the

Jafi
Read
BY

ADRIEN LOCHON


—1—
 THE JAFI READ
by Adrien Lochon
Proof-read and Edited by Craig Logan
(with a little help from Warren Thackeray)
First Edition — 2018
Cover art by Mike “Beeple” Winkelmann


—2—
 Contents
FOREWORD............................................................................................... 5

INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................7
OVERVIEW ................................................................................................9

JAFI ...................................................................................................................11

MICRO READINGS ...........................................................................15

FOR THE UNFAITHFUL ............................................................19

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER .............................................23

EXTRA .........................................................................................................27
Heavy ...............................................................................................................28

Memoir ...........................................................................................................32

Unspoken ....................................................................................................36

OUTRO .........................................................................................................39

—3—
—4—
 Foreword
One of Freud’s greatest insights was to discern a fundamental human motivator: fear of
self-knowledge. A long study of extreme neurotics and stark Victorian view of human
nature revealed the subtle neuroticism in how many everyday behaviors flow from
active avoidance of looking within ourselves.

Much later, personality psychologists with a more holistic outlook would name an even
more fundamental motivator: desire for self-knowledge. Far from the contradiction that
it first seems to be, the second motivator likely arises from the first. We want to know
about ourselves, but we fear what we might find.

It is no surprise, then, that the idea of a mindreader is unnerving. If what we might find
within carries such a charge that we often do not even look ourselves, why let anyone
else look? And what of someone who can see inside to a supernormal degree?

But as before, one apparent motivator masks a subtler one: Our desire for our true
selves to be hidden is far surpassed by the desire for our true selves to be seen. And, as
before, it may be that the first is born of the second. We want to be seen, but we are wary of
who we a!ow to see us.

Therein lies a curious paradox for someone who plays the part of a mindreader. Being
able to see into a mind is, in a real sense, a lesser feat than being seen as worthy of the
glimpse.

While this has always been true, never has it been so evident. Today, a trick that looks
as impressive as real mindreading can be learned in ten minutes on YouTube. Plenty of
apps are available to effortlessly fake being able to read minds, and some are beginning
to do it for real. More than ever, what sets a performer apart is not their ability to read
minds, but their ability to make connections, to foster certain feelings, to open unique
doors of experience and imagination.

—5—
Which is why this is such a timely book. Adrien Lochon’s gravity comes not from being
an experienced “reader” or using tricks to outwit his participants, but from genuinely
wanting to share a connection that goes beyond a mere moment of surprise. He is
someone who comes across as worthy of the glimpse.

In THE JAFI READ, Adrien lays out the blueprint for a warm conversation with a dash
of astonishment. It is less an effect or routine than it is a catalyst, that, in the right
hands, can have a stranger feeling seen and understood in a remarkably short time.

On any given day, we are judged, we are analyzed, we are solicited, we are polled and
profiled and pitched. It is an increasingly rare day in which we are seen. To make one
another feel seen is one of the most powerful gifts we have as humans. It is not a party
trick; it is an act of communion, an essential social vitamin that we all need more of and
are all getting less.

And so every day, being able to be seen as worthy of that glimpse is becoming more of a
super power. Performers like Adrien, and books like this one, might just light the way
toward a more exciting and meaningful modern practice of a very old art.

Aaron Alexander
July, 2018


—6—
 Introduction
A few years ago, days after a small parlor gig I did in some hidden basement in Lisbon
to an audience of about 15 people, I saw a lady who attended the show. She was smiling
like a little kid who just opened the present she’d been dreaming about for so long, and
when she recognized me, she hugged me and thanked me for an amazing experience. I
asked her what she thought about the show, now that she had had the time to let it sink
into her mind, and what she said was beautiful. She said on that day, when she got out
of her house, she noticed how the birds were singing, how the wind blew through the
trees, and how the sun was shining on her. The world seemed more “open” and full of
possibilities.

I know that not everyone will feel this way about my show, but I’m still pleased that I
get to occasionally touch someone in such a positive way. This kind of exchange leaves
you thinking, though. What kind of experience do I want to give to the people with
whom I share my magic? I’m not self-delusional to a point where I think I can
systematically and profoundly change people’s lives — although I’m aware that it can
happen every so often — but I believe I can show them the world is a place of magic
and wonder even outside of my influence as a magician.

Magic is everywhere, but we got used to it and ended up discarding it. I think I’ll have
done my job if I can make you change the way you see yourself, others and whatever it
is that connects us all. There’s so much more that brings us together than what pulls us
apart. As a performer, I can highlight those very things and bring something new — or
rather something old that was forgotten — to the table.

The JAFI READ isn’t exactly a breakthrough idea I had once. It’s more like a mindset I
have come to adapt and tweak, little by little. It started as a way to breathe life into a
mechanical star sign reveal (which I call JAFI, hence the JAFI READ). Slowly but surely,
that life I was inflating into it became bigger and bigger, and the star sign became

—7—
smaller and smaller in the context of what I was doing. It’s still there, and it’s a crucial
part of the read, but it’s no longer in the spotlight. It’s there to make a point and to
solidify whatever happens before and after it.

The truth is you probably already know enough star sign reveals. You know how to do it
with and without props in a multitude of different ways, but you’re still looking for the
one that will provide the best experience. Well, to be honest — and being fully aware
that what I say will sound hippie-ish — I think the difference is not in the methods, but
in yourself.

Take a step back and think: why would you even want to reveal someone’s star sign?
What can that do to your participant besides providing them with this moment of
surprise and puzzlement? “Wow, this guy was somehow able to figure out my star sign.”
We can do so much more than that, but we’re still simply focusing on making sure our
audience doesn’t figure us out. Instead, we should be putting all of our attention giving
them an experience they can remember for the right reasons.

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of simply showing off your skills. And you waltz your way
through your show from peek to peek, from force to force. In the end, people are left
to wonder how you were able to know the random country someone carefully wrote “in
big, bold letters” on a piece of paper, only to see you tear it into tiny pieces a second
later. Instead, they should be marvelling at the wonder that was the magical interaction
you both experienced.

So, why would you want to reveal someone’s star sign? You wouldn’t! You might want to
show them that who and what they are goes beyond what they believe, and that
translates into their star sign; maybe your own. You may also want to show them things
aren’t always black and white. The world is full of beautiful and colorful nuances. Some
of them are yet to be explained, and that’s fine! Isn’t it wonderful to realize there’s still
mystery in the world and that it’s ok not to have the answers to everything? Isn’t it
wonderful to be freed from the illusion of control and open your mind and your heart
to the world of possibilities that is our existence?

—8—
 Overview
The JAFI READ is basically a reading wrapped in a star sign reveal, made to appear like a
“magical conversation.” We will follow a sort of roadmap, so we will have some
checkpoints along the way to ensure we have a nice structure with a definite payoff.

I should point out that, although I’ll use the term “reading,” I don’t see this as an actual
reading. A “reading” feels like a unidirectional bridge, and the connection I’m trying to
establish needs to go two ways. There’s this person in front of me and I’m making a
genuine effort to really see them for what they are on the inside, and between this
effort and every person’s desire to be understood, a potentially amazing interaction
happens.

In an overly simplified way, what we’ll be doing is telling them what we see when we
look at them, and in between those moments, ask the questions we need to reveal a
personal piece of information: their star sign. Hopefully, by the time we get there, the
fact that we are able to tell them their star sign will serve mostly to cement whatever
happened up until that point.

We will resort to three tools to pull this off: the first one is JAFI, the mechanical aspect
of the star sign divination. The second will be the oracle we use to give the reading. In
my case, I use a simplified version of Richard Webster’s “Psychometry from A to Z,”
which will be explained in the MICRO READINGS section. The third tool will be the
way we frame this performance. You should find a way to present what you’re doing so
it aligns with what you believe in, and I will discuss a few of my own ideas about that in
the FOR THE UNFAITHFUL section.

All of this is supposed to be very relaxed and conversational, so I don’t rely on a specific
prewritten script. I often take the various different approaches and techniques I’m
about to explain and mix and match them according to the situation. Sometimes I’ll
feel the participant is particularly receptive, so I’ll be confident that I got a correct read

—9—
on a certain tell. Other times, if I feel less confident, I’ll just ask for the information I
need.

That being said, there will be a solid structure to follow along. You will be delivering the
reading and actively engaging with the person with whom you’re sharing this moment
of wonder. Then, at some point, you will stop the reading and do some work for the star
sign reveal, then seamlessly go back to the reading. I call these moments where the
reading and the star sign reveal touch, “contact points.” There will be either one or two
contact points, so think of the structure as:

Reading — Contact Point #1 — Reading — Contact Point #2 — Reading — Reveal…

I hope by this point I was able to convey the mindset behind the performance of this
routine: this won’t be about you or your amazing abilities. This is a way to, by showing
how much more there is to the universe than what we’re used to seeing, connect with
someone on a level that normally doesn’t happen. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to
leave the door open long enough for someone else to also make that connection too.

The fact that you’re using a star sign to reach your goal is more like a side effect than
your main focus. You could do it with a card divination or even with a center tear or a
peek, but the thing about a star sign is as soon as you mention the Zodiac, you
automatically bring a lot of things to the table without having to mention them. And
that’s something you can — and should! — take advantage of.

— 10 —
 Jafi
JAFI probably isn’t the best star sign divination you’ll ever know. It’s not the fastest or
the most deceiving. It should be done in the context of a reading, and it does require
some memorization. Its advantage, though, is it walks the line between deception and
honest interaction. On the one hand, you’ll be doing what you claim to be doing, but on
the other hand, it forces you to engage in a genuine way with the person you’re
performing it to. For that reason, it can create truly amazing moments that are
authentic, deeply personal, and magical all at once.

The way I present JAFI revolves around energies; not in an esoteric way but rather in
the sense I get when I look at someone. This is a result of my own intuition as well as
what the participant is projecting. In other words, the way he interacts with the world
around him. In the end, it’s really up to you to decide on how you want to present this.
It’s supposed to be a very conversational and free-flowing piece, and that won’t happen
if you’re not 100% comfortable with the ideas you’re presenting or your patter doesn’t
align with your internal dialog.

As for the mechanics of the divination, the whole thing relies on a very simple grouping
of the signs, which you should know by heart:

A. Pisces, Aries, Virgo, Libra

B. Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio, Sagittarius
C. Capricorn, Aquarius, Cancer, Leo

We have 3 groups. In Groups A and B, the first two signs fall in the first half of the year,
while the last two fall into the second half of the year. In Group C, the first two signs
are close to the turn of the year and the last two are close to the middle of the year.

The first piece of information we need is the Group. Then, for Groups A and B, we’ll
need to figure out in which half of the year the sign is in. If the sign belongs in Group

— 11 —
C, then we’ll need to know if they were born closer to the middle or closer to the turn
of the year. That’s all we need to narrow our possibilities to 2 signs.

When trying to create a genuine connection with someone, we can’t be caught up in

our own thoughts about the mechanics of the deception we’re trying to weave. So, to
make sure that never happens, I keep in mind I’m doing a reading and a star sign
divination simultaneously. So I have two lanes going side by side, and I’m either on one
or the other. I will spend the majority of time in the reading lane, but I will jump to the
star sign lane exactly twice: I call these two moments the “contact points.”

CONTACT POINT #1

So we start our reading, and at some point, we will go into the first contact point. Here,
we will need to figure out which Group our participant’s star sign is in. To do this, we
will associate Group A with a “warm” energy, Group B with a “fresh” energy, and we will
simply not mention any of the signs in Group C:

“Don’t tell me what it is, but do you know your star sign? Perfect!
Normally Pisces, Aries, Virgo, and Libra have a WARM energy, while
Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio, and Sagittarius have a FRESH energy. I think
I’ve skipped a few signs: did I mention yours?”

So it seems I’m doing my best to name all signs, but I feel I might have forgotten one
or two, which would be a simple mistake to make. If they say they have heard their sign,
it means it’s not in Group C. If they tell me they haven’t heard their sign, I know they
are in Group C, so I know they were either born very close to the turn of the year or
very close to the middle of the year. It’s a matter of reassigning the WARM and
FRESH energies accordingly:

“Ah, sorry. This isn’t an exact science anyway, but the idea is that the
hotter the month the person was born in, the WARMER their energy.”

In any case, they will be thinking of either a WARM or a FRESH energy, so regardless
of what Group their sign is in, I continue with:

“And I am getting a nice WARM energy from you, it that right?”

— 12 —
You could ask this as a closed question, so you would appear right no matter what the
answer, but honestly I usually just go for it. It’s a 50% chance and when you get it right
it’s perfect. When you get it wrong, it’s no big deal: act slightly surprised then explain
why you thought they were a warm energy.

You can also use a two way out. Tell them you had a clear sense of their energy when
you started, but now you’re kind of between two. Ask them if they are a warm (or cold)
energy and, whatever they answer, say “Ok, so my initial feeling was correct.” I have
done this sometimes, but I’ll usually Just Ask For It.

If they are in Group C, the answer to this question will bring you down to 2 possible
signs, and you can proceed to reveal it. If they are in Group A or B, you will be down to
4 signs and you need one more contact point.

CONTACT POINT #2

It’s important not to jump from contact point 1 to contact point 2. Remember there are
two lanes, and we need to go back to the reading lane after each contact point. So after
I’ve got the Group, I go back to the reading. I know the group (which should be A or B,
since Group C doesn’t require me to go into Contact Point #2), so I just need to know
if they were born in the first or second half of the year. I will simply ask them and
slightly reframe what happened:

“You told me you were born in the first half of the year, right? Oh, yeah,
you told me you were a WARM/FRESH energy!”

So you ask if they were born in the first half in a very o(eat manner. They answer, and
you immediately say, “Oh, yeah, I remember now: you told me you were a WARM/
FRESH energy”, which implies that when you listed the signs and whether they were
WARM or FRESH earlier, you separated them into signs from the first half and signs
from the second half.

— 13 —
 REVEAL

Now I have all I need to guess their sign, but I don’t go into the reveal yet. I continue
the reading, and at some point, I even like to turn the reading around and tell them that
this energy I’m getting is very interesting. I say something like “I don't get it often, but
when I do it’s usually from people with a somehow higher intuition.” Then I ask them
about that and let them talk about themselves for a bit.

Whatever they say, go with it and talk to them a little. If they did feel times when they
just had a gut feeling that later proved right, get them to talk about that. If they say
they never felt very intuitive, tell them that it’s because they don’t allow themselves to
think with the heart, and they overthink things. I can’t tell you what to say exactly, as
this bit — and all other bits, really — is supposed to be an authentic conversation: just
be interested and invested in what they have to say.

When I feel the time has come to reveal the sign, I still have two possible signs. The
way to deal with the fact is to say something like:

“It’s funny because I normally don’t attribute that energy to Pisces...

which is what I thought you were when we started, but this energy can
only come from an Aries, right?”

Pause after you say Pisces. If you get a reaction, stop there. If you don’t, continue with
the rest of the line. And that’s it!

There are a myriad of different two-way outs, and I’ve discussed a few of them in the
past. The truth is this is the only way I do it. Sometimes I don’t even bother to make it
look like I nailed the exact sign, and I’ll simply say “Are you Pisces... or Aries?” and let
the participant react. It’s a perfectly fine way to reveal the sign if you don’t want to rely
on cues from the participant. Remember, the whole thing should feel like a “magical
conversation,” so I would advise against a fixed script and suggest you should just
understand the mechanics of what you’re doing and have a genuine conversation with
whomever you’re sharing this.

You’re not relying on reframes, maths, strange processes, carefully worded scripts or
body/eye cues, and you shouldn’t be focused on fooling them: you should focus all your
attention and intent in establishing a connection that will go far beyond the timeframe
in which you’re actually performing for them.

— 14 —
 Micro
Readings
There’s an important aspect in the performance of something like the JAFI READ: you
aren’t supposed to be this all powerful, all knowing being. Instead, you’re sharing some
interesting ideas about the way the world operates and what constitutes a mystery with
your audience. In that sense, you get more room to maneuver around. You can ask
questions, you can explain to them what their answers tell you, you can fail to interpret
them, and when that happens, you can ask them why they think you failed.

When doing these readings, I always use a very simple variation of Ken De Courcy’s
“Systematic Seer” and Richard Webster’s classic “Psychometry from A to Z.” De
Courcy’s system invites you to assign a word to each letter of the alphabet. So A could
mean “Adventure,” B could mean “Breathe”, etc. Then you’d take your sitter’s name and
deliver a reading by going through the letters of their name. Webster took that
approach to the stage. Instead of using the sitter’s name, he would use the letters from
A to Z. One (or more) for each person he read.

Both systems are classics, but personally, having a memorized list of words and readings
associated with each word felt a little bit too much like a canned reading to me. So what
I do is simply think of random words, on the spot, for the first three letters of my
sitter’s name.

Besides the obvious advantage of not having to memorize anything, I feel there’s a bit
more to it. I’m relying on my intuition to come up with words that apply to the person
in front of me. So, if an athletic, confident guy named Adam walked in, I could think of

— 15 —
the word Adventure. But, if a clumsy, introvert fellow named Aaron came to me, I
probably wouldn’t think of Adventure. Instead, I might think of Ambition or Attention.

This feels authentic to me, and you can even share your thought process with the
person you’re reading without losing any of the authenticity. You can tell them “so your
name starts with the letter A, and the word Adventure just popped into my mind. This
tells me that…” and you go into the reading. I don’t always do it this way, but I have
done on occasion. It’s a nice angle to keep in mind for the right situation.

Sometimes a word pops in my mind, and even if I feel it’s not the right word, there’s no
way to get it out. So I just go along with it. In these instances, I would talk about the
lack of whatever that word is. So, in the case of our clumsy friend Aaron, if I thought of
the word “Adventure,” I would talk about the lack of adventure in his life and his desire
for something more.

So, to Aaron, I might use the words Attention, Reason, and Oxygen (I know Aaron
starts with two A’s, but I don’t like to repeat letters, so I skip the second A) and say:

“(Attention) I get a feeling that you’re someone who has this ability to
intensely focus on any given task when you feel passionate about
something. No matter how many distractions come your way, when
you do get in this mindset, there’s no way to make you stray from the
path you chose. The hard part is to actually find something that you’re
that passionate about.

(Still attention, but in a different way) I think that, at times, you feel...
Not invisible, but you feel people around you and people you care about
just don’t see you as who you are and don’t appreciate the small things
you do. And I know one of these times just came to your mind, right? Let
me tell you this: it’s not that these people don’t understand or appreciate
you. But we all get caught up in our own minds sometimes, and we
focus so much on ourselves that the problems and accomplishments of
the ones around us almost pass us by. Forgive them and give them the
opportunity to make it up to you. I feel you have a few very special
friends and they do understand you, even if it doesn’t look like it
sometimes.”

— 16 —
 “(Reason... I’m going to tie Attention with Reason first) What makes you
feel this more than they do is you have a hard time thinking with your
heart and get caught up thinking with your head. Don’t get me wrong:
you do have this dreamy, idealistic, almost romantic side, but it’s almost
always muted by your analytical side: you can’t stop weighing the pros
and cons, and truth be told, when the time comes you’re the one that
keeps his cool and can really focus on finding a rational solution. That’s
probably why your friends come to you when they are in need. This is
both a blessing and a curse, and I think you understand this feeling, am
I right?”

“(Oxygen) So, if I could offer you one piece of advice, it would be that,
from time to time, it’s better to take a step back sometimes and take a
few deep breaths. Make room for yourself in your life. Make room for
the things you love. You tend to jump from problem to problem, from
point A to point B in a very methodical way, but you forget to take some
time for yourself in the meantime. I think you understand what I’m
saying, don’t you?”

I tried to write what I would really say — although I’ve never done a reading in English
— so I just wrote and didn’t change anything. Plus, I can’t see the reaction while I’m
talking, so I can’t adapt and ask questions, which are a fundamental part of this
interaction. You have to make them work for it too: you are building something
together, so you can’t be doing all the talking while they agree or disagree. Explain what
you see or feel and ask them why they think you would feel that way. If they half answer,
ask them to expand on their thought.

Going back to the example reading, after I’m done with the first letter/word, I would
try not ask them if what I said makes sense — the point is not that it makes sense or
not, it’s about finding the sense in whatever I see — but I’d tell them I’m sure they
remember a time when they felt like that or they remembered a friend who makes them
feel that way, etc, and I would try to push them to speak about that. So, again, the point
is to have a conversation and not to do a demonstration.

Be honest about what you feel and try to make them connect whatever dots you’re
throwing at them. The fact that you’re not using canned readings or any other kind of
trickery to increase your hits will help make this a genuine moment of connection
between them and you.

— 17 —
Truth be told, when you do this long enough, you start to build up your own bank of
words and ideas associated with those words. I might not have sat down and
memorized anything, but nowadays I rarely come up with another word besides
Attention, Adventure, or Ambition when I get an A. And for each of those words I do
have a set of ideas I almost always talk about. But that’s the thing: there are no magic
bullets when it comes to readings. You just have to do them long enough to develop
your own language and your own ideas. Trust your empathy and draw from your own
life story to deliver a narrative that will connect with the person you’re talking to.

In the context of the JAFI READ, I use this sort of system by starting with a reading
based on the first letter, then going into Contact Point #1. I then go into the second
letter and Contact Point #2. Next, as mentioned, I turn the reading around and have
them talk about their intuition and, finally, I reveal their sign.

I like to keep the third letter for after the sign reveal, where I can simply tell them “For
some reason, while I was trying to connect with you I kept seeing the image of a
waterfall (or whatever word starts with the third letter of their name). Do you have any
idea why I would associate that with you?” Let them try to figure out why this image
would relate to them. If nothing happens, I expand on the meaning of a waterfall. I
could say “Well, to me a waterfall means contact with nature, means flowing and
adapting to change. Does that make sense?” and go from here.

Continuing the conversation after the sign reveal is important. If you stop at the reveal,
the whole thing might feel like a setup for that moment. By continuing, you imply this
wasn’t your goal; it was a byproduct of the connection you’re creating and you’re more
interested in that connection than in showing them magic tricks.

Quick note. This is also a great moment to set up a name reveal: after the third letter,
I like to say “I also saw a boy or a man, someone that felt important to you. His
presence made me feel comfortable. I can’t really hear the name yet, but it feels short
and familiar. Don’t tell me who this is, but do you know who I’m talking about?” This
way, I’m forcing them to think of a simple male name in a very natural way, and I’m
ready to go into my version of Fraser’s “Rose” or, with a slight change of script, his
gypsy name guess. Both of these effects are explained in detail in the “Book of Angels.”

— 18 —
 For the
Unfaithful
Since what we’re trying to accomplish is a connection that happens not only on an
emotional level but also on an intellectual level, we must make sure our internal and
external dialogue have something for the participant to hold on to. It’s really hard for
someone to pay attention and invest in whatever you’re speaking about if they feel what
you believe is completely unaligned with their own beliefs. So it’s important to start by
addressing this before you even begin. And remember that our goal is to slightly nudge
their perception of the world, so this applies regardless of whether they believe in an
oracle or not. Don’t make the mistake of going along with whatever your audience
believes in: that will only make them go deeper into their comfort zone. Make a
conscious effort to go the opposite route of whatever would be the easiest way. This will
result in a much richer experience for your audiences.

That being said, obviously don’t assume the “you’re wrong” attitude. First, acknowledge
their point of view, agree with them, and tell them you have a slightly different take on
it. Then explain your own point of view.

BIRTHDAYS

As for my own beliefs, let me give you some food for thought: my birthday is in March.
This isn’t a particularly eventful month: it’s not too cold anymore and not really warm
yet, it’s usually rainy, and when I was growing up, it was almost always a school day. I
would get up a little earlier than usual, and my parents would prepare a slightly better

— 19 —
breakfast than usual, we would sing a very sleepy version of “Happy Birthday,” and I’d
be off to school, where some friends would remember and that would be it.

On the other hand, my cousin’s birthday is in August. Now, my family is a bit scattered
around Europe, so August is this magical month where everyone comes to Portugal to
spend their vacations. It’s the only time of the year where we’re all together, and it’s
kind of a magical month for that reason.

My cousin’s birthday is the perfect excuse for all of us to get together, eat, drink, sing
and have a lot of fun. So, naturally, ever since he was a little kid, everyone in the family
and even friends of the family would associate all of these wonderful moments and
emotions to my cousin. He was special, in some sense.

Fast forward 20 years, and this cousin of mine is a musician. I guess it makes sense
somehow: he turned out to be this exceptionally confident guy, though a bit on the
needy side; always needing to make sure he’s appreciated. And I’m positive the fact that
he was born in August — that he’s a Leo — helped him become who he is.

Of course, there are many more variables and to counter this example, I can tell you the
story of a friend of mine who was also born in August. But for him, things weren’t as
good. He doesn’t have a really big family, and he didn’t have many friends growing up.
So his summer birthday would normally be a bit depressing, as no one would come to
his parties and he would spend the day alone. I’m sure this helped him become this
rather shy guy, filled with self-doubt and close to zero confidence.

You can kind of see how the time of the year we were born affects who we become as
individuals. And, again, I’m not saying you should take someone’s star sign as an
indication of the type of personality you’re dealing with. What I’m trying to say is that
if you think about star signs in a linear fashion, like “Pisces = Sensitive Person,” you
won’t get too far with skeptics. But if you imagine that our personality is this
immensely complex mathematical formula and that our birthday is one of the many
variables that are represented in it (along with our names, our physical attributes, etc),
then you start to speak a language that is hard to dismiss. It’s not “woo” anymore: it’s a
very real thing.

— 20 —
 NAMES

The same could be said for names. At schools here in Portugal, we are seated in
alphabetical order. Since my name is Adrien, I was almost always in the very first seat,
right next to the teacher’s desk. This predicament forced me to pay attention to what
the teacher was saying, and I couldn’t really talk to the guy next to me, as the teacher
would reprimand us immediately.

On the other hand, I have this friend called Xavier who, obviously, was almost always in
the most distant seat from the teacher. He spent class balancing his chair on two legs
and he drew all the time. All. The. Time.

Today, here I am writing a book on magic, and Xavier is a very successful graphic
designer. Now, I’m not saying his name made that happen exclusively — Xavier is a
bright mind and he worked long and hard to get where he is today — but his name did
have an influence on that. And maybe, if he had another name, he would have ended up
on a different line of work. Maybe. If that’s not proof our names do have a role in
shaping who we are as individuals, I don’t know what is!

MIND READING

Why do we say “Mind Reading?” Why don’t we say “I’m going to see your mind” or
“Hear your mind?” Well, if you take a book and look at it, you don’t automatically know
the contents of the book or the message the book transmits. For that, you have to read
it, which basically means you’re going to apply a series of techniques, based upon
previously set rules and assumptions that will enable you to understand the meaning of
the book.

To do that, we have created these symbols called “letters” that don’t have a meaning of
their own, but when we group them into something we call a “word,” we can assign it
meaning. And then we can group words into “sentences” which have a much greater
capacity for meaning — and the meaning of a word can change depending on the
context!

In addition to all the letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, etc, we have the
book itself. And there’s this convention that the words on the page will be written in a
certain order, and the pages should be read in a certain order too.

— 21 —
So, we need all of this to be able to read a book. And this is something we practice
every day, almost all the time (maybe not with books, but we do read all the time) and
some people are better at it than others.

When it comes to mind reading, things are a little more complex, but follow the same
basic principles. Only now, instead of a couple dozen individual symbols (letters), we get
hundreds of them.

If you’re in the “psychological” side of mentalism, you can think of these symbols as the
way someone places their hands, how they pull their hair back, how their shoulders are
relaxed or tense, the position of their feet, the words they choose to say or not to say,
the way they look up when they think of what to say, the way they smile, the way they
don’t, etc, etc, etc.

If you’re on a more esoteric vibe, the symbols are still there: the color of the aura, the
warmth of their energy, the strange feeling in their belly when they think of someone,
the way their mind feels lighter when they focus on something, etc, etc, etc.

So our job as mentalists is to pick up on all of these signs — that don’t have a meaning
on their own — and group them into something that has meaning. This is extremely
hard to do because, contrary to actual reading, this isn’t something that everyone does
all the time and it’s much harder to master.

There’s so much that can go wrong: you might have missed some signs, you might have
read a sign wrong, you might have grouped the signs in the wrong way or in the wrong
order, etc. So it’s natural that you’re not spot on when you reveal their thoughts. You
should still be pretty close, though.

I’ll leave it up to you to think about these ideas, and if you chose to do so, how to
incorporate them into your own work. To me, they serve mostly as an inner dialogue,
but I often share these thoughts with the people I perform for (and with people I don’t
perform for!). It might take me a bit to get my point across, but I firmly believe we
should be interesting even when we’re not doing any effects. Some of the most
interesting conversations I’ve had came after I talked about some of these points with
my audience.

— 22 —
 Putting it
all together

This is a sort of transcript of a full performance of THE JAFI READ. I didn’t record it. I
wrote it from memory, which means it probably didn’t go down like this, but I hope it’s
close enough to illustrate how all the elements come together. I chose this particular
performance because it wasn’t a perfect run, and I got a few misses. I’m sitting with
Tom and I offered to read him.

— So, Tom, let me see what I can get from you… I feel like you have
a very active mind. Almost too active, right? Like sometimes your
mind is jumping all around the place, and, at other times, you get
one idea in your head and can’t stop thinking about it for a while. Is
it true?
— Yeah, I tend to obsess over things in some ways.
— You do, don’t, you? And in order to keep up with this overactive
mind, I’m sure you have learned a few different things. You must
have a few different interests. Do you play any instruments?
— I play the guitar, yeah!
— The guitar? Awesome! But, somehow, I feel like you’ve been
playing less and less, lately, haven’t you?

— Hmm… Yeah. I got a new job, and it’s taking a big chunk of my
time.

— 23 —
— I see. If I were to guess, I’d say this new job is something that is
easy on the mind and hard on the body, right?
— Not really, no. I’m a graphic designer, so…
— Oh, wow! Graphic designer, that must be hard. Do you like it?

— It is pretty cool. It gives me the chance to work on a lot of

different projects, with a lot of different people. But what I like the
most is that I can actually see the result of my work in the world.
Actually, outside, on the road, there’s a billboard that I designed.
— The one with the olive trees? I’ve seen it! That must feel really
rewarding! This sense of artistry and ownership of your own work
usually goes along all the people with creative energies. Don’t tell
me what it is, but do you know your star sign?
— Yes.
— Perfect! So, Pisces, Aries, Virgo, and Libra are usually associated
with WARM energies, while Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio and
Sagittarius are considered FRESH energies. I think I’ve named
them all… Did I mention yours?
— Yep.
— Ok, so yeah, when we started, I was getting a very definite
energy from you, but now there’s this other kind creeping in and
I’m doubting myself. I’m getting this nice, WARM energy from you,
is that right?
— Uh, no…?
— Oh, ok… so the first feeling was right. It makes sense: you seem
to be a very independent individual. I mean, you never forget
where you came from and who helped you get where you are, but
you have your own path to walk and your own goals to pursue. In
fact, are you thinking of moving into a new house or something like
that?

— I moved into a new house a few months ago, yes!!!

— Congratulations on that! That’s a big step! Although I’m pretty
sure those boxes that you didn’t unpack yet will stay like that for a
long time, so don’t fool yourself!

— 24 —
 — Ha ha! Right!
— So, this new house of yours: it seem like the apartment type,
rather than the house type, am I right?
— Yes, you are. I much prefer a house, but I did move to an
apartment.
— I’m sure it already feels like home. And you told me you were
born in the first half of the year, right?
— …Yes…
— Yeah, I remember you told me you were a FRESH energy. I’ll tell
you one thing: I’m getting a very particular energy from you. I
don’t get it often, but when I do, it’s normally from people with a
somehow higher intuition. Have you ever felt that about yourself?
— Let me think… Yeah, sometimes I have these gut feelings, and
they turn out to be right. Nothing really big; just small things.

— What kind of small things?

— I don’t know. Like, I have hunches on where people lost things, or
on how some situations will play out.
— Well, let me tell you that I also feel I sometimes see those small
things, but if you start to pay attention to all of those small things,
the results might surprise you. So don’t be afraid to trust those gut
feelings a little more, ok?
— Yeah, ok!
— And it’s interesting because I usually don’t get this from a
Taurus…

— Oh, wow, how did you know that?

— As I’ve told you: it’s the small things.

So, as I mentioned before, this is a sort of transcript from an actual performance. I

didn’t record it, so it’s all from memory. I probably didn’t use those exact words, and the
answers weren’t exactly like that. It’s pretty close, though. I remember I missed the
WARM/FRESH question but got a yes when I asked about his birthday being in the

— 25 —
first half of the year. He was, indeed, a designer, and he did register my question about
him being an apartment person as a hit when it should have been a miss.

Also, he did tell me about the small things he could intuit, and I liked my own line
about it being all about the small things so much that I stopped the reading there. This
only goes to show how this is indeed supposed to be a very conversational and
situational piece: don’t get caught up in your script. Really commit the grouping to
memory and just go with the flow. Notice how it feels more like a conversation than a
reading. And I don’t try to turn the misses into hits: we work together to understand
why I would feel this way, and the result is a very genuine conversation that feels
magical.

— 26 —
 Extra

One’s perception of reality can be nudged in a myriad of different ways, each of them
will be more or less effective depending on a series of variables. Having a few different
ways to tackle the challenge can be very helpful, so I keep trying new ways to present
these ideas, and sometimes, new ideas require new methods or even completely new
plots.

The next chapters will outline a few of my favorite ways in which the JAFI READ has
expanded: the first is HEAVY, an exercise in framing, and a nice example of how you can
dress the mechanics in any way you want. The second is called CONSTELLATIONS, and
it shows you how you can use the mechanics of JAFI to also reveal a thought of drawing.
You could use this principle to jump in any direction you want. And make sure you stay
for the finale: the last version — UNSPOKEN — is probably the best star sign divination
available to date.

Before going any further, I’ll share a secret: to me, the ultimate way to do the JAFI
READ would be without method, without the star sign reveal or any other kind of
deception. You would sit in front of someone, genuinely use your intuition to tell them
what you see when you look at them, try to create the strongest connection you can
with this person and, by carefully looking at everything that connects them and you,
you would see or feel specifics of their personality and life. These could be important
persons to them, impactful events, and maybe even their star sign.

I can’t quite do it that way yet, so while I practice I need to resort to some deception in
order to be able to create this connection a little quicker and a little stronger. What’s
important is that this deception becomes neither my main focus, nor my main crutch:
it’s there to be used, but it should always be one step towards the goal, and never the
goal in itself.


— 27 —
heavy
This demonstration is a curious one: you will openly be doing what you claim to be
doing, everyone will have possession of the same information as you, and it will still be
magical. There’s no trick here, besides the fact that you are much more familiar with
the way you group the zodiac signs than they are, which is enough to create a wonderful
interaction.

The idea here is to, instead of verbally asking the questions we need, use the classical
heavy/light suggestibility test as a way for them to give us that information. I find that
this is one of the most reliable suggestion tests, but we’re still going to use a few tricks
to make sure we have success with it. On the basic version of the JAFI READ, the
reading was the centerpiece of the whole thing, and the star sign reveal was the cherry
on top of the cake. Here, the physical manifestation of the participant’s subconscious
will be the point you’re trying to make. The star sign reveal will only be an extra hit to
drive your point home.

As before, the first step will be to check if their sign is in Group C. For this, we will
assign the signs from Group A to the left hand and the signs in Group B to the right
hand, then we’ll check if we named their sign. If they are not in Group C, we will use
the heavy hand test to figure out if they are on Group A or B, and we will do the test
once more to know if they are from the first or second half of the year. We will then
have all we need to reveal the sign.

If they are on Group C, it’s even easier. We will use the heavy hand test only once to
figure if they were born closer to the middle of the year or closer to the turn of the year.
Then we’ll have all we need to reveal the sign.

But what’s interesting in this variation is the way we frame it:

“Do you believe that the star signs have some kind of influence on who
we are as individuals? You don’t? Well, I really don’t either. But I’m sure
you’ve read your horoscope at some point in your life, right? Everyone
does! And the thing about them is you get so used to hearing them they
kind of stick with you.

— 28 —
 I am a Pisces, and they always describe Pisces as romantic and
sensitive. Now, even if I don’t see myself in those traits, if someone came
to me and said ‘I get this feeling you’re a romantic and sensitive person’
I would be amazed that they got it right. You know what I mean?

And once these things get in our subconscious, the body has a hard time
‘lying’ about them. Want to try something interesting?”

This is a weird way to introduce a zodiac reveal, but if you think about it, it makes some
sense, doesn’t it? I have never found someone who couldn’t agree with this introduction
to some degree, and that’s an important aspect to keep in mind when you’re trying to
bring someone into your world.

Have them stretch their arms in front of them and keep both hands opened and palms
up, then say:

“So, if you are Pisces, Aries, Virgo or Libra, focus on this hand [right]
and if you’re Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio or Sagittarius, focus on this one
[left]. I might have skipped a few signs. Did I name yours?”

For now, let’s assume you did name their sign. They are focusing on one of their hands,.
Now you enter the testing phase:

“So, whichever hand you are focusing on now is going to start to feel
heavier. You will feel this, and you will see this. Please don’t fight the
feeling, ok?”

One of their hands should start to go down. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s
obvious, but it always happens; even if it’s just a twitch. This is the moment their reality
shifts: they thought about their hand feeling heavier, and now it does. As soon as you
see any kind of reaction, give some positive reinforcement:

“Oh, wow! That’s an amazing reaction. You have a very powerful

mind!”

Just in case the wrong hand moved, I always like to check by, again, Just Asking For It:

“So, it is this hand you are focusing on, right?”

— 29 —
If the wrong hand moved, tell them it’s fine. It just means their mind is super strong,
Ask them to focus a little more and offer to do it again. Then go into the second phase.
If you got the hand right, go into the second phase by simply saying:

“That was great! Let’s try it one more time. Relax your hands a bit...
Now stretch your arms out again.



This time, if you were born in the first half of the year, focus on this
hand. If you were born in the second half of the year, focus on this one.
And, again, the hand that you are focusing on will become heavy. Even
heavier than the first time...”

It’s important to ask them to relax their hands, as you don’t want to do the test twice in
a row or both arms start to get tired, and you’ll get very mixed signals. So remember to
have them relax their hands between phases. Do the second test, and once more, one
hand will go down. Be amazed at how well they are able to do this, congratulate them,
check if the hand that went down was the right one, and now you are in position to
reveal the sign.

Remember the first two signs you associated with each hand in the first phase are from
the first half of the year and the last two signs you associated with each hand are from
the second half. So now it’s a matter of thinking about which hands went down: Left =
Group A, Right = Group B. Then Left = First half and Right = Second half.

At this point, I like to ask them how it felt and let them talk a bit. I tend to wrap up
the effect the following way:

“So, as you can see, the body doesn’t like to lie. And I can tell that you
are a very honest person, or this wouldn’t have worked so well. Are you
a Pisces?... No! You’re an Aries, right?”

We’re using a hanging statement once again, so you should know the drill by now. If
they react to the first sign you throw, stop there. If they don’t react, carry on. Even if
you name both signs and theirs ends up being the first one, the hit is still strong.

If you didn’t list their sign at the beginning, you only need to do the test once. But this
time you can’t ask about which half of the year, as we have to deal with Cancer and

— 30 —
Capricorn. So, as soon as you confirm that you didn’t list their sign, act like you don’t
want to name all the signs again and say:

“Well, let’s simplify: if you were born closer to the middle of the year,
focus on this hand. If not, focus on this one.”

If the hand associated with the middle of the year goes down, they’re either a Cancer or
a Leo. If the other hand goes down, they’re a Capricorn or an Aquarius.

I feel I should point out once more that this routine’s strength isn’t really the reveal of
the zodiac sign. What makes people care about it is the way they can’t seem to hide
their true nature. This is a powerful notion, so play with it and make it seem like it’s a
good thing they are the way they are!

One last note: you could use a heavy hand on the first phase and a light hand on the
second phase, or you could use other suggestibility tests for this. You could combine
two different tests; one for each phase. But I’ll leave that up to you...

— 31 —
memoir
What about a memory reveal on top of the star sign? I call this one “memoir”, which
I’m fully aware, makes me sound exactly like the pretentious douchebag I really am. But
hey, it’s better than the original: “memorandum: memoirs of a pretentious douchebag,”
right? Anyway... Fraser Parker and I have worked on bundling a zodiac reveal with a
memory reveal in Memoria 2, and that’s where the idea for this variation came
(although in this instance we won’t be forcing a specific memory). What’s happening is
we’re forcing specific characteristics depending on the group and which half of the year
they were born in.

Group A will be associated with outdoor memories, while Group B will be inside
memories. Then, if they were born in the first half, we will ask them to think of a
childhood memory, and if they were born in the second half, to think of an adult
memory. We’re going to figure out the general details of the memory via fishing, so we
can finish by nailing the exact sign.

This will be a soft reveal in the sense that you probably won’t get the exact memory
they’re thinking of. We’ll have to rely on some generalities, make some assumptions, use
some cold reading, and take some risks. It’s ok, though, because we can fall back on the
zodiac sign reveal, which will always be 100% right.

Before we get down to business, let me quickly remind you of the thread that ties all
the effects in this book: Just Ask For It. This means you shouldn’t be afraid to ask
questions to confirm what you’re sensing. You are definitely getting these signals, but
you need to ask the participant for clarification because you’re not absolutely sure what
they mean, and since you’re not actively trying to fool them, you don’t mind simply
asking.

We’ll need to make some assumptions and draw from our own experience. For instance,
happy memories rarely happen when we’re alone, so take advantage of that. If this is an
adult memory and you are with a lot of people, this might be some kind of event, a
concert, or here in Portugal, a soccer match. If you’re with one other person, this is
probably a romantic partner, so maybe some sort of date, romantic occasion, or even a
birth.

— 32 —
With childhood memories, we have a little more leeway, since we can brush off any
misses by stating that a couple of memories are blurring into this one. A kid’s happy
memories probably either happened with his friends or with his family. With the family,
it could be a vacation (here in Portugal, this would almost always mean the beach) or a
family gathering. With his friends, this could be a party or “that one time you did
something crazy”. Kids are always challenging each other and trying to prove how cool
they are, so our childhoods have these moments when we did something that seemed
cool, or funny, or rebellious, or even dangerous.

So, with all of this in mind, deliver your script along these lines:

“Depending on your star sign, some memories will have had a deeper
impact on your personality than others — even if you’re not aware of
that — so let’s try something interesting.”

This nice little frame serves our purposes perfectly: we establish a connection between
some signs and certain memories and we make sure to explain that this connection may
be unconscious. That way we’re covered if they struggle to find a memory within the
parameters that we’ll stipulate. We then proceed:

“If you are Pisces, Aries, Virgo or Libra, think ‘outdoors’... Don’t think of
any particular memory yet, just keep in mind this will be something
that happened outdoors. If you’re Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio or
Sagittarius, think ‘indoors’...”

I’m not putting the script for the signs on Group C, because at this point you should
understand how to deal with it: just figure out if they’re in that group, and direct them
to think “outdoors” if they were born near the middle of the year (you know, because in
the summer you prefer to be outdoors) and “indoors” if they were born near the turn of
the year (because when it’s cold and rainy, you stay home), then jump to the fishing/
reveal of the star sign.

You’ll have much less to work with if they are on Group C, so in those cases, I like to
resort to a billet, and have them write one word that describes this memory. I can then
do any peek or a center tear. This improves my chances of getting a good reveal tenfold.
You could do this even if their sign is in Groups A or B, of course.

— 33 —
If they’re not on Group C, carry on:

“If you were born in the first half of the year, think of a memory from
when you were young. If you were born in the second half, think of a
memory from when you were already an adult.”

They now have a memory in mind, and you really only need to know two things: if this
is indoors or outdoors and if this is from when they were young or not. But, of course,
you need to hide these two questions amidst your reveal of the memory.

I like to start with something that feels completely unrelated to any of the points we
touched on (indoors/outdoors, young/adult): I say that I get this sense of light. This
means very little, but serves an important point: it puts the participant in the right
state of expectation that you’re only going to get these very vague impressions, at least
at first.

Now, of course, this can help me because he might say “Well, yeah, it was a summer day,
the sun was shining,” so this would probably mean outdoors. I’ll say that I’m seeing a
few other people and this pleasant noise. Again, I’m betting they weren’t alone in the
memory, and a “pleasant noise” could mean a lot of different things: music, the sea,
wind blowing in the trees, birds singing, whatever. And then I’d ask: “This is outside,
right?” or I can risk it a bit more and go for something specific by asking “Is this some
sort of park?” This could hit or not. If it misses, I’d ask “What is this place, then?” and
that’s it, I have my first polarity: indoors/outdoors.

They could obviously tell me there’s no light. They could say it’s dark, and in that case,
I would simply say it makes sense, as you don’t think about light or about “seeing” when
there’s light. It’s one of those things you only think about when you don’t have it.

To figure out if this is a memory from when they were young, I simply say “And it’s very
clear this isn’t recent.” They normally agree because since I asked them to think of a
memory, even if it’s one from when they were already adult, they will go back at least a
couple of years. They could just tell me I’m wrong, but in that case, I would follow up
the same way as if I’m right, which is to ask “How old were you when this happened?”

That last line seems simple, but there’s more to it. When you state that you know this
isn’t “recent,” they will interpret that according to the memory they’re thinking of.

— 34 —
If the memory is from when they were a kid and you say that it isn’t recent, they will
think “Yes, you’re right. This isn’t recent: it’s from when I was a kid.”

If, on the other hand, the memory is from 3 years ago and you say it isn’t recent, they
will think “Yes, you’re right. This isn’t recent: it’s from 3 years ago.”

The word “recent” will have different meanings for different memories: recent years vs.
from my childhood or recent months vs. a few years back. And when you ask, almost
like it’s just out of curiosity, how old they were, it’s just that you want to know the exact
date, since you already know the approximate date.

Now you have both polarities (inside/outside, young/adult) and you have all you need to
nail the zodiac sign, but don’t go there yet: keep fishing for the memory. At this point,
you know if it happened outdoors or indoors and whether it’s a childhood memory or
an adult memory. Take some guesses, make some general remarks, feed back to them
whatever they give you.

When you’re satisfied, reveal the sign.

— 35 —
unspoken
We’re finally here. I’ve “buried” this variation at the end of the book because it’s a star
sign divination so clean you might fall into the temptation to perform it out of the box,
which you could do in a very spectacular manner. The participant can stay silent
throughout the routine and seemingly only extend their hand so you can touch it, and
you can instantly reveal their sign. But I hope that, by making you go through the
whole book, I’ve made it clear you can create a much stronger experience if you focus
on connecting with your participants instead of fooling them. And it’s really hard to
connect with someone if they don’t talk to you, so please make sure you keep
everything you’ve read so far in mind when going through this method.

In terms of structure, this will be very different from the basic version of the JAFI
READ, as instead of weaving the star sign reveal into the reading, you’ll do all the dirty
work up front, then focus solely on the reading and reveal the star sign whenever you
want. This is actually the first star sign reveal I came up with that relies on the grouping
of the signs we’ve been using throughout, and I believe it is very elegant: the participant
never speaks a word and the only thing they do is extend their hand so you can hold it
and get a feel for their energy, or however you want to dress it.

Bearing in mind we will be using the same grouping as before, we will assign their left
hand to Group A and their right hand to Group B. If their sign is in Group C, we will
use a timing cue to figure out the last piece of information we need.

To do this, start simple:

“Don’t say anything out loud, but take a moment to think if you were
born in the first or second half of the year, as that will be important in a
minute.”

I say this at the very beginning of the routine because later, we’ll need them to respond
to our instructions rather quickly and it helps if they already thought of what half of
the year they were born in. Continue with:

“Pisces, Aries, Virgo, and Libra are the “creative” signs; the emotional
ones. They are connected to the left hand. Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio, and

— 36 —
 Sagittarius are the “analytical” signs. These people have the ability to
keep their cool when everyone else is freaking out. They are connected
to the right hand. So, keep this in mind…”

They are now thinking of either hand, but again, we’re being indirect with this: we
don't ask them to focus on anything. We just explain some signs are related to one hand
and others relate to the other hand. You should confirm that you named their sign by
asking about it the same way I’ve explained before. If you haven’t named their sign, just
tell them to focus on either hand, as we only need to know if they were born in a hot or
a cold month, and we’ll use the timing cue for that.

Assuming their sign is not on Group C, we’re now going to use the timing cue to learn
which half of the year they were born in. We’ll also use the hand they are focusing at the
same time:

“If you were born in the first half of the year, give me that hand...”

You then make a pause to see if they extend their hand. If they do, you’ll know they
were born in the first half of the year. If they don’t, you’ll know they were born in the
second half. If they don’t extend their hand, keep going:

“… and imagine a hot spot of energy on your palm. If you were born in
the second half, imagine a cold spot. So, give me the hand.”

They will, then, extend their hand. At this very moment, depending on whether they
extended their hand right away or not and depending on the hand they extended, you
will have all you need to reveal the sign. But we will add a layer of deceptiveness, and as
soon as they extend the hand, we go into a reframing of the effect:

“… sorry, the other hand: I’m one of the signs that connects better with
the left/right. So, if you were born in the first half of the year, imagine a
hot spot of energy on your palm. If you were born in the second half,
imagine a cold spot of energy.”

What happens is, as soon as we know which hand they were focusing on, we reframe
the whole conversation as you simply explaining which hand you connect with better,
which implies they were not supposed to focus on any specific hand.

— 37 —
If they are on Group C, instead of asking about which half of the year they were bon in,
you ask if they were born in a hot or a cold month (or, if you prefer, if they were born
near the middle or the turn of the year).

Now you have all you need to reveal the sign, and they should have one hand extended
with their palm facing up on top of yours. Go into the reading as usual. Tell them what
you feel, ask some questions about them, and at some point reveal the sign. To reveal, I
like to say:

“Really imagine this spot of energy, and when you can feel it, give me a
clear nod.”

As soon as they nod, I take their hand as if I’m giving them a handshake. I focus for a
moment then reveal the sign using a hanging statement. If they are imagining a hot
energy, I say:

“This energy feels comfortable. It’s a nice warm energy... This feels like
a Virgo... no! Libra, right?”

If they are imagining a cold energy, I might say:

“This feels very strong. It’s a nice refreshing energy... This feels like a
Scorpio... no! Sagittarius, right?”

And that’s is! To recap: use the left/right hand to know if their sign is on the first or
second group, then use the timing cue to know if their birth day is in the first or second
half of the year and immediately reframe. You now have everything you need to reveal
the sign. This is such a strong routine when it’s properly executed. What seems to
happen is they give you one hand, you touch it, and you know their sign.

Remember: this isn’t about your amazing abilities. This is all about creating a
connection with someone, and in the process, opening their mind and their heart to a
world of possibilities that was always there. They may have just forgotten about it or
thought the door was locked, when in reality it was always opened. I’m giving you a
bare-bones script, but I trust you will infuse it with life in your own way and treat it
with proper care. 


— 38 —
 Outro
It’s easy to make a coin vanish and cause a visual reaction on someone. It’s also easy to
have them write a random word on an impression pad and reveal it. Those feats are,
indeed, amazing and their effect on people is immediate. But honestly, that’s just a
(hopefully unsolvable) puzzle. It takes some courage to perform for someone and risk
getting no reaction. But you’re not trying to cause a physical reaction: you’re trying to
move them on a visceral level and that takes a lot of trial and error, but in the end, it
really is worth it.

I hope by the time you read this, you have found value in these ramblings. I know I love
zodiac divinations probably more than I should, but I honestly believe this is one of the
strongest demonstrations of magic and mind-reading you can do. And the JAFI READ
provides a very nice framework you can build on or use as-is to thoroughly entertain
and mystify your audiences. I’ve been doing it for a while, and it not only feels very
comfortable, it is also extremely reliable, has a pretty nice flow, and is easy to do.

That being said, kudos go to:

Aaron Alexander, for the beautiful foreword, and all of his invaluable feedback on the
effect, its method, structure and approach of the book itself. Besides, I like to believe
the JAFI READ is a spiritual successor to his Zodiac Killer… but he doesn’t know that.

Steve Wachner for his seemingly endless amount of patience while I made him go
through every iteration of this book (which at some point was 120 pages long), for being
a true friend, and being honest enough to tell me when something was good and when
it was crappy not so good.

Fraser Parker for being such a dope senpai, and all of his work around propless
mentalism, and more specifically, zodiac reveals. For some proper genius stuff, check

— 39 —
out “The Fool Who Persists in Folly,” which was developed at the same time JAFI was
born.

Nico Heinrich and Aaron Mathis for their generous feedback at every step of the
process, for some very productive jam sessions, and for all of their support.

Olivier Boes and his beautiful “10S” which was the inspiration for the concept of
having the participant openly tell me the information I need.

Devin Knight, Matt Mello, and Andreu for their work on eye cues; which are the
basis for what I call the timing cue.

Sudo Nimh, who also uses the half-year question in his brilliant birthday divination
“Eclipse.”

Ken De Courcy and his “Systematic Seer,” and Richard Webster for his
“Psychometry from A to Z.”

Craig Logan, for turning this mess into something readable.

My buddy Filipe Maia, on whom I tested every iteration of JAFI, even though he’ll
never read this book (I might show him this page, though).

— 40 —
— 41 —