Hours with the Ghosts or, Nineteenth Century Witchcraft: Illustrated Investigations into the Phenomena of Spiritualism and TheosophyEvans, Henry Ridgely
Religion
Hours with the Ghosts or, Nineteenth Century Witchcraft: Illustrated Investigations into the Phenomena of Spiritualism and Theosophy
Evans, Henry Ridgely
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna), 1831-1891; Spiritualism; Theosophy
"The cord which held the curtain was 1, 2, and the flaps which are
represented as standing above it (A, B, C, etc.), fell down over A1, B1,
C1, etc., and could be made to cover the shoulders of one sitting with his
back against the curtain. A black curtain was also pinned against the
wall, in the space curtained off, partly covering it. Another curtain was
added to the one pictured, as will be described presently.
"The medium asked Col. Kase to say a few words as to the necessity of
observing the conditions, need of harmony, etc. And then the medium
himself spoke a few words of similar import. He then drew the curtain
along the cord (1, 2,) and fastened it; placed three wooden chairs in
front of the curtain, as indicated in the diagram, and, saying he needed
to form a battery, asked Miss Agnes Irwin to sit in chair D, and Mr. Yost
in chair C, the medium himself sitting in chair E. A black curtain was
then fastened by Mrs. Keeler over Mr. Keeler, Miss Irwin and Mr. Yost,
being fastened at G, between E and D, between D and C, and beyond A; thus
entirely covering the three sitting in front of the stretched curtain up
to their necks; and when the flaps before mentioned were pulled down over
their shoulders, nothing could be seen but the head of each.
"Before the last curtain was fastened over them, the medium placed both
his hands upon the forearm and wrist of Miss Irwin, the sleeve being
pulled up for the purpose, and Miss Irwin grasped with her right hand the
left wrist of Mr. Yost, his right hand being in sight to the right of the
curtain.
"After some piano music the medium said he felt no power from this
'battery,' and asked Mrs. E. D. Gillespie to take Miss Irwin's place.
Hands and curtains were arranged as before. The lights were turned down
until the room was quite dim. During the singing the medium turned to
speak to Mr. Yost, and his body, which had before faced rather away from
the two other persons of the 'battery' (which position would have brought
his right arm out in front of the stretched curtain), was now turned the
other way, so that had he released his grasp upon Mrs. Gillespie's arm,
his own right arm could have had free play in the curtained space behind
him. His left knee also no longer stood out under the curtain in front,
but showed a change of position.
"At this time Mrs. Gillespie declared she felt a touch, and soon after so
did Mr. Yost. The medium's body was distinctly inclined toward Mr. Yost at
this time. Mrs. Gillespie said she felt taps, but declared that, to the
best of her knowledge, she still felt the medium's two hands upon her arm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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