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Friends,
Autumn is my favorite time of year. Why? Well, because I love pumpkin spice lattes. And sweatshirts. But mainly because this is the time of year when I get to talk about what I love best—myths, legends, and mysteries. The next four months are filled with snippets of historical background, religious beliefs, and unusual practices.
A time of year when the unexplainable becomes acceptable.
Except when it doesn’t…
A Shift in Belief Systems
Magic…
Ah, the cornerstone of all myths and legends.
But magic is not just casting spells and changing shapes. It comes in all forms of ‘unexplainable events.’ Take, for instance, magicians. They wow audiences with their death-defying tricks, quick hand movements, and the ability to draw the eye to the left hand while the right hand is doing something else.
Magic in its purest form. No hocus pocus. No reason for anyone to scream ‘devil worshiper.’ Just good old-fashioned fun.
Which brings me to my favorite magician of all time- Harry Houdini.
Now, before you think, this is another blog about how he escaped some of the most terrifying restraints known to man… let me set the record straight.
This is not about his magic. This concerns his relationship with spiritualism and his friendship with Sir Author Conan Doyle.
A Bro-mance
Sir Author Conan Doyle – the Scottish author of Sherlock Holmes, and if you follow my books, a minor character in The Writer and The Librarian. A guy who used to play cricket with JM Barrie, author of Peter Pan.
A man who helped get a conviction overturned for a man wrongly accused of murder.
Someone who believed in Fairies.
Now, on the outskirts, Houdini and Sir Doyle are not a likely pair for a budding friendship. Sir Doyle was a Scottish Victorian gentleman, and Houdini was a Hungarian immigrant. Their paths should never have crossed. But it did, and they became friends.
Not over magic. But over Spiritualism.
The Foundation is Set.
Sir Doyle was an avid spiritualist and had a widespread following in the U.S. and the U.K. He spent thousands of dollars (millions in today’s economy) trying to prove that the dead did, in fact, exist.
What is spiritualism? In its simplest form, it is the belief that spirits can communicate with the living using a medium. If you have read my book The Witch and The Prophet, you will know that I discuss the Witch of Endor, a ‘medium’ used by King Saul to raise Samuel’s soul. How did I discover her story? I read the Old Testament.
Yup, the bible.
So, the idea of mediums being used is really not that far-fetched. At least historically speaking.
On the other hand, Houdini was not a believer. Why would he be? He spent his whole career proving he could pull something out of nothing. But Houdini didn’t have proof that mediums were frauds, and Sir Doyle refused to believe that Houdini didn’t have magical powers.
Yet, unlike in modern society, the two men could put aside their differences and engage in open and candid conversations about their differing belief systems.
Unfortunately, what happened next would rattle the world…
Not so Clear-Cut.
It all started when Sir Doyle invited Houdini to a séance led by no one other than Sir Doyle’s wife, Lady Jean Doyle, a self-proclaimed medium. Now, looking back, this could have gone one of two ways. Lady Doyle could have just ‘called up’ a random spirit, knocked the table a few times, rang a bell or two, and they could have all had a good laugh.
Or Lady Doyle could get ahead of herself and cross a line.
She went for broke.
Lady Doyle decided to ‘call up’ Houdini’s beloved mother, Cecelia Weisz, who had died nine years earlier. A death that rocked Houdini to his core because he wasn’t there when she passed away. A woman whom he held in the highest esteem and would do anything for.
Not only did she play with fire, but she also threw gasoline on the flames. Communication with Cecelia was done through psychography, better known as ‘auto-writing,’ a trick used by some mediums to prove that the spirits were present without actually having to ‘talk’ to them.
Lady Doyle wrote a 15-page letter from Cecelia to her son, which was signed, sealed, and delivered with a cross in the upper corner.
The problem was that it was written in English- a language she didn’t speak.
And Cecelia was Jewish. She would have never used a cross.
The nail in the coffin? It was Cecelia’s birthday, and she hadn’t mentioned it once in the letter.
The Stage was Set.
Houdini was speechless. Sir and Lady Doyle assumed it was because emotions overcame him. And that’s not far from the truth. It just wasn’t the emotion they were hoping for.
Houdini was pissed. He holds his tongue for a moment, and then, bam, out of the blue, he announces to the public that there is NOTHING that could convince him that spiritualism is true.
Obviously, Sir and Lady Doyle are hurt by this proclamation, mostly because Houdini didn’t say anything to them before the bombshell.
To make matters worse, Houdini is on Scientific American magazine’s panel of judges, searching for anyone who can scientifically prove the existence of ghosts. He attends séances in disguise and exposes the ‘frauds’ and their use of props.
Then, in 1926, Houdini testified before Congress to pass a bill regulating mediums and fortune tellers.
Plot Twist…
Ironically, Houdini and his wife, Bess, had a pack. If one of them should die, the deceased would try to communicate with the living spouse using a ‘special, predetermined code.’ For ten years, Bess held a séance, hoping to hear from her husband.
He never showed up.
Final Thoughts
I could spend months on spiritualism and its murky waters of religion vs. reality. To some, the belief in an afterlife where loved ones can communicate with the living brings tremendous relief and peace.
Spiritualism gained popularity in the aftermath of war, particularly in the U.S. following the Civil War, and worldwide after World War I. I am hard-pressed to find it in myself to attack the belief system because of what it meant and still means to so many people.
How Houdini pursued the mediums may have been a bit brutal. Regardless of whether the mediums were frauds, and I genuinely believe that most people knew them to be, they did bring something to the table—no different than a pastor or a priest. They brought closure.
As with all my historical blogs, the final decision is yours. I only provide a brief overview of the facts. Was Lady Doyle in the wrong for trying to fool the master fooler? Or was Houdini the bad guy for attacking a religious belief just because he found a few bad apples?
Until next time, my friend, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.
For those hungry to explore more, click below to find additional readings:
The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America’s First Superhero. The Secret Life of Houdini traces the arc of the master magician’s life from desperate poverty to worldwide fame—his legacy later threatened by a group of fanatical Spiritualists led by esteemed British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Initiating the reader into the arcane world of professional magic, Kalush and Sloman decode a life based on deception, providing an intimate and riveting portrayal of Houdini, the man and the legend.
Doyle’s World―Lost & Found: The Unknown Histories of Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Son-father duo Daniel Friedman, MD, and Eugene Friedman, MD, take us on a vividly written journey into the mysterious labyrinth that is the life and mind of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—a deft unraveling of the tapestry of inspirations, experiences, and intricate puzzle pieces that gave birth to the enigmatic genius of Sherlock Holmes.
If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my series, The Raven Society. It is a spellbinding historical fantasy series that takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?
The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):
Signed copies at:
https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/
The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):
The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)
Explore more blogs here:
Sources:
Harry Houdini: Fake news fighting pioneer – IU East Library Blog
WILD ABOUT HARRY: Guest blog: Mr. Houdini Goes to Washington, Part I
What are your thoughts?