Spirits, Seers & Séances

Spirits, Seers & Séances
Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural
By Steele Alexandra Douris

Séances held in darkened rooms, crystal-gazing fortune-tellers, hypnotists placing subjects into trances, and mediums attempting to reach the dead—much of the imagery we associate with the occult today was shaped by the Victorian era.

Spirits, Seers & Séances explores the spiritual, cultural, and historical forces behind the Victorians' fascination with mediumship, magic, fortune-telling, ghosts, and the supernatural. Author Steele Alexandra Douris looks beyond the familiar aesthetic to examine why these practices became so compelling and what Victorian practitioners hoped to find through them.

Readers will explore the history of automatic writing, cartomancy, clairvoyance, hypnotism, mediumship, and other forms of supernatural practice. The book also examines Victorian beliefs surrounding ghosts, fairies, and nature spirits and how those ideas influenced traditions that remain part of Halloween and Christmas celebrations today.

Historical examples are paired with hands-on exercises, connecting the practices of the period with their continuing influence on modern spiritualism and magical traditions. Along the way, the book places Victorian occultism within the broader world that produced Jane Eyre, A Christmas Carol, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and the infamous crimes of Jack the Ripper.

Inside You'll Explore:

• Victorian spiritualism and mediumship

• Séances and communication with the dead

• Automatic writing

• Cartomancy and fortune-telling

• Clairvoyance and crystal gazing

• Hypnotism and trance

• Victorian beliefs about ghosts, fairies, and nature spirits

• The supernatural roots of familiar Halloween and Christmas traditions

• Historical examples and hands-on exercises

• The lasting influence of Victorian mysticism on modern magical practice