Author Archives: Sara MacKian

The Spirit of Stoke-on-Trent: Reflections on the healing heritage of Brexit Capital…

All eyes are on a bitter and divided Stoke-on-Trent, as it goes to the polls amidst a flurry of sickening political deceit, backstabbing and the occasional well-aimed egg-throwing. But I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect on another of … Continue reading

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Spreading Spiritualist Stereotypes with #MyPsychicLife

For the Twittersphere ‘My Psychic Life‘ (Channel 4 9pm 4 November 2015) was set up to fail before it even aired. The trolls and the cynics were out in force ready to criticise and attack the poor characters who had … Continue reading

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Talking with the dead vs. talking with Tweeters… which is more scary?

It is with some trepidation that I am looking forward to taking part in a Twitter Q&A session tomorrow, hosted by the Open University and based on our research project ‘Spiritualism in the Everyday Life of Stoke-on-Trent’. The OU run … Continue reading

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From curing to caring? Rethinking healing with a bit of spiritual help…

Feeling a bit under the weather? Struggling to face the daily grind? Battling an injury or longterm illness? Or simply looking for half an hour of uninterrupted relaxation? Well perhaps you need some spiritual healing… A touch of instinct… Anyone … Continue reading

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Robbie, angels and an enchanting history: Locating Spiritualism in the modern world

According to the 2011 Census, 59% of the population of England and Wales describe themselves as Christian, a decline of about 11% since 2001. On the other hand, although the numbers remain small, those choosing to register themselves as Spiritualist … Continue reading

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Spirit Art: mediumship, art and the unseen landscapes of spirit…

Visualising landscapes… The first time I ever sat in a Spiritualist church and listened to the medium at the front I found myself wondering what the world of spirit looked and felt like to her. I wanted to know what … Continue reading

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Talking With The Dead: Spiritualism in Stoke-on-Trent

The @SpELSProject exhibition is now open to the public and we have a series of associated workshops and activities coming up over the next two months which you can view here: Workshops and activities Do pop along if you can – and … Continue reading

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Spiritualism in Stoke-on-Trent… #SpiritofGladstone

The city of Stoke-on-Trent hides a unique history of Spiritualism. The earliest written evidence of local Spiritualism is from a newspaper article in the Staffordshire Daily Sentinel in 1873. Since then the city has enjoyed a rich and vibrant Spiritualist … Continue reading

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SpELS dispels some myths: Spiritualism, stigma and prejudice in an age of political correctness.

Don’t mention religion..! I was brought up in a family where religion was a taboo subject. My dad had been raised a strict Catholic, but after enduring a childhood of corporal punishment inflicted by monks, he chose to leave Catholicism … Continue reading

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Healing mind, body and soul: Guest blog by Dr Nadia Bartolini

Spiritualism is mostly known for its emphasis on mediumship. Becoming aware or attuned to The Other Side is often associated with developing mediumistic capabilities in a circle. This process takes time, dedication and trust. While mediumship can be perceived as … Continue reading

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