In this class, Phoebe Hildegard Finch will discuss the history, evolution, and practical operation of the séance. Simple methods for at-home séance work will be drawn from Emma Hardinge Britten’s 1870 pamphlet on the subject. We will explore the praxis of spiritualism in the Victorian period and follow its evolution through multiple avenues to the present day.

From the table-rapping of the Fox Sisters to France’s Allan Kardec, to Mother Leafy Anderson and the Spiritualist Churches, to the many forms of Espiritismo and contemporary Umbanda, the séance has played a central role in many global experiences of mediumship since its introduction in the Victorian era.

Issues of safety and consent with possessing spirits will be explored, as well as spiritual elevation and protection. We will discuss the similarities and differences between the approach of the spirit medium and that of the necromancer. We will explore historical and contemporary methods for…