Why I Left East Hamilton Spiritual Church.

November 15, 2013: Update... seems there has been a change at East Hamilton Spiritual Church.... a new web site.... I guess the old web designer and his mother are likely out of the church but I am sure all the other issues mentioned below are sadly alive and well... Change is a slow process it seems.

It has come to my attention that over a year after leaving East Hamilton Spiritual Church that I am being bad mouthed by some executive members on the church board. Up until now I have basically said nothing unless it came to my attention through others that I was still being talked about. Since some people cannot seem to tell the truth or not say anything at all I feel I must post the following letters so that people can know what I went through in the two months I was involved with East Hamilton Spiritual Church from March to May 2012 when I first moved to Hamilton.

It is also important to note that before that move in 2012 I was living and working in Toronto and moved to Hamilton with the intention of making the East Hamilton Spiritual Church my home church. In September 2011 I was added to a Facebook group East Hamilton Spiritual Church What's Going On? and defended the church because I was dragged into drama where 19 people were banned form East Hamilton Spiritual Church for reasons I never did quite understand. What I saw was people making accusations but I did not see actual concrete proof for. Most of what I saw was ex members accusing the board of fraud and to me without proof that is a very serious accusation.

That said, when I came to the church I discovered that the Vice President of the board (Kathleen (Kathy) Barnard)  was the worst gossip monger and took delight in targeting people whom she did not like or who challenged her authority and security in some way. Making fun of how people dressed on Sundays for church or spreading rumours about some people's sexual orientations and living arrangements are just two examples of the regular goings on at East Hamilton Spiritual Church that I personally witnessed. I also experienced subtle racism from the same woman who made a disparaging comment about one of the students who came to a mediumship  class I was teaching one Thursday night. He happened to be a young black guy in his early 30s who is into the rap scene as he is a DJ. She assumed "he is going to cause trouble" but I explained to the Vice President he was client and a student of mine for several years. So when she said to me "Oh no he is going to cause trouble" I was shocked and offend. I made it clear to her that I knew this man personally and that he was one of the nicest people I have ever met.  She was (from what I can tell) embarrassed and uncomfortable having been caught making such an assumption about someone.

The tipping point though for me through, was when I found out, through Facebook that the web designer for the church website who was a healer in the church was posting Nazi slogans on his personal webpage extolling the virtues of "exterminating the 'lesser desireables' in society who were fit to survive the struggle of society". And his target seemed to be people with Downs Syndrome.  I saw posts making fun of these people's intellectual impairment. As recall, the photo had the picture of a pre-teen girl with Downs Syndrome and the caption was "I can count to potato". The most disgusting thing of all this is that his mother (also a member of the board at East Hamilton Spiritual Church) was liking these prejudicial abusive posts.   After trying to talk to the young man about this behaviour and being told to "fuck off", I brought it to the attention of Vice President of  the board at East Hamilton Spiritual Church as was advised that "he is just a 19 year old fuck up who is trying to find himself".

This is when I knew that East Hamilton Spiritual Church was not "a safe haven for all who enter" especially not those with intellectual, or physical disabilities or who are not white. As a woman with Cerebral Palsy, who has over come such prejudice,  I did try to have the web designer and his mother removed from their positions at the church  and instead it was me that was banned for voicing my improperly addressed concerns on Facebook when I realize the church board was not going to do anything about it. I feel most sorry for the general congregation and the newly appointed board members who had nothing to do with this nonsense but are in the middle of it nonetheless.

The following letters represent the full exchange that Reverend Leonard (Len) Spicer and I had about the situation. It seems if you are good friends of the Reverend (as the web designer, his mother, and Kathleen (Kathy) Barnard  are) than any behaviour is acceptable.  It is also interesting to note that the web designer, his mother and the Reverend are not even residents of Hamilton. How is it they got so involved in controlling a Hamilton based church in the first place? That may never be clear but the letters are very clear for sure.

LETTER RECEIVED:

From the Desk of Rev. L.P. Spicer

President of East Hamilton Spiritual Church

May 25, 2012

Dear Catherine MacDonald,

On behalf of the officers and congregation, I wish to thank you for your service, which included emergency requests.

However, I have noticed some very distasteful acts of your conduct, which I find unacceptable. As a servant of this Church when you serve, you become a leader and your demeanour at all times must demonstrate social qualities, that encourages all who attend the Church to feel at east and at peace.

Your conduct over the pages of Facebook on the net is degrading from a worker who serves the congregation of East Hamilton Spiritual Church. Your actions and opinions have been humiliating, embarrassing, and offensive, especially in area’s that do not concern you.

Your treatment of the teenager Thomas Needle requires your apology. You accepted an invitation to join a private page on Facebook and in your gauche manner you turn this private page into a public gossip column (I printed the subject matter off) to maintain the Churches image, I have punished Thomas. You also have sent slanderous comments to Thomas’s mother.

For this reason you will no longer be considered to server in any capacity this Church. Your membership of this Church as of this date is withdrawn also your requirements to serve on June 9th 2012 as a reader are no longer needed.
Without prejudice

Reverend L.P. Spicer

MY REPLY:

From: Catherine MacDonald [mailto:cmac29@rogers.com]
Sent: May-28-12 4:50 AM
To: 'leonardspicer@yahoo.ca'
Subject: RE: Letter
Hello Reverend Spicer:

I have received your letter and can say that we are in agreement on only two matters and I am quite relieved that I am no longer a member of East Hamilton Spiritual Church and will no longer be required to serve.

As to the other parts of the letter I will simply say that I asked spirit to show me what I needed to see as I had requested them to and I am grateful for that.
Now let’s get the facts straight.

1. Thomas Needle is not a teenager by law he is considered an adult as it is my understanding that he is 19 years of age. He posted disparaging hate speech about people with down syndrome and had Hitler quotes on his page also that encouraged the extermination of undesirables who were not fit to survive the struggle in society. I did try to talk to him about the negativity of this kind of thing and was rudely rebuffed. I brought the situation to the Vice President of the board’s attention and it was blown off as “he’s just a 19 year old fuck up trying to find himself”. Is the an example of not being gauche? I just want to be clear on where you draw the line on what is gauche and what is not.

2. Thomas’ mother is a member of the board and she was the one who came after me threatening me that I needed “to watch what I said about Thomas as I had no idea what his intention was by sharing the posts he did on Facebook”. Was that a threat? I do not have to figure out his intentions and the fact that his mother also liked the posts he shared also puts in question her judgement. If I embarrassed and humiliated her then perhaps public shaming was necessary given the circumstances. I did not slander her. I challenged her distorted logic in her feeble attempts to defend and justify and defend her son’s behaviour and asked her directly if she shared her son’s views. I did not accuse her I simply pointed out how twisted her line of thought was and perhaps that is a good thing in the long run as it is Thomas who embarrassed and humiliated his mother by showing the lack of parental guidance that is obviously going on. She added me as a friend and comes after me on my wall and if it is bad conduct for me to embarrass her then I should think she would also be dealt with in the same manner as Thomas and myself for bad Facebook behaviour. Yet I am more than willing to bet that she is still a member of the board and that her membership in the church and her son’s membership were never actually in question because they are personal friends of yours. It is so nice to see that the rules are so evenly and ethically applied in all situations.

3. I have personally heard the Vice President of the same board gossip to me about people in the church that she does not like and systematically target them so they stop attending. I guess making fun of how someone dresses on Sunday or sings hymns and making fun of people you do not like by making up nasty nicknames for them is an example of acceptable leadership behaviour at East Hamilton Spiritual Church? Just want to be crystal clear what the expectations are here.

4. I heard this same member of the board tell me things that were “board business” when other board members would have been admonished for doing so. It seems she does this if it suits her purpose of belittling others and causing drama in the church to get her own way. Again we can see the value of applying the rules in a fair and balanced manner.

5. The vice president of the board was also so rude to me on the last occasion I was there because I was questioning things that are going on in the church and yes did so publicly as this nonsense was brought to my attention on Facebook and I refused just to let it be shoved under the rug. Is that becoming behaviour for a person in her position? If so I am in the wrong church.

Are these the examples of “a leader and [with a] demeanour at all times must demonstrate social qualities, that encourages all who attend the Church to feel at [ease] and at peace”? Is this what makes East Hamilton a “safe haven for all that enter”? I can say I think not.

You say I should apologize to Thomas and that these issues do not concern me but that Reverend Spicer is where you are absolutely wrong. Thomas is an adult and should know better and his mother should have parented him better no doubt. What is happening in the church is wrong. While there is not much I can do about it in real terms, I do have the right to ask the tough questions and make a decision if this organization is the right one for me to attach my name to. I think we all know the conclusion I came to. To that end revoking my membership and not asking me to serve will have little impact on my life except to reduce the huge amount of stress I had been dealing with since I got involved with the church last September due to the other Facebook group where I defended the church and its board. I do wonder if I defended the wrong people but no matter what that group was doing to the board by libeling the members on Facebook with no proof was wrong and so I spoke up. I am not sorry to do that then and now as it was the ethically right thing to do then and I would do it again if the situation arose. Now I see things that are wrong here within the church and I am calling them out. You and the board can ignore them and sweep them under the rug but that does not change the distorted culture that has taken hold in East Hamilton Spiritual Church. Spirit knows what is true and right and what is not and each of us has to live with our own consciences. I am not sorry for what has happened here as I now have a clear understanding of East Hamilton Spiritual Church specifically and Spiritualism in general and I can tell you that I do not like what I see. I am thankful not to have my name mixed up with the church any longer.
On a personal note, moving to Hamilton was for me about recovering my health and I thought the church was part of that but now I can see I am better off without it. It is obvious to me that the energy of this church and your involvement in Spiritualism has cost you our health and I do have to wonder if any church or Spiritualism itself is worth that kind of stress. If this kind of negativity is what is created in Spiritualism and the churches and this what it does to good mediums and ministers who are respected people in the community then I can say I am glad to be as far out of it as possible. I do know as a younger medium that I will take this as a profound lesson of where I do not want my future to be and I sincerely thank you for that lesson as it surely will prolong my life and allow it to be much more peaceful.

Catherine MacDonald

It is sad to see what happens when a few people have too much control of the decision making power and the outcomes that will undoubtedly have an impact on East Hamilton Spiritual Church for a long time into the future.

Spiritualism In Toronto Really Needs to Examine its Leaders!

Yep I have been reading discussions at www.beliefnet.com lately... There is a thread in Intuitive Counseling called Job Possibility where a a poster is asking advice on if they should claim potential work income since they are on Social Assistance...

The poster's Plan A is to claim the income and the Plan B is to "get paid off the books". Now as someone who is on Ontario Disability Supports I can understand the draw to the Plan B. What I don't understand is the first reply to that poster that encourages her to go for Plan B! The reason I find this advise reprehensible is because it is given to the said poster on an Intuitive Counseling discussion board where the person is basically asking for a reading! The most unbelievable thing though is the fact that it is a Spiritualist Minister from Toronto who is dispensing that bad advice!

According to this minister:
"

	spiritalk 4/19/2007 10:31 AM	2 out of 9
	Go with plan B. Unfortunately government programs do not come with any wiggle room for aiding the recipient to get on their own feet. There design is to stifle any growth. God bless, J"

That tells me two things... 1. that this so called minster is not above scamming the government in her own financial practices and 2. that she has no clue how irresponsible her off handed advice to that poster really is...

And when called on it this so called spiritual leader tries to excuse the crappy advice by making the following statement which Beliefnet has since removed from the thread: To see the original thread in its entirety at the time this blog was written you can go here

"

	spiritalk 5/18/2007 10:24 AM	8 out of 9
	I councel no one to do anything that is against their very nature. It is funny that cat can talk when she takes from the public coffers and then pays her bills from other sources of income. Pot calling the kettle black? Well.... The fact is that government plans have no wriggle room for the sincere worker. When that worker has come to terms with their own direction and found their feet, they tend to make excellent contributors to all of society. It just seems that the red tape can get in the way of sincere effort. The reason for saying go with plan B was simply to get yourself settled, then pay into the future with your own prosperity. I have seen it work time and again. And it was even reported as a newspaper story in our local paper. Wake up and smell the coffee...to be spiritual does not mean being a doormat for those who are so judgemental as the posters here. God bless, J"

I say balderdash! You are making these posts on an intuitive counseling thread and so you ARE counseling the posters who have asked for advise there! Gotta really wonder what goes through the heads of some people that is for sure...

I mean I guess the message from this so called minister is it is ok to cheat now and pay it back later??? And what happens if this poster falls out of favor with the said minster? How fast would she be the first in line to tell the person how she is lacking integrity and be threatening to report her?

Knowing how some folks can be vipers both on posting boards and off it is not a chance I would be willing to take! I can only hope that the poster has the good sense to ignore this woman's advice!

And for others who may have dealings with her it does put into perspective just how screwed up some so called spiritual leaders are! No wonder people treat spiritualist churches and their ministers as suspect! One thing is for sure she is clueless re her comments about the financial situation I am in and my status with regard to claiming income with the provincial government. But then given her logic she should have no issue if I WERE defrauding the government because she is advising another in writing on a public discussion board to take that action.... Go figure!

Yep I believe the word you are looking for is WTF???

Being Part of Spiritualism... True Free Thinking

Lately I have been reading a tirade about how people hide behind computers and are not involved in Spiritualism. The person behind the tirade assumes that because people no longer want what she is offering means that they are no longer involved in or interested in Spiritualism.

Funny how when you leave one Spiritualist Church its leaders assume you have left Spiritualism for good. Usually when one leaves a specific church they left because of leader ego issues and nasty politics.

As you search for a spiritual home have a good look at the congregation. Those with little no congregation usually have this problem because they are controlling and have tried to dominate others who used to willingly work for their churches and have now left.

The church I am now connected with has a growing congregation because the management really does work together. They don't have a Reverend and maybe this is a very good thing. Most of the Spiritualist churches that do have a Reverend are saddled with this individual's ego and need to control every aspect of the organization.

I am not saying that all Reverends are bad but way too many of the ones I have met have lost sight of working for Spirit because their warped egos have gotten in the way. This is a weakness of human nature that some folks think they are above. The sad fact is that those who think they are better than others they condemn are usually the worst offenders of the very personality faults they find in others in Spiritualism.

To them I would say just because I finally had to good sense to remove myself from your churches does not mean that I am no longer involved with Spiritualism. Now I am truly a free thinker and have never been more content.

Mediumship Demonstrations at Britten Memoiral Spiritualist Church

Emma Hardinge Britten 1823-1899

As mentioned, I have been invited to work at Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church. On Sunday, May 6, 2007 and Sunday, May 20, 2007 I will be providing demonstrations of mediumship.

If you are interested in learning more about what a Spiritualist church service is like you are welcome to attend Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church located at:

657 Lansdowne Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M6H 3Y2
Canada
416 - 532 - 1197

Hope to see you there!

Back on the Rostrum

I had a wonderful experience on Sunday night! I did some message work for Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church. Much to my enjoyment there was quite a large congregation of about 3o people!

Many of the folks entering Britten's doors are interested and interesting seekers of all ages and there is a true community spirit there.

Now as I understand it I was listed on the events calendar for April 15th and the date was later changed to the 22nd. Confusions aside, I am pleased to help were I can. What I like most about this church is the shared effort to get things done and the effort put forth into being a source of positive energy in the community.

I will be working again as a guest medium in May and will post the dates when I have them for those who might be interested in seeing me work and checking out other mediums as well.

Staff Appreciation Party for the Bayer Aspirin Company

On the evening of April 16th 2007, I had the opportunity to be part of the entertainment for the staff appreciation event for Bayer Aspirin Company employees held at the Intercontinental Hotel on Bloor St. Near Avenue Rd.

The event was an evening of Magic and Mystical entertainment. As part of the theme of the evening I was hired to work as a psychic providing brief readings for the guests at the event. In the 3 1/2 hours I worked I managed to read for about 25 people out of the 100 guests that were supposed to attend the event. I did not stop all evening and had a wonderful time with the folks who chose to have a reading!

The setting was elegant and the energy was fun spirited From what I understand the Bayer employees enjoyed the evening. I particularly hope they enjoyed readings with billets and Angel Cards. It was truly a pleasure to work for such a nice group of people and I would love to do this again in the future. My thanks goes out to Robert Mckone of Luminux in Vancouver BC who hired me to work this event.

Womans Post Magazine "Pink Lunch Box" Fund Raiser for Breast Cancer

On March 29, 2007 I was fortunate to participate in a fabulous fund-raising event hosted by Women's Post Magazine. This event celebrated influential women in business and raised money for breast cancer research through a silent auction. The “Pink Lunch Box” Event was a wonderful experience!

The evening was filled with fun events for the people who took the time to attend. Things like massage, a silent auction and psychic readings made for a very busy and enjoyable evening. For my part I really enjoyed meeting all the creative people who were at the event and found it so easy to do Billets, Psychometry and Angel Card readings for interested seekers and stayed longer just to do some extra readings.

It was so much fun to be a space with such great energy. Gooderham House is a wonderful venue that was very comfortable to work in. The staff there took very good care of both the guests and those of us working this event.

It is my understanding that the organizers were very pleased with the turnout and the amount raised for breast cancer research. For my part I have made connections with some really great ladies and am more than happy to participate in this event again next year should Women's Post Magazine invite me to work again next year.

My thanks go out to Lindsey Gardner who introduced me to Women's Post Magazine and this wonderful networking event.

Corporate event with Real Communications for Maple Leaf Foods Staff Appreciation Day

On February 28, 2007, I was part of a corporate event with Real Communications for Maple Leaf Foods Staff Appreciation Day. I must say that I enjoyed working with Real Communications they are a top notch event planning company. My experience doing this event was hassle-free and from all accounts, I understood that the staff at Maple Leaf Foods had a great time at their Caribbean theme day.

I had a great time doing mini readings for about 40 folks using billets and Angel Cards. I would really love to work with Real Communications again. They made the day fun for both the corporate participants as well as those of us who were hired to work the event.

FunPass Frazzled to Dazzled Party Event...

On February 22, 2007 I participated in a fun ladies event put together by FunPass Productions Inc. who are based out of Vancouver BC and can be found at www.funpass.ca.

The event was at Match Bar and Woodbridge ON and had a host of different venues for the ladies from massages to trendy shopping to psychic readings. For my part, I really enjoyed meeting new people and found the promoters very easy to work with. Kelly Petchiny-Marits (President & Founder of FunPass Productions Inc.) is a really nice woman with a tone of energy. It was fun doing billet and Angel card readings and being in that kind of party atmosphere turned out to be a fun way to pass the evening!

The best part was that the event raised almost $500 for the York Region Firefighter Calendar with the Silent Auction.

Unfortunately, it was the day of one of the last storms of this winter and that seemed to affect the number of attendees. If the weather had co-operated, I am sure it would have meant better results for the event. That said I would love to work with the FunPass Productions Inc. promoters again if they were to host another event in the Toronto area in the nicer weather.

My thanks goes out to Kelly Petchiny-Marits and the FunPass team for introducing me to their events!

Cosmic Triggers= Spiritualist/New Age Saviors? Avoiding Personal Responsibility?

As I read different posts and blogs in different places there has been much mumbo jumbo about Cosmic Triggers and the unbalancing impact these supposed triggers will have on people. I am not sure I buy this idea. More likely the people who are feeling the negative impact of these so-called cosmic triggers are just reaping the negative that they have put out in the universe in the past and want to find some other event on which to blame their problems and the related dissatisfaction in life that they are experiencing.

One might see how Cosmic Triggers are a crutch for those who do not want to take responsibility for what negativity they have drawn to themselves. I guess some Spiritualists can pontificate about personal responsibility but when it comes to themselves, they look to Cosmic Triggers to explain why their lives are circling the rim of the crapper spiritually, financially and on all other levels. If life were good these folks would not keep posting about Cosmic Triggers as a way to avoid taking personal responsibility for the condition their lives are in.

When Dogmatists Run The Show….

“Of all isms I think dogmatism the worst.”

-- English freethinker George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906).

The most dogmatic individuals who are all about THEIR rules being the only GOOD Spiritualism constantly show their own inconstancy by trying to make all their students believe that their warped perceptions of Spiritualism are accurate and right while pontificating about the lack of dogma and creed in Spiritualism. While there may be no OFFICIAL dogma and creeds to follow, these leaders are so busy trying to fit everyone into their box that they cannot see how this action is a huge deterrent to building congregations and get mighty nasty when folks reject being boxed in. Hence why there are so many churches and so little true effort to work together and DEMONSTRATE The Brotherhood of Man by example from the leadership in Spiritualism.

While some churches and their leadership do see the badmouthing of other churches as a problem the norm is that “newbies” feed a bunch of negativity and nonsense (by those who profess positive attitudes) about how the other churches are “no good” and how "those people" are running other churches are degrading what they see as “true” Spiritualism. This rubbish comes from insecure folks who are so focused on trying (by any means) to keep people at their churches and lining their pockets.

Another inconsistency seems to be that certain people rail against “psychic parlor tricks” and “low level spiritual work”. They say that psychics are only reading from the physical energy/ aura around people. And yet these people are offering aura readings as a good example of mediumship? If the aura is only a reflection of the sitter’s mental, spiritual and physical state then offering aura reading is little more than a lazy way to read and is no better than the psychics that are supposedly lacking. It seems that the cheap psychic parlor tricks are ok if they draw in the cash though.

And more on burnout… some have the warped notion that to be truly spiritual you have to give till it hurts and that if you don’t then you are not truly a giver. Where is the balance of body, mind and spirit in that kind of thinking and expectation of others? Why then do such demanding leaders/ministers only have one or two workers that they drain to the point of burnout in the first place? Could it be that the more experienced workers see these leaders for the energy suckers they really are and have moved on long a go? Seems very likely and so if you enter a church and it is obviously a one woman/man show then you know that there is something wrong and to take a good look at what is really going on in the organization before you choose to get involved.

Good teachers learn and grow with the questions their students bring to them but too many are too wrapped up in their way being the right way to really consider the view of others who are just as qualified as they are! So the opinions of the “newbies” that have come to them as students will never be heard if truth be known. These so-called “teachers” pontificate about growth and evolution but when truly challenged to do so they balk at the idea and rant about why they must cling to the status quo. They even go so far as to become paranoid about others “taking over” the organization when all that is really offered are ideas to help move the organization in the direction the leader professes that he or she wants it to go. How is being so paranoid about one’s position and status a sign of positive connection to spirit?

Good teachers also are able to learn from other teachers and do not try to one up them in front of the students because they feel jealous and insecure. Good teachers make sure to check the content of guest teachers’ teaching materials BEFORE the class and make sure that everyone is on the same page! The sign of a truly inept teacher is one who does not do the prep work and then has so little respect for the other volunteers working for him or her that he or she insists on cornering them publicly in front of the class. Shoddy presentation if that is the way he or she runs the show! Yep natural law works well and negativity might be gauged by student responses to the course material’s lack of substance and negative attitude of the said teacher to the guest teachers who were working for free while the cash flowed into the said teacher’s pocket. Again I ask whose church is dying while other churches are building nicely and teachers have more students that space permits. Seems the said teacher who was belittled in front of a class of less then 5 has 17 of his own students and other home circles need more room to accommodate interested seekers! Where people are NOT going is a sure sign of where negativity exists in full force!

Yes the internet is full of information and yes discrimination and discernment is key but for those who do their church shopping online the ideas I have expressed in the last few blogs do not just apply to the online presence these organizations have but also should help interested seekers ask truly informed questions of those who set themselves up as “teachers” in Spiritualism. The savvy seeker will take what they read online from and about the said church and enter that organization with their eyes open. They will be asking questions about the leadership, the educators and the vitality of the organization which the dogmatists running the show may find difficult to answer! That open challenge by informed seekers is where the evolution lies. Questioning and taking their church membership to places that have reasonable answers to the questions forces dogmatic dinosaurs to be accountable to the public on the public’s terms.

How to find a TRULY HEATHY and THRIVING Spiritualist Church/Learning Centre! #2--Critical Media Literacy and Website Analysis--Spiritualism Content

On reflecting on my last blog entry I realized that I forgot to add a few other details about how a truly healthy and thriving Spiritualist Church promotes itself if it wants continue to attract the increasingly spiritually and internet savvy public.

As well as posting who the regular church workers are on their web site it is customary that the church calendar (if posted online) show which workers are working on what dates few months a head of time so that seekers can check out different workers and plan their busy lives accordingly.

Again, I cannot stress how important the detailed biographies of the Spiritualist Educators selling courses are to prospective students. Given that the bios are often how discerning people judge when choosing their teachers, one cannot blame seekers for wanting to know WHO the instructors are and WHAT qualifies them to teach the courses they are expecting students to shell out serious cash for.

If an instructor is truly up to snuff and current they will have no problem indicating this in a detailed bio online. Of particular interest to experienced seekers is how current the instructor’s education in Spiritualism is and what current research and articles they have written for Spiritualist publications. It is also helpful to know what postsecondary diplomas and degrees these folks have outside of their Spiritualism training as this will give you a good idea just how broad these “teachers’” knowledge base is and if they are able to teach to people who may or may not have more education than they do.

While it is true that there is less dogma and creed in Spiritualism it is NOT dogma free as much as some would like to delude themselves it is. As soon as one sets themselves up as a teacher selling courses in Spiritualism they are saying that "THIS is what Spiritualism IS!" And yet they do not see how they are telling others what spirit is or is not? Where does the personal journey of learning or individual understanding of Spirit (that is to come from within) fit in this case?



It is definitely a matter of personal interpretation and if that is the case why do you need to spend cash and time meeting the standards of one particular Spiritualist Minister or another when all you need to do is move on when you have had your fill? But wait isn't this kind of free thinking and fluid movement that is touted as part of the no creed no dogma kind of Spiritualism actually the same kind of attitude that the New Age is often faulted for by Spiritualist Leaders? Hmmm now I am confused... No dogma so move on when you have had enough but we need standards in education??? Who sets those standards if Spiritualism is supposed to be for free thinkers?

So the rub is this Spiritualism is for free thinkers and is apparently without dogma and creed but if you want to participate in the churches you then are saddled with what their ministers’ vision of what Spiritualism is or should be.

The even sadder truth is that some Spiritualist ministers are so disparate for a congregation and church workers that they will put new students up on the platform well before they are truly ready. For may of these "newbies" the experience of working in the churches starts out as gratifying and after a time will come to be a whole lot of work as they are asked to do more and more without consideration for their need for family/life balance. New church worker burnout is all too common and usually happens in a very short time.

More experienced mediums know to pace themselves and they know how not to get in over their heads. They have learned how to say "No sorry cant do that...." and they also look for Spiritualist Churches and Learning Centres where there is a group of people dividing the church duties so they do not become over whelmed. If you are a new church worker do not let the minister suck you into being at the church more than you are comfortable attending. Go to additional events if you are interested but do not let anyone make you feel obligated.

Organizational problems and politics aside, the history and methods of Spiritualism do need to be taught if Spiritualism is going to truly thrive, but how do leaders accomplish this in a way that allows for reasonable continuity between the churches if none of them is willing to truly work together? It is obvious that the principle of The Brotherhood of Man is pontificated about more than it is exercised in some cases!

Add to the infighting in and among the different organizations the fact that there are different styles/kinds of Spiritualist Churches and you have a combination where there is little hope to reasonably standardize the education offered. This being the case then begs the question, how is the public supposed to judge what is good or bad mediumship let alone what is good education and what is rubbish? Further if this lack of consistency and varying standards of education are the norm how can Spiritualists actually claim that mediums are better than psychics? I don't know but the argument is often made regardless.

The only way to find out what is good and what is not in Spiritualism is to check out the various Spiritualist Churches and Learning Centres and make up your own mind. My intent here is not to tell folks what they should do or think but rather to give useful suggestions based on thorough critical media literacy and web site analysis experience that will help the seeker read and interpret more carefully what they are viewing online so that they can use better discernment. If my experiences help others rethink and question more thoroughly those who set themselves up as "experts" and "educators" in Spiritualism so they can avoid the nonsense and the politics and yet enjoy what the religion, philosophy and science of Spiritualism has to offer then I am pleased to help.

How to find a TRULY HEATHY and THRIVING Spiritualist Church/Learning Centre!

Anyone who has been in Spiritualism any length of time knows that the sign of a healthy, truly thriving Spiritualist Church/Learning Centre is one that can list on an ongoing basis on their website/promotional materials etc. the variety active demonstrators that work for the church. These workers are the ones who make the Sunday services, Public Psychic/Message Nights and other community events happen. In fact these workers usually do most of the work for free as part of their so-called training and education that is supposed to qualify them for working within the said Spiritualist Church/ Learning Centre.

Now I fully understand the value of voluntarism but some so-called ministers choose to take complete advantage of others for years and then have the nerve to say that such folks are "deadwood" and "negative" when if it were not for the free labour of these people the so-called Spiritualist Church/Learning Centre would not have had the quality mediums, healers and lecturers it once did nor the advertising and web savvy that it currently does.

A truly blossoming Spiritualist Church will have a website or other promotional materials that will provide all the pertinent details for the interested seeker. This means that you can find out who is part of the board, the regular mediums on the roster and the instructors who teach the courses offered as a means to church worker credentials. If the information seems lacking or not freely available or the organization feels like a one woman/man show then the interested attendee should be aware that this is a very bad sign although unfortunately very common in Spiritualism.

If the Spiritualist Church/ Learning Centre is really doing as well as its promotional documents and websites profess then the courses offered should have a wide selection of teachers offering instruction and these folks should have the proper background of knowledge and actual ability to demonstrate (in a practical way) the material covered. Each teacher’s/instructor's bio/resume should be available to prospective students and online if the Spiritualist Church/ Learning Centre is promoting itself online. This information will be readily available to interested seekers if the organization is as up to scratch as it claims to be! If not then you might be better to keep looking elsewhere for real Spiritualism Education and Training.

More importantly though, good courses in Spiritualism should not be run by one person and should encompass more than just the lecture format. Lack of variety in presentation of the content indicates a lack of instructor's ability or lack of team support or both. It is amazing to me how many Spiritualist Ministers are truly not fit to teach and cannot perform to any real consistent standard when they should be able to. Given that much of what is learned in Spiritualism is learned by doing/practicing the methods not just lecturing about the concepts it is important that the instructor have the breadth of knowledge and practical ability and that their knowledge and ability is current! A proper Spiritualist curriculum will be interactive and use a full range of teaching methods and will be provided by an instructor whose knowledge is up-to-date! If the material and the instructor seems one dimensional or lacking in anyway take that as a sign that you should keep seeking to find better learning experiences elsewhere.

If you do not see a variety of workers listed on the events calendar or a clear list of who the teachers are (with detailed, current bios) that are supposed to teach the courses in Spiritualism then you have to ask yourself how viable the organization truly is. Glossy materials and bluster in blogs/websites/and documentation stating viability and a thriving status of the organization does not make it so. Bluster is just that and should be backed up by real substance but usually is not when it comes down to it.

When considering attending a Spiritualist Church/Learning Centre thoroughly check out the blogs of the minister and or the church website also ask for as much documentation on the organization, its leadership and instructors as you can get your hands on. If the documentation is not forthcoming or if you feel like it is a “one dog show” after reading the information they DO provide then likely your impression is right on the mark.

If you do decide to get involved with courses from a said Learning Centre teaching Spiritualism PLEASE take the time to attend other events they offer before you dig deep in your pockets! Take your time getting involved and be careful how much money you put into it. The longer you are around the more likely you will see the true level of viability (or lack there of) as the case may be of the specific organization. If it really is thriving you will know it very shortly.

If there is a lack of attendance or the minister makes negative comments about people who have left even if it is just a subtle derogatory reference to “deadwood” or supposed “negative people” either to you in person or in public writings you need to ask yourself what is really going on with that spiritual leader. Ask yourself why that person is still so focused on the negative people or situations they say are no longer a problem for the said organization? Keep reading what this person writes and keep listening to what he or she says over time. Eventually they will show you where the real problem rests.

Quite simply control freaks in the leadership of Spiritualist Churches and Learning Centres have the habit of driving good mediums/healers and teachers away BECAUSE are unwilling or unable to work with others as part of a team. If you are around these types long enough you will come to recognize them for who they really are as the pattern does repeat itself will become obvious over time!

Whatever Spiritualist Church/Learning Centre you decide to get involved with please take the time to fully examine what is offered and ask Spirit to help you focus your sense of discernment!

Feeling is Believing... Why We Know Spirit Contact is Real

Ever wonder why Spiritualists and Psychics believe as strongly as they do in the connection to the afterlife and why they know that Spirit contact is real?

While many folks might want to challenge the understanding these folks have of the Spirit World there are just some experiences that cannot be explained away. In my work as a Spiritualist Medium/Psychic Advisor I hear all kinds of different personal stories where people have been touched in a very real way by their loved ones who are now in spirit.

A few weeks ago I received a wonderful email from one of the sitters in my development circle explaining how her grandmother came through with beautiful proof that she had come to visit this woman earlier in the evening during the development class. I am pleased to share here on this blog with the writer’s permission the section of email as it was written to me a few weeks ago. I hope in doing so I can help others understand how wonderful spirit contact can be.

According to Anne in an email dated January 31, 2007:

“On our way home from your house last night we [Anne and her husband Denis] were talking about our meditation and we both felt that we'd had a really wonderful experience. When we got home there was this wonderful smell in the house like someone had been baking. The house was warm and the aroma was all around the house even up the stairs and in the bedroom. At first I thought I had left something in the over and checked but nothing; we went all around the house sniffing trying to find out where the smell was coming from but we couldn't find anything. All I could think of was that Sarah mentioned that she saw someone around me that could have been my grandmother and she was an awesome cook and baked all time. I could feel her presence, as I do sometimes, and could see her smiling at us. I still find it amazing when these incidents happen, no wonder we love Tuesdays!”

When I consider such events I have to think they happen to remind us that our loved ones in spirit love us very much and do come to visit us and remind us of good times and joyful memories. In asking for proof that it was her grandmother that was near during the development circle Anne and her husband both experienced a welcoming home that only her grandmother would/could offer to them. It is these loving experiences shared with spirit that strengthens our belief that everything and everyone is connected and that there is much more to this life than the here and now.

With that understanding in mind Spiritualist Mediums and Psychics find peace and healing and personal balance in their lives and feel compelled to share these experiences with others so that they too might enjoy such occurrences in their lives. As a Spiritualist Medium/ Psychic Advisor my primary goal is to help others discover who is near them from the Spirit world and what blessings these folks in spirit wish to share with them.

It is with many thanks that I share Anne’s personal story and encourage others to share their positive personal experiences with their guides, teachers and loved ones who are in the spirit realm.

Please feel free to add your positive experience with spirit contact to the discussion area of this blog.

Spiritual Wisdom Does It Still Exist In REAL-TIME???

Additional comments to my last blog I have been in Spiritualism a long time since I was 24 and I am 37 now but that does not mean I felt good about it for that entire time. While I never regretted opening to spirit and where my life has come to, I resent the fact that I was used and abused by some who call themselves ministers. I can say only that I am relieved that that part of my life is closed and I have moved beyond the control of these kinds of people.

That said it seems one person insists on copying my comments on discussion threads in TRYING to make some kind of point in the comment areas of my blogs. Damned if I know what it is but, I do not endorse plagiarism. Therefore, I have deleted the posts only to have her repost them and will say that folks who do such things are definitely mentally unbalanced or maybe just stupid, two dimensional and lazy. Who knows what her problem is? But there comes a time when one needs to respond and I have done that here and in the comment section of the blog where she posted my content. Annoying but at least I know she is reading them! I guess that is something eh? On that note though, it would be nice if that said minister could come up with an original way to interact with people on blogs and in discussion threads.

It is good to be away from her and at a church where real community and willingness to allow others to grow rather than power struggles and controlling behaviors are the norm. Wonder if her church is still running at this point? When I left there was little to nothing doing and although they have a web site the other churches have been under the impression that the church is closed for business. That sure explains why we never had a congregation to speak of when we moved the church to Etobicoke. And it was pretty much dead for several years prior to that when it was located in Scarborough IMHO! There is NO mystery as to why though!

Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church an Update...

I had the most interesting conversation with the President of Britten Memorial Spiritualist Church today. It seems the church is in transition and it is not a Christian Spiritualist Church. While many of the members are Christian Spiritualists the church board is trying to broaden the perspective a bit and encourage a wider scope of information sharing and learning.

After a very thought provoking, several hour discussion with Martin, I must say that I think I have found a new Church home! I like the fact I could share in a vast variety of topics with this man who I spoke with for most of the afternoon. Happily, I found myself affirming many things I have felt for many years about Spirit, Mediumship, and Spiritualism through shared ideas with Martian that I had not heard anywhere else.

Spirit does direct and guide and I must say that I am truly enjoying this new part of my life adventure.

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!