Description
TBOT contains 22 Tarot effects; one for each card of the Major Arcana or Trumps. Each effect is cleverly named to coincide with the respective Tarot card, but does not necessarily relate directly with the card in question. I think it’s a nice way to present the material. And you do get a lot of material for your money; with 22 effects to choose from, the Tarot enthusiast is bound to find a few that can be incorporated into a reading or performed as is. Personally, I have performed just a couple so far as I don’t want to overdo it too quickly. I think these effects should be used sparingly.
You will require the following props if you are to perform every effect in this booklet:
Flash paper, two “talismans” (anything will do – use your imagination!), billet index, zodiac chart (a simple DIY job), miniature skull (!), soap or wax, cigarette ash, lemon juice or milk, candle, lighter, powered phenophalin in alcohol (I have no idea how easy it is to get hold of this stuff), ammonia solution, pendulum, marker, tape recorder, handkerchief, crystal ball (or a glass of water), a double-backed Tarot card and some envelopes.
That looks like a long list, but you’ll only need it all if you plan on performing every effect in the booklet. Over half the effects require no props at all (except a Tarot deck!) As you can probably deduce from some of the props listed, TBOT uses a variety of tried-and-tested methods and principles that have been around for decades; principles from magic as well as mentalism. A couple of the effects also require the cards to be stacked in Si Stebbins or Eight Kings; a slight variation is required for the 8K stack to accommodate the extra court cards in a standard Tarot deck (Knight) and this is explained.
