The rending has begun...

I have finally decided to take up the challenge and join the masses of bloggers.
This is an intriguing exercise and I can feel it - it's gonna be a bit of a challenge.

I have chosen the title to be "Rending The Veil" after my favourite book by William W. Aber published in 1899. This is probably the oldest book that sits on my bookshelf. Incidently, this is also the book that a stray possum chose to attack when he broke into the apartment looking for bread. Go figure...

The book contains direct transcripts from a series of spiritist sittings way back then. There are quite a few interesting statements that have been made by the "spirits", some of them rather mind-blowing. Yep, ghosts are retro but they're making a comeback!

The front page of the book is rather peculiar. It is kind of representative of what the end of the 19th century was all about and how the issue of spiritism was treated. Here it comes:

The Mystical Quadruple Interrogatory

How? What?? Whence??? Whither????

Concerning the Existence of Man, and all Things, and all Being, and all

Life, so far answered by the Contents of this Book as to

suggest for an appropriate Title, to-wit:

Rending The Vail

This Volume is compilation by J. H. Nixon of Psychic

Literature, mostly given by Spirits through

and by means of

Full-Form Visible Materializations,

At Seances of a certain Psychic Research Society known as the

Aber Intellectual Circle,

The Medium being

William W. Aber.

It is believed that

Rending The Vail

Is the only book in the World, as a Scientific Treatise of Phenomenal

Spiritualism, claiming its principal matter to be uttered

by EXCARNATE HUMAN SPIRITS while in

condition of VISIBLE REINCAR-

NATE FORM.

Publishers:

Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co.

Kansas City, MO.

1899.

Well, what can one say - after that intro it's rather hard not to have a peek inside.

I am not exactly sure how to apply myself through this blogging exercise. We'll just have to wait and see. The good thing is that this is a perfect medium (ahem) for expressing your feelings and reporting on the observations of the day.

Yes, I think this is what I'd like to do here. At least the first steps have been made...