Questions and Answers for June

Dear Wendy

I am especially interested in the wartime medium, Helen Duncan. Is there any new material based on her life? Joan K, Brighton.

Yes, Joan, there is something new and very exciting available. There is now a CD recording of Helen’s voice in a séance conducted in December 1937 at the Edinburgh Psychic College. It is the only known recording of her amazing voice. The sitters can be heard speaking to ‘Albert’, Helen Duncan’s spirit guide. Albert is heard giving messages. There are materialisations at this meeting, one, a materialised spirit child, is heard singing a nursery rhyme.

Included in this CD is a marvellous explanation of Spiritualism by Ernest Oaten, recorded by the BBC in 1934. If you would like the CD it is called Mrs Miller’s Gift

Tina Turner Peace Chant

Music Recommendation

 Buddhist Chant for peace with Tina Turner

Ireland - A Visit

Ireland has a tragic history of hardship, famine and poverty, yet the spiritual traditions of its people still flourish. The whole island was once known as “the land of mystics, scholars and poets” and to this day, the country people are steeped in the rich traditions of soul and spirit.

Throughout the summer months, Ireland is host to fine food, music, art and song festivals. Mayo, on the Atlantic coast, is no exception. This county has a stunning wild and desolate landscape that is appreciated by photographers, writers and holiday visitors. It has coastal and countryside walking, mountain climbing, golfing and bird watching. This is an Irish language speaking area and is known for its marvellous heritage sites, such as Neolithic stone circles and cairns, round towers and monastic ruins. Long before the Christian era, pilgrimages were made to holy wells and mountains which were venerated by processions and the reciting of incantations, petitioning for requests and the giving of offerings to the Gods and Goddesses.

Walsingham - England’s Nazareth

The date is 1061, and Harold Godwinson, son of Godwin of Wessex became Earl of East Anglia on his father’s death. He had been promised kingship of the entire land by King Edward the Confessor but in the years just prior, he had a paralysis that was cured at the miraculous cross at the abbey at Waltham.

In this year, the Virgin Mary appeared several times to a Saxon noblewoman, Richeldis de Faverches and instructed her to build a replica of the house where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, and where he told her she was to bear a son, whose name would be Immanuel - ‘God is with us’. Richeldis followed Mary’s instructions, and one night, whilst she was deep in prayer, the building materials that she had bought, suddenly assembled themselves into a holy house in the tiny village of Walsingham on the Norfolk coast. This quickly became a major centre of pilgrimage, one of the very first in this country. It was built because pilgrimages to Jerusalem were dangerous and, during this time, there was serious conflict between the French and English. An Augustinian and a Franciscan monastery were soon erected nearby. When gazing up at the night sky, the Milky Way was called the Walsingham Way of the heavens. 

When We Two Parted - A Poem

 Byron

When we two parted
   In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
   To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
   Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
   Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
   Sunk chill on my brow— 
It felt like the warning
   Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
   And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken,
   And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
   A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me—
   Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
   Who knew thee too well—
Long, long shall I rue thee,
   Too deeply to tell.

Coincidence! What’s it all about?

A 'coincidence' is two unrelated events that take place at the same time. Coincidences are surprisingly common and occur many times each day, for example, I was thinking about a friend this morning when she telephoned me. Is this just a co-incidence or could it have been telepathy?

Sustainable Living

To minimise your carbon footprint, 

Never throw away fabric. It can be recycled! 

Superdrug recycle your medicine blister packs. 

Use oat milk rather that cow’s milk.

Only buy locally sourced and sustainable fish, such as Cornish hake, Dover sole, and handling caught mackerel. 

Buy environmental toothbrushes, not made of plastic but made of bamboo. Body Shop still has refillable bottles for toiletries, etc. 

Time - A Story

Once upon a time, on a remote island, there lived six beings: Happiness, Knowledge, Love, Sadness, Wealth, and Vanity. 

One day, their island started sinking. One by one, they built small boats and left, except for Love. 

Love did not want to abandon her beloved home. Only when the island was completely flooded, Love - standing up to her knees in water - decided to ask for help. 

Wealth was passing by in her boat when Love asked, “Wealth, can you take me with you?” Wealth answered, “Sorry, Love, I can’t. There’s a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There’s no place for both of us in here. We’ll definitely sink.” Next, Love asked Vanity, who was sailing by, but Vanity also refused. “I can’t help you, Love. You are all soaking wet and might damage my boat.” Sadness was rowing her boat nearby, so Love asked her, “Sadness, please, take me along with you.” “Oh, Love, I’m so sad that right now, I need to be by myself!” Sadness replied in a gloomy voice. Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so preoccupied with her own elated thoughts that she did not even hear when Love called her. 

Suddenly, Love heard someone’s voice. “Come, Love, I’ll take you.” She turned and saw an elder with tattered clothes that she had not seen before. Overjoyed, Love jumped into the boat. When Love landed on a dry land, she was greeted by Knowledge who had been the first to arrive. The elder climbed out of the boat and left without saying good-bye. “Who helped me?” Love asked Knowledge.

 “It was Time,” Knowledge answered. “Time?” Love was surprised. “Why Time?” “Because only Time is able to know how valuable Love is,” Knowledge smiled.

Let Me Go - A Poem

When I come to the end of the road, And the sun has set for me,

I want no rites in a gloom filled room Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little, but not for long, and not with your head bowed low, 

Remember the love that we once shared, miss me but let me go. 

For this is the journey we all must take and each must go alone.

It’s all part of the master plan, a step on the road to home. 

Lenormand Cards

Lenormand Cards are named after the most famous fortune-teller of all time, Mademoiselle Marie Anne Lenormand who was born in 1772 in Normandy (as her name suggests). She was 5 years old when her parents died and she entered a convent orphanage. Though her personal history is unclear, she was sent to Paris at 14 years of age and apprenticed to a milliner but by the age of 30 she was known as the ‘Sibyl of the Parisian Salons’. Many celebrities of the day met with her and reported on her style and methods. The telling of fortunes was described as a ‘black art’ and was illegal so she designed her own card decks to double as ordinary picture cards. They were small enough to hide in the volumes of her lace and pearls should she be confronted by the police. Her drawing room, the ‘Sanctum Sanctorum’ was guarded by a servant and Mademoiselle Lenormand would appear from a hidden door within the panelled walls. The room was extravagantly decorated and perfumed and she wore highly exotic costumes. She would shuffle and the Querent (a derivation of a Latin word meaning ‘seeker’ and denoting someone who seeks the advice of a cartomancer or medium) would cut the cards with their left hand and she would lay the cards out in rows, side by side, asking, as she did so, a number of questions, such as the Querent’s date of birth, favourite colour or animal.

Q & A from postbag 1

Q: How can I  refresh my dream-life?

Wendy replies: Pull out the furniture and vacuum behind everything. Turn over the mattress and give both sides a vacuuming. If possible paint the room sky blue. Put away winter woolies and place your favourite Spring and Summer clothes at the front of your wardrobe. Throw away feather pillows that can cause stuffy noses and red eyes and launder fresh sheets and duvet covers. Buy some new nightwear - or for the best and luxurious sleep ever - go naked and prepare for the very best dreams of the year.

Using an aromatherapy eye pillow will stimulate vivid dreams and provide a refreshing sleep.

How to make an aromatherapy eye pillow: 

Buy a new face flannel, fold it in half and sew the long side and one short side to form a pouch. Fill the bag with rice. Sprinkle a few drops of lavender or tea-tree oil or place a few sprigs of sage or mint in the bag with the rice and sew the last short side to keep the contents inside. When you are ready to sleep, lie down and place the bag over your eyes for ten minutes.  

If the weather is very warm, cool your aromatherapy eye pillow by placing it in the fridge before use.

Davey Arthur - A Story

These stories were told by Davey Arthur at his concert on Saturday, the 26th of February 1994 at Jacksons Lane.

The accordion player was reading the music they were playing all night. All others played by ear, old songs they have played for decades! They often take a new musician with them on tour to give them the oppportunity of learning the old songs and being part of the group in a concert setting.

Davey asked for a drink and the base player gave him a quarter inch of water in a glass. No-one laughed! The fiddle player played so hard he broke a string - he played his heart out that night - and every night. Davey said he and the guitar player swore they would never chase the same woman because their friendship meant so much. His friend gave up touring to get married! 

Dr Cliff Kendall - A Message

"I made the decision to go on hunger strike on 14/07/2019 hoping that I might add something to the push for more aggressive action regarding climate change and the ecological crisis. I don’t generally encourage hunger strikes; in particular I would criticise any young activists’ involvement as it may encourage people to get involved without appropriate maturity and support. I’m doing this with a lot of forethought and also, as a clinician, as someone who has some understanding of the risks involved. While I’m willing to encounter some risk and discomfort to make a point, I am continuing to take oral rehydration solution/vitamins and will reconsider my position if significant risks emerge.

Introduction to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust was founded by author and naturalist Gerald Durrell 50 years ago with the mission to save species from extinction, and it has a proven track record of doing just that! Species that have been pulled back from the brink include the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet and the Mallorcan midwife toad, and our dedicated conservationists are hard at work in threatened habitats around the world, continuing each day to protect and conserve many more amazing species.

Due to the increasing demands of humans on the environment, we have witnessed in recent decades, a massive rise in the rate of extinctions.The number of species under threat has reached alarming proportions, including 23% of mammals, 12% of birds and 32% of all amphibians. A wide variety of species are necessary for the building blocks on which our ecosystems are sustained and it is these ecosystems that provide us with previous resources, such as clean water, fuel, fibre and food.