Workshops and Events in 2013

Saturday 27th April: Explore Your Natal Chart 10 each Astrology workshop with Nikki Harper, 10 ~ 4pm Saturday 18th May: Multi-Craft Inspirational Workshop 10 each With Andrea Abbott, 10 ~ 4pm Saturday 8th June: Mediumship Workshop, Details tbc 10 each With Jon Harper, 10 ~ 4pm Saturday 6th July: Past Life Regression Workshop 5 each With Nina Roberts, 10 ~ 4pm Saturday 27th July: Physical Mediumship Sance 25 each With Chris Howarth, 6.30 ~ 10pm Must be pre-booked Saturday 3rd August: Dowsing Workshop 5 each With Nina Roberts, 10 ~ 4pm Saturday 21st September: Deep Trance Workshop 60 each With Melanie Hallett, 10 ~4pm Saturday 21st September: Deep Trance Demonstration 10 each With Melanie Hallett, 7 ~ 10pm Must be pre-booked, free to those who have attended the days workshop. Saturday 28th September: Spirit Rescue Workshop 5 each With Nina Roberts, 10 ~ 4pm Date/Times Tbc: Intuitive Tarot 12 Week Course, 3/week With Nikki Harper Dates/Times Tbc: Theory of Mediumship 12 Week Course, 3/week With Jon Harper

What is Spiritualism? and What to Expect from a Service

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What is Spiritualism?
Spiritualism means different things to different people. Newcomers to spiritualism typically already know what we believe in life after death, but there is more to spiritualism that this. It is a religion recognised in law, although some spiritualists consider it more a philosophy of life. Most spiritualists agree to that be a spiritualist is to be involved in a lifelong journey of spiritual development and the betterment of self. As a spiritualist centre, we provide regular demonstrations of mediumship. Every medium aims to provide evidence of the existence of spirit within us all, and the continuation of every soul beyond physical death.

The Brotherhood of Man Since we are all part of the universal divine energy, we are all one family. An important part of spiritualism is the willingness to understand and accept others, and to offer help and support to all, regardless of religion, race or creed. The Communion of Spirits and the Ministry of Angels Spiritualists believe that communication between spirit and ourselves is a natural, innate ability, and to use that this communication is a normal, natural part of life. Mediums train to develop this ability to a high level in order to be able to provide evidence from the spirit world of the continuation of life, but all of us can access the divine spark within ourselves. Angels bring wisdom and guidance around us, and assist those who are dedicated to the betterment of mankind. The Continuous Existence of the Human Soul Since spirit is divine energy, it is indestructible. Energy cannot be destroyed, it can only change its form. We believe that after physical death, our physical bodies are left behind while the soul continues to exist in a different dimension. Individual personalities shine on, unchanged by what we call death. Personal Responsibility Spiritualists believe in total free will, and that all of us can use our lives in the way we see fit. We can make good decisions; we can make bad ones but ultimate responsibility for how we behave lies with us alone. We do not believe that we can be absolved of our wrongdoings on earth, or pass responsibility for our actions to anyone else. Compensation and Retribution Hereafter for all the Good and Evil Deeds Done on Earth The laws of cause and effect, we believe, operate both on earth and in the spirit world. Each choice we make affects our souls growth. We believe that when our physical bodies die, we do not face a divine judgment, but that each soul does take part in a process of self-assessment, learning from the mistakes made and how things could have been done differently.

The Seven Principles of Spiritualism 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The Fatherhood of God The Brotherhood of Man The Communion of Spirits and the Ministry of Angels The Continuous Existence of the Human Soul Personal Responsibility Compensation and Retribution hereafter for all the good and evil deeds we have done on earth Eternal progress open to every human soul.

Lets briefly look at each of these in turn: The Fatherhood of God Fundamental to the religious philosophy of spiritualism is the acceptance of a divine energy. This does not necessarily mean God as a Christian might use the word - instead, we mean a force which has created all that there is and sustains all that there is. This divine energy exists within and around everything, including each one of us. We are children of this energy, and in that way we accept God as our father.

Eternal Progress Open to Every Human Soul Spiritualists believe that we do not have to wait until our physical death to begin the learning process - progress is open to all of us, every day. We try to work positively to promote growth of our souls here and now, during our earthly lifetime. No matter what mistakes we make, it is never too late to move forwards, and we believe that nobody is ever denied the all embracing love of spirit.

What is the Difference Between a Psychic and a Medium?

The word psyche comes from Greek, meaning of the soul. As we have seen, spiritualists believe that we are all part of the divine spirit, and so we all have psychic abilities to some degree. However, just like any other ability, some people have better developed psychic abilities than others. A psychic can sense and interpret information about a person or an object, but does not communicate with the spirit world. A medium is a psychic who has further developed their abilities and is able to communicate with the spirit world. Mediums receive information from the spirit of a deceased person, and are able to relay that information to us here on earth. All mediums are psychic, but not all psychics are mediums.

Spiritualism as a Religion
Many religions agree that there is a life after death, that we can enjoy immortality and that a God or divine presence exists. Spiritualism differs from other religions in our use of mediumship to bring forth evidence from spirit and to thereby prove the continuous existence of the human soul - although it is up to each of us to decide when we have received sufficient evidence. Its important to understand that mediumship is not the end purpose of spiritualism. The messages we receive from mediums are not the be all and end of all our beliefs - having received evidence, it is up to us how we use the knowledge that we survive death, and how we apply that knowledge to our lives and live according to the other 7 principles. It is the hope of every medium that the evidence they provide from spirit enables the recipient to understand the divine nature of this earthly life, and to move forwards on a path of spiritual growth and development, making better choices and better decisions, and learning to become accountable for our actions. Spiritualism has no holy book or leadership figure, and we acknowledge that no one person, however experienced and spiritually developed, has all of the answers. Spiritualism is a continuous personal growth process for everyone, no matter at what stage you awaken to the possibilities of spirit.

Can a Medium Call Up a Particular Spirit? No. Spirit people choose to come forwards to a medium for three reasons: A) to prove that they have survived physical death B) To prove that they have retained their memories, personalities and character in the spirit world C) To assure us that they have continued to learn and develop in spirit A medium cannot call up any particular spirit energy, because spirit retains free will. Any particular spirit person must choose to come forwards and communicate. The loved one you want to hear from may not be the one who chooses to communicate with you. There are thought to be many reasons for this perhaps your loved one has not yet developed the ability to communicate clearly in this way, or perhaps it is not the right time in your own spiritual development to hear from them. If this upsets or concerns you, please talk to one of us about it.

A Brief History of Spiritualism

Ancient Times Throughout human history, mankind has believed in the spirit world and has believed in spirit communication. Our history, literature and folklore are full of such tales, and ancient religions practiced ancestor worship or shamanism, where people with abilities similar to modern mediums were able to communicate with the spirit realm. The ancient Greeks and Romans also sought guidance from spirit in many ways, through the use of oracles and prophecy. Christianity and Spiritualism Christianity was founded on a basis of spirit communication and phenomena that could be described as mediumship. The Bible gives many examples of spiritual happenings, spiritual voices, angelic communication and spiritual healing. After his death, Jesus was seen and heard by his disciplines, and what we might call mediumship therefore played an important part in the early beginnings of Christianity. In the 4th century, Christian leaders decided that psychic and mediumship faculties should be used only by priests; from this point on, those who demonstrated mediumship abilities were denounced as false prophets or heretics, and were liable to punishment. In the 15th century, the Pope denounced mediums, and described those who communicated with spirit as witches. This period is infamous for its witch hunts, where those who showed evidence of psychic or mediumship abilities were in danger of trial, torture and execution. 18th Century In the 18th century, a Swedish scientist and astronomer, Emmanuel Swedenborg, became well known for his philosophical writings which, he claimed, were received from spirit. His work helped to lay the foundations for modern spiritualism, which we could say was born in the 19th century.

The Birth of Modern Spiritualism In 1848, two sisters, Margaretta and Catherine Fox, established two way communication with an entity which was causing knocks and noises in their home, in Hydesville, USA. Upon investigation, the spirit entity identified itself as Charles Rosna, who had been murdered and buried in the cellar of the house. Excavations later proved that there were indeed human remains there. The publicity caused by these events caused mediumship to be discussed openly. Although suffering much scorn and ridicule, the Fox family were able to spread the news via the newly built rail roads and newspaper system, and soon small groups of people across America were meeting and receiving spirit communication for themselves. Once communication was established, spirit themselves were able to guide the process and suggest ways in which mediumship could be improved. In just a few years, spiritual phenomena was commonplace in many spiritualist groups in America, and these new spiritualist pioneers began to consider the spiritual and religious implications of the information they were receiving. In time, both the phenomena and the teachings spread around the world. In Britain, Mrs Hayden openly demonstrated mediumship. She was persecuted by the press and by the established church, but was defended by some prominent public figures who had witnessed her mediumship for themselves. In 1853, the first spiritualist church was opened in Britain at Keighley in Yorkshire. By the 1870s, there were numerous churches and societies throughout the UK. Today, many non-spiritualists assume that the Fox Sisters were frauds. However, although Maggie did admit to fraud in 1888, she recanted the admission a few years later. All of the Fox Sisters paid a heavy personal price for their fame, and suffered from troubled and penniless personal lives. No committee of investigation (and there were many!) was ever able to prove fraud on the part of any of the sisters.

Emma Hardinge Born in 1823 in Londons East End, Emma was to play a pivotal role in the development of modern spiritualism. In 1855, on a visit to America, Emma discovered that she had a mediumship ability for table tipping and rapping. The following year, she held a table sance in which she spelt out a message from a friend who had died on a ship which had only recently sunk, and about which nobody at the time knew. Following this, Emmas mediumship became well known, and she demonstrated in the same building as Kate Fox, one of the Fox sisters from Hydesville. After a while, Emma gave up mediumship demonstrations and instead travelled the world giving trance demonstrations and lectures on spiritualist philosophy. Through her prolific speaking and writing, Emma influenced the development of many modern spiritualist groups. The Seven Principles of Spiritualism came to us via Emmas mediumship, and she was instrumental in the formation of the SNU, or Spiritualist National Union as we know it today.

What to Expect at a Mediumship Demonstration

All of the mediums we invite to demonstrate have different strengths, and many have different ways of working. However, in a typical demonstration, things will proceed a little like this: Welcome and opening prayer Healing dedications Song Spiritualist reading by audience member Song Talk on an aspect of spiritualist philosophy by the medium Song Mediumship demonstration Closing remarks Closing prayer Refreshments Healing Dedications Before each service, our healing book will be available for you to write in the name(s) of anyone you feel is in need of healing. You can put just their name, or you may add a short reason - eg recovering from an operation or feeling low. The names and any accompanying reasons will be read out during the healing dedications section of the service, and the chairperson will recite a healing prayer while the audience sends out healing and loving thoughts to all those in need. Songs All of the songs in our songbook have been chosen because of their uplifting quality and spiritualist related lyrics or sentiments. Please join in and sing up as loudly as you can, as the songs help to build the energy in the room and will assist the medium in their work. Hopefully you will know many of the tunes, but if you do not, you can always pick it up after a verse or two - and its your intent which counts, not whether or not you have a beautiful singing voice!

Our Spiritualist Centre

It is the aim of North Lincs Spiritualists to promote the practice and philosophy of spiritualism. We are deliberately independent of any spiritualist organisation, as this allows us to embrace the widest range of spiritualist practices and spiritual development methods. Since we believe that ongoing spiritual development is a vital part of spiritualism, we strive to offer not only high quality mediumship demonstrations on a weekly basis, but also a programme of varied and inspirational workshops, courses and development groups. We love to talk with like minded people, and we always positively welcome questions about spiritualism, or about our beliefs and practices. Talk to one of us - we dont have all the answers, but we can help you understand where were coming from.

Spiritualist Readings This will be a short reading from a member of the audience, with a spiritual or uplifting theme - it might be a poem, a passage from a book, a personal anecdote or something the reader has written him or herself. If you have something youd like to share with the audience, please let us know and volunteer to do a reading. Spiritualist Philosophy Here, the medium gives a talk of ten minutes or so on a spiritualist theme, as inspired by spirit on the night. This might be humorous, emotional, passionate or reflective, but is always thought-provoking. Mediumship Demonstration The core of a service is the mediums demonstration, where he or she will bring forth evidence of spirit survival from our deceased loved ones. If the medium comes to you, please speak up and answer clearly with a yes or a no about whether you can place the details you are given. For many mediums, your voice helps to strengthen the spirit link, so dont be shy! All of the mediums we invite to demonstrate work with the highest and best of intent, and have spent years developing their mediumship. If you receive evidence or a message, you may find it emotional, but hopefully ultimately uplifting. If you hear or see anything which you find upsetting or disturbing, please dont go away distressed - talk to one of us, or to the medium, after the service, to seek clarification or help. Refreshments After the service, all are welcome to stay behind for tea, coffee, cake and a chat. If the medium is able to stay for a while, they may take bookings for private readings at this point, or be available to answer any questions you might have. This is also the ideal time to ask us more about spiritualism, or to find out more about our workshops, healing and classes. We hope you enjoy the service, and that you leave with lots to think about and with joy in your heart at the knowledge that spirit lives on.

Services/Demonstrations in 2013
APRIL 2013 Sunday 7th April - Opening Night Special with Ian Lawman Saturday 13th April - Tom King Saturday 20th April - Brian Draper Sunday 28th April - Danny Wheeler MAY 2013 Sunday 5th May - Richard Carrington Sunday 12th May - Centre closed Sunday 19th May - Jim Cork Sunday 26th May - Teresa-Marie Barrett Psychometry JUNE 2013 Sunday 2nd June - Andrea Abbott Sunday 9th June - Jean Crilley Sunday 16th June - David Sinclaire Sunday 23rd June - Denise Schofield Sunday 30th June - Linda Sheppard JULY 2013 Sunday 7th July - Audrey Jarvis Saturday 13th July - Danny Lewis Sunday 21st July - Ray Kane Sunday 28th July - Brian Draper AUGUST 2013 Sunday 4th August - Meryl Cunliffe Psychometry Special Sunday 11th August - Barbara Biggin Sunday 18th August - Adrian Fuller Sunday 25th August - Margaret Pearson NOVEMBER 2013 Sunday 3rd November - Christine Stewart Flower Readings Sunday 10th November - Remembrance Service Sunday 17th November - Deep Trance Demonstration by Bren Diskin Sunday 24th November - Nikki Gunn DECEMBER 2013 Sunday 1st December - Adrian Clark Sunday 8th December - Christine Stewart Xmas Decoration Readings Sunday 15th December - Open Platform Sunday 22nd December - Special Christmas Celebration SEPTEMBER 2013 Sunday 1st September - Victoria Oates Sunday 8th September - Psychic Art/ Mediumship with John Brett and Bryan Gibson Sunday 15th September - Ray Kane Sunday 22nd September - Melanie Hallett Sunday 29th September - Brian Draper OCTOBER 2013 Saturday 5th October - Ann Andersen Sunday 13th October - Jean Crilley Sunday 20th October - David Sinclaire Sunday 27th October - Carl Parker

See over for Workshops and Events in 2013.