In the 1850s, when polite society dictated what a lady could and could not do, many of the fairer sex dabbled in parapsychology to gain prominence without being chastised by the men in their lives…..

“Didn’t I forbid you to attend that blasted séance at Maude Blanchard’s house?” the fleshy man blustered  from across the table.

Eyes downcast, Caroline picked at the heavy linen napkin beside her plate before whispering, “Yes Father.”

“Then you willingly disobeyed me?” her dinner partner demanded as his beefy face purpled.

Pausing a moment to gather herself, Caroline looked up into the blood-shot eyes of her remaining parent.  “Madame Reneé specifically asked for my assistance.”

“Madame Reneé,” he snorted in reply.

Straightening her shoulders, Caroline answered, “That’s right, Papa.” In a  voice steeled with bravado, she added,  “Together, Madame Reneé and I contacted Mother.”

“Madeline,” he choked out, “You communicated with my Madeline.”

Gaining confidence, the young blond woman leaned forward to grasp his gnarled hands saying,  “Mother sends her love.”

Clearly she had bested the distraught man before her.

For the next 150 years, spirit writing has taken the following two forms:

In trance or automatic writing, an angel or spirit supposedly guides the medium’s hand to produce the communication.

The message flows through the clairvoyant who scribbles frantically on paper fed to her by a helper.  Some may slip into a trance – like state while others report feeling the heat of angry words or the coolness of a calm message.

In slate writing, the spirit supposedly moves the chalk or slate pencil unaided.

Seated across from each other, the medium and assistant hold the corner of an ordinary slate pressed tightly against the underside of the table.  The spirit writes with a small piece of chalk sandwiched between the slate and the table.

Often debunked by the great magician Harry Houdini, spirit writing forms the backbone of the successful Aunt Dimity series by Colorado author Nancy Atherton.  Sharing clues from beyond the grave, Dimity Westwood helps her American niece solve one mystery after another.

First introduced to Dimity through a series of bedtime stories, Lori Shepherd not only lives in her English aunt’s  honey-colored cottage, but also communicates with her there. Retreating to the study in the Cotswolds, the young mother of twin boys, cracks open the dark blue leather journal and poses a question.

Immediately the pages come alive with Dimity’s distinctive script and an answer.  While this type of spirit writing does not exactly fit into the two types described above, it has served author Nancy Atherton well through 14 books over the course of 17 years with another one due out in 2010.

Categorized as light fantasy, the stories provide all of the elements of a good mystery without the sex and violence found in more graphic novels.  The first two novels: Aunt Dimity’s Death and Aunt Dimity and the Duke can now be found under the title:  Introducing Aunt Dimity, Paranormal Detective.

For a complete list of the Dimity mysteries or to learn more about this unconventional author, click here.

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