Here in Rochester, New York we have the unique privledge to live in the historical birthplace of the Spiritualist movement, with Hydesville to the East of Rochester where the advent of Spiritualism began on March 31 1848, to here in Rochester itself, where Spiritualism was publicly announced to the world on November 14th 1849 in Corinthian Hall.
Rochester is located Western New York in an area known as the Burned Over District, named so because the “fires” of evangelism and spiritual movements spread over this amazing ancient mystical landscape like wildfire.
The Spiritualist Movement is in many ways connected to these other movements and their teachers, and I would like just for a moment to honor these traditions by mentioning some of the teachers that came before us:
The Haudenosaunee Prophet, Handsome Lake, who’s visions of the Creator brought peace, social justice, and healing to an oppressed people.
Mother Ann Lee, and her Society of Believers, also called the Shakers, who taught that God is Our Mother, and a simple and song filled life is the most meaningful.
The Religious Society of Friends, also called the Quakers, who understood that God is alive and present within every single person.
Emanuel Swedenborg, whose teachings spread among some of the early settlers of New York State, that preached the closeness of the world of angels in vivid detail.
Franz Fredrich Mesmer, whose students brought his holistic teachings of magnetic spiritual healing to the hills of New York State.
Founder’s Day is a day set aside to honor those teachers who paved the way for Spiritualism to develop and form as a religion and philosophy. The day marks the beginning of the first Spiritualist Progressive Lyceum which was founded on January 25th, 1863 based on the teachings and principles written and explained by Andrew Jackson Davis.
Andrew Jackson Davis (not to be confused with President Andrew Jackson) is often referred to as to as the “John the Baptist” of the Spiritualist movement, in that his visions and mystical teachings regarding natural philosophy, mediumship, and the Spirit World predated the arrival of the Spiritualist Movement by only a few years. Similar to how the prophetic and mystical teachings of John the Baptist predated the advent of Christianity and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
Andrew Jackson Davis, was known as the ‘Poughkeepsie Seer’ Davis was an extremely accomplished Medium and Spiritual healer; in his early years he would dictate his visions and messages in a semi-trance state while another individual would write and record them; later, as he developed his mediumship abilities, he would write down messages and visions himself.
Davis wrote an enormous body of works, covering almost every subject conceivable, including metaphysics, philosophy, astronomy, medicine, and his experiences with spiritual phenomenon, most famously, his visions of a peaceful realm in the spirit world which he termed the Summerland.
Davis referred to his teachings as the ‘Harmonial Philosophy’ and gave lectures on this topic throughout his life. He found his teachings especially well received by Spiritualists, and while he never formally joined a Spiritualist association, he considered Spiritualism to be the highest form of religion. At one point stating ‘“It is the grandest religion ever bestowed upon mankind.’
Through the study, discussion, and investigation of his Harmonial Philosophy many Spiritualists developed a uniquely Spiritualist system to express their beliefs and teachings. This is truly Davis’s greatest contribution to Spiritualism as a religious, philosophical, and mystical tradition, that although many of his texts are no longer studied directly by the majority of Spiritualists, his teachings have so saturated Spiritualist thought and practice that some have argued that Davis is the true philosophical founder of Modern American Spiritualism.
However, the real purpose of this day is actually not Andrew Jackson Davis, the real purpose is education.
Davis passionately loved learning, though he described himself as “mostly uneducated” he had a life long drive for knowledge, eventually going on to formally study topics such as literature, philosophy, medicine, and natural science so he could understand his visions and spiritual experiences more clearly.
Davis recognized the importance of education not just in the sense of acquiring certifications or diplomas, but in developing wisdom that would provide us with a moral compass. The true goal of the Harmonial Philosophy and of Spiritualism as taught by Davis was that by developing ourselves spiritually through seeking wisdom and acting with kindness, we can create a world and society, where his divine visions of the peaceful Summerland, a place of harmony, justice, and equality, would be active on earth.
Davis summarizes this teaching very simply by stating:
Do you wish to promote your own personal development? Then work for the personal development of others.
Davis explained, that God, Infinite Intelligence, is present in all things, and acts through us, rather than on us, therefore, as Spiritualists with this knowledge of Truth, it is our enlightened purpose to build up the world, care for the world, and heal the world:
Davis explained that the path to peace and happiness, is to harmonize our thoughts and our deeds with nature, and with God, because all things are essentially interconnected.
Davis stated:
God is always in everything, and more especially in the idea of everything. You and your God may walk together. The Divine is not far off, looking with a great eye to see whether you are doing the fair thing or not. An idea is from God. Work from its inspirations, and you and your God become one. Thus the inheritance of life becomes a perpetual blessing.
In his book the Penetralia, which Davis himself considered to be the most wise and useful of all his works, Davis laid out a simple plan for the individual person to follow in order to bring about his shining vision of a harmonial world. He explained his plan using a simple phrase from the Lord’s Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done:
“Thy Kingdom Come” In the Morning arise - resolved to do nothing against, but everything for, the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Happiness for all being the object, let every action during the Day spring from such well-conceived and well-developed thoughts as lead to its attainment. In the Evening retire - at Peace with yourself, at Peace with the divine principles of Universal Love and Wisdom
“Thy Will Be Done” Be instructed by the Past, and by all it has brought you.
Be thankful for the Present, and for all its blessings.
Be hopeful for the Future, and for all it promises to bring you. Observe these Rules, and the Harmonies of the Kingdom of God will be with you, and Peace on Earth and Good Will toward Man will be realized.
