NEWS
Spiritual healers have hands-on approach… SPIRITUAL healers at two of the Isle of Wight’s Spiritualist churches have adopted a handson programme to take healing directly into the community. The details came from Sylvia Knight, the healing leader at Ryde church, which has teamed up with counterparts from Ventnor Spiritualist Church. Maureen Turpin is the healing leader at Ventnor church. “We’ve joined together to work in the community at healing and well-being shows around the island,” Sylvia told PN. “The joint venture began eight years ago – and is still going strong.” It first began when “we were at a healing session in Ventnor church. A young man came in and told us he was arranging a healing festival in Ventnor Botanic Garden to raise funds to help towards the cost of running the gardens and asked if we would like to take part. “As this was a Thursday and the festival was on the following Saturday and Sunday, we decided we would give it a go. I had a gazebo and between the rest of the team we cobbled together a stand. “We were very surprised and pleased with the response we had at the festival. We now have our own gazebo and banners advertising the churches. “The island has many festivals. Depending on time and cost we try to do at least three a year.” Between five and ten healers are involved, but the number of those attending “varies due to work and other commitments.” The healers come from various backgrounds. They include “a hairdresser, a shop assistant, three carers, an assistant manager at the local cinema, a pizza delivery man and a receptionist. The rest of us are retired.” Sylvia said that members of the public are sometimes surprised to find spiritual healers offering treatment. The most common complaints for which people seek healing help are “aching limbs. “Others just like the peace and calmness they get. We’ve treated those of all ages from small children to senior citizens. “We’ve also given healing to dogs, but several of us have treated horses. Last
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PSYCHIC NEWS | JULY 2018
HERE Phillippa Read gives healing to a young alpaca named Sunny. He is being held by Christabelle Kemmish, the daughter of the farm’s owner.
month, some of us went to one of Ryde church’s patients who has horses, sheep and alpacas to practise healing.” Ventnor church has a team of ten fully qualified healers and one trainee whilst Ryde has three fully qualified healers and five trainees. Their congregations average 26. Asked, “It has to be said that not all Spiritualist churches get along – what’s your secret?” Sylvia said: “We don’t have a secret. We’re all adults. We have strong spiritual leaders and have been taught well. “We all actually like one another and get on really well. All the healers who attend the festivals have a good sense of humour and we enjoy working together.” Three healers have also treated several residents at the Elms Nursing Home. Registered to accommodate up to 48 people, it cares for those requiring rehabilitation services and folk needing nursing. In the grounds, there are also seven assisted-living cottages which allow residents to live independently in their own homes whilst knowing that the
nursing home is only a short distance away. “One resident we give healing to at The Elms is Peter West, he has had a couple of heart attacks and a couple of strokes,” said Sylvia. “He also has diabetes. All the toes on his right foot were removed. Peter is the brother of the vice-president at Ryde church. “The other resident is Reg Brown, who has heart and chest problems. Reg used to come to Ventnor church for healing. When he was no longer fit enough to drive, we would go to his home to give him healing. “At the beginning of last year, Reg was taken into the nursing home and asked us to visit him there.” Sylvia added: “We have had several people who come on holiday to the island each year and seek us out at the Ventnor Botanical Healing Festival. “The festival is held in August. The gardens were originally owned by the council, but are now privately owned. The charity which the festival aids financially changes each year, but is always a local one. “People of all races and religions visit us for healing at these festivals. I doubt they would have come into a Spiritualist church.” The founders of Ryde Spiritualist Church were Mr and Mrs Perkis. Daisy Perkis began Spiritualist meetings in her home in Ryde in 1922. These meetings then moved into a schoolroom, as numbers were averaging 21. On August 10, 1923, an inaugural meeting was held in the Anglesea Hall. Oliver Perkis became the first president and Mrs Perkis the secretary. An application for affiliation to the Spiritualists’ National Union (SNU) was accepted. Regular Sunday services were held from September 16, 1923. The property the church now occupies is a converted stable. Meanwhile, Ventnor Spiritualist Church as it is today was dedicated on November 30, 1938, by Ernest Oaten, a former editor of Two Worlds. The church’s roots go back to 1924 when regular services for 60 or more people were held in the Co-operative Hall. A building fund was formed to buy the present property. Sylvia added: “Another item of interest