Cassadaga: The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community
(Part of the The Florida History and Culture Series Series)
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Book Overview
The story of a small Florida community that has drawn spiritual seekers for over 125 years
Calling
itself a "metaphysical mecca," the small town of Cassadaga, between
Orlando and Daytona Beach in central Florida, was established more than
125 years ago on the principle of continuous life, the idea that spirits
of the dead commune with the living. Though the founders of Cassadaga
have passed on to the "spirit plane," the quaint Victorian town remains
the oldest continuously active Spiritualist center in the South and was
added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. While the
community has often been sensationalized and misrepresented, this is the
first serious work to examine its history, people, cultural
environment, and religious system.
After presenting an overview of
nineteenth-century religion, the book explores the town's early years,
distinctive architecture, ritual life, core beliefs, healing work, and
view of the future. It also probes the extent to which Cassadaga has
assimilated New Age beliefs and reflects larger trends in contemporary
American religious culture.
The study includes a group biography
based on interviews with four residents, plus a chapter on the colorful
life of Eloise Page, a practicing medium in Cassadaga for more than 40
years. In addition, it features 47 photographs that guide readers
through the town and portray residents engaged in various sacred and
everyday activities.
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