Contributors are: Fred Crouter, Chris Handa, Sheila Lyon, Raven, Tony Razzano, Brother Shadow, Mark Sherman, Dr. T, William Thomas, and Philemon Vanderbeck.
Gene Poinc, author of "The Practitioner: Journeys into Grey" writes:
No, not the name of an alien creature from another world, but a kind of arcane world is involved and comprehensively illuminated. The initial inclination of most magicians will be to sneer when I explain the OORT acronym: On Oracular Reading Techniques...which sounds much better than the onus heavy "Fortune Telling". Sneer away...if you don't want your palm crossed with more silver than you earn with wrinkled silks from gaudy boxes and making balloon animals.
Another dimension has evolved in entertainment magic, or at least the potential for it, since the dawning of Aquarius and New Age thinking. Call it what you like: spirituality, mysticism, the psyche's need to believe there is something more to Life than today's mundane responsibilities and attendant stresses -- and that there are knowing individuals who can home in on that desired something. Ones who on a clear or cloudy day can interpret, can possibly see forever. The Readers of palms, cards ordinary and Tarots exotic, of runes and tea leaves and the psychology of recognizing subtle yearnings unexpressed. OORT guides.First -- what OORT is not. It is not a primer for shabby storefront psychic scams full of trickeries of the trade for fleecing the gullible, for exploiting the miseries of the human condition. It's the antithesis of the con.
OORT is a collection of comprehensive essays on the psychology, philosophy, methodologies of Cold Reading. They are written by intelligent, honest, insightful professional Readers some of whom I know personally and respect. Whether you believe it's all simply acutely perceptive psychology, or that it's in the cards or palms or tea leaves is beside the point. The validity of OORT is in the wealth of information and perspectives it provides should you care to expand your entertainment services to capitalize on the steadily growing fascination with the paranormal.
Capitalize is not a dirty word. One provides the market with what the market wants, as long as it's done honestly, without ruthless exploitation. How many times have you been asked whether as a magician you also 'told fortunes' Consider the advantages of simply working a party with no more than a deck of Tarot cards and Knowledge, rather than hauling around a car load of equipment. People are never bored hearing about themselves, but they are frequently bored by magic. Tar and feather me...they are.
Two essay examples.:
Philemon Vanderbeck describes a discomforting incident when a client asks if her husband is having an affair. How he handles the difficult situation, one that could have disastrous consequences if he answers carelessly, is the epitome of wise professionalism, and more importantly an acute sense of responsibility to do no harm.
Brother Shadow's contribution is a brilliantly original concept of giving a reading in the form of a story, interweaving facts of astute observation with the fiction of the tale. An intriguing meld that becomes applicable to the client's life. Great.
The other essays are equally enriching, and with them anecdotes, quotes from celebrities, biographies of the contributors and lists of books for further reading.
As anything else of value Cold Reading takes serious study, it takes practice. However, for the impatient there is a carnival method of palm reading that is fiendishly clever, something one can understand and do within fifteen minutes of learning the fool-proof method. In fact, one can see clients a year after the first reading, have forgotten all about them and yet always give each of them a reading consistent with the first -- and all different for each. Remarkably effective.
In all -- OORT is an excellent education in the art, techniques and responsibilities of Cold Reading. If you want to expand your professional work horizon, provide for the increasingly popular demand for private and group readings you could not begin with a better foundation than OORT. A valuable addition to the library of the working professional, or the novice.
New Age thinking may well lead to lucrative New Wage earning. Try it.
1st edition 2002; 81 pages.
word count: 27726 which is equivalent to 110 standard pages of text
