Deep Astonishment ll by Paul Harris & Rodney Whitlock
--------------------oOo-----------------



Effect & description: Everything About Deep Astonishment Has Been Improved, Simplified and Beautified.
You display a leather gypsy envelope and a beautiful old gypsy fortune telling deck. Each card has a fortune printed right on its face. You ask your "client" to utter the name of a special someone to create a relaxed fortune telling atmosphere. Let's say her special name is "Rose."

You then do a short three card reading for your client. The first card predicts good luck. The second card indicates an impending mystery. The third card hints that this impending lucky mystery might have something to do with an envelope. Could it be referring to the leather envelope lying on the table?

You open the leather envelope and remove a small packet of fortune telling cards. Their backs are a different color than the cards you've been using!

You slowly and cleanly deal the cards from the envelope on the table. The first card has a large hand drawn "R" on its back. The next card an "O". The nest an "S". The final card an "E"...spelling "Rose"!

No one says anything for a very long time. Then a single word escapes your client's lips. "HOW?"

• NO Cue Cards!
  
• NO Memorization
  
• NO Mnemonics
  
• NO Lead-in Effect!
  
• NO Cards to Hold!
  
• Totally Angle Proof!
  
• Completely Streamlined!
  
• Includes a custom-made leather envelope and a full-color gypsy fortune telling deck!
  

----------------------------------------------

From the instructions we read:

"Step 1) Paul Harris invents "The Anything Deck" and includes it in his "Art of Astonishment" trilogy.

Step 2) Paul Harris and Rodney Whitlock of "Yendor's World of Magic, Ltd. join forces to create the original "Deep Astonishment" based on Paul's "The Anything Deck"

Step 3) "Deep Astonishment" is manufactured and released to the magic community. It receives both critical acclaim and popular success.

Step 4) Paul and Rod pay very close attention to all the comments made about "Deep Astonishment".
They begin to discuss the possibility of a "Deep Astonishment ll" that would incorporate all of the best suggestions they have received, while resolving any criticisms.

Step 5) Mark Sturdevant, a regular visitor to "Yendor's World of Magic, Ltd"., comments to Rod about making a "Deep Astonishment" deck using Tarot cards.

Step 6) Intriqued by Mark's suggestion Rod remembers an old deck he owns called "Madam Le Normand's Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Deck". Rod learns that this deck has been in continuous production since 1904.

Step 7) That evening Rod works out all the modifications necessary to make Madam Le Normand's deck the perfect deck for the new "Deep Astonishment ll".

Step 8) Rod calls Paul to tell him the good news. To say the least, Paul is excited.

Step 9) Paul and Rod begin the process of developing a "Deep Astonishment ll" presentation using this new deck.

Step 10) Based on one of the cards in the Gypsy deck, Rod suggests changing the original "Deep Astonishment" wallet to a leather Gypsy envelope. Paul agrees.

Step 11) The design of the new deck and envelope are completed by Rod and sent to the manufacturers.

Step 12) Paul and Rod complete the instructions for the new "Deep Astonishment ll".

Step 13) "Deep Astonishment ll" is Beta tested and gets rave reviews from all who see it.

Step 14) You perform "Deep Astonishment ll" and unleash the moment."

-----------------------------------------------

Okay, I quoted the above so you can get a little insight into how this package was put together. A lot of creative thought and effort has obviously been done so the rest of us can continue to amuse and amaze our audiences.

The trick plays out as per the ad copy, assuming you have taken the time to fine tune the handling and presentation.
If you're looking for something you can start doing a few minutes after opening the package, you'll be sadly disapointed. But then again, if you're actually performing tricks only moments after learning the secret, do us all a big favor and find a new hobby, thank you very much.

What you receive is fourteen pages of instructions which contain all the information you will need to get you started. The intructions use photographs to help you in your quest for true astonishment, and the text is written in such a way that even a neophyte can grasp the meaning of it all.

You also receive a genuine (gimmicked) deck of fortune telling cards and an extremely well made and gaffed (can't be examined) envelope fashioned from genuine leather. Those of you into strange or bizarre type magic will really appreciate the mystical look and feeling to the entire outfit.The rest of you who perform straight magic will still find this quite useful due to the very topical nature of the props. Spectators will be interested as soon as you display the cards and envelope, at least that has been my experience.

To sum it all up, if you are a big Paul Harris fan you won't be disppointed. If you've never heard of Paul Harris (is that even possible?) you'll still appreciate his thinking and will get a lot of mileage out of this very clever offering.
The moves are not extremely difficult, and the real secret here is in the timing and presentation. I like and I think you will too. Recommended.

-----------------------------------------------------

My rating:

Suggested retail is $45.00

Available from your favorite dealer.

Dealers - contact Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.
11500 Gold Dredge Way
Rancho Cordova, Ca. 95742
Toll Free Order Line: 1-800-853-7403
Or visit Murphy's website:
Click here!