Spiritualistic Literature
The Harmonial Philosophy And Its Founder - Modern Spiritualism - Its Universality Of Phenomena - Suggestions For School of Prophets - Dark and Light Circles - Epilogue To The Drama of "Art Magic."
We have reached that point in our review when we find ourselves at the final stage of our journey, standing face to face in fact with the last great spiritual dispensation of the ages, commonly termed "Modern Spiritualism."
In touching upon this part of our record the task resolves itself chiefly into the duty of cataloguing the many lucid and valuable expositions of the subject which are already extant, rendering the least attempt to add to this vast collection of special literature, a work of supererogation. In England, "The Two Worlds," by Thos. Shorter; "From Matter to Spirit," by Mrs. De Morgan, the admirable spiritualistic works of Wm. Howitt, and Mrs. Crowe's "Night Side of Nature," offer more food for reflection than it would seem the public mind has as yet been able to assimilate, whilst hosts of tracts, pamphlets, able magazines and newspapers, furnish continual streams of information from which no thirsting soul need go away empty. France is equally rich in the literature of Spiritism, although the general tone of its later writers is deflected to sustain the peculiar opinions of that body of believers known as "Reincarnationists." It would be as useless as impertinent to cite German literature in support of Spiritualistic doctrines or point to its phalanx of immortal writers whose affirmations of the Spiritual side of man's nature have never failed since the advent of the printing press to this hour. Holland in its excellent periodicals, and Russia in its liberal patronage of spirit media are also contributing their quota to the general storehouse of occult knowledge. In the meantime brave, unflinching defenders of these truths, writing in Spain from amidst the ghostly shadows of the grim old Inquisition, devoted bands of Spiritualists, writhing under the proscriptive ban of Priestcraft in South America, scattering forces from the Sandwich Islands, New Zealand, the East and West Indies, Australia, California, and indeed wherever civilization has a foothold, all contribute to fill up the columns of a world-wide Spiritual Almanac, and record the ceaseless irruptions of spirit people into this mundane world of ours.