I first devised the Hand of Destiny routine close to ten years ago now. Of all the
routines, performance pieces, and presentations that I have created over the years, this
one routine has been the thing that I have both performed the most and also take the
most pleasure from. It is simple in the extreme (or at least the ‘trick’ element is) but it
is incredibly powerful. It never fails to impress, and very often can have a profound
effect on the spectator. That’s a pretty huge claim to make, isn’t it? But honestly, try it
for yourself and you’ll soon discover the sheer power of the Hand of Destiny routine.

The original routine utilised a palm reading as the ‘fake’ method by which you
correctly divine a spectator’s freely chosen card. In 90% of all situations this is
perfectly fine. However every now and again I would come across someone who for
religious or ethical readings would not want me to read their palm. I therefore created
some alternative handlings, all of which are included in this manuscript. Also included
are variations that I have devised and perfected over years of performance.

I’m also more than delighted to include several routines and variants on the original
from Australian (now London-based) mentalist Jordan Jai. Jordan recently attended a
Hand of Destiny masterclass that I ran, and he was kind enough to share these ideas
with the lucky people assembled. I was very impressed with his thoughts and ideas,
and when he said he would be happy to share them with the mentalist community, I
didn’t hesitate in taking him up on his kind offer.

The original Hand of Destiny routine was included in my Reader of Minds
manuscript. This also included a short introduction to palm reading, which in turn
would go on to become my Magician’s Guide to Palm Reading manuscript. Included
in this manuscript is what I describe as a ‘quick and dirty’ way of providing palm
readings, and to be honest, if you’re performing the Hand of Destiny (or any of its
variants) a quick and dirty palm reading is all you really need. However if this
manuscript has pricked your curiosity about palm reading, I would humbly suggest
my Magician’s Guide to Palm Reading as the next step on your palm reading journey.