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PURE DEVILMENT
PURE DEVILMENT
by
Peter Duffie
Inspired by Paul Curry's 'Power of Thought' and Alex Elmsley's 'Book of
Fortunes,' with credit to Ted Danson for popularizing the diary and deck type
of trick. The following is a three stage routine which culminates in the
revelation of a random card in a diary against a spectator's birth date, which
only he or she knows! The trick works itself, with only a couple of cuts to be
carried out by the performer.
You need a pocket diary. Starting on the 1st January, fill in the following 9-card
cycle (one card to a day, starting with the QC entered in the 1st). Repeated until
you reach the end of January. Now start again on the 1st February, and repeat this
with every month:
QC - 3H - 8S - 7H - 4C - JC - KD - 2H - 9D
There is the odd occasion where duplication appears on the pages of the diary
when opened. This is unavoidable because of the principle involved. However the
use of the diary in this effect is not like most others, with the revelation presented in
such a way that avoids scrutiny. Anyway there has to be duplications, as there are
only 52 cards in a pack and 365 days to fill.
You will also require a deck of 52 cards which you must arrange in the given order
below.
If you only use the deck for this routine then you will never need to re-stack it, as it
remains almost intact throughout the trick. The cards in blue must always be in the
positions shown, the others can be in any suit order. The Queen in red should be
crimped at the inner left corner, in such a way that it can easily be cut to the
bottom.
(TOP HALF)
A-3H-5-7H-9-JC-K-2H-4-6-8-10-Q-A-3-5-7-9-J-K-2-4-6-8-10-Q
(BOTTOM HALF)
QC-10-8S-6-4C-2-KD-J-9D-7-5-3-A-Q-10-8-6-4-2-K-J-9-7-5-3-A
HANDLING AND PRESENTATION
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Phase One - ASTRAL PROJECTION
Hand the diary to a spectator for safe keeping. As this is best for a lady I will refer
in this gender from now on. Bring out the deck and false shuffle and cut to retain
full order. Cut off the upper half so that the crimp is at the bottom of this section and
place the LOWER half face down on the table. We will refer to this tabled half as
the PREDICTION half. The section remaining in your hand will be referred to as the
WORKING half.
Ask the lady if she has had any experience with the Occult.
Offer to demonstrate by asking her to think of her date of birth, saying, "The first
thing we must do is determine your Astral Number. In order for you to
discover your astral number, you must reduce your date to a single digit...for
example my birthday falls on the 15th.... so by adding the two digits of this
number together one plus five...I get SIX and that is MY astral number...or say
it was the 29th you would add the 2 and the 9 to give 11 but as this is still two
digits you would then add them again one plus one giving Two. If it was 20
then this would become 2 and 30 would become 3 do. Do you understand
that?"
It is imperative that she fully understands this otherwise the final phase of the
routine will fail!
Once she has arrived at her number you hand her the working half and ask her to
transfer that number of cards from the top to the bottom one at a time. Make sure
she understands then turn away as she carries out the process.
When she has completed this, turn back to face the front and take the packet from
her and place it face down on the table beside the prediction half. Point out that this
second half has been lying on the table untouched from the start, saying, "Let's
see if your number has any special meaning attached to it."
You now turn the top cards of both piles face up simultaneously, placing them in
front of their respective heaps. Point out that the cards are of different values.
Continue turning over pairs from either pile to from two face up piles. Stop when
you reach the first two cards that match in values. These will be of the same value
as the spectator's astral number. Do not remove these two cards, but simply point
out the coincidence then continue to turn the cards over until you reach a second
match - again this will be a pair of the same value as her number. Allow the effect
to register then continue to turn the rest of the cards over until both halves are face
up on the table.
Pick up the PREDICTION half and turn it face down then double cut the top card to
the bottom and place the section face down on the table.
Pick up the WORKING half and spread to show the mixed condition.
Spot one of the two cards that match her number and cut the packet one card
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above it, thus the card becomes the second card from the face. Place this half face
down beside the other.
NOTE: If her number happens to be 'ONE', cut a KING to the second from face
position. The Kings will now be referred to in place of the Aces in the next stage.
Phase Two - THE LOST SOULS
Continue saying, "In the spirit world there are many forms of existence the
saddest being those who's souls remain earthbound these are known as lost
souls who are destined to roam the planet for eternity. As playing cards are
often used to assess peoples' future prospects...the cards are therefore
symbolic in many ways and the Aces represent those lost souls...let's see if
your astral number has any further significance." Remember that if her number
is ONE the Kings are the Lost Souls.
Again you turn the cards over in pairs as before, forming two face up piles. Let's
assume that the spectator's astral number is NINE (9). As you turn the cards over
point out that you are watching only for the NINES. When you turn the first of the
four nines face up it will be matched with an Ace.
Point out that her astral number seems to be in close communication with the lost
souls. Continue turning the cards and each time a NINE appears, it will be matched
with an Ace. Again you do not remove any cards but stop at each match and build
the effect up for what it's worth. A gradual increase in speed as you pass the half
way point also effective. Finish by saying, "So it appears that your number is in
complete harmony with those lost souls!"
Phase Three - A DATE WITH THE DEVIL
Pick up the WORKING half and hand it face down to the spectator. Now pick up the
prediction half and hold it face down. Ask the spectator to give the packet a few
straight cuts. You appear to do likewise but in fact all you do is double cut the
bottom card to the top then place the packet face down on the table. Take the
packet from the spectator and ask her to bring forth the diary. As she does so,
locate the crimp and cut it to the bottom then place the packet face down beside
the other half TO ITS LEFT. If you get into the habit of always placing the
WORKING half to the left of the PREDICTION half then the next bit will become
automatic in actual performance.
You have to remember the LEFT half as EVEN and the RIGHT half as ODD. I
simply remember it as EVEN TO THE LEFT.
Now say, "In numerology there is one number that nobody desires and can
you guess what that is?" They will nearly always say 13 which is what you want
them to say. If they don't know, then remind them that thirteen is considered bad
luck. Continue saying, "Lets see what your astral number brings this time with
both of us together having mixed the cards." Most lay people believe that
cutting is mixing.
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PURE DEVILMENT
Again remove cards from the top of both piles simultaneously but this time keep
them face down as you place them in front of the piles. Continue until you reach the
pair at the spectator's number, say NINE. So you will have removed eight cards
from the top of both piles. Lift off the top cards from both piles, the ninth pair, and
place them face down in front of the spectator.
Now here is where the Odd/Even factor comes in. If the spectator's number is
ODD, in this case it is, then the card that came from the ODD half will be entered
against her birthday in the diary. If the number was even, the card that came from
the EVEN half will be entered in the diary. Before coming to the diary however,
there is one more disturbing fact to reveal.
Ask the spectator to turn over the two cards and add together their values - the
total will be thirteen. The only exception will be if her number is SEVEN in this case
both cards will be kings - that is TWO THIRTEENS a double dose of bad luck!
The king from the ODD half will be entered in the diary.
Now say, "The only way to get rid of the bad luck is to cast away the evil you
see one of those cards is good and the other is evil it is up to you to decide
which is which now give me the evil one."
You Now Finish by Saying One of the Following Two Options:
a) If she hands you the card that is in the diary, refuse to take it, saying,
"So this card is evil? You think that by casting the
runes on me you can rid yourself of Satan? I don't think
so. If you don't believe me take a look at your birth date
in the diary you see, this is not MY diary it belonged to
an evil practitioner of the blackest of magic... and all the
cards he wrote in his diary depict the worst of evil and
anyone found in possession of the card which controls
their date of birth will be possessed for ever!"
Have her read out the name of the card entered against her birth date to find out
why you refused to take the card she offered.
b) If she hands you the other card, accept it, saying,
"So you think this card is evil...well I believe you have
made a fatal error of judgement...you see this is not MY
diary...it belonged to an evil practitioner of the blackest
of magic and all the cards he wrote in his diary depict
the worst of evil and anyone found in possession of the
card which controls their date of birth will be
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possessed forever!"
The spectator looks up her birth date in the dairy and announces the name of the
card that is entered to find that it is the very card she is holding!
FINAL COMMENTS
To reset the pack - simply reverse the order of the cards removed from each
packet then replace them. The two cards which made the final thirteen, etc, are
inserted at their proper place in the packets. The pack is now set for your next
study in terror.
******* COPYRIGHT © PETER DUFFIE 1993 *******
******* ELECTRONIC EDITION - COPYRIGHT © PETER DUFFIE 2001 *******
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