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| A Tribute to Camp Chesterfield By Rev. Betty Tatalajski Recently thirty of us from the Temple of Universality enjoyed our annual retreat to the Chesterfield, Indiana Spiritualist Camp. Walking on those sacred grounds inspires us to keep spirituality as our goal and to honor the giants of Spiritualism upon whose shoulders we stand. The ascended Master Hilarion has spoken to me about the beginnings of spiritualism and how it was his "assignment," as it were, to bring about the "renting of the veil" between the worlds seen and unseen. As the epoch of Pisces was coming to a close and Aquarius was dawning it was imperative that humanity become multidimensional in its thinking. Aquarius is the age of self-awareness and self-responsibility. Humanity needs to adjust its thinking and accept its role in divinity. Andrew Jackson Davis, one of the earliest of the spiritual pioneers, was sensitive and psychic from birth, and early on the morning of March 31, 1848, he felt a soft breeze move across his face and a gentle voice whisper in his car: "The great work has begun." In another small New York village, Hydesville, little Katie Fox and her sister, Margaret, were answering the knocks on their walls from the peddler who had been murdered and buried in their cellar. These were "the knocks heard around the world." This spirit communication ushered in an explosion of psychic happenings, spirit communication and phenomenal demonstrations that amazed and frightened the masses. Thank God for those spiritual pioneers who had the integrity of purpose and self-discipline to persevere. Andrew Jackson Davis dictated from spirit his great work, "The principles of nature; Her divine revelations and a voice for Mankind." Two of his spiritual mentors were Galen the Philosopher and Emanuel Swedenborg, the great Swedish visionary and mystic. Many of the early spiritualist mediums were American. Rev. James L. Scott, a Baptist Minister, Rev. Thomas Lake Harris, Rev. A.H. Jervis, a Methodist minister, Cora Hatch, Deacon Hale, The Eddy Brothers, Sarah Tamlin and Mrs. Benedict are but a few of these legendary mediums. The first regular Spiritualist organization was founded in New York on June 10, 1854. It was called "The Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge." Two of its prominent members were the Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, Judge Edmond and Governor Tallmadge of Wisconsin. The Spiritualist light was lit in England by people like Florence Cook and her materialized figure Katie King. The greatest of all mediums, perhaps, was D. D. Home, from Edinburgh, Scotland. St. Germaine revealed to me that he has taken only two personal students for training; one being D. D. Homes, the other Kesab Chandra Sen, the Indian student of Swami Ramakrishna, who encouraged and was responsible for the success of the Ramakrishna Society. Of course, the Ramakrishna Society, which influenced Mohandas Gandhi, was under the guidance of St. Germaine. Spiritualism in Germany was the predecessor of Anthroposophy, founded by Rudolph Steiner and the investigations and writings of Max Muller. In Russia, the great mystics Gurdjeff and Ouspensky were adding a new dimension to religion and philosophy. The inimitable Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, under the direction of the Ascended Masters El Morya and Kuthumi, founded the Theosophical Society in New York and moved its headquarters to India. The great Italian medium, Eusapia Palladino thrilled many in her seances with her spiritual gifts. Spiritualism was supported and its mediums protected by great souls such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir William Crookes, Sir Oliver Lodge and Mrs. Hardinge Britten in England. Here in the United States, centers of spiritualism came alive. The trinity of great ones were: in the north, Lillydale, NY, in the south, Cassadaga, FL, and in the great heartland of America, Camp Chesterfield. On these grounds the Great Ones demonstrated proof of continuous life. And like my father told me at Camp Chesterfield in June, 1990, two months after he made transition into spirit: "You don't have to die to go to heaven, cause it's not a place like they said. It's the way you feel and see and think; and you will never, ever be dead. And hell's not a place you go just because you're not good. It's a place created by you mind -- because you said it could." Many light centers have dimmed; but Camp Chesterfield remains the spiritual heart of our country. It has been held sacred by Native Americans and the Spiritual Hierarchy for eons of time. It is greatly attuned to the Light of God. We pay tribute to all those who have kept the Light of Spiritualism burning brightly there for over one hundred and fifteen years. In each and every home on the camp grounds that light is anchored, we wish to thank some of them on behalf of all of them. Revs. Evelyn Reigle, Evelyn Carr, Judith Davis, Suzanne Greer, Phyllis D. Harrison, Louise Irvine, Hoyt Robinette, Patricia Kennedy, Win and Shirley Srogi, Willis Ward and Norman Williams. Our grateful thanks to many former mediums of Camp Chesterfield who are now a part of the teaching faculty of the Temple of Universality seminary classes. Now in spirit, they are: Revs. Bill English, Virginia Falls, Charlie Swan, Richard Ireland, Andrew Jackson Davis, Austin Wallace, Clifford Bias, Mable Riffle and Mamie Schultz Brown. Namaste, The God in me salutes the God in you. An excerpt from Betty's talk at Camp Chesterfield, Indiana, on July 1, 2001, Chesterfield, Indiana. |
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| A TRIBUTE TO OUR SPIRITUAL TEACHERS If money were our motivation And worldly fame our goal, We'd all be living in fancy places--- We'd let someone else play this role. With humble hearts we play our parts, Giving freely of our best. The glitz and the glamour For which our world clamors Would surely not pass our test. Fame and fortune would be nice— And would satisfy us for awhile. But we choose to keep walking In the steps of the Masters. Our goal is at the end of this mile. Rev. Betty Allen Tatalajski, Founder, Temple of Universality |
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