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    Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural
    Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural
    Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural
    Audiobook6 hours

    Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural

    Written by Steele Alexandra Douris

    Narrated by Elizabeth Wiley

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    About this audiobook

    Spiritualism in the Age of Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe

    A woman wearing a black veil convenes a seance. A magician puts a volunteer into a trance. A fortune-teller leans over a crystal ball. Everyone knows what Victorian mysticism looks like because our modern imagery, language, and practice of magic borrows heavily from the Victorians. But we have little understanding of its spiritual, cultural, and historical foundations.

    What made the Victorians turn to mediumship, hypnotism, and fortune-telling? What were they afraid of? What were they seeking?

    This book explores the history of automatic writing, cartomancy, clairvoyance, and more. It reveals how Victorian belief in ghosts, fairies, and nature spirits shaped our celebrations of Halloween and Christmas. With historic examples and hands-on exercises, you will discover how spiritualism in the time of Jack the Ripper, Jane Eyre, "A Christmas Carol," and Dracula left such a profound impact on both the past and present.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 8, 2023
    ISBN9798350866322
    Author

    Steele Alexandra Douris

    Steele Alexandra Douris is an author, artist, and Victorianist, specializing in Victorian spiritualism, crime fiction, and the gothic novel. She is a PhD candidate in the English department at Stanford University, where she has taught courses on 19th-century spiritualism and ghost stories. She holds an MA in English from Stanford University and a BA in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.

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    • 4/5
      From both a modern-day Pagan witch and history lover’s point of view, I really enjoyed this book. The chapter about the Pre-Raphaelites felt out of place. I felt like it focused too much on art. It pulled me out of the “ghosts and spirits” part of this book. But overall, very enjoyable.