Here’s a page from Seance Parlor Feng Shui, a book that the renowned philosopher of magic Robert E. Neale (author of The Sense of Wonder) believes to contain no less than the secret to world peace. Feng shui, an ancient study of utilizing spaces, is all-too-often neglected by masters of occult ceremonies. Collected in this book are séance parlor arrangements proven so wildly successful that entire books have been dedicated to analyzing the wonderment they generated. The book deals only with designs that have earned widespread fame. The blueprints here represent such minute attention to detail, such focused intention on powerful results, that quietly meditating upon them as works of art reveals them to be sacrosanct. Say what you will as a believer or a skeptic; the séance rooms of Spiritualism reveal intelligent design.Through the course of my research, I’ve encountered some great vintage seances, collected here.
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Elena Elagina, Igor Makarevich (Russians, bb. 1949, 1943), Suprematist Mushroom no. 6, 2008. Acrylic & lacquer on canvas, 90 × 70 cm
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La machine à privilèges, Victor Brauner
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FOLK ASTROLOGY: THE MAN OF SIGNS
The curious image of the “Man of Signs” or “Zodiac Man” shows the Zodiac sign that rules each part of the human body. The basic illustration dates back to the 1300s, but it entered American folk belief in the 18th century, when printed almanacs became a trusted resource for farmers and planters.
Along with weather predictions and homespun advice, these almanacs kept their readers abreast of the moon’s monthly progression through the Zodiac. In an era before modern medicine, the sign for the day was coupled with the Man of Signs illustration to determine the most fortuitous times for treatment.
Likewise, the position of the moon was - and still often is - used to decide when and what to plant or harvest: If you want a bountiful carrot crop, Luna had best be in Capricorn!