The Love Test by Woody Aragon

Created by: Woody Aragon

The Love Test by Woody Aragon is a captivating close-up mentalism trick that plays with the themes of fate and connection. Spectators are guided through a series of choices with four playing cards or pieces of paper, leading to a seemingly impossible matching of the last two pieces they hold. This trick is perfect for intimate settings, creating a moment of wonder and personal interaction. It's especially suited for virtual performances, making it a versatile addition to any magician's repertoire.

Key features

Works well in both live and virtual settings
No special gimmicks required, just ordinary playing cards or paper
Creates a strong emotional impact with the theme of love and connection
Easy to learn but offers deep possibilities for presentation

Pros

Highly interactive and engaging for the audience
Versatile for various performance environments
Strong emotional resonance with the theme
No need for expensive or complicated props

Cons

Requires clear communication, especially in virtual settings
May need adaptation for larger audiences

Effect

The Love Test by Woody Aragon is a psychological card trick that creates a strong emotional connection with the audience. A spectator freely selects and tears up four cards (or pieces of paper), discarding some and keeping others. Through a series of choices, the final two remaining pieces mysteriously match, despite the spectator believing they had complete freedom in their decisions. The effect is clean, interactive, and leaves the audience questioning how such an impossible coincidence could happen.

Full Details

The Love Test is a self-working routine that relies on subtle psychological forces rather than sleight of hand. It can be performed with any four cards, business cards, or even torn pieces of paper, making it highly versatile. The method ensures that no matter what choices the spectator makes, the outcome remains the same—a perfect match. The trick is particularly effective because it feels completely fair, with no suspicious moves or hidden gimmicks.

Who Should Consider the Trick

This trick is ideal for:

Mentalists who want a strong, interactive routine that plays on psychology.
Close-up performers looking for a quick, engaging effect that requires no setup.
Virtual magicians (as mentioned by Craig Petty) since it works perfectly over phone or video calls.
Beginners because it requires no advanced sleight of hand.
Experienced performers who want a reliable, foolproof trick that always gets a reaction.

Difficulty

The Love Test is easy to learn but benefits from strong presentation. Since it relies on psychology rather than sleight of hand, the main challenge is delivering the routine convincingly. Performers should focus on making the spectator feel in control while subtly guiding their choices.

What Magicians Say

Craig Petty, in his Q&A session, highlighted The Love Test as one of his favorite tricks to perform over the phone or Zoom, praising its reliability and strong impact. He specifically mentioned:

"The Love Test by Woody Aragon... is a great trick to do over the phone because you can literally tell them to put it on speaker phone and you can do it over the phone and it works absolutely perfectly every single time."

This endorsement from a professional performer reinforces the trick’s effectiveness in both live and virtual settings. The Love Test is a proven crowd-pleaser that combines simplicity with deep psychological engagement.

What people are saying about The Love Test

Craig Petty says...

The Love Test by Woody Aragon is a great trick to do over the phone because you can literally tell them to put it on speaker phone and you can do it over the phone and it works absolutely perfectly every single time.