The Mark Wilson Magic University is not only designed to be a magic instruction site that is open to everyone, but to also support a magic community. Special promotion deals are being offered for the 2009 holiday season and students may participate in the community for free.

"I believe that instruction from the Magic University will revolutionize the teaching of magic, making it more accessible for everyone," says Mark Wilson in the release. "I also know that protecting magic secrets is much harder on the Internet, because with accessibility comes the danger of wider exposure. That's why I founded the Magic University, to provide top quality magic instruction to those who are sincerely interested in learning our art and who promise not to reveal its closely guarded secrets."

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If you're shopping for a magician, here are some suggestions for gifts that will be well appreciated. And if you are a magician, these are worthy items for your wish list.

It's all in the new Magic Gift Guide.

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Specialty Playing Cards
Magic Books

In our magic forum, Christian3 posted some helpful advice for beginners on how to maximize the impact of an effect.

He says: "Pause at certain KEY POINTS! If I am performing invisible deck, I always give a long pause before flipping over the reversed card. If you are performing sponge balls and when they jump to the other persons hand, pause and let the effect and the laughs of surprise go."

You can read the entire post on our forum. And if you ever have a magic related question, you can often find answers here as well.

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The Disneyland Main Street Magic Shop, run by Houdini's Magic Shop, is now open for business. On initial look, the shop looks a lot like it did before the Houdini's make over with a similar layout as well as product boards and demo counters. The shop opened for business on October 28.

While the shop is filled with the typical tourist-oriented magic tricks that one would expect, I was pleased to see lots of beginning and intermediate magic books, many of them classic titles, which shows that the shop is equipped to fill the needs of those who are serious about learning magic. Overall, the shop is filled with more books and magic tricks than at any other time that I've seen in the past ten years.

When I arrived at the shop, I met none other than Geno Munari, President of Houdini's Magic Shop. I found him to be an enthusiastic cheerleader for magic.

I know that many of you are less than enthusiastic about the Houdini's taking over the beloved Disneyland Magic Shop. But without Houdini's, there would likely be no Main Street magic shop today. And after seeing the shop for myself and watching the courteous demonstrators, I came away with a positive feeling.

I have encountered overzealous salespeople at Las Vegas Houdini's shops, but felt that the new Main Street shop provided a positive magic experience to its visitors. I'm hoping that the Houdini's-branded shop can inspire kids to seriously study magic as the old one did.

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Houdini Windows Come to the Disneyland Main Street Magic Shop
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