My first induction into the dark arts was at the Arthur Findlay College of Spiritualism; it was the inspiration behind Hogwarts in the series Harry Potter.
When people ask me about where to learn things, I am often at a loss for words. Everyone thinks there's some short-cut, quick-fix, google search or recent best-selling book (usually a load of rubbish) to teach them everything the fast and the easy way. When I try explaining it doesn't work like that in my world they get angry. Its like asking a cardiologist where to cut first, or a painter which stroke and colors to use. Some things just take time, because mapping neural networking can never be rushed or faked.
The AFC was founded by Sir Winston Churchill
Yes, I come from a long line of psychics and mediums from both sides of my family, yes I trained at world class schools and yes I was born with it and have no idea what its like to live without it. All this is great- but I spent decades perfecting how to activate the psychic mechanism from techniques originally passed down through the ages from Ancient Mystery School Studies. I've also tested formulas and equations to actuate psychic sensing, and seen well over ten thousand sitters, from all around the globe for over 50 years. Perfecting neural mapping takes time. Experience means so much more than education, which is why I tend to choose older doctors, teachers, instructors, etc. whenever given the choice.
Many moons ago, as young mediums, we practiced in this cabinet
One Circle I've been teaching now for nearly 20 years (at my school Angelville, down by the river in Basalt, CO). I rarely have places to give to newcomers, and when I do its because someone died or moved away. It is here ancient mysteries are revealed and truly miraculous things have occurred from tables floating in the air, students floating to the 11 foot ceilings, profound out-of-body experiences, reunions with passed over loved-ones and friends, contact with spirits, ad infinitum. I have many witnesses who can attest to these and many more other-worldly events.
Believe it or not, AFC is quite a cozy place.
AFC Grand Staircase (its said people with ulterior motives tend to 'accidentally fall' down these stairwells). Sometimes you can sense a bunch of other spirits walking right besides you.
Starting out my psychic studies at the AFC (Arthur Findlay School in Stansted, England est.1871), was where Harry Potters infamous Hogwarts was said to be inspired. Its a magical place, and many incredible people attended there, but later I got admitted into the prestigious College of Psychic Studies in London. It was a magnificent place to be immersed, it was also from where all the legendary spiritualists of the last century spun their mystical webs. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was president of the CPS, and you can feel his presence in every nook and cranny.
Wiki describes the CPS as "A school filled with deeply strange people," I was never quite sure if I should be insulted or bemused.
Attending The College of Psychic Studies in London (est.1884) for 15 years, was a place of intense inner-disciplinary studies, that had strict rules of admission. You had to go thru three intense interviews just to get in and even if you were one of the 14 selected, it didn't guarantee you could stay in the group. After class began, and the instructor had spent a week with you, they'd systematically ask 2 people to leave. It was high-drama at times, and some were inconsolable because once they were asked to pack their things it was pretty much impossible to ever get back in.
In a brand new beginners class on Psychometry, the Asian teach Theresa L., had us each privately meet with her in the hallway before we even sat down in the class, to put a metal object we owned on this silver tray.
When we got into the Circle, we each picked out an object not knowing whose trinket we would read. I was second and picked a gold watch. I immediately sensed it belonged to this one particular man in the room and he was surprised I knew it was his straight away. It was our first night and we had not even met one another.
Focusing, I immediately heard the sound of type writers (this was before word processors were invented) and asked "Are you a writer?"
In stunned shock the man uttered "Yes."
I suddenly saw him writing vicious things about us and said, "You're a writer from The Sun who came here to spy on us and write degrading things."
It was like somebody dropped a bucket of ice water over his head as he started shaking, than yelled out "Give me back my watch!" as he snatched it from my hands and ran out of the room, as we heard him tripping down the long, spiraling staircase.
"Angel, you don't have to be so...uh...direct!" Laughed the teacher.
The whole class was dejected, acting like somebody had stolen their cotton candy, because the press in England was constantly trying to find ways to denigrate anything psychic. The press had caused so much damage that the old mediums refused to see anyone without three references. The most powerful mediums were mortal enemies with the press and it really was a shame since the only people who got to see their staggering psychic displays were students like me- which is just like preaching to the choir. I could never understand why the press did so many underhanded things, instead of bringing the metaphysical world into the light of day- which could potentially transform a lot of lives.
There were so many mind-blowing events that occurred at the CPS that its hard to narrow it down to just a few.
Once the famed wizard and healer, Geoff B. said as I walked into the library, "Cusick grab some stones from outside- I want to show you something."
"STONES? What kind of stones?" I was a city girl, and the thought of touching anything from the streets of London seemed nuts to me.
" I don't care! Whatever you can scrape up by the curb!" Said the exasperated wizard.
I went out and scraped some little stones from the street by the entrance, not really looking forward to the exercise because picking up stones on the street seemed kind of, well, lame.
Entrance to the College of Psychic Studies in Kensington, London, England. Straight across the street was the French School for Children who were often singing while we were in deep trance, adding a haunting sound to our already spooky world.
Geoff brought me to an empty classroom and told me to open my hands. I did as he said "Just focus on the stones." I did as instructed and what happened next I shall never forget.
These little stones started jumping and hopping and moving up and down in my open hand- but as they did so they made this hi-pitched piercing almost shrieking sound. It was so shocking but after a few moments Geoff somberly said "Don't tell anyone about this. I mean it Cusick." Geoff is a powerful wizard so the last thing I wanted to do was piss him off.
I said "Ok, but what do I do with these stones now?" I felt like they were my little friends.
"Just toss them back out on the street." Geoff rolled his big blue eyes and swept away like a big black cloud.
It dawned on me that according to The Great Chain of Being, humans, animals, plants and MINERALS are all regarded as living things. I just never got taught anything like this in science class and kind of felt bad throwing my little pet rocks back onto the road.
The stairs at the CPS went up and up and up and got narrower the higher you ascended. The giant Victorian paintings on the stairwell portray that of all the famous mediums and spiritualists that once graced the halls- it seemed like they were always watching and very much present in the classrooms.
It was at the CPS I learned to understand the magnitude of the power of the mind and how the more you activated the psychic mechanism, the more powerful it becomes.
Admitted to the inner-circles I studied for several years with several mediums and the most legendary one of all time, Ivy Northage. Ivy was short and stout like a teapot- but not half as cheery. All the mediums were sharp dressers and looked like they'd just stepped out of a Harrods Geriatric Fashion Magazine. Think Queen of England- but with a crystal pendant dangling from her wrinkly neck, and a wand, not sceptre, in her Burberry satchel. Ivy was a world renown transfigurist, which means she loses consciousness and lets a spirit take over their body. Chan was a byzantine monk whose face projected from Ivy's like a hologram. He sometimes singled me out and said things I can't detail in a condensed format. Things about the future of man and the precipitous situation we were all headed, which at the time made no sense- but now sends a shudder down my spine.
It seems like a world so removed from reality, but in those walls, surrounded by so many cosmic minds it made me see the futility of trying to expand any interest in the material world. It showed me the power of the soul and how critical it was to sustain it. Living in a material world its so easy to fall down the rabbit hole, where overtime one gets stuck and once the soul goes away one is left to subsist in a hollow universe.
I was taught by the Russian teacher Zora to constantly ask the soul to take control, she said when you sit in your car driving say "Spirit, I need you here, I need you now."
It really does work, try it yourself from wherever you are and see if you feel the subtle shift.
When deciding if this article was worth writing, my old library card from the CPS fell out of a book onto the floor. We were forbidden from taking pictures inside the college, but at least this little memento reminds me of a place that helped shape my neural world. Its been a whirlwind journey, and makes me gaze in wonder at every particle around me, especially the stones.
