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'Smoke billets' - pictures from the Other Side!

escargot

Disciple of Marduk
Joined
Aug 24, 2001
Messages
43,131
Location
HM The Tower of London
Smoke Billets

I've just come across this on Facebook, of all places.

You hold a piece of paper, or 'billet', over a candle flame to coat it with smoke and then interpret the images which apparently appear on the paper. The faces of the dead are supposed to appear.

I seem to remember reading about this, and may even have tried it, as a child. (Dunno though. Being a precocious reader of my father's Fortean books, I learned to set 'ghost traps' with talcum powder. Got several wallopings for that so I'd have had a memorable belting for messing with paper and a lit candle! :lol: )

This is my project for tonight. I will post pictures.

If my house burns down, know that I did it in the name of pseudo-science. ;)
 
I'm hoping other investigators will have a go too. Why should I be the only one living in a burnt-out shell this Easter? :lol:
 
Just be careful, this might lead you to poring over sheep's entrails or something before long.
 
Last night we popped out for a very fine curry so I wasn't up to dabbling in smoke-related jiggery-pokery. Tonight's looking better, though. 8)

Here are some instructions.

Oooh, how very ritualistic. Can't WAIT. :D

Wait, sheep's entrails, you say?
Hmm…
 
We've had a go. Techy did two strikingly good ones, which appeared to depict a mother and child and, er, a cock'n'balls. :roll:
 
I just did this and lost an eyebrow.


I think the spirits were telling me I can't be trusted around fire.
 
escargot1 said:
We've had a go. Techy did two strikingly good ones, which appeared to depict a mother and child and, er, a cock'n'balls. :roll:

Well, that's a success by anyone's estimation. Spirit Madonna and Child (for Easter), and spirit grafitti.
 
escargot's anecdote number 14,212
escargot1 said:
We've had a go. Techy did two strikingly good ones, which appeared to depict a mother and child and, er, a cock'n'balls. :roll:

are you going to post photos then? (you don't have them any more do you)
 
The problem I've found with the smoke billets is that they're very messy. You only have to touch one lightly and you're covered from head to foot in candle smoke. :lol:

I'll have more time over the weekend and will have another go at burning the place down with them. ;)
 
The results in that video link all look really boring!

I might have a go and be very careful, don;t want to remind people about the court case. :oops:
 
Never heard of this before, but I'll give it a try over the weekend :D
 
escargot1 said:
We've had a go. Techy did two strikingly good ones, which appeared to depict a mother and child and, er, a cock'n'balls. :roll:

:lol:

It may have been the body of Christ?
 
Ringo_ said:
escargot1 said:
We've had a go. Techy did two strikingly good ones, which appeared to depict a mother and child and, er, a cock'n'balls. :roll:

:lol:

It may have been the body of Christ?

Only if an RC priest was present.
 
I'll have another go this week and will try laminating them to avoid the Black And White Minstrel Show effect.
 
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