Rediscovering What Spiritualism and Church SHOULD be About!

On Sunday evening I did something I had not done since the summer. I went to church! You know how sometimes you just feel the need to be somewhere and so you go not knowing why but knowing you had to go at that particular time.

Anyway I went to Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church. I had no idea why I needed to be there but I went with an open mind. So I find myself at this little store front church tucked between two older commercial units. I see there is a number key lock on the door and I am thinking what the heck? But something prods me to enter.

Inside I found a beautifully decorated church and people happily getting ready for the Christmas Service. It has been many years since I set foot in a Christian Spiritualist Church so I was surprised that spirit would think to push me to come out on this night of all nights! Again I am thinking to myself, what the heck? And yet I am comfortable and feeling quite at home. One of the regular members has introduced herself to me and started explaining to me who is who and how things work at this church. It was like being introduced to someone’s family for the first time! I was totally amazed and felt so welcomed and this woman made sure that the folks who run things at this church met me also. Now I had talked to the president of the church several months prior and was totally surprised that he remembered me.

As the service progressed I remembered why I used to enjoy going to church. I felt more community in this little church than I had in the last 3 years I had spent in Spiritualism. After the service I stuck around for the coffee and visit and got to talk to most of the members who were also there enjoying fellowship with each other. I must say that it had been many years since I actually felt the true spirit of Christmas in a church and I found myself thinking about how glad I was that I had made the effort to attend that night.

What I saw and felt during the service and at the coffee and visit after was a group of people truly working as a community. The minister of this church passed away several months prior and this little church really has pulled together to pick up the pieces. Everyone I met that evening seemed genuinely pleased to welcome me as a newcomer and the president of the church even introduced me as a professional reader which shocked the heck out of me. None of these folks were threatened by the fact that I am an established reader who was coming into their church. What a nice change compared to my last experience! I must say that because I felt so welcomed and accepted as I am I gladly gave messages to those who asked or who spirit told me needed a word or two.

Although I would not consider myself a Christian Spiritualist, I will gladly attend this church again and even offer to help where I can because just by being kind and open these folks gave me something I felt was lost in Spiritualism. They showed me that there is genuine caring community and fellowship in their Spiritualist Church and really made an effort to welcome me into their congregation. Now I know why Spirit drew me out on Sunday night. Spirit wanted me to see what Spiritualism is supposed to be about. Love, community service, fellowship and healing! I feel blessed to have shared in the Christmas Service at Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church. I am looking forward to attending again in the New Year!

Mediums are better than Psychics or are they??

I often read and post on various Spiritualism discussion boards and while I expect folks to disagree I will never understand the bugaboo between the terms medium and psychic. For most people these words are interchangeable but for dogmatists in Spiritualism these words seem to mean to very different things. Psychics tend to be viewed by these judgmental Spiritualists as suspect or less capable spiritual readers.

The party line for most Spiritualists seems to be that mediums are superior to psychics because they approach reading and message work from a Spiritualist perspective while psychics are assumed to be New Age flakes and money hungry. Now political correctness dictates that ministers are careful who they say these kinds of comments to but, often behind closed doors (in the form of disparaging humour shared with other Spiritualists) bigoted comments about psychics and the greed of these “New Agers” as a means to demean folks who are spiritual seekers but not involved with the Spiritualist movement are the norm rather than the exception.

Out of the mouth of one minister I often heard the comment “Any jackass and his monkey can be a psychic but it takes work to be a medium.” Now as shocking as this might seem to the reader I have come to understand that people who make such comments are insecure, jealous bigots who will put down others that they feel are a threat to them and their financial and professional position. Once I made this realization I began to rethink what I was told about the differences between psychics and mediums.

Spiritualists will say things like:

Psychics are dealing with lower/earth bound spirits.

Psychics are reading the sitters mind or physical energy and not connecting properly to spirit.

And the best one is that psychics are more focused on money and material gain than Spiritualist mediums.

Not only are these statements bigoted they are outright lies in my opinion that are rooted in jealousy, bigotry, hypocrisy and the good old double standard that allows Spiritualists to condemn psychics for being materially focused when they are just as money hungry as the folks they accuse of this fault .

The only real difference between a psychic and a medium is that a medium has been trained to work in the Spiritualist churches and most psychics have gotten their training and reading experience in other venues like psychic fairs.

This is not to say that all psychics are good practitioners but Spiritualists cannot honestly claim that all mediums are working at the highest standard either. I have seen as many bad mediums on the church platforms in my 12 years as an active Spiritualist as I see in cheesy psychic listings and websites on the web. Even though most Spiritualists know there are good and bad mediums just like there are good and bad psychics there are some dogmatic people who disparage anything that is outside the confines of Spiritualism and thus their grasp. In an effort to justify their position as a minister and Spiritualism as a movement they will take great pains to define to death the differences between the terms medium vs. psychic as if this is in anyway helpful to interested seekers.

The reality is that there is no consistency in mediumship training within the churches. For example I went to one Spiritualist church looking for a development circle and was told they don’t do that but they have a Bible Study! They figured that they could leave mediumship and message work up to God’s inspiration!

Another church I went to was very focused on a development circle where the goal was physical manifestation of spirit through one medium. In that group there is one medium and the rest of the sitters are used as energy sources or "batteries" so to speak. This kind of circle is a throw back to the early days of Spiritualism and does not tend to allow for each member to enjoy full spiritual progress on a personal level.

The latest church development circle I was in was one where the minister’s biases, phobias and judgmental attitude prevented any real spiritual growth in the sitters. She was pushing them so hard to become mediums that many were uncomfortable in circle because they felt intimidated and afraid of what might happen if they could not bring a message.

Now this is just a sampling of the diverse and not always good training that is going on in the Spiritualist Churches in Ontario and yet all of them call their workers mediums. I ask you, how is the seeker supposed to know what quality of medium they will be exposed to in the churches with this kind of lack of constancy and continuity between these organizations? If the Spiritualist churches and their ministers are having this much trouble training their mediums what gives them the right to condemn psychics for supposedly lacking integrity as readers and suggesting that their work is suspect and lacking quality?

Again I say that the idea that mediums are more spiritual and not as focused on material gain is also bogus. This delusion notion that mediums are some how more spiritually evolved than psychics is just a complete farce! I have seen ministers (who are also mediums) that bleed their churches dry for rent when the church is barely surviving make these kinds of nefarious claims about other practitioners while they are as bad as the “New Age” psychics they are trying to demonize for what they claim is their money hungry behavour.

What is even sadder is that these ministers believe their own delusions and lies and pontificate about spiritual progression, working with elevated spirit guides and developing high standards for mediumship while this kind of negativity seeps out of their bodies, minds and spirits. And then they wonder why their church is suffering and they are losing their mediumship ability?

I do not wonder at all why they and their churches are in the bad state they are in. Bigotry, jealousy, hypocrisy and unjustifiable double standards are huge negatives that consume all the energy around them so that nothing positive can thrive! The Law of Attraction says that like draws to like and yet they do not see the damage their attitude is doing to their organizations!

Spell Caster Scams Online: Radio Interviews for 1290 CJBK and the CBC

On Halloween day I had a very interesting experience. It was the day for radio interviews. In the morning I was interviewed on The Shauna Rae Show on News Talk 1290 CJBK (London, Ontario) at 11 am. (http://www.cjbk.com/). The topic was Spell Casters Online. Once I got past my nervousness, I enjoyed talking to the host I found her to be friendly, and interested in the topic. The whole interview maybe lasted about 5-7 minutes but it was a great experience!

It was excellent practice for later that afternoon when I was asked to talk to different hosts cross Canada for CBC Radio via Nationally Syndicated Interviews. (http://www.cbc.ca/) Over about 2 and half hours, I spoke to 10 different hosts from St. John’s to Winnipeg about the subject of “Spell Casting Scams”. This experience was fascinating because I was in a studio booth for the most part by myself waiting for each of the hosts to call in. Although I was unnerved the studio people were great! They made sure I knew what to do and prepared me for each host.

Each host approached the topic in a slightly different way and my feeling is that the women were more openly interested in the topic then the men. I wonder if this is because women are more likely to consider checking out Spell Casters on the internet when their relationships are in trouble. My sense from the men is that they could not believe that Spell Casters on line is a thriving business. In spite of the male hosts’ disbelief the figures quoted in the Globe and Mail article on the same topic that appeared in the Saturday paper under the title “Love Spell $99.99” says that “more than four million sites pop up”. Anyway, once getting past the shock it was easy to tell the hosts both male and female how the scams work and how the exchange of money for spells in illegal in Ontario.

Basically when the seeker goes to the spell caster they are told that the spell is going to cost X amount of dollars. Sounds straight forward right? Well no… then they are told that there is more to the spell casting procedure and that it is going to take several more sessions for the spell to be ready to use. Of course this means more visits to the spell caster and more money spent. So that love spell for $99.99 will actually cost the seeker will into several thousands of dollars by the time they realize that they have been taken to the cleaners.

Another common spell casting scam happens when the seeker goes to a psychic or palm reader and is told that they have an evil spell on them that only the said psychic/ palm reader can remove for a cost of course. Now for a reader to do this to the public is manipulation and extortion through the use of scare tactics. They make the seeker think that they are cursed and convince them to spend their hard earned cash to have the spell removed. This is illegal in Ontario. It is illegal because the reader uses fear and threats to get money out of the seeker who is coming to the reader for a promised service and is persuaded under false pretenses to spend more money than they were prepared to because they are now under pressure.

When a seeker comes for a reading they should know the total cost of the reading, the length of the reading and they should have the choice to stop the reading at any time before the end of the session and not have to pay for it if they are not comfortable. There should be no extra pressure to spend more money or to continue with a session with witch the seeker is not comfortable.

Reputable readers well:

1. Take the time to answer your questions before you book the appointment.

2. Advise you of the cost of their services and what these services include before you book or as you begin the session.

3. Allow you to ask questions as you go along.

4. Allow you to direct the reading with your questions or the area of focus you would like to have the reading take.

5. Record the sessions for you or allow you to take notes

6. Allow you to stop the session and cancel payment if you are not happy with the session as long as you let them know before the end of the session. Most honest readers know when a reading is not going well for some reason and will usually stop the reading themselves and advise the seeker to find another reader and offer to assist them in some other way if possible. If you stop the session the reader keeps their tape and you keep your money and that is that.

Whenever you are going for a psychic reading you have the right to be comfortable. You also owe it to yourself not to leave you common sense behind. Go with your gut! If something feels wrong it usually is!

Another 15 minutes of Fame it seems….

To my surprise I actually was interviewed and quoted in this article below for the Globe and Mail! Quite frankly I thought that the interview was a ruse on the part of the reporter to get a free reading. I get many folks calling and saying that they work in the media and that if I do a reading for them that they will promote my site for me.

As the interview continued I realized that Rebecca Eckler was a serious reporter and enjoyed the interview with her. For your convenience I have included the complete text of the article below:

Love Potion $99.99

REBECCA ECKLER

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Are you unlucky at love? Desperate to get your man back? Or do you just want to see the jerk squirm? For some broken-hearted women, the dark arts promise more consolation than a trip to the spa. And there are plenty of practitioners out there offering vengeance — for a price.

Just Google “spell casters” and more than four million sites pop up. It seems the best revenge is not living well, but a well-cast spell.

Internet spell casters offer a range of services from “Return my Lover” and “Break Them Up” to “Stop a Divorce” and “Revenge Spells.”

I decided to go spell shopping on behalf of a friend, whose five-year, on-again, off-again romantic obsession had ended in disaster. But most of those I contacted seemed more interested in my credit-card number than my friend's love life. Sister Zhana at lovemiracles.net spent two seconds on the phone explaining she specializes in “love, career, family and enemies,” before cutting short the call.

One of the more intriguing services is offered by Spell Master Tony, at extremespells.com. During October, his “custom revenge spell” was on sale for only $99.99, down from $329. For that, Tony will not only see that your ex is fired from his job, he'll ensure that his dog runs away too. (If he could just make all his hair fall out, I might be sold.)

Catherine MacDonald, a psychic reader outside Toronto, says most Internet spell casters “are rip-off artists. There is no such thing as spells or quick fixes. The Internet has spawned a whole generation of people who believe in spells. I get about one call a week asking if I do spells. I don't. They all know about them from the Internet.”

According to MacDonald, the women seeking these services are not nut cases. Often they're professionals who should know better.

“They prey on people who they know are desperate. They are making a ton of money and it pisses me off. A fool and his money are easily parted, as the saying goes. I've seen sites that cost up to $1,200 to cast spells. It amazes me people just aren't good at using common sense.”

MacDonald says she counsels women to consider why they would want someone who came back just because of a spell. Sensible advice, yes, but for many women in a state of romantic desperation, it doesn't really matter why their lover comes back — as long as he does.

These are the women that Internet spell casters are after.

Angel Carra at supernaturalservices.com offers a “Stop a Divorce” spell for $59.90. However, as she writes on her site, her “top love spell” is the “Super Love Spell,” which costs $99.90.

“If your main goal is to get your lover to return fast, with new feelings for you and to keep you together in love for ever, this is for you,” she writes.

All her spells are guaranteed to work or your money back — “100-per-cent guaranteed.” If you read the fine print, however, you get your refund back only after nine months.

The appeal of surfing the Net fantasizing about revenge or getting him back is understandable. It can also be addictive, and most sites are skilled at convincing you they really work, with client testimonials like this one from spellsthatwork.com: “I wanted to let you know I am seeing great results as from your previous work. Frank is admitting and calling and coming around to see that he misses me tremendously and needs to be with me.”

At www.worldsmostpowerfulspells.com, High Priestess Katherine Uhls warns that she is so busy she may “stop taking clients at any time. . . . If you are serious about ordering, don't delay.”

Emagickspells.com offers a “bad luck spell,” which will “target one person's life and make it a living misery of the most terrible misfortune possible.”

MacDonald thinks this is bad karma. “If you put negativity out there, it will come back to you. That's the basic principle I follow. Basically, if you are seeking revenge or trying to mend a broken heart, you must trust that it will happen on its own.”

Which, of course, is not as much fun as searching for spell casters.

As for my friend, I'm taking her to the Stillwater Spa. At least I know their facials work.

Special to The Globe and Mail

Source: LINK

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

If you enjoy discussion you can go to the Globe and Mail website and join the discussion attached to the article.

From this article I was also asked to do several other interviews!

A Radio Interview on the subject of "Spell Casters Online" for The Shauna Rae Show on News Talk 1290 CJBK (London, Ontario) on October 31, 2006—11 am. http://www.cjbk.com/

I also have an interview with CBC for a number of shows from 3-6 pm on Tuesday, October 31, 2006.

And as I mentioned in an earlier blog, I did an interview about “Spiritualism" on the Rogers Cable cast show 3 D Dialogue. Show aired October 23, 26, and 28, 2006. LINK

I am so thankful for all these opportunities to share my experience of the psychic aspect and psychic industry with the public.

Spiritualist Churches Cults or not? How to find out...

W5 http://www.ctv.ca/wfive did a frightening story this week about the power of a cult in Hamilton Ontario. This story called "Pied Piper of Hamilton" made me think. It is a story that was aired on W5 this weekend that discusses a Christian cult in Hamilton Ontario. To read the story go to this LINK

While cults are more common that we would like to think, and are usually associated with Christian and Muslim splinter groups, no spiritual/religious path is safe. The dynamics that turn a well meaning church group into a potential cult have to do with the human greed and desire for power over others. I found this W5 report fascinating and frightening.

Looking at the program and the sites listed on this blog what did I learn? Well quite simply that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" as the saying goes. With this in mind, I have begun to understand why some folks look at Spiritualism and define it as a cult. I beg to differ. It is not the philosophical, scientific and religious ideas that Spiritualism is grounded on that make it seem like a cult, rather it is the ministers in power who lose themselves to their desire for money, power and position who can turn what can a healthy meeting place and spiritual lifestyle into a cult.

What are the signs that you or someone you care about is in a cult?

According to Rick Ross, Expert Consultant and Intervention Specialist:

"TEN WARNING SIGNS OF A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE GROUP/LEADER.

1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
8. Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
9. The group/leader is always right.
10. The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

TEN WARNING SIGNS REGARDING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN/WITH A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE GROUP/LEADER.

1. Extreme obsessiveness [sic] regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.
2. Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.
3. Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".
4. Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.
5. Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.
6. Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede [sic] any personal goals or individual interests.
7. A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.
8. Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.
9. Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.
10. Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.

TEN SIGNS OF A SAFE GROUP/LEADER.

1. A safe group/leader will answer your questions without becoming judgmental and punitive.
2. A safe group/leader will disclose information such as finances and often offer an independently audited financial statement regarding budget and expenses. Safe groups and leaders will tell you more than you want to know.
3. A safe group/leader is often democratic, sharing decision making and encouraging accountability and oversight.
4. A safe group/leader may have disgruntled former followers, but will not vilify, excommunicate and forbid others from associating with them.
5. A safe group/leader will not have a paper trail of overwhelmingly negative records, books, articles and statements about them.
6. A safe group/leader will encourage family communication, community interaction and existing friendships and not feel threatened.
7. A safe group/leader will recognize reasonable boundaries and limitations when dealing with others.
8. A safe group/leader will encourage critical thinking, individual autonomy and feelings of self-esteem.
9. A safe group/leader will admit failings and mistakes and accept constructive criticism and advice.
10. A safe group/leader will not be the only source of knowledge and learning excluding everyone else, but value dialogue and the free exchange of ideas.

Don't be naïve, develop a good BS Detector.

You can protect yourself from unsafe groups and leaders by developing a good BS detector. Check things out, know the facts and examine the evidence. A safe group will be patient with your decision making process. If a group or leader grows angry and anxious just because you want to make an informed and careful decision before joining; beware." http://www.rickross.com/warningsigns.html

Now while a few of the organizations I was involved with over the years do not fit all the above listed items on the list of unsafe leader/group there are some factors that are red flags to me now. The big one I would say is about the money! "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

LEARNING FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND SHARING IT-SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Where's it going and who is benefiting from the funds generated from the church? Ask questions and if you think the answers you are getting are fishy then find out why that is. If the church is paying money to members for work or for building rental find out if these folks are claiming the earnings as they should or if they are using the front of "church" status to launder funds. Sounds nuts but does happen so better to find out for sure what is what.

1. Are there proper checks and balances re the bank accounts and is the church having to answer to the proper professionals: Provincial Government, Revenue Canada, External Auditors and Accountants?

If not then the chance of the organization being a cult is very likely. If you are on the board and especially if you have signing authority make sure you know exactly what is getting paid and when with the cheques you sign! NEVER sign over blank cheque no matter how much you trust the leader of the group or the other signing authorities involved. Remember you are financially responsible if something goes wrong and ignorance of what is going on will not be good protection of you if you do end up sued and in court for misappropriation of the church funds! Find out what your responsibilities and rights are do not take the leader's word for it. Ask your lawyer and an accountant and check in with the government too if need be.

2. How is the church registered as a business with the Government? Is it truly a charity or a not for profit organization or is it a business that is making money and not paying its taxes to the appropriate government agencies.

You can call The Companies Branch of your Provincial or Federal Government and ask for details about the specific church you are thinking of attending. This is the branch of the government that is responsible for business registry in your particular province or territory or county depending on what level the business is at. They will be glad to tell you the business status and incorporation date of the organization and any other information they have concerning the said organization. I am sure this also includes any legal and financial problems connected to the organization that have been reported and investigated. By the same token you can call this branch of government and find out how to report any organization that seems suspect. I am sure they will be able to advise you as to what the procedures are for forwarding a formal complaint if you should need to.

3. Is the church attached to a proper Governing/Religious Umbrella Organization like the National Spiritualist Association of Spiritualist Churches in the US or the Spiritualist National Union in the UK?

If the church is "independent" and they have no one to answer to then it leaves the group vulnerable to an egocentric charismatic leader who may or may not have a legitimate agenda for the organization. NEVER get involved with any group that does not have a proper connection to the appropriate religious governing body! There is safety in numbers, solid organizational structure and regulated standards that have to be met.

Not all Spiritualist Churches are alike but the best adage is "buyer beware", and "don't leave your common sense at the door" if you do choose to become involved. Do you your own research. Ask questions and make sure the answers you are given make sense and indicate a solid integrity of the organization.

And if my experience is common within Spiritualist circles, then education (or the lack of it) makes little difference. Controlling, charismatic Ministers and the groups they try to build for their own egocentric purposes are successful because they play their psychological head games out over time! Being psychically sensitive can help you navigate these kinds of situations, but true mediums/psychics do not read for friends, family or themselves because they are often too close to the situation. Get an external perspective be you psychic or not! Ross is right you really do have to be a good BS detector and make sure you check things out for yourself as you go along! Find out the right questions to ask and make sure you get answers. If the answers you do get set off red flags and things seem fishy they likely are and the only way you can know for sure is to check things out for yourself or get the right people in to do so. Most of all follow your gut/intuition in these situations if something does not sit right with you it likely isn't right. I followed my feelings and got out in good time and now know that if I ever go back to a Spiritualist church I will be asking the right questions to the right people and if I don't like what I hear I will not ignore my feelings. I will just not get involved and will report suspect organizations if I have enough evidence to do so.

So You are in Canada and you Want Credentials in Spiritualism eh?

Why is it the spiritual leaders that accuse others of going in ever decreasing circles up their own _ _ _ s are the worst offenders of the vary thing of which they accuse others? They gripe there is no progress but they are the first to put road blocks in the way of the so called desired progress they proclaim to be working towards. Seems to me that these folks are stuck in a rut! In fact they are so much going in circles that they keep pontificating about the same philosophy and yet cannot, do, not or choose not to practice it themselves. In fact some are in such a rut that if you read their blogs long enough you will find all they are doing is copying and posting snippets from the so-called “courses” for which they expect folks to shell out their hard earned money.

I don’t know about other Spiritualists, but why in hell would anyone pay $80 bucks for a course that has done nothing but degrade in 10 years as the so-called teacher has become more and more closed minded? More important if you look the content that the so-called “Reverend”/ “teacher” is trying to sell to the public can be easily found in the monotonous discussion posts on the said church web site and on the blogs of the supposed Reverend. This pathetic display from a spiritual leader who professes to be evolving and growing and yet has only used the internet to perpetuate the same old problems that have always been the curse of Spiritualism makes me wonder why folks should waste their time, money and effort.

If you are seriously thinking of paying for courses in Spiritualism and have found a church to do that first check on the web and see what the so-called “Reverend”/ “teacher” is regurgitating in discussion forums and in blogs online. Unless the individual is truly an innovative thinker, chances are you will read every thought he or she has ever had re the subject of Spiritualism and not have to shell out the cash in the long run. That is the situation where I am from anyway, and if you want real Spiritualist education do a background check on the one who is setting themselves up as teacher first! Google them by NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, and CHRURCH ADDRESS (if you have that information) and take a thorough look! You will be amazed how much you can find for free! After doing that, if you still are seeking credentials then here are some hard learned lessons from my 12 years experience in several different churches in various communities.

As a Spiritualist I am often asked by people: “Where do I go for training in Spiritualism?” That is not an easy question to answer. The main problem in Canada is that there is no truly reputable official organization to offer courses. The Spiritualist Church of Canada is in transition with their course material and it is very expensive for what you get. All other training comes from the individual churches and therefore is only recognized within their particular church organization.

If you are looking for a stable organization to train you in Spiritualism and as a Minister the best thing you can do is contact the NSAC (National Spiritualist Association of Churches of America). Yes they are a US organization but their name is respected in Spiritualist circles and they with the Morris Pratt Institute have been providing reputable Spiritualist education from the early days. You could also contact the SNU (Spiritualist National Union) in the UK but the cost of doing their courses via correspondence and the cost of postage may be prohibitive for some folks.

If you are in the Toronto area there are several churches that have development circles and it is up to you to find the one that works for you. My personal picks would be Britten Memorial Church and Church of Universal Love The others are either mixed up with Christian Spiritualism and not training people in the psychic aspect or they are consumed with politics and have no real power to offer credentials no matter how much they would like to make you think they do.

The adage “buyer be ware” fits here… You really have to look at where the so-called “courses” and any promised “credentials” offered by the said church are going to take you into the future.

The ongoing problem here is that none of the churches work together and each is competing for a very small number of clientele. For example the total number of folks who identify as Spiritualists in Canada according to the 2001 Census is 3,295 of that 1,060 are male and 2,235 are female. In Ontario these numbers are 1,410 total Spiritualists and of those 490 are male and 915 are female. Now looking at the Toronto figures this number gets even smaller. The total Spiritualists for Toronto are 385 and of that number 115 are male and 270 are female. With this small number, why is it there are 5 different spiritualist churches in Toronto? Never mind those outside the city and within the GTA? The simple answer is personality clashes, politics and power struggles.

So what does this mean to you as a seeker? Well to put it quite simply most of these organizations do not have a stable congregation. Most Spiritualists who have been around for a long time make the circuit and attend more than one church. Now the argument may be made that there are many others who attend that do not call themselves Spiritualists but the problem with that argument is that those who do not buy into Spiritualism as dictated by the said Reverend of a given church may find that they may not be truly welcome to learn more about it or offer their experiences to it. It seems to be that folks are expected to buy the whole “Spiritualism” bag (as understood by the particular Reverend of course) first and ask questions later. This being the general atmosphere of many of the Spiritualist churches no wonder they have difficulty drawing new people in to form a congregation let alone a stable board of directors. But let’s look at the other folks who might wish to attend a Spiritualist church.

The next large group that tends to cross over into Spiritualism is the New Age lot. Now these folks tend to have a broad range of beliefs and not many would commit to Spiritualism in a concrete way because they usually find it confining. That said let’s look at the numbers for Canada, Ontario and Toronto as we did for the self-identified Spiritualists: Again according to the Census for 2001 it is obvious that these numbers are even smaller that the Spiritualists listed above. According to the figures, the number of New Age folks in Canada total 1,525 and of that 545 are male and 985 are female. This number gets even smaller when you look at the provincial and local level but let’s do it for argument sake anyway. So in Ontario the total number of self identified New Age believers is 380 and of that 105 are male and 170 are female. Now for Toronto that number decreases again to a total of New Age folks being 210 and of that very small number 55 are male and 150 are female.

Now I could continue this for those who practice Native and Shamanistic traditions but to be frankly honest in my experience most of these folks have strong connections to their own traditions and would not find themselves or their spiritual ideas truly welcome within most of the Spiritualist Churches. While some ministers pontificate about being in touch with Native Spirit Guides many of them are absolutely ignorant as to the true strength of these age old traditions and are usually too narrow minded to even really make the effort to try to learn what these spiritual paths have to offer and how they might complement Spiritualism. My 12 years of experience showed me that most Spiritualist leaders are too busy trying to tell others that their understanding of Spiritualism is the only way it can be and they go out of their way to shut out those with new, different or other spiritual concepts because they want to be “the teacher” and “control” how others walk their walk with Spirit. Now this is not to say this is the case in all the churches but it has been what I have seen in several of them so needless to say Spiritualism does not usually draw many people from the Native or Eastern traditions and if it does they usually get the impression that they are truly not welcome and move on anyway. So what you end up with is a bunch of old white folks in the leadership who have serious hang ups and fears pontificating about how to be spiritual when they prove to be the least able or willing to practice what they preach!

Post Script: The above comments in this blog are in no way a condemnation of all of Spiritualism or Spiritualist Educators across the board but does target those so called "teachers" in Spiritualism who do not know what they are doing because they lack the proper education/skills, and who run their churches like cults where they are the chief potentate. So as the old adage goes: When seeking Spiritualist Education in Canada "Buyer be ware" is the best way for newbie seekers to protect their interests.

Cosmic Triggers, Natural Law, Forgiveness and Personal Responsibility

While it is possible to learn to change thought patterns and in that what we say and do, the struggle for most of us is that we do not really cope well with change. It is a daily struggle and it seems that it is even more challenging for folks who are wrapped up with title and self perceived power and right to control others to truly live by the spiritual principles they profess to live by. Again it seems they pontificate about Natural Law and PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and yet these notions seem to apply to everyone but themselves.

It seems that those that are insecure and need titles and to control others are the least likely to make the necessary changes. Now this is almost expected with politicians and other leaders in the secular world but it is also a problem in the spiritual community as well. It seems that the very Reverend who is supposed to be a guide to others and not caught up in title and material greed is the worst offender in spite of long winded pontifications as to how others should live their lives, develop their spirituality and mediumistic gifts and use these to help others in the world around them. Now it is fair to say that all people including those propping themselves up as spiritual leaders are flawed, but it can also be said that if you look closely as to what is going around these folks you can get a good idea as to their true intent and focus.

In Spiritualism the issue has always been poorly educated, insecure leaders trying to build themselves up through exerting as strangle hold on their congregation. They love the power that derive from their title and the attention they get from working as a medium. Then there is the issue of money. My experience in many different churches has shown me that most of these leaders are money hungry, jealous and conniving if the truth be known. So why do people bother with Spiritualism? Well like any other religion the principles are sound even if the leadership leaves much to be desired. If you are interested in Spiritualism the best thing you could do is to attend several churches and find a medium you like and trust to teach you what they know and see if you can find a well organized home circle to attend. Do not get totally involved with one church. Doing this will mean that you will soon find your life consumed by the agenda of the above described spiritual leaders who are all about taking care of their own needs first. Visit many churches and keep your options open. Do not let any one tell you how to walk your walk with spirit. Let spirit guide you. Read the books that draw you and go to the churches you feel most comfortable in. The idea is that Spirit will be with you wherever you find community and fellowship. Community and fellowship does not require that you become tied to any one church.

Spirit contact was discovered and experimented with in home circles. Then it split in two paths: Psychic Science Research groups and the Spiritualist Churches. Both are useful to the seeker in learning how to work with their own psychic abilities and developing as a medium and a healer. While I feel it is essential to have positive spiritual focus to be a strong medium how you develop that spiritual relationship with your guardian, guides and teachers is between you them and God. It cannot be dictated to you by anyone who proclaims that they are your teacher. While we do learn from those around us and the shared experience will help us form our relationship with our spirit helpers, it is not just ONE teacher that will have an impact on us. You will have many teachers in various areas in your life at the same time. This is especially true of spiritual development. Various guides and teachers will come in when needed to convey the right message or idea that will help you on your path. While working with a knowledgeable Spiritualist is helpful if you are exploring Spiritualism do not become indoctrinated in anyone’s way of thinking. They are only a person just like you and you do not want to give anyone that kind of power over your spiritual development. Ask questions, find good reading materials, discuss what you are reading and thinking with many different Spiritualists to get a range of views and connect with Spirit and know that you will be guided. Your connection to Spirit will be unique and individual just like you are and no one teacher has all the answers and more importantly NO ONE has the right to tell you that you must DO IT THEIR WAY. If you come across this kind of control freak who is professing to be a teacher remove yourself from that situation as soon as possible!

The best teacher is one that knows that he or she does not have all the answers and that there is still much to learn. They usually are secure in their position in life and respect the views of others who they help to guide. They should be well educated in many areas of life not just Spiritualism and they should be able to adapt to the needs of you and others they teach.

Wherever you go for spiritual development have a good look at how the leader conducts him or herself with others. If they gossip or bring up past problems in Spiritualism or their lives all the time then know that these folks have much work to do and that you will only be able to learn so much from them.

If the person you are learning from is truly secure and together they will not constantly drudge up hurts from the past and will be able and willing to forgive those who they feel have wronged them. Just releasing hurts is not enough. If you release the hurt without forgiveness of the one who hurt you, you are only putting out the negativity of the experience into the world around you and that hurt will not leave you but only repeat itself in your life. Forgiveness is the energy that neutralizes the negativity of the hurtful situation and allows you to truly get on with your life.

So whether you need Cosmic Triggers in your life or you know that the energy works by Natural Law and is a moment by moment ongoing process the focus is still the same. We are each PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for the energy that we create and as we create it will return to us in kind be it positive or negative. It does not need to be any more complicated than that.

Cosmic Trigger: Junk Chain Email or Not?

If you have been reading emails and web site discussion threads lately you will be seeing a lot of posts and emails about a cosmic trigger that is to have taken place for a span of 17 hours on October 17, 2006. I received the email several times from different sources in the days preceding the crucial date. The gist of this email is that thought vibrations good or bad will be magnified as dictated by our own individual thinking and what we choose to focus on. The reason for the trigger is supposed to have something to do with UV rays from higher dimensions crossing paths with the physical dimension that we are living in as people on Earth. Now while it is an interesting idea to ponder, I have some quandaries as to which time zone it will start in. If this cosmic trigger is to happen over all time zones for the 17 hour period of time then it will take several days to happen from start to finish.

For your perusal I am including the body of the email received excluding email address information and name of the sender.

“Hope this gets to you all in time; it's worth a go I think! A cosmic trigger event is occurring on the 17th of October 2006. This is the beginning, one of many trigger events to come between now and 2013.

An ultraviolet (UV) pulse beam radiating from higher dimensions in universe-2 will cross paths with the Earth on this day. Earth will remain approximately within this UV beam for 17 hours of your time. This is a call for Mission 1017 members now....Mission 1017 is a beam that resonates with the heart chakra, it is radiant fluorescent in nature, blue/magenta in colour. Although it resonates this frequency band, it is above the colour frequency spectrum of your universe- 1 which you, Earth articulate in. However due to the nature of your soul and soul groups operating from Universe- 2 frequency bands it will have an effect. The effect is every thought and emotion will be amplified intensely one million-fold. Yes, we will repeat, all will be amplified one millions time and more.

Every thought, every emotion, every intent, every will, no matter if it is good, bad, ill, positive, negative, will be amplified one million times in strength. What does this mean? Since all matter manifests is due to your thoughts, i.e. what you focus on, this beam will accelerate these thoughts and solidify them at an accelerated rate making them manifest a million times faster than they normally would. For those that do not comprehend. Your thoughts, what you focus on create your reality.

This UV beam thus can be a dangerous tool. For if you are focused on thoughts which are negative to your liking they will manifest into your reality almost instantly. Then again this UV beam can be a gift if you choose it to be. Mission-1017 requires approximately one million people to focus on positive, benign, good willed thoughts for themselves and the Earth and Humanity on this day. Your thoughts can be of any nature of your choosing, but remember whatever you focus on will be made manifest in a relatively faster than anticipated time frame. To some the occurrences may almost be bordering on the miracle. All we ask is positive thoughts of love, prosperity, healing, wealth, kindness, gratitude are focused on.

This UV beam comes into full affect for 17hrs on the 17th of October 2006. No matter what time zone you are in the hours are approximately 10:17am on the 17th of October to 1:17am on the 18th October. The peak time will be 17:10 (5:10pm) on the 17th October. You do need to be in a meditative state through out this time, though would be beneficial. The main key time no matter what time zone you are in will be the peak time of 17:10 (5:10 pm). Perhaps at this time if you can find a peaceful spot or location to focus. The optimum is out in the vicinity of grounded nature, likened to that of a large tree or next to the ocean waves. Focus on whatever it is you desire. What that is required for the benefit of all Earth and Humanity is positive thoughts of loving nature. We call this UV beam trigger event, "818" gateway. Please forward this message to as many people as you know who will use this cosmic trigger event to focus positive, good willed thoughts. We require approximately 1-million people across globe to actively participate in this event. Please use whatever communication mediums you have at your disposal.

Reach out to as many people as possible. We require 1-million plus people at the least to trigger a shift for humanity from separation and fragmentation to one of unification and oneness. This is your opportunity to take back what is rightfully yours i.e. Peace and Prosperity for all Earth and Mankind. This is a gift, a life line from your universe so to speak, an answer to your prayers. What you do with it and whether or not you choose to participate is your choice. Details to the Mission-1017 site and forum and how to stay updated are below. Mission1017 Source Raphiem/Blue”

Now considering how we use our thought energy is always a good thing as it is how we connect to God, Spirit, each other and the world we live in. My issue is as follows: We should be mindful of how we think and conduct ourselves every day not only when there is some fear of some supposed cosmic trigger. Why is it folks must take a simple spiritual principle of the Law of Compensation and Retribution, The Golden Rule or What Goes Around Comes Around and make it into some New Age weird and wonderful concept? Do people really need flakey mysticism to motivate them to do what they should be doing on a daily basis anyway? Why is it that people have to complicate something so simple? Regardless if you believe in one lifetime or many the situation is the same.

A. Thoughts are concrete things and how we think does manifest in our surroundings be it positive or negative and;

B. It is our PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to be accountable for the thought energy we put out there EVERY DAY as our words and actions will fall in line with our ideas and attitudes.

If the notion of some other worldly dimensional UV Ray blasting the physical realm and magnifying thought vibrations either positive or negative is what folks need to get them to take personal responsibility for their thoughts words and deeds than so be it! On the other hand, it just seems to complicate the obvious. As a friend once said KISS- KEEP IT SPIRITUALLY SIMPLE. You don’t have to make some fantastical reason to do the right thing you just have to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do! Holy NEW AGE NONSENSE! Good grief! It is time folks got a grip! There’s enough junk email without adding this to the mix!

My 15 Minutes of Fame??

There are moments in life when everything just seems to be going on a flow. I must say that this time in my life seems to be one of those moments filled with synchronicity! I was blessed to find this great 2 bedroom apartment that allows me to work and teach from home and I am fortunate enough to be able to cover all my expenses and yet enjoy myself! I am so peaceful and thankful for the way things worked out!

Finally getting settled after the move, thank God! Feels so good to have this place feeling like home! So much has happened since I last wrote on my blog. At the end of July I was interviewed for a television program called 3D Dialogue. It was a very interesting experience! The show is a local cable cast multi-faith discussion show where folks from different spiritual beliefs are interviewed about their faiths. I found the host to be very insightful and respectful. Also found that the interview time few by. It was only a 7 minute interview where I was asked about Spiritualism. So much for my 15 minutes of fame eh? Actually, I really found it quite easy to talk to the host of the show and am very pleased to have had the opportunity to represent my religious community in the GTA. The show does not air until the week of the 23 of October 2006 but I am really curious how it turned out. For more information on the show as it is broadcast in the Toronto Ontario Canada area and the host (T. Sher Singh) click this link

Funny thing was it took longer for me to sign the release forms and to go through makeup than it did for me to do the entire interview! All about image you know! Knowing me, I will not like myself on TV I have never liked myself on video (but then who does?) and although I have done a few commercials for local charities at different times of my life, I always felt funny about how I come across on TV! Ego aside my hope is that the short, informal interview helps people to understand Spiritualism, and for those seeking maybe seeing the interview will be a positive influence that will encourage some people to take a deeper look at the religion, philosophy and science of Spiritualism as a possible path. Not that I wish to convert people rather simply that I found Spiritualism to be a way that works for me and if it helps others too then great.

On a different but related note, I have managed to get a group together and have started holding psychic development circles in my home. There are about 8 of us at the moment and it is wonderful to have a strong group of people that are interested in working on their own spiritual growth and psychic development. Given that there is a strong interest I am considering starting a second circle on a different night. I have a few people who might be interested and so if you read this blog entry, are in the local vicinity and figure you would like to find out more you can drop me a line using the contact link at this site or you can email me at cmac29@rogers.com.

On the Road to Positive Change an Update!

Had an interesting conversation with the minister of Church of Universal Love last Wednesday night. Although their classes do not start until the fall I do think I will be interested in checking out their public meditation and message service on Tuesday nights. I also would not mind checking out their meditation and healing service on Friday evenings. It was very nice that someone took the time to call me back and share with me what the church is doing. It was also a relief that I could also be straight forward about who I am, where I am coming from, my experiences of late and what I hope to find in a church home in the near future.

I also spoke to the gentleman from Britten Memorial again and although I have had to put my involvement in their circle on hold until September because of the move, I am very interested their 6 week intro course to home circle development. I cannot wait to be moved and more settled so I can focus on new projects and activities.

As it stands now I know I will be opening my home to a home circle when I am finally moved and settled in. I expect that by late August early September that I will be inviting people to join the home circle. It will be good to have the freedom to work with people I respect and enjoy and a pleasure to see them develop their mediumship.

On another completely unrelated note, I read somewhere that blogs are like one’s résumé. I got the sense from the post that this is somehow a bad thing? I think employers are smart to do google searches and find out who their prospective employers are by what they post and involve themselves in on the world wide web. Yes it can mean risk of being eliminated from a potential job but it can also give your potential clients a sense that you are the real deal and do not put up with nonsense. This latter reason, in my opinion, is all the more reason for me to write about the topics that interest me and my experiences as a professional Spiritualist Medium/ Psychic. I stand by what I have posted in my blogs and on various discussion sites regarding the psychic aspect, mediumship, healing and Spiritualism and find that the honest and direct approach to hypocrisy, duplicity, scams and false accusations that are groundless is the best way to go.

At least when folks come to me for a reading or spiritual advice, they know they will get a no nonsense answer that is based on a combination of 12 years of practical experience, current involvement as a professional and up-to-date reading/research on the psychic aspect, mediumship, healing, Spiritualism and other related topics.

If folks are afraid that what they post will cost them employment opportunities and they cannot stand by what they post in blogs or on discussion sites then perhaps they should not post at all? As for me I have always called things as I see them. This is what makes me a strong medium and I am not about to fix something that isn’t broken as the saying goes.

On the road to positive change...

I had a very nice call from the president of the board at Britten Memorial Church today. It was so nice that he took the time to call and address my questions. I was really surprised that he took about a half an hour with me. I certainly did not expect that but the conversation was helpful and I think I will check out the church and enjoy meeting him should I have the chance.

He struck me as a very knowledgeable person and as someone who cares about what his church is offering the community. It was nice to be treated as an informed, experienced Spiritualist with something to offer! I was able to be forthright about where I was coming from and what I was hoping to gain from church attendance.

I will be attending the Divine Service on Sunday and if I feel at home I will commit to their 6 week series of classes to help with the building of home circles. I also am looking forward to attending the Message Service on Wednesday evening once in a while and also being able to work too. I am most looking forward to meeting new people and apparently they have a regular congregation of 20 to 40 people on a Sunday! That will be a nice change from what I was dealing with for the past 3 years!

I am still waiting to hear from Universal Love but given that it is a distance away and the Sunday Service is a morning service I am not sure that the TTC would get me there in time on Sundays. I will have another look at their website again and see when I can attend during the week and see where that takes me!

So nice to be on the road to positive change!

New Horizons!

Given the circumstances of late, I am now looking for a new church to call home. I have two locations in mind that are close to me in and readily available via the TTC. The first is Britten Memorial Church located at Lansdowne and Bloor and the other is The Church of Universal Love at Wilson and Duffern. Both have a lot of activities happening on their calendars which will be a nice change from the stagnation going on at the church I had attended for the last 3 years.

I will also be organizing a home circle once I move and am looking forward to seeing where that takes me. If you are interested in a home study circle for psychic mediumship development in the Etobicoke area you can contact me at through the email link attached to my profile here on Blogger.com to find out more. If there is enough interest I will look into renting a public location and working out a nominal fee per evening to offset the costs of the location rental.

Funny enough I thought that if I left the church I was attending that it would have an adverse impact on me and my plans for the future. In actual fact, the complete opposite it true. I am now looking to see what else is out there and going to continue my ministerial training with The Morris Pratt Institute and the Center of Spiritualist Studies through the National Spiritualist Association of Churches of America. I really hoped I would find good Canadian training but since there is nothing recognized in Canada and no real Spiritualist organization here fit to do the job so f

Personal Responsibility Requires More than Lip Service

It is interesting to note how those who manipulate and take advantage of others cry foul and say it is “abusive” when called on their actions. They claim to be spiritual and focused but in actual fact they are aging, grasping at old dreams, unfocused and jealous of younger folks who have their whole lives ahead of them.

The computer can be a useful tool and were it not of the more talented who are assumed to have so much time on their hands the one crying foul would not be as computer savvy and able to post her gripe as she has done these past days. Why is it that some folks insist on dishing out negativity but cannot understand when it is returned to them?

Law of attraction dictates as we put out there so we get back. Should the manipulator be surprised when their behaviour comes back to roost? Not particularly. They keep whining about the anonymity of being behind the computer screen but did they deal with issues as they came up or did they let them build and explode unreasonably when they could not get their own way? I do not consider rude, unfounded accusations to be a spiritual way to deal with problems. Perhaps I am missing something here?

What can be learned is that those who need title and feel this gives them power over others are shocked and angered when they discover that the title and the organization they have fritted their life away on is really of very little value to anyone other than themselves and their fragile egos. They accuse those who want to address real problems of organized religion and the position of minister of putting in bad words about them. Perhaps more accurately they have been shown an accurate mirror and they do not like the image they see from the life they have created for themselves? If that is so then it behooves them to take personal responsibility make changes and stop trying to place the blame for their short comings and discontent about their situation onto others who have better things to do with their energy, education and time. They advise others to be responsible for actions and yet are unable or unwilling to do so themselves. What a sad statement for a person in a position where they looked upon for guidance and with respect.

Free Like a Hawk

Those who take advantage of others time and effort and just assume that they can orchestrate how the people will give up time in their lives just because they are a member of a volunteer organization do not like it when the people whom they try to control and yet dump all the work on while they expect to take all the credit are usually dismayed when the underlings finally see the light and put a stop to the invasion into their lives. Standing up for me and talking about the things that have happened to me in the guise of church and spirituality and Spiritualism is the most healing.

To be obligated several nights a week and to be expected to give up weekends with friends and family for the sake of Church obligations planned without my input and with no respect for my personal life is such physical and emotional drain. Like a hooded hawk stuck waiting to be released.

To finally have the strength to break free of the constant demand and expectation of tasks to be done with little to no appreciation shown for work done is most healing. Now I can go anywhere I want and just be a member of a church. I do not have to put up with being told how I should think, what I should say, how I should act and how often I shall serve. So much to look forward to! As I rediscover again what it is like to live my own life on my terms unshackled!

The hawk has flown off the dark arm and is now truly free…

Is religious affiliation necessary to be a Spiritualist?

Source: http://www.statistique-canada.org/english/freepub/11-008-XIE/2006001/charts/chart_3.gif

The longer I am exposed to the organizations that call themselves Spiritualist Churches the more I wonder if these will become a thing of the past for the most part. Seems to me that most folks want to do psychic development and learn about spiritual healing without the trappings and politics of religious affiliation.

Consider the fact that the world is running on the mentality of being open and available 24-7 and for many this change in the world of business that allows us to have service on demand means that many folks work at times where traditionally they would have gone to church. For those who do have Sundays off (the common day of worship in western culture) is it any wonder that the last thing these folks really want to do is to kill a Sunday morning, afternoon or evening at church? This time my be the only real time they have to spend as a family and when it comes to Spiritualist Churches there are not enough of them around so that you can find one in your community. Then when you do there is the issue that each is doing its own thing and then there is the internal personality clashes and politics that are bound to send even the most ardent Spiritualist running for cover.

Does Spiritualism need to organize itself in the traditional religious structure or is there some other way that the principles of Spiritualism can be brought to the masses? What do we need to do to reach genuine seekers and to eliminate the pitfalls of the traditional religious organizational structure? Do we need churches or is it time to move ahead and on to new ways of sharing spiritualism? What other kinds of organizations would better suit our faster paced, jaded and spiritually seeking society? Just some of the questions I wonder about more often these days.

Catherine

Life Choices

Sometimes even when you know that spirit is using you to help teach another, there comes a point when you cannot teach what needs to be learned unless the seeker is willing to examine their thinking and make changes that will enable them to take in the lessons that are required.

It seems to me that there are many instances in life where one is presented with teachers who come with messages and lessons with which we are not yet ready to accept. This being the case, life is like a series of choices—like what is behind door number one, door number two, and door number three. It is not that the lessons will not eventually be learned, but rather that the road we take or the door we pick depends on how we see our life situation at the time.

One of the hardest things for newcomers to Spiritualism to realize is that thoughts are energy. They are concrete things and they affect others around us, so much, that we should be aware of how we think… Many folks are holding on to old, counter-productive thought patterns that result in them repeating the same experiences many times over in their lives. As frustrating as this might be for us, we must understand that themes repeat themselves in life when we have yet to learn the lesson behind the experience that is brought to the fore.

Even as we do understand that this is how the universe works, there are times when we just do not want to deal with certain aspects of life experience that builds character. Regardless we are usually required to deal with the life lesson sooner or later and so how we do so is up to us. Life is like a huge road map and the route we take is not predestined but rather is a changeable course as we go that depends on our life choices.

Remembering My First Spirit Contact/ Communication

A dark cold night in mid October 1980 would change my life forever… It was Thanksgiving. Family were seated around the table eating the turkey dinner that mom had slaved over all day… Right in the middle of the meal, we got the call that I was dreading… It was the hospital calling to tell us that we needed to come see grandpa as soon as possible as they did not think he would last the night…

I remember just staring at my food… I was numb, in shock and emotions were surging that I could not express… Then I remember demanding to be allowed to go to the hospital to see grandpa… Mom was against it, dad said nothing, but I insisted… As I recall it was the longest cab ride in my life… Dad had been drinking wine with supper. He could not drive so we went in a cab to the hospital…

I remember being so quiet in the cab and still quiet as we rode the elevator to grandpa’s floor and walked into room. When we entered grandpa was quiet and had a glow about him, as I have never seen with anyone before or since that time. When he realized we were there, he began to talk about seeing all the relatives “in the big house”. Dad and I did not know what to make of it because grandpa was talking about people who had passed away 30 or 40 years earlier!

As I watched this strong man who was now so fragile laying on the bed, I began to see white smoke like substance surround his body starting at his head and moving down his body until it was a 3 inch layer just above him but still attached at the head. I had no idea what I was seeing then, but he was peaceful so I knew that it was not a bad thing that was happening. (Now I know this is the spirit body, but at the time I was only 11 and did not know anything about spirit.)

As I continued to watch, his glow intensified until I could no longer look directly at him on the bed… I just stood there dumbfounded and reached out to touch him… When I did that, I could feel the mist around him. It was warm and tingled at my touch…. Strange but even then, I was not afraid. The feeling was comforting and familiar… It felt like grandpa’s touch-- it kept me calm… the whole time we were in the room. As I watched, the spirit body float in and out of grandpa’s body I noticed that the only place where it did not fully leave the physical body was the head. This fluctuation lasted the whole time we were in the room.

I remember dad being very quiet and I could see tears building. It was the first time I recall seeing my father cry. I think it was this that was more upsetting than seeing grandpa in the state he was in. I did wonder for years after though if grandpa felt any pain once out of the body. He was dying of cancer of the bladder and was on morphine to numb the physical pain of the disease than had ravaged his now frail body.

When it was time to leave, I recall that I did not want to go. I just knew that this was the last time I would have with my grandfather. It took everything I had to walk out of that room and make my way to the elevator. As I stood in the door way, I looked back and saw that grandpa had fallen into a peaceful sleep and that he was smiling.

That night, around 3 am in the morning I woke from a sound sleep and saw grandpa at the foot of my bed… He now appeared to be strong and smiling, but he had come to say goodbye. It was time for him to go. And, he wanted me to know that he was ready to go to spirit. As much as I did not want him to leave, the message also gave me an incredible sense of calm that I carried with me for many months after his death.

Later that morning, I remember being outside walking and looking at the orange, yellow, and read leaves of the autumn trees…I was numb and I could not imagine my life with grandpa gone. He was my friend, my confidant, and my role model. Little did I know that his passing would be only the beginning of my spiritual adventure!

Thank you grandpa for helping me open the door to spirit communication that is so much a part of my life as a Spiritualist medium and healer!

Love Potion #9 another Popular Scam!

Source: https://insmkt.securesites.com/vday.htm

It never ceases to amaze me the extent some psychics will go to when trying to make money. Now I do know that there are material needs to be met and like everyone else I have money constraints as well but that is no reason to gouge the seeker and fill their minds full of nonsense just to keep them on the line or to keep them coming back for the next reading. Yes we enjoy and appreciate regular customers but the focus should be to help folks to sort out their lives and to find their own strengths. The focus is not to create reading junkies.

What do I mean by reading junkies? Well these are those clients who are constantly emailing, calling or meeting with you for readings and for whom it does not matter what you say because they are not hearing you anyway. These are the folks who are so psychically addicted that they cannot make their minds up without consulting their advisor or advisors as the case may be. Now not all the blame can be placed on these confused and needy folks. In fact if truth be known the blame should be placed squarely in the shoulders of the psychic industry that is so motivated by money.

The worst part of the industry is the psychics who promise magic cures and potions that will fix people’s lives. This is common in the area of romance and relationships. While it is tempting to think it would be great to have a wonder drug that makes life work as we want the reality of something like that happening is doubtful at best. I have one friend when he and his partner broke up who was directed to a psychic who told him that he could give my friend a magic potion that would make his wife come back. While my friend was momentarily tempted he had the good sense to question the ethics of using such a method to fix his broken relationship. He asked himself “Why would I want to force someone to come back via a potion if they chose to leave in the first place?” He figured that he would always wonder if he did use such means if she came back and really did love him or only came back because of the potion that was used.

Now it worked out right for my friend who was sensible even when he was devastated, but let’s examine at what happens if the seeker is desperate enough to give the potion scam a try. If they do fall for it this then tells the unscrupulous psychic that they have a ready and willing sucker whom he or she can bleed dry financially. I mean not only can you convince these folks they need the potion but you can convince them that they need to keep buying it to keep the so called magic spell on the desired loved one working as it should. Now chances are that even with the potion the partner who has left the relationship will not return regardless of the potion used and the seeker soon finds out that they were ripped off.

It is important that folks understand that the idea of a psychic reading is simply a snapshot of the seeker’s situation and concerns at the time of the appointment. We all have Spirit influences around us and different guides, guardians and teachers come forward at different times to assist with various aspects in our lives. That in mind then it is important to know that a reading is not cast in stone and that the future is changeable. The spirit guidance that comes forth are meant as guide posts and not as cast in stone details that are guaranteed to be laid out for us the way we want. While we do get glimpses into the situations of our clients no psychic can or should guarantee 100% accuracy. Anyone who dares to do so is either delusional or scamming the public.

What a reputable psychic will offer you are some explanation of his or her experiences and possibly some references who can attest to their work as a psychic. Now bear in mind no one is ever going to choose dissatisfied clients to give references for them, but from the references you will get a sense of how that psychic conducts themselves ethically and professionally when they are doing readings. The psychic should be willing to address informational questions about his or her work, the workings of a reading and methods of payment and meeting for an appointment. It is not fair to expect the psychic to give you a freebee reading to prove his or her talent. While you will find that most will attune and demonstrate to show they are connected to you as a potential client, usually the psychic knows when a caller is looking for freebees and has no intent to book them and will not continue. I mean it is only fair that the psychic does not want to spend hours of time talking to folks who have no intention of booking a reading.

In my case I do try to treat people with respect and try to spend some time helping folks decide what it is they really need. Sometimes they call wanting a reading but this may not truly be what they are seeking at all. While I am in the business to do readings I also try to help folks find what they are looking for even if that means I do not book them for a reading. Chances are by taking the time to talk to them I will eventually end up doing a reading for them at some future point in time.

Now as much as I try to take time with folks there are times when I am tired and can be human and just want to make a quick booking and not have to get into a detailed discussion with folks. There are times when dealing with folks on the phone, online, in email and in person can be taxing. For example today I took 3 calls for folks just information seeking within a 45 minute time period and by the last call I just wanted to say did you read the details on the web site?? Did you even bother to check out what was there or did you just see my ad and dial the number?? Now I know I should be grateful that folks are calling and I am actually, but sometimes it would be encouraging if I felt like folks did read the information on the website before calling as most of the basic questions are answered.

That said the way that a seeker can be a good client and also protect themselves from the scammers is to do their homework. Find out all you can about the reader you are considering hiring and that includes reading any information he or she provides on his or her website. If after that the seeker still has questions then it is only fair that he or she contact the reader and find out the answers.

Also ask the reader some simple questions. How do you work? What kinds of readings do you do? What can I expect to get out of the reading? What kind of reading would be best for me? Given the answers that come from the discussion you will then know if you really want/ need a reading and if this reader is the right one for you. I say finding a good psychic is like finding a good hair dresser. They are rare but when you find one you know it!