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

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?

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! 

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.