There are bad ideas, and then there’s the Seventh Annual Psychic Horizons Cruise Experience. Five nights, four ports of call, and more aura readings than the Geneva Convention should legally allow. When I booked my ticket — in the name of research, masochism, and poor impulse control — I was promised “enlightenment, empowerment, and ethereal … Read more
There are many ways to spend a weekend. You could take a nap. You could clean your gutters. You could alphabetize your spice rack. Or, if you hate yourself and have an extra $500 burning a hole in your pocket, you could attend something like the Ascension Gathering, a weekend festival devoted to raising your … Read more
Small towns love their ghost walks. They’re tourism gold: a handful of half-remembered tragedies, a few atmospheric alleys, and a tour guide in a polyester cloak dramatically whispering about restless spirits while secretly checking the time on their phone. Hollow Hill’s offering promised an “authentic paranormal experience,” featuring “chilling tales,” “real haunted sites,” and “verified … Read more
There’s a special kind of theatrical stupidity involved in crystal ball gazing, and humanity has embraced it for centuries like a drunk clinging to a lamppost — not for illumination, but for support. The basic idea is simple: take a highly polished ball of quartz, or glass, or whatever’s cheapest at the local renaissance festival, … Read more