Listen and read

Step into an infinite world of stories

Read and listen as much as you want
Over 950 000 titles
Exclusive titles + Storytel Originals
Easy to cancel anytime

Try now

Try now

Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural

Name: Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural
Rating: 0 (0 reviews)
ISBN: 9780738774848

By
- Steele Alexandra Douris
Publisher
- Llewellyn Publications

Try now

Language: English
Format
Category: History

Spiritualism in the Age of Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe

A 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.

Release date

Ebook: 6 November 2024