By, Carl Fisher-Linn
Spiritualism had been around for many years before Lily Dale came into existence (incorporated 1879) as a camp and meeting place for the express purpose to further the science, philosophy, and religion of Spiritualism. Lily Dale is a hamlet located in the town of Pomfret on the east side of Cassadaga Lake and the Village of Cassadaga (1 hour from Buffalo and Erie PA, 30 minutes from Jamestown).
Annually, over 2k visitors arrive to participate in workshops, conferences, lectures, public church services and private appointments with resident or visiting mediums. Over the years, guest lecturers have included personalities like Tibetan monks, Dr. Wayne Dyer (who presented our Publisher on stage), and Deepak Chopra, among other notables.
The Modern Spiritualist movement began in March 1846 when sisters, Catherine and Margaretta Fox created a sensation by demonstrating that they could communicate with spirits through a series of tappings and knockings. The movement spread from their family home outside of Rochester NY, to the eventual establishment of Lily Dale. Although the Fox gals ultimately proved to be “foxy” hoaxes over the years, this new, modern movement had established a firm footing in communities all over America and in Europe.
Many embraced Spiritualism because it believes in the soul’s immortality, but it goes a step further by inviting the departed back during a séance. But there was more. In that era, women found a way to speak in public through Spiritualism. They used that opportunity to also promote women’s voting, equal rights and the abolition of slavery, claiming these were words shared with them during seances from the spirit world. Victoria Woodhill, first woman to run for President in 1872 was a Spiritualist who promoted these ideas along with “free love” – freedom to marry, divorce and bear children without social restriction or government interference. We could use her back in the political arena these days.
The Civil War and the number of men whose parents, spouses, children and loved ones would never see again (620,000 – 2% of the entire population) turned more and more to Spiritualism. Before the war, people died at home, surrounded by family, saying their last goodbyes to one another. The war deprived them of this so seances, and spirit communications gave them the hope for one more message from their loved ones.
Spiritualism in religion is a movement based on the belief that departed souls can, through the intervention of a medium, communicate with the living. That’s a tough concept to grasp or believe, yet many of you reading this have probably interacted with a medium and have walked away wondering how she/he could know what they told you. Raise your hand if you are one of those people. I am.
Quite a few years ago I went to see a medium at Lily Dale. During my reading I was told that a white-haired man was in the room. He told her to tell me that I had to “stop blaming myself because it was not my fault”. She asked if any of that made sense; it certainly did. You see, when I was 18, I worked a job that I had to walk to which took a half hour. My grandfather lived with us. I served him his lunch at his table, said goodbye and walked out. As I closed the house door, I heard the dropping of a utensil, but I could not take the time to go back. Unbeknown to me, at that very moment he had a stroke and died. I carried that guilt for all those years until this medium delivered this message. Coincidence? Wild guess? You tell me. As I look back, I believe that he was in the room with us.
Lily Dale offers more than readings with mediums. The site is lovely to walk around. There is a 10-acre tract of old growth forest which beckons visitors. Leolyn Woods contains some of the most accessible, very old, large trees in the northeast under which one can sit and meditate. Some of these trees are estimated to be 200-400 years old. Please visit Lily Dale Assembly on Facebook for photos, schedules, and more stories about this unusual, lowkey yet powerful place.