The reading of the cards was not as thrilling (and interesting) to me as when Aunt Vi called spirits into her living room. Remember, she was born in 1907, and in those days such activities took the place of watching TV; people had to make their own fun. Visiting spirits was fun. But, not everyone liked the idea.
Aunt Vi lived with Ivah (her friend from 16 up) and Ivah's mother, Lane, both devout Lutherans. Lane would simply go to her room when the spirit calling began. Ivah would do anything for and with Vi, so it was usually the two of them who "raised the table." Cousin Virginia was a non-believer and in fact felt it was the work of the Devil. But, Virginia still stuck around for the event. The rest of us were eager observers and participants. Here is how it worked:
Aunt Violet and Ivah would sit next to each other at a card table (A table with so many memories that it is with the granddaughter of Hazel, Aunt Vi's other psychic sister. I can smell it, feel it, hear the metal legs as it unfolded, and see it so clearly even now.) then they would place all four hands on the table top and Aunt Vi would close her eyes and begin calling, "Come spirit. Come spirit."
As a spirit entered the room, it went through Aunt Vi and Ivah, through their bodies to their hands and the table would slowly lift up to teeter on its rear legs. Then it would bounce without touching the floor and those of us in the room could ask questions. It dropped on the floor, once for yes, twice for no. That simple. What? You think Aunt Vi and Ivah just made it lift? Well....you think those of us in the room never thought of that? You think the younger generations didn't try to duplicate the action? Well, we did! And we tried! I think the only one who ever worked the table with Aunt Vi was me. If I'm wrong, I hope some observer tells me, because I don't remember anyone but Aunt Vi and Ivah, and a few times I tried it. I could only do it with Aunt Vi though. And for those who knew Ivah, the thought that she would lie or deceive about this spirit situation was unimaginable; she was too honest.
So, the spirit would enter and a chill would run up your spine. My youngest brother was often first with a question. (He was about 14--18) We then would go around asking about jobs, directions we should take, but my brother wanted to know deeper stuff. Aunt Vi often wanted to know about the spirit, Was it someone she knew? I mostly kept trying to figure out how I was being scammed. (Old habits die hard.) Here are some highlights I remember.
Once the double door to a second floor sun room's curtain came slowly floating outward and formed the shape of a person. It looked as if a person had just walked behind it. There was no draft in the room, nor open window.
Once cousin Virginia was going on and on about how we should stop and it was the work of the Devil and mid-answering questions the table hit the floor hard and all the lights went out. Virginia screamed bloody murder and I raced down the stairs, out the door into the dark night and over to my own home next door. "The boys," as my older brothers were called, found the basement fuse box and all was restored. Later we would laugh hysterically at the story, but would you call that a mere coincidence?
The event that sticks with me the most was the night my "Jehovah's Witness? Come In. Let's Debate." brother, sat quietly on the edge of his chair. The table was acting strangely, shaking back and forth, going up and down without anyone asking questions, it was kind of freaky, then Aunt Vi said, "Do you want to tell us something?" BAM to the floor. "Do you want to speak to someone in this room?" Lighter bam. (How is THIS going to work? I wondered.)
"Do you want to speak to Jim?" down once, then hung, then down again. My stomach started churning, my brow started sweating, Please Please don't let it be me, I thought. Around the room she went and each time the table would hang for what seemed like an eternity before the second "no, not that one," drop to the floor. Besides the couch, rocking chair, and several stuffed chairs, there were plenty of folding chairs for our unmoving rears to sit in. In other words, the room was full and my name was coming up. "Do you want to speak to D i a n e?" (I heard her words in slow motion.)
Lift, h a n g, dangle, down, up....up, then down--it was a NO! Yea! "...Mark?" Up, hang, hold, hold, hold, bam. My brother from another planet had the floor and the spirit's attention. Mark shifted and spoke is his normal, slow, low, Midwest twang, "Is there a God?"
Between the gasps and dropped jaws, the table did something it had never done before. It dropped from Aunt Vi and Ivah's hands (finger tips, actually) as if gravity loaded wrath upon it.
Whoever or whatever had called for Mark was gone from the house. Or was it an indignant yes? And if so, then why the drama? Mark was just getting started. Why the abrupt ending? No beckoning from Aunt Vi brought any more movement to the table that night. We all felt the anger in the dropping, more like a leaving than an answer.
That night left us all with a creepy feeling. I'm not sure we "worked" the table much after that.
Aunt Vi's sister, Hazel, had a different way of attracting spirits. Common back then, I'm told, but one night an angry spirit had to be locked....well, to be continued.
Ellen, was that a good idea? Really? Some say a celebrity couple on Oprah's TV show is the kiss of death. Don't you remember when you appeared with Anne Heche and said almost the same words, "I'll be with her 'till I die." How old was Portia then? Anne said Ellen was the only woman for her and loving a woman was her "choice," that she had only been attracted to men before. Well, at least Portia doesn't admit to being bisexual---but I saw the same look on your face Ellen.
Posts
