magic 8 ball and the occult connection

magic 8 ball, and it's occult connection


Everyone has dabbled with the magic 8 ball at least once.  A crystal ball novelty toy with a free floating die in a blue dissolved fluid with 20 possible answers from 'yes' to 'reply hazy'.  What is less known is that this novelty toy has roots in automatic writing and spiritualism.  Albert C. Carter, son of a medium from Cincinnati, created the prototype for the magic 8 ball or as it was known The Syco-Seer, and was based on his mother's automatic writings devices.

Syco seer variation called the Syco-slate late 40's

Carter approached storekeeper Max Levinson, and together they created the novelty devices for his shop and acquired the patent for the syco seer.  Levinson and his brother in law modified the original patent into something Though the original syco seer didn't grab the national attention, the revamped product caught the attention of Chicago's Brunswick Billiards, and in 1950 they commissioned  a version in the form of a traditional black and white 8-ball.



Like automatic writing, the magic 8 ball is novelty device that will give an answer to someone's question.  They concentrate on the question, shake the ball, and a random answer will foretell the future.  The magic eight ball also has some ties to the ancient fortune telling method of tossing coins called, I ching.  Now, a part of popular culture, Carter's device has achieved a fame even he could not see with his pocket fortune teller.

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