The Emerald Oracle

The Emerald Oracle

In the winter of 1864, in a quiet corner of Kasia, India, Cecil Hawthorne encountered a dying Buddhist monk who would change the course of his spiritual investigations forever. The monk, trembling with guilt and reverence, confessed to stealing two sacred artefacts from a temple in his youth: a clay token known as the Mudrikā, and a vivid green pendulum known as the Emerald Oracle said to contain "the trapped light of a thousand souls." He believed these relics carried a karmic burden: centuries of worship, suffering, and spirit energy bound within their forms. He asked only one thing of Hawthorne: let them be seen.

Its most famous public unveiling occurred in 1882 during a séance at Hawthorne's London residence. There, before a gathering of spiritualists and sceptics alike, the Oracle bathed the room in an uncanny green light, and guests reported the appearance of shadowy figures and whispered voices.

After Hawthorne's death in 1899, the Emerald Oracle vanished. It was not listed among his effects, and for decades, its fate was the subject of speculation and séance. It passed into legend, a story told in whispers and footnotes.

Until now.

Its reappearance within the Cecil Hawthorne Collection marks the return of a relic long thought lost to time. Whether this is the original or something far older still, one cannot say. What matters is this: the pendulum has returned. And it remembers.

Limited Edition

The  Emerald Oracle is a limited edition of 60. No more will exist. The first batch of 23 have now all sold out. The next batch is planned for release late 2025.

The Collection

The Emerald Oracle is part of the Cecil Hawthorne Collection: an ongoing, immersive archive of relics, curiosities, and ephemera drawn from the fictional life of a scholar-medium who walked the line between metaphysics and science. Each object is designed not merely as a prop, but as an invitation: a way to step through the veil of time and belief.

Included within this edition:

• The Emerald Oracle: A faithful reproduction of Hawthorne’s original pendulum using genuine vintage components. The crystal glows with an unearthly hue under specific conditions (no batteries or magnets). Its presence is felt before it is seen.
• Hand-Aged Opium Box: Bearing the image of a wrathful protective deity. Inside the Oracle rests, shrouded in aged cloth.
• 1882 Séance Report (“The Medium and Daybreak”): A beautifully aged reproduction of the spiritualist journal that chronicled the infamous Russell Square séance.
• "Beyond the Veil" Magazine Feature: A 1983 retrospective exploring the story of the Emerald Oracle, lending historical texture and mystery to your presentation.
• Comprehensive Biography (Digital Download): A rich biography detailing Hawthorne’s life, séances, and metaphysical journey from his early influences to the mystery of his final séance. A sample is available here.
• Performance Guide (Digital Download): A comprehensive exploration of the Oracle’s haunting origins, Hawthorne’s rituals, and ways to craft moments of quiet, lasting impact.
• Certificate of Authenticity: Verifying your piece as part of the Cecil Hawthorne Collection.

Performance

The Oracle does not dazzle. It reveals.

The Emerald Oracle is a performance piece not of shock and illusion, but of contemplation, connection, and quiet revelation. It is not intended to perform at an audience, but with them. Each session becomes an act of shared inquiry, a moment suspended in time where movement may come not from the hand, but from something deeper.

The pendulum may rest in the hands of a participant, gently guided by their thoughts, intentions, or unresolved questions. It may respond with subtle swings, faint trembles, or stillness, each gesture ripe for reflection.

At times, it may glow. At other times, it may simply wait.

Used thoughtfully, the Oracle becomes an emotional mirror: a vessel through which intuitive truths surface. Whether as part of an intimate parlour experience or a more structured séance, it offers moments that feel personal, unforced, and deeply resonant.

For those wishing to expand the experience, the Oracle is designed to work in tandem with The Whispering Token  allowing for Hawthorne's storied “Test of Spiritual Integrity.” In this ritual, participants attempt to divine the token bearing the karmic weight of ages. The pendulum becomes a judge not of facts, but of feeling. The results are often unexpected.

Under the right conditions, the Oracle can be made to glow, a mysterious, otherworldly green light that seems to pulse with unseen energy. This effect is subtle and should be revealed sparingly, enhancing the moment rather than becoming its focus.

The pendulum waits.

Will it move for you?

Cecil Hawthorne, his stories, and his artefacts are a work of fiction under copyright by Laudanum House Limited. Any resemblance to actual events or persons living, dead, or undead are entirely coincidental. Note that all magical artefacts are a mixture of genuine Victoriana and highly crafted props. Cecil Hawthorne is fictitious and so are his magical artefacts and the history behind them.