The Wasp — 1891 — page 251: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon mocks spiritualism and mediums—a popular 19th-century phenomenon where people consulted supposed spirit communicators for advice. The sequential panels show a spiritualist medium bilking a credulous client through fraudulent séances and "spiritual guidance." The narrative ridicules both the charlatan medium (who admits purchasing land "through the advice of a spirit") and the gullible believer who lost money following supernatural counsel. Later panels show the medium's advice leading to absurd consequences—including a train crash—yet the client continues seeking spiritual guidance. The satire targets spiritualism as pseudoscientific fraud exploiting vulnerable people's desire for supernatural wisdom. The subtitle emphasizes "especially the one who consults the spirits for advice," suggesting the real foolishness lies with believers rather than charlatans.