Today, Séances are now called by other names - such as a Spirit Circle or the more formalized, Mediumship Development Group.

Whatever you call it, the intention is the same. A small gathering of 2-6 individuals together in physical space to call forward the energy of one or several Spirit-speakers to hopefully make contact.

A Spirit Circle has become one of the most common methods for young and old mediums alike to connect with their Guides, Ancestors and Angels in a safe, controlled and facilitated environment.

Séance history

The idea of coming together in a small gathering to connect with Spirits - and to give it a name - became popular with the rise of the early Spiritualism in the 1800s and spawned from the successes of Spirit Communication from the techniques used in séances in the Victorian Era.

The word "séance" comes from the French word for "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In France, the word’s meaning can be pretty general. It can apply to a movie sitting, a meeting, or sitting in a theater at a performed. In the United States, the word séance primarily means communicating with Spirits, often times, the deceased.

contacting spirits in a Spirit Circle (séance) is only One Way to interact with the other side.

Here's how you do it.

To conduct a Séance (Spirit Circle), the event generally has a few things in common:

A small group of like-minded and like-intentioned people
Led or founded by facilitator, generally a medium or an aspiring medium
Electricity and electrical influences are kept at a minimum during the event
The entire session lasts between 30 and 90 minutes

When participating in a Spirit Circle, this is what you can expect:

- the facilitator usually has an exercise or a technique that they are leading the group in practicing, in an effort to make contact with a Spirit

- an intention, prayer or meditation is done at the start of the connection to open the link to clearly and safely connect with the Spirit world

- each person in the group generally has an equal opportunity to making contact and expressing those receptions freely and respectfully with the other members of the group

Many mediums choose to develop their abilities in a Spirit Circle (Seance) environment because when more than one person opens a connection to Spirit in the same space, it creates a larger portal or connection to the other side, making Spiritual Experiences easier for the collective participants to perceive clearly.

You can find séance groups (now generally called Mediumship Development Groups) on Meetup.com, at a local Spiritualist church, virtually with Mediumship Classes like mine, or you can create your own.

How to Hold a seance (Spirit Circle):

Find 2-3 like-minded friends or seekers
Select a facilitator, generally the most experienced person
Choose a weekly time to meet and a location
Each week, bring an exercise or activity to do that has the intention of connecting with Spirit
Open the circle - set an intention, lead a guided meditation and invite Spirits in
Perform the activity
Close the portal at the end, seal your energy and wrap up

Tips for success:

* Limiting outside energetic influences during the circle itself will increase your ability to perceive even the smallest and most subtle fluxes of energy coming into your space.

* Turning off cell phones, lowering or dimming lights, turning off televisions, washer/dryers and eliminating music will all help you perceive the subtle energy from the Spirit World better.

*Participate in a Spirit Circle only if you feel comfortable with everyone in the group.

When best done, Spirit Circles can help open up everyone’s ability to perceive in a safe, dedicated and intimate way.

Happy connecting,

- Amanda