Okay, I realize that I'm probably one of the last people to get this effect, and that others have praised it up and down and up again. But I used it for the first time tonight for a lay audience.

I cannot believe the reaction. I have NEVER had this kind of response. They were mildly amazed (perhaps politely amazed would be a better description) at the soul mate cards. But when I pulled out the magic word, that table, 12 people, went stone cold SILENT and their jaws hit their laps.

I had begun the set by telling them that I had a dream last night and that they were all in it. I did three effects in the set, finishing with DA. I even screwed up a little in DA because the extra joker came up with the cards, but no one seemed to notice when I turned over the cards. Every set of eyes were right there on the "magic word." Slowly, all 12 sets of eyes came up to me and they were a combination of awe, fear, and respect.

As I passed by the table several more times during the evening, I could hear them still discussing the effect and the poor guy who picked the magic word finally grabbed me by the coat and begged me to tell the rest of the table that we hadn't stooged it.

If you don't have this effect in your close up case, and you are working close up, even on a once a year basis, you need to go buy it NOW.

Glad to hear you got that kind of reaction. I have been performing DA religiously since I first bought it a while back. The reaction you describe is pretty much the way it always goes. TOTAL amazement for sure. This has become a total killer for me. I usually always end my routine with this one. It really leaves them speechless.

Boy isn't that the truth. There is really no more than few effects that can come anywhere close to the reaction of Deep Astonishment. I love to watch their faces when I reveal the word! Here is the key to getting them to have the best possible reaction: Milk the action of showing the cards with the writing on them!!! Show everyone one card at a time slowly and let the suspense build up. I thought this was more effective than just dealing out the cards normally.

Couldn't agree more DA is one of the greatest card tricks ever made.

When you guys do it, to spell the word, do you look at the fronts or backs of the cards? I do the Anything Deck and have to look at the backs, which I feel sometimes looks very fishy. I understand there is a system to do it by looking at the fronts??? Thanx

In DA, you look at the cards face-up with the help of two special cards.

I believe there is a mnemonic system you can learn over at http://www.deepashtonishment.com

Hi folks,
I have also had great reaction to this effect.But one thing I think is a bit weak is the sole mate revelation.
Mainly because you have the deck face up scanning through trying to find it!!Obviously there's more to this trick than the sole mate part,but has anyone got a better method for this part of the routine?

DavyBoy.

(p.s. I have looked at the tips page on the DA web site)

Like I've posted before, I combined my strongest effect, the signed folded card, WITH my handling of DA...with KILLER results and reactions!! I use the excuse that I'm going to find their card just by looking at the edges as I fan them (of course hey are holding the folded card by then!) and when I can't find it after going through 'em and cutting a couple times, I say "well that card's not even in here!!!...what was the card you signed???" when they tell me I just say "oh...check out the folded one your holding...!!" while everybody is looking at this (great and total misdirection!!)...well..the magic word they gave me earlier ends up comiing out of my shirt pocket...which I crush up to show that those were the only cards in there!!! A DOUBLE fantastic finish that really gets everybody I've done it for!!!

My DA should be coming in tuesday since the mail doesn't run tomorrow because of presidents day.Can't wait!
Zack

Since that part is such a long way to go for such a little bit of magic, I handle it by eliminating the magic altogether. Instead I present it as a totally non-magical but still intriguing demonstration of apparently reading the spec's body language and nonverbal cues, a la Derren Brown. I tell her to watch as I spread the cards from hand to hand, and to silently say her word to herself when she sees the mate of her card go by. I then attempt to read her body language to determine when she's mentally saying her word (wink wink). As I spread through, I upjog all the cards that "I think might be the one," then I strip them out and repeat the process with just that packet, narrowing down choices as I go. Once I get down to just two, I put one face-down (not letting her see which one it is), reassemble the deck, and do the dirty work while she turns over both cards to see if I got it right.

Obviously this presentation will only work if it fits your character, but I've had tremendous success with it . People buy into the premise because it's plausible, and it holds their interest because they're actively participating rather than just watching you sort through the cards. When I reveal the mate of their selection, more often than not they're genuinely impressed. Of course the real payoff is that it makes the revelation of the word that much more impossible, especially since I never have them say it out loud.

Some of the best reactions I've ever gotten from anything in magic came from performing this routine at the James Randi Educational Foundation's annual conference. People really got into the body-reading-as-faux-mindreading premise, then were left slack-jawed and drooling by the word revelation.

Quinn

I've always felt that that idea of finding a 'soul mate' was a bit too charged. The term soul mate didn't really manage the audience expectations correctly, especially when they have to make their own connection between the 4H and 4D.
I prefer just to say 'I'm going to find the closest match' and let the cards fall where they may. I think expectations are better managed that way without the use of such emothionally charged words as finding a 'soul mate'.
Additionally, after I've collected all the letters, I start to stumble and say 'gee, this isn't' really working out' and make like the trick is going to fail. I've had some say to me 'Dont worry about it, magic dosnt work all the time'..... I agree and put the packet down, and put the wallet on top, and say 'Okay, lets just take the card right on top, the four.'
I then show the two cards and they are amazed.
I then say, well lets see whats in the wallet.
You know the rest.

After re-reading my post, this is a much more low-key presentation. This really hits hard at a basic level because the effect is so strong, and you didn't set expectation to be that high.
The cumululative effect is that they are blown away.
I just did it to some New Yorkers who have seen it all, and they were silent, and then they said "NO **++++++*** way"
It was excellent.