In this episode we look back at highlights of two great interviews from 2017 and 2019. Roberta Grimes is an afterlife expert, author of The Fun of Dying: Find Out What Really Happens Next, and host of the Seek Reality podcast. Sandra Champlain is the author of We Don't Die - A Skeptic’s Discovery of Life After Death and host of We Don't Die Radio and Shades of the Afterlife. Visit BigSeance.com/250 for more info.

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In this episode:

Intro :00

A remastered look back at two afterlife experts! :49

Highlights from episode 83 with Roberta Grimes, afterlife expert and author of The Fun of Dying: Find Out What Really Happens Next. 2:28

Roberta has read a LOT of interesting books in her research. Check out the appendix in the back of most of her own books for recommendations. 5:58

A powerful experience and hearing a voice in 1955. 9:05

Writing books with the help of Roberta’s primary guide, Thomas Jefferson. 11:18

Reincarnation, growing up Christian, and simply listening to the words of Jesus. 15:30

Where does the dogma and false information in Christianity come from? 17:36

Jesus and the genuine God. 21:43

The importance of learning to forgive. 24:29

Why is communication between the dead and the living so difficult? Plus, the North American Station. 25:46

Roberta’s BIG TIP for what NOT to do when we die. 30:32

For more on Roberta Grimes 

RobertaGrimes.com

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

In the US, you can dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For international resources, you can visit Befrienders.org. 36:55

Highlights from episode 144 with Sandra Champlain, author of We Don’t Die: A Skeptic’s Discovery of Life After Death. 37:48

Grief and the fear of dying. 39:15

When you realize that we don’t die, everyone makes it to the Other Side, and our loved ones will be there to greet us. 42:04

Sandra’s tipping point was a course in mediumship and discovering Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). 45:03

In 2011, while sitting in her car after a movie, Sandra recorded a video of herself after realizing it was time to share her story. 51:08

Sandra shares more from experiences while studying mediumship at the Arthur Findlay College. 57:44

Sandra has been a part of many seances, and she recounts some of the more fascinating physical phenomena that she has witnessed while sitting with physical medium, Scott Milligan. 1:06:35

For more on Sandra Champlain

WeDontDieRadio.com

Outro 1:16:14

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 1:17:32

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Psychic Medium Dana Stricker tells Patrick of the fascinating, yet strange experiences of her childhood that helped to shape her work, which began at the age of 15 when she gave tarot readings. Other topics include her "Battle Axe" of a spirit guide, a shared experience that left a handprint burned into Dana's leg, and what it really means to be a Witch! Plus, what's life like on the Other Side? Visit BigSeance.com/249 for more info.

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In this episode:

Intro :00

Dana Stricker’s Bio :46

Patrick and Dana met each other at Amy Bruni’s Strange Escapes event at Belvoir Winery in 2022. 2:26

After leaving the dirty, creepy bunker of the orphanage where Patrick led Dana and a small group in a paranormal investigation at Belvoir, she went home with a child’s handprint burned into her thigh. For more on the investigations from the bunker at that event, check out episode 215. 5:39

Dana is the Social Media Meme Queen! “I just have a very good sense of humor, and I think humor is very important right now in the world, and so I just keep doing it.” 10:48

Dana is a member of the Soulstice Sisters, along with Khristina Bowen and Kathy Feketik. 13:29

Ghostly physical contact in a jail cell at Ohio State Reformatory. 16:10 

“I think a place, once a lot of people have gone through it, it seems like it loses something or it gains things that wouldn’t have been there initially.” 19:57

Some of the childhood experiences that shaped Dana’s psychic abilities and mediumship, in which utilized the tarot for many years. 21:55

The “Battle Axe” that is Dana’s spirit guide. 28:30

“I could hear a big band playing in our living room.” Other strange paranormal experiences from Dana’s childhood. 31:25

Help from a theatre class. 34:35

What’s life like on the Other Side? 36:31

“I do practice Witchcraft, but it’s my Witchcraft.” What it means to be a Witch. 42:53

Dana’s advice for young people who may be growing up with similar abilities and experiences, which includes reading Chip Coffey’s Growing Up Psychic. Hear more about this book in Patrick’s interview with Chip in episode 85. 49:32

Dana’s final thoughts. 53:43

Outro 57:55

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 59:13

For more on Dana Stricker

PsychicMediumDana.com

SoulsticeSisters.com

Get Real with Deb and Dana

Dana on Facebook

Dana on Instagram

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Have you received communication from a dead loved one? In this Part 2 episode, listeners Leslie, Kelly, Susan, Bruce, and Amy certainly have! From a physical and literal sign left on a desk to a comforting voice from the garden. Plus a spirit who communicates through an alarm system, the return of a beloved cat, and a lost and found bracelet. Visit BigSeance.com/248 for more info, and to learn how you can share your own story!

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In this episode:

Intro :00

Patrick recently asked listeners to send in stories of messages from loved ones in the spirit world. The most recent episode, episode 247, was Part 1 where Patrick shared those stories. And so today is Part 2 of Stories of Messages from Passed Loved Ones. Patrick would like to thank those people who trusted him with their stories, because someone out there will be helped, or at least comforted after hearing them. :45

Leslie’s sign from her mother 1:41

“Soul to soul” stories from Kelly 10:04

“I’m here.” Susan Davy’s voice from the garden. 12:40

“The alarm system for my house would randomly go off.” 15:55

“I was able to draw the sketches from memory.” Patrick’s account of a spirit visitation. 19:00

More stories from Bruce 21:19

A lost and found bracelet 27:11

Amy Park Goeddeke’s connection with her cat, Mercedes 30:28

“Talk to me.” 38:04

Outro 43:05

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 44:23

HOW TO SHARE YOUR STORY IN YOUR OWN VOICE

Have an iPhone? Open the built-in Voice Memos app to record your story. From there, email your audio to [email protected].

Have an Android? Depending on the phone, Android users will have a built-in voice recorder that should also allow you to send your recording to [email protected]. 

Record it Online! Visit SpeakPipe.com/BigSeance to leave your story. There's a 90-second limit, but you can leave multiple messages. 

Leave a Voicemail by calling (775) 583 - 5563. 

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Have you received communication from a dead loved one? Listeners Ayla, Melissa, Bruce, and Sherri have! From a gentle and reassuring touch by invisible hands, to a Christmas wish, and even a missing ingredient for a recipe from the afterlife! Visit BigSeance.com/247 for more info, and to learn how you can share your own story!

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In this episode:

Intro :00

Patrick recently asked listeners to send in stories of messages from loved ones in the spirit world. And many of you followed through! This episode is Part 1 of Your Stories of Messages from Passed Loved Ones. There’s still room for more stories too, and Patrick is even considering a Part 3 if there is enough response. So if you’ve been dragging your feet or trying to decide if you want to send in your story, he’d love to share it. The instructions for how to do that can be found just below the show notes. :58

Thanks to Ayla, Melissa, Bruce, and Sherri for sharing their stories today! 2:01

Ayla’s stories of visitations from her father. 2:38

Melissa shares stories of two generations of loved ones returning to communicate. 33:08

Stories from Bruce, an Evidential Medium. 35:25

Sherri’s story of a missing ingredient for a recipe from the afterlife! 46:10

Consider sharing your story! 48:43

Outro 49:35

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 50:53

HOW TO SHARE YOUR STORY IN YOUR OWN VOICE

Have an iPhone? Open the built-in Voice Memos app to record your story. From there, email your audio to [email protected].

Have an Android? Depending on the phone, Android users will have a built-in voice recorder that should also allow you to send your recording to [email protected]. 

Record it Online! Visit SpeakPipe.com/BigSeance to leave your story. There's a 90-second limit, but you can leave multiple messages. 

Leave a Voicemail by calling (775) 583 - 5563. 

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Building on the work of Friedrich Jürgenson and Marcello Bacci, Tony Rathman, along with wife Cherie, Ron Yacovetti, and Lourdes Gonzalez, has taken EVP and Direct Radio Voice to a brand new level. They've developed the technology and an exciting new method that they call Staticom! In this episode, Tony, who is also the founder and lead investigator for Entity Voices Paranormal Investigation (or EVPI), tells Patrick how it works, and even shares several fascinating audio samples of the method in action! Visit BigSeance.com/246 for more info!

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In this episode:

Intro :00

Do you have a special story of receiving communication or signs from a loved one who has crossed over? Patrick would love to hear from you! Check out episode 245 for the details, or just go to BigSeance.com/245. :48

Follow @BigSeance on Instagram and Facebook! 1:39

With 14 years of paranormal investigation experience, Tony Rathman is the founder and lead investigator for Entity Voices Paranormal Investigation (or EVPI), and he’s investigated hundreds of locations across the country, as well as overseas in Japan and the Philippines. He is also an EVP/ITC Specialist and along with his wife Cherie Rathman, Ron Yacovetti and Lourdes Gonzalez, they’ve developed an exciting new spirit communication technology known as Staticom. Based on the 40 years of work from Marcello Bacci, the Rathman’s continue to evolve and refine DRV (or direct radio voice) techniques for both longer, clearer and more understandable communication. They’ve since removed radio from the process, and so that’s why they’ve given this baby the new name — Staticom, which now communicates with only Broadband white noise. 2:03

Patrick shares with Tony some of his background with EVP and how Staticom reminds him of how excited he was in those early days of discovering EVP research! 3:42

What is Staticom? 7:08

Taking radio out of the picture! 12:43

Staticom is a Method and uses VST (Virtual Studio Technology). 13:57

How does Staticom compare to the Portal, Wonder Box or Echovox? 17:30

The Ovilus, Pizza, and Rainbows… 19:06

Remember the old, traditional, time consuming way of holding an EVP session? Our expectations (or maybe our attention spans) have changed! 20:31    Tony has always been fascinated by electronics, and built spirit boxes for years. 24:10

Marcello Bacci’s message through Patrick’s clock radio! 25:21

“I’ll say glad to meet ya!” — Marcello Bacci 27:11

Water, Rain, and Wind! 27:43

Communication Stations on the Other Side 29:13

How do spirits communicate through Staticom? 31:33

What’s it like on the Other Side? “It’s complicated.” 34:05

Staticom Example: “Energy of your mind, actually.” 38:10

Staticom Example: “Three hundred” 43:43

Interpreting Messages 46:21

Staticom Example: “And Tony Rathman can see.” 48:45

Staticom Example: “Extraterrestrials” 50:57

Final Thoughts from Tony Rathman 55:22

Outro 57:56

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 59:15

For more on Staticom and Tony Rathman

EntityVoices.com

YouTube

Twitter: @EntityVoices

Tony Rathman on Facebook

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Have you received messages from a dead loved one? Are you open to it? Do you encourage it? And how does it come through? Does it come through in dreams, signs, or symbols? Inspired by a beautiful conversation among a group of strangers, Patrick invites you to share your stories for an upcoming episode of the podcast. Visit BigSeance.com/245 for more info.

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In this episode:

Intro :00

While working on a library reorganization project, Patrick was reminded of a presentation he gave at a local library and the conversations he had with a small group of people who stayed after to share their stories. Vita, who attended with her daughter, shared several experiences. :51

A safe place to share stories and experiences. 3:09

“I had a dream and it came true two weeks later.” 4:42

“I had been praying that my mother’s sisters would come and help her get to the Other Side.” 7:30

A purple daisy. “You have to look for a sign to know a sign is there.” 9:25

An Open Mind. “You’ve got to open your mind. You’ve got to open up and think it can happen.” 11:39

“I felt like my father was giving me information.” Flight 370 and premonitions from a dream. 12:55

What signs or communication have you received from your own loved ones? Are you open to it? Do you encourage it? And how does it come through? 16:43

An example of audio feedback sent from Keli, a listener who contributed to episode 162, our Daily Communication with Spirit episode. 17:52

Send in your stories! 19:25

Here’s how to get your stories to Patrick! 20:09

Outro 22:48

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 24:05

HOW TO SHARE YOUR STORY IN YOUR OWN VOICE

Have an iPhone? Open the built-in Voice Memos app to record your story. From there, email your audio to [email protected].

Have an Android? Depending on the phone, Android users will have a built-in voice recorder that should also allow you to send your recording to [email protected]. 

Record it Online! Visit SpeakPipe.com/BigSeance to leave your story. There's a 90-second limit, but you can leave multiple messages. 

Leave a Voicemail by calling (775) 583 - 5563. 

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

The Mourning Society of St Louis is a civilian reenacting group with an interest in mourning, death culture, Spiritualism, and the funeral customs of the mid-nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. This incredibly unique group, co-founded by Edna Dieterle and Katherine Kozemczak in 2005, plans educational events such as historically accurate funerals and wakes, and is the first of its kind. Join the conversation with Patrick, Edna, Katherine, and Sherri Morrow, a member since 2015. How do they build the atmosphere and set the scene? What can modern society learn from Victorian mourning customs? How does playing a character in mourning affect these ladies in their daily lives? Pour some tea, cover your mirror with a black drape, and hear about the inspiration, the research, and the planning behind events that even includes a live seance play based on documented moments in history! Visit BigSeance.com/244 for more info.

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In this episode:

Intro :00

The Mourning Society of St Louis is a civilian reenacting group with an interest in mourning, death culture, spiritualism and the funeral customs of the mid-nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. Their main focus is public educational events. The Mourning Society has participated in events with our partners at the beautiful and historic Bellefontaine Cemetery, the Campbell House Museum, the St Louis Public Library, Jefferson Barracks Historic Site, Missouri History Museum, the General Daniel Bissell House, the Field House Museum, Lafayette Park Conservancy, and the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum at the Missouri Botanical Garden. :52

Guests for this episode are Edna Dieterle and Katherine Kozemczak, who co-founded the Mourning Society of St. Louis in 2005, along with Sherri Morrow, who joined the group in 2015. 4:15

Katherine tells the story of how the Mourning Society came about. Her and Edna were already volunteers on the board for a historic mansion in St. Louis. But the main inspiration started with Edna's trip to a home Mississippi. 4:55

Katherine and Edna’s growing collection of artifacts and accoutrement, including coffins! 6:03

In 2015 their educational mourning events expanded to include funerals at the beautiful and historic Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, and wakes at the the Campbell House Museum. 7:18

A truly unique group, and probably the first of its kind! 9:01

More on the Victorian funeral events at Bellefontaine Cemetery, including a service in the chapel, and educating participants on the cholera epidemic in 1865. 10:00

A striking and moving sight that includes an undertaker with a historic and period hearse. 12:21

The research and education that goes into the planning of events. 13:50

Sherri on why she joined the Mourning Society. “These are my people.” 14:47

Finding (or sewing) Victorian clothing! 15:23

Carpe Diem. Facing mortality and how playing the role of “mourner” affects these reenactors in their daily modern lives? 18:22

When people just don’t appreciate or understand it. 23:48

Tear Catchers and Wearing Black. Misconceptions about Victorian mourning customs. 27:14

“A lot of times, women did not attend the funerals at all, because men were like, ‘They can’t control their emotions and they’re going to cry in front of everybody.’” — Katherine 32:03

Black drapery, superstitions around mirrors, and marking the house to know a death has occurred. 34:03

The custom of placing coins over the eyes of the deceased. 37:09

Events at the Campbell House and the Magic Chef Mansion, including a wake, mourning customs, medical aspects of Victorian mourning (including live leeches!), and post mortem photography. 38:22

The Spiritualism event at the General Daniel Bissell House, which includes spirit communication devices, and a seance play which incorporates documented accounts of seances from the period! 40:03

Volunteering or joining the group. “It’s just like a bad dance, you know? Too many ladies and not enough gentleman. We never have enough people to carry the coffin.” — Katherine 44:09

Drawing people in, sneaking in education, and making it fun. 47:45

Building the atmosphere and setting the scene. “We try to leave people with an impression of what it was really like and not like a romanticized idea of what it was like. We definitely had people cry on some of the tours before, because I think they go in thinking it’s going to be spooky, and sometimes it’s incredibly sad.” — Katherine 48:28

“We were all like, ’Whoa. We’re doing something here.’” — Katherine 50:03

Connecting emotionally with things from the past. “I think there’s a tendency to disconnect from things that haven’t happened in living memory.” — Katherine 51:03

Children died all the time, but it doesn’t mean they weren’t just as devastated by the loss as we would be today. 54:35

Patrick imagines who his Mourning Society character would be and how he would dress. 56:03

“I started doing this because I was very passionate about history, and I love finding out things that I didn’t know before. And this definitely gives you a chance, when you do the research, to just plunge into it.” — Sherri 58:31

When it’s time to take off the veils, pull your iPhones out and have fun! 59:14

“Who are we going to bury?” — Edna 59:55

Expanding to other time periods and movements, like women’s suffrage. 1:00:37

The Mourning Society of St. Lous is approaching their 20 year anniversary! 1:02:43

Outro 1:03:57

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 1:05:15

Looking for more Mourning Society?

MourningSociety.com

Facebook: @MourningSociety

Instagram: @MourningSocietyStL

Beyond the Grave: St. Louis Mourning Society keeps funeral traditions alive (West News Magazine)

St. Louisans Are Undertaking A Reenactment Of Robert Campbell's Wake 140 Years After His Death (NPR)

The St. Louis Mourning Society teaches visitors about 19th century funeral and mourning customs. (PBS)

Patrick has two photo albums (Album 1 & Album 2) from visits to Bellefontaine Cemetery (Flickr)

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Step into the Victorian era with an author and Victorianist, Steele Alexandra Douris. Steele specializes in Victorian crime, gothic fiction, and Spiritualism, and is the author of Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural. In this episode you’ll discover the hidden gems of 19th-century newspapers, periodicals, and the women's magazines that helped to shape the Spiritualist community. Need a response to someone worried about the dangers of practicing any form of spirit communication? Try a timeless quote from prominent Spiritualist, W.T. Stead. Are you ready to try something new at your next party? Plan a Tableaux Vivant, the fascinating and long-lost Victorian party activity! You know that old curio “curiosity” cabinet in the corner? You can thank the Victorians for that. And criminal investigation, detective fiction, and psychometry? You can thank the Victorians for that too! Visit BigSeance.com/243 for more info.

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In this episode:

Intro :00

Steele Alexandra Douris is an author, artist, and Victorianist, specializing in Victorian crime, gothic fiction, and spiritualism. She is a PhD candidate in the English department at Stanford University, where she has taught courses on Victorian spiritualism, ghost stories, and the gothic novel. She holds an MA in English from Stanford University and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. As an undergraduate, Steele observed the social behavior of lemurs, wielded a trowel as part of a central Texas archaeological dig, and learned to identify primate fossils and human bones. As a graduate student, she disappeared into the archives of Victorian Britain, and now emerges only periodically to collect new tarot decks, hunt for fossils, and hoard art supplies. Steele splits her time between foggy NorCal and sunny South Texas, towing her mountain of journals and sketchbooks with her wherever she goes. You can learn more about Steele by visiting SteeleAlexandraDouris.com :50

Steele’s book is Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural. 2:36

What is a “Victorianist?” Plus Steele’s academic passions. 3:26

A passion for archaeology, art, and literature. 5:01

What did the newspapers have to say about it? “I work a lot in newspapers… 19th century newspapers, 19th century periodicals and early 20th century women’s magazines.” 6:38

In her research into Spiritualism, Steele was amazed by how many Spiritualist magazines, newspapers, and periodicals there were at the time, like The Medium and Daybreak. “The material really just gave me a glimpse into the entire engine of the Spiritualist community beyond just what I had pictured at the beginning.” 7:38

Steele includes really great “try it yourself” exercises at the end of each chapter! Examples include instructions for holding a traditional spirit circle, sitting for a solitary seance, meditating like Dr. Mesmer, automatic writing/automatic art, channeling blindfolded, sitting for a psychic portrait, practicing psychometry, channeling your inner folklorist, exploring your own shadow/reading a gothic tale, scrying, making a Halloween card, or holding a Christmas seance! 8:55

Patrick discusses some of the really cool fall issues of The Delineator, an American women's magazine of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 10:51

Tableaux Vivant, a fascinating, long-lost Victorian party activity. 12:02

“It’s hard to move in many modern occult circles without tripping over the Victorians. And yet, somehow, in the process of becoming ubiquitous, the Victorians have also become invisible.” 16:16

Patrick on one of his “a-ha” moments from the book: “Some of us dream of putting away our modern tools and technology to pretend we’re Victorian. But in reality, Victorians were all about becoming modern, with the huge advances in technology that was happening at the time.” 16:16

What economic class of Victorians are we usually imagining? 21:12

Need a timeless response to someone worried about the dangers of using the Ouija Board or practicing any form of spirit communication? Try this great mid-1890s quote from prominent Spiritualist W.T. Stead, which he claims was channeled by his spirit guide, Julia. 22:28

Victorian personal ads! 26:06

The unique Victorian practice of Psychometry 27:59

Criminal investigation, detective fiction, ballistics, fingerprint analysis, criminal psychology, profiling, and paranormal investigation! 32:23

Curiosity “curio” cabinets, curiosity shops, and specimen cabinets. 33:30

The Worlds Fair Expositions 35:28

Christmas lore and the legends of bells underground and under water. 36:52

The Victorian activities that Steele incorporates into her daily life! 41:50

Final thoughts from Steele 47:13

Outro 48:43

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 50:03

For more on Steele Alexandra Douris

SteeleAlexandraDouris.com

Spirits, Seers & Séances: Victorian Spiritualism, Magic & the Supernatural (Amazon)

Facebook: @steelearcana

Instagram: @steelearcana

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Listen in as psychic medium April Roane, who can always be depended on for powerful insights, discusses the evolution of her journey since her last appearance on the Big Seance Podcast in 2016. She provides a unique perspective on the shifts in paranormal investigation and how psychic mediums contribute to them. Hear a powerful discussion on the dangerous side effects of paranormal investigation, including the chilling tale that led to the need for an exorcism. April candidly discusses her move to East Texas and the area’s complicated paranormal culture. Other topics include the 2020 pandemic and the positive shifts it brought to society. Visit BigSeance.com/242 for more info.

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In this episode:

Intro :00

April Roane has been transforming lives worldwide for over two decades. In 2009, she started by transforming her life first. She was guided to join a recovery program for food addiction. Using tools of recovery, she began her very personal and challenging journey of self, transformation, service, and faith. April is a channel and vessel for messages of truth, hope, light, and love. This creates a natural healing and alignment experienced through, from, and of Spirit, Higher Power, Universe, Gaia, Source, God, Angels, Guides, Loved Ones, The Collective Consciousness, Ascended Masters, and Light Beings. April receives messages from Spirit in the form of feelings, visions, thoughts, ideas, sounds, knowing, smells, and tastes. And she uses the ability of remote viewing with Spirit when working with others, specifically in paranormal and missing persons cases. April is the author of several books, including the Love Your Inner Empath workbook and her children's book, Goodnight Just the Same. She is the co-host of Spiritually Rogue Podcast with Braxton and April Roane. April is the president and founder of The Divine Association of Sacred Women and strives to impact the lives of children, women, and Empaths worldwide positively and powerfully. She’s been featured on A&E’s My Ghost Story Caught on Camera, the BIO Channel, CBS Radio,  Rogue Talk Radio, The Hotel Cassadaga, The Historic Jefferson Hotel, and Pawtographs for Pooches Parafest. You can learn more about April Roane by visiting AprilRoane.com. :51

April was previously interviewed in episode 70 of the Big Seance Podcast in 2016. Topics included cruises, finding balance, awakening after addiction, abuse, coming out, depression, meditation and journaling, paranormal Investigation and the role of psychic mediums in that space, and what life is like on the Other Side. 3:05

An update on the improvement that April has noticed in the paranormal space when it comes to psychic mediums in paranormal investigation. 5:05

The two clips from April’s last appearance on the show that Patrick just loves and has used many times when promoting the show. “And my goal, in addition to being a psychic medium, is I’m April. I’m a person. And I have a family, and I have a life, and I have a path that I’m trying to figure out. And if I don’t balance myself--my mind, my body, my soul--sometimes I do a really good job. Sometimes I flub it up a lot. But if I don’t balance me, I’m not going to be a good intuitive.” “You know, they don’t ever want to talk about, ‘Remember that time you stole my money, you ass hole!’ You know, they never say that!” “They always talk about those moments that took our breath away, not the moments that we lost our breath.” 6:25

April has moved to Texas, she’s worked on missing person cases, but her work with balancing herself has not changed. 7:40

Those who are and are NOT pushing our species forward since 2016. 9:37

The 2020 pandemic and its effects on the world. “As a society, we still don’t know what it did to us.” 11:22

The positive effects of Covid. “It forced us as a species to look at things we refused to.” 18:21

The paranormal culture in Eastern Texas, the Azalea Inn Bed and Breakfast, and her work with paranormal investigator husband, Braxton Roane. 22:24

Patrick originally met Braxton Roane at an event at Belvoir Winery before he or Patrick even knew April! 29:58

The side effects of paranormal investigation and the traumatizing story of April and Braxton needing an exorcism! “Let’s just say Braxton’s eyes went from green to blue. They were green, then they went to this period of just slate grey, and then to blue.” “When you realize the devil’s looking right at you, it’s not a moment where you look away and you run and you lose them.” 31:20

Patrick shared a funny memory about Chip Coffey at Belvoir Winery. 39:34

April talks about her book, Goodnight Just the Same. 42:27

April describes her book, “Love Your Inner Empath: A Healing Workbook & Tool Kit.” 44:12

Food, diet, chocolate, and gravity. April and Patrick get real about it. 45:02

“You are the guru of you. And you honor you. Honor all that your ups and downs has brought you to this moment of awareness. And that is where your adventure begins. What does that awareness say? What do you feel? ‘Oh my life’s a sh*t show.’ Okay then. Let’s fix it. Let’s change it. Let’s start to seek the joy, whatever that is for you. Leave people alone. They’re responsible for their own joy. So many of us live our life based on everyone else.” 48:52

Outro 52:27

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 53:47

For more on April Roane

AprilRoane.com

April's previous appearance in episode 70 of the Big Seance Podcast in 2016.

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The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Uncover the enchanting history of Yule and Christmas in this interview with Ellen Evert Hopman, master herbalist and Druidic initiate since 1984. Her book, The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas: Remedies, Recipes, Magic and Brews for the Winter Season, gets beautiful reviews. The recipes, cocktails, and traditional Christmas meals from around the world will have you salivating. Ellen introduces you to mystical figures like Gully Gawk, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Flora the Roman Goddess, Saint Lucia with the candles on her head, and of course, Krampus. Learn about the origins of putting candles in windows, and why we leave a place at the table for our dead loved ones, or leave our beds empty. Plus the history of mistletoe, the traditional red and green colors, and why you should absolutely NOT answer the door on Christmas Eve if a werewolf is on the other side! Visit BigSeance.com/241 for more info.

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In this episode:

Intro :00

Call in or reach out with your holiday traditions for this time of the year, no matter the holiday, and particularly if it’s different from what we might think of as traditional American holiday activities. What are some of the interesting traditions that maybe have been passed down for centuries at this time of year? Email [email protected]. There are also a couple of ways that you can leave a voice message, and to learn more about that go to BigSeance.com/contact. Patrick can’t wait to hear from you! :50

Ellen Evert Hopman is a master herbalist and lay homeopath, who has been a Druidic initiate since 1984. She is a founding member of the Order of the White Oak, the Archdruid Amerita and founder of Tribe of the Oak, a former professor at the Grey School of Wizardry, and a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages. She is the author of Celtic herbals and Druid novels, including Secret Medicines from Your Garden, The Sacred Herbs of Samhain, and Once Around the Sun: Stories, Crafts, and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year. She lives in Massachusetts. You can learn more about Ellen at EllenEvertHopman.com. 2:41

Reviews for The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas: Remedies, Recipes, Magic and Brews for the Winter Season. 4:57

The similarities between our Halloween/Samhain traditions and Christmas. 6:20

Why do we put lights on trees? 8:20

Have goblins? Burn old shoes in the fireplace! 9:49

Have a persistent ghost that won’t go away? Burn a strip of leather! 10:21

Guising and Mumming 11:19

Memories of May Day 12:05

Are you bad or good? Mystical Icelandic figures, including Gully Gawk, Stubby, Spoon Licker, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Door Slammer, Sausage Snatcher, and Doorway Sniffer, and yes, Krampus! 14:03

“This is really a life or death time of year.” Why have we been scaring children, for centuries, to get good behavior? 16:20

“Iceland is an unusually literate, book-loving society, and on Christmas Eve, Icelanders exchange books as gifts and then spend the night reading them, often while drinking hot chocolate or an alcohol-free Christmas ale…” 17:51

The Office (Dwight Christmas) and Belsnickeling 19:05

The Roman Goddess, Flora. “Bring a goat to the festival and liberate a rabbit.” 19:58

The Goddess of Winter 22:24

Ellen reads her Call in the Three Worlds of the Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Gods, and the Petition for Healing, which is from the Rite for the Goddess at the Winter Solstice. 23:04

Recipes, Cocktails, and Christmas meal traditions from around the world. 28:47

The Irish tradition of Women’s Christmas 33:30

The spirit of Santa isn’t the only spirit that comes down the chimney! Plus, lighting candles, leaving beds empty, and a place set at the table with food for dead loved ones. 36:09

Libation and the Essence of Food 38:52

Saint Lucia, the Christian figure with candles on her head. 41:31

Did you know all of Santa’s reindeer were women? Plus, the red and white Amanita Muscaria mushroom. 44:15

Mistletoe 47:48

Where did we get the traditional Christmas colors of red and green? 51:11

Final Thoughts from Ellen Evert Hopman 53:01

Tip: Do NOT answer the door on Christmas Eve if it’s a werewolf! 55:16

Outro 56:06

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 57:26

For more on Ellen Evert Hopman

EllenEvertHopman.com

TribeoftheOak.org

The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas on Amazon

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The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!

Patrick's candid interview with the "Queen of the Paranormal" herself, Most Haunted's Yvette Fielding. She's a true pioneer in paranormal television, and she shares her thoughts on everything from how she thinks spirits communicate to SNL's hilarious 2006 parody of Yvette and Most Haunted. She looks back on the traumatizing 30 East Drive episode and a Most Haunted event where guests got stuck in a prison cell. How does the UK’s Most Haunted compare to American paranormal television? Plus, did you know that there are 76 Most Haunted episodes that haven't seen the light of day? Listen to find out why! Visit BigSeance.com/240 for more info.

Other Listening Options Direct Download Link

In this episode:

Intro :00

Yvette Fielding has been crowned by many as “Queen of the Paranormal”, “Queen of the Night”, or even “First Lady of the Paranormal.” Listeners from the US will no doubt know Yvette as the star of the hit paranormal TV series from the UK, Most Haunted. She and her husband, Karl Beattie, first created and produced the show in 2002, making them true pioneers in paranormal TV. They’ve been producing the show ever since. If you’re a listener outside of the US, you may actually know Yvette originally from Blue Peter, a British TV show, which is the longest-running children's TV show in the world. Yvette was the youngest presenter ever on that show, and she even interviewed Princess Diana! She’s the author of a series of new young adult fiction, and she has a memoir coming out next year! :50

Welcome to the parlor, Yvette! 2:44

Yvette and her husband live in a house that is 400 years old! 3:20

Patrick had a lot to catch up on with Yvette and Most Haunted! 3:56

Where can you find Most Haunted these days? Plus Most Haunted has gone on the road with stage shows! 6:41

Investigate with Yvette and the team with Most Haunted Experiences! 9:25

Where does the knocking at tapping come from? And if it’s paranormal, how do spirits produce it? 10:40

Yvette’s calls for science to take the paranormal more seriously. 13:07

Looking back at Saturday Night Live’s hilarious 2006 parody of Yvette and Most Haunted. 17:07

“I broke wind with fear!” 18:38

Building up energy with a trusted group of people. The current Most Haunted team has been together for several years. 20:00

Yvette’s tapping board and the story of the Fox Sisters in the early days of Spiritualism. 22:25

Patrick compares the UK’s Most Haunted to American paranormal TV. 23:55

Yvette says she doesn’t watch other paranormal TV shows. She also doesn’t watch horror films. After a terrorizing investigation, she drives home listening to Mary Poppins. 26:48

“How many weeks rehearsal do you do?” A number of years ago, Yvette and her husband talked to American producers of paranormal TV. 28:24

Patrick urges American listeners to check out Most Haunted if they haven’t yet. 31:25

Yvette and her husband have 76 episodes on a shelf that haven’t seen the light of day, because they’re “so bloody boring!” 34:20

It only takes one doubting or skeptic person to block activity from spirit. Yvette calls these people “muters.” 34:57

Most Haunted almost always has Glen Hunt or another parapsychologist or openminded skeptic on every investigation. 36:53

Looking back on the 30 East Drive episode, one of the most traumatizing investigations the team has ever been on. When the Lights Went Out is a 2012 film based on events at this location. 39:16

Burns, stitches, and scars inflicted by spirits. “It can be quite a scary occupation, and a bit dangerous, as well. So you have to be careful.” 48:14

Stuck in a prison cell. Looking back on the investigation at Accrington Police Station & Courts. 49:21

Patrick wants to see a crossover episode of Most Haunted here in the US, or a guest appearance by Yvette Fielding on an American paranormal TV show! It’s time! 51:47

“Just before I started Most Haunted, I didn’t believe in life after death. I really, really didn’t, Patrick, and it really affected my life.” Final thoughts from Yvette. 52:30

Outro 54:16

A special THANK YOU to Patreon supporters at the Super Paranerd and Parlor Guest level! 55:36

For more on Yvette Fielding:

Most Haunted Experience

Most Haunted: The Stage Show

Most Haunted (YouTube)

Paranormal Activity with Yvette Fielding (Podcast)

Yvette Fielding's Books on Amazon

Instagram: @realyfielding

The Big Seance Podcast can be found right here, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Please subscribe and share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me at [email protected]. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on my SpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the seance!