Chicago to Puerto Rico: Spiritualists Coming Together in the 1950s

In my research I’ve come across several Spiritualists who are virtually never talked about anymore, one of those is Rev. Anthony Camardo, an Italian-American Spiritualist who founded his own Spiritualist Association, the Liberal Psychic Science Church, in Chicago. You can read what I've written about him here.

One of the aspects of his life that I found fascinating, was that he hosted a delegation of visiting Spiritualists from Puerto Rico who made a 3,000 mile trip to visit him and the Spiritualist community of Camp Chesterfield in 1956. 

I recently purchased an old Spiritualist magazine from 1955 and found that it added a whole new chapter to this interesting story of Spiritualists working together from different areas of the world. 

Apparently Rev. Camardo, and other Spiritualists in his community, were regularly active in serving the Spiritualist community in Puerto Rico, so much so that a Spiritualist Center was established there that was chartered with Rev. Camardo’s Spiritualist Association: the First Liberal Psychic Science Center of Ponce, Puerto Rico. 

Rather than paraphrase this story, I decided to type up the article itself so that it’s easier to read for everyone. 

Puerto Rico Trip A Success (Chimes Psychic Magazine, May 1955) 

Rev. Jessie Curl, international Healer; Rev. Anthony Camardo, Pastor of the First Liberal Psychic Science Church of Chicago, Illinois; and Herman Brostoff, Assistant Pastor, arrived by plane at the airport in San Juan Puerto Rico, on January 22nd. They were asked not to leave the cabin until all other passengers had disembarked, as newspaper reporters wished to take pictures and interview the visitors. Both pictures and interviews were published later in two Puerto Rico newspapers, the El Mundo, and the Imparcial. 

A pleasant surprise followed the interviews, as a group of more than 60 persons from all over the island gathered to welcome the visitors. After much handshaking and welcoming speeches, all had dinner, then proceeded by car to the Church Center in Ponce, a three hour drive from San Juan. This Center is only two years old and is progressing rapidly under the leadership of its Pastor, the Rev. Esther Rodriguez Perez, whom Rev. Camardo had Ordained two years previously. 

During the stay in the Island, all meetings were well attended, and many had to be turned away for lack of seating. The people were avid for the billet reading, done by Rev. Camardo, and could not seem to get enough of it. Rev. Herman Brostoff and Rev. Jessie Curl did fine work with their phases of mediumship and instantaneous healing. Two meetings were held in the town of Mamati, and each Friday services were held at the Center at Guayama, presided over by the well known Anglade family. Also, a number of meetings at the Center of “Obreros del Bien” in Hato Rey, a suburb of San Juan, which is under the leadership of Mrs. Pepita Bosch, one of the Island’s leading Spiritualists. All meetings were to capacity audiences, with many turned away. 

Sunday, Feb. 27th, was one of the memorable days of the trip, for many things of importance transpired on this day. First of all, an ordination of Ministers and Missionaries took place at 10am. (see picture for names). It was an impressive ceremony conducted by the Rev. Anthony Camardo, assisted by the Rev. Esther Perez, Minister of the Center. 

On the same day, and for the first time in the history of Spiritualism on the Island, a complete Spiritualist Church Service was broadcast over the radio, one full hour over station WPRA, at the city of Mayaguez. Demonstrations of billet reading by Rev. Camardo, and healings by Rev. Brostoff and Rev. Curl were given to those who attended the radio broadcast. 

The several weeks spent in the Island were busy ones for all concerned, as the workers went about from Center to Center serving the people. A parade, held in honor of the visitors was sponsored by various Spiritualist leaders from all over the Island. This was at the town of Guayama, and was followed by a meeting at the Anglade Center there. This means much to the progress of Spiritualism in the Islands, as it brings it more into public attention with recognition as a serious and worthwhile movement.

Radical Spiritualists: Progressive Politics and Spiritualism

In 1908 Plymouth Spiritualist Church in Rochester NY hosted a lecture by the British political writer John Spargo, then an active Socialist and supporter of the Socialist Party of America. 

His works were aimed at the everyday person and discussed Socialist principles in simple in practical terms, these included The Common Sense of Socialism and The Socialists: Who They Are and What They Stand For. He also took a position that one could be a Socialist and still be a religious individual, which he discussed in The Spiritual Significance of Modern Socialism. 

While lecturing at Plymouth Spiritualist Church he clarified the goals of the Socialist Party: he explained that the goal of the Socialist Party of America was not to divide personal property, but to ensure that all individuals regardless of wealth had an equal access to resources to live their lives. 

In 1912 Mrs. Lena Morrow Lewis spoke at Plymouth Spiritualist Church during a series of lectures the Church hosted on the subject of Socialism. Lewis was one of the most active leaders in the Socialist Party of America. She was the Socialist nominee for Lieutenant Governor of California in 1926, and the California Senate in 1928. In her lecture she explained that the principle aim of the Socialist party was to promote solidarity, equal rights, and the welfare of workers. 

Both of these lectures were during Presidential elections where Eugene V. Debs ran for President as a candidate for the Socialist Party of America. During the 1912 election he managed to win 3% of the popular vote, the highest percentage ever achieved by a Socialist candidate, and remarkable given he lacked the massive financial backing that the Republican and Democratic Parties had. 

Debs was highly critical that the Republicans and Democrats were financed by various businesses and banks, and pointed out that the Socialist Party was the only party actually representing the poor and working class. 

During the 1920 Presidential election, a story was published in several newspapers that during a séance at the headquarters for the National Woman's Party in Washington DC the spirit of Susan B. Anthony had addressed a group of women through a Spiritualist Medium. Through the mediumship of Theresa Russell, the spirit of Anthony urged them to endorse and vote for Eugene V. Debs as President. 

Although the labor movement and organized socialist groups fell in decline during the 1920s (largely due to government suppression and propaganda efforts) the economic disaster of the Great Depression would revive various labor movements and socialist principles which sought to focus on the welfare of workers rather than the interests of the wealthy. 

In November 1929, a month after the stock market crash, Rev. Alexander J. McIvor-Tyndall, leader of the popular Central Spiritualist Church in Rochester, New York addressed his congregation with a call to action for Spiritualists. 

He preached that all Spiritualist Churches (and all Churches in general) should strive to be social centers that benefit the welfare of those in need. He discussed a social and political reform of society, and listed the following points that should be promoted: 

Abolition of child labor

Legitimizing of all children 

An establishment of a mothers fund for all mothers, married and single

Prison reform and abolition of capital punishment

A government vacation fund of all workers, 

Higher wages and shorter hours for labor of all kinds

Government ownership of public utilities

A percentage of profits for employees of all manufacturing plants, department stores, and all large commercial enterprises

Regulation of all private incomes

Free trade with all countries

Universal Women's suffrage

Abolish fines for the poor when arrested for any offence
Making the legal process of divorce more simple 

The establishment of health homes for the aged, the blind, and incurably sick

Free medical, metaphysical, or osteopathic treatment for those who need it; 

Free unhampered power of research in all department of the world's work

Free colleges, musical education, and free art schools. 

Although Spiritualism has roots in progressive (and radical) social movements there seems to be a deep misunderstanding that one can be a Spiritualist and be detached from world events. That to be Spiritual, means that you need to avoid engagement with the political sphere of things and constantly be looking to the other-world. This position is not a Spiritualist one.

The foundation of Spiritualist philosophy is that our spiritual progression is not just individual, but is communal. That individual harmony is not only meaningless without societal harmony, but impossible.

Cora L.V. Scott rhetorically asked in one of her lectures, "How shall you have a temple of God when outside the door the starving wait for food? How can you have a temple when one in tatters and rags asks for alms? How can you have a temple when humanity is throbbing and pulsating with pain and anguish?" 

The answer is that you can't. She explained that the only true Temple that can be built is one of good deeds, compassion, and care for those in need. That the elimination of suffering caused by a broken social and political structure would be the greatest Temple that could be built to honor God. 

I'd suggest reflecting on these things, and listen to Cora's call to action for Spiritualists to work to uplift all people: "Let each one of you belong to the great army of workers - the millions of workers - the many millions of workers that are helping to carve out for humanity this wonderful Temple of perfect life and perfect love"

Fire Mediumship: Tried With Fire

Spiritualism is a religious tradition that takes the biblical adage to "try the spirits" fairly seriously. Spiritualists are encouraged to be skeptical, to question the value of the messages brought by spirits, and to test the demonstrations of mediumship put before them.

Spiritualists often use the phrase "evidential" to refer to the factual accuracy of a message given by a spirit through a medium. Today, in most Spiritualist communities, this "evidential mediumship" generally means various forms of mental mediumship (such as clairvoyance) conducted in message services and circles, where the messages given by spirits through a medium are analyzed for facts, as well as the mediums' descriptions of the spirits' appearance and behavior. 

While much emphasis now is placed on clairvoyant gifts, in the past many more Spiritualist mediums were more likely to work as trance mediums. Trance mediumship occurs when a spirit blends their auric body with that of a medium, and the spirit is able to speak and act through the medium's physical body and speak with their voice.

There are varying levels of trance mediumship ranging from full conscious awareness of the medium, to a complete unconscious trance state where the medium enters a "magnetic sleep" and is completely unaware of what takes place until the trance has ended. 

In the past certain mediums would be put to what was called the "fire test." The test was relatively simple, it was assumed that if the Medium was indeed in a genuine controlled state by a spirit guide, they would be guarded from harm by the higher forces of the spirit world, and would not be effected by the physical effects of fire while in trance. The mediums who passed this test were known as "fire mediums"

E.W. Sprague in his textbook on mediumship wrote, "a fire medium is one whose powers are such that he may handle fire, or heated articles that would burn other people, without his being burned. If one possesses this phase of mediumship, when under the influence of certain spirits, his flesh becomes impervious to fire, and the cuticle is not injured by contact with it."

An artist's sketch of Isa Wilson Kayner

One of the most well known fire mediums of early Spiritualism was Isa Wilson Kayner. Isa was born in a small town outside of Chicago in 1830. While she was still young her parents embraced the then new Spiritualist movement, however as a young adult she became dissatisfied with the Spiritualism of her parents and distanced herself from Spiritualist practices.

At age 25 her mother became seriously ill and near death. Having exhausted all other options, in desperation her father asked his spirit guides for assistance to heal his wife, and his guides told him that Isa could help her mother if she embraced her mediumship. Although Isa at the time still viewed Spiritualism with disdain, she felt if this could save her mother's life she would put her views aside. 

During a séance it was revealed that Isa's primary spirit guide was the spirit of a Zoroastrian Priest who went by the name of Ashka. He stated that she was called to be a Spiritualist and she needed to dedicate her life to Spiritualism and mediumship, only then would she be able to heal her mother. She agreed and fell into a trance where Ashka was then able to heal her mother. 

Isa believed that because of Ashka's role as a Zoroastrian priest while he was alive, and his service in a Fire Temple attending a Holy Fire, that she was able to work particularly well as a fire medium. She is quoted saying: "When Ashka's spirit possess me I can bathe in fire and it cannot hurt me."  

An article described Isa falling into a trance by her guide Ashka and handling glass lamps heated by fire with her bare hands and placing them on her neck and face as if there was no heat. The lamps were then handed over to one of the observers selected at random by the audience and they immediately dropped the glass lamp the moment it touched their hand due to the heat. 

An article stated that during one of her travels teaching Spiritualism, a barn caught fire where race horses were kept, and were trapped by the flames. She called on her spirit guide and she was able to walk through the flames, throw her coat over a horse, walk it out of the barn, and repeated this six times with both herself and the horses untouched by fire. She stated "fire will not burn anything I touch so long as I touch it"

Although Isa was most famous for her role as a fire medium, she was primarily a spiritual healer. She stated that she believed that her connection to fire assisted her in being a better Healer. Isa dedicated her entire life to traveling throughout the United States practicing spiritual healing, offering demonstrations of Mediumship, and preaching the message of Spiritualism. 

Rainbow Bridge: Animal Afterlife & Spiritualism

A topic that I regularly write about is how Spiritualism was born and shaped in an era of Reform, and how most early Spiritualists were committed to various Reform movements such as Abolitionism, Women's Suffrage, and the Temperance movement. One movement that I have not seen covered that well however is the Spiritualist commitment to both Vegetarianism and Animal Rights. 

In the late 1800s we begin to see an organized movement of individuals that publicly advocate for the welfare of animals, as well as the promotion of a vegetarian lifestyle. Although these two movements often had mutual members, many early vegetarians were more often motivated from a perspective of health and hygiene rather than specifically animal welfare.

One of the roots of these movements can be traced to the popularity of the writings of Emmanuel Swedenborg, the Swedish mystic who's writings were a heavy influence on early Spiritualists. 

Emanuel Swedenborg's writings (as well as his own lifestyle) advocated a vegetarian lifestyle as a more pure and spiritual way of life, interpreting the bible that human beings were created to eat a plant based diet in the Garden of Eden, and that eating meat was a result of a fallen spiritual nature and resulted in unnatural cruelty. Thus by eating a plant based diet, we were actually returning to our original pure state of being, and becoming closer to God. 

These spiritual ideals influenced not only early Spiritualists, but also became the basis for the foundation of the Bible Christian Church founded by William Cowherd. William Cowherd formed his Church on the teachings of Swedenborg, and encouraged his followers to follow a vegetarian lifestyle, his teachings in both England and the United States increased awareness of Vegetarianism, and eventually lead to the founding of the Vegetarian Society. 

With regards to Animal Rights, we also see around this time period the organization of several other groups dedicated to the welfare of animals such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1886, The National Anti-Vivisection Society in 1875, and American Anti-Vivisection Society in 1883. 

During this time period, the combination of Vegetarianism, Animal Welfare Groups, and alternative Spiritual traditions such as Spiritualism and the teachings of Swedenborg began to slowly shift the public view of animals as things to animals as persons. 

In 1896 a Veterinarian (and Vegetarian) in New York City named Dr. Samuel Johnson was so moved by a grieving client whose dog had died, that he offered his apple orchard as a place of burial, because animal burials were not permitted within New York City. This ban extended to both public cemeteries, as well as religious cemeteries; most religions did not recognize animals as having a soul and it was not considered proper to give them a burial in a religious cemetery.

News of his act of kindness spread and soon Dr. Johnson was receiving hundreds of letters from grieving pet owners who wanted a place they could bury their animal friends. Eventually this land would become known as Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, the oldest and largest pet cemetery in the United States. The history of this is documented in Dr. Johnson's Apple Orchard: The Story of America's First Pet Cemetery by Edward C. Martin Jr. 

In 1901 Daniel Hull published a short work called the Manual of Magnetic Healing, which was a primer on how to practice Spiritualist Healing. This work included a short appendix titled Vegetarianism. He states that he included this to his work because "every healer will be more healthful, and therefore more successful for being a Vegetarian."

Although this work primarily discusses the health benefits of the vegetarian lifestyle, Daniel Hull explains that in his view, killing animals is immoral, and offers some thoughts on what this means to Spiritualists:

"There is a question among Spiritualists, whether animals live after the demise of their bodies. I will not discuss it here. In either case I could not afford to destroy their present lives for my selfish gratification. Their present lives, for aught I know, are worth as much to them as mine is to me."

The subject of animals in the afterlife would be fully elaborated on decades later in an amazing work titled When Your Animal Dies, by Sylvia Barbanell. 

The book was intended as a kind of self-help book for those grieving the loss of their pets, which may have been one of the first, if not the first, book on this subject. Aside from being a work of consolation, the book is really a masterpiece of spiritualist thought. The book contains hundreds of testimonies and anecdotes that testify that animals can demonstrate spirit communication and have an existence in the spirit world.

Although the book's intention is not explicitly philosophical, Sylvia Barbanell does give passing remarks on how animals exist in the afterlife, and she provides various pieces of philosophy from spiritualist authors as well as wisdom from spirit guides. 

The conclusions she reaches may not be what most spiritualists today would come to, given that this book was really the first of it's kind and written in 1940 it's her discussion of this topic is impressive.

She raises two points: one, that non-human animals, particularly non-domesticated animals, don't have individual souls, but rather have a united spirit and exist as a collection. The second point, is that animals develop a kind of individual identify because of their relationship with humans, and this allows certain animals to communicate in the afterlife. 

Personally, I find the first point fairly weak, and given that massive amount of evidence she provides on spirit communication from animals, both domesticated, and non domesticated, I almost wonder if she was not fully convinced of these arguements either. The concept of animals existing as persons is still a radical concept to many, and in the 1940s it may have been even more difficult to put into words. 

Her second point, I think does have some merit to it, and is an excellent example of the beautiful teachings of Spiritualism. That our loving connections to our friends and loved ones, be they animal or human, are not severed by death, and that Love can connect us across the Etheric and allow us to communicate. And this is demonstrated time after time, and story after story in her book.

Today there is virtually no question on whether or not animals participate as individuals in the afterlife among Spiritualists: the afterlife of animals is considered an established fact "scientifically proven by the phenomena of Spiritualism." 

Most Spiritualist have adopted the relatively modern tradition of the "Rainbow Bridge" as an accepted part of the Spiritualist tradition, which fits quite well with the Spiritualist belief in the afterlife as a Summer-Land. 

That there is a meadow "this side of Heaven" where animals go to rest in an eternal summer, free of pains and suffering, and can wait for their friends to cross over into Spirit, and see each other once more. 

Flowers from the Dead: The Spiritualist Flower Service

The importance of flowers in Spiritualism cannot be underestimated. Spiritualist Churches are often filled with flowers and floral imagery, and in many cases will be named after flowers. The Sunflower is a particular favorite and is one of the most popular symbols of Spiritualism. 

Flowers also have a special religious place among Spiritualists. In terms of Spiritualist doctrines the Spirit-World is often described as the "Summerland:" an eternal land of meadows and peace, an endless Summer. As Cora L.V. Scott poetically described, "the gardens of God."

The ritual use of flowers among Spiritualists can be traced to the Victorian tradition of the Language of Flowers. In the Victorian Era, when public and private expression was extremely strict, one could express a range of meanings encoded in a bouquet of flowers. One of the most popular uses for this was in courtship where one could express romantic intentions through flowers given as a gift, but it was also used to express a wide range of meanings and emotions: friendship, gratitude, faith, consolation, etc.

The early centers of Spiritualism were the homes of Spiritualists where seances took place in parlors around a family tea table, and flowers were an essential part of the Victorian home.  Spiritualism, and this tradition of meaningful floral arrangements began to overlap in these early Home Circles, and the presence of flowers began to be understood within a spiritual context. 

Spirits that were present during a séance would often use this flower language as a method of communication, if this was done through mental mediumship the Medium would clairvoyantly be shown flowers used to express specific meanings, this is still a very prevalent method of mediumistic communication used by Spiritualists today. More literally, in physical seances there are accounts of Spirits materializing flowers to the sitters present.

The presence of flowers actually grew to be considered a key component of Spiritualist meetings and seances. It became to be understood that their presence during a séance would give off positive vibrations that could assist in the production of spiritual phenomena and better assist the developing Mediums. Various Spiritualist writers began to offer their thoughts and observations over what sorts of flowers would best assist different kinds of mediumistic phenomena. 

As Spiritualist Churches began to develop, new forms of religious rituals were created that included the use of flowers. As I discussed in another blog, the ritual of Spiritualist Baptism was eventually developed and flowers became the most important aspect of this ritual: one would be sprinkled with flower petals, or in some cases crowned with flowers. 

What eventually would come to be known as a "Flower Service" is a natural outgrowth of these religious practices that originated in the early Home Circles of Spiritualists. 

During a Spiritualist Flower Service, if an individual wanted to receive a "Flower Message" from a Spirit through a Medium, they would be expected to bring a flower or bouquet of flowers to the service. The flowers would be placed on the altar or platform; in most cases it was unknown to the Mediums serving who brought which flowers, and individuals would sometimes add a ribbon or piece of paper to the flowers they brought so that they would know which message was meant for them. 

After prayers and hymns, the Medium will take the flowers in hand and deliver a message while holding them. A common misunderstanding is that the flowers themselves are read symbolically, this is not the case, rather, the vibrations from the flowers are supposed to assist the Medium in giving a message from the Spirits reaching out to the individual who brought them to the service. 

This method of Mediumship is generally known as psychometry, where the Spirits communicate clairvoyantly generated by the Medium's sense of touch while holding an object, in this case, flowers. 

An excellent example of a Flower Service was recorded by George F. Goerner, in his work A Record of Psychic Experiences. George Goerner was the President of the Los Angeles Society for Advanced Psychical Research. In 1922 he published his work which is a cumulation of his research that he collection while attending various seances and Spiritualist Churches services in California mostly during the 1920s. 

He recorded a Flower Service that took place at Peoples Spiritualist Church, Los Angeles California during the evening of November 13th 1921.

On the above date I again purchased four roses to take to the church, hoping to have another flower message from mother. I wrapped a piece of writing paper around the stems, on which I had written, "a rose for mother: one for sister Clara; one for sister Annie, and one for Minnie, from George." 

Mrs. Miller delivered the flower messages, as usual. She took up my cluster of roses and read the message as follows.

"These beautiful roses bring me the influence of a dear sweet mother. She comes so happy and is pleased to know that you thought to bring them. There are four who come and you brought a rose for mother, one for sister Clara, and one for each of the other two - I do not catch the names clearly but your mother says, we are all here to greet you; we saw you wrap them up and we know who they are for. You don't have to wait until tomorrow, my son. We can tell you know. We are all here." 

Mrs. Miller continued: "Your mother says, don't worry about anything, George. I am always with you and things are not going to remain so uncertain much longer. Be patient a little while and you will have much to be thankful for. We are here tonight."

After the conclusion of his account of attending the Flower Service he added some of his thoughts regarding the mediumship he observed from the mediums:

There were probably as many as 30 messages given out by the two mediums - Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Inez Wagner. While a few incidents of unconscious mind-reading seen apparent here and there, the greater part of the messages is so intimately related to events known only to one or two persons on earth and family members on the spirit side, that it would be out of the question to attempt to account for more than one-forth of the results by telepathy. 

About a hundred years later, Flower Services continue to be held among Spiritualists, who still even today, in moments of communion with the Spirit-World, incorporate flowers to assist them in raising spiritual vibrations, bringing to mind the verse by Cora L.V. Scott, "the spring-time, with its bursting buds and flowers, gives forth, in its wonderous way, the utterance of prayer."

A Shiver and a Shake, A Medium Does Not Make

I've come to learn that there are quite a few individuals now going around various Spiritualist and Metaphysical communities selling their "abilities" as Physical Mediums. 

I've been trying to figure out how I can address my own concerns about this situation with my own local community, so that even if people choose to attend one of these circles, they at least can be aware to be on guard. 

Pondering all this in the back of my mind, I was looking through one of my favorite old Spiritualist books, Genuine Mediumship  and I found this little gem of wisdom that I wanted to share:

"The earnest investigator of spiritualistic phenomena must always bear in mind that the mere production of mediumistic phenomena of the physical phase is not the real object of the investigation and sittings. These things, interesting as they may be in themselves, should be regarded as merely the incidents of the intelligent communication and reception of messages from the inhabitants of the higher planes of life and existence. The spiritualistic circle should be more than a mere "wonder shop" in which are exhibited strange and unusual physical phenomena; rather should it be regarded as the receiving end of the wireless system over which we may and do receive valuable communications from those who have passed on before us." 

"As a writer has said: 'It is not so much that the table moves with or without contact, or that strange rappings are heard, that is of paramount importance, but that by these means of communication actual and intelligent communication can be obtained and maintained with so-called dead people; and evidences of spirit identity, as well as loving and cheering messages may be obtained in that way from loved ones who were supposed to be gone forever. This is the important point to be established beyond all peradventure.'"

Beckoning Light: A Miami Spiritualist Church

The First Spiritualist Church of Miami was incorporated in 1915. The Church met in the home of a member which was located on 909 Avenue C. By 1920 there were four Spiritualist Churches meeting regularly each Sunday; by 1930 there were seven, and by the 1950s there were about 10 Spiritualist Churches meeting each Sunday in Miami. 

One of the most popular of these churches was Beckoning Light Spiritualist Church, founded by Rev. Bertie Lilly Candler. 

In an interview Rev. Bertie recounted that she began to experience mediumship as a young girl. She experienced clairvoyance and also could see auras. She wasn't particularly frightened by the phenomena but was more worried about being judged about being different. While she kept these experiences a secret from her parents she told her brother about it who encouraged her and affirmed that she was special rather than strange. 

While still a young woman she received a message from the spirit world that her beloved Brother would pass away in three weeks from the date of the message. She recounted that she was so distraught she chose to say nothing about it. Three weeks later her brother fell ill and passed away within just two days. 

Raised in the Methodist Church, she looked to her Bible for comfort, and felt drawn to a certain page and read the verse "And if I go, I will come again that where I am ye may also be." She stated she felt an inner sense of knowing that her brother would return to her in spirit. In three weeks her intuition was confirmed and she received a message from her brother telling her that she had a mission in life to let others know that their loved ones are never truly gone. 

Another story was recorded by Robert G. Chaney in his work Mediums and the Development of Mediumship:

"Bertie Lilly Candler first became interested in Spiritualism in 1918. She was living in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the time. One night her sister-in-law appeared to her in a vision. The sister-in-law was living in the deep south, and Bertie Lilly did not even know she had been ill. She later learned that the sister-in-law had passed away on the afternoon of the same day she appeared in the vision. Just before her passing she spoke to those who had gathered about her bedside. "I want to see Bertie Lilly," was the last sentence she spoke on this earth."

"It was at this time that Spiritualism first offered itself as a possible explanation for all the visions and voices she had seen and heard. She became vitally interested in the movement, began attending services and seances, and then sat in a home developing circle. The third time this circle met, she went into a trance."

"It was just a year later, in 1919, that she began her public career."

The same source is quoted saying, "Bertie Lilly Candler is best known for her work as a materialization medium. She has other phases, too. Trance, trumpet and independent voice. She has practiced her mediumship since 1919. She is a member of the International General Assembly of Spiritualists, and since 1927 has been pastor of the Beckoning Light Church in Miami, Florida."

In 1925 Rev. Lilly came to Miami, and in 1927 she organized Beckoning Light Spiritualist Church. Meetings were held for five years in a Masonic Temple, and in 1942 the Church moved into it's own building at 1621 SW 6th St. 

By 1951 Beckoning Light had over 200 members and was perhaps the most prominent and popular Church in Miami. The Church hosted several prominent Spiritualists among it's guest speakers and mediums including Alexander J. McIvor Tyndall and Arthur Ford. 

Rev. Bertie also became well known for her somewhat high profile predictions, one of which was supposedly published in a Time magazine Article. Before the outbreak of World War II Rev. Bertie apparently delivered a message from the Spirit of Claude G. Swanson, former secretary of the United States Navy, predicting the United States entering into War with Germany. 

In another instance Rev. Bertie hosted a séance attended by Lorenzo Winslow, the interior decorator of the white house, who stated that Rev. Bertie delivered a message from the spirit of Franklin Roosevelt, who stated that there would be an assassination attempt on President Harry S. Truman, but that it would fail. Which then occurred on November 1st, 1950. 

The presence of Spiritualist Churches in Miami lasted until about the mid 1950s and early 1960s. Spiritualist Churches as a whole began to decline in the United States, and Miami as a center of American style Spiritualism in Florida began to shift to other areas. 

As of 2020 the building that was the home of Beckoning Light Spiritualist Church is now a Pentecostal Church. 

The former center of Miami Spiritualism would become a new center for Espiritismo, a form of Spiritualism codified by Allan Kardec into the tradition of Spiritism, which was further developed in the Caribbean and brought to Miami by Cuban immigrants. 

Spiritualist, Spiritist, or Espiritista, Miami remains today a spiritual center for those seeking a beckoning light to spiritual advancement.