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Jargon Blitz

TheJargon Blitz offers yet another way of prompting the client for information,and I confess it is one of my pet favourites. It

consistsof an explicit reference to the supposed workings of the psychic system in use,liberally peppered with appropriate jargon, which culminates in a prompt forfeedback.

In atarot reading, the Jargon Blitz would involve references to the meanings ofspecific cards, and other tarot terminology. It might sound something likethis:

"Interestinglyenough, I see we've got the Five of Swords, an important card within the lesserarcana, traditionally associated with challenge and struggle in affairs of theheart. What's intriguing is that in the same conjunction of the spread, we'vealready had 'The Hermit', originally one of the lower triad cards and nowgenerally regarded as indicating not only solitude, but also the accomplishmentof personal goals.

It'sas if the cards are suggesting your personal goals are, at this time, due totake priority over romance. I don't know if this makes sense to you."

Tothe best of my knowledge, 'lesser arcana' and 'the spread' (meaning the layoutof the cards) are genuine pieces of tarot lore, whereas 'conjunction' and'triad' are tarot gibberish. However, they sound good and authoritative, andthat is really what matters.

Incold reading terms, the actual significance each card is deemed to have isirrelevant. A serious book on interpreting tarot cards may tell you that 'TheTower' signifies change in existing relationships. However, the cold reader canattribute whatever significance she wants to any card, whether or not itaccords with conventional tarot lore. All that matters is that it soundsconvincing, and that it leads up to that all-important prompt for feedback.

Insimilar vein, if offering an astrological analysis the cold reader only needs asmall amount of the appropriate vocabulary - 'trine', 'ascendant', 'fifthhouse' and so on - in order to make the reading sound plausible.

Somecold readers may choose to actually learn about the systems they are using, inorder to at least deploy the jargon accurately. While this knowledge can neverhurt the cold reading process, I am far from sure that it ever helps either. Inmy experience, sound knowledge of the divinatory system being used makes littledifference to the effectiveness of the reading.

Whetherthe jargon is used in an informed way or not, the Jargon Blitz remains a highlyuseful element in readings. It allows the psychic to vary the way she promptsfor information. It re- enforces the belief system in use (as mentionedearlier, in The Set Up). It imposes the authority of the reader, and helps topromote the sense of ritual which, as previously discussed, inhibits awkwardresponses and promotes the desired co-operation.