WITCHCRAFT

~Witchcraft~

 I've practiced a lot of witchcraft in my life. I started doing it at a young age. I haven't done any witchcraft in a long, long, time though. Here is some information about witchcraft that you might find interesting.

--------------------

DIFFERENT FORMS OF WITCHCRAFT

Quote:

"Alexandrian - Founded in England during the 1960's by Alexander Sanders, self-proclaimed "King of the Witches". An offshoot of Gardnerian, Alexandrian covens focus strongly upon training, emphasizing on areas more generally associated with ceremonial magic, such as Qabalah, Angelic Magic and Enochian........." 

"Celtic - The Celtic path is really many traditions under the general heading of "Celtic." It encompasses Druidism, Celtic Shamanism, Celtic Wicca or Witta, the Grail Religion, and Celtic Christianity or Culdees. Each path is unique and stand alone meld together with another and still be part of the Celtic tradition. It is primarily derived from the ancient pre Christian Celtic religion of Gaul and the British Isles............"

"Ceremonial - Uses a great deal of Ceremonial Magick in practices. Mostly derived from the works of Aleister Crowley. Detailed rituals with a flavor of Egyptian magick are popular, as Qabalistic ritual forms......." 

"Dianic - This is the most feminist Craft Tradition. Most Dianic covens worship the Goddess exclusively (Diana and Artemis are the most common manifestations) and most today are women only. Rituals are eclectic; some are derived from Gardnerian and Faery traditions, while others have been created anew. Emphasis is on rediscovering and reclaiming female power and divinity, consciousnes-raising, and combining politics with spirituality. The Dianic Craft included two distinct branches:............."

 "Eclectic - Refers to groups and individuals who do not fully adhere to one specific form of Paganism. They choose to incorperate some beliefs, practices, rituals etc, of a few, or many paths to form a unique one that suits their spiritual needs...."

"Faery/Faerie/Fairy/Feri -  It is an ecstatic, rather than fertility tradition, emphasizing on polytheism, practical magic, self-development and theurgy. Strong emphasis is placed on sensual experience and awareness,including sexual mysticism, which is not limited to heterosexual expression. This is a mystery traditionof power, mystery, danger, ecstasy, and direct communication with divinity. Most initiates are inthe arts and incorporate their own poetry, music and invocations into rituals. The Tradition isgender-equal,.........." 

"Gardnerian - Gardnerian covens are always headed by a High Priestess and have three degrees of initiation closely paralleling the Masonic degrees. Worship is centered on the Goddess and the Horned God. The tradition emphasizes polarity in all things, fertility, and the cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Eight seasonal Sabbats are observed, and the Wiccan Rede is the guiding principle. Power is raised through scourging and sex magick ("The Great Rite"), as well as meditation, chanting, astral projection, dancing, wine and cords. Designed for group/coven work, through solitary workings have been created. Covens work skyclad........."

"Minonian Brotherhood - The Brotherhood remains exclusively a venue for Gay men to explore a traditional ritual Witchcraft, one which can foster a similar, though Gay, sexual mysticism and sense of personal empowerment as in some British traditions of Wicca. As the founder was a Gardnerian initiate, the rituals are roughly Gardnerian, with changes to accommodate a different core mythology and ritual custom.. Imagery and deities are those of Ancient Crete and Mycenae............."

 "Shamanic Witchcraft - Shamanic Witchcraft emphasizes serving the wider community through rituals, herbalism, spellcraft, healings, counseling, rites of passage, handfastings, Mystery initiations, etc. The distinguishing element of Shamanic Witchcraft is the knowledge and sacramental use of psychotropic plants to effect transitions between worlds. The theory and practice of Shamanic Witchcraft has permeated widely though out many other established Traditions............."

"Stregheria - Stregheria is the form of witchcraft native to Italy; there are several distinct traditions sharing common roots, in various parts of Italy. Also called, La Vecchia Religione, Stregheria is a nature-based religion, it's followers worship the forces of Nature, personified as gods and goddesses..........."

"Wiccan Shamanism - Founded by Selena Fox in the 1980's. Ecumenical and multicultural focus. Combination of Wicca, humanistic psychology and a variety of shamanistic practices from around the world. Emphasis on healing. Uses traditional shamanistic techniques to change consciousness, such as drumming and ecstatic dancing......"

SOURCE: READ MORE: 
http://www.pathcom.com/~newmoon/diff.htm

----

Quote:

"Druidic - Neo-Druids are polytheistic worshipers of Mother Earth. Very little is known today about ancient Druidism and there are many gaps in the writings that have been found...... Druidic ritual often employs sacrifices to the Mother Goddess. These sacrifices often include grain, sometimes meat. These ritual sacrifices are often accompanied by a verse not unlike the following: "Earth Mother, giver of life we return to you a measure of the bounty you have provided may you be enriched and your wild things be preserved....." 

"Pictish - Pictish witchcraft is nature-based with little emphasis on religion, Gods, or Goddesses. It is much like Celtic witchcraft, only the traditions are Scottish. Pictish witches perform solitary and rarely, if ever work in groups or covens......" 

"Pow-Wow - Here is a term I rarely hear when referring to witchcraft. This tradition is based on old German magic. Today, it is considered a system of faith healing and can be applied to most any religion....." 

"Teutonic - A Nordic tradition of witchcraft that includes beliefs and practices from many cultures including Swedish, Dutch, and Icelandic....."

" Wicca - Probably the most popular form of witchcraft. Wicca is highly religious in nature and has a good balance between religion/ceremonial magic and nature. Wiccans believe in a God and Goddess who are equal in all things, although some may lean more toward the Dianic form of Wicca, worshipping only the Goddess or lowering the God to an "assistant" status. Wiccans commonly form covens and rarely work alone."

SOURCE: READ MORE: 
http://www.witchcrafted.org/aboutw.htm#3

----

Quote:

"Santeria - In Santeria, there is a great Creator Deity but it is the Orishas that are directly worshiped. The Orishas are comparable to the Catholic saints, and they often have similar traits and characteristics. For example, Elegba and St. Anthony are closely connected as patrons over roads, transportation and gateways......"

"Vodou - Though many people call it Voodoo, the more accurate name is Vodun or Vodou. It's a religion similar to Santeria as a mixture of Christian and African beliefs but it has gotten a lot more negative exposure from TV and movies. Vodou came from African with slaves and is primarily practiced in Haiti as well as some African nations.
There is one unknowable Deity figure, Olorun and the lesser spirits who are worshiped and prayed to are called the Loa (or the Lwa). Again, they are similar to many saints but the connection is not as strong as in Santeria............"

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.free-witchcraft-spells.com/african-witchcraft.html

--------------------

There are many more types of witchcraft. Feel free to do some of your own research. There are plenty of websites about the different forms of witchcraft out there.

--------------------

WHAT IS WITCHCRAFT?

Quote:

"Witchcraft, as the name suggest, is a ‘craft’ practised by witches. The reason why it is called witchcraft and not wizard craft is that it was mostly practiced by women in ancient times. So in a way, witch craft is usually associated with women."

Quote:

"Witchcraft, in fact, was known as the ‘The Craft of the Wise.”’ It was so called because those who practised it lived close to the nature and cured the diseases of the people, a service that nobody else could render. Because these witches stayed close to nature, they over a period of time, were able to decode the healing properties of various herbs and plants."

Quote:

"Witchcraft is actually a ‘craft’ and not a religion. The religion that the witches follow is called Wicca. Since the basic principles and beliefs of witchcraft are also followed in Wicca, therefore, witchcraft is generally identified with religion."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.awakethewitch.com/witchcraft.html

----

Quote:

"Witchcraft, Wicca, the Craft, the Craft of the Wise are all terms used by modern Witches.Witchcraft today is a renewed version of the Old Religion, with it roots based in the Palaeolithic worship of the Spirit of the Hunt and reverence for the Triple Goddess Maiden, Mother and Crone."

Quote:

"Witches may be female or male.  Male Witches are not called warlocks or wizards or anything else out of fairy tales or other fiction.Witches may work on their own, with a partner, or in a group, sometimes called a Coven.Group working has the advantage of being able to combine the energies raised, rather like putting several batteries together, to create greater power. Some groups are working groups only, others accept and train newcomers to the Craft."

Quote:

"Witches also observe the cycle of the Moon; from new (Maiden) through full (Mother), to waxing and dark (Crone).  The Maiden is fresh and new, and enthusiasm.  She is joy and life, and perhaps not all that careful!  The Mother is caring and sharing,  tending and knowing.  She  too has her fierce side - never come between a mother and her child.  She is protective, but with reason, she loves, fiercely and wildly and powerfully.  The Crone has always been feared as "she who knows"........"

Quote:

"Most controversial of all, Witches practice magic; this ability to change people, things and events by force of will, is often considered scary, but it is in reality no more frightening than the power of prayer.  True magic is not a matter of controlling others, for to change the path of another would be to interfere with their freedom of will and would be a source of, at least potential, harm.  Magic is rather the ability to change what happens by true balance and control of the self.  Magic must ever be able to be turned inwards, before it can ever work outwards....."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
http://kate-west.webs.com/whatiswitchcraft.htm

----

Quote:

"Historically, benevolent workers of magic were referred to by a variety of other terms and were accepted and even respected members of their communities."

"In the 20th century, witchcraft started to take on a more generic and ethically neutral meaning. People started speaking of good witches and bad witches, with "witch" simply denoting a worker of magic, particularly practical magic. Witchcraft is one of several forms of modern magic. Witchcraft tends to focus on emotion over strict ritual. It also tends to use everyday items and is often practical in nature. It borrows from folk magic - that is, the magic of common people throughout history - much more extensively than from ceremonial magic, although there can certainly be some overlap...."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://altreligion.about.com/od/glossary/g/Witchcraft.htm

--------------------

Another great source about witchcraft is:

"Buckland's Complete Book Of Witchcraft" 

by Raymond Buckland. 

This truly is a great book and source if you want to learn more about witchcraft. You can find it on Amazon.com

- Rachel Livingston

Mischievous Spirits

~*~MISCHIEVOUS SPIRITS~*~ 

** WHAT'S THAT NOISE? ~ DID THAT CANDLE JUST FLY ACROSS THE ROOM?! ~ THEY'RE HERE! ~ THE MISCHIEVOUS SPIRITS HAVE COME OUT TO PLAY!**

------------------------------------------

     My name is Carm and I do have abilities. During a tuff time in my life when I was going through a divorce, I moved in with my friend Danny. Dan was on vacation when I settled in. my first week in the house I kept hearing tapping noises. And this one time when I went to the bathroom I knew I had placed the television remote on the table. When I got back the remote was missing and I looked all over for it. Something clicked in my head and at the time I wasn't quite sure but I said out loud  "Ok, you have made yourself known but I would love to watch my programs in peace. Can you put it on the stove in the kitchen?" I do have experience and I knew they wouldn't place it in front of me.

 Magic with ghosts usually happens in a secret kinda way. But I kinda felt funny and didn't expect this to happen. Going into the kitchen there was my remote directly in the middle on top. 

Another thing I have learned is a ghost will place your missing object directly in the middle of plain view. In past I had a lighter missing in another house and just like that it was in center of       the stove. 

This was at my friends house and he was a  witness to this. This is also where I got the idea of placing my remote on the stove. Plus the kitchen was in another room and it could place the remote on stove in secret...so now I'm astonished to see the remote on the stove.

I was proud of myself for being aware of what was going on. I was not scared for some reason and I started talking to it challenging it to move other things like a chair but nothing else happened. The next day I called my best friend John and told him what had happened and that I challenged it to move the chair but nothing happened. My friend said that probably was way to big an object and I was mad at myself for not realizing that. We talked that smaller objects would be better and just as we were saying this an unlit small tea candle that was in small glass slid across the tv onto the floor!

 I was smiling but stunned and said  "Oh my god, John, the candle just slid off the tv!" He told me to check if it wasn't on correctly or if there was some possible way it could have slid off. But we couldn't debunk it...so for a couple days I was very friendly and would talk out loud..

I also wondered if my friend Danny,  had known there was a ghost in the house. The night he got home from his trip I met him at the door and I must have had a crazy look on my face because he started laughing and said: "I see you must have met the ghost?" This was more validation for me. We laughed and he told me some stories but I didn't like his stories. 

In this one story he said that the ghost was scratching it's nails on the bedroom wall. So now I know its a girl ghost. A couple months have gone by now and I am still talking, sometimes, to our girl ghost. She got brave enough that I could see her shadow.

 One thing that is amazing is shadow people can move lighting fast. But now on this hot summer night. I went to bed and put over me a very thin sheet and started to go to sleep. I was still in a lot of pain over my divorce and was laying there thinking of things trying to go to sleep,when all of a sudden my sheet ripped off of me! I was stunned and pissed and I yelled out but in terror, "THAT'S NOT NICE!!" I woke up my friend and he sternly told me " See, stop talking to it".  He was absolutely right...

This particular story starts to go bad.

My friend and I moved out of the apartment and I'm now living upstairs from parents house. Toward the end months living there I was terrified and I've learned big lesson.

 One lesson is to not talk to much to them and don't trust them.


---------------------------------------

Submitted by: Carm

Psychic Abilities: Clairvoyance, ESP, Mediumship and More

~Psychic Abilities: Clairvoyance, ESP, Mediumship and More~

My mom has always told me, ever since I was little, that Clairvoyants and Mediums run on her side of the family. It has always fascinated me. Below is some information about Clairvoyance, Mediumship and MORE!

--------------------------

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABILITIES

Quote:

"I have listed below definitions for some Extra Sensory Abilities(ESP). These are senses that are beyond the normal five physical senses and are non-physical or Psychic. Most Psychics are proficient in at least one ability and may be in all of them. Mediums also use these senses to communicate with spirits."

"Clairaudience means 'clear hearing'. It is the ability to hear through Psychic senses. in other words, to hear in a paranormal way. Someone with this gift hears sounds, words, voices, and/or ideas through the hearing centre of the brain. There are two forms of clairaudience. The first form is hearing thoughts within ourselves, which sounds the same as when we talk to ourselves. They use their 'inner ear' to hear, just as someone with clairvoyance would use their 'inner eye' to see. The second form is hearing the voices spoken out loud. It is the actual perception of sounds, voices, etc that are not heard by others and not done by ordinary hearing. This type is more accurate, as it does not require interpretation."

"Clairvoyance means 'clear seeing'. It is the ability to visually see through Psychic senses. Someone with this gift sees images, shapes, colors, still pictures, moving pictures, etc that are not seen by others nor seen by ordinary eyesight. These images may be seen with the eyes open or closed. This intuitive ability comes straight from the sixth chakra. Clairvoyants may also perceive types of energy not perceptible by others or by normal means. It has terms associated with it such as 'the third eye' 'sixth sense' and 'inner eye'. Clairvoyance is one of the most accurate intuitive abilities."

"Clairsentience means "clear feeling" and relates to the sense of touch. It is the ability to perceive energy fields through physical sensations using Psychic senses. This includes auras, vibrations, and the presence of entities. When you get a "gut feeling" about something, you are using your clairsentience. What you're doing is using your second chakra, the spleen center, to sense things on an emotional level. clairsentience can pick up what other people are feeling. Clairsentience often works with another ability called precognition. Precognition is the ability to know what is going to happen in advance."

"Clairsentience is often mistaken for empathy. Though the psychic is aware of a person's aura, they may think they are picking up emotions, but instead is mentally describing the kind of energy the subject is transmitting. The difference being that aura is an external vibration, while an emotion is internalized. Clairsentience is the most commonly used intuitive abilities, although it is not one of the most accurate."

"Clairgustance means 'clear tasting'. It is the ability to perceive tastes through Psychic senses. Someone with this ability can taste a substance that is not of a physical nature. It is the ability to perceive the essence of a substance from the spiritual or ethereal realms using the taste."

"Clairscent means 'clear smelling'. It is the ability to perceive a fragrance or odor through Psychic senses. Someone with this ability can perceive odors that is not of a physical nature. It is the ability to perceive the essence of a substance from the spiritual or ethereal realms using smell." 

"Clairtangency means 'clear touching'. It is more commonly known as psychometry. It is the ability to handle an object and perceive Psychic information from the spiritual or ethereal realms using touch. clairempathy means 'clear emotion'. It is the ability to Psychically tune into others emotions. Someone with this ability tunes into the vibrations of the spiritual and ethereal realms and feels the tones of another's aura."

SOURCE: READ MORE: 
http://www.theintuitpathway.com/temple/claires.htm

----

Quote:

"First, let's discuss what defines psychic ability in the first place! Extra-sensory perception (ESP), prophesies of the future, and a "sixth sense" could all be defined under the blanket term "psychic ability". But where does psychic ability come from? Actually, no one really knows - not even psychic readers. People who claim to have psychic abilities describe a sense of just "having it" without having any conception of how it got there. Most say that it is part of their regular consciousness, and that they simply "know" or "feel" things before, during, or after they happen - despite being unable to explain how. Though parapsychology has been heavily criticized, scrutinized, and stigmatized, the truth is that as much evidence points towards its veracity as against it."

Quote:

"So what are some of the different types of psychic abilities? To begin with, there is the art of "channeling," which is defined as the ability to receive and transmit information from another external consciousness while in a decidedly altered state of mind. Though each incident varies in intensity and resulting activity, many share the same basic traits: a semi-trance like state and the appearance of an outer entity expressing itself through the channeler. Many people have been able to obtain a psychic reading of another entity and consciously channel that entity - but professional parapsychologists don't recommend trying it until you've been well-trained and prepared."

"Three more (related) types of psychic ability are clairaudience, clairsentience, and clairvoyance. Clairaudience is generally defined as the ability to hear or sense sounds that cannot be perceived by a non-psychic person. Clairsentience is another type of extrasensory perception in that clairsentient people can sense past, present, or future events through "sensing" them, though non-clairsentient people cannot perceive them. Clairvoyance is a synonym for extrasensory perception - any knowledge or consciousness of an event outside of seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, or smelling it."

SOURCE: READ MORE: 
http://www.successconsciousness.com/guest_articles/psychic_abilities_types.htm


--------------------------

CLAIRVOYANCE

Quote:

"Clairvoyance means seeing clearly. It is taken from the French word that means “clear seeing” and clairvoyance is a common psychic experience. It interlopes with the above mentioned terms to create the ultimate psychic experience. Clairvoyance is an extra sensory ability to perceive distant objects, persons or events which are not visible through the normal senses."

"Clairvoyance is a common human ability, and happens everyday to people with out their knowledge. Throughout history, clairvoyance has been noted to be used by prominent figure heads."

"There are many ways that Clairvoyance can be experienced, starting from the internal imagery of symbolic images, that must be interpreted by the persons own feelings and thoughts, stretching to the more complicated clairvoyance of seeing non physical planes, the astral and other psychic phenomena. Most of the clairvoyant experiences fall between these two categories."

Quote:

"The ability of clairvoyance, again like intuition, may either be inherited from parents or grandparents. In other cases a child may be born with clairvoyant ability even if his parents may have nothing to do with it.  In this case, he may be carrying forward his clairvoyant ability from his previous incarnation."

Quote:

"Psychics and soothsayers have been using their clairvoyant ability since times immemorial. In one of the earliest recorded cases, a dull witted peasant Victor Race would go into trance and see visions wherein he would speak fluently and intelligently. He would even diagnose not only his own disease but also of other patients and suggest prescriptions as well.  And then he would forget every thing after he came out of his trance. The same behavior was later on exhibited by the well known Psychic Edgar Cayce."

SOURCE: READ MORE: 
http://www.psychic.com.au/psychic-clairvoyance.htm


--------------------------

WHAT IS CLAIRVOYANCE?

Quote:

"Clairvoyance is said to be a special gift which very few persons possess. When somebody is bestowed with certain psychic abilities to see things that other people cannot see, he or she is said to be clairvoyant. It is also said to be the sixth sense. When you speak with a clairvoyant, it allows you to know certain things concerning the spiritual world and also gain some insight into your future. In the ancient times, clairvoyance was referred to as the ability to prophesy. Its popularity increased in Europe during the 1800s. Lots of clairvoyants exhibited their abilities by reading letters without opening the sealed envelope."

"Some clairvoyants also exhibited their abilities by communicating with the dead. Several studies have been carried out by various scientists in order to prove that clairvoyance really existed. What specifically do clairvoyants do? The answer is simple; they help in bringing messages from other realms which ordinarily, cannot be accessed. In most cases, the psychic receives messages in the form of images, words or sounds. They are said to receive these messages through what is called the Third Eye. This is believed to be situated right in the pineal gland and is strongly believed to help those who want to know how to become psychic to develop their abilities."

"Unlike what most people believe, clairvoyance is not just about having the ability to see the dead. It also involves seeing people or objects that are located very far from the psychic. Clairvoyants in several instances have helped to locate loved ones who got missing and in other cases, helped in unraveling mysteries surrounding certain crimes. Do you desire to get a message from a deceased loved one? Then seeing a clairvoyant is the answer. He or she is endowed with the ability to let you know whether your loved one is happy or not on the other side of the world."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/all-about-clairvoyance


--------------------------

MEDIUMS, CLAIRVOYANTS AND PSYCHICS: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Quote:

"There seems to be, and apparently always has been, much confusion over the definitions between psychics, mediums and clairvoyants. It has been brought to my attention many times over recently, no less by appearing on the Kilroy show, that many people don't know the difference between all of these 'names' that those of us that work with spirit and energy are blessed with."

"I have been following my spiritual path solidly since 1997 and am very fortunate that I've been able to enhance many of my senses and gain much knowledge along the way. Technically I could call myself any of these 'names' mentioned above, as I'm also very fortunate to have been able to develop all these natural gifts of awareness, which warrant each of these titles".

"To help give just a brief run down before my more lengthy explanations here is a quick resume of what the dictionary had to say about each of these:"

"Psychic - pertaining to mental forces, telepathy, extra sensory perception" 

"Medium - contacting and being able to communicate with spirits of the dead "

"Clairvoyance - the ability to see things beyond our normal senses"

Quote:

"Let's start with explaining about a psychic. Someone that calls himself or herself a psychic may well be labelling themselves as such because it is stereotypically recognised as someone that can 'read you' and most likely be able to tell you about, your past, present, future and many other things that the psychic could not possibly have known about you before having your reading. This essentially is correct, but how they do this in the true sense of the word, is that as a psychic they will have like a 'mental connection' with you and they will also read your energy field, so they will be very sensitive and be able to pick up on your thoughts and energy most of all. People will tell you that you are psychic if you know who it is when the phone rings, for example. They may well have some or all of the other abilities that will be mentioned as follows, but not necessarily so."

Quote:

"Now, clairvoyance actually translates to 'clear seeing'. It means that the person that is working with their clairvoyant ability will be able to see images of people, places or things in their minds eye, they are able to describe these to you during a reading or when giving a message. This does not mean that they are fortunetellers or seers of the future, although that doesn't mean that you won't get some information about the future, but clairvoyance is by definition simply clear seeing, and not seeing the future."

Quote:

"The harder version is that a medium by another definition is the 'channel' by which information from spirit passes through or indeed is the channel through which any energy passes. By this definition all of us indeed are mediums (as opposed to smalls or larges…sorry, couldn't resist getting that in somewhere!). This is because we all channel energy to some degree or another. If we draw, we are a medium (as is the pencil) through which energy flows to create the picture on the page. If we sing, we are a medium (as is the voice) through which energy flows to create a song. If we are healers (another topic entirely) we are mediums through which the energy flows to our clients and so on…"

"This then means by its very nature that anyone working with Spirit or energy on any level could be called a medium. A medium in this sense is then being defined as a 'channel'."

"So someone that calls themselves a clairvoyant/medium, by rights, should be able to describe your loved ones from the spirit world and also to describe visually things around your home or family for example. It has been brought to my attention that there are a few 'clairvoyant/mediums' out there, that aren't in fact either of these! They may 'read' people, but they may be reading via their psychic or sentient ability and not actually 'seeing' anything at all, or indeed they may not be able to talk with your loved ones in spirit either. This doesn't mean they aren't good readers, it just means they might not be offering you the sort of reading you were really after. Never be afraid to ask your 'reader' how they work, they should always be more than happy to explain it to you. This way, you know what sort of reading you can expect."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.mystic-mouse.co.uk/Wisdom_Texts/MediumsClairvoyantsPsychics.htm


--------------------------

WHAT IS MEDIUMSHIP?

Quote:

"Mediumship can be defined as follows: The process whereby a human instrument, known as a MEDIUM or CHANNEL, is used by one or more discarnate, spirit personalities for the purpose of:"

-"Presenting information, verifiable or otherwise.-Causing so-called paranormal activities to occur.-Channeling forth certain types of energies.-Manifesting themselves for objective examination and/or identification.-From this definition, we see the following:"

"Mediumship involves a cooperating effort between a person on the Earth plane (the medium or channel) and a person in Spirit (the communicator).There are several objectives behind the manifestation of mediumship.In addition to this, we see that mediumship is used by those in Spirit for the following purposes:"

-"To present information, which may or may not be verifiable.-To cause certain types of paranormal activities to occur.-To channel forth certain types of energies.-To manifest themselves materially."

"Therefore, mediumship involves the cooperation between at least two individuals:"

-"n Earth-plane channel or medium"
-"A spirit communicator or operator."

Quote:

"Mental mediumship involves the relating of information, through communication, via the varied aspects of thought transference, or mental telepathy. Mental telepathy is the relaying of information via thought, without using any of the five physical senses. Mental mediumship takes place within the consciousness of the medium. The results are expressed verbally and must pass through the medium's mouth. Because of its telepathic nature, mental mediumship is sometimes referred to as telepathic mediumship."

Quote:

"Physical mediumship involves the manipulation and transformation of physical systems and energies. The spirit operators, in this case, are causing something to happen upon the Earth plane. What it is that actually happens varies with the style of mediumship involved, but the results can be seen and heard by others."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.fst.org/mediumship.htm


--------------------------

MORE ABOUT MEDIUMSHIP

Quote:

"Mediumship is the claimed ability of a person (the medium) to experience contact with spirits of the dead, angels, demons or other immaterial entities. The role of the medium is to facilitate communication with spirits who have messages to share with non-mediums. Mediums claim to be able to listen to, relay messages from, and relate conversations with spirit, to go into a trance and speak without knowledge of what is being said, to allow a spirit to control their body and speak through it, perhaps using a writing instrument (psychography or surreal automatic writing)."

Quote:

"According to some mediums, a spirit guide is a highly evolved spirit with the sole purpose of helping the medium develop and use personal skills. These spirits are said to assist in the person's following a spiritual path. Other mediums claim instead that a spirit guide is one who brings other spirits to a medium's attention or carries communications between a medium and the spirits of the dead. Many mediums have specific guides who regularly work with them and "bring in" spirits of the dead. Some mediums claim that spirits of the dead will communicate with them directly without the use of a spirit guide. The relationship between the medium and the guide may be providential, or it may be based on family ties. It is important to note that all who are "lightbearers" have spirit guides. Not just mediums."

Quote:

"In the typical deep trance, the medium may not have clear recall of all the messages conveyed while in an altered state; such people generally work with an assistant. That person selectively wrote down or otherwise recorded the medium's words. Rarely did the assistant record the responding words of the sitter and other attendants. An example of this kind of relationship can be found in the early 20th century collaboration between the trance medium Mrs. Cecil M. Cook of the William T. Stead Memorial Center in Chicago (a religious body incorporated under the statutes of the State of Illinois) and the journalist Lloyd Kenyon Jones. The latter was a non-medium Spiritualist who transcribed Cook's messages in shorthand. He edited them for publication in book and pamphlet form."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.mediums4u.com/what-is-mediumship.php


--------------------------

ESP

Quote:

"Extrasensory perception—ESP—is defined by parapsychologists as the acquisition by a human or animal mind of information it could not have received by normal, sensory means. Some researchers, however, take issue with the term "extrasensory perception." They protest that the phenomena may not be "perception" at all, as the receiver of this information does not know if the knowledge is right or wrong when he or she first perceives it. It takes a corroborating incident to convince anyone that he or she has perceived anything via extrasensory means. Some parapsychologists prefer to say "paranormal cognition," but this term is subject to the same sort of criticism if the receiver is not instantly certain of the validity of the information. Besides, the researchers insist that the material in their field will eventually merge with present-day physics, so the adjective "paranormal" may be considered a misnomer."

" Contrary to common usage, a parapsychologist is not a psychic, a mentalist, an astrologer, or one who gives psychic readings. A parapsychologist is generally a member of the Parapsychological Association, which was founded in 1957 and elected an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1969. A parapsychologist is a scientist who is seriously interested in the paranormal (or anomalous phenomena), which includes telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis, hauntings, reincarnation, and out-of-body or near-death experiences."

Quote:

"It is interesting to note how many psi activities are experienced while the percipient is either asleep or in the sleeplike states of trance or hypnosis. This may indicate that each individual, in his or her subconscious, has the faculties necessary to focus on the consciously unperceived world of ESP. Dr. Montague Ullman has observed that many persons who are incapable of effective communication in normal ways can communicate at a telepathic level and surprise the therapist with a telepathic dream of rich awareness even of the physician's problems. The same laws of psychodynamics that apply to the dream also appear to apply to psi phenomena. Both the dream and psi are incompatible with currently accepted notions of time, space, and causality."

"More conventional scientists, who work within the confines of those currently accepted boundaries of known physical laws, insist that parapsychologists satisfy the requirements demanded of all other sciences and that they do the following: (1) produce controlled and repeatable experiments; (2) develop a hypothesis comprehensive enough to include all psi activity from telepathy to poltergeists, from water dowsing to materializations."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
http://www.unexplainedstuff.com/Mysteries-of-the-Mind/Extrasensory-Perception-The-Sixth-Sense.html#b

--------------------------

- Rachel Livingston

Developing Your Psychic Abilities

~Developing Your Psychic Abilities~

Here are some good sources that teach you how to Develop You Psychic Abilities, including Mediumship. Everyone can be "Psychic". Or should I say, everyone IS "Psychic". We all have it in us. When you're a child you are more in tune with it. But as you get older it can start to fade, but it NEVER goes away for good. You can always work on it and learn how to use your Psychic Abilities to their full potential. Below are some good tips on how to Develop Your "Psychic Abilities":

------------------------------

DEVELOPING YOUR PSYCHIC ABILITIES

Quote:

"Everyone is psychic. Some people are more so than others and every one of us possesses this ability. You do. I do. And we can further develop, train, and direct, what we already possess. . . expand our psychic potential until every measure of our lives is vastly improved."

Quote:

"First and foremost, a positive attitude. . . plus the ability to relax and imagine and trust".

"Faculty extensions (what most people refer to as "psychic abilities) allow us to access multiple layers of information, and sometimes simultaneously. And they enable us to reach that wellspring of inner knowingness which resides in the deeper depths of our being." 

"Our intent, that directive force of our attitudes and beliefs, determines the type of results we can achieve once we accept our psychic potential and begin the process of developing this inner resource. As with any other talent, practice makes perfect - use establishes value."

Quote:

"Developing your innate psychic abilities is one of the best investments you can make in creating a better future for yourself. The fact that you are reading this article tells me you are ready to take this positive step forward. So let's begin - right now!"

Quote:

"Historically, this kind of sharing, of helping another to feel more comfortable and cared for, was reserved only for religious or spiritual rituals, and practiced during services dedicated to healing. Now this type of knowledge is universal, and anyone who wishes to can practice the skill. The effectiveness of this gentle technique is incredible!"

SOURCE: READ MORE: 
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/How-to-Develop-Psychic-Abilities.htm

------------------------------

DEVELOPING YOUR PSYCHIC ABILITIES

Quote:

"Everytime you think of a particular person, you are psychically connected with that person for that moment. If they are are particularly sensitive they may pick up on this. Perhaps you have already experienced the common feeling when somebody phones you after a long absence, you burst out spontaneously with the statement that: "I was just thinking about you". That is why actively hating somebody is the worst thing you can do because it makes sure that you are still bound to that person. So if you really do not like a person, do not tie yourself to them by thinking about them all the time."

Quote:

"Now while it is true that everyone has some psychic ability, no matter how developed or undeveloped, not everyone has the same type of ability."

"There are four groups of psychic ability and you may fit in one or more of them. It would be a very rare person who would be able to fit into of these groups".

"The four types of psychic senses are psychic feeling, psychic intuition, psychic hearing and psychic vision."

"Psychic feeling is associated with gut feelings, hunches, the area of the body around the solar plexus. Often when people have a feeling something is going to go wrong, or has gone wrong, they experience a sinking feeling here in the pit of their stomach. The feeling is quite physical although often still vague."

Quote:

"To feel connected to the world in general, you need to accept that, for a start, everyone and everything is connected (this can actually be quite an uncomfortable thought as we are so used to having boundaries around us). You need to accept that everything happens for a reason and that everyone has both a good side and a bad side to them. These concepts sound simplistic but are actually very difficult to accept and believe."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.serenapowers.com/psychic.html

------------------------------

DEVELOPING PSYCHIC ABILITIES AND DEVELOPING MEDIUMSHIP

Quote:

"Just about all cars come with a radio built-in as standard, our bodies come with psychic intuition built-in as standard, but like the car radio, it's up to us whether we switch them on or not! To get the best from our car radio, we may need to tune into the various stations, to get the best from our psychic gift we may also need to 'tune' into the signals that are around us. If we keep with this analogy we could also say that some cars come with a higher quality radio receiver, as some people come with a stronger psychic reception. But you can upgrade the radio just as you can improve your psychic awareness." 

"I hope that answers the common question;- ' Am I psychic? ' - Because you are! So how do we switch it on and begin? If you are reading this then you have already begun! The first step to waking up your psychic faculty is to admit to yourself that you have one. It takes a while for the subconscious to be able to communicate with the conscious mind and the best way to do this is to simply start thinking about it. For example you could say to yourself "I am psychic" on a daily basis. Try, if possible to discuss it with whoever is willing, all these thoughts have a positive effect on developing your gift. You should also try to read about the subject, again this helps to wake things up. Knowledge will help, as you need some understanding of how things work. Adopt the policy you would take with any new hobby, become involved in it, buy books and magazines, look for more information on the internet. Become familiar with the various approaches and opinions and start to develop your own ideas. Deal directly with what appeals to you, what your logic finds reasonable. Disregard what you find difficult to accept, you can always return to it at a later time."

Quote:

"When I use Psychometry, I close my eyes for a while, relax as if I am taking a step back from the world, and create a space for the pictures to arrive. You must find a technique that works for you. You are looking for brief pictures, that seem to arrive all by themselves. Things that you were not thinking about, if you manage to get this far, you are making good progress.  If appropriate you will get a negative or positive feeling about what you have seen or felt. This is how psychics work. These positive / negative feelings are used to tell a client about which way they should go in a situation. Alternatively you may just get more information about an event, if you do, tell the person you are with. But please do not try to be a counselor until you are ready, remember you are dealing with peoples emotions."

Quote:

"I sometimes get asked how people can develop their own mediumship skills, while the process is not difficult, what is important is your intent, your sensitivity and respect for others. You must also decide why you wish to develop this technique? Decide if you are doing this to help others or just to contact a family member or someone close. Learning to recognise the subtle presence of our spirit friends around us and the gentle guidance they impart, is different to working as medium for others."

"Most people train in a development circle, or with a teacher and this is something I strongly recommend. Without someone to guide you, you may not know how to separate the imagination from actual spirit. A group meeting often means more than one person is able to sense the same spirit person, this is comforting and ensures you are progressing correctly. A good place to start would be your local spiritualist church, as many groups start from there. However you may have to be invited or have to wait for a suitable opening. But there are also 'Workshops' appearing with more regularity now, and these will help you learn from someone experienced. If you look hard enough, there is usually something in your own area where you can go."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://freespace.virgin.net/russel.steward/develop.htm


------------------------------

MEDIUMSHIP AND CHANNELING

Quote:

"Before we get into the specifics of developing skills though, first lets discuss the differences between Mediumship and Channeling. Many use these terms interchangeable, but for my purposes I will state what they mean to me. Simply, Mediumship is the process of communicating with the spirits of the deceased loved ones who have crossed over. Channeling is the process of communicating with the Ascended Maters, our Higher Selves, the Angels.. and bringing forward messages for soul development and spiritual growth. One of the things I like to warn about with channeled material is that no matter how good the channel, channeled messages are always colored by human perceptions. This doesn't make channeled material "untrue" or "bad" or "wrong". People often ask why channeled materials sometimes conflict and that's why. Remember when we communicate with spirit it isn't like talking on the telephone to a friend, it's very different."

Quote:

"Mediumship is a little different than channeling, yes it can be colored by the interpretation of the medium, but there is also someone sitting there who will validate for you "yes" or "no". Mediumship can be tricky for several reasons. First of all, those that are receiving readings typically come into the reading with ideas of who and what they want to hear. Sometimes these expectations get in the way of an otherwise good reading. Spirit has to communicate the way they know how, and again it isn't like we have a direct phone line. Spirit has to communicate to the medium in symbols, sounds, feelings etc.. and each medium interprets these differently. Some who are new to dealing with mediumship don't understand the differences, and that's ok. What is really essential is for the Medium to be patient and confident, and for the querrant to be openminded and to write things down, not discounting anything outright. If these two things are established readings will be much more productive. This doesn't mean we should encourage a sitter to just believe everything they hear. There is a healthy level of skepticism where we are able to protect ourselves, but there is a fine line between that skepticism and the next degree which is "closed" or "cynical"."

Quote: 

"List your top 3 fears. Explore these in depth one at a time. In college when we were doing papers we had a brainstorming exercise where we took our topic, in this case one of your top fears, and put it in the center of our page with a circle around it. Coming out from that circle were all the thoughts and ideas we had on our subject, questions that came forward etc. This process helps to bring out all of these things to be organized and sorted through. This is a great way to start to deal with misgivings/fear etc. "brainstorm" it. Spend 20-30 minutes on this exercise. Don't try to organize your thoughts during the 'brainstorming" segment... that will come later as you review the branches. Do this exercise for each of your top 3, one per day or one per week..."

Quote:

"Channeling is usually a very personal thing. Some people choose to take that higher wisdom and use it to inspire others, but a great many people "channel" and don't realize they are doing it. Channeling is involved in healings, where we draw the healing energy into our crown, and move it through our bodies and into the person being healed. By being a channel it simply means you are receiving energy. Everything that is is composed of energy. Thoughts are energy."

Quote:

"As we did in the first segment when we did the guided meditation to meet our guide, we want to do a similar exercise. Bring a notepad and pen, or a small tape recorder, and place it near your chair. Do your exercise of protection, and state your intention to the Holy Spirit / Divine/ Your Guide, whoever you wish to receive communication from. Relax, releasing any expectations.. and just relax as deeply as possible. You may find you see symbols, or hear something, or have a thought... just relax for 5-10 minutes or so and when you come out of your altered state, immediately record everything you perceived: feelings, signs, thoughts, words ... Continue to do these exercises as you are able, and record all that you perceive. The more you do this the more you are apt to pick up on... and since you have a written record things that you don't understand now may be validated later on. Be sure to write things down!"

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://spiritualguidancetarot.com/psychicskillsclass/mediumshipchanneling.html

------------------------------

Here is yet another REALLY GOOD SITE on how to develop your Mediumship skills: http://www.fst.org/guide.htm

I hope this helped you out! Good luck!

-Rachel Livingston

Random Radio Noise

~THE DISEMBODIED RADIO~

------------------------------------------

I don't know if this is "paranormal" or not but something strange happened to me a few days ago.

 It was around five a.m. and I was sitting in bed watching television.
 Then,  out of nowhere,
I heard what sounded like an "old fashioned radio". 
It sounded like someone was tuning it, as if they were trying to find a station.

 It was really loud and it lasted for about a good ten seconds.
I was looking everywhere for the source of the noise but I couldn't find anything. It wasn't the television, I know that much. My husband was in the same room as me also watching television.

At the time when I heard the "radio" there was a Ninja Turtles commercial on t.v. and the "radio noise" didn't come from that. 
I asked my husband if he heard it too and he said "No".

 It was nuts! 
The "radio noise" was so loud! I heard it through my ears and not in my head! I haven't experienced anything strange in a long while until that morning. I can't explain it! This is going to drive me crazy! What do you think it was? Feel free to comment!

-----------------------------

Submitted By: Rachel Livingston

SPIRITUALISM AND THE FOX SISTERS - UPDATED!

~Spiritualism and the Fox Sisters~

Personally, I strongly believe in Spiritualism. It is very interesting and deep. If you have ever heard of the Fox Sisters, you most likely have heard of Spiritualism. Below are some sources I have for you about Spiritualism and the Fox Sisters. Check it out for yourself and enjoy!

---------------------------------

WHAT IS SPIRITUALISM?

Quote:

"Spiritualist believe that those in the Spirit World can and do communicate after they have made the change called death.  Through mediumship, we can connect with loved ones, guides, and teachers on the other side of the veil.  We can be comforted by talking to our loved ones; we can be helped by instructions from our guides; and we can be taught important life lessons by Master Teachers."

"Spiritualism is much more than communicating with those in the Spirit World.  Spiritualism is a way of living our lives to the fullest extent possible through an understanding of Natural Law.  We believe in a Father-Mother God that loves us and works with us to provide a progressive incarnation.  We understand that we are responsible for our own actions and, due to the Law of Karma, harvest the rewards.  We strive to be non-judgmental."

SOURCE READ MORE:
 http://www.lansingspirit.com/spiritualism.html

---------------------------------

SPIRITUALISM AND THE FOX SISTERS

Quote:

"Spiritualism is a belief that was given a name in 1848. Its ideal roots may date to very ancient times. In our belief, we give credit to the truths of many religions, we know to say that one person has the truth and no one else is to say that God plays favorites. We believe there is a piece of the truth in everything, that we need to go beyond the segregations of man called religion, and seek true understanding. Through the ages, many enlightened people have made travels in the known world, seeking understanding of what God truly is. We cannot put a date on our beliefs, because to do so, it would also segregate us from the individuals that may have opened the pathway to the beginnings of what we now call Spiritualism, the belief of life after the change called death."

Quote: 

"The Fox family was having problems sleeping for several nights due to rapping noises in the household. John Fox, Father of Kate, Margaret and Leah Fox, went around the house looking for the source of the rattling, rattled a window in the cottage expecting to find a loose sash. As to reply, an echoing rattle sounded in the room."

Quote: 

"Through a series of codes, the family over time continued to communicate with these strange rappings. They learned through these codes that the rappings were made from a spirit of a peddler who called himself Charles Rosna that was buried under the house. John Fox was eager at this point to find out the truth about the “rappings” claims that he made many attempts to dig under the house to see if the remains exist. After much hard work and many unsuccessful times of digging, to the families’ surprise, they found skeletal remains along with a peddlers box. News spread throughout New York and Great Britain, and many other people since have explored the spirit world and different ways to communicate with it."

"This was only the beginning of Modern Spiritualism, there are many other stories and references that are worth exploring to understand where we came from. For more information on Spiritualism, you may browse other sites, go to any store carrying New Age books, or come and visit us. We look forward to helping you become more aware of the doorways spirit has opened on your pathway."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.lansingspirit.com/history.html

---------------------------------

DEFINITIONS OF SPIRITUALISM

Quote:

"Spiritualism is the Science, Philosophy and Religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the Spirit World. (1919)"

"Spiritualism Is a Science" Because it investigates, analyzes and classifies facts and manifestations demonstrated from the spirit side of life." 

"Spiritualism Is a Philosophy" because it studies the Laws of Nature both on the seen and unseen sides of life and bases its conclusions upon present observed facts. It accepts statements of observed facts of past ages and conclusions drawn therefrom, when sustained by reason and by results of observed facts of the present day."

"Spiritualism Is a Religion" because it strives to understand and to comply with the Physical, Mental and Spiritual Laws of Nature, which are the laws of God."

"A Spiritualist is one who believes, as the basis of his or her religion, in the communication between this and the Spirit World by means of mediumship and who endeavors to mold his or her character and conduct in accordance with the highest teachings derived from such communication. (1914, Rev. 1938)"

"A Medium is one whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the spirit world and through whose instrumentality, intelligences in that world are able to convey messages and produce the phenomena of Spiritualism. (1914)"

"A Spiritualist Healer is one who, either through one's own inherent powers or through mediumship, is able to impart vital, curative force to pathologic conditions. (1930, 1993)"

"The Phenomena of Spiritualism consists of Prophecy, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Gift of Tongues, Laying on of Hands, Healing, Visions, Trance, Apports, Levitation, Raps, Automatic and Independent Writings and Paintings, Voice, Materialization, Photography, Psychometry and any other manifestation proving the continuity of life as demonstrated through the Physical and Spiritual senses and faculties of man. (1950)"

SOURCE: READ MORE: 
http://www.thecse.org/Spiritualism.htm

---------------------------------

CONCEPTS OF SPIRITUALISM 

Quote:

"These are the three fundamental concepts of Spiritualism."

"The birth of the Modern Spiritualist Movement is most widely accepted as having taken place on March 31, 1848, with the events surrounding the Fox family, in Hydesville, New York. In reality, though, Spiritualism is as old as humanity. Spiritualism, in its pure essence, has its roots in ancient religion and spirituality. In effect, Spiritualism represents the alternative to Materialism. Furthermore, it is the basic essence from which all religious thought appeared and continues to appear on this great Earth plane. As such, Spiritualism really belongs to no group, nor to any religious movement or denomination. It is a gift from God, given to all people, of all faiths and denominations."

"Therefore, what is a Spiritualist church? Well, I guess all churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques are spiritualist in nature, because all houses of worship are supposed to be places from which the message and inspiration of a higher Spirit can come forth."

"Spiritualism, itself, as a concept of communication between those in the body and those in Spirit, has been a part of the human story for centuries. The Old and New Testaments are, in effect, a grand recording of ancient Spiritualism; they talk about spirit intervention and communication from approximately 1800 B.C. to around 200 A.D. Throughout their pages, we are warned to discriminate carefully between true and false prophets. Many were the people of Biblical times who were admonished to "test the spirits"."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.fst.org/spirit1.htm

---------------------------------

SPIRITUALISM AND THE FOX SISTERS

Quote:

"One of the greatest religious movements of the 19th century began in the bedroom of two young girls living in a farmhouse in Hydesville, New York. On a late March day in 1848, Margaretta “Maggie” Fox, 14, and Kate, her 11-year-old sister, waylaid a neighbor, eager to share an odd and frightening phenomenon. Every night around bedtime, they said, they heard a series of raps on the walls and furniture—raps that seemed to manifest with a peculiar, otherworldly intelligence. The neighbor, skeptical, came to see for herself, joining the girls in the small chamber they shared with their parents. While Maggie and Kate huddled together on their bed, their mother, Margaret, began the demonstration."

Quote: 

"The Posts invited the girls to a gathering at their home, anxious to see if they could communicate with spirits in another locale. “I suppose I went with as much unbelief as Thomas felt when he was introduced to Jesus after he had ascended,” Isaac Post wrote, but he was swayed by “very distinct thumps under the floor… and several apparent answers.” He was further convinced when Leah Fox also proved to be a medium, communicating with the Posts’ recently deceased daughter. The Posts rented the largest hall in Rochester, and four hundred people came to hear the mysterious noises. Afterward Amy Post accompanied the sisters to a private chamber, where they disrobed and were examined by a committee of skeptics, who found no evidence of a hoax"

".The idea that one could communicate with spirits was hardly new—the Bible contains hundreds of references to angels administering to man—but the movement known as Modern Spiritualism sprang from several distinct revolutionary philosophies and characters. The ideas and practices of Franz Anton Mesmer, an 18th-century Australian healer, had spread to the United States and by the 1840s held the country in thrall. Mesmer proposed that everything in the universe, including the human body, was governed by a “magnetic fluid” that could become imbalanced, causing illness. By waving his hands over a patient’s body, he induced a “mesmerized” hypnotic state that allowed him to manipulate the magnetic force and restore health. Amateur mesmerists became a popular attraction at parties and in parlors, a few proving skillful enough to attract paying customers. Some who awakened from a mesmeric trance claimed to have experienced visions of spirits from another dimension."

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/10/the-fox-sisters-and-the-rap-on-spiritualism/

---------------------------------

THE FOX SISTERS

Quote:

"The Fox sisters were three sisters from New York who played an important role in the creation of Spiritualism. The three sisters were Leah Fox (1814–1890), Margaret Fox (also called Maggie) (1833–1893) and Kate Fox (1837–1892). The two younger sisters used “rappings” to convince their much older sister and others that they were communicating with spirits. Their older sister then took charge of them and managed their careers for some time. They all enjoyed success as mediums for many years.In 1888 Margaret confessed that their rappings had been a hoax and publicly demonstrated their method. She attempted to recant her confession the next year, but their reputation was ruined and in less than five years they were all dead, with Margaret and Kate dying in abject poverty. Spiritualism continued as if the confessions of the Fox sisters had never happened."

" In 1848, the two younger sisters – Kate (age 12) and Margaret (age 15) – were living in a house in Hydesville, New York with their parents. Hydesville no longer exists but was a hamlet that was part of the township of Arcadia in Wayne County. The house had some prior reputation for being haunted, but it wasn’t until late March that the family began to be frightened by unexplained sounds that at times sounded like knocking, and at other times like the moving of furniture."

"In 1888, Margaret told her story of the origins of the mysterious “rappings”"

“When we went to bed at night we used to tie an apple to a string and move the string up and down, causing the apple to bump on the floor, or we would drop the apple on the floor, making a strange noise every time it would rebound. Mother listened to this for a time. She would not understand it and did not suspect us as being capable of a trick because we were so young.”"

" During the night of March 31, Kate challenged the invisible noise-maker, presumed to be a “spirit”, to repeat the snaps of her fingers. “It” did. “It” was asked to rap out the ages of the girls. “It” did.The neighbours were called in, and over the course of the next few days a type of code was developed where raps could signify yes or no in response to a question, or be used to indicate a letter of the alphabet."

"The girls addressed the spirit as “Mr. Splitfoot” which is a nickname for the Devil. Later, the alleged “entity” creating the sounds claimed to be the spirit of a peddler named Charles B. Rosma,who had been murdered five years earlier and buried in the cellar. Doyle claims the neighbors dug up the cellar and found a few pieces of bone, but it wasn’t until 1904 that a skeleton was found, buried in the cellar wall. No missing person named Charles B. Rosma was ever identified."

"Over the years, sisters Kate and Margaret had developed serious drinking problems. Around 1888 they became embroiled in a quarrel with their sister Leah and other leading Spiritualists, who were concerned that Kate was drinking too much to care properly for her children. At the same time, Margaret, contemplating a return to the Roman Catholic faith, became convinced that her powers were diabolical."

Quote: 

"The Fox sisters are believed to be the first practitioners of a seance, when two of the sisters -Kate and Margaret Fox – became frightened by mysterious knocking sounds in their home. Kate asked the mysterious source of the knocking sound to knock the same amount of times she clicked her fingers, as it obeyed this soon formed into a yes/no system, and later into an alphabet knocking system, which led the women to discover they were communicating with a man who had been murdered inside their house." 

SOURCE: READ MORE:
 http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/fox-sisters?before=1330718819

---------------------------------

Well, that's I all have for you for now. Are you interested? Feel free to do more research for yourself online. Go ahead and do some "soul searching". Also, you can check out this EXCELLENT book on Spiritualism called:

  "Buckland's Book of Spirit Communications" 

by Raymond Buckland. 

This is a great book for studying and learning more about Spiritualism. I HIGHLY recommend it. You can get it at Amazon.com. This book goes into great detail and it even has work book pages in it so you can test yourself and see how much you have learned after each chapter. It's a great book to learn from. There are also other great books on Spiritualism out there. I own quite a few books about it, and they are all pretty good. But Raymond Buckland's book about Spiritualism is the best I have read by far!!! You should definitely check it out. It is worth the read. You can learn so much from this book.

-Rachel Livingston