To many in the mentalism community, Enrique Enriquez needs no introduction. He is, without a doubt, one of a handful of people who have brought the art of readings into the 21st century. With his landmark Invisible trilogy (The Invisible Gemstone, The Invisible Tarot, and Invisible Readings), Enrique showed many of us how to leave behind the props and stock cold reading lines that had been used by magicians, mentalists and readers for decades, if not centuries.
Many of us who embraced Enrique's refreshing new philosophy and systems -- and actually put them into practice -- found that our presentations and readings became something uncannily close to the real thing. To say that we were eager for Enrique's next book to come out would be an understatement, at the very least.
The good news is that the wait is over.
A Little Background
I was fortunate to see this book in its original form several years ago when Enrique sent it out as a series of five lessons to a small private group. Each lesson was full of references to obscure alchemists, cabalists, poets and Surrealist artists, many of which were unfamiliar to me. As I read the first four lessons, I wondered what, if anything, the material in them had to do with mentalism or readings.
Knowing that Enrique's background was as an artist, I understood why he would be interested in the arcane roots of wordplay, but I couldn't see how it could possibly relate to me as a psychic entertainer. It seemed as if Enrique was more interested in an academic overview of little-known artists and occultists than developing any kind of system that I could use in my performances or readings practice.
It wasn't until the fifth and final lesson that the light went on for me, and I thought, "Brilliant... this is the logical next step after you've mastered the ideas in the Invisible series."
Naturally, I was eager to publish it, but Enrique told me that he didn't think it would be of interest to many people beyond the private group he had shared it with. Upon reflection, I thought that perhaps he was right, especially since the lessons didn't resemble his Invisible series or the vast majority of books that are published for the psychic entertainer community.
Several years went by, and then, on a whim, I asked Enrique if he had reconsidered the idea of publishing the original five lessons. To my surprise, he said "Yes", and we began the process of making wordcraft available.
While not intended to be part of the Invisible series, wordcraft will certainly be seen by some as a natural extension of the revolutionary approach to readings found in those books. In short, the concept that underscores this e-book can be used to achieve results that can only be described as the closest you can get to pure mentalism.
The Concept
This book represents another chapter in Enrique's journey as an artist who became fascinated with mentalism, and how he has combined the creative worlds of art, wordplay, and readings. Enrique is intrigued with wordplay and the potential it holds as a tool in the reading process, and using his approach, language itself becomes the oracle. In wordcraft, Enrique shares how he finds hidden messages in words, an approach that allows him to bring a new dimension to his interactions with people.
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"Beyond the tools of your trade – palmistry, astrology, or tarot cards – the true medium of all readings is language. This discreet manual hopes to add a further layer to your readings by focusing on the words we use and the poetic sparks they ignite. Language is both a symbolic world and a model for the world of signs around us. Following the flow of words, we acquire a malleable mind which can in turn be applied to refine or reinforce any style of readings, or used as a system in its own right." Enrique Enriquez |
For Enrique, the sometimes-whimsical practice of wordplay is inherently magical, and it can lead us to places we might never have imagined. Like the preceding books in the Invisible series, wordcraft focuses on the potential for the sometimes-astounding results that can occur when we surrender to serendipity, and embrace the spirit of improvisation. This book challenges the notion that playfulness has no place in the serious business of readings, or that the serious business of readings necessarily demands serious methods or demeanor.
As Enrique writes in wordcraft, "... language [is] a subtle layer superimposed on nature", and it is this simple idea that allows us to access the metaphysical world through the careful examination of everyday words and phrases. Starting with an arcane concept known as "The Language of the Birds" used by alchemists and Surrealist artists, Enrique explains the strategies he uses to uncover the hidden meanings in language.
The Content
One strategy allows us to look at any letter, number or symbol from any language and develop a narrative that describes a person's private and public lives. Knowing how to do this can add another level to any reading, regardless of what oracle is being used. Another strategy is the core idea behind "The Language of the Birds" in which, as Enrique writes, "Every single word is a Trojan horse" that contains hidden content that can take the narrative in surprising and unexpected directions. The idea of employing anagrams is also explored as a way to extend a reading, a powerful technique that could, as he suggests, be used to write a short story from a single word.
Enrique examines a method to find within a name -- or even a single letter -- information about a person's past, present, and future as well as their private and public life, and provides several examples. Using this simple strategy, Enrique outlines an approach that could be used as a Q&A-style demonstration.
The important thing to understand about this book is that Enrique doesn't merely teach you his system, but rather explains the strategies he's used to create it, and includes exercises that will allow you to create your own system, which will be far easier to learn and use than something you need to memorize or learn by rote.
As I've tried to stress, this e-book is not a "how-to" book as much as it is a look at Enrique's continuing development as an artist. With this in mind, we've included an extensive interview conducted by Tarot scholar Paul Nagy in which he and Enrique discuss how Enrique's work with the Tarot inspired his approach to wordplay. In addition, you'll find a gallery of pages from Enrique's personal notebooks containing examples of his own wordplay and sketches inspired by "The Language of the Birds".
Finally, A Huge Disclaimer:
Please believe me when I say that this statement is not intended as any kind of reverse psychological ploy to get you to spend your hard-earned money on yet another book that claims to reveal "The Real Work". Instead, it is an honest assessment based on over 20 years in the business.
I want you to know upfront that there are no tricks, routines, or secret devices in this e-book... or that you will be able to read the book once and use the concepts described in it immediately. Instead, in this book you will discover the theory and background information on what Enrique prefers to do in his own public and on-line interactions with the public.
Incidentally, Enrique was quite specific when he told me that I was not to market this book as a "how-to" book, and that he didn't consider the concepts he describes as being any kind of reading system.
In fact, if you do decide to buy wordcraft, it is very possible you will read this book and wonder why it is being sold by The Pro Shop, a place that has always offered practical products that you can use to take your psychic entertainment business to the next level and put more income in your pocket.
The reason wordcraft is being offered by The Pro Shop is quite simple: I personally feel that this is an important book, and I'm proud to make it available to those who will be able to use the information in it.
wordcraft
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