#spirit communication

[cursecuelebre]

Coins are Essential to Hellenic Worship and Witchcraft

In Ancient Greece Drachmae (the coins/currency of the time) were used not just in everyday life but honoring the dead. It was believe that coins were offered to the deceased right before they were buried. The coins were given to grant the spirits passage to the underworld by paying Charon who will ride across Acheron, a river in the underworld to the afterlife, fearing they will get stuck on the shores if they don’t have the payment to cross. Though it is a very old superstition it is still very important to offer such a gift to the spirits that crossed over, though whether you don’t believe such a belief or do about paying the ferryman the act of the gesture is a sign of great respect and admiration for the departed. Collect your spare change and don’t be afraid to use them for various reasons:

- Offer them to your ancestors.

- Place a coin on gravestones when you visit a cemetery.

- Offer coins to your deities as money being one of the great sacrifices to give to them even if it’s just a penny.

You can also do spell work with coins as charms, divination (flipping heads or tails), talismans, focal point of power, etc.

[caduceussky]

listen

not every spirit/deity/entity that enters your space or makes themselves known wants to work with you

some of them are just passing by

some of them just want to be there to vibe

some might be lost

some might just be curious about you or what you’re doing

communicate, ask if they want/need anything, don’t make assumptions

[coven-of-genesis]

How to communicate with spirits

Communicating with spirits is a topic that encompasses various beliefs and practices. While some people claim to have had experiences communicating with spirits, it's important to approach this subject with an open mind and a healthy dose of skepticism.

Here are a few methods that some individuals believe can be used to communicate with spirits:

Meditation and Visualization: Some people use meditation techniques to quiet their minds and create a receptive state for spirit communication. Visualization can also be employed, imagining a connection or dialogue with the spirit realm.

Séances: A séance is a gathering of individuals attempting to communicate with spirits. Usually led by a medium, participants create a conducive environment and invoke spirits through various rituals and techniques. This method is often associated with spiritualism.

Automatic Writing: Automatic writing involves allowing a spirit to guide your hand as you write messages. The idea is to enter a relaxed state and let the spirit communicate through your writing instrument.

Ouija Boards: Ouija boards are flat boards with letters, numbers, and other symbols. Participants place their hands on a movable pointer (planchette) and ask questions, hoping to receive answers spelled out by the spirits. It's important to exercise caution and use Ouija boards responsibly.

EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon): EVP involves using audio recording devices to capture spirit voices that might not be audible to the human ear. This method often requires carefully reviewing recordings and listening for potential spirit responses.

Divination Tools: Some people use divination tools such as tarot cards, pendulums, or scrying mirrors to connect with spirits and seek their guidance. These tools are believed to facilitate communication and provide insights from the spirit realm.

It's worth noting that the existence of spirits and the efficacy of these methods are highly debated and can vary based on personal beliefs. If you decide to explore these practices, it's important to approach them with respect, caution, and an understanding of the potential risks involved.

It may also be helpful to seek guidance from experienced practitioners or spiritual leaders who can provide further insight and advice.

[paganpillar]

Unpopular Opinion: The Gods would never let a trickster spirit claim to be them. Most religious people are not scared of malicious entities masquerading as their God(s). Have more faith that your Gods will take care of you.

[rootandrock]

There I was in a Circle doodling and note-taking in my "workbook" when I get The Vibe.

The Vibe is when one of the principle players in The Nocturnal Gatherings decides to nudge into my personal bubble. This nudge is, I think, another 'priest'. Certainly someone touched by Herself in a particular way, anyway. I am paraphrasing their words, because I get it as more of a "meaning" that my brain attempts to assign the best possible word choice to almost as fast as I get it. There's 'input lag', and a bias for sure, it's sometimes hard to convey the full spectrum of what I 'get'.

It is late, and my brain is half-asleep anyway, owed to a very loose border between the two states for me, so I lean a little more into "sleep" to tune in better.

"You're going to need to start writing the [grammar], and the [rites], and the methods for traversing the [badlands] to get to [the gathering place]." Says the Nudge.

Now, in this message I also get Jake Stratton-Kent's name, the word "Grimoire" (Which seems fairly self-evident... pick up their version of The True Grimoire, or maybe some of their other work) someone with a Swedish accent/low voice, saying "sigil", the image of beads being strung. A few more images like that, and those will take time to puzzle out.

"We'll assume I believe that this is genuine communication, and a genuinely communicated wish of the Whole of The Assembly and Herself. Then what is the meaning of doing those things?" I reply.

"You have heard most of the words, and found the right replacements when you couldn't. You found the right way - without losing the meaning - to leave behind the [parts that would cause genuine harm]. The [Ludo narrative, mytheme, mythic truth, 'dream logic', Magical Truth] is now good (as in "proper and useful" but also good as in "not harmful") enough to share."

As they say this I also get that their 'meaning' is intended to match how I describe my own 'traditional witch' as more of a literary tradition than a direct, physical, person-to-person, lineage due to the complications of spirit interactions just like this one. I also get flashes and bits of the things they're referencing that are harmful, and the mitigating factors I've employed.

So I take a second. I think hard about what I just picked up. "So, you're telling me y'all want me opening the way for more people...?"

"They will arrive either way. They sometimes come without being invited, and bring trouble [A flash of the visitor who got their head ripped off for rudeness]. Aren't you the [Image of a retriever gently offering a duck to a hunter]?"

"No, you know very well that if I am a dog I am far more the [Lurchers running down hogs, Border Collie directing a herd, Kangal soaked in blood]. Maybe I can show people how to shape and fashion the right keys, and prepare themselves the right way to gain entry into their version of the roads and ways? Maybe I can nip their heels to keep them walking in the right direction? And uh... keep the rabble out."

The Nudge is nodding slowly, but enthusiastically. "Even if they do not come to us, they go where they belong."

"Well, there's a tiny problem with that: You and I both know the writing would have to be a physically delivered medium, and the last four printing houses I talked to said no in the strongest possible terms with one of them threatening to send the prayer warriors... so..."

"[That sounds like a you problem.]" says The Nudge, and is gone.

Wow thanks.

[loverofdoves]

i know this is such a personal thing and it’s very dependent on your relationship with your deities and spirits but i never worry about whether an offering i’ve left has gone cold (specifically coffee or tea) because whenever i make some just for myself and it goes cold, im never upset because like, i LOVE iced coffee and i like my coffee even when its gone cold because i love iced coffee, and the same with tea (im from the south so im used to having cold sweet tea all the time). sometimes ill make myself a coffee in the morning and forget to take it with me to class and i come home and im like sweet some iced coffee that isnt watered down by ice, im glad past me made this for me! i like to think my gods have the same reaction

[grey-sorcery]

Suggested Reading

Energy Work Fundamentals Energetic Senses The Subtle Body Divination: Introduction Researching Tips Altars Closed & Semi-Closed Practices Personal Narratives Witchcraft Vs. Superstition

Introduction

Spiritwork is, in my opinion, the one practice that shouldn’t be entered into lightly. Out of all practices, spiritwork has the most dangers if not practiced responsibly. It is also the most diverse subject within witchcraft. Many cultures have aspects of spiritwork and their own unique techniques for their workings. You’ll also be more likely to come across a lot of personal narratives that are spoken about as fact as well as people who use pseudo-spiritwork in order to manipulate others. Though, this typically happens in communities like Discord servers or one on one interactions. While it has become very commonplace for certain terms for spirits to be used, a lot of the time they aren’t used properly due to them being removed from their original context. This is most common in Ceremonial Magick circles. While the practice is extremely personal and super subjective, it is best to try to remain as objective as possible in your pursuits. 

Vernacular & Culturally Significant Terms/Titles

For many, the use of terms like “Angels” and “Demons” is incredibly common. Even while many of these practitioners do not hold faith in any religions that contain these types of entities. This is likely due to their representations in media and the influence of practices such as Ceremonial Magick. It is important to research what terms are used within your own spheres of influence responsibly; or do as I do, which is create your own methods of spirit classification. To do this, spirits can be thought of as having five main characteristics: Sentience, Size, Age, Formation, & Personality. Sentience is really a scale that ranges between conscious and natural law. A lot of deities fall closer to natural law than conscious. Size has to do with the density or immensity of their energy. Age is relatively self-explanatory. I break up age into eras such as ancient, contemporary, medieval, infinite, etc. Formation has to do with how they were born or created. Thoughtforms as an example are formed through human thought. Some are created from earthly events, and some formed during the birth of the universe. Lastly, Personality is the most varied characteristic. I tend to use things such as “impersonal”, “Malicious”, “Benevolent”, “Tricky”, “Honest”, etc. I connect each of these characteristics to morphemes that synthetically form into words.  

Identifying a spirit

Spirits can be difficult to identify. A lot of the time spirits are misidentified. In my experience human spirits are very rare in the wild and tend to only come when called to through ancestor work. The term “demon” is thrown around extremely haphazardly, while a majority of the time there is no spirit or another kind of spirit- most often a fae, aka nature spirit. The odds that you’ll come across entities from outside cultures is slim as they tend to be regional; at least within their original cultural context. Be sure to research the types of spirits that exist within your own cultural and theological context. When confronted with an unknown spirit, the first tool to turn to is your gut. It is very likely that you’ll be able to subconsciously process its energetic signature. However, intuition isn’t always accurate or detailed enough to properly identify a spirit. The most reliable way is through the energetic senses (See Suggested Reading). The energetic signature of every spirit is metastable, meaning that it will maintain its own energetic sovereignty regardless of environmental interactions. Feeling for metastability is the most reliable way to determine if a spirit is actually present. Unfortunately, identifying a spirit accurately through energy work goes past beginner friendly methods. A thorough breakdown of identifying spirits through their energetic properties will be covered in a later article.

Divination is a common and relatively reliable means of identifying a spirit, so long as it is done responsibly and mindfully. Be sure that when initially identifying a spirit that your divination isnt in communications with said spirit. I could help to sit down and associate different cartomancy cards with each type of spirit beforehand, or create a divination system that is dedicated entirely to spirit identification. Regardless, it is very important to then verify your own reading(s) through another practitioner who doesn’t know the complete context of the interaction. Be sure that your reading also covers if the entity is safe to interact with.

After the initial identification reading(s), whether energetic or divination based, it may then be safe to attempt to communicate with it directly. This communication may also be used to confirm any previous readings. 

Verification

When verifying a spiritual entity or communication therefrom, it is important to double or triple check everything. Find some realizable practitioners outside of your normal sphere of interaction to get verification readings from. Some practitioners may be willing to trade readings or come to some sort of arrangement. Always do your own reading first and be sure to make note of the cards pulled and key words gleamed from the reading. Use these notes to compare to readings from other diviners. Here’s a chronological list of actions to take to try to verify a spiritual interaction:

Make note of any gut feelings or intuitions you have initially. 

Perform a divination reading yourself, being sure to take notes of the results and key words.

If you know someone who is sensitive to spiritual entities and/or has trustworthy psychic abilities, ask them their opinion; giving details as necessary.

Go to another diviner and ask them to verify a spiritual interaction or spirit type. Do not give any specific details.

Go to a second diviner and repeat step 4. 

Do one last reading for yourself.

Compare all the information and determine the most realistic outcome. Be ever aware of confirmation bias. 

Communication

When communicating with a spirit or deity, it can be extremely helpful to use some psychic abilities. Some useful ones are Clairaudience, Claircognizance, and  Telepathy. These abilities are by no means necessary but can be extremely helpful. 

Obtain a divination tool that is comfortable for you to use. For many, cartomancy is their go to, but it could also be something like scrying or cleromancy. Personally, I use a dedicated cartomancy deck for each of my individual deities, and I use a cleromancy tool for other entities. It could be helpful to take a part of a tool and give it a decided meaning that is separate from the part’s original meaning to use as a form of verification. You can also create a mechanic for this. An example of a mechanic could be a range of values for a set of dice. Like for a set of 5 D6’s, a sum between 13 & 23. For a cartomancy deck, drawing a major arcana within a 4 card draw could also be used. Things along this nature can help steer away from confirmation bias. Also using a means of verification can also be used as a way to check consent for the interaction.

When divining for communication purposes, it is important to understand the limitations of the tool you are using. Yes/No questions are best for coins or pendulums, where explanative questions are best with cartomancy and some types of cleromancy. Scrying can be used for all types of questions but is also the most susceptible to confirmation bias. Be sure to write down your questions and the responses you get along with the date they were asked to help verify information. Also be sure that all of your questions are clearly stated and not open ended.

Spirit-based witchcraft

Performing witchcraft with spiritual entities entails employing an entity to carry out or be a vehicle for a working. This is typically done through a ritual in which the practitioner petitions an entity to act on the basis of the working itself. Spirit-based witchcraft can be very useful when a taglock isn’t in hand or when there is a significant emotional reason involved. Spirits can also be employed for divination. 

Safe Practice

ALWAYS get at least one outside opinion from another practitioner

NEVER trust someone who insists that it is a specific deity unprompted. Even when it is solicited, be sure to get another opinion. 

Triple, quadruple, and quintuple check everything. 

Eventually, your intuition will pick up on the patterns found in your interactions and will become more reliable.

Keep a piece of iron on your person whenever dealing with a spiritual entity.

Avoid offering hot things to spirits.

Keep notes and refer back to them every time there's an interaction.

More often than not, a lot of spirits, including deities, operate off of contractual structures. Be sure to confirm if this is the case and all contractual details if you do.

Refrain from working with an entity until you feel that you have properly identified them.

Take everything you read online about spiritwork with a very generous amount of salt. Even this article.

If someone starts acting like a deity is speaking through them for you or someone else, RUN.

If someone is acting as though they are {Insert spiritual entity here} incarnate, RUN.

Common Myths

Human spirits are common entities to run into.

All malevolent entities are demons.

Malevolent spirits lie in wait for unsuspecting people to misuse divination tools.

Making loud noises drives spiritual entities away.

Telling an entity to leave will make it leave.

Poltergeists exist.

Being of a given faith prevents an entity from interacting with someone.

Religious practices act as impenetrable wards against entities. 

Disbelieving in spirits will prevent any from interacting with someone.

A deity will reach out to someone if they desire patronage. 

[psychicreading-live]

[aesethewitch]

Practical Craft: Setting Up an Altar

So, you've decided to set up an altar or sacred space for your practice. That's great! An altar can be a wonderful space for witchcraft, spirit work, and more.

But where to start?

If you look up pictures of altars online, such as on Tumblr or Instagram, you're likely to see lots of #aesthetic photos full of beautiful arrangements of lit candles, elaborate crystal grids, and expensive-looking statues. Not to mention all the bottles and herbs and incense and stones and bells and lights and tarot cards and oracle cards and and and...

It's a lot, to say the least. I'm one of those people who has a hard time accepting when things aren't totally perfect or up to "standards" (which may or may not continuously shift as I get closer to them, mind). If you're like me, creating an altar space might seem intimidating. You might ask yourself:

"What if it doesn't turn out right?"

"What if the spirit(s) this space is for don't like it?"

"How can I get all the materials that I have to have?"

"Why doesn't my altar look like those pretty pictures online?"

And, if you manage to make your space look that beautiful, you may even ask:

"Why isn't this altar working for me?"

Let's start from the top.

Check out my new post on Ko-Fi, currently exclusive for supporters! For a one-time payment as low as $1, you can receive early and extended access to my work. This one includes a preview of my personal working altar; I'll dive into the specifics of it in another post eventually.

[trials-of-a-spirit-worker]

Things No One Tells You About Being a Spirit Witch

In no particular order:

In a lot of cases, you do not get to control your ears. You'll hear some shit and you just have to live with it.

You will ask is that tinnitus or the spirits a lot. It's okay, I'm sure we all do it.

Negotiating with spirits is not nearly as cool as people think it is. You sound like a secretary/receptionist 210% done with their fucking job.

Sometimes, spirits are better people than the living. Good luck with that.

You don't have to change the way you speak as much as you think you do. Most of the time they will understand you.

Some spirits do hang around you just because. It's not a bad thing. Sometimes, they're just willing to chill.

Spirits are there a lot more than you think they are. Even if you don't feel them.

Many don't respect your privacy, but also many do.

Shy spirits are hilariously frightening. Mostly because while they're trying to avoid you, they're fucking up stuff in the process that scares/startles others.

Formalities are great, but often not that needed.

Nearly every spiritual encounter is highly situational.

If you don't know how to roll with the punches/be adaptable to a certain degree, especially when it comes to spirit work, you're not going to have a good time.

Spirits can be highly opinionated. You might be shocked on what you hear.

They warn you for a reason. It'd be wise to heed them.

Spirits are not fucking mind readers. You have to communicate with them too. They do not know what you want, even if they do talk in your head. Tell them what you fucking want from them.

The tea you can get from spirits....IMMACULATE

[macarbeghoultarot]

Hello! I’m doing free tarot readings on my account right now so if you’d like one message me, if you enjoy the reading and want to you can tip me through PayPal but that isn’t a must if you get a reading from me, it can be any sort of reading apart from ones about the future like “will I ever win the lottery?” Because the future isn’t set in stone, instead I could do a reading on what you could do to maximise the chances of winning the lottery.

[deepintheground]

what are y’all’s plans for beltane?? my family always has a traditional bonfire and the weather is shaping up to be perfect for it, i’m also looking to do some spirit work to check in on some of the connections i made back during samhain. i’m still looking for some ideas for general housekeep and any spells that might be good for this time of year and i don’t want to be caught with my pants down lol

[coquette-lunalovemystique]

SPIRIT/DEITY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Here' and simple list of interview questions for those starting out in spirit work that you can use to help properly vet spirits when interviewing them. Please use your own discernment, and critical thinking. And always make sure you have some form of protection when communicating:

What's your sex?

Preffered gender?

How old are you?

What's your name?

Can you sign/spell/write it down for me?

What species are you?

What's your origin? ( Demonic, Elemental, Planetary, Angelic, etc)

Likes? & Dislikes?

Abilities & Skills?

Weaknesses?

Title/Type?

Sphere?

Appearance?

Expertise/Tasks?

What's the reason you its contact?

Does it wish you ill will or harm?

DO NOT COPY/REPOST! REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED!

[lonely-pcp]

Alternatives to telepathic communication

hey y’all! I just wanted to compile my own little list of communication methods that aren’t telepathic, as I struggle a bit with that sorta stuff and it’s kinda annoying seeing posts that don’t really go in depth about how many different ways there are to communicate with spirits and egregores. So I decided to make this post for the people who struggle with that as well!

Tarot

tarot is one of my favorite methods of divination, so I wanted to start off this list with it, of course. It definitely deserves a post of its own on using it for communication, so I’m not gonna go too in depth. Plus, some people have strict parents, but there’s plenty of alternatives. But tarot is definitely one of those things that you should research on your own, because there’s way too much to be said, and I’m listing methods, not doing a crash course on tarot. But a good way to use it for communication is to interpret the images intuitively, and if you get stuck, only then try looking up the meaning of the card. Chances are you might get a feeling that doesn’t exactly relate to the card meaning, but trust your intuition! The best way of knowing what the spirit is saying is by trusting the first thing that comes to your mind. Don’t doubt yourself!

but anyway, if tarot interests you, feel free to research it!

Playing card divination

this form of divination is basically tarot’s slightly easier cousin. It works amazingly for yes/no questions as well! Plus it’s a good start for people who practice in secret. I personally used this method of communication when I first started working with J, and it’s helped me a bit with my intuition as well, as I was able to guess what he was up to without being overwhelmed by too many meanings.

Here’s a chart showing the meanings of each playing card, excluding jokers. I personally use one joker as the fool, and the second joker as the world. It’s up to you if you even want to use them though.

There’s also an exercise for telepathy that can be mixed with cartomancy if you so choose! It involves drawing a card without looking and trying to intuitively guess if said card is red or black. If you do this with a spirit you can interpret the card after turning it over as well!

Shufflemancy

This form of divination is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING for beginners and closeted witches, as all you really need is a device that can play music, and most people have phones anyway! A lot of people recommend making a dedicated playlist for this form of divination, but I recommend using your entire music library if possible, because it can take a while to build a perfect shufflemancy playlist from scratch.

I’ve heard of 3 main ways to do shufflemancy, at least with a music streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music:

1: shuffling and skipping - this is the most common form of shufflemancy. It involves putting a playlist on shuffle and skipping a desired number of songs to get an answer to your question.

2: indicator songs - this involves assigning the spirit a song to represent them, and listening to music on shuffle. If the indicator song comes on, the song after will be their message. I use this method quite often since I usually listen to my liked songs on Spotify using shuffle anyway. You can even ask the spirit what they want their indicator song to be using the shuffling and skipping method!

3: asking the spirit - this method involves simply asking the spirit to play a song and pressing play on whatever playlist you’re using and seeing what comes up. If you feel the song relates to the spirit, then you’ve probably contacted them.

The only downside to shufflemancy is that you do have to have a wide range of music to get a decent reading, as it has better results the more variety you have. And another downside is that if you listen to a lot of instrumental music (like EDM, piano covers, etc) then you won’t have lyrics to go by, which kinda makes things a little harder. But it’s still a great method for beginners who want to practice their intuition!

Some general advice

TAKE NOTES! This is something that is definitely needed for this type of work, especially if you forget stuff easily. Take notes on what you ask, what card or song you get, the context and meanings. It will help you in the long run!

adding onto the first point, don’t be afraid to look up meanings! This mainly applies to tarot, as there are pre-established meanings for each card. Take notes on what you find!

Your intuition will always be above the traditional meanings. If you get a feeling that doesn’t align with the traditional meaning of what you’re looking at, it most likely means that you need to know whatever your intuition is trying to tell you. If you don’t get that feeling, that’s completely fine too.

that’s all for now, because I need to get this post out of my drafts. Let me know if you’d like a part 2, as there’s a bunch of other methods that I could list!

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Doris Heather Buckley - Spirit Communication for the millions - Dell - 1969

[goetiae]

𝐓he 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐓 is a rather peculiar occult invention of the late 19th century.

Prior to the invention of this tool, mediums had to use nonverbal means of spirit communication, be it spirit boards or other similar objects. However, the spirit trumpet suggested, for the first time, that a spirit can physically reach the listener through audial means as well.

As Victorian Women and the Theatre of Trance: Mediums, Spiritualists and Mesmerists in Performance (2009) by Amy Lehman states, it was a part of the greater "manifestation" category of mystical experiences. During manifestation, the spirits made objects levitate or appear, such as flower petals or letters, as well as played instruments - guitars, tambourines, or trumpets.

A spirit trumpet is shaped like a usual trumpet from two and a half to three feet in length, traditionally made of brass, tin, or aluminum; fibre and papier mache are acceptable materials as well. Four to five inches in diameter at the larger end, they narrow down to just about three-quarters of an inch at the other end. Every medium seemingly had their own design and variations of shape for their spirit trumpet.

The first spirit trumpets were homemade, usually shaped out of cardboard or metal. While it is unclear who came up with the idea of a spirit trumpet, sometimes Jonathan Koons (1811-1893) and his son Nahum Koons (1837-1921), influential spiritualists of the 19th century, are credited with it. The first commercial manufacturer of this tool was Everett Atwood Eckel (1831-1914) who opened his shop in Indiana.

In practical use, it was often recommended that a trumpet be wet on the inside prior to the seance as the moisture supposedly helped spirits speak easier. Some sceptics suggested that the practice had a more down-to-earth reasoning behind it as it helped hide the moisture from the medium speaking into the trumpet: such an opinion was voiced in The Life and Mysteries of the Celebrated Dr. Q (1921) by Alexander the Crystal Seer, an all-revealing manual on spiritual performances.

In the aforementioned book, Mr. Alexander, who himself was a stage magician, is rather critical of this method of spirit communication. He speaks, for one, on how suspicious the seances involving the spirit trumpet seem to be: set in dark or semi-dark rooms with light conveniently placed so that the podium for the trumpet is cast in darkness.

From the same author we learn of the general setting of the seance and its approximate contents. Such as, a prayer being said, the medium inviting over the spirit and putting the trumpet on their knees, after which everyone present holds hands with those sitting on their left and right. Once the spirit arrives, the trumpet is expected to lift in the air, slowly turning around, and either emit glowing light, ooze ectoplasm, or simply echo voices. From his skeptical viewpoint, Mr. Alexander suggests an element of deception being involved: either the medium using a hose to talk, feigning different voices, or using a special system of strings in the complete darkness to make the trumpet move.

However, Mr. Alexander wasn't the pioneer of criticism of the method. One of the first research pieces that regarded the problem of trumpet seances was Experiments in psychical science, levitation, contact, and the direct voice (1919) by a psychic researcher William Jackson Crowford. He was the one to point out that sometimes mediums used glow-in-the-dark rings on the ends of the trumpets and set them in complete darkness with the visitors singing hymns or praying before the start of the seance. During one of the seances he witnessed, Mr. Crowford claims, the trumpets flew in the air and requested a lamp to be turned away from the medium while those present "sing something". Some mediums used bells or boards to announce the spirit's presence.

Out of other critical articles about the method, Mysteries of the Seance and Tricks and Traps of Bogus Mediums: A Plea for Honest Mediums and Clean Work (1903) by an unknown herbalist can be noted. In this work, the author, following Mr. Alexander, states that the spirit trumpet seance is overall a fraud. He marks that by usage of little to no light and layered clothing, a medium could either conceal a hose or hide a second trumpet. Overall, he recommends that the stories of those who went through the trumpet seance should be taken with a grain of salt.

There were, indeed, such stories. In The Physical Theory of the Soul (1915) by Harry La Verne Twining, one can read about such an experience. Within this book, the eyewitness of a seance presents their point of view. The trumpet is said to have lifted into the air and bumped them on their head, announcing a name that was familiar to them, as well as their name.

After a short interaction, the trumpet fell down and lifted yet again, giving out another name, this time a relative of both the first presumed spirit and the person listening. What the eyewitness here notes to be a unique occassion is the voice mentioning something that only the eyewitness knew: an event from around twenty-seven years ago. To futher dissipate the suspicion, the person notes that both of the mediums must have been but toddlers at the time of the event, and it's "impossible" they knew about it.

Other observations by the witnesses and visitors of such seances are plenty as well. One of them is told in the book A Record of Psychic Experience (1922) by George F. Goerner. The trumpet seance described in the text suggests multiple spirits, all somehow connected to the listener, speaking to him through either his or the medium's trumpet. He hears, for example, many of his deceased relatives and his friend. Out of the curious details regarding this experience is that the medium suggests one is to keep friendly, positive attitude during the seance as this "clears the way" for the dead. Another detail described in the account is that the medium is accompanied by a person under the role of a spirit control assistant.

Overall, there's a lot of interesting and various information about the spirit trumpet. Some seemed highly cautious about it, sometimes for a good reason, and for some it was a rather relieving way of soothing the loneliness after their beloved ones had passed. Regardless, it is a tool worth discussing.