Cassadaga: The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community (Florida History and Culture)

Calling itself a "metaphysical mecca," the small town of Cassadaga, between Orlando & Daytona Beach in central Florida, was established more than a century 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 & was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. While the community has often been sensationalized & misrepresented, this is the first serious work to examine its history, people, cultural environment, & religious system. After presenting an overview of 19th-century religion, the book explores the town's early years, distinctive architecture, ritual life, core beliefs, healing work, & view of the future. It also probes the extent to which Cassadaga has assimilated New Age beliefs & reflects larger trends in contemporary American religious culture. The study includes a group biography based on interviews with four older 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 & portray residents engaged in various sacred & everyday activities.Cassadaga: The South's Oldest Spiritualist Community (Florida History and Culture), 1st was published 2000 under ISBN 9780813017433 and ISBN 0813017432.