The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

divination

How Does It Work?: Reading Tea Leaves, Pareidolia, And The Imprecise Art Of Tasseography

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Previously: Palmistry. I have only had my tea leaves read once. I was a teenager visiting New Orleans in the early 2000s, so obviously I had to go to the Bottom Of The Cup specifically for a Continue Reading > about How Does It Work?: Reading Tea Leaves, Pareidolia, And The Imprecise Art Of Tasseography

How Does It Work?: Palmistry, Or, How To Hold The Future In The Palm of Your Hand

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Previously: Tarot Cards. I couldn’t tell you when I learned that palm-reading existed; due in large part, I think, to the kinds of stories I developed an interest in at an early age, knowledgeable Continue Reading > about How Does It Work?: Palmistry, Or, How To Hold The Future In The Palm of Your Hand

The Most Dangerous Games: The Shuffle Game, Or, A Beginner’s Guide To Shufflemancy

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Previously: The Kissing Chair Game. Note: Please don’t copy/paste or republish the text of this post on other websites without permission. Since about 2016, this particular ritual game has been Continue Reading > about The Most Dangerous Games: The Shuffle Game, Or, A Beginner’s Guide To Shufflemancy

How Does Automatic Writing Work? Motor Automatism And The Unconscious Mind

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Previously: Dowsing And The Power Of Expectation. We’ve all seen scenes in movies or read about them in books where someone drifts off, daydreaming, only look down and find they’ve written or drawn Continue Reading > about How Does Automatic Writing Work? Motor Automatism And The Unconscious Mind

How Does Dowsing Work? Water Witching And The Power Of Expectation

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Previously: Spirit Boxes And Auditory Pareidolia. Weirdly enough, the first time I encountered the concept of dowsing was in a manga I first read about 20 years ago — and I say “weirdly” because Continue Reading > about How Does Dowsing Work? Water Witching And The Power Of Expectation

The Most Dangerous Games: A Collection Of Halloween Divination Games

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Previously: Halloween Summoning Ritual. Note: Please don’t copy/paste or republish the text of this post on other websites without permission. Folklore is rife with Halloween divination games Continue Reading > about The Most Dangerous Games: A Collection Of Halloween Divination Games

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