Hi Everyone,

I've been starting to put together a seance routine for some friends around Halloween this year. I am going to do it at a friend's house. They have talked about some strange happenings since they moved in.

I was thinking that a good idea might be to get an old weird looking music box and weave the entire seance around it. I'll start by explaining that I was checking out the house and found this item under a floorboard in the attic. I mean, it would be simple enough to make it start playing by itself after the guests have almost forgotten about it. I haven't figured out how to rig it to appear broken upon initial examination yet.

Do you think that this is a good finale to my seance?

Has anyone used this angle before?

Anyways, I love the creative thinking that I've seen on this forum and wanted to throw out an idea and let everyone run with it.
Please give me some feedback on this idea.
Thanks,
Zero G

You may want to look into Lee Earle's "The Musing Box." Very similar effect, and very strong.

Hi Zero G,

You and others may be interested in this
Yahoo Group called Methods Of Madness at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MethodzOfMadness/

You can throw out 'How To' questions and ideas, and a very great location on getting ideas on 'Haunted' props etc...

It is a site for those who run haunted houses etc..

Take care
Ed

There is a great routine in Jim Magus' book Raising the Dead for Fun and Profit called Voices from the Past. This uses an old time radio. I believe it's just what you are looking for. Check it out.

http://www.bizarremagick.com/jmagusproducts.html

Doug

I have to go along with Doug on the recommendation of the book.

Ed

I think one has to define the word, "Music Box." When I hear the term music box, I think a real music box, and not a radio. I like Jim's rountine Voices From the Past, but I really do not see it fitting into Zero's plans, as written.

I would have to agree the musing box is a wonderful idea, but does it come with different music these days?

I believe it is Damones Dairy that has a nice method on setting up a Music box to open and play on its own-spirit sonata, a lot cleaner if you ask me (the method listed is based on an idea listed in Lovecraftian ceremonies by Stephen Minch--I perfer the method listed in Damones Dairy, but that is me).

On the other hand if you are looking to use an old radio, then Jim's routine is nice and will suit your needs.

Kevin

You are absolutely correct brother Kevin. I dropped the ball on this one. That's what I get for not talking my Focus Factor before answering a post. :0)

My appologies. :0(

Doug

Hey Doug,
May not have been just what I was looking for, but I appreciate any insight. I'll make a prediction - by October, I'll have the Magus book.
Thanks to all,
Zero G

I do a seance where I invoke the spirit of Giovanni Bosco (the patron saint of magicians) where I use a music box. I use it to hold smaller props (candle, pencil, matches, glorpy) and use the music to call his spirit. The San Francisco Music Box Company has a lot of great boxes that you can put different tunes into. Since I'm invoking an Italian saint, my box has a huge gaudy cross on it and plays a piece from "The Magic Flute" (pun intended).

I think bringing an element of sound into a seance is a great idea. If you want it to start playing on its own check out Necromancer's post above. "The Musing Box" is very cool.

Mark

Here is a thought for you: a music box that belonged to a little girl, who died. A person at the table writes their name, birth date what have you on the a card and signs it and places it in the box, with a pencil.

The box opens by itself (see books mentioned or pm me) and starts playing,the card has changed a bit and has a message written on it.

On a side note, someplace I read a way to make a box that will make a pinwheel spin, but I will have to look that up..........Another time maybe.

Kevin

Sir T, the box which spins a pinwheel is detailed in Ed Solomon's excellent (and very moving) "Baby's Breath" which I believe can be found in the extra lectures section over at Dragonskull.