Spirits, Seers & Séances

Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural

Häftad, Engelska, 2023

219 kr

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Spiritualism in the Age of Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan PoeA woman wearing a black veil convenes a séance. A magician puts a volunteer into a trance. A fortune-teller leans over a crystal ball. Everyone knows what Victorian mysticism looks like because our modern imagery, language, and practice of magic borrows heavily from the Victorians. But we have little understanding of its spiritual, cultural, and historical foundations.What made the Victorians turn to mediumship, hypnotism, and fortune-telling? What were they afraid of? What were they seeking?This book explores the history of automatic writing, cartomancy, clairvoyance, and more. It reveals how Victorian belief in ghosts, fairies, and nature spirits shaped our celebrations of Halloween and Christmas. With historic examples and hands-on exercises, you will discover how spiritualism in the time of Jack the Ripper, Jane Eyre, "A Christmas Carol," and Dracula left such a profound impact on both the past and present.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2023-09-08
Mått133 x 203 x 14 mm
Vikt249 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor226
FörlagLlewellyn Publications,U.S.
ISBN9780738774619

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Steele Alexandra Douris is an author, artist, and Victorianist, specializing in Victorian spiritualism, crime fiction, and the gothic novel. She is a PhD candidate in the English department at Stanford University, where she has taught courses on 19th-century spiritualism and ghost stories. She holds an MA in English from Stanford University and a BA in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.

ContentsList of Exercises xiIntroduction: An Invitation to the Night-Side 1Part 1: The Soul of Spiritualism: Core Beliefs and PracticesChapter 1: Séances and Spirit Communication: The Heart of Spiritualism 11Chapter 2: Mesmerism, Channeling, and Hypnotism: The Power of Trance 33Chapter 3: The Automatic Arts: Pens and Planchettes 45Chapter 4: Spirit Photography: Capturing the Invisibles 57Chapter 5: Paranormal Investigations: Psychical Research and Occult Detectives 75Part 2: The Invisible World: Shades of the Victorian SupernaturalChapter 6: Ghost-Seers and Ghostlore: From the Night- Side to the Ghost World 91Chapter 7: Fairies, Flowers, and Folklore: Natural Enchantments 107Chapter 8: Fortune-Telling: A Subtle and Stigmatized Craft 123Part 3: Magic in Victorian MediaChapter 9: The Victorian Gothic: Literary Phenomena 141Chapter 10: Pre-Raphaelite Art: Seers and Sorceresses 155Part 4: Seasonal Spirits and SuperstitionsChapter 11: Hallowe'en Celebrations: Ghosts, Goblins, and Grooms 177Chapter 12: Christmas Ghost Stories: The Spirits of Midwinter 189Conclusion 199Glossary 201Recommended Reading 203Bibliography 205