Thurston Penwick III 
There’s something particularly grating about watching a suburban yoga instructor in $200 leggings stand in a circle of tourists, waving a smoldering bundle of sage like they’re warding off invisible mosquitos, and announcing that they’re “clearing negative energy.” Welcome to the world of modern smudging — where ancient spiritual practices are Xeroxed, mispronounced, stripped of … Read more
There’s something especially magical about crop circles. Not in the way the believers think — no sacred geometry, no alien landing pads — but magical in the sense that a couple of dudes with planks and rope can absolutely devastate the critical thinking skills of an entire generation. Every summer, like clockwork, a field somewhere … Read more
There are places where the boundary between the living and the dead supposedly thins to a whisper. And then there’s the Grand Séance Society, where the only thing thinning is your will to live. Billed as “a one-of-a-kind immersive paranormal experience,” the Grand Séance Society operates out of an old theater that smelled like mildew, … Read more
If you ever want to understand human optimism at its worst, visit a “haunted” lighthouse on a foggy afternoon. Specifically, visit The Broken Lantern Lighthouse — proudly advertised as “The Most Active Paranormal Site on the Coast” by a town whose tourism slogan might as well be “We’re Still Here!” The Broken Lantern dates back … Read more
There was a time when looking at the Great Pyramid of Giza could fill a person with proper awe — the kind of admiration you should feel when you realize that, five thousand years ago, without cranes, GPS, or a single MBA consultant, human beings dragged two-ton stones across a desert, stacked them with supernatural … Read more
Legends say that somewhere along the rugged coast of Baja California, an entire fishing village disappeared overnight. The boats returned empty. The houses stood vacant. The townspeople were just — gone. Today, Bahía Perdida proudly sells itself as “Mexico’s Most Haunted Bay,” complete with ghost ship tours, commemorative shot glasses, and enough dubious nautical merchandise … Read more
Let’s be honest: ghost hunters are just cosplayers who got lost on their way to the paintball field. The “science” of ghost hunting boils down to this: turn off all the lights, wander around abandoned buildings in cargo pants, whisper “Did you hear that?” every six seconds, and record some static to call it a … Read more
Ah, Blue Harbor — that windswept hamlet where lobster traps outnumber stop signs and everyone suddenly has a side hustle in artisanal cheese. Into this coastal chic chaos strides The Wayward Fork, a converted barn-cum-bistro adorned with Edison bulbs, reclaimed driftwood, and the gentle hum of a folk playlist that sounds suspiciously AI-generated. Seated at … Read more
Somewhere near Sparrow’s Hollow, Massachusetts, wedged between an abandoned corn maze and a souvenir stand that only sells dreamcatchers and beef jerky, you’ll find the Smooching Stone. According to legend — and a very enthusiastic handwritten sign — anyone who kisses the stone will be “blessed with eternal love, lifelong luck, and possibly spiritual enlightenment, … Read more
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones — but people who find themselves facing a cosmic dilemma might want to try it. Are you torn between two lovers? Trying to decide which job offer to take? Do you wish the ancient gods would whisper words of wisdom in your ear? The answer is … Read more