We make it to Cassadaga about once a year. Our last trip there was after a book conference in St. Augustine, which we wrote about here. This time, it was after a book conference in Daytona.
We left in the middle of the afternoon and the drive south was uneventful. No synchros. But we’d had several at the book conference, so we were feeling pretty good about things. This time, we had decided not to stay at the Cassadaga Hotel. Our last stay there in 2009 was, well, awful. The hotel has deteriorated. The rooms are dingy and smell of mold, the beds are hopeless, and for what you get, it’s ridiculously expensive. It’s also an unsettling place to stay – weird noises in the middle of the night, disturbing dreams, restless ghosts. This time, we booked a room at a bed and breakfast in nearby Lake Helen. It was delightful. Trish and Megan had stayed here during a stop while looking at colleges in Megan’s senior year.
Friday evening, we walked around the camp, stopped in the local bookstore to see which mediums were listed on the bulletin boards, bought a couple of books. We decided to return the next morning for readings. The British woman who owns the bed and breakfast, had suggested some good restaurants in nearby Deltona, and we ended up eating at a country club that was part of a vast development of homes on a golf course. It was really kind of ironic. We’re not country club type people. We couldn’t quite wrap our heads around the fact that the place existed just five miles or so up the road from one of the strangest communities in Florida.
On our way back to the bed and breakfast, we noticed a new sign posted in front of the Cassadaga camp: Camp Closed from Dusk to Dawn. Not a single car in the hotel parking lot – i.e., the hotel is empty. There’s undoubtedly a story about that weird sign, but we don’t have a clue what that story is. Cassadaga always seems to be involved in some sort of feud with the “uncertified mediums,” who have set up shop outside of the official grounds of the camp.
The B and B was comfortable, the bed was great, and the breakfast the next morning, included in the price, was fantastic. And it cost less than a night at the Cassadaga Hotel.
So that morning we set off in search of readings. In Cassadaga, this search is a process. You either spend time walking around the camp, waiting to see which house, which sign on a front lawn, leaps out at you, or you walk across the street to where the uncertified mediums ply their trade and pick a name from a hat. Usually, we stop in to see our friend Helen Burly, a fantastic medium, but she wasn’t at home. So Rob selected Ed Conklin, one of the old timers in Cassadaga, one of the “certified” mediums, which means that somewhere along the line he had to pass a test.
Rob recently lost his cousin and wanted to see what, if anything, Ed could pick up. After his reading, we had lunch at the Lost in Time Cafe and Rob went through his notes. “Not so good,” he said. “Really general.”
Disappointment. We’ve done this enough over the years so that we know when a medium starts talking about your Indian guide and that tomahawk, he’s floundering. However, Ed did have a couple of hits about Rob’s grandfather, but was it worth the money for the reading? Where was the info about his cousin, his father, friends who have passed on? Where was the real meat of this thing?
We were going to head home after that, but decided to drive back to Lake Helen, to a new age bookstore the B and B owner had recommended. According to her, the store was started by a couple of women who had broken off from the camp. Ah. Rebels, revolutionaries, great. Let’s try it.
Enchanted Soul of Cassadaga smelled good when we walked in, like a lot of New Age bookstores do.Incense, candles, whatever it is, the atmosphere was pleasant. One woman was behind the counter and two other women hovered nearby. The woman behind the desk asked if we wanted readings. “That depends,” Trish said. “What does it cost and what are the techniques?”
Two choices: a crystal/rock reading or an angel reading, Trish chose the stones. Rob sat down to wait for her and he and the angel lady struck up a conversation.
Trish:
I was amazed at what can be divined from stones. I’ve never had this sort of reading before. Becky (a Leo and a former accountant) must have spread out a hundred stones – tiger’s eyes, lapis, quartz crystals – I don’t know much about stones, so my choices were strictly intuitive, whatever caught my eye. Through my choices, she was able to tell quite a bit about my relationships with people from my childhood (parents, sister), my goals, my family now. She didn’t know I was a writer until I told her, but said that the Esperanza series would be at least 7 books (we’ll see!) and that there would be ore books on synchronicity (that was the weekend we got our offer for the second book). There were some definite hits.
Meanwhile, Rob ended up getting a reading from Starr Morgana, the angel lady, as they sat there talking. Before we left the store, she insisted on doing this interesting interactive thing with us, a healing activity, in which our palms got so red that we could actually see the blood flowing into our fingertips.
This trip didn’t have anything that was earth shattering. We got home to kitties who had peed on the bathmats, to a dog who had eaten our neighbors’ glasses and children’s toys, to calls from our daughter about boyfriend problems. But Cassadaga stays with you. It’s a place that offers you a peek, however obscure, into your own psyche, your own present and future. It confirms what you feel about where you are in your life and really, how much fun is it to have a choice of psychic readings? Mediums, tarot, astrology, past life, angels and stones: it’s all there for the taking.
I'm sorry…. http://Www.jimfargiano.blogspot.com
Or you can google Jim fargiano blog ;)!
Oh, I posted a couple of posts this morning on my blog you may be interested in ;)…
Jeni – the link didn't work. Can you put up again? Thanks!
Cassadaga sounds great ~ Lilydale too … Although I live on Long Island which is full if incredible mediums..George Anderson, Jeffrey wands, Jim Fargiano, Richard Hansen, Richard the Medium….. Just to name a few :)!!
Thanks for the incredible blog post! This along with all the comments has been extremely enlightening!
I'd like to share a blogpost I have found to be inspiring in this world of spirits: http://www.jimfargiano.blogpost.com!
(how I came across him is a bit of a synchronicity)!
Love being led by my angels,
jeni
Just dropping back by and remembered a dream last night with the name Lilly yelled out…. hmmm, wonder if it has anything to do with Lilydale? Maybe I'm meant to visit.
Vicki D – the website is:
https://www.consciousmedianetwork.com/
Tons and tons of interviews of people from Lynn MacTaggart to David Icke. Well worth your time checking out – very professionally done.
cassadaga is certainly on my hit list and has been since i first read about it through you all – a really great post and such fun that you took us with you all on your journey! i once had a stone reading by a young woman just beginning and was amazed at how accurate she was – somewhere i still have my notes on it – will share once i find them in the midst of these boxes! 😉
Darn, two of my favorite places……I visited Shasta this summer. Awesome Mount Shasta is a dormant group of three (as opposed to extinct) volcanoes that brood,indeed like a great God or Goddess, over the vast valley. The town of Shasta is nearby, with a long reputation for attracting artists and mystics……..there are also hot springs nearby. Now I have to visit Cassadega sometime!
Rob & Trish,
If you ever cross the waters to OZ,check out a place called Byron Bay in New South Wales.
https://www.byron-bay.com/
It's about 100 miles from where I live,but I go down there at least once every 2 months.It's Australia's answer to San Francisco,but on a much smaller scale.You could even try to twist your publishers arm to send you to the Byron Bay Writer's Festival to minimize the cost.
https://www.byronbaywritersfestival.com.au/v1/index.php
When I go down there I always try to pop into the Abraxas Bookshop and purchase something from this magical little store.
https://www.abraxas-net.com.au/
Cheers / Daz
Sansego,
I've read that book by Christine Wicker,"Not in Kansas Anymore",in fact I still have it on my bookcase and she didn't come across as a skeptic to me,although I wouldn't say she came across as a believer either,but I did enjoy the book never the less.
Daz
Nancy,
I just did a Google search on Mt.Shasta and came up with this blog by someone in The Golden Dawn and if you scroll down past all the auction stuff there are some truly amazing pictures of this mountain.I can't believe the weird cloud formations in these pictures.It looks like a special place alright and I've never even heard of it until you mentioned it here,but then I do live in Australia.
Cheers / Darren
I have no idea, but the reader I had two weeks ago, also said that we were coming over and that I would meet up with a lady from my past and it would be like when I met Mark. (very exciting for me and my Guides).
It all depends on Mark's business deal/ launch coming off well. One lady said it would be when Noah was 5. He will be 5 next August. I expect we will stay quite a few weeks, as she also said that we would be given accomodation and just have to pay for expenses.
I cannot wait.
Synchronicity: Sunday we stopped in a metaphysical shop downtown here that I never knew was there. (Imagine that!!) The owners are an older couple; both are mediums. She was born and raised in LilyDale, NY, into a medium family. Lilydale is the precursor to Cassadaga. It was there first, then a group of the mediums from there moved south and established the camp near here. I love to visit Spirit Lake in the Camp. Beautiful frequency. But now lots of friction between the secular mediums and the spiritual mediums. A war zone. Too bad. But still a nice place to visit and they do have some good mediums there. Finding one is the challenge! cj
Nat -how long are you going to be in the U.S.?
Have never visited Lilydale, but it's considered Cassadaga's sister community. have never visited shasta, either, although everyone who has been there raves about it.
Sounds like a really fun place. 🙂
I have never heard of a crystal reading either, just another tool to tune in I suppose?
I just watched a show about Lilydale which I found very interesting. When I come over to the U.S, i will seriously have to go to all of these places. I keep getting the nudge about Mt Shasta, and I found an old reading of mine where the lady said i would go to the U.S and meet up with a woman from many of my past lives.
Can't wait to get over there now. 🙂
I've spent many summers in Chautaqua County, N.Y., and been in Lilydale many times; it is one of my favorite places. It has two old hotels, both of which are reasonable to stay in, and charming, although at at "school for mediums", haunted in interesting ways. It has an old growth grove (Leolyn Woods) where they've been holding the "stump service" for over a hundred years…..that grove is truly magical, the energy so high you can see it. They open the summer season with a group of Tibetan monks who make a sand mandala. There is a restaurant and lovely coffee shop, many B & B's, two lakes (one is Lake Cassadega)and many workshops throughout the summer, as well as free sessions at the healing temple, and free readings at the "stump service". And of course, there are many mediums living there.
Lily Dale, New York is another spiritualist community that I would like to visit someday after reading a book about it by a skeptic writer named Christine Wicker (whom I met at her lecture / booksigning. She's a dead ringer for Annette Bening).
Lily Dale is between Cleveland OH and Buffalo NY, and they have summer programs that attract big name mediums like James Van Praag and John Edward.
All sounds a great place to visit – never know in life, may get there one day. Enjoyed the read.
I've always wanted to visit Casadaga maybe someday.
I laughed at how when you came back home you got slapped back into reality!
Pets will do that and especially our daughters.
Looks like no matter what you'll be kept busy writing.
Nancy, what is the new website you've been watching?
I just learned of a small town near our home that has turned into a spiritual center – Mt Shasta, CA. I think the next time I'm headed to Portland we will spend the night there, as we go right through it. I've been watching a new website that has tons of interviews and many are held in Mt. Shasta.
Cassadaga sounds so interesting to visit.
I can see Esperanza as a series. I would love to see at least one sequel about the ghost ship of Chiloé.
Ray