CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
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Abecedarian personal effects of 'a mad genius'
A Turkish Delight of musings on languages, deflations of metaphysics, vauntings of arcana, and great visual humor.

Found 26 posts tagged ‘black magic’

Restoring the Lost Sense – February 11, 2028 (permalink)

"The bad wishers."  From Tales From Silver Lands by Charles J. Finger and illustrated by Paul Honoré, 1924.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #occult #curse #black magic #1920s #illustration
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Old News – May 11, 2026 (permalink)

"Disastrous day for black magic."  From the Bombay Sunday Chronicle, 1941.
> read more from Old News . . .
#occult #black magic #vintage headline
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Yearbook Weirdness – October 15, 2022 (permalink)

From Tulane's 1921 yearbook.

*For some unbelievably weird yearbook imagery, see our How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.
> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #magick #necromancy #skull #skull face #genie #occult #djinn #fraternity #vintage yearbook #black magic #yearbook #secret society
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Restoring the Lost Sense – February 7, 2021 (permalink)

From Woroni, 1991.
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #anthropomorphism #black magic #rabbit #dancing animal #dancing rabbit #black rose
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Old News – August 17, 2019 (permalink)

Black magic is the theme.  From the Florida Flambeau, 1959.
> read more from Old News . . .
#occult #black magic #vintage headline #headline
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Restoring the Lost Sense – February 14, 2019 (permalink)

"Communication from the spirit of the 'lowest circle.'"  From The Fashionable Science of Parlour Magic by John Henry Anderson, 1860.  See Seance Parlor Feng Shui.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #devil #magick #necromancy #occult #spiritualism #black magic #seance
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Colorful Allusions – November 21, 2018 (permalink)

> read more from Colorful Allusions . . .
#vintage illustration #magick #occult #black magic #vintage book #book #magic book #star #white magic
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The Right Word – November 11, 2018 (permalink)

 In the Mota language of the Vanuatu archipelago, a tamate-tiqa is a "ghost-shooter," a tube of bamboo stuffed with magic and shot off against the person whom it is desired to injure.  From A Dictionary of the Language of Mota, Sugarloaf Island, Banks' Islands by Codrington and Palmer, 1896
> read more from The Right Word . . .
#magick #black magic #mota language
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Restoring the Lost Sense – October 7, 2018 (permalink)

By Frederick Carter.  From Form Quarterly of the Arts, 1916.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #haunted #ghost #magick #occult #spirit #shadow #black magic #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense – November 8, 2017 (permalink)

From Die Bühne, 1928.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #magician #vintage magic #black magic #magic hat #vintage magician #illustration #hat trick #black magician
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Restoring the Lost Sense – October 31, 2017 (permalink)

"Class in the Black-Art will meet on Hallow-E'en!"  Date uncertain.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#witch #magick #halloween #black arts #black cat #occult #october #jack-o'-lantern #black magic #vintage halloween
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Restoring the Lost Sense – June 11, 2017 (permalink)

"She is holding the thought: 'That plague spot on Mr. Still's face will spread its virus and kill at last.'"  From Modern Witchcraft, Or The Use and Abuse of Mind Power by Mary Elizabeth Howe, 1908.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #witch #magick #witchcraft #occult #black magic #illustration #mind over matter
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Restoring the Lost Sense – March 16, 2017 (permalink)

"I say it again!—I would give my immortal soul!"  From "The Witch of Prague" in English Illustrated, 1890.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #witch #magick #witchcraft #black magic #immortal soul #illustration
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Old News – March 15, 2017 (permalink)

"Prayers for revenge said by nails driven in wooden statue."  From Popular Mechanics, 1924.
> read more from Old News . . .
#vintage illustration #occult #voodoo #black magic #revenge #vintage headline #illustration #headline #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense – March 14, 2017 (permalink)

From an 1865 issue of Fun magazine.
[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #demon #imp #devil #magick #conjuration #black magic #evocation #illustration
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Restoring the Lost Sense – April 17, 2016 (permalink)

"Hezekiah Bonham raises the Devil," from The Racy Adventures of Tom Galloway the Boy Jockey, 1867.

[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #devil #satan #magick #conjuration #black magic #raising the devil #illustration #art
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Restoring the Lost Sense – January 3, 2016 (permalink)

Winking at the devil, from Chap-Books of the Eighteenth Century, 1882.   Also very much of interest: The Young Wizard's Hexopedia.

[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#devil #satan #magick #woodcut #conjuration #wizard #black magic
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Restoring the Lost Sense – December 29, 2015 (permalink)

From Chap-Books of the Eighteenth Century, 1882.   Also very much of interest: The Young Wizard's Hexopedia and A Snowball's Chance in Hell.

[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#devil #satan #magick #conjuration #wizard #magician #black magic
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Restoring the Lost Sense – November 20, 2015 (permalink)

Under Spell of the Dark Powers by G. A. Colmache, 1888.

[Inexplicable images from generations ago invite us to restore the lost sense of immediacy.  We follow the founder of the Theater of Spontaneity, Jacob Moreno, who proposed stringing together "now and then flashes" to unfetter illusion and let imagination run free.  The images we have collected for this series came at a tremendous price, which we explained previously.]
> read more from Restoring the Lost Sense . . .
#vintage illustration #vintage book cover #magick #book cover #black magic #bewitched #dark powers #book #illustration
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Yearbook Weirdness – October 28, 2015 (permalink)

From the Epitome yearbook of Lehigh University, 1896.  Speaking of which, what exactly are a snowball's chances in hell?  See A Snowball's Chance in Hell and How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook..

> read more from Yearbook Weirdness . . .
#vintage illustration #devil #satan #magick #occult #demons #imps #vintage yearbook #black magic #magic circle #yearbook #illustration
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