Honestly Speaking...
If you already have Scott's earlier book Scarpomancy, you're familiar with Scott's ability to take a concept through its paces. With the release of Aura Progressions, Scott starts with a familiar premise ("Which Hand?") and builds it out into a multi-level presentation that is both entertaining and meaningful for participants and audiences alike.
In addition to Scott's creativity, he is also very much a straight shooter when it comes to his likes and dislikes. Here's an excerpt from the book:
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"I'm going to be honest -- I hate 'Which Hand' routines. At best, they're a 50/50 whoop-de-shit, and at worst, it's a completely transparent logic puzzle. No matter which way you slice it, the mentalist is always right, the audience is always wrong, and that's kind of disappointing. That being said, I love 'Which Hand' routines. Completely impromptu, virtually propless, they're the perfect EDC for a Mentalist. I end my Enchantment show with a version of Banachek's "Truth of the Ring" and spend the rest of the time at the festival strolling with the routine this book outlines." |
In just a few words, Scott captures the salient points that have always left me cold (or at least tepid) about many "Which Hand?" presentations. I agree that they are attractive to the performer because of their propless and impromptu nature, but how do they play for the audience? Studies have shown that people are interested mostly in themselves, so while they may be fooled by how the performer is able to correctly guess an unimpressive 50/50 chance, the performance won't hold much personal meaning for them.
Through Scott's expert routining, Aura Progressions successfully addresses the biggest elephant in the room -- why should the participant and audience care about your performance -- and crafts a multi-phase presentation that (1) demonstrates the performer's ability to perceive auras, (2) teaches the audience how to perceive auras, and (3) incorporates a reading that is sure to make the experience memorable for the participant.
One version of the Aura Progressions presentation begins with you demonstrating how you can use aura reading to locate a crystal hidden in one of the participant's hands. In a distinct departure from the standard "Which Hand?" routine, you then teach the participant how to locate the crystal. Following the participant's success, you share an exercise that everyone in the audience can take part in; finally, you don a blindfold and provide a reading while tracing -- without touching -- the participant's aura.
Your Perfect EDC
Much has been written in recent years about the EDC ("Every Day Carry") items a mentalist can carry to be ready to perform at a moment's notice. While some performers approach this idea from a material angle -- i.e., they assemble a collection of secret devices and props -- it seems logical that the perfect EDC is what you carry in your brain.
Skills like mnemonics, flash math principles, an impromptu billet method, contact reading, and a full-featured readings system don't rely on stuff you need to put in your pocket every day or -- heaven forfend -- require a good cell phone signal.
As presented by Scott, Aura Progressions fits easily within the parameters of the conventional EDC concept, with only two small examinable items used, and the routine can conceivably go in the Perfect EDC category if you tailor your presentation to use some other small items that are close at hand.
OJT Contact Reading
As mentioned above, one of the propless skills that belongs in the Perfect EDC is contact reading -- once you learn it, you can use its principles for any number of presentations, ranging from a simple card trick to locating your paycheck ala Kreskin. The outcome every performer dreads is, quite simply, failure.
"What if I pick a participant who isn't a good subject? Worse yet, what if my contact reading skill is unreliable?"
If you've been wanting to add contact reading to your Perfect EDC, Aura Progressions offers you the opportunity to practice (a.k.a. OJT, or "on the job training") a bit of it in a gentle, no-risk way. The successful outcome of Scott's presentation is practically guaranteed, regardless of your contact reading experience, but you'll be practicing the skill as you move toward the guaranteed outcome, so each performance brings you closer to mastering something you'll always have at your command.
One Blindfold To Rule Them All
All right, so that's definitely a bit of hyperbole, especially if you consider that blindfolds can be a very personal thing -- what works for one performer may be completely unsuitable for another. Still, the closest thing to the ultimate blindfold method may very well be based on two criteria: (1) simplicity, and (2) can it fit in your EDC?
Admittedly, the blindfold method shared in Aura Progressions is nothing new and, in fact, has been written about for many decades. On the other hand, the fact that it's been around so long could also be interpreted as a testimonial to its effectiveness, and Scott's use of it in the climax of the presentation provides not only a dramatic flair, but gives you a no-risk opportunity to practice your blindfold skills.
Everything You Need
Aura Progressions is a fully routined presentation that requires no sleights or special angles, and you could conceivably perform this the same day you receive it. Here are some bullet points to consider:
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Scott shares his full script for Aura Progressions, which you can use as is, or as an incubator for your own approach. The routine is certainly flexible enough to support any one of a number of premises -- Millard Longman, who is well-known for his Bitcoin magic, immediately substituted a Bitcoin for the crystal, and you could do something equally fitting for your persona.
The Bundle
If you missed the Pro Shop Insider sale for Scarpomancy when it was originally released, you can still get a deal on it when you order the Aura Progressions/Scarpomancy Bundle. You can find details about Scarpomancy HERE.
To order the "Aura Progressions" digital e-book, simply click on the Add To Cart button below.
Aura Progressions
To order the "Aura Progressions/Scarpomancy Bundle" digital e-books, simply click on the Add To Cart button below.
Aura Progressions/Scarpomancy Bundle
ORDERING INFORMATION & FINE PRINT PLEASE NOTE: All Pro Shop orders are processed the old-fashioned way -- by a real live person -- and typically in the morning, Monday through Friday. If your order is placed Monday through Friday, it will most likely be processed within 24 hours. Orders placed on a weekend will be filled on Monday, unless that's a holiday. 1) To order this package of digital materials, simply click on the "Add To Cart" button for the item you want. |