Espiritismo in Rochester, NY

“By the year 1848, several strange phenomena were gaining notoriety in the United States, consisting in noises, raps and movement of objects with no apparent cause…” 

Spiritism Easily Explained, Allan Kardec 

The advent of the Spiritualist Movement began on March 31, 1848 when the sisters, Kate and Maggie Fox demonstrated communication with a spirit in their farmhouse in Hydesville, New York through a series of knocking noises, or "raps." 

News of the spirit rappings spread rapidly around the area, and the girls were sent to Rochester to live with their eldest sister, Leah. Per the instruction of the Spirits, on November 14th 1849 the sisters demonstrated their Mediumship publically in Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. This was the first public demonstration of the Spiritualist movement.

As Spiritualism spread thinkers, philosophers, and teachers tried to make sense of Spiritualist Phenomena and create systematized ways to understand this so-called “New Revelation”. 

In the United States arguably the most influential of those thinkers was Andrew Jackson Davis with his Harmonial Philosophy. This system of philosophy would be absorbed completely into what is called Modern Spiritualism, and promoted by most Spiritualist Churches and organizations. 

However in France that thinker would be Allan Kardec, who systematized his own research into a set of principles he termed “Spiritism” 

Every Spiritist is necessarily a spiritualist, but not all spiritualists are Spiritists. 

Allan Kardec, What is Spiritism 

Kardec felt that many people were wrongly treating spiritual phenomena as entertainment instead of correctly studying spiritual phenomena as a way to both learn the natural laws of the universe and develop morally as persons; he coined the term ‘Spiritism’ to mark a difference between those who he felt, were not involved with Spiritualism for right reasons. 

This is extremely similar to Andrew Jackson Davis, who, while very enthusiastic about Spiritualism as a philosophy, distanced himself from many Spiritualist circles which he felt were only involved for the sake of amusement or other “lower” purposes. 

“‘Spiritualism’ and ‘spiritualist’ are English words used in the United States ever since spirit manifestations first appeared; at first, and for some time thereafter, they were also used in France. However, as soon as the terms ‘Spiritist’ and ‘Spiritism’ appeared, their usefulness was understood and they were immediately accepted by the public.” 

What is Spiritism, Allan Kardec 

Kardec codified the Spirits' teachings that he received through years of investigative seances in several books, articles, and publications which became extremely popular throughout Europe. These texts were brought by intellectuals studying abroad in European countries to the Caribbean. 

“Pour les choses nouvelles il faut des mots nouveaux” 

“Para las cosas nuevas se necesitan nuevas palabras.” 

“New words are needed to convey new ideas” 

Allan Kardec, The Spirits Book 

Spiritism, or Espiritismo in Spanish, rapidly became a popular alternative to the Catholic Church in the island nations (and many other Latin-American countries, but for now, I’m focusing on the Caribbean). 

What was once a very European tradition, began to adapt itself to the local traditions, culture, and beliefs of the peoples who practiced it. 

 In Cuba, while many in the upper and middle classes continued to practice Espiritismo along the lines and structure codified by Kardec, followers of African diasporic religions such as Ocha (Santeria) and Palo began to also practice Espiritismo. 

These ancient systems of healing, divination, worship, song, dance, and ancestral practices were blended with Espiritismo, creating a tradition (actually, several traditions) that is both completely Spiritualist and completely Caribbean.

Over time, as islanders migrated to the United States, they brought with them their traditions of Espiritismo. Here in Rochester, the birthplace of Spiritualism, Espiritismo has essentially come full circle. 

While Rochester doesn’t have Espiritismo Centers like those that exist in Puerto Rico, there is a thriving community here of people that practice this tradition, brought back to where the Spiritualist Movement began. 

One of the major centers of Espiritismo here in Rochester, is Botanica Obatala Shango. There are at least two smaller Botanicas here in the city as well, but Obatala Shango is by far the largest. It’s actually probably the largest in the state outside of New York City. 

Named after two spirits (Orishas) from the Lukumi religion (Obatala and Shango) the Botanica supplies everything needed for the healing traditions of Lukumi, as well as Espiritismo. 

There Espiritistas can buy supplies for their altars: bells, spiritual colognes, and statues. Herbs and ingredients for healing baths, as instructed by guides and ancestors to bring healing and cleansing to whoever needs them. Candles for altars to give light and elevation to spirits; and prayer books, some written by Kardec, are available in English, and in Spanish. 

As someone that exists in both realms of American Spiritualism, and Caribbean Espiritismo, I find the fact that this store is in Rochester to be absolutely amazing. 

The Spiritualist Movement went from a small farming town on the outskirts of Rochester, to Corinthian Hall in Rochester, to be codified as Spiritism by an educator in France, to come to the aid of individuals in the Caribbean, many of whom were suffering the pains and oppression of slavery, to preserve their traditions and honor their spiritual identity through the teachings and methods of Spiritualism. 

One of my favorite prayer books can be found at this Botanica (or any Botanica). I’ve had it for several years and carry it around with me wherever I go. 

It’s a small blue book called Helping Yourself With Selected Prayers, vol 2 It contains prayers to Catholic Saints, folk prayers from the Espiritismo tradition, the prayers of Allan Kardec, and a few others. 

In a preface to a prayer in this book there is a short line saying: 

the Fox Sisters ignited the Spiritualist revolution that was to sweep the North American continent and Allan Kardec began a similar movement called ‘Spiritism’ in Europe… 

It’s barely a sentence, and would mostly be passed over quickly to get to the prayer, but I always sort of pause for a moment when I see it because the magnitude of the small line contains so much history, that to me it’s worth just a pause to think about.

Coffee Talk: Chats with the Dead

Growing up in a family that freely blended folk Catholicism and Spiritualism, the concept of talking to the dead was something that was completely normal; that you could literally just talk to relatives that passed away, that they could actively hear you, and in some cases actually respond back was relatively normal.

You simply sat somewhere quiet and private, and you have a conversation. In my own case today, this is done over a cup of coffee. 

I can honestly say that after years of studying Spiritualism and Mediumship... nothing has ever worked better for me than this.

Mind you, I think it's extremely useful for Mediums to actually study the philosophy and theory behind mediumship and Spiritualism while you work on developing and practicing throughout your life. The more you know how and why something works, the better you get at it. However, when it comes to direct experience, these simple and heartfelt practices have always been profoundly more helpful than any kind of structured meditation or spiritual exercise, at least for me. 

If you have an altar, you can pour a small cup of tea or coffee for your spirits or ancestors there, or just set an extra cup on the table. Then just talk to them. Talk out loud, talk in your head. You can switch back and forth between talking with yourself, and to your spirits. Eventually, slowly, you will start being able to discern between your thoughts and words, and reactions given to you by your spirits.

How communication happens is completely up to how you experience mediumship and could range from anything to a simple feeling of peace from having talked things out, to experiences of clairvoyance. You just have to pay attention. 

It seems to be the simple fact, that then we’re alone, at least physically, we’ll usually be able to just be ourselves. We "open up" very easily, and naturally. Especially if we're relaxed, like having a cup of coffee. 

Spiritualism & the Ministry of Angels

One of the central teachings of Spiritualism is the belief in the Ministry of Angels. Spiritualists believe that angels, elevated spirits, are sent as messengers and teachers from God to aid us in our spiritual unfoldment. The Book of Psalms says, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” 

One of Rochester, New York's early Spiritualist leaders, Rev. Benjamin Austin wrote, “angels help us in a vast variety of ways – but chiefly as unseen, loving guides they seek to impress us with such thoughts and sentiments as will lead us safely and securely through the tangled mazes of our earth life and develop the spiritual in our characters.” 

These simple suggestions are based on the teachings of Rev. Austin: 

By purifying our own thoughts, purposes, and desires so that the best and strongest guides and helpers may come near us. 

When we look within us, we find that we have an inner light that connects us to the Divine Mind, the more in touch we are to this light, the more clear and more open we are to the angels who seek to guide us. 

Every morning and evening send out thoughts and desires strongly to your angel friends and say in the depth of your being, with a realizing sense of truth: “We are partners, Oh Blessed Angels, in the work of Life.” 

The Psalms say, “declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night” If we start and end each day with our hearts and minds uplifted to the highest and best we will start to see a very strong connection, and develop a strong communication with our angel guides in our daily lives. 

Wait regularly in silence of the soul, in reverence, in faith and hope, upon the angel world. 

When we find a quiet spot, where all the world around us is slowed down, and we simply abide in awareness and spirit, we are better able to hear the “still small voice” within us, through which the Angels speak to us. Take some time every day, even just a few minutes, to sit and breathe and commune with the Divine Presence and the angels who guide you.

Mother Leafy Anderson: I Will Guide Thee With Mine Eye

Leafy Anderson experienced a life changing vision of her spirit guide, Black Hawk, while she was living in Chicago; she dedicated the rest of her life to spirituality and uplifting her community. According to accounts from her students, her life motto became "Helping One Another." 

She became known as Mother Leafy Anderson, and acted as a Spiritualist minister, teacher, and medium. She named her Church the Eternal Life Christian Spiritualist Church, and founded several congregations through out the country from Chicago, to Texas, Florida, and finally New Orleans where she spent the rest of her life. 

In an era of legal segregation and extreme prejudice, her Church services were fully interracial; she broke with tradition of either using only acapella singing, or traditional Church instruments such as the piano, to included full jazz bands. Her services included the reading of the scriptures, prayer, and would end with spiritual phenomena, such as trance mediumship and healing. 

 She believed in a direct access to God through ministering angels and spirit guides, and according to a disciple of Anderson, "She wanted to make the world know what God was doing for her.” She had numerous Spirit Guides, including the biblical Queen Esther and the Virgin Mary, but she put her faith particularly in Black Hawk, the famous Sauk Leader of American history. She encouraged her followers to put their trust in him, as he was sent to them by God. A disciple of hers recalled her saying, "Go to him for anything you want. He’ll never disappoint you"

We live in uncertain times, just like Mother Anderson, but I believe that makes her teachings more relevant than ever. We should always keep in mind the duty of "Helping One Another," the ministry of angels and spirit guides are still with us, Black Hawk will always be "Our Watchman on the Wall" and we can call to these good spirits for strength and fortitude at all times. 

According to tradition, Mother Leafy Anderson's favorite hymn that she would sing was I Will Guide Thee

Precious promise God hath given 

To the weary passer-by, 

All the way from earth to Heaven; 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

I will guide thee, I will guide thee, 

I will guide thee with mine eye; 

All the way from earth to Heaven, 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When temptations almost win thee, 

And thy trusted watchers fly, 

Let this promise ring within thee: 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When thy secret hopes have perished 

In the grave of years gone by, 

Let this promise still be cherished: 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When the shades of life are falling, 

And the hour has come to die, 

Hear thy trusted leader calling: 

I will guide thee with mine eye.

Anna Blackwell: The English Spiritist

Anna Blackwell was born in 1816 Bristol, England and was the eldest of eight children, five girls and three boys. Her family moved to the United States when Anna was 16, first to New York state, and then moving Ohio shortly before her father's death in 1839.

 Anna claimed that from an early age she experienced psychic experiences: seeing spirits of the departed, and receiving visions and premonitions. While she was young she was largely uncomfortable with these experiences, and mostly tried to ignore them. These experiences however lead her to have a life long interest in the subjects of metaphysics and spirituality.

 Anna and her sisters were incredibly educated. Anna was fluent in both French and German, and often worked as a translator for several books in to English. Her two sisters Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell were two of the first women to earn Medical Degrees in the United States (Elizabeth being the first, and Emily being the third).

 In the 1840s Anna returned to England, and established herself in popular social circles of the time; a few years later with the emergence of the Spiritualist Movement she became involved with some of the earliest Spiritualist circles in London. During this time, Anna regularly traveled back and forth between London and Paris, continuing to regularly attend Spiritualist circles.

While living in Paris she became introduced to the Spiritist Society of Paris, lead by Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, popularly known by his pen name of Allan Kardec. Anna immediately became drawn to this style of Spiritualism, known as Spiritism.

Spiritualism in the English speaking world at the time was largely unorganized, with most Spiritualist Societies mainly focused on scientific research of psychic phenomena, and demonstrations of physical mediumship. Spiritism, by contrast, attempted to organize and develop a philosophy of Spiritualism based on moral principles, charity, and self cultivation, with the research of Allan Kardec as it's standard set of writings, known as the Spiritist Codification.

 As the Spiritualist Movement continued to spread, Spiritualism practiced in English speaking countries generally became known as Modern Spiritualism. Modern Spiritualism made some inroads into continental Europe, but Spiritism quickly became the dominant representation of the Spiritualist Movement in Continental Europe, and eventually spread to South America, the Carribean, and Asia. 

This success of the Spiritist movement was largely due to the high level of organization promoted by Spiritists, and the publication and translation of Spiritist texts into several different languages.

Anna Blackwell's rose to the task of translating the works of Kardec into English, and trying to convince English speaking Spiritualists of the merits of Spiritist philosophy. Her translations of The Spirits Book and The Mediums Book into English became the standard editions of Kardec's works into English until fairly recently. (Although her English is an older style, they are in the public domain and may be reprinted freely, so they are very widely available)

English speaking Spiritualists as a whole did not embrace the teachings of Spiritism largely due to Spiritism's doctrine of reincarnation. Anna Blackwell argued that most Spiritualists were far to quick to dismiss reincarnation without actually studying the phenomena. She also argued that the prime reason that most Americans and British Spiritualists were quick to dismiss reincarnation was that it contradicted their ignorant understanding of race.

In her work, The Law of Reincarnation, Anna explained that according to the teachings of Kardec there is an absolute natural equality of all persons and races; that all were equal brothers and sisters, and children of the same God, differing only in their personal level of Spiritual development and progress. Anna believed that this simple teaching promoted by Spiritism could help reform and enlighten society.

Anna Blackwell continued to publicly lecture and write on Spiritism up to her passing in 1900. Her translations are still widely available and remain as the standard English translations of The Spirits Book and The Mediums' Book.

Today Spiritism, both due to the work and influence of Brazilian and Caribbean Spiritists, is becoming widely popular in the United States. Times have also changed from the early days of the Spiritualist movement, where the majority of Spiritualists very much embrace the concept of reincarnation, and many are beginning to study the works of Kardec.

Felicie O. Crossley: Hollywood Spiritualist

I came across Felicie O. Crossley  in researching the history of Spiritualism in Rochester. I found a short article discussing her visit to Rochester to lecture and give messages. I did some research into her life and found out some really interesting things I thought I'd share.

Felicie was a celebrity Medium of her time. She was also an award winning Journalist, and a member of the Southern California Women's Press Club. She ran a Psychic Center in Los Angeles, California, called the Institute of Metaphysical and Psychic Sciences located on Hollywood Boulevard.

She traveled extensively around the United States visiting almost every Spiritualist Camp and speaking in several Spiritualist Churches; she served as a missionary with the California State Spiritualist Association. She was also close friends with Arthur Ford, a fellow celebrity Medium and Spiritualist Minister, and would regularly work platform together in giving messages and lectures.

From her writing it is very clear that Felicie was a highly educated woman; she wrote and lectured on subjects such as Metaphysics, Philosophy, Spiritualism, World Religions, English literature, and contemporary European and American politics of the day.

Felicie O. Crossly published a work called Guide to Mediumship; Or the Master Key to Psychic Unfoldment which was printed under the name Delta Samadhi. The work is a text book instructing Psychics and Mediums in lessons on self development and Spiritualist Philosophy.

In this time period Hinduism was was popularly understood by Americans to be a kind of Eastern version of New Thought and Spiritualist Philosophy. Hindu philosophical vocabulary was often used interchangeably with New Thought and Spiritualist terminology, and philosophical concepts such as karma and dharma were introduced into the popular western spiritual vocabulary.

Felicie was extremely concerned with the state of Spiritualist Churches in her time, although she was a member of the NSA through the California State Spiritualist Association, she was highly critical of the National organization's policies and leadership.

She published several articles critiquing what she felt was a deep lack of foresight on the behalf of National leadership in training younger Spiritualists, and a poor policy of diplomacy in dealing with other Spiritualist Associations. She also, along with Arthur Ford, strongly condemned the organization's then segregationist policies which had recently been adopted, which she felt was a a move away from the progressive heritage of Spiritualism.

You can read several of the articles she wrote and edited on here: http://iapsop.com/archive/materials/forum_of_psychic_and_scientific_research/

Our Watcher On The Wall

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.



Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me; For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

For thou wilt save the afflicted people; thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, and sing praises unto thy name.

Amen