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Icy Sedgwick

Folklore & Fantasy Fiction

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Occult

What is the Commonplace Tarot Deck and why do you need it?

December 18, 2020 by Icy Sedgwick 2 Comments

The Commonplace Tarot deck is onto its second edition through Kickstarter. Icy Sedgwick interviews creator Nell Latimer about the project.

It’s fair to say I’m a big fan of tarot cards and all things divination. I got my first tarot deck aged 18, and over the years I’ve collected a range of decks. One of my favourites is the Commonplace Tarot by Nell Latimer. If you want to learn more about the history and folklore […]

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Filed Under: Occult Tagged With: divination, tarot cards

Oracle Cards vs Tarot Cards: What’s the Difference?

August 11, 2020 by Icy Sedgwick 1 Comment

When you're looking for cards for divination, which are better, oracle or tarot cards? Let's explore the oracle cards vs tarot cards debate.

Divination has become a popular pastime in recent years. Runes, cards, and dowsing are all options you might see over on Instagram. Brigit Esselmont at Biddy Tarot even brought out a handbag-sized tarot deck for readings on the go. If you visit your local metaphysical shop or bookstore for tarot cards, you might see oracle […]

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Filed Under: Occult Tagged With: divination, fortune telling, oracle cards, tarot cards

Explore the Surprising Truth about Necromancy

June 13, 2020 by Icy Sedgwick 9 Comments

Is necromancy really about raising the dead, or is it a form of artful divination? Click the link to explore this strange practice that dates to ancient Greece!

‘Necromancy’ seems to baffle a lot of people. If people have heard of it, they either confuse it with necrophilia, or assume it means raising armies of the dead. Popular culture certainly chooses the latter option. Just look at the Necronomicon in the Evil Dead films. The book was first invented as a grimoire by […]

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Filed Under: Occult Tagged With: death, necromancy, the underground city

Is Victorian death photography creepy or just sad?

October 28, 2019 by Icy Sedgwick 15 Comments

Death photography, or post-mortem photography, is one of the Victorian era's weirder exports. Is it as creepy as it looks, or is it more poignant than that?

The Victorians could certainly be a weird bunch. They invented the modern seance and picnicked in cemeteries. Talented taxidermists turned the craft into an art form, particularly involving anthropomorphised animals. They made jewellery out of the hair of their loved ones. It’s hardly surprising that they’d also invent death photography. As we’re in the build-up […]

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Filed Under: Occult Tagged With: death, death photography, halloween, Photography, post-mortem photography, spooky, the gothic, Victorians

Are Ouija boards really evil doorways to hell?

October 26, 2019 by Icy Sedgwick 12 Comments

Ouija boards are portrayed as doorways to hell by Hollywood, but they were originally harmless parlour games. Are they evil or just misunderstood?

Ouija boards hold a particularly sinister reputation, even among people who might otherwise consider themselves rational or scientific. They’ll happily use an EMF meter, or bust out the cameras and voice recorders, on a ghost hunt. But show them a Ouija board and you can’t see them for dust. If you believe horror movies, the […]

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Filed Under: Occult Tagged With: death, ghosts, halloween, history, ouija boards, paranormal, spooky bonanza, supernatural

Is spirit photography even possible or is it just fraud?

October 3, 2019 by Icy Sedgwick 5 Comments

Spirit photography was a huge craze in the 19th century. But is there any possibility it might yield real results, or is it all just one giant con?

We live in an age in which we’re used to edited imagery and special effects. But such visual trickery predates Photoshop and other software by a good century and a half. The field of spirit photography relied on a mixture of belief, photographic gimmicks, and new technology to ‘capture’ the dead. Is it really all […]

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Filed Under: Occult Tagged With: death, ghosts, halloween, occult, spirit photography, spiritualism, spooky, supernatural, the gothic

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Who is Icy Sedgwick?

icy sedgwick

Icy is a folklore blogger and host of the Fabulous Folklore podcast. She is based in the north east of England, where she was born and raised amid the folk tales and legends of Tyneside and Northumberland. Icy is fascinated by history, cinema, art, and the occult, and griffins will always be her favourite mythical beast. She also writes dark fantasy novellas, Gothic short stories and the occasional weird Western, and she holds a PhD in Film Studies!

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