Romanos – Esoteric Echos
Sneak Peek: An Esoteric Echos Excerpt
The following is from the introduction of Esoteric Echos, and provides an excellent overview of this publication which contains some of the most practical material for both beginners and experienced professionals I’ve read in awhile:
| “Welcome to a world where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur, where insights flow from unexpected sources, and where the mind becomes the ultimate stage for mystery and wonder.
This is not just a manual of methods and mechanics; it’s a guide to crafting experiences that tap into the deepest desires of the human psyche – the desire to be understood, to feel special, and to touch the unknown. Whether you are an experienced psychic entertainer or someone who is just starting out, the material here is designed to inspire, challenge, and ultimately empower you to create more meaningful, impactful performances. What you’ll find in these pages are systems and techniques of my own creation – psychic reading tools that blend classic principles with new and innovative twists. These are not grounded in any particular belief system or rigid doctrine; instead, they serve as frameworks for you to work within, designed to give you flexibility and freedom as a performer. You’ll learn how to create psychic readings that feel authentic, mind-reading feats that leave spectators questioning reality, and pseudo-scientific personality analyses that appear to unlock the secrets of those before you. And yet, every method is rooted in one simple truth: it’s not the system itself that makes the magic happen – it’s you. By the time you finish this book, you’ll not only have a toolkit of powerful techniques, but you’ll also have a deeper understanding of how to connect with your audience on an emotional and intellectual level. These tools are designed to be stepping stones in your own journey as a performer, leading you toward new possibilities in the art of mind reading and personality analysis.” |
If you’re familiar with previous works from Romanos (The Profiler and The Rubik’s Cube Reading System, both of which are also available through The Pro Shop), the excerpt above is probably all you need to know before ordering this book. However, for the uninitiated, let’s take a closer look at what you’ll find inside. The book is comprised of five main sections:
The Zener Spectrum
In The Zener Spectrum, Romanos presents his fresh take on ESP card readings and 5 reasons why ESP cards are the perfect oracle for modern audiences. After sharing his 5 favorite card spreads with ESP cards, Romanos then explains in detail his secret system for finding meaning in each card in the different spreads. To make his system crystal clear, fully scripted sample readings for each of the 5 spreads are included for you to use as is, or as idea starters for your own readings.
One of the beauties of ESP symbol readings is that they can be done purely impromptu by drawing the symbols on the back of your business cards. No pen or business cards available? No problem — in the section called When Zener Went Invisible, Romanos includes a scripted presentation in the tradition of Enrique Enriquez’ Invisible Series which requires no cards whatsoever. This brilliant approach offers you the convenience of doing a reading at any time, without any preparation, and creates a special moment of deep connection between you and the other person.
Along The Lines
As prop-less and impromptu presentations go, palmistry is just about as good as it gets. And, when employed as Romanos teaches in Along The Lines, it can establish rapport and a client’s confidence in your abilities. Romanos is quick to point out that he doesn’t consider Along The Lines to be a mentalism routine, but rather as an ice breaker — a “convincer”, if you will — that leads to a successful reading.
In the presentation, you briefly teach the client the main three lines of the palm (i.e., the Head, Heart and Life Lines), after which you turn away and instruct them to select one of the lines. After concentrating for a moment, you deliver a quick reading that deals directly with the theme of the line which the client selected, and then you specifically identify it. As with most of his writing, Romanos clearly and concisely explains the thinking that goes into the choice of wording used in the presentation.
Although he states that he doesn’t consider Along The Lines to be a mentalism routine, Romanos writes…
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“Having personally used Along The Lines on every possible occasion, the need to use it with a larger audience arose. Thus Hoy’s Lines was born. In this version of the method, it will be used as a mind reading routine rather than as a way to read a sitter.” |
Inspired by the legendary David Hoy, and incorporating ideas from Luke Jermay and Anthony Black’s work, Hoy’s Lines is a method that will allow you to give the impression that you perceived and answered unwritten questions on stage from three people. Whether you use the private or stage version, it’s hard to imagine you won’t find an application for this powerful concept.
Under Anderson’s Influence
Even though the Q&A act is essentially a series of readings performed for a group of people, you don’t have the advantage of establishing a deep rapport with people like a private reading does. Romanos addresses this issue in Under Anderson’s Influence by combining ideas from the legendary George Anderson and his own experience. In this section of the book, Romanos shares a system for accurate and satisfying Q&A readings that requires no gimmicks or props, relying instead entirely on the words you use in your presentation.
Included in Under Anderson’s Influence are the key concept that provides the accurate readings/answers, a system for remembering the information you will blend into the readings, and fully scripted examples covering a wide range of potential questions, including career, relationships, health, and personal growth.
The Confession Reading Technique
The Confession Reading Technique is a simple and straightforward way to give readings that requires nothing written down, no memory work whatsoever, and enables you to uncover information about the client that goes way beyond a personality reading. With this technique under your belt, you are always ready to deliver a meaningful reading that the client will actually remember. The Confession Reading Technique has three compelling advantages:
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Even if you only learn the core concept of The Confession Reading Technique — which can be summed up in a single sentence — you will still have a powerful tool to use in a multitude of situations, and will be able to deliver highly accurate and impactful readings. Romanos provides a step-by-step example of this technique that explains both what to say and the rationale behind it.
Please note — these readings are not stock cold reading/Barnum lines. The Confession Reading Technique allows you to go deep into information that not only cannot be deduced in any way, but in some cases can also be extremely private, so it goes without saying that this powerful tool must be used with discretion and compassion.
The Shape of Personality
A unique and impromptu opener, this presentation leads your spectator through a playful yet insightful exploration of their personality, focusing on various aspects of their character. Like much of Romanos’ work, the premise is framed as an exercise in psychology, making it a perfect routine if you or your audience/clients are not into some of the more esoteric oracles like the Tarot and palmistry. Requiring only a pen or pencil and a piece of paper (a business card would be a natural candidate), this four phase routine can be used as part of a larger presentation or whenever someone says, “Show me something.”
BONUS: Coffee Personality Reading
As if the five main sections described above didn’t contain enough practical presentations and ideas to keep you busy for quite a while, Romanos has included a bonus chapter that could possibly be worth the price of the book alone. That’s a bold statement, to be sure, but this can be used in such a natural way, the chances are you will use it — a lot — and for many performers, that is the criteria for determining the value of something.
Much like The Shape of Personality, the Coffee Personality Reading can be used as a standalone impromptu presentation, or as an opener for a larger routine. And as Romanos points out, this is not a complete reading system by any means, but it makes for an interesting conversation starter that can be used in various situations… and no oracle or props are required.
In Closing…
That’s a LOT of practical information for a single book, and if you’ve managed to read through all of the description above, congratulations are in order. Rather than re-invent the wheel, ad copy-wise, I’ll simply let Romanos wrap this up:
| “It’s important to remember that the methods in this book are built for entertainment and creative engagement… As you move through these chapters, I encourage you to think of each system not as a rigid formula, but as a creative framework you can personalize and adapt to your own style. The real magic happens when these tools merge with your unique voice, your intuition, and your connection with the people in front of you.” |
Personally, I think the main take-away from all of the descriptive prose above is that Romanos has provided the reader with a number of tools with which you can create real magic for your clients and audiences.
