“And this I know for truth.

Helping another is

why we are here.

Doing the right thing

without expectation

of reward this,

is what chivalry is about.”

Hello My Lovelies,

One never know what the day will bring when one sets out to enjoy an afternoon of spiritual conversation and education and last Sunday was no exception. Erica, who was to give the Lecture and Demonstration, had to bring her little one due to her childminder not being available. 

Now to say that Noah is a ball of energy is not an understatement. Nor is he without determination for he decided to get to the crystals on the greeting table and, even though we had moved things way back, he still thought if he could just stand on his mum’s bag then they would be his. That was not to be. However, nothing daunted, Noah determined that if he moved a small table from the front of the hall to the back then he could climb up and get his hands on those lovely, colourful rocks.

It was a delight to have him and another child in the congregation because it opened us to the full sense of what a community is; young and old together and, as Val and Erica demonstrated, when things don’t always work out as we have planned, we can change to accommodate the circumstances, and nobody loses. A good example of a win – win situation.

  - “Where Does Spirit Fit in Our Modern Age?”

 "Val, it is interesting how Spirit works in remarkable ways because your words fit in so well with what I am going to talk about today which is about where Spirit fits in with our modern age. Is it relevant? Does any of it continue to be relevant?

I came across a quote as I was preparing for my address today and it talks about how Spirituality must be lived. Not just studied. And all the books of the world will not help if we don’t actually live what we learn.

So, I think that embodies what Spiritualism is about. It is about a living breathing, aggressive, philosophy. And it is not enough that we need to consider the principles. We need to live the principles.

The principles are fundamental to our philosophy, to our religion. So, whatever it is that brings you here today, you are here for a reason. You might be a long-time spiritualist; you might be a seeker. You might just have wanted to pop your head in to have a bit of a sticky beck about what we do. Whatever your reason for being here today, you are welcome.”

Erica went on to describe her journey towards spiritualism which began when a friend told her of seeing a Medium and recommended that she make an appointment. As the reading progressed Erica was told that she too would be doing this work and her response was, “I think you are very mistaken with that. I have no intention of communicating with the Spirit world.

At the time I was in my twenties, and I had no desire other than to finish my degree and qualify as a teacher. So, fast forward to my thirties and again Spirit kept knocking on the door until I eventually paid attention.

What I want to impress on you today is that we don’t just speak to those who are in the Spirit world. What we want to achieve is communication. We want to inform people about the philosophy of spiritualism.

Mediumship and Spiritualist churches should not become what I call, message shops, because spiritualism is not just about getting messages from Spirit. In reality, getting a message is just one part of spiritualism. It is not all there is.

We need to teach our Mediums to recognise and talk about the philosophy of our religion and I think that if we take God out of our religion, we are losing the substance of what we do. The core of spiritualism is to identify with that Divine Spark, that Power, as Val said, that we work with. 

What I’m saying is that, as Spiritualists, we strive to be better than we were yesterday in our everyday lives. So, what does that look like? How do we show up for people? How do we show up for ourselves? How do we give ourselves compassion and care, for we can be very good at giving that to others but, when it comes to us, guess what? Sometimes we run a little low on that tank and we feel exhausted and overwhelmed but remember, that when many of us sit together we share in the journey, and we share in the energy.

Spiritualism is about community and, if there is anything I know about this modern age it is, as Val just expressed, that we are becoming disconnected from each other and there is no longer that strong sense of community.

So, what I am sharing with you today is that Spiritualism is relevant in this age. We are seeking a community of like-minded people that we can share those instances of spirit communication or spirit contact with and, whether you recognise that is true for yourself, whether you call yourself a Medium, we are all by default Light Workers. 

And that is why you sit before me today because, in some capacity, you are shining your light onto others. I want to impress on you that, if we are just looking for the message from loved a one in Spirit and nothing else then, I think that we can lose that sense of community and understanding, because spirituality is more than that.

Recently I was having a discussion with someone and, as it unfolded, it became very much one-sided. And I just thought, have we really lost that ability to hold the space for one another. Do we really listen? Or do we listen to respond.

So, perhaps as we grow in our awareness, we recognise that sometimes words are not necessary. Maybe the power of our presence is necessary but if we don’t allow ourselves the chance to sit with Spirit and be silent, we can struggle to find that power as life becomes too busy in our modern age.

Spiritualism is not about blind faith. It is about proof of survival and that is at the crux of what we do. It is a fundamental premise. And I believe that it has to be done well to honour our philosophy and that is why I am studying through the S.N.U.I* and the U.K.

*(S.N.U.I. Spiritualist National Union International U.K.)

However, at no stage do I ever claim to be an Oracle, nor do I ever claim to know it all. I always want to keep growing and learning. I say to people that I still have my L plates on and that is the way I approach my work. I will never be finished with my studies.

I sometimes think that it is hard to be born into this world; it is probably one of the biggest challenges, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I have often felt on the outer even as a small child, and so being part of that humanity, being part of that network is important too.

Spiritualism is about personal experience. It is not only about reading copious numbers of books. In Spiritualism we don’t have a dogma or a creed. Our Principles are called guidelines, you can take them or leave them. And I think that is one of the aspects about Spiritualism that I love.

I think too, that we need to remember that we are all equal in the eyes of God. This is why it is essential to showcase the positive impacts of spiritualism, through our actions, by setting an example, by being the person we were meant to be. Spiritualism can be transformative for each and every one of us. It has the power to uplift, to enlighten and, I think most importantly, to inspire.

As I finish up this afternoon, I want to impress on you that we can all make a meaningful impact, that we can express empathy and most importantly, we can all hold a space for others to express themselves and we can be kind.

I hope that my address today has helped you to consider your part as a spiritualist and as a Light Workers or perhaps to recognise yourself as a person who is kind.

DEMONSTRATION - Presented by Erica Amino

Erica again revealed how working with Spirit can be more than getting a name or an impression of a loved one in Spirit.

Watching and listening to her as she brought through descriptions of loved ones followed by messages that built a story, all of which resonated with the receiver, was a joy to hear and see. 

 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Thank you to those people who have renewed their membership which is only $20 per year.

As you know we are a “Not for Profit” organization so we rely on your donations and memberships to keep the doors open etc.

And remember the added feature; the $20 entitles you to a discount of $5 on every Workshop you attend. Good value in anybody’s language.