PROBING THE OCCULT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21100, 6 February 1932, Page 6

PROBING THE OCCULT.

PRACTICES IN AUCKLAND.

RITUAL UNDER BLUE LIGHT.

PRINCE AND A PLOUGHMAN.

With a dim blue light shedding a circle Of misty brightness in the centre of the room in which they sat, six men and two women gathered in Auckland on a recent evening to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Such, at least, was the avowed objective of the majority assembled, whose manner indicated a long familiarity with the procedure followed. That their objective would be attained they did not appear to hold in the slightest doubt, for their mien was one almost of detachment, as though there were no strange contrast between 1932 Auckland and the realms of the occult which they had gathered together to probe. Tho walls and corners of the room were wrapped in heavy shadows, and the faces and hands of the sitters showed livid through tho gloom, a curious effect produced by tho coloured lamp above. The clanging of tramcars in the near distance and the occasional sound of a passing motor-car penetrated the walls, but inside the room, when the brief ritual commenced, was an air of aloofness from the world seeming altogether unreal. Meeting for the Public. A remarkable thing about tho gathering was that it was no secret meeting of devotees of the occult, regarding which the man in the street might with justification plead ignorance, but one of a weekly series that has been open to the public for some years. Indeed, very little or no investigation is required to discover the fact that numerous meetings on similar Knes are available to the Auckland public several nights of every week, in several parts of the city, and that considerable numbers of Aucklanders attend. Chairs sufficient for the sitters were arranged in a circle and almost touching ona another, the blue light being suspended in the centre overhead. On the floor and in the centre of the circle was a table bearing a vase of flowers and an alarm clock. The clock had no significance beyond that usually attached to clocks. Two mediums were present, both of them men, and the conduct of the gathering was in their hands, the six other people present having come to receive advice, information or anything else that could legally and relevantly be given them. The sitters were asked to join hands, which they did, thus forming an endless chain. A prayer was said and a hymn was sung, without music, and the chain of hands was broken. There was a silence in the semi-darkness, a faint rustling and shuffling of feet, and the critical moment seemed to have arrived. One of the mediums stood up and said something unintelligible in what sounded like pidgin English, then turned to the man sitting next to him and grasped his hand. Arrival of Anne. Boleyn. For perhaps five minutes the medium stood and conversed with his immediate neighbour, alternately in plain English and pidgin English, the reason for the latter being in the theory that a spirit guide—who, to judge by brief asides, was a Chinese named John when he inhabited the earth—was directing the conversation and at times imposing his personality upon the medium to such a degree that it manifested itself in the only English that the guide knew. ' The conversation was of the private and more or less personal nature associated with character and similar readings, and included also descriptions of spirit people as they appeared when on earth, and who, so the sitter was informed, were making their presence known to the medium and sending messages, which were given. This procedure was followed with each sitter, the medium moving round the circle and dealing with each person individually. Occasional interjections were made by the other medium, to confirm or amplify something already stated. Some of the interjections, however, took the form of what sounded like a torrent of Maori words. " With vou I get the name Anne, said medium No. 1, addressing one of the women sitters, who, however, said she knew no one named Anne. Her husband, seated alongside, whispered something to her, but the point was allowed to pass until medium No. 2 announced that Anne stood for Anne Boleyn, whereupon the woman addressed announced in tones of surprise that she was descended from the family of Henry VIII.'s second wife and that she had forgotten who Anne might be until her husband had reminded her of it An Old Lady Hermit. Medium No. 2 said Anne Boleyn was present in the circle and would assist her descendant in the conduct of her worldly affairs. What was more, if the sitter cared to develop her powers of trance mediumsliip Anne Boleyn would control Yiejf speech organs and speak through her from the spirit sphere. •'At this point medium No. 1 addressed a male sitter and said that behind him was standing the form of an old lady who, when she was alive, lived the life of a hermit. To aid her in walking she carried a stick, which she used to brush obstacles impatiently from her path. The sitter replied that he could not remember any old ladv hermits, but that did not prevent his' being given a message from the one described. It was an admonition on Jack of faith. After perhaps an hour spent on these lines the procedure lapsed into an informal discission on matters psychic. One of the sitters asked if his chief spirit guide could be seen and described. Medium No. 1 said he could. The guide was a MaliomTncdan Prince. He, the medium, could see him there and then. He was seated on a large white horse and dressed in beautiful silks. He wore a silken headdress and was sitting on his horse holding his coat open. The lining was made of beautiful silk of many hues. A Plate of Shortbread. The next description of a guido, given to another sitter, was perhaps less picturesque. " Your guide," said medium No, 1, "is a Scotsman. He was a huge when alive, and it seems to me that he ploughed miles and miles of furrows. He has great muscles on his arms. It seems to me that you are fond of short- ; bread, for he shows me a plate of shortbread." While this information was being assimilated medium No. 2 clothed the Scotsman with an identity. " His name is Mac Lean," he said, " John MacLean." The woman who had been given the description of Anne Boleyn then confessed that she was doubtful about the wisdom of trying to fall into a trance so that 'Anne Boleyn could speak through her. " Would it be quite safe?" she asked. "> You have your husband to protect you," said medium No. 1, " and if you preserve a spirit of reverence you can come to no harm." ' " Mischievous or evil spirits cannot harm you if you are reverent," said me.dium No. 2. " A good plan is to have a cross by you, preferably a gilded one. They cannot stand a cross." Incense is a great help," said medium ■No. 2. V Yes," agreed medium No. 1. "Burn a little incense as well. You can pet j It at—. It is quite cheap."