A
Psychic Portrait of Chan, |
IVY
NORTHAGE |
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| One of Britain's Teaching Mediums | |||
Ivy Northage was well known for her teaching abilities; and in Britain she set up the Ivy Northage School for Mediums, which helped many acolytes to hone and perfect their mediumistic skills. Because they were put through their paces and were subjected to Ivy's disciplined training strategies, many of her pupils eventually took to the public platforms and successfully represented the spirit world. Ivy's teaching was tempered with discipline; she told one of the ladies who was attending her mediumship instruction course, 'I would suggest that you go to night-school and learn to speak the English Language properly. As your speech is now, you are of little use to the Spiritualist Movement because you are not projecting the kind of image that is required.' And, of course, she was right. Ivy demonstrated clairvoyance and, in her earlier days, Transfiguration - where the spirit people endeavour to build-up their features over the medium's face in order to be seen again by their loved ones on Earth. Her spirit guide, known as Chan (pictured above), delivered many inspirational and trance lectures through her mediumship, some of which were recorded. For nearly 40 years, from 1956 onwards, Ivy served at the SAGB (Spiritualist Association of Great Britain, at 33, Belgrave Square, London), and Stella Blair, its President at the time of Ivy's passing at the age of 92, said in Psychic News, 'Ivy touched so many lives with her teachings and lectures that we will remember her with the love and respect she so rightfully earned over the years. I feel very privileged to have known such a great and wonderful person, for not only was she our "First Lady", she was also our friend.' But Ivy Northage will be most
remembered for her teaching skills, and for the books she
wrote to accompany her study-courses - and she also left
us her life-story, called While I Remember, which features
some fascinating accounts of the mediumship that she
witnessed. |
Beneath is a short extract from her autobiography, which was written by Brenda Marshall, and which still makes readers smile, and gasp, at its content. This recollection is of a part of Ivy Northage’s sitting with the famed Welsh materialisation medium, Alec Harris. It was a remarkable July night in Cardiff, and she had already witnessed the astonishing sight of an American Indian Guide, known as Running Water, materialise - he had lifted up a vase in the séance room and poured out its water, which was a clever way of confirming his name. Ivy goes on to say something quite educational, but also very amusing: Then, again with the same suddenness, the guide was no longer there. In his place was a rather hunched old lady. (All this time, Alec continued to be visible in his cubicle; we could see that he had not moved.) She had a wrinkled face with deep lines down from the mouth, suggesting a bad temper. In a very querulous voice with a strong welsh accent, she said, "My daughter is here." As a voice answered her, this old lady trod in the water which Running Water had poured onto the floor. "I think it’s disgusting," she remarked, looking down at this. "People are so slovenly. Why don’t they wipe up these messes?" As the embarrassed daughter tried to explain what had happened, her mother interrupted, "I don’t care who it was, they shouldn’t have left it like this!" The daughter tried again. "I’m so pleased to see you, mother." "Are you?" demanded the old lady crossly, then she went on to criticise her daughter for all the things she was doing wrongly at home. It became very clear to us all that just being in the spirit world and not in a physical body did not, in itself, improve the character. Everyone was staggered by the wonder of it all; and we all felt that we were indeed loved. To obtain the autobiography of Ivy
Northage, While I Remember, which is
edited by Brenda Marshall, visit the publisher's books
section at: The College of Psychic Studies
address: |
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