The Most Dangerous Games: A Collection Of Halloween Divination Games

Previously: Halloween Summoning Ritual.

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Folklore is rife with Halloween divination games and rituals. Many of them are meant to reveal something about the state of your love life — to show you who you’ll marry, say, or to tell you whether your love is true. Not all of them are, though; others are geared toward telling your fortune and tipping you off as to whether you will have good luck or bad in the days to come. Some are even meant to get in touch with those who have passed beyond the veil.

Many of these games and rituals are simple to prepare and quick to play, so here, I’ve collected a small selection of them all in one place. Will you try your luck this Halloween?

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

To Conjure An Image Of Your Future Love

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• A mirror.
• A candle.
• Matches or a lighter.
• A fresh apple.
• A paring knife.
• A quiet room.
• A clock.

Instructions:

1. Begin shortly before midnight on Oct. 31.
2. Bring your supplies to the quiet room. If necessary, set up the mirror. If there are any lights on, turn them off.
3. Place the candle by the mirror and light it.
4. Stand before the mirror, facing it.
5. Using the paring knife, cut the apple into nine slices.
6. One by one, eat eight of the apple slices as you look into the mirror.
7. Do NOT eat the ninth slice. Instead, at precisely midnight, offer it to the mirror.
8. Look closely into the mirror.
9. No, closer.
10. Closer still.
11. What do you see?
    • If you see nothing but your own reflection: The ritual has failed. Try again next year.
    • If you see the image of someone other than yourself: The ritual has succeeded; the outcome is favorable. Memorize their face, for this is who you are destined to love.
    • If you see the image of a skull: The ritual has succeeded; the outcome is dire. Your days are numbered. Do what you can with the time you have left.

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To Learn Your Future

Players:

• 12 principals.

Requirements:

• 12 candles, one for each principal.
• Matches or a lighter.
• A large clod of earth. It MUST be gathered from a cemetery.
• A quiet room.

Instructions:

1. Begin after dark on Oct. 31.
2. Gather all principals and supplies in the quiet room. Distribute one candle to each principal.
3. Dim or turn off the lights.
4. Place the clod of earth in the center of the room.
5. One by one, have each principal plant their candle in the clod of earth. Do NOT lose track of which candle belongs to which principal.
6. One by one, have each principal light their candle. As each candle is lit, the principal must say their full name aloud. After a principal has lit their candle, they should pass the matches or lighter to the next principal to their right.
7. After all the candles have been lit, watch the flames; they will reveal each principal’s fortune.
   • If the candle burns steadily: Your future is strong and certain. Good things will come your way.
   • If the candle flickers or wavers: Your future is uncertain. Doubt and strife will plague you.
   • If the candle goes out: I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

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To Discover Whether Your Love Is True

Players:

• Two principals. The principals must be in a romantic relationship with one another.

Requirements:

• Two hazelnuts, one for each principal.
• The means and space to build a fire: Kindling, wood, matches or a lighter, a hearth or bonfire pit, etc.

Instructions:

1. Begin after dark on Oct. 31.
2. Build a fire. Wait until it burns strong and bright.
3. Together, have both principals toss their hazelnuts into the fire. Do NOT lose track of which nut belongs to which principal.
4. Watch the nuts’ behavior:
   • If both burn equally together: The match will last.
   • If one burns more brightly than the other: That principal’s love is deeper than the other’s.
   • If one cracks or explodes: That principal will not remain faithful.

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To Choose Between Two Suitors

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• The names of two suitors or romantic prospects.
• Two hazelnuts.
• The means and space to build a fire: Kindling, wood, matches or a lighter, a hearth or bonfire pit, etc.

Instructions:

1. Begin after dark on Oct. 31.
2. Build a fire. Wait until it burns strong and bright.
3. Assign one suitor to each nut. Then toss both nuts in the fire. Do NOT lose track of which nut corresponds to which suitor.
4. Watch the nuts’ behavior: The first nut to pop represents the love that is truest.

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To Test Your Luck

Players:

• Any number of principals.

Requirements:

• Three saucers.
• Clean water.
• Soapy water.
• A blindfold.
• A table.
• A large room.

Instructions:

1. Begin at any time on Oct. 31.
2. If necessary, position the table in the room.
3. Place the saucers on the table some distance apart from each other.
4. Fill one saucer with clean water.
5. Fill one saucer with soapy water.
6. Leave the third saucer empty.
7. Blindfold one principal. If playing with multiple players, spin the blindfolded principal around until they are disoriented; then lead them to the table. If playing alone, spin yourself around and carefully find your way to the table.
8. When the blindfolded principal reaches the table, they must reach out, find one saucer, and lightly dip their fingers into it.
   • If it is the saucer with clean water: The principal will have good luck in the year to come.
   • If it is the saucer with soapy water: The principal will have middling luck in the year to come.
   • If it is the empty saucer: The principal will have no luck in the year to come.

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To Seek Answers From The Dead

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• One purple candle.
• Incense and an incense burner.
• Matches or a lighter.
• Salt.
• A small bell.
• A power object. An item that belonged, in life, to the deceased person you wish to contact or a photograph of that person are ideal.
• A quiet, dark room.

Instructions:

1. Begin after dark on Oct. 31.
2. Bring your supplies to your quiet, dark room. Dim or turn off the lights if necessary.
3. Place the candle in the middle of the room. (You may place it on a table if you wish.) Create a circle of salt around it, then light it with the matches or lighter.
4. Light the incense and call the four quarters.
5. Place the incense beside the candle.
6. Ring the bell three times.
7. Now you may speak with the person you have attempted to contact. Speak softly and be respectful. They may or may not choose to respond, but they will be listening all the same. Ask any questions you have; if you are fortunate, they will respond. Pay attention to your environment — they may communicate in ways other than words.
8. When you have finished speaking with them, bid you farewells and extinguish the candle.
9. NOTE: If you feel at any point that the entity you have contacted is NOT the person you intended to, excuse yourself and extinguish the candle IMMEDIATELY.

Halloween Divination Rituals: FAQ.

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[Photo via webandi/Pixabay]