Bread of Angels: Communion in Spiritualist Churches

A lesser known but historically rooted practice found within some Christian Spiritualist churches is the offering of a communion service. While most Spiritualist churches do not observe communion as a formal rite, some Christian Spiritualist communities have preserved and adapted it, drawing from both Protestant liturgical forms and Catholic devotional spirituality. Though not widely documented, this practice reveals a distinctive theological and experiential approach to the Eucharist. 

In the United States, Spiritualist churches often borrowed from the structures and practices of Protestant communities, reflecting the backgrounds of many early Spiritualist leaders, who came from a variety of Protestant sects. Over time, however, as Catholics also embraced Spiritualism, additional devotional and sacramental elements were incorporated. The result is a blended tradition shaped by both Protestant simplicity and Catholic mysticism. 

There are very few written sources that describe the exact form of this ritual. It is also likely that, as with many ritual practices in Spiritualism, the service varied widely depending on the church or community that offered it. One of the few examples published in a Spiritualist manual shows a strong influence from the tradition of the Episcopal Church, with language adapted from the Book of Common Prayer. 

However, in many Spiritualist churches, the practice of communion appears to have been influenced most deeply by devotional traditions found within Catholicism, particularly the practice of Spiritual Communion. In this devotional act, the faithful unite themselves inwardly with Christ through prayer and meditation, even in the absence of the physical sacrament itself. 

From these influences emerges a uniquely Spiritualist understanding of communion. As in many mainline Christian churches, participants partake of bread and wine as a sacrament during the service. However, the emphasis is placed less on the literal transformation of the elements and the idea of redemption through blood atonement, and more on the spiritual effects of the rite itself. 

Jesus of Nazareth, in the context of most forms of Christian Spiritualism, is often understood not primarily through a Trinitarian framework, but as a Spiritual Master, divine teacher, and guiding presence who leads the soul toward higher spiritual awareness, sometimes described as “Christ Consciousness.” 

In this context, communion becomes a ritual of spiritual progression, intended to bring the individual into deeper psychic and spiritual attunement with higher divine realities, drawing the soul closer to God and the ministry of angels while assisting in the unfolding of psychic and spiritual gifts. 

In my view, practices such as Spiritualist communion should not be understood as lost traditions, but rather as rituals that were never widely documented and often survived quietly within individual churches and communities. 

Like other Spiritualist rites, including baptism, these practices frequently developed through local custom and oral tradition rather than formal theology. As interest in older and more traditional Spiritualist practices continues to grow among modern Spiritualists, I believe there is a strong possibility that practices such as Spiritualist communion may once again find a more visible place within Spiritualist worship and devotional life.

Rev. K.L. Henderson & The Temple of Divine Science

Rev. Katie Lee Henderson was born on April 24, 1908, in Hurley, Mississippi, and from a young age displayed signs of clairvoyance and psychic sensitivity, as she later recounted in an article in the Psychic Observer.

In 1930, at age 22, Henderson moved to Buffalo, New York, where she studied in local Spiritualist Churches, attending classes and developing her own spiritual abilities for about a decade. In 1945, she established her own Spiritualist Church for worship and teaching. 

She was ordained as a Spiritualist Minister with the International Constitutional Church, an independent Spiritualist denomination based in Los Angeles. Her church was initially chartered as the Temple of Divine Science Spiritualist Center, and in 1948 it was reorganized and registered with the State of New York as an independent Spiritualist Church under the name Temple of Divine Science Spiritualist Church.

Under Henderson’s nearly 40 years of leadership, the Temple of Divine Science became one of the most active and respected Spiritualist churches in the region. As an African-American woman ministering from the mid-1940s through the 1980s, a period marked by segregation and the civil rights struggle, her leadership was particularly significant. 

Though the Psychic Observer at times referred to her congregation as a “colored” Spiritualist Church, the Temple of Divine Science was largely an interracial membership. This openness and vitality helped establish her reputation beyond Buffalo, earning her recognition in national Spiritualist circles.

Henderson’s leadership was part of a broader pattern of African-American women ministers in Western New York, alongside figures such as Rev. Ethel Taylor and Rev. Marion Newbie of the Church of Divine Inspiration in Rochester, NY. 

Western New York, as the birthplace of Spiritualism and a hub of women’s suffrage and early civil rights activism, may have provided an environment in which black women could emerge as influential Spiritualist leaders, even among a largely white Spiritualist community. 

Services at the Temple of Divine Science were held three evenings a week—Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday—and drew members, guest mediums, and lecturers from across the United States and Canada. The church also hosted regular dinners, fundraisers, and popular Friday evening development classes, where students trained under Henderson’s guidance. For Rev. Henderson, these classes were the most important part of her ministry, as she emphasized the importance of personal spiritual unfoldment and the cultivation of psychic gifts. An article from the Psychic Observer quotes Rev. Henderson saying: 

“My most cherished service is when my class students assemble every Friday evening for psychic and spiritual development. These classes are sacred to us and the results have been most encouraging.”  Also of note are very regular seances hosted at the Church, both by Rev. Henderson and guest Mediums, featuring a variety of forms of mediumship both Mental Mediumship (clairvoyance, trance, etc.) as well as Physical Mediumship (Trumpet, Apports, etc.).

Henderson’s church also extended its reach through charters to affiliated congregations, including an ordination in Utica, New York, which marked the third church affiliated with the Temple of Divine Science Spiritualist Church. 

Rev. Henderson continued her work faithfully until her passing on October 6, 1987, and was laid to rest in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY alongside her husband, Julius Henderson.

The name of Henderson’s church, the Temple of Divine Science, offers some insight into her place within the American religious landscape. While her ministry was firmly Spiritualist, the title signals a clear connection to the Divine Science branch of the New Thought movement. 

The New Thought movement emphasizes the power of thought, the creative potential of the mind, and the accessibility of the Infinite. Naming her church in this way reflects the common overlap between New Thought and Spiritualist teachings: both stress personal spiritual development, the immanence of Spirit, and the transformative power of disciplined thought, prayer, and meditation.

Many Spiritualist churches, especially those led by independent teachers like Rev. Henderson, incorporate New Thought texts to teach Spiritualist philosophy. Works such as The Game of Life by Florence Scovel Shinn, In Tune with the Infinite by Ralph Waldo Trine, and Ernest Holmes’ The Science of Mind often serve as guides for cultivating spiritual gifts and aligning oneself with Divine law. Henderson’s focus on teaching, psychic development, and healing demonstrates how she intentionally drew from both traditions to help her students unfold their spiritual potential.

Rev. Katie Lee Henderson’s life and ministry exemplify the intersection of Spiritualism, New Thought, and African-American leadership in 20th-century Western New York. Through the Temple of Divine Science, she cultivated a vibrant, inclusive community, blending Spiritualist practice with metaphysical philosophy to help her students develop their spiritual gifts. 

Ms. Ella's Altar: A Look At A Spiritual Altar

As soon as I saw this picture I wanted to write a little bit about it because this is a beautiful example of an old school candle altar that a Spiritualist might have. 

This is a photo of Ms. Ella Watson taken by Gordon Parks in 1942. Ms. Watson was a member of St. Martin Spiritual Church, which was an African American Spiritual Church in Washington DC. 

Without going into a ton of historical details, the Spiritual Church Movement is an off-shoot of American Spiritualism. 

Most early Spiritual Churches were founded as Spiritualist Churches, but eventually began to shift closer in terms of doctrine and practice towards Holiness and Pentecostal Churches (while still retaining many unique features as I'll discuss), and eventually dropped the term “Spiritualist” altogether. 

That being said, to make things even more confusing, many Spiritualist Churches have always referred to themselves as Spiritual Churches, and continue to do so. 

If you want to read more about these traditions read Spiritual and Social Transformation in African American Spiritual Churches: More than Conjurers by Margarita Simon Guillory. It's currently the best book on this subject, and has completely replaced almost every other book that came before it, in my opinion. 

Anyway, there are a few interesting features of this photo I wanted to point out. 

1. The Altar is in her Bedroom. 

In American Spiritualism, and in the Spiritual Church Movement, this is a very traditional place for a devotional altar. Those who are more familiar with Spiritism and Espiritismo may find this unusual. 

American Spiritualists, and those in the Spiritual Church Movement, tend to follow the biblical adage of “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret” fairly literally, and candle altars are considered more appropriately placed in an intimate and private room of the house. 

The main exception is if the altar is for public use, where it is placed in a Church or in a more open location. 

2. Catholic Saints. 

The main Saints on this altar are St. Therese of Lisieux, the Virgin Mary (who has two statues), St. Joseph, St. Martin de Porres (the patron saint of Ms. Watson’s Church), and St. Anthony. There is also a Crucifix, a rosary, and small print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and what looks like a small print of the Virgin Mary behind the vase of flowers. 

Catholic Saints were (and are still) regularly prayed to in some Spiritualist and Spiritual Churches. The veneration of these Saints and other devotional and liturgical practices were incorporated into Spiritualism and Spiritual Churches from Roman Catholicism. 

The Saints function as a category of Spirit Guides that will also include figures from the Bible, such as Moses, Queen Esther, or John the Apostle. Other groups of Spirit Guides exist in Spiritualism and Spiritual Churches, the most famous being Native American Guides, which include figures such as Black Hawk, Red Cloud, or Tecumseh. 

3. Candles. 

The candles are actually the main focus of the altar, and are placed in a cross formation. Before seven day glass prayer candles were used, most Spiritual people would use stand alone taper candles such as the ones in the picture. 

While most of them are white, you can see that there is a colored candle in the center of the cross formation. This would be the main prayer candle, chosen by a specific color, to assist in manifesting a particular intention for the prayers going on at the altar. This could be set for healing, blessing, prosperity, etc. 

There are also two small votive candle holders off to the side, depending on the system of candle burning being used, these could either be Master Candles used to light the other candles, or a kind of helper candle, assisting the other candles in manifesting prayers. 

3. Miscellaneous. 

The two small elephants with their trunks raised were very popular decorations in the past, that were considered to be good luck, and bring blessings. They also add a touch of “eastern mysticism” that was very en vogue in the past among Spiritualists and Spiritual people. 

The Flowers in the vase are another important piece. Almost all Spiritualist altars have flowers, both for the color of the flowers, and the water in the vase, which are believed to assist in connection to the Spirit World. We also know that St. Martin Spiritual Church, which Ms. Watson attended, held a “flower bowl” ceremony, an example of the importance of flowers. That being said, the flowers in the photo could easily be fake flowers, and just present to look pretty. 

While I don’t want to read too much into this last thing I noticed, if you look in the reflection of the mirror, behind Ms. Watson is a doll in the corner. It’s entirely possible that the doll belonged to one of her children or grandchildren, but dolls are sometimes used to represent spirit guides. 

Some final thoughts. 

I decided to write this because not only is this a beautiful spiritual altar, but it reminds me of altars that my own family has kept. My grandma, and great grandma had altars that looked exactly like this, and while they weren’t Spiritualists, I was moved at how close it looked to theirs. My own personal altar actually looks very similar to this as well.

I also wanted to just show how diverse Spiritualists and Spiritual traditions are. I see so many people arguing over the right way to set up an altar, and I find it refreshing that there is this beautiful old photo of a very old school spiritual altar that belonged to a very spiritual woman. 

Not all forms of Spiritualism keep altars. North American Spiritualism has a huge spectrum of traditions that range from highly philosophical, that place very little emphasis on ritual (somewhat similar to the stricter schools of Scientific Kardecist Spiritism) to highly ritual focused traditions of Christian Spiritualism that include candles, baptism, and various liturgical and devotional practices. 

I personally very much fall in the latter category; some may not, and some may be in the middle. One of the things I love about Spiritualism is that people can find a space that they feel comfortable with (literally and metaphorically), and part of the process of spiritual development is discerning what that means for you.

About this post.

I actually wrote this a few years ago, and have posted a few different versions of it in different places with some edits and revisions. I thought it might be useful to put it on here so it's easier to reference. This version is a compilation of all the different edits I've done, so everything is pretty much included in this post. I also recommend you read my other post that goes into more details on the history of candle altars in Spiritualism. 

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.