After purchasing and practicing these effects, I discovered that I could get some very nice audience reaction by putting an entire deck of cards to sleep, instantly building a house out of it, magically turning it into an ice palace, and then making the whole thing disappear in the blink of an eye. Give it a try!

To this day I still get a lot of hate mail from people complaining about my original (and exacting) description of how Criss Angel walked across a swimming pool. Some people have even gone so far as to send me detailed mathematical proofs that my explanation is “impossible”. But doing the impossible is pretty much the essence of magic, isn’t it? Sigh — when will people learn.

Please keep sending me your questions. I’ll answer some more later this week.

• An incredibly unbiased review of Ellusionist’s incredible, fabulous, must-buy, Shadow Masters Deck, which I think you should go out and buy a case of right now
• Complete details of how Criss Angel makes a lit light bulb levitate (with bonus information on how he floated above the light at the Luxor hotel)
• Explanations of two classic stage effects: the Chinese Rice Bowls and Milk to Newspaper

Be sure to write to me if you have any requests for magic effects, methods, secrets, rumors, or spelling words you need explained!