not to show me, I simply said they don't have to. From here, in the form of a reading, you can answer your spectator’s question by interpreting the card they are holding. If you are not familiar with the meanings of the tarot cards (if you use tarot, you should be familiar with the basic meanings) you could use my Metaphysical Alphabet from this book, or any other reading system you use and are familiar with. If you do not know how to answer questions from spectators/audience members in the form of a reading/performance, then you may not be ready for this routine.
Entire books have been written on question answering techniques by many well known and respected creators and performers, and their works are easy to find in magic stores, online stores and libraries.
Alternative Peek / Handling After the spectator has done the first shuffle (with the 22 cards) you can ask them to turn the cards face up and spread through them. This will give you a chance to see the TOP card, so not the card immediately on the face, but the card which sits at the top position when the cards are face down. You can say, “By mixing the cards up, it was you who put each eac h and every card exactly where it is now, and if you believe in fate then every card is now exactly where it has to be for this to t o work for you and provide you you with the right message or answer.” You You now ask your spectator to turn the t he cards face down and begin the dealing process (one card down, one card under, repeat) until there are 8 cards on the table. The remaining cards in their hand are put to one side, they immediately pick up the 8 cards from the table and begin the dealing process again until they are left holding one card. This will be the card that you peeked earlier. To clarify: You You peek the top card e.g. The Moon. Spectator deals this card down first onto the table. Through the process, another 7 cards are dealt on top of this card. This leaves the peeked card at the bottom of the 8 card pile, ready to begin the next dealing process. Personally I prefer not to use this variation as I believe it makes the routine a little too “process heavy”, and I much prefer to let my
spectator freely choose the eight cards. If you do decide to use this version, during the dealing process it is good to point out the connection between this and the flower game as mentioned in the intro. The use of the dealing process is also justified by the line about fate, leaving the spectator to believe that by shuffling the cards, they have caused them to land in the order they need to be in to answer their question, and the dealing process is what is used to supposedly “bring out” the card required to provide the answer.
Order and Chaos Reading You You can also use this routine to t o provide a full, longer reading. “Out of chaos, we create order, and from order, we receive answers.” Chaos being the shuffling process, and order created by the dealing process. A random action followed by a structure. The above line also kind of acts as a mysterious metaphor to explain divination. You are taking the unknown and guiding it through the known to reveal truths. So to turn this into a full reading, do the routine as normal, but before you begin to answer the spectator’s question, use the 7 cards remaining on the table to do a reading with. Lay the cards out, face up in two rows of four, with the spectator’s card being the last one, unseen by either of you, still face down. From here you can begin to read the cards like a comic strip, combining images to provide a reading. Let your reading revolve around the spectator’s question and relate the symbolism in the cards to it and begin to provide a possible answer. Talk about the spectator’s card as if it’s already face up (without saying what it is). Then when you reveal it, it doesn't look like just a random card at the end that wasn't included, and as you’ve talked about the image and symbolism during the reading, when you “intuitively” reveal it, your spectator will feel it too, as they will have a
subconscious sense of familiarity with the card due to what you said in the reading. If asked, you can say this final card represents the solution, the conclusion. This not only makes good use of the remainder of the 8 cards that the spectator selected, but also brings the reading to a nice, clear ending with the reveal of the final card. One of the biggest problems I had with tarot readings before I started doing this, was knowing how much time to spend on the reading or how long I should talk for, and what I should actually say to bring the reading to an end. Of course you do not need to use tarot cards to do this routine. With a little thought, the tarot cards could be replaced with playing cards, business cards, photographs, jumbo cards, ESP cards, or anything of the sort.
Personal Remember to put your own personal touches on the routine or reading. What follows is a story I sometimes tell before going in to this routine. It is based on a true event which of course I have exaggerated and altered to suit the theme of the presentation. Feel free to use this, but I promise it will be even better if you can use something from your own life and imagination. “I remember when I was 5 or 6 years old, running around the playground at school. This little, annoying French girl called Mila would chase me around, draw pictures of me, getting on my nerves. Of course, I was too young to understand what was actually happening. I remember one day she approached me holding a flower. Already embarrassed at the thought of receiving a flower from a girl in front of my friends, I got ready to walk away. Before I could leave, she said loudly, “Look! You You will love me”. Confused, I stood
and watched as she pulled the t he petals from the flower, flower, one by one whilst mumbling something in french. As she reached the last petal she looked at me with the biggest smile, and it was in that moment I realised I had the biggest crush ever on this girl! Now even though I was so young at the time, it was my first ever encounter with fortune for tune telling. It was this that t hat sparked my interest in all that I do today. t oday. I am so thankful for the path this put me on, and for that reason of course I love her, her, just in i n a different dif ferent way than she had hoped. But who’d have thought that such a small experience could be so life changing. 20 years later and I’m still feeling the effects of that experience, it just goes to show how powerful a small but beautiful moment shared with another person can be.” This story does a few things: - It is engaging, engaging, which captures captures the full attention attention of the spectator spectator.. - It provides provides reason reason as to why you would would choose this style of reading. reading. - It shows shows that you have have been doing doing this for a long time. - It shows shows that what you're you're about about to do can have long long lasting lasting effects. - It demonstrates demonstrates that the message message given given by the reader reader may be understood or experienced differently by the receiver. - It shows shows that this reading is a moment moment to be shared shared between between you you and the spectator, rather than them just watching you do something.
Now I know that the Down Under Force could be argued as an actual method (secret part), but think about it; if you don't peek that bottom card, then all you are left with is an actual tarot reading. The dealing process remains the same and achieves the same thing whether you decide to peek the bottom card or not. By simply looking in the right place at the right time, you gain a small piece of information with a huge advantage. That’s all it takes. This minimalistic method leaves nothing to find, and the presentation leaves nothing to suspect.
DEALING WITH GHOSTS
There isn't much for me to say here, as everything you need to know is explained above. This is simply a presentational idea that you could use, if you want to. I wont get in to morals or ethics here, you know what you're doing, and you can decide for yourself if you will use this or not. You You explain that you will attempt to t o make contact with spirits. spir its. In order to do this mini seance, a process is required to call the spirits forwards and allow one of them to communicate with you. Take out five business cards and a pen. Ask for someone to call out the name of a person who is no longer living, and write this name on the first business card. Place this card face down on the table, and on the next card, write another name called out. Place this card face down on top of the first, and continue in this manner until you have a different name on the back of each card, all of which are now face down in a pile on the table. Select a spectator to be the one who will call the spirits forwards. You could do this in a theatrical way (roll of a die, swing of a pendulum) or just pick someone who you feel has the strongest energy. Slide the stack of cards towards them and ask them to pick them up. explain that this short process will allow a spirit to step “into the spotlight”. Now because there are five cards instead of eight, after the Down Under Deal, the card they end up holding will be the 4th name that was called.
***to clarify*** Five cards are face down in a pile like so: Card 5 = last name called Card 4 = 4th name called Card 3 = 3rd name called Card 2 = 2nd name called Card 1 = first name called The cards are picked up, and then dealt; down, under, down, under until one card remains in the hand. This will be the 4th card and name. So all you have to do is remember what the 4th name was, and this will be the spirit you make contact with. With spirit communication or clairvoyance, the most convincing part, and the most difficult part to get right, is the name. This allows you to begin with the name, getting you off to a fantastic start, and you can continue from there. So after the dealing process and one card remains in the spectator’s hand, ask them to keep it face down and hold your hand above it as though you are sensing something, or making contact. You You are in a great position here. You know know what the name is and you know who called this name out. So instead of just revealing the name, you could close your eyes and say something along the lines of, “There is a male energy who stepped into our spotlight here, who wishes to connect with the lady in the blue dress, and introduces himself as Eric. Please hand the card to the lady there just check… Is it Eric?” Of course it will be. At this point you can begin to use my Metaphysical Alphabet from this ebook, or any other reading system, to provide a reading about the
dead person, using the letters from their name, or just use your intuition. The moment your reading begins to lose momentum, simply explain that your connection is fading, but the spirit will leave your spectator with wave of warmth, love and light. Tread carefully with this routine, have empathy and be genuinely caring and comforting. If you can’t do that, don't do this. Now that I have written the above, I feel as though I have to say this. Personally when I perform any sort of spirit communication, I don't pretend that I am directly communicating with a dead person, as if I have them on other end of a psychic phone call. Instead, I connect with the spirit of them, the part that lives inside of the living person thinking about them. I interact, with care, with their thoughts and memories of this person. I’m not calling them back from the other side, I’m calling them to the front of my spectator’s mind. We don’t think of, or talk about our dead loves ones as much as we could or should. The reading allows me to say a few nice things about the person, which will resonate with the spectator’s thoughts and memories of this person. This might invoke stories or memories that your spectator wishes to share with you. Allow them to. Don’t stand there and pretend that you’ve opened up a line of communication that nobody else will have access to and once that line is closed, it wont open again. This is what will upset people, and it is no longer entertaining or enjoyable. Just behave as though you would like someone who performed this on you to behave, and you won’t go wrong.
If you don't want to use names from audience members, have your own stack of cards that contain the names of your spirit guides (or whatever) and instead of tarot cards, use these to call a spirit forwards who will answer your spectator’s question (just as you would in the tarot routine outlined earlier).
METAPHYSICAL ALPHABET
My take on an established principle. A simple system of mental cues. Providing engaging and unique content for a reading has never been easier. I assume that you are familiar with Ken De Courcy’s Systematic Seer, and Richard Webster’s brilliant Psychometry from A - Z. What follows is my system inspired by these works. It is not a replacement for the aforementioned systems, rather a variation to compliment them and be used alongside them. Luke Jermay, Jerome Finley, Neal Scryer (and many others, I’m sure) also have fantastic variations of this system and I recommend them all. When I provide readings, I use as much of my intuition as I can. The content for my readings comes directly from what I feel I should be saying to each person I work with. This is something that comes naturally over time, after doing numerous readings and working with various systems. You begin to let go more and more of systems syst ems as your intuition and reading abilities strengthen. However, sometimes I just need an extra push if my reading begins to run dry, or for whatever reason my content isn’t flowing as well as I’d like. That is when I fall back on the Metaphysical Alphabet.
The System To use the Metaphysical Alphabet, you simply take the first three letters of your spectator’s name (as in Webster and De Courcy’s work) and each of those letters will give gi ve you a keyword keyword from the list below. below. Then all you need to do is simply explain how your spectator is
like the item from the list. Describe the characteristics, good and bad, of the item from the list, as if they are the characteristics of your spectator. For example: My spectator’s name is MIKE. I take the first three letters of his name and I get M, I, K. From the list below, this would give me Magnet, Intuition, Kaleidoscope. I can now begin to describe the characteristics of those three things as if they are the characteristics of the spectator, and it will become a reading!
“You “You have an ability to attract the things t hings you need into your life. Once you set your mind to a specific thing, in some way it seems to gravitate towards you. However However,, I feel that you sometimes find yourself stuck in certain situations that you cannot get out of, and it is only through the help of those close to you that you are able to find your way back to the path you wish to be on.” - Magnet “Those close to you will often say that you are the person they come to for advice. They feel that you are always able to understand underst and their problems or concerns, and even if you do not have a practical solution for their problems, most of the time they just feel f eel better about things after speaking with you.” - Intuition “There are some things in i n your life that you feel need to change. You You will only be able to make these changes by shifting your perspective, and looking at things from a different angle or point of view. You You sometimes have tunnel vision which stops you from seeing what may be happening around you, you, but this is ok. Staying focussed on your goals is always a good thing, just remember to take the time to t o see things from all angles before moving forwards. for wards.”” - Kaleidoscope
It is also good to have a direction for each keyword to give the reading a bit of a structure. So for the first letter/keyword I talk about the person them-self, as if describing a particular aspect of their personality. For the second letter I talk about how other people see them or feel about them. For the third letter I give them some advice for the future. So it’s not a prediction about the future, it is a small piece of advice that I feel they could take. If there is one thing I’ve noticed more than anything else when doing readings, it is that people need something to take away from the reading. It is not enough for them to just listen to and be impressed by the reading. The advice is always the “money’s worth” part of the reading (even if your reading is free, they have still paid with their time and attention). Also, if your spectator follows your advice into the future, it becomes the future. It is a much more powerful way of speaking about the future than trying to make predictions and saying sa ying whatever you want and thinking it wont matter. The above example briefly shows the use of the keywords and the structure (personality, perception of others, future advice) of a reading with the Metaphysical Alphabet. Of course the readings can be much longer, and the above example only scratches the surface, but no matter how long or how detailed you choose to make your readings, just remember to describe the positive and negative traits of each keyword. Readings should be a balance of positive and negative because our lives are a balance of positive and negative. Nobody’s life is all positive or all negative, we have to deal with both whether we want to or not. It is very easy to slip into the habit of only saying positive things because we wish to keep the spectator happy and smiling, but to them, it will not feel right. It will feel like you are just
trying to flatter them, and suddenly the reading falls apart. Don't forget to mention the negatives. Don’t upset your spectator or bring them down in any way, just describe the negative traits of the keyword and you will not do any harm, and your reading will feel a lot more realistic. It’s a bit like this. Let’s say I am talking to a single female friend about a single male friend I wish to introduce her to. In describing him, if I only say good, positive things, she will begin to wonder what’s wrong with him. She will become sceptical about what I am saying. However, if I give a balanced description, it feels more genuine. Notice how I use the word “negative”, and not no t the word “bad”. You are not saying bad things about the person in the reading, you are simply including the negative traits to give a balanced reading that doesn't just sound like pure flattery. Regarding the advice you give, I feel this goes without saying, however, I still feel that I should mention it. Never give any legal, medical, marital or financial advice. Neither should you give them any potentially life changing decisions to make. Your advice should be more along the lines of positive, motivational guidance for them to carry into the near future. A positive outlook or a fresh perspective of their current situation should be enough, just give them something nice and helpful to think about, that will not have any drastic effects on how they live their life. When giving your advice, try to avoid any direct commands, such as, “You “You need to do this..” or “You “You should be doing this…” Nobody likes being told what to do in this way, especially from a complete stranger. Who are you to tell them what they should be doing or need to do?
Instead, deliver your advice as though they are just suggestions, and not directions. Consider this brilliant child psychology tip: If you tell a child “no”, they don't want to accept it. If you tell them not to do something, they will want to do it. If you tell them they can’t have something, they may kick kic k and scream and cr y. However, However, if you say “yes, but…” the child will feel like the decision is theirs to make, but they will make it wisely after considering the consequences. You see, they may not even really want the thing, they just want the independence to make the decision themselves. As we get older, this doesn't go away. away. For example: A child wants to run out and play near a busy road. If you say no, you can’t do that, it’s dangerous, etc. You will get the expected tantrum from them because you have taken their freedom away. However, if you say, “Yes you can, but if you play by the road, a car
might hit you and you will have to go to hospital, and that t hat won’t be fun.” Then offer an alternative, “Why don't you play here instead?” Now the child is more likely to take the second suggestion after considering the consequences of playing in the road. It doesn't matter if you have to exaggerate the consequence, (usually the younger they are, the more exaggerated it needs to be for it to make sense to them) it is just a more effective approach than just saying no. Child: “I wanna draw on the t he wall!” Response: “You can if you want, but if you do it will ruin the house
and you won’t be able to live here with us anymore.”
Child: “I want all this candy now” Response: “You can eat it all, but if you do it will make you sick and
you won’t be able to go and visit your friends later. Why don't you just have a little?”
The older we get, the less exaggeration we need as our understanding of the world is much greater, and our common sense is much more developed. Friend: “I really want this new car. car. Should I buy it?” Response: “Yes of course, but is the timing right?” As you can see, this is the same technique as above, but without the exaggeration as it is not being said to a child.
When people ask us things, most of the time they're not really seeking an actual answer, they’re looking for us to validate the answer they have already made for themselves, and when our answer opposes theirs, it creates conflict. In the above example, obviously the person wants the car. So even if we know they can’t yet afford it (or any other reason why they shouldn't buy it), if we say no, what good can that possibly do? You can argue against facts, but it is a lot more difficult to argue against emotions. So instead, agree and empathise with the person and their emotions, then ask a question that will make them examine the facts, which will make them re-evaluate their decision. You're not looking to
change their mind, you’re answering their question in the most helpful way. So, back to what I was originally saying before I took you on a word safari, not only can this technique be used to answer questions, it can also be used to present the advice you give during readings. Rather than telling them what to to do, tell them what will happen if they they do. E.g. If you want to say, “You “You need to t o change your perspective.” Reword that as, “If you change your perspective… *insert what will happen*.” I think you get the idea.
What follows is the list of words I use for the Metaphysical Alphabet, along with the definition of each one. I have a little exercise for you to do. Read through the words and rather than trying to memorise each one, spend a few moments and make a mental list of three positive traits and three negative traits for each. Not only will this help you to remember the words, it will also help to condition your mind for picking words apart to use in readings. For example, the first word on the list is Abstract. Spend a few moments and think of three positive traits of an Abstract, and three negative traits. Now think about how you could voice these traits to sound like you are describing a person. It might seem slightly difficult at first, but this technique is only a tiny (mental) muscle, and with a bit of work it will become very strong, very quickly.
If, during a reading you forget what word to use for a particular letter, just allow your intuition to provide you with a new word beginning with that letter instead. This is why it is good to be able to quickly, mentally pick words apart, rather than just trying to memorise a load of traits to go with a load of words.
Abstract Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence. Relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours, and textures.
Bohemian A socially unconventional person, especially one who is involved in the arts. A person who is interested in art, music, and/or literature, and lives in a very informal way, ignoring the usually accepted ways of behaving.
Creator A person or thing that brings something into existence. Someone with the creative capacity to invent things, objects, ideas, concepts. They start from a beginning rather than adopting a current idea, method or course of action.
Daredevil A reckless person who enjoys doing dangerous things. Reckless and daring.
Esoteric Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialised knowledge or interest.
Fox A carnivorous mammal of the dog family with a pointed muzzle and bushy tail, proverbial for its cunning. A cunning, crafty or sly person. Baffle or deceive (someone).
Gypsy A member of a travelling people traditionally living by itinerant trade and fortune telling. A nomadic or free-spirited person.
Hero A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
Intuitive Using or based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning; instinctive.
Jigsaw A puzzle consisting of a picture printed on cardboard or wood and cut into various pieces of different shapes that have to be fitted together.
Kaleidoscope A toy consisting of a tube containing mirrors and pieces of coloured glass or paper, whose reflections produce changing patterns when the tube is rotated. A constantly changing pattern or sequence of elements.
Lantern A lamp with a transparent case protecting the flame, and typically having a handle by which it may be carried or hung. Illuminates direction or path.
Magnet A piece of iron or other material which has its component atoms so ordered that the material exhibits properties of magnetism, such as attracting other iron-containing objects or aligning itself in an external magnetic field. A person or thing that has a powerful attraction.
Nocturnal Of, relating to, or occurring in the night. A nocturnal journey, nocturnal activities. Active at night. A nocturnal predator.
Occult Mystical, supernatural, or magical powers, practices, or phenomena. Involving or relating to mystical, supernatural, or magical powers, practices, or phenomena.
Premonition A strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant.
Quester One who seeks; a seeker.
Reflection The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it. Serious thought or consideration.
Sceptic A person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions. An ancient or modern philosopher who denies the possibility of knowledge, or even rational belief, in some sphere.
Tree Represents life, prosperity, strength, growth, nature, etc.
Urchin Mischievous child, imp, rascal, rogue, minx, mischief-maker, prankster.
Vanilla A tropical climbing orchid which has fragrant flowers and long podlike fruit. Having no special or extra features; ordinary or standard.
Wagon Relating directly to “The Chariot” tarot card. Reaching your goal, winning, being successful, dominating, determination, self-confidence, mastering emotions, showing authority.
Xenoglossy The ability to speak a language that you’ve apparently never learnt. (This is a very interesting one to think about!)
Yout Youthh Relating directly to “The Fool” tarot card. Entering a new phase, expanding horizons, the start of something new, adventure, journey, journey, unknown, acting on impulse.
Zen Japanese school of Mahayana M ahayana Buddhism emphasising the t he value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures. Peace, serenity, inner voice, intuition, seeing hidden talents, opening up to what you could be, seeking the hidden and unknown.
END
I hope you enjoyed this ebook and the material. Use it wisely and use it well. If you like this extremely minimalistic methodology, please let me know and I will share more… I’ve got fucking loads. Until next time,
Lewis Le Val, 201 2018.
