CHAPTER EIGHT
A CHRISTMAS TREE SÉANCE

Two occasions to which we looked forward each year were the spirit children’s Christmas tree sitting and the Remembrance service sitting. The idea for holding them came from the spirit world.

Owing to my wife’s serious illness, which was followed by three accidents, including a motor smash, and my own illness, we experienced a pretty tough time the first year we were in London. At the beginning of December, things were about as bad as they could be, the only bright spot was our improved condition in health. It was at this time, when we were sitting by ourselves, that the first suggestion of having a Christmas tree for the spirit children was mentioned.

Belle, after greeting us, full of excitement, said, “We are going to have a Christmas tree for the children.” “Whose children?” I asked.

“Why, the spirit children,” she said. “You have to get a Christmas tree, collect pennies for toys, and when the spirit children have played with them, you will take the toys to the poor little children who are on your sphere. You will have a letter from a man who talks about Jesus, asking you to help him to provide something for the poor little children he is looking after.”

“Just a moment, Belle,” I interrupted, “this sounds all very nice, but how can you expect us who have no ‘pennies,’ and very little hope of getting any, buying a Christmas tree and gathering toys? Surely, if there are two ‘poor children’ needing help, it is the medium and I. Much as we would like to carry out your suggestion, we cannot do the impossible.” But Belle would not be put off I told her that we would have to wait and see.

“Wait and see,” exclaimed Flora, who at that moment came through. “You will do as the little one has suggested and get a Christmas tree and toys.” “But . . .“ “There are to be no huts or ifs,” said Flora before I could complete my sentence. “Have it your own way,” I replied, “but still, I don’t see how it is going to be done,” I added. “You’ll see,” was her rejoinder.

We spoke to several people about the idea, and they agreed to help us. As the result, we had a nice tree, some fifty toys, and thirty-five shillings in cash. Incidentally I got a letter from a clergyman of one of the poorest London parishes appealing for help. In response, we took the toys and the money to him on Christmas Eve, and he invited us to stay to the children’s party that was being held.

The Christmas tree sittings have to be experienced to be realised. What joy it is to hear the little ones from the other side of life exclaim in wonderment when they see the huge tree laden with toys of every description.

Here is one account as described in Psychic News by Hannen Swaffer:

The most remarkable séance held in London for weeks past was probably the party given for spirit children by Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Perriman. It began with a Christmas tree. It ended with a bit of “psychic research.”

Belle had invited nearly forty people to attend a direct voice séance at which there was a big tree, covered with toys. They had been sent—over three hundred of them— from all over the country, many of them for spirit children whose names were given. Others came from former sitters of Mrs. Perriman’s, or people who had been helped. A huge doll was sent to Belle by someone overseas.

It is hard for non-Spiritualists to understand, but these toys, sent after the party to poor children living in London slums, have astral counterparts which are taken back to the Other World by the “dead” children to whom they are first given.

“You know all these pretty toys you have got,” said Elsie Carter, one of the spirit children whose voices we heard. “We take back with us the impression of them, and then each, has one like the one chosen here. So you are answering two~ purposes—one for us in spirit life, and one for the poor children who have not got any.”

It was not very grammatically phrased, but it explained the child’s meaning.

“Do you realise you have taken part in a great occasion?” later said the Rev. Waiter Coulthard, who often speaks at the Perriman circles, explaining it in his own words. “There have been children from the other side of life here, amidst~ surroundings of joy. They have come to you in their innocence and love, bringing with them peace and understanding,~ taking away with them photographs on their memories. They will have replicas of these toys for their joy in the Othe World. As the little messenger told you, they take back thought-form of the toy.

“Remember, every toy has been claimed by spirit children who have been present. Every toy has been claimed by some child, both in this room and in the other” - there were many toys that there was not room for them all round the Christmas tree. The others were put in another room. “Every toy has now a spirit owner. You are giving joy to the other side of life, and you are giving joy on earth.”

For over two hours, we sat listening to the voices of more than fifty spirit children, who all inspected the tree, chose their various toys - yes, and played with them. Indeed, when the séance was over, the great mass of toys grouped round the tree was scattered in violent disarray.

Sometimes we heard a toy trumpet blown, for instance. “I am blowing two at once,” said one of the child voices.

We heard little ones arguing about which fairy doll they could have. Boy after boy said, “I want a motor car.”

One remarkable feature of the séance was the great difference in the spirit voices. There were some who spoke with a broad Scots accent. There were Lancashire voices, Cockney tones, all sorts.

When I heard one voice, that of little David Evans, I said: “I remember you. You came last year.”

Remembering me, David carried on quite a long conversation. He came from the valleys, he said, and when I said I had recently been down to South Wales he corrected my pronunciation of Bargoed and two or three other towns which I could neither spell nor pronounce.

When I said my Bardic name was Llais y Werin, he repeated the Welsh words, which tripped off his tongue. He said, “Good night” in Welsh and mentioned quite a lot of townlets he remembered.

Jim Somebody also came last year. I remembered his voice after twelve months. “I have found a book,” he said. “Only girls have dolls.”

Two children each tried to get two toys, but Belle stopped them on each occasion. Now and then, she would tell a boy to “stand over there,” and indeed behaved as though she were the Master of Ceremonies.

“Can I come to your circle when you start again?” said Belle to me, after we had heard the voice of Joan, one of the frequent child communicators at my own home circle. “Joan told me she would bring me, but I wanted to see what you would say.”

Mrs. Leonard’s Feda turned up, Mrs. Duncan’s Peggy, and also Jimmy Sparrow, from Lady Caillard’s home circle. Tom-Gallon, the author, whom I first heard speak through Evan Powell at the British College of Psychic Science ten years ago, spoke to his sister, Nellie Tom-Gallon.

Dennis Bradley came along, right at the end, and said: “Although I have not been over here very long, I have made; myself known to many. Give my love to my wife and Pat and Anthony. God keep you all, and do not ever let go. Remember, God is love. That is why I am here. . . . My greetings to the Pen Club.”

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, too, spoke, and gave me a special message. “There are many of my old friends who have come to the spirit world lately, many rejoicing,” he said. “Some have got to extend in some ways. When I tried to tell them about survival, years ago, they would not listen. My love to my wife, Jean, to my daughters and to my boys. Tell Denis to carry on and keep the flag flying.”

Several children were recognised by sitters. Several were addressed by their pet names. We heard the voices of: Johnnie Harrison, Willie Atkinson, Lucy Baker, Ruby Wadsworth, Walter Thorpe, Ronnie Ecclesworth, Bertha Thompson, Josephine Becker, Sammy Anderson, Jimmy Schofield, Charlie Summerfield, Eric Patterson, Arthur Marsden, Ronald Jackson, Bertha Coates, Peter Holds-worth, Phyllis Parker, Willie Jones, Johnnie Maclean, Bobby WagstaIf, Alex Sayers, Victor Harrold and many more.