This Day In Spiritualist History

Dec
11
Wed
1847: Fox Family Moves to Hydesville, NY
Dec 11 all-day
1847: Fox Family Moves to Hydesville, NY

Mrs. Fox had moved into the the tiny Hydesville, New York cottage with the rest of her clan on Dec. 11, 1847.

Dec
16
Mon
1868: London Levitation of DD Home
Dec 16 all-day
1868: London Levitation of DD Home

On Dec. 16, 1868, the renowned séance medium DD Home allegedly levitated out one third-story window and into another. Three witnesses were present, and each alleged that they saw his body float out horizontally through the window. The residence was in Ashley Place, London, and the window was about 70 feet from the ground.

Dec
26
Thu
1958: Death of Hereward Carrington
Dec 26 all-day
1958: Death of Hereward Carrington

Hereward Carrington (17 October 1880 – 26 December 1958) was a well-known British-born American investigator of psychic phenomena and author. His subjects included several of the most high-profile cases of apparent psychic ability of his times, and he wrote over 100 books on subjects including the paranormal and psychical research, conjuring and stage magic, and alternative medicine.

Jan
3
Fri
1923: Death Date of Cora L. V. Scott
Jan 3 all-day
1923: Death Date of  Cora L. V. Scott

Cora Lodencia Veronica Scott (April 21, 1840 – January 3, 1923) was one of the best-known Spiritualist mediums of the last half of the 19th century. Most of her work was done as a trance lecturer, though she also wrote some books whose composition was attributed to spirit guides rather than her own personality. Married four times, Cora adopted the last name of her husband at each marriage, and at various times carried the surnames Hatch, Daniels, Tappan, and Richmond.

1945: Death of Edgar Cayce
Jan 3 all-day
1945: Death of Edgar Cayce

Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) was an American attributed clairvoyant who claimed to speak from his higher self while in a trance-like state. During the sessions, Cayce would answer questions on a variety of subjects such as healing, reincarnation, dreams, the afterlife, past lives, nutrition, Atlantis, and future events. A devout Christian and Sunday-school teacher, Cayce said that his readings came from his subconscious mind exploring the dream realm, where he said all minds were timelessly connected. Cayce founded a non-profit organization, the Association for Research and Enlightenment, to record and facilitate the study of his channeling and to run a hospital. Cayce is known as “The Sleeping Prophet“, the title of journalist Jess Stearn‘s 1967 Cayce biography. Religious scholars and thinkers, such as author Michael York, consider Cayce the founder and a principal source of many characteristic beliefs of the New Age movement.

Jan
13
Mon
1910: Death of Andrew Jackson Davis
Jan 13 all-day
1910: Death of Andrew Jackson Davis

Andrew Jackson Davis (August 11, 1826 – January 13, 1910),  known as the “Poughkeepsie Seer,”  was an early healing medium and spiritualist. As a young man, he developed the ability to go into magnetic trance on his own, and in that state, he was able to diagnose disease. In the late 1840s, he claimed he met the spirit of the ancient Greek physician, Galen, who gave him a magic staff that he believed he could use for healing.

Jan
21
Tue
1854: Birth of Eusapia Paladino
Jan 21 all-day
1854: Birth of Eusapia Paladino

Eusapia Palladino (alternative spelling: Paladino; 21 January 1854 – 16 May 1918) was an Italian Spiritualist physical medium. She claimed extraordinary powers such as the ability to levitate tables, communicate with the dead through her spirit guide John King, and to produce other supernatural phenomena.

Her Warsaw séances at the turn of 1893–94 inspired several colorful scenes in the historical novel Pharaoh, which Bolesław Prus began writing in 1894.

2016: Creation Date of Estes Method
Jan 21 all-day
2016: Creation Date of Estes Method

On Jan. 21st, 2016, the “Estes Method” for spirit contact purportedly was created  by spirit investigators Karl Pfeiffer,  Connor Randall and Michelle Tate. Practitioners of the Estes Method employ a spirit box — basically a scanning radio transceiver — and noise cancelling headphones. 

Feb
7
Fri
1907: Death of Henry Steel Olcott
Feb 7 all-day
1907: Death of Henry Steel Olcott

With Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others he founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 and became its president. In 1878 he and Blavatsky visited India. The two settled there in 1879 and in 1882 established the permanent headquarters of the Theosophical Society of Adyar, Madras. Olcott  was born on August 2, 1832 and died on February 17, 1907.

Feb
11
Tue
1915: Death of Mollie Fancher
Feb 11 all-day
1915: Death of Mollie Fancher

Mollie Fancher,  born on Aug. 16, 1848  was known as the Brooklyn Enigma.  Despite spending 50 years bedridden , she gained fame as an intimidating spirit medium. She died on Feb. 11, 1915.