22nd 23rd
and 24th September I was serving the Glasgow Central Spiritualist
Church (SNU) Berkley Street, Glasgow… 26th – I went North-East to
the Arbroath Spiritualist Centre (SNU)….

29th
– I attended the Coatbridge Spiritualist Church where the music for the hymns
is provided by  Robert on guitar.  This fairly lifts the atmosphere.

30th
–A few miles south to the Cumnock Spiritualist Church.  As the town hall is being renovated the
service took place in a hall close by.

1st
October I travelled the short distance to the Shining Light Spiritualist Church
Kilmarnock.

3rd
– I was at ASK Dunfermline giving a talk on “How Spirit Work with Us”…

5th
September – was my second last workshop of the year at The Glasgow Association
of Spiritualists, Somerset Place, Glasgow. (SNU). The last workshop taking
place on 9th November, 10am – 4pm…

6th
– Although called the Friendship of Love and Light Spiritualist Church it will
always be known as Eddie’s Church after the founder and well loved Spiritualist
Medium Eddie Docherty.  This is in
Foxbar, Paisley.

9th
– A busy day in Edinburgh with a demonstration of Clairvoyance and sittings at
the Parapsychology College in the afternoon and then again a demonstration of
clairvoyance at the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre (SNU) in the evening…

10th
–Development Circle…

11th
– 15th  A busy but enjoyable
time at The Glasgow Association for Spiritualists, Somerset Place Glasgow taking
an Open Circle, sittings and four services.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                     WAS I BEING PETTY?

 A few weeks
ago I was stopped by a lady in the street and asked if I had time to fill in a
questionnaire.

I agreed and
we were met with a hurdle at the very first question – “What is your religion?”  I
said “Spiritualist” and after a few
seconds I heard the lady mutter “Other”.  “No” I said “Spiritualist”.  She told me that there was no box for “Spiritualist” and I would have to be
entered under “others”.

I tried to
go for a compromise in suggesting that “Spiritualist” was written at question-1
or that it would be mentioned in one of my answers.  “No” she
said “My job is only to tick boxes and I
cannot write anything down”.  So as
neither of us was prepared to budge I walked away without trying to be too
impolite.

Was I being
petty?

The early
pioneers of Spiritualism struggled hard to get Spiritualism accepted as a
religion and although our numbers are not near the same of the main religions I
don’t feel we should be passed off as “others”.  I accept that it may be going over the top in
expecting a box for all the smaller religions but surely a blank space where “Spiritualism” or another religion could
be recorded?

 

 

                                      God
in His Goodness

 

God in his goodness has provided us with everything we need (not
want) to survive.  Everything in our
natural environment has a purpose.  All
forms of life are inter=dependent on one another…

For instance, flowers and plants have very varied functions.  Flowers provide food and resting places for
bees and other insects.  Have you ever
watched an insect resting on a leaf washing its face?

Their beautiful colours and exquisite perfumes bring us such joy
and upliftment of our spirits.  We use
flowers to help us express our emotions such as love, gratitude, celebration
and sorrow in bereavement.  Some flowers
can be used for medicinal purposes e.g.; we get digitalis from foxgloves to
make the drug  ‘digoxin’ used to reduce a
patient’s pulse rate.  Roses and many
others are used in Bach Flower Remedies. 
We can even eat some flowers e.g. nasturtiums in salads.  Many plants and trees are used as medicine as
well as providing shelter for many birds, animals and insects.  Trees provide us with food fuel and timber
for the construction of homes, furniture and a myriad of other things.  Trees also absorb the carbon dioxide from our
environment.

Flowers plants and trees like us possess a spirit body.  Two men, Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of
homoeopathic Medicine, and Rudolph Steiner. The founder of anthroposophy and
founder of the Steiner Schools were spiritually developed enough to be able to
see these spirit bodies and were able to determine which ailments the various
flowers, plants and trees could be able to treat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4th
– An interesting night being interviewed on Spiritualism.  My comments will not appear in the media but
hopefully it will enlighten those of another religion on what our beliefs
are.  This particular church is having
nights during the winter looking into various other religions.  This church felt Spiritualism so far removed
from their own beliefs, the clairvoyance, that they did not feel it appropriate
to invite someone of our religion along to talk to them.  But that they were including Spiritualism in
their winter discussions of “Other
Religions” I felt was a big step forward form them and I agreed on this
interview”.

5th
– It was my pleasure once again to take a church’s development group.

8th
– I let the train take the strain as I attended the Perth Spiritualist Church
(SNU).  Often know as the “wee church with the big heart”.

11th
–I was asked to be guest at a private circle which has been sitting for over
two decades.

12th
– I attended The White Dove Spiritualist Church, Toryglen, and Glasgow, where
there was the usual big turnout….

16th
– 20th… We took a few days away to Blackpool and took the opportunity
to meet up with a few psychic researchers that I am often in contact with via
the Internet.

                                            Keeping Our Religion – A Religion…

 

 

These days,
many religions are hitting the headlines because of in-fighting and /or other misdemeanours.  So far spiritualism has
escaped this kind of public scrutiny, probably because our numbers are small
and few outside our organizations think of Spiritualism as a religion. 
But are we helping ourselves to be looked upon as a religion? I do
not think we are. Currently, because of our own actions, we are more like a
money making entertainment business than a true religion. If we claim
to be Spiritualists, then we should all look on ourselves as “Ambassadors
for Spirit” and act accordingly.  We have to look at what others will
think of Spiritualism and Spiritualists, by our actions.

Take social networks,
they should be a shop window for our religion, but often if we look through the
posts of Spiritualists, we see a messy little corner shop rather than the
superstore which it should be.   Comments on social networks can be
detrimental to our religion when Spiritualists condemn each other
there.  Some of this condemnation may be justified, but should not be
aired in such a public forum.  I have not noticed such behaviour taking
place with other religions.  So what will non-spiritualists think of us? 

There have been comments on social networks that a child may have disrupted a service for a short time, what other religion would complain at than.  And further comments that children should not attend our services till they are a certain age.  This gives the impression that we are not a child friendly religion.  Yet the “SNU is more than happy for children to attend churches, unless of
course they are very disruptive in which case one would assume the parent would
take them outside or perhaps into another room until they settle down”.  Common sense prevails…  And we
have to remember we have Christian and non-Christian Spiritualist Churches…
With the former – who said “Suffer little children and let them come to me?”  
 

I have
noticed that some of our churches, when advertising on social media, the
next medium to work for them, come out with comments which are more
suited to advertising an entertainment, than a religious service.
 And after the service, it can be even worse, when they describe
the medium’s work.  There are
religious organizations that have regular guest speakers and there avert in the
local newspaper will go something like “The
guest speaker for Sunday evening will be Mr Smith from ****” Is that not
more professional and more akin to a religion?

My next workshop at
the Glasgow Association of Spiritualists 7 Somerset
Ave, Glasgow,  G3 7JT  Saturday
5th October at 10am

 

13th August I attended ASK Cumbernauld to the
usual full house that one expects when visiting this church.

22nd – Development Circle…

24th – My workshop at the Glasgow Association
which was again well attended.

25th  – Kilmarnock
Spiritualist Church. (SNU)

26th – 
A change for me…Instead of being on the platform I sat in the
congregation of Glasgow Association Spiritualist Church and after the service I
enjoyed watching the church’s fledglings go through their paces.

28th   Taking part in a discussion on Spiritualism.

29th – I was at Langside Spiritualist Church

30th – Psychic research…

31st – I felt privileged to be asked to take
part in psychic research in a well known area in Scotland – an area which has
many myths and legends attached to it. 
Unlike the previous evening there was a lot of activity here. I am sorry
I cannot tell you any more at this stage but when the report is published I
will let you all know.

 

 

 

A few years ago a clergyman stopped me and asked many
questions on Spiritualism.  He said he
knew about the basics of our religion but wanted to fill in the gaps.  At the end of our session he said he had been
surprised to find there was a number of his congregation going to his church on
Sunday and then also attending a spiritualist church on a Tuesday evening.

A few years later we met again just around the time the
local spiritualist church was moving to a bigger hall and another spiritualist
church was just about to open in the area. 
He said – not in a nasty way – “I
am not too worried.  I am not being
disrespectful but I feel that many attend your church for a bit of
entertainment”.

Recently we came into contact and again the conversation
got around to religion.  I will only take
one sentence from this conversation “”I
am not worried about the drift away from my church to your religion as in the
end they will come back to their home”.  Again
the was not said in a nasty way and I did not take offence.

To be honest I could see that this clergyman has his
finger on the pulse of what is going on and in many ways I have to agree with
him.  There are those who look on a
demonstration of clairvoyance as entertainment. 
But as we all know there are demonstrations of clairvoyance that don’t
take place in our churches and are not part of our Divine Services.

The comment “they
will come back to their home” is perfectly true.  Many people attend a spiritualist church for
years, yet in the end they go back to the religion they were born into for
their wedding or funeral.  Usually only
one or two members of a family attend a spiritualist church and when it comes
to their funeral it is usually easier for the family to opt for a funeral
conducted by one of the mainstream religions. 
Although this seems to be changing as spiritualist funerals and naming
ceremonies (christenings) are on the increase. 
But I have not noticed much of an increase in spiritual weddings.  And we have a compromise with several joint funerals
that I feel is an admirable in a way with two religions coming together at such
a time…

But we all have free will and Spiritualism never force
anyone to accept our way of thinking.  whether
one looks on us as nothing more than entertainment – and many within our
organization don’t help matters here – spiritualism has proved time and time
again of not only proof of life after death but also that there can be
communication between the two dimensions.

 

16th July I was on my way north to
the Dalneigh Spiritualist Church Inverness to a great Highland welcome and a
good turnout.

22 nd – I attended the Pollockshaws and
District Spiritualist Church.  It was
good to see Bill Thompson sitting in the congregation.  Bill a good medium in his own right and founder
of this long running church.  Bill has
not been too well recently  and has had
to step back from church activities.  But
he will not be too concerned as the church is in good hands with Margaret Ross,
Irene and Susan at the helm.

25th  -Development Circle…

28th I was at ASK Dunfermline and
this usually busy church and this night was no exception as there was a full
house.

29th – A workshop… “Understanding
your psychic abilities”.

31st – A workshop…   “     
“      “           “    
“    “      “      
“

7th August giving a talk… “Spirit
are closer than you think”

During this time I have been receiving Indian
Head Massage from a friend and I must say I have been receiving benefit from
it.

 

 

 

With the conclusion of the
case on the murder of little Daniel Pelka I have had several emails asking me
as a spiritualist what are my views on capital punishment.

My main reason against
capital punishment is that there is no guarantee that an innocent person will
not be executed.  Many times in the past mistakes
have been made and I can think of nothing worse than an innocent person being executed
for a crime they did not commit.   But with the horrendous suffering and eventual
death that little Daniel Pelka had to endure, I feel that there are exceptional
cases where capital punishment may be the right sentence to fit the crime.    Maybe
we should have capital punishment standing by on the sidelines for cases like
this one.     

In Magdelena
Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek we know we have those responsible. And although
they will spend at least the next thirty-years in jail.  Every minute of every day they will be in
fear of their lives.  It may be
impossible to keep these two safe because of the hatred other prisoners will
have towards them.  On top of that
because of such a barbaric crime it will be hard for the most even tempered and
disciplined officer to be civil to them. 
Maybe this is one case where the death-sentence could be rolled
out.  This crime has brought out the
worst in so many, as they say what they would like to do to this evil pair. But
we must not stoop to their level, or all is lost.  We live in a civilized society – not perfect
– but fairly civilized.  We cannot go
back to the dark ages because of this evil pair. 

Will this
death of this little man finally be the wake up call to the authorities to act
and not to say ‘sorry’ after such an incident?

 

 

 

Spiritualism seems to be the second religion of many
people.  As well as attending churches of
the religion they were born into they come along to our services.  Even regular attenders to our churches refer
to the religion they were born into if asked what religion they are…  One clergyman I know was surprised how many
of his flock attended spiritualist churches. 
He said “I am not too concerned as
they will always come back to their home”. 
Two years later with the original spiritualist church in his area moving
to bigger premise, and a second one opening, he confidently said “I think most attend these places for a bit
of entertainment and nothing more”. 
I have to agree with his last comment in a way.  There are those who look on our religion as
entertainment and some in our movement are happy to have it look like
entertainment to draw people in and to expand their ego…  But in general our churches fly the flag as
“Spiritualism the Religion”.

One gentleman said “Spiritualism is an open and tolerant religion I am fee to
come and go as I please.  I attend
several of your churches in our area I do not confine myself to one church and
no one cares”.

Another – “In
your churches I feel free to discuss my doubts and concerns without being
quoted a few ancient verses and looked upon as if I am a trouble maker”.

“The
best way I can think of your religion is that it is a thinking-person’s
religion”.

“I was
a regular member at my spiritualist church for eleven years and never in that
time did anyone force me to become a member. 
Then I felt the time had come to enrol and I am glad I did.  Now as a member and now I can have a say on
the running of the church.  Being a
member of my old church/religion I never had any say in what went on”.

But not all positive remarks as one would
expect…

“A thinking person’s religion? 
I think that those who think about what is going, on instead of being
carried away with the thought of the dead communication with us, will smell a
rat and stay well away” commented one gentleman.

 

Automatic
Writing

The ability to write intelligible
messages without conscious control or knowledge of what is being written,
sometimes called ‘trance’ writing.  The
sceptics refer to this as no more than a parlour game

 I read three very spiritual poems that a lady had written while
meditating.  She was surprised at the
words when she looked at her writing pad after sitting meditation in her home.
It took her all her time to write a letter to an aunt in a residential home in
Canada, never mind poetry.  A friend told
her that “This would be the dead writing
through her” and that she should contact her local church.  This she did and was told that what was
happening was demonic spirits taking control of the fingers.  As she had let them in once they would take
control of her again and the clergyman went through a ritual to cleanse her.

 Luckily she had not taken the poems with her to the church or they
certainly would have been destroyed.  In
fact she was going to burn them when some friends asked to see the poems.  “How on
earth could such lovely verses have come from a demonic spirit?” they
commented after reading them  This she
accepted and kept the poems, eventually getting two printed in a magazine.   without
revealing the story behind them.  I have
lost touch with this lady and misplaced these poems; if I come across them I
will print them on this site.

 In the past spirit has worked through me with automatic writing although
not poetry.  In fact there are poems on
this site by Annette Lavelle and writings by Carolyn Crockart only to mention two
that come to my mind at the moment, my apologies to the others.

 And
like everything else there can be frauds claim to be involved in automatic
writing when that is not the case.  A
fellow medium took a group recently and a gentleman showed her a lovely poem
which came from spirit.  The medium felt
she had heard it before and later it dawned on her that the poem was one she
had learned at school.

 

 

 

 

 

The
deaths of racehorses on the racetrack seem to be accepted as part and parcel of
the sport, but I wonder how many of those who contribute to the racing industry
by gambling realize the following.

 

Up to
the end of July…of the sixty-eight horses ending their lives on British race
courses in 2013 – 10 have collapsed and died during or immediately after a
race… And this is called a sport?

 

   
  If I was writing a book on the
subject the only title there could be is “RUN
TILL THEY DROP – DEAD”  I am
contacting the RSPCA to comment on this and will be interested in their reply.

 

 

The fourth and final part
of Roy Dutton’s Dowsing.

 

 

 

  Unless the reader has experienced the
mysterious crossing of two well-balanced rods during a serious dowsing session,
he or she will probably consider the things described in this article to be
just too incredible, despite my claims of scientific objectivity throughout. It
is true, nevertheless, that my sole motivation has been to understand more
about life’s mysteries. Indeed, my insatiable curiosity has led me to
investigate other strange and uncommon human experiences as they have come to
my attention throughout my life. Unadventurous people with closed minds are simply
not on my ‘wavelength’.

         

         

I
have tried to understand why those rods cross in response to some image held in
my mind. The only feasible solution seems to be that very small (imperceptible)
nervous impulses in my arms are created in the circumstances described, these
producing minute changes in the balancing of the rods. At no time have I been
aware of such changes. How I have managed to sense the location of the unseen
imagined object, why the cross-over point of the rods should have been directly
over the object sought for and what kind of signal was received by my body to
produce those responses, I still have no clear idea.

 

                                                  E
N D

 

 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

 Individuals I admire will continue in my next blog………………….

 *  My next workshop will be at the Glasgow Association of Spiritualists, on 24th August at 10am….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

         

24th
June saw me travel by public transport to Saltcoats Spiritualist Church as I
did not have a car after the accident.  I
must thank the ladies from Dalry – I never got their names that went out of
their way running me home after the service. 
After an extremely warm day at a seaside resort there was still a good
turnout at the church.

26th
– I was taking an evening of clairvoyance
at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre in Edinburgh.

29th – Was another of my
workshops at the Glasgow Association of Spiritualists, Somerset Place, Glasgow.
(SNU)  This was another well-attended
session.

30th – I was on my way north
to the Perth Spiritualist Church (SNU) 40 new Row, Perth…

3rd July – I got a call at
the last moment to give a talk to a group whose intended speaker for the
evening could not get to the hall on time so I was asked to fill in.  I gave a talk on “Spirit around Us” which seemed to go done well even though none of
those attending had ever been to a Spiritualist Church or had ever paid the
slightest interest in the paranormal. 
But as usual after this talk there were one or two who felt that they
have had some sort of spirit connection without actually thinking anything
about it at the time.  Any church who
wants to do something a little different. I am willing to come along and give a
talk on how close spirit can be yet even we spiritualists fail to notice at
times.

4th – I had only to travel a
short distance to the Pyramid Spiritualist Church in Pollock, Glasgow.

 

Gordon Higginson was one of the finest
mediums of the last century and a great medium, speaker and teacher. His
gifts of mediumship were wide ranging and comprised mental mediumship, trance,
physical mediumship and healing.  Gordon was a dedicated Spiritualist and
is the longest serving President of the Spiritualists National Union (SNU),
serving for an exceptional 23 years from 1970 until his passing in 1993. 
He was also the Principal of the Arthur Findlay College at Stansted Hall from
1979 to 1993, as well as being a Minister of the SNU .  Stansted Hall was
very dear to his heart and a place where many came from far and wide to hear
his lectures and see his demonstrations..  Even today Gordon’s name is
constantly mentioned in our churches

Instead of constant praise would it not
be better if modern day Spiritualists heeded the wisdom of Mr Higginson?

 Gordon Higginson comment on SPIRIT
GUIDES; –

Words that. those sitting on
executive committees of large Spiritual organizations, Presidents of churches
and their committees, Spiritual Mediums, Spiritual Healers and all those who
call themselves Spiritualists, should all learn off by heart?

I heard a comment on the radio recently
that many Christians seem to put Jesus before God.  I think it can be said
that there is a tendency these days to put Spirit and Mediums before God as far
as Spiritualism is concerned…  I was asked at a question and answer
session one evening if we Spiritualist believed in a God.  I was taken
aback for a second but all became clear as the gentleman

 Spoke on.  He said that he had
attended many Spiritual services and seldom heard the word “God”, apart from a
brief mention in the opening prayer.  Someone else chipped in with “I
even heard a prayer when God was not mentioned”.  During the
discussion that followed many thought that God was being ignored and some
amazing Spirit Guides and Mediums had taken his place.

As I have mentioned in a recent blog ‘the
inspiration of Spirit’ is being eroded by some churches in abandoning
addresses.  Also by the powers that be – here on the Earth Plane in
pushing the medium more towards history lessons on Spiritualism that a Spirit
inspired address.  I know of Christian friends who regularly attend Bible
study at their churches, so why does Spiritualism not follow suit by having
classes on “The History of Modern Spiritualism”?  I did broach this
with a church president and she said “There would not be enough turn up to
make it viable”.  .  If we are going to proudly claim to be a
religion then we must accommodate five or five hundred.    OK –
I can see where this is not viable for a church renting out a hall, but some of
my Christian friends take turns at having Bible study in their own homes. 
The ‘only a few would attend’ should not be an excuse to opt out for a
church with its own premises.   There is always a solution or a
compromise if one is willing to look for it.   This is
an opportunity for a church in each area to hold a monthly meeting on our
Spiritual beliefs and history.  With
members of other local Spiritualist churches also invited along.  I am
sure then there would be enough attending.  . 

If there are only a few wanting to know
about the background of our religion – then why force it on congregations
during the address of a divine service?  Surely the answer to all this is
let Spirit inspire the address and if they find there is a need for a for a
history lesson – so be it.  Let our church committees arrange separate
nights for further education into Spiritualism………..

And should that not be the same with
those in the hierarchy of Spiritual organizations and Spiritual Mediums? 
As each year passes the Spiritual Medium is being put more and more under the
spotlight of fame and fortune, taking all the glory and leaving Spirit as no
more than playing a very minor supporting role.  …

“They are being of service”
(spirit).     And should a Spiritual Medium not be the
same?    There are many working for Spirit in many different
spheres of our communities that have never having heard of the Spirit
World.  But they do their bit working alongside Spirit in helping
others.  They don’t seek fame or fortune so why should the Spiritual
Medium?

 

 

 

I have just
finished reading a most interesting book – “Why I am a Spiritualist” by
Scottish author Ada A McKay.  This is a very personal statement of Ada’s
beliefs.  The book is intended as a simple introduction to the
Spiritualist faith through the eyes of Ada and why she believes in Spiritualism
as opposed to the established Christian Churches.   Ada hopes that
those who read the book will be interested enough to follow on and explore
Spiritualism themselves. 

The author gives her
views on

What
happens after death?

Is
there a Judgment Day?

Do
animals survive physical death? 

Can we
trust the Bible?

Does
everyone go to heaven or only those who accept certain beliefs?

What
happens to atheists and agnostics after death?

Is
baptism important?

Does
everyone survive death or is this only for a chosen few?

This
book does not hold back on certain subjects and I would not say that I totally
agree with everything that is written.  But I feel that a lot of research
and soul searching over the years has gone into the book and will be of great
interest to Spiritualists and non-Spiritualists alike.  Whether the reader
agrees with Ada or not it will give them a lot to think about. I am sure if a
church adds this book to its library then its members may feel encouraged to
press for a regular discussing evening to discuss points raised in the
book. 

“Why
I am a Spiritualist” £5 including p&p

 

Continuing with David’s “What individuals over the past few years
have you admired for acting in a spiritual or selfless way, yet they were not
part of the spiritualist movement?”  My
third choice although in no particular order is…. His Holiness the 14th Dalai
Lama. 

His Holiness is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people describes
himself as a simple Buddhist monk.  . He
frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the
promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human
happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the preservation of
Tibet’s Buddhist culture, a culture of peace and non-violence.



The Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has
consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme
aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his
concern for global environmental problems.



He has travelled to more than 67 countries spanning 6 continents. He has
received over 150 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of
his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal
responsibility and compassion.  He has also authored or co-authored more
than 110 books.

His Holiness has held dialogues with heads of different religions and
participated in many events promoting inter-religious harmony and
understanding.

Since the mid-1980’s, he has begun a dialogue with modern scientists, mainly in
the fields of psychology, neurobiology, quantum physics and cosmology. This has
led to a historic collaboration between Buddhist monks and world-renowned
scientists in trying to help individuals achieve peace of mind. This has also
led to the introduction of modern science in the traditional curriculum of
Tibetan monastic institutions re-established in exile.

One of the
great men of our time….

 

9th – 17th of June both Isabel
and I were guests of the Belfast Spiritualist Church SNU we thank committee and
members for making our time there so enjoyable…I am always impressed by the
great enthusiasm the people of Northern Ireland have for Spiritualism. Whether
it is taking a divine service, an evening of clairvoyance, sittings, or taking
part in any of the circles this enthusiasm is always evident.  The church has its own premises and uses
these to the full with something or other taking place in the building 5-6
nights a week. A lot of pressure on the committee and I am sure those who have
got a lot of benefit from the church in recent years appreciate this. One thing
I did notice in the church was a suggestion box and maybe more of our churches
should consider having such a box, so to get feedback from the congregation.

 

 

 

 

Continuing with David’s “What individuals over the past few years have you admired for acting in
a spiritual or selfless way, yet they were not part of the spiritualist
movement?”

My second choice although in no particular order is
Ann Frank… Anne had a short life of only thirteen years but the words from
her diary will live on forever.    A
couple of years ago we visited the Anne Frank’s house which is now a
museum.  It was a very moving
experience.  I find Anne Frank’s diary so important because it depicts
her experience of the Holocaust – from a child’s point of view. Representing
the face of innocence, Anne Frank’s story is so heartfelt and sincere that it
appeals to the world.  A book that all
mankind should read…

Almost everyone has a fear of one kind or
another.  Fear of lifts, snakes, spiders,
failure, the future, loneliness and dying are only a few.  Hopefully the fear of dying will become less,
although never be eradicated as our of Spiritual beliefs becoming more widely
known.  But instead of making life that
little bit easier – it can result in a new fear – equally as great as the fear
of dying.  Once becoming aware of our
spiritual beliefs many want to know more about the after-life. Instead of
attending our churches they go on-line to spirit/psychic forums, magazines,
take part in ghost hunts, or listen to the wrong people.  This can cause a lot of suffering and
heartache as I constantly find out. 

In many cases this takes the fear of dying
away and replaces it with a living hell here in this life.  I am horrified to find people in a terrible
state because they have maybe become aware of spirit presence and then been
told all manner of scary things to really upset them. Upset them so much that
they are off work and their whole life is chaos. Twice this week I’ve had
contact from a lady and a gentleman who were both in a terrible state because
of what they were told. One from a contact on an Internet spiritual/psychic
forum and the other by a so-called medium/psychic taking part in a ghost hunt.

If any medium/psychic tells you something that
sounds like it comes from the script of a cheap budget horror movie, then that
is probably where it has come from. 
Never believe anything any medium tells you – and that includes myself –
unless it makes sense to you.  You are
the person that has come through the experience or whatever…  The medium/psychic can do their best to
explain or interpret what has happened – but you are the final judge.

If you have a spiritual experience or think
you have some form of spiritual experience, go along to your local spiritualist
church and ask for help.  Or check out
the Spiritualist National Unions‘s (SNU) website for help.

Churches must also have someone responsible to
give advice at short notice.  Mediums
must also play their part by.  Part of a
Spiritual Medium’s responsibility is helping out in such circumstances, not
just taking services, sittings, clairvoyant evenings, psychic parties and ghost
hunts.

Becoming aware of Spirit our beliefs should be
a joy. a change in the direction of our thinking, not the start of hell here on
earth for us…

A quote from the well loved Spiritualist
medium Maureen Brown.  “Spiritualism is love in action.  Spiritualism gives proof that we survive
bodily death and gives us some love and comfort – not the opposite”.

 

 

 

Run till they drop…. DEAD… All the pomp of the recent Royal
Ascot portrayed in the British media but one incident only received brief
mention. Thomas Chippendale a 4-year-old colt collapsed and died following a
suspected heart attack after winning the Hardwicke Stakes. Of the sixty-eight
horses ending their lives on British race courses so far in 2013 – 10 have
collapsed and died during or immediately after a race… And this is called a
sport?  More has to be done to protect
the racehorse. 

 

“I have been attending a Spiritualist church
for a few years now but the other day when I was at the reception desk of the
local A&E Unit I took cold feet,  when I was asked my religion, I gave the
religion I was born into, not Spiritualism in case the receptionist queried it
or laughed”.

 John’s email
brought back a memory…  About fifteen
years ago I attended our church when a well known English Medium was on the
platform.  Her address shocked us all
that night.  She said that she had
suffered poor health for years and had been in and out of hospital on a regular
basis.  Yet every time asked her religion
she had answered Church of England.  She
finally decided to put that right on her latest visit and when she said “Spiritualist” she did not receive any
strange looks from the receptionist which she had expected.  But the young girl in front of her was having
difficulty with her computer and after a few minutes said to the medium “There are too many letters in Spiritualism
to fit on here, could you pick another religion?”  Thank goodness today the NHS have got a
better system up and running today.

 

                             …Roy Dutton’s “Dowsing”….

Chapter. 2            1975 — A move to a New Home

 During the summer of 1975 we had
decided to move from our pleasant suburban home in Bramhall, North Cheshire, to
a bungalow on the edge of Green Belt, located on a hillside and backing onto
countryside in the small settlement of Higher Poynton. Out there, there was a
canal and beyond that, a deer park and the Peak District National Park.  Our rear garden, however, was bounded by an
old railway cutting. Access to that was provided by a small gate in the
hawthorn hedge. The ground out there, at the top of the embankment, was covered
with long grass, rosebay willow herb and nettles.

Experiments
Continue

 I
ventured through the gate and began dowsing for old metal objects. Very quickly
I found a few small items at the top level before moving down the embankment to
a worn-down grassy path near to its base. That path had been created by dog walkers
and occasional hikers to avoid the often-flooded track below, from which the
rails and ballast had been removed. As I walked this path with my rods extended
before me, a powerful cross-over occurred. This caused me to explore the size
of the item I had detected, by going backwards and forwards over that area
several times. I got the impression that the object was probably a steel rod,
about 2 ft (60 cm) long. Its length spanned the path and its ends were defined
by the sudden loss of the rods crossover responses as my lateral exploration
progressed.  A depth-in exploration
followed and indicated the rod was only about 3 ins. (8 cm) below the
surface.  This resulted in a hurried walk
to my garden shed from which I returned with a spade. Digging steeply into
middle of the path to a shallow depth, just to one side of the dowsed position
of the object, when the spade was levered beneath the object, the left-hand end
of a rod sprang from the ground and revealed that the dowsed indications had
been correct. Further digging across the path to the right completely validated
the entire dowsed image of this substantial object. The dimensions were then
established to be 21.6 ins. (54.9cm) long and 0.5 ins. (1.27cm) in
diameter.  It is still in my possession
and it has proved itself to be a useful tool from time to time.

1986 —
Archaeological  Investigations

 During the early 1970s, colleagues at HSA, Ltd.
were clearing obsolete declassified materials from a cupboard when they
came across good black and white aerial photographs of the area in which I
lived. These items, destined for the incinerator, were offered to me and I
accepted them gladly. The photographs had been taken from a high flying
aircraft sometime during the past. The partially-cut crop fields revealed the
time of year to have been during a hot and dry summer. One excellent photograph
was of an area bordering Higher Poynton, called Adlington. Scanning the surface
features with a magnifying glass revealed that there were old buildings and
other bits of masonry under the grassy surfaces, their presence being betrayed
by pale discoloration of the overlying grass. One relatively large feature
seemed to deserve special attention. Its cruciform shape gave the impression
that an old church had once stood there and that its foundations were still
lying underground in that uninhabited area of pastureland.

          Enquiries made to local experts
revealed there were no records to indicate that such a building had ever
existed in that area, so there the matter had to rest, until in the mid-1980s,
the newspapers told of plans to develop the Adlington area for new housing.
That news spurred me to try to locate the owner of that interesting field with
a view to getting permission to use my rods over that area. So, I set out on a
fine summer evening to make enquiries at the few residences adjacent to the
area of interest. One of them turned out to be a large old brick-built house,
standing in its own walled enclosure, with an attractive iron gate entrance. A
stone plaque on the front of the house told me that it dated back to the 1700s.
As I could hear the sound of voices coming from the hidden garden, I called out
to attract attention. A pleasant shirt-sleeved man responded from the other
side of the gate and asked my business. No, he did not own the field in
question, but why did I want to know who owned it?  After showing him the aerial photograph, his
next question was about how I proposed to find the unseen underground object.
Not unexpectedly, he said that he was skeptical about the claims of dowsers.
When I persisted and told him that I knew otherwise and, also, had my rods in
the boot of my car, he decided to test my claims. Stepping outside his front
gate, he told me that a culvert ran under the entrance to the gate and asked me
if I could find it. After several passes to and fro, very confidently, I
indicated the course of it. He was truly amazed by that result, because he knew
where it ran and I and my rods had discovered it under his scrutiny. He then
asked if I could find a hidden well under a front lawn, because, for various
reasons, he was convinced there was one, but no one had, so far, been able to
find its location. I entered that sheltered garden and began progressive
scanning of the finely cut lawn, under his constant gaze. Towards the far end
of the lawn, several cross-overs occurred. Further investigations of that area
defined a square outline, from memory, about 4ft. x 4ft. (1.2m x 1.2m).  I suggested I had probably defined the size
of the capping stone. He was so excited by this discovery he hurried into the
house and returned with two teenage children, a boy and a girl. He explained
what he had just witnessed. I offered them the rods to try for themselves,
which they did in turn and confirmed my findings. Their father did not seem to
have the right technique when he tried and failed, but he was very impressed
and then decided to tell me where I could find the owner of that field.

          Some months later I called him on the
telephone to ask if they had excavated for that well and whether I had placed
it correctly.  He answered affirmatively
to both questions and thanked me for my assistance.

 

Back on track with the field
investigations

 There were other marks besides the
cruciform shape, but they were less well defined as artificial structures.

The owner of
the field turned out to be a local builder. After arranging a visit to his home
by telephone, I went there one evening to discuss the photograph with him and
his adult son. He commented that it was a very badly drained field and that he
had thought about installing land drains. He was intrigued by the photograph
and curious about my proposed method for locating the feature. After being
persuaded further, he agreed that we should meet on site at a mutually convenient
time.

We met up again a few days later, when
he escorted me past storage sheds to the gateway of the field. It looked very
expansive from there and I found it difficult to get my bearings. The field
fell away downhill from the gateway. The best visual markers I had were a few
large trees in the boundary fences that I could recognise by reference to the
photograph. Eventually, I set off for the centre of the distant target area,
rods extended before me to detect any other hidden features that had not shown
up in the photograph (Fig. 3) having ‘old masonry’ fixed in my mind.  Very soon, I discovered a cluster, quite
close to the gateway, and inserted pegs into the ground to mark the locations.
However, I was determined not to be distracted from the main area of interest
and just continued to walk downhill at a steady pace, rods still at the ready.
As I entered the target area, the rods crossed for the first time. After
inserting a peg in the ground, I straightened the rods and continued walking.
As I walked to and fro over that large area, many more pegs were stuck into the
ground. Soon it became clear to me that I had detected the site of that
photographic image. It seemed that the long feature was about 170ft. (52 m) in
length and 30 ft. (9m). wide and was outlined by ‘walls’ of about 2ft. (0.6 m)
wide. The top end of the central long feature was curved, not squared off.  The ‘cross-member’ of the cruciform, was
about 100 ft. long (30.5m) and had a width of about 25 ft.(7.6m).  As the entire structure lay beneath a sloping
field, I carried out traverses with the rods to determine the depths of the
outlining ‘walls’ at the top and bottom of the outline. The end near the
cross-piece was dowsed to be about 6 ft. (1.8m) beneath the surface there. At
the other end, depths of 2 to 3 ft. were signaled. These two measurements
indicated that the outlining structure was level and that, at the upper end, it
had perhaps been covered by a large and extensive mound of earth, which
extended to the gateway. This was very puzzling, so when the landowner
suggested asking his son the dig down at the lower end, I was eager to see that
done.  The young man came with a spade
and began removing the turf before creating a slot trench as wide as the dowsed
width of the ‘wall’ at the lower left-hand end of the feature. When he had
cleared soil to the dowsed depth he struck solid objects. These turned out to
be very large and compacted cobbles. When I suggested that perhaps they were
part of an old river bed, the landowner (a builder) responded that those
cobbles had been laid deliberately. The trench was extended to reveal that this
outlining ‘wall’ was truly following the dowsed outline. 

The young man then went over to the
other corner at the lower end of the outlined structure and began digging
there. In a relatively short time he established that the dowsing had also been
accurate over there, the location, width and depth of the ‘wall’ being
confirmed. My dowsing had been shown to be accurate and I had proved to two
more skeptics that the human mind has more capabilities than it is generally
given credit for.

 Before we left the field, the
landowner wanted to show me a feature in the eroded bank of the bordering,
fast-flowing, brook (Poynton Brook) some distance downhill from the dowsed
site. When we stood on the other side of the brook, he pointed out to me a very
old piece of blackened wood projecting from the base of the opposite eroded
embankment, about 3 ft. (0.9m) from the grassy surface above it. As he
suggested to me, it looked like the remains of an ancient flume, perhaps
linking to a settlement in the direction of the cruciform shape, which was at a
higher level in the opposite field. A V-shaped cross-section of infill,
relating to the wooden projection was visible, further substantiating the
ancient flume idea. My dowsing and probing of the land above the flume
suggested that there were stony foundations of an ancient settlement lying
below the grassy surface there.

  I asked the owner’s permission to
report this find to the County Archaeological Office at Chester. He replied
that he did not mind the Office being told about the finds, but he did not want
me to identify the site accurately. He would not want his pasture field turned
into an archaeological site. In my letter to Chester, I was careful not to
betray his trust, but told only of the circumstances that had led to the
discovery of this unknown feature, which was described, and that it was located
in Adlington, quite close to Poynton Brook.

  A letter showing interest in the site
was received from Mr. R. C. Turner of the County Planning Department. He wanted
to survey the site and wanted me to assure the landowner that a Compulsory
Purchase Order would not be imposed and that any measures would be discussed with
him and approved by him before any action was taken. Even with these assurances
and despite the fact that this would be the only archaeological site to be
found in that area of Cheshire, the landowner did not want to co-operate
further.  My information, to date, is
that the nature of this significant site is still a mystery.

 Roy Dutton  ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21st May – I travelled the short distance
to ASK Neilston.  President Sheila Caruthers
was one of the first mediums I saw on the platform of a Spiritualist Church and
one of these lucky people who was introduced to Spiritualism at a young age.  Sheila’s mother was a great help in her
spiritual development.  Sheila has a
wealth of spiritual knowledge which she shares at her open-circle each
Wednesday evening. 

22nd – Again only another short trip to
the Paisley Spiritualist Church, Glenburn Community Centre, Paisley.  President Janet Lyon also entered
Spiritualism at an early age and like Sheila encouraged by her mother

25th – I was taking another development  circle at an SNU church and it is great to see
that after years of steady development those attending are almost ready to take
their first step on to the platform.  All
have the ability, the only thing that is lacking, and that is melting away
slowly with each session, is the lack of confidence they have in themselves.

25th Another of my workshops at the
Glasgow Association and it is a pleasure to work with those who’s immediate aim
is not to fast-track to the platform, but slowly understand their psychic
abilities.  I find nothing more pleasing
to see the look on the faces of those who begin to understand that they have
psychic abilities in some form or other,

26th – Travelling a bit further this time
to the Dunfermline Spiritualist Church (SNU). 3 Lady Campbells Walk, Dunfermline, Fife,
KY12 0QH  A well established
church which is always well supported,.

1st / 2nd June Aberdeen Bon
Accord Spiritualist Church (SNU) a busy church with its own premises and has a
dedicated committee working hard to promote Spiritualism and the Spiritual
needs of the local community.

 

 

Both Isobel and I were involved in a car accident
and although the car was a write-off we were lucky not to be seriously injured.

One never knows the minute when something like this
will happen.  Two cars coming straight
towards me on my side of the road as they over took a line of traffic
approaching a bend.  In making an emergency
stop the vehicle behind me ran into the back of our car.  We must thank police, ambulance staff, all
those at the RAI Infirmary A&E department and the young lady who stopped to
offer assistance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I had not got the phone
call I would probably have gone to the botanic gardens or a local park to get
used to the new camera.  Was this a good
deed on my part,  or did I grab at the
opportunity of a better challenge to try out the camera? A moving and
unpredictable object rather than a stationary flower at the Botanic
Gardens? 

Could we even look at it from
a different angle, could there have been  an invisible force playing a part here?  Was there a little guidance from Spirit that
I decided to act upon?  Did Spirit see an
opportunity for me to get used to my new camera and in doing so would bring so
much happiness to someone else at the same time?  Yes, I believe that to be so. Not just
because  I took those photos of Lucy, but also hearing the countless
similar experiences of others.

Could this all be preparing
for our ‘next life’ – all three of us gathering points for when we move
over?   If this is the case then it could
be easy to fake our way in the accumulation of ‘spirit points’.  Having realised what the ‘great plan’ is we do what the  ‘guidance‘
suggest but we don’t put caring / feeling / love into doing whatever it is will
we gain as many points?  Maybe a silver
star for acting when Spirit guides us into a situation and we carry the task
our willingly.  A bronze star when we carry
out the task but grudgingly.  And a gold
star will only be presented when we are not prompted to helping in a situation –
but we willingly help out without Spirit giving us the nudge.

 

David sent me an email which I have to think about.

“What
individuals over the past few years have you admired for acting in a spiritual
or selfless way, yet they were not part of the spiritualist movement?”

In no particular order; –   Dag Hammarskjöld,
Anne Frank, Eric Liddle, Dalai Lama (Tenzin
Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama) and  all those
who work with the terminally ill

I will highlight one in each of my
next five blogs… Starting with;  –

Dag Hammarskjöld Swedish diplomat,
author and second Secretary
General on the United Nations 1953 – 61. 
He died at the age of 59 as the result of a plane crash which to this
day some still consider to be suspicious… 
Mr Hammarskjöld was called “the
greatest statesman of our century” by President John F. Kennedy. He
gained a reputation as a peacemaker, man of faith and a man of peace.  He treated all around him in the same way
whether it is a junior member of his staff or a world leader…   If only today’s politicians and even we had
Dag Hammarskjöld as a role model the world would be a much better place today.

 

 

 

 

 

I received the following email a few weeks ago.

 “Recently I attended Berkley Street
Spiritualist Church, Glasgow and like the rest of the congregation I was
humbled by the work of the medium* on the platform that particular
evening.  It wasn’t his work (which was to his usual standard) it was the
fact that he took the service at all.  He put the needs of the
congregation before his own.  He thought about those that may need the
help.  You will understand what I mean when I say he was at his mother’s
bedside the evening before when she went to the spirit world.  He did not
want to let spirit and the congregation down so he fulfilled his booking. He
travelled a round trip of one hundred miles, alone with his own thought. 
But never flinching from what he felt was his duty in serving spirit. 
When my own mother passed it was hard, I missed so much in the next few
weeks.  He is a true Ambassador for Spirit”.

I have not mentioned the medium’s name as I have not been able to
contact him.  When I do contact him and if he agrees I will definitely
mention his name.

The term “Ambassador for Spirit” is often abused – it certainly in
not in this case.

 

I have had many emails asking me about ‘dowsing’.  It is a subject that I have little knowledge off.  So I asked a friend to explain his experiences with ‘dowsing”.  Here is the first of the four chapters….

 

    EXPERIMENTS WITH METAL DOWSING RODS

 

                                    T.R.
Dutton  ©                                                June
2012

         Chapt. 1                Young Scientists Lead the Way

 Sometime
during the late 1960s, when TV sets were all of the black and white variety, I
and my family watched a children’s programme, one of a series, with the title
“Young Scientists of the Year”. Week by week during that series, school teams
competed to gain that title and their efforts were judged by three scientists
seated at a table. One programme, in particular, made a lasting impression on
me and this is how I remember it.

 The Experiment

            A school
team of junior pupils. under the direction of their science teacher, had been
presented with a gridded ground plan of a local park. Their task would be to
discover the layout of the land drains lying beneath the turf. The tools they
were to use for this task were bent metal rods. We were told that each child
had been equipped with two slender rods bent through 90º. These had been
created from metal coat hangers, cut to size and with the 90º angle produced
from one of the corners of each hanger. We were then shown film of the pupils
at work in the park. We were told that they had been instructed to hold an
image of a pottery drain pipe in their heads and to walk slowly over the grass
holding the two rods before them. They would hold the shorter of the two arms
of each rod very loosely in their clenched fists and point the longer arm ahead
of them, holding it horizontally. Each long arm had to be able to swing about
freely in a horizontal arc about the pivoting short arm, which was held
vertically in the lightly clenched fist. The long arms had to be kept parallel,
horizontal and balanced in unstable equilibrium.

            It was
fascinating to watch the rods move in a meaningful way as each child walked
along with eyes fixed on the rods to keep them balanced. When, suddenly, the
rods swung across each other, the position on the ground below was marked in
some way.  The results of the exercise
were plotted onto the park keeper’s ground plan.

            In an
attempt to resolve the nature of the forces causing the rods to cross, the
exercise was repeated, but with the children walking on rubber mats. The
results were as before. Correlation with the actual layout of the drains was
shown to be high.

 The Scientists’ Appraisal

          Clearly,
the disciplined nature of the experiment and the methodology adopted had
impressed all three scientists. However, one elderly man with a cheerful
countenance, sitting in the middle of the group, surprised everyone by
producing a forked hazel twig from beneath the table, As he did so, he told us
that he didn’t need convincing that dowsing worked, because he’d been doing it
all his life. The school team got full marks for their efforts and for their
understanding of the Scientific Method. If I remember correctly, at the end of
the series, they were the acclaimed overall winners.

 An Inspired Response and First Experiments

      As soon as
that programme finished, I hurried upstairs to our bedroom and searched the
wardrobe for suitable wire coat hangers. They were few and far between, but two
were eventually found, taken downstairs, cut to size and re-bent to produce the
desired 90º angle. They are shown by Fig. 1. The short arm was 7.3inches (18.5
cm.) long, the long arm 15.5 inches (39.4 cm.) In practice, these produced a
well-balanced set of rods, even though they were not of the same thickness,
being of 10 and 12 SWG, respectively.

The first
tests were carried out to locate the drains and water pipes hidden beneath the
driveway. The ease and suddenness of the crossing of the balanced  rods was, at first, startling. There had been
no sense of movement in my arms or hands to explain these sudden responses. In
my imagination, my mind had been fixed on the pipes below ground and I had been
preoccupied, with a blank stare, on keeping the rods balanced. Each time the
rods crossed, I leant forward, sighting vertically downwards through the
intersection,  moved one of my feet
forward to mark the point on the surface below, took a piece of chalk from my
pocket, bent down and drew a cross at the indicated location. This was done
several times at different places on the driveway and then, by visually
referencing the locations of drains and water tap access lids, it became
apparent that I had successfully detected the courses of the pipes linking
them.

            The first,
subsequent, tests were carried out indoors, when the water pipe runs  beneath the floorboards were successfully
detected.

            Moving into
the garden, I began searching for imagined bits of rusty old iron buried under
the lawn and borders and was, once more, amazed by the success rate achieved.
After having detected something beneath the ground, I then began attempts to
determine its depth below the surface. The intuitive method I used was to
traverse over the same location, but with an image of a cross-sectional slice
of the ground below me, including the undefined detected object, held in my
imagination. On each traverse I imagined a certain depth and recited that depth
to myself. The strength of response of the rods indicated how far that imagined
depth was from the actual location of the object. This process was repeated
until the strongest cross-over was obtained. The object (typically a rusty nail
or a piece of an old garden tool), was usually found in that location and at
that depth.

            During
these early experiments in the rear garden, traverses across the lawn produced remarkable
results.   It seemed that a large iron
object occupied a rectangular slot deep below the surface. Its length was of
the order of 6 ft. (1.8m) and its width was about 2 ft. (0.6m).  Depth gauging, using the technique previously
described, suggested that it was situated about 6 ft. (1.8m) below the
turf.  As I was not prepared to dig up
the lawn to investigate it, it remains hidden to this day. Guesses about its
nature ranged from a large coffin to a medieval cannon. The latter seemed most
likely because the object was aligned with an old Tudor Hall about a mile away.

           During this
period, a group of adult friends was invited round for an evening with us. I
persuaded them to test their dowsing skills on the back lawn. After registering
embarrassed amusement, they were impressed and surprised when the rods in their
hands crossed without any effort on their part and without any prompting from
me. The only person to fail to get a response from the rods was an elderly lady
with multiple sclerosis (MS).  Visiting
children seemed to have no difficulties.

            During the
early 1970s, I decided to test my skills in a car park behind the wind tunnels
department at HSA Ltd., Woodford, Cheshire,
during a lunch break. It was a grit-covered area, featuring a large c.20ft.
(6m) diameter steel sphere mounted on peripheral steel legs. This sphere was
pumped up with air to 100 psi,(0.69MN/sq.m)  used to supply the adjacent Transonic and
Supersonic Wind Tunnels.  From the lowest
point on the underside projected a substantial steel pipe, about 18 inches (45 cm.)
in diameter, which disappeared underground vertically. It then had to curve
round the stanchions underground and, finally, to align with the Wind Tunnel
building some distance away. The challenge I had set myself was to trace its
underground path from beneath the sphere to the building it was supplying. I
began by traversing back and forth under the sphere and, each time the rods
crossed, I used the point of a rod to scratch a cross into the grit surface. As
I progressed away from the sphere it became evident that each traverse has
produced two grit crosses, which seemed to indicate the width (diameter) of the
buried pipe. In other words, the rods were sensing the limits of the
obstruction below: that is , where it began and where it ended, in plan view.
As I progressed in that manner towards the building it was becoming clear to me
that the pipe intersected the building’s outer wall at right angles. When I
completed the exercise and stood beside the sphere, the grit crosses seemed to
have created a very clear map of the pipe’s position beneath the car park.

            Next, I
sought out the Head of  the Wind Tunnels
Workshop during this lunch break period, because I knew he had been on-site
when the high speed tunnels had been installed. Obligingly, he walked over to
the car park with me, viewed my handiwork and confirmed that a supply pipe of
the indicated diameter had been positioned as indicated by my crosses. This was
another, albeit subjective, proof of the validity of my supposed dowsing skills.

            During
these early years of investigation, my brother-in-law had been about to dig up
a plot behind a new-build house, when I called on him.  He knew that this house and plot were located
on the site of an old smithy. As I carried the rods in the boot of the
car, I asked if I could do an orderly dowsing exercise, looking for rusty old
iron, before he began digging. Being intrigued, he stood back and watched me
progress in straight lines up and down the plot. Each time the rods crossed, I
checked for the depth of the item. Brother-in-law soon became involved in the
exercise and dug down to the indicated depth at each location —- and was
amazed when an old iron object (eg. a nail, an old bolt, a piece of broken
ploughshare, etc.) was discovered at the depth indicated. This procedure was
followed until I had checked over the entire plot, which was, from memory,
approximately 50ft x 16ft. (15m x 5m), with a successful outcome at each
indicated location. Some weeks later, on a return visit, the plot had been
completely cultivated and brother-in-law told me that the only other item he
had uncovered had been next to a boundary fence, which meant that I had been
unable to check out that area. He had been impressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st May – I attended the Edinburgh
Psychic College – Know as The Edinburgh College of Parapsychology for a Demonstrations
of Evidence of Survival. 

The
college aims are:

To provide a better understanding of life after
death

To always be respectful to all thoughts and
religious beliefs

To provide comfort during periods of sadness and
loss

To promote a better understanding of spiritualism

To be at the forefront of training of up and coming
mediums

To educate through our extensive spiritualist
library, which is second to none in Scotland, housing over 2500 books

To promote discussion and debate

The college has an open door policy to people of
all religions and we welcome with open arms anyone who wishes to come along and
take part in any activities held within the college. 

Demonstrations of Survival …Wednesdays 2.30pm –
3.30pm and
Fridays 7.30pm – 8.30pm

Please check website       www.edinburghpsychiccollege.com

2 Melville Street,
Edinburgh EH3 7HF…   tele 0131 220 1433




2nd – 
The Lighthouse Spiritualist Church Youth Athletic Club Hall,
George Road, Gourock, Inverclyde, PA19 1YT. 
Always a well attended church.

5th – It is always a pleasure to take
the service at the Love
and Friendship Spiritualist Church. 
After many years in the Langside Halls the Church has moved to The Couper Institute,
86 Clarkston Road, Cathcart, Glasgow, G44 3DA. 
The service remains on Sundays at 6.30pm Maureen Land Medium / President
and her dedicated committee go that extra mile to attend to the needs of all
who enter through the doors of the church.

9th – Taking the excellent development circle that I am always
praising. 

Once
again while away I again met up with a fellow psychic researcher, the
researcher I have teamed up with more over the years than any other.  “S” is most clinical in her approach to this
kind of work and treats each case like a full blown police investigation.  “S” started off with an interest in UFO
research and then to psychic detection but now she takes in all aspects of the
paranormal experiences of others.  I have
always been impressed by her sympathetic

Questioning of those who have had some form of unusual experiences and
giving long term support to those who find it difficult to get over or come to
terms with their experiences.

“S” is an expert in Tai Chi which s becoming very popular these
days and many spiritualists are turning towards this sort of thing.  Rigorous studies have shown that it helps
people of all ages, especially those over 65 to reduce stress, improve balance
and general mobility also increasing muscle strength.  Several churches
have Tai Chi classes on their premises and I have often though a Tai Chi
session before a medium goes on the platform would be ideal for getting a
strong link with Spirit.

 

Bill I will let G K Chesterton answer you; -, “No conceivable number of false mediums
affects the probability of real mediums, one way or the other. This is surely
obviously enough. No conceivable number of forged banknotes can disprove the
existence of the Bank of England….. 
G K Chesterton, scepticism, and spiritualism, Illustrated London News,
1906.

A new
medium on the circuit feels that he is not getting the chance he deserves to
serve churches. He comments “There are those around me who have others
promoting them while I have no one.  I
have seven bookings in my diary this year while those who have sponsors have
around 15-20 booking in the same period”. 
I am not jealous I would just like an even playing field”.

Seven
bookings in the first year out of the fledgling stage is not bad and who is to
say how many bookings you will pick up in the next seven months.  Better quality than quantity.  Get a good link with your guides each time
you appear on the platform and all will see what you are capable off.  Many a new medium has been promoted too fast
too soon and after a short time they are never heard of again.  Let Spirit be your agent and I assure you
that if the platform is where you are meant to be – you will be there.

Now an
email from a booking secretary…

“I owe a lot to our local Spiritualist church.
To pull my weight within the church I was always willing to help out in the
kitchen.  Then I could not believe it when
I was asked to be the booking secretary. This was the first time anyone had put
any trust in me and I was not going to let my beloved church down. Recently,
because of a few health problems I missed giving a curtsey call to two mediums
and they were not too happy.  One said if
that happened again she would not turn up. 
I know it was my fault but I am shocked that the mediums have been so
nasty”.

Courtesy
calls are a bone of contention with some mediums and to be honest I would say
courtesy calls are a must, as some bookings can be made one or two years in
advance.  Much can happen in the interval
and a thirty second call can stave off any problems on the night.   But I
feel the responsibility is on both the medium and the booking secretary.  As you mentioned you forgot to phone because
of health reasons, so surely it is a simple matter for the mediums to phone
themselves and check all is OK.  We are
all supposed to be Spiritualists after all. 
You have encountered two mediums that have not have been as
understanding as they should have been. 
We are not all like that. I am sure Spirit would have been more
understanding. 

Double
bookings are another bone of contention with both mediums and booking
secretaries.  Although frustrating we are
all human and mistakes will be made.  If
a church phones me and says that they have double booked then I usually say “let the other medium take the service”
as I have plenty of bookings over the years and the other medium may not have
as many.  I was always very diligent as
far as recording my bookings are concerned. But recently I relied on a small
electronic diary which played up and caused a few problems, leaving me double
booked a few times.   My fault I take the blame for not keeping two
diaries as I did in the past.  The only
fair way I could sort it out was honour the first booking taken for that date
but I still feel I let the other churches down. 
To the churches concerned I apologise again.

 

 The highlight of our trip to Devon was visiting Buckfast Abbey.  The name “Buckfast” can mean different things
to different people.  On the brighter
side this magnicent Abbey which dates back to 1147 is set in a lovely part of
the countryside and surrounded by large gardens.  Inside and out there is an amazing peaceful
atmosphere and we plan to go back when the gardens are in full bloom.

The Abbey is self-supporting, with a farm where vegetables are grown and
bees, pigs and cattle are kept, a shop which sells wine, honey beeswax, fudge
and other items made by religious communities throughout the world, and a gift
shop, book shop, and restaurant.  But it
is the wine – the Buckfast tonic wine – that usually springs to mind when the
name Buckfast is mentioned.   This
relatively cheap tonic wine is abused especially by the young and the antics of
many who have partaken of this wine have devastated many a community here in
Scotland. 

On the positive side I heard of a 93-year-old who put being in good health
and active at ninety-three was down to taking half a glass of Buckfast Tonic
Wine every day for over fifty years.   But these days he is concerned at going into
his local shop and asking for this wine. 
“People look on me as a wino as
the bottle is handed over to me” he said. 
Like everything this wine can be used as intended or abused.

 

 

…SPIRIT WORKS WITH US IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS….

One evening about 6.15pm I got a call from a church asking if I could take
their service in just over an hour’s time as the booked medium had taken ill at
the last moment.  I said “yes” and had
barley time for a shower and get dressed if I was going to get to the church on
time.

I rushed out of the house grabbing a tie and suit jacket without putting
them on.  While driving I glanced down at
the passenger seat to where my jacket and tie were lying and was horrified to
see the tie I had brought with me.  It
was one I had been given as a present and never worn, it certainly did not go
with the shirt I had on.  Normally this
would not have bothered me but all the way to the church I kept thinking “This tie just does not fit in with what I
am wearing”.

I reached the church with only a few minutes to spare and as I was walking
up the steps to the community centre I was putting a knot on the tie.  All of a sudden I heard a young girl’s voice
saying “Grandpa – that is my daddy’s tie
– that man must have got it from the charity shop”.  Somehow that made me have more negative
thoughts about the tie but as I was immediately stepping on to the platform the
minute I entered the building I forgot all about the tie.

All during the service I could not take my eyes of a lady sitting in the
back row and with the last message of the evening I went to her.  After the service she came up and said “This is the first time I have ever been in a
spiritualist church.  My husband past
four months ago and I felt I had to come to a spiritualist church this
evening.  I came with my daughter and my
father but my father felt this was not the place for my daughter so he took her
home.  I was going to leave also but when
you stepped on the platform I noticed your tie. 
Johnnie my husband had a tie like that, he wore it a lot and we put it
into a charity shop with his other clothes”.

 The widow went on to say that after her father and daughter had left the
church she was about to follow them as she felt it was maybe a mistake in
coming in the first place.  As she got up
to go I stepped on the platform and she could not believe I was wearing the
same pattern on the tie that her husband wore that would have been the daughter
I heard as I was entering the church and I wondered on the way home. “Was it spirit’s wish that I wore that tie on
that particular evening?”  As I saii
had never worn the tie before that evening and never since.

Yes – it could have been a coincidence – but such situations have happened
in the past especially with ties.  
Several times I have put on a tie and changed it before going out to a
church and usually when that happens the ties comes in as part of the message..

I have many ties but at this particular time the only colour of tie I did
not have was a red on.  Then on being
given a red tie for a birthday or Christmas present I felt it was too bright
and did not wear it.  One evening I did
put it on for a service and while giving a gentleman a message from his father
the tie seemed to dazzle me.  So I
mentioned “Your dad wore a tie, in fact I
believe a red tie was his favourite”.  The
son replied “My father never went out
without wearing a tie and the only ties he would wear were red ties, although
not as bright as yours”.

Friend who is also a medium had
similar experiences with her grandmother’s brooch.  She did not wear the brooch as she was
frightened she would lose it as it was the only personal item she had of her
grandmother.

Well, she did wear it twice and both times while taking a service.  She had been given a lovely blouse as a
present but she felt it was too low at the neck.  She decided that a brooch would keep the
neckline that little bit higher so she wore her grandmother’s brooch, but only
putting it on before she went on the platform, and taking it off immediately
afterwards.  The twice she wore this
brooch on the platform were  eighteen
months apart, both times it came into the message.

The first time she said to a lady “”Your
aunt had an old fashioned brooch like this – it was her pride and joy”.  The lady replied “Yes – and I now have this brooch”. 
The second occasion it was the colour of the brooch she mentioned
and it also could be accepted as good evidence.

Now again all this could be down to coincidence but this medium said in
all her years on the platform as far as she can remember these two occasions
were the only times she can remembers describing an item of jewellery in great
detail.

15th to 19th April we where
based in Folkestone but travelled throughout Kent and we had a day trip over to
Calais. Usually during such trips I try to meet up with fellow spiritualists or
researchers, this time it was the latter…

16th April – I took the service at
the Inverness Spiritualist Church (SNU) at the Smithton
Hall.  This church is always well
supported and has a very active committee which has done a lot over the
years to promote spiritualism in the North of Scotland.   It is now two years since Rupert and Niki Baxter-Smith
stepped down from the committee.  Niki as
president for almost a decade Rupert, treasurer for the same length of time.   But is good to see that although their health
is failing a little both still manage to get along to the church, in fact
Rupert was chairing for me on my recent visit.

25th It was a pleasure to be part of the
development circle whose sitters as I have mentioned before are so enthusiastic
and have a great thirst for learning.

28th I was at the Milngavie and Bearsden
Spiritualist Sanctuary. This sanctuary has only been open for eight months and
already has made great inroads to improving the spiritualist movement. More
about this in a moment.

 

 

 

 

Recently there have been calls for the change in the format of our
Spiritual Services. Some interesting new proposals put forward that are worthy
of debate but others it looks like change just for the sake of change.  Do
we need changes to our format?  Like everything else we cannot stand still
and should always try to move forward, go with the flow, about big changes to
bring in the younger members to our churches.  Personally I don’t think
here in Scotland we have a problem in getting the young to attend our
churches.  But we cannot make radical changes to suit one group who are
not yet members of our movement at the expense of those who have attended our
churches for years.  We cannot let the tail wag the dog.

Here in Scotland, Glasgow in fact, we have seen change to our service, a
small tweak here and there which has added, not detracted, from our
communication with God and Spirit.  In August last year Glasgow medium
Elizabeth Halliday was guided to open a spiritual place of worship and into
being came the Milngavie and Bearsden Spiritual Sanctuary – not
Church.  Now I know a lot of our Spiritualist places of worship have
dropped the name “Church” for ‘Centre’ but that title can be confused with
Psychic Centres by the general public.  I feel the “Sanctuary” was a good
move.

Then the time of the Divine Service – a Sunday afternoon.  I know of only one other church in the area which
holds a Sunday afternoon service.     This gives the people
of Glasgow an alternative from the one morning and many Sunday evening services
we have at the moment.

The changes did not end there as Elizabeth decided to omit the opening
prayer. 
In its place there is
five minutes of contemplation which gives us our own personal space to link
with God, our loved ones in Spirit, or just to reflect on our week. Not
something I would have considered but I must say that I was impressed as with
each minute for reflection passed’ I could feel the atmosphere getting stronger
and spirit drawing closer There is still the closing prayer.

The “healing Service takes place during the Divine Service.  Three
minutes session of Healing for each patient and each session is finished by the
gentle clash from mini-cymbals.  All this adding to the atmosphere within
the church and we all get the benefit of the healing energies.

Small changes that have made a big impact to the Divine Spiritual Service
in a positive way.  No shouting about change – no dramatic changes – just
a small tweak here and there.  I would recommend committee members of
Spiritualist Churches in the area go along to the Fraser Centre, Douglas St,
Milngavie, Glasgow, G62 6PA and experience this change in format.  It may
be for your church or it may not but go along and see.

Keeping with Elizabeth’s Sanctuary…  Laying a wreath at the
Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in Whitehall has for a long time been an issue
between the SNU and the British government, considering that other UK religious
denominations are represented at the national service of remembrance and
Spiritualism is not.. But individual spiritualist churches throughout the
country do take part in local remembrance services, the Stirling church (SNU)
being one. Recently I asked Stirling churches President Linda Buchan how this
came about and she replied “We were asked to take part in the service”.
Well, it was the same with the Milngavie spiritualist sanctuary they were asked
to take part in the local remembrance ceremony even though they had only opened
its doors a few weeks ago. I hear constantly from spiritualists “We never
get to the remembrance day services”. Well, if your church is not
asked to take part it is up to you to ask to be included. 

 

Continuing with your comments on my “2013 A Crucial Year for Spiritualism”.

Vera emails; –“Maybe
the way some of your churches advertise the mediums to their platform is a big
part of the problem.  My spiritual
church will put in our advert in the local paper something like ‘The medium for
Sunday evening is John Smith from wherever’.  
But some churches go over the top with their comments of the medium especially
on facebook, so what have the general public to think?

Yes this is a good point this has been creeping in
for some years now and something that can be easily rectified if the committee
is willing to put the church and spirit before or on an equal footing with the
medium.

Dawn is on roughly the same track with “Not so much on their websites but certainly
on facebook mediums seem to advertise themselves as being at a particular church
and the way they put it is is as if they want their fan-club to come along and
see them.  Surely a regular church goer
would turn up at a church what every medium was on?”

Yes – again the emphasis being on the medium not the
religion or Spirit.

Ralph – “Lack
of education as to what spiritualism is about. 
A couple of workshops and many feel they know it all, whether it is on
the platform or opening a church.  There
is little deep-rooted knowledge of what spiritualism is really about these days”

Again the fast-tracking that we experience in our
everyday lives and has certainly entered our movement.

 Anne “Money is
at the root of all the problems spiritualism has to day.  Too many wanting to make a living out of
their psychic abilities, a good living. 
Our churches were closer to Spirit and God when we had amateurs on our
platforms.  Many use our churches as a
springboard to a lucrative career. Maybe we would see a big change if churches
banned those from their platform who participated in theatre performances and
house-parties”.

Strong words from Anne and in the end if things go
the way they are going, it might come that we have to take drastic
measures.  But surely before we reach
that a little common sense all around can sort things out?  But are we too far down the entertainment and
financial paths for common sense to sort it out?  I believe in the end a compromise can be
found by the mediums/churches making a decision as to what path they are on.  Either the path of religion or entertainment
or making a good living from their abilities.  
Make that clear and we can all live in harmony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boy you punched in the hall today. Committed suicide a few
minutes ago.

That girl you called a slut in class today. She’s a virgin.

The boy you called lame. He has to work every night to support
his family.

That girl you pushed down the other day. She’s already being
abused at home.

That girl you called fat. She’s starving
herself.

The old man you made fun of cause of the ugly scars. He fought
for our country.

The boy you made fun of for crying. His mother is dying. You
think you know them.

There are so many forms of bullying and it can have a devastating effect
on those at the sharp end.    Some don’t realise that they are causing so
much suffering with their little jokes at the expense of others.  What they think is a sense of humour is
actually a form of bullying. Then there are those who get morbid satisfaction
with outright bullying.  The more they
see the victim getting distressed the stronger and more constant the bullying
becomes. 

Recently I was talking to victim of bullying who just could not take any
more. They said they had been bullied for years and in the past only managed to
cope because they knew that when they got home and slammed the door closed they
were was safe.  Safe till the next time
they went to school, their workplace or shopping

But now-a- days with modern technology they could not even get a little
respite in their own home. They were bullied by text and email.   This forced them to give up their mobile
phone and Internet connection.  But they
still worry about what is being said about them on the social networks. They
were getting to a stage where they did not want to go out at all; their quality
of life was zero.  They felt that death
was a better option than a life of being continually bullied.

Thankfully in this case help came over the horizon in the form of a new
work colleague.  Within days of starting
in the job he set in motion the work’s procedure to stop bulling in the
workplace.  The victim now getting the
help they should have got a long time ago.   The scars of the bullying run deep in their
mind and we can only hope and pray at the age of thirty-five they can finally
lead a life free of fear and persecution.

Not all victims of bullying are so lucky.  On a regular basis we see in the media that
someone has taken their own life because of bullying.  Many a time it is someone of school-age whose
life has barely began, yet in their short time on the earth plane was like
being in hell.


………………………………………………………………..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24th March… I travelled north to Perth
and with the cold wind that met me I could have mistakenly thought I was at the
North Pole.    But as soon as I entered
the church the usual warm welcome made me forget about the cold outside.  Ivy, Michelle and the rest of the committee
make everyone feel welcome.

28th… Over the past few months I have
had the privilege to take a development circle and though only a few attend the
enthusiasm and standard of commitment is second to none.

64 Berkeley Street
Glasgow
Scotland

Tel: 0141 221 6201

 

4th… ASK<Dreghorn and again a
special pleasure to serve here as I started out at ASK,Stewarton which this
group took over from when the latter closed its doors.

6th… 
The second of my workshops at the Glasgow Association.

9th… The members and committee of the
Dalneigh Spiritualist Church gave me a great welcome.  I am always impressed by the enthusiasm those
in Inverness and the surrounding area have for Spiritualism.

11th The Arbroath Spiritualist Centre 20-22
Commerce Street, Arbroath
Angus, DD11 1NB.  Tel: 01241 875 979.  Arbroath is still a holiday destination for
many so if you are in the area why not pop along on a Thursday evening at
7.30pm.

 

 

Marie mails…“Would you like to tell us about an unusual research case you have been
on, one that is different from the
rest and not scary”…     

Robert grew up in this area and when
he was young children roamed all over the fields, but never up this particular
lane.  Stories of the lane and cottage being
haunted not only kept the children, away but also the adults.    Over
the past decade or so when a property is put up for sale in the area it is usually
bought by an outsider, and usually by those of retirement age. So there are fewer
children in the area and the story of the haunted lane and a cottage is seldom
mentioned these days.

As I got closer to the cottage I did
feel a difference in the atmosphere.  It
did not seem as cold and yet the cottage was not sheltered from the bitterly
cold easterly wind.   It is difficult to
put into words there was something friendly, comfortable and relaxing about the
place. I certainly had no negative feelings which I thought I would have been
experiencing by now, especially as the family had requested I visit the area.
No matter how one tries not to second guess what is going on, the thought of a
negative situation it is always at the back of one’s mind when called out to a
property etc.

I then saw something strange. Stacey
was running at the back of the property and something black was running behind her.
It turned out to be a crow and at first I thought it was attacking her.  But it was running along with her as if
playing. I then noticed that there was quite a bit of the local wildlife all
closer than one would have expected when there were humans, a dog and a cat
about.

Stacey then took a plastic bag from
her mother and started feeding the birds. 
To my surprise three landed on her arm with several more sitting on the
ruins of a wall and taking small morsels from her hand.   I looked around and saw two deer around fifty
yards from us.  Jean told me that in
spring, summer and autumn there would be lots more animals close to us at this
spot.   Jean asked me to take a look at
Ceara and Tex, who were both sitting down like they would on a hot sunny day
but the wind was still blowing and a few snowflakes still falling.

I wrote in my notebook at that stage
there is something strange, then scored
that out and replaced it with something magical
about this place. It was certainly different from any place I had been
asked to investigate before or since.

When we got back to the family home
and sitting over a cup of tea, Robert told me why I was invited to the ruins of
this cottage.

Stacey was born with learning
difficulties and when she could walk she was seldom out on her own. She was
happy to play in her own backyard with  Tex and Ceara. But one day she did decide to roam
and after a full-scale search by half the village she was found sitting quietly
in the ruins of this cottage. Over the next few months Stacey would constantly
try to get out of the back gate and make her way towards this ruined cottage.
The little one’s parents decided that several times a week they would take her to
the cottage with Tex and even Ceara tagging along at times. This became a
regular walk two or three times a week and Stacey seemed  content with this arrangement as she did not try
to go out on her own.

On their visit to the cottage Robert
and Jean started to find it so relaxing and they looked forward to going there
as much  as Stacey.  Then they started noticing something else. The
wildlife around the ruins did not seem to be as suspicious of them even with
Tex and Ceara being with them.   Stacy
could get closer to the wildlife than her parents but even they could get
closer to the likes of deer, badger, herons, squirrels etc than they normally
could elsewhere. Stacy never touched any animal or bird even though some did
come as close as an arm’s length from her. 
 Robert had never got so close to
deer as he did at the ruins, even after spending his whole life in the country.
  It was not as if the little one had
food to entice these large animals close.  The family spent some considerable time
telling me of the different incidents and different species of bird and animal
that had shown less fear of them around the cottage than they did elsewhere in
the countryside.

 I asked if the wildlife around the
back garden got as close to Stacey as they did around the ruins. The answer was
‘no’, there was a robin a blackbird and two thrushes which were more trusting
towards Stacey than the other birds in the back garden but they did not come as
close as birds at the ruined cottage.  So
it was looking more like I should be concentrating my thoughts around the area of
the old cottage than Stacy. 

I asked the parents if they had got
anyone else out to look around the ruins. 
Robert said that I was the first person he had mentioned this too.   His first thought was to contact an old
school chum who was now a clergyman and stayed at the other end of the
country.  But after doing a little
research on the Internet he decided it was more of a situation for a
medium.   I suggested he asked his friend to  look and see what he experienced. The friend
did come out and he was amazed as I had been when visiting the cottage.   He
said “Even though I have spent most my
life in the country, at the cottage he got closer to the local wildlife than he
ever had done.

So what have we here?

A ley-line causing this effect?  We could find no connection with this or any
ancient tales about this area.

Bob – the clergyman – put forward the
suggestion that someone had stayed in that cottage at one time and most of
their time taking care on injured and unwanted animals – a modern-day St
Francis.  That had also been on my
mind.   We looked into the history of the area and as
far as we could find out the cottage had been uninhabited since 1932.  We have names of owners and tenants of the
building going back a few centuries but we were unable to find any information
about them.  A local historian did give
us a few bits and pieces but nothing appeared to connect to what we had
experienced. Both Bob   and I had met
people who have had an amazing rapport with animals but not an area where
animals acted as they did at the site of the ruined cottage.

The four of us decided that we could
go no further forward with this and to ask others to come in to do some
research was not on – as this was Stacy’s special place and it should remain
this way.

This was a few years ago and neither Bob
or myself has visited the cottage since but I have kept in touch with Robert
and Jean.  Little has changed, Stacy
visits the cottage two or three times a week always accompanied with one or
both of her parents.  Tex has passed on
but Ceara still goes to the cottage with the family.

One concern I had was that what if a
hunter stumbles across that cottage with the animals being so placid and not
frightened of humans, According to Robert this has either not happened or if
such a person did come across this area the animals would be aware of their
intentions and not have been so trusting.

 

 

 

It is shocking that the National Hunt fraternity
were overjoyed that there were no deaths in this year’s Grand National.  Yes, so notorious is this race for fatalities
that a ‘death free race’ gets as much
publicity as the winner.  I have the
feeling that as well as relief of no
deaths among the runners, the hype was made that little bit greater to mask
the fact that two horse came under starters orders at the meeting and yet their
lives ended on the race course.  On
Thursday Battlefront got no further
than the 11th fence in the John Smith’s Fox Hunters’ Chase for amateur riders. The horse collapsed and
died soon afterwards.  And then on Friday
another death, this time of Little Josh
who fractured a shoulder and had to be put down.

This year there were changes to the course and we
will have to wait to see if such alterations will reduce the number of deaths
or the changes were just cosmetic surgery to pacify the general public in the
short term.  What the National Hunt
fraternity could, if they really love their horses so much, is to ban the use
of the whip in all National Hunt races. 
Unless it is used by a rider to correct a horse which has veered off a
straight line and is likely to cause an accident.  Any jockey using a whip to improve the
position of his mount should be given a lengthy ban and the horse losing any
prize money it may have earned during that race.   Plans could be put in place for this new
ruling to start at the 2014 Grand National meeting

Some of the most horrific scenes on TV screens over
the years  is riders in the Grand
National using their whips like carpet beaters on horses at the end of this
gruelling  4 ½ mile race over  very large fences?

I was shocked on a TV programme the morning after
the Grand National to hear three people connected to this industry – yes
industry – not a sport – come out with the following.  “We are
not here to defend the Grand National – we are here to promote it”. And
several comments similar too “Horses jump
obstacle in the wild”.  Yes – but not
so many and not at such a speed in so short a time.

“Horses
like to jump – look at them in races where they may have fallen, and got  rid of their rider.   They continue to run with the field and jump
the fences”.  Yes
– let us look at that situation.  After a
fall a horse may be in panic mode, see nowhere to get off the course and follow
its herd instinct. 

Let us look at the situation a little more
in-depth…  It is easy for a racing
commentator to say “A particular horse
has fallen but it is  unscathed”.  If the same commentator fell while out
walking I am sure he would feel some degree of pain, so what about a ½ ton
horse falling while jumping at racing pace must also feel pain.

What can Spiritualism or Spiritualists do in this
situation?

Spiritualism is not a religion that issues decrees
on its members to do this or not to do this or that.  So I would not expect any of our Spiritual
organizations to come out publicly in this debate.  To all Spiritualists I say – look again at
our 5th Principle “Personal Responsibility “and then make up your mind.  Remember… a percentage of every bet on
horse racing goes to the upkeep of the horse racing industry.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I have decided to leave out the comments
I received on my “2013 a crucial year for
Spiritualism” but will include some in my next blog.