Welcome to the website of The York Group of Spiritualists. We hope that within these pages you will find something of interest, not just about our Group, but about Spiritualism in general. Spiritualist Groups can be found worldwide, as can a Spiritualist Church. This website explains what our small Group is about, what we do and how we do it. It’s probably wise at this point to explain the difference between a Spiritualist Group and Spiritualist Church.
A SPIRITUALIST GROUP
In fact there is not a lot of difference! A Spiritualist Group is generally run independently by one person or small group of people. They do not have any affiliation to a Religious body where there are strict overriding rules that need to be adhered to. Nor do they generally conduct “Divine Services” (which is explained below) but are more focused on teaching and the development of Mediumship in it’s various forms. These can consist of weekly “Open Circles” which are generally conducted by the Group Leader or one of the Groups members. In some cases they may have “Special Events” where a Medium is invited to take the Group for teaching, workshops and or Mediumship/Trance Demonstrations.
Although smaller in respect of Membership numbers, the importance of Spiritualist Groups cannot be over emphasised. They tend to have a “family” feel about them where all members help each other on their spiritual development. Information and knowledge is shared to not just local people, but hopefully to a wider audience. It’s an ideal environment where people can meet up with those who have similar interests. In addition, it’s not unusual for relationships on a social basis to emerge such is the closeness of an independent spiritualist group. So if your looking to fill a void in your life, enjoy meeting people with similar interests, then this type of group could be just what your looking for.
A SPIRITUALIST CHURCH
A Spiritualist Church covers all or most of the activities of a Spiritualist Group. However, they are restricted to the rules and regulations of their governing body. An example of this is The Spiritualist National Union, more commonly known as “The SNU” who abide by “The Seven Principles.” This is akin to the Catholic church which has “The Ten Commandments.” Churches affiliated to the SNU also have a rule book which gives guidance to the Committee and Church Members on how the Church should be run. It’s essential that their conduct is within the rules of their governing body. Decision making in certain instances may have to be referred to their governing body before they can be implemented.
A Spiritualist church has “Divine Services” where a Medium is invited to take a Service. This will include philosophy (a talk on a specific subject or subjects, the choice of which is left to the Medium) and a demonstration of his or her Mediumship.
Other activities will include “Healing Sessions” where Members can train for a qualification or provide Healing to those in need.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR WEBSITE
You may have checked into this site out of sheer curiosity. Perhaps you are one of a growing number of people that have had what you would call a “paranormal experience.” You may have had a recent bereavement which has stirred your curiosity and want to know more of whether there really is a life after our physical death. Perhaps you feel your loved one is trying to get back in touch and you don’t know how to respond. A common question raised after such an experience is, “did it happen or was I imagining it?” There are so many questions to be answered and you will find that each answer leads on to another question. This ultimately means we can never be in a position where we have full knowledge of our subject.
Well, although we cannot answer your question immediately, we do have a “Contact Us” page where your welcome to relate your experience and hopefully we can put your mind at ease.
Whatever the reason, you can be assured that you are welcome to simply browse this site. Contact us for advice or information or even enquire about attending our many development sessions. We do have a private facebook page which your welcome to join if you wish. But please note, our group is a “working group” which means you are expected to attend one or more of our sessions at least once per month.
There is a page on “Developing Your Mediumship” and yet another one on “The Mechanics of Mediumship” both of which should be of interest to the developing Medium.
Included in our Links Page are various websites where you can find even more information. One we would particularly recommend is www.tonystockwell.com an amazing Medium who shares much more information and knowledge.
If you have a photo of anything unexplained or of a paranormal nature which you feel deserves inclusion in our Gallery, then simply email a copy for our consideration. Please ensure there are no copywrites and you have permission to publish.