Mediumship in the Mainstream: The Spirit Cabinet

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Mediumship in the Mainstream:
Nerdy tidbit about me: I’m really into the history of Mediumship and its roots, and I wanted to create a mini-series where we trace the origins of Mediumship throughout pivotal moments in history, examining the impact (for better or worse) that it’s had on modern Mediumship today.
This week, we’re talking all about the Spirit Cabinet. No, not for liquor. For other-worldly visitors. As you guessed, it was bogus, and it’s one of the reasons why Mediumship failed to maintain credibility in the mid 1800’s and quite some time thereafter. If you’ve ever been on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney, the Madame Leota Seance room is actually based on the Spirit Cabinet!
During the 1840’s, America saw the birth of Spiritualism as it intersected with a wildly popular form of entertainment at the time: magic. The Davenport brothers (Buffalo born and raised) tried to mix both Spiritualism and magic, gaining a great deal of international fame, but also causing damage to the Spiritualist community while doing so.
This week, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Spirit Cabinet, the Fox Sisters who started the drama (They would have made for a fabulous 90’s Lifetime tv movie), and the Davenport brothers who stole their idea and created this device. I’ll also chat about Physical Mediumship, why it’s not allowed in most Spiritual communities anymore, and what to expect when having a genuine reading with a Medium!