The Spiritualist newspaper > No.155, August 13th 1875

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THE SPIRITUALIST.
Aug. 18, 1875.
happily begun.—Jas. Coates, .74, Queen’s-road, Everton,
Liverpool, August 7th, 1875.”
• NEWCASTLE - ON-TYNE.
A Seance with Miss Wood.—Last Sunday evening about
twenty members of the Newcastle Psychological Society met at
their rooms in the Freemasons’ Old Hall,Weir’s-court,Newgate-
street. Miss Wood was present, and was placed in a chair ;
her wrists were fastened by straps to its arms; two paper
tubes, a concertina, handbell, and tambourine were placed
underneath, after which the members formed a circle round
her with joined hands. On the light being put out, one spirit
spoke through her, and another through Mr. Crawford, one of
the circle. Judging from the exclamations of those present,
the power was very strong, as taps upon various sitters fell
thick and fast; the touches from hands and the playing of
instruments on the heads of those present following so rapidly
the humorous remarks from one of the spirits, left no room
for doubt as to the genuineness of the manifestations.
LEICESTEB.
The Useof Spirit Communion.--A Leicester gentleman writes:
“ A remarkable private seance was held a short time ago at the
house of a gentleman in Leicester, who, with his wife, is an
earnest and sincere inquirer into the wonderful verities of
spiritual phenomena. Previous seances had been held, and
startling and undeniable manifestations, both physical and
otherwise,, had been obtained. But the old and pardonable
query, ‘ What good ?’ was agitating the mind of the lady of
the house, though unknown to others. Secretly and within
herself she asked—‘ Does not sitting create morbid excite¬
ment ? Does it not unfit us for the daily routine of duty ?’
We met at eight p.m., and were in number three ladies and
five gentlemen, including two mediums, one a lady and the
other a gentleman. Being seated round the drawing-room
table, various raps were given in answer to questions, and
ultimately the table was raised from the floor without contact.
The lady medium on becoming entranced gave most remark¬
able proof of spirit identity ; her body and arms Were strangely
contorted, portraying most accurately the affliction of a
relative of some of the sitters, who died some time ago, and
who was at once recognised. Other tests or identifications
were" also given to other sitters. The other medium being
entranced, gave the following address on the Cui hono query
so aptly, that it seemed, as the hostess said, as if her mind and
thoughts had been laid bare to the speaker:—
' “ ‘ Dear friends,—It is well that you should seek for tests and proofs un¬
deniable of the truth of spirit existence. These are a real primary neces¬
sity—a necessity both for individuals and the world at large; as without
these tests none but those who possess faith in a very high degree, and
those who are peculiarly susceptible to mesmeric influences, would ever
accept the truth of spirit communion. I say spirit communion in contra¬
distinction from the so-called angelic communion which is admitted to be
recorded in the Word of God! Yet when these tests have been obtained
and duly applied, you should also then seek for that counsel and instruc¬
tion which shall enable you better to think and to live here and hereafter.
By seeking for these the whole moral tone of your earthly life will be
raised, the spiritual faculties quickened, and the intuitions of the soul
deepened: so that you will be enabled to understand in its inner depth of
grander beauty the life and death of Him who is the great Saviour of men.
You will receive- purer and holier conceptions of God, and of the truer
reality of your duties and relationships to the spirit world. Excitement
will pass away, and a holy peace and calm shall rest upon your souls,
which you will know and feel to be no morbid excitement but an inward
living truth. E. N.’
“ Shortly after this address, so weightily delivered, our
seance was brought to a close. The initials given purport to
be those of Eliphalet Nott. Can your readers give us any in¬
formation respecting the person ? Clericus.”
M. Aksakob informs us that, as the Conference of
Naturalists at Gratz, in Styria, Austria, will be sitting from
the 18th to the 25th of September, he and Professor Butterof
cannot reach London till towards the close of that month.
A new monthly journal devoted to Spiritualism has
appeared at Ostend, called De Rots (The Bock) and is written
partly in French and partly in Flemish, so as to reach both
classes of the Belgian population. Ostend has also an active
Spiritualist society.
In an article on Australia contained in Fraser's Magazine
for May, 1868, is the following passage: “ In Victoria and
Tasmania the Government contributes aid to every church
that chooses to claim it, in the ratio of the numbers belonging
to the several sects, audit also subsidizes the Jews, who declare
all Christians to be blindly labouring in superstition and in¬
sanely misreading the Scriptures they pretend to have built
upon.”
OBSERVATION'S ON MEDIUMS.
BY LISETTE MAICDOTJGALL GREGORY.
The time appears to have arrived when it may be
useful to analyse and distinguish between mediumship
and Spiritualism.
The first may be the means of manifesting wonder^
ful and startling phenomena, without imparting any
spiritual life, or even aspiration for it, but the true
Spiritualist is polarised to God, and is filled with a
Divine power which interpenetrates his whole being,
influencing his life and actions, yet he himself may be
powerless to produce any outward manifestation of
mediumship.
These thoughts have been suggested to my mind by
the shallowness and worldly nature of some of the
messages given, even when they have not been alto¬
gether false. Bearing this fact in mind, and having
my feelings much exercised on account of a friend
who, I feared, did not realise the great gulf which
too frequently divides these two natures, I requested
a lady who combines in herself largely these qualifi¬
cations, and whom Providence seemed to have cast
in my way, to obtain from her spirit-guides some
message of instruction upon this subject. The fol¬
lowing was the result:—
Let mediums ask themselves, what motive guides them in
their mediumship.
Let them ask themselves, what are the feelings left after¬
wards on their own spirit.
Sometimes mediumship is caused by the influence of low
spirits, who work their earthly mediums as machines, without
caring what becomes of them, until the hour arrives when
they have used out of them all they care for, and leave them
as an empty wreck stranded on a desert shore; there is no
vitality to quicken and bring life into their minds. But
spiritual mediumship is this : high, and holy, and honourable
spirits hold converse with an earth-spirit; they treat him
always as a free agent; they consult his good; they instruct
and teach him. If he is obedient, and understands what true
humility means, they speak or write through him living words
of spirit-life, that quicken other souls to life. This life
stretches on through the endless ages of eternity, creating
life in all who come in contact with it.
The first of these is a mirage of the desert, the other a
spring of never-failing water.
Therefore, let mediums of the first class take heed, and be
warned, ere it be too late.
SPIRITUALISM IN AMERICA.
The remarks of Mr. Epes Sargent published in this journal
last week, and the contents of the American spiritual news¬
papers which came to hand a few days ago, show that Spirit¬
ualists on the other side of the Atlantic are in a disturbed,
unhappy state, and the cause of this tribulation becomes
apparent after a little thought. Spiritual phenomena, more
especially the physical manifestations, have been developed
year after year in all directions. Miscellaneous circles of
spectators have observed them in leisure hours in an idle way,
very little money, time, or intelligence being systematically
and regularly expended to ascertain the nature and
the dangers of mediumship, or the best means of keeping off
bad influences from the mesmeric sensitives in whose presence
the manifestations are produced. Until Spiritualists devote
the same time and study and funds to this subject that the
learned societies do to other branches of science, very
disagreeable things will occasionally occur until the trouble
thereby caused forces the seeking for a remedy.
Mrs. Holmes has again been charged with imposture, but to
test her there were antagonistic influences, including a jealous
medium, in the circle, and one sarcastic lady amused herself
by aping the manifestations. Now anybody who has had
experience at such seances knows that with such a circle with
almost any medium questionable manifestations result; why
this is so we do not know: it may be that the sitters bring
low spirits with them who operate upon the medium, or it
may be that their sarcastic and bitter state of mind irritates