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Are Seances Real?
Are Seances real? Pat and Rebecca conclude their séance series with Mary Todd Lincoln. While at the White House, Mary Lincoln famously hosted at least 8 seances. She also attended many more throughout her tragic life. Do they prove that seances are real?
Questions Explored in this Episode
Who was Mary Todd Lincoln? What was her childhood like? How did she and Lincoln meet, break up, yet still get married? What was she like as First Lady? How did tragedy shape Mary Lincoln’s life? Why did she go to seances? What interested her in Spiritualism? Why was Spiritualism so popular during the Civil War? What happened at the seances she attended? Did President Lincoln ever attend a séance? Was she able to speak to those she lost?
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Listener Mail and Questions
This week’s listener came in the mail! Have a spooky story or question of your own (or someone you know)? Send your story or question to info@ghostlypodcast.com or leave a voicemail at 630-448-2138 and we might read or share it on the podcast. You could be on a future episode of Ghostly!
![[Willie and Tad Lincoln, sons of President Abraham Lincoln, with their cousin Lockwood Todd]
New York ; Washington, D.C. : Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries, [1861]
1 photographic print : albumen, on carte de visite mount ; 10 x 6 cm.](https://i0.wp.com/ghostlypodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/373px-Willie_and_Tad_Lincoln_sons_of_President_Abraham_Lincoln_with_their_cousin_Lockwood_Todd_LOC_3253741134.jpg?resize=352%2C566&ssl=1)
History of Mary Todd Lincoln
Pat dives into the fascinating history of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. From how she and Abe Lincoln met to how she dealt with tragic loss throughout her life, Pat helps us better understand a misunderstood, important figure in history.
The Debate on Lincoln
Rebecca and Pat debate several instances of seances around Mary Todd Lincoln and her husband President Abraham Lincoln. Once her son Willie died while they were in the White House, Mary started to speak with mediums and people in the spiritualist movement. Was she able to reach her sons and husband after they died?
Poll Results
Find out what listeners said for the Houdini Séance episode with Jacob Mayfield – Are seances real? Still need to listen to our previous episode? Check it out here.
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Ghostly Book Club
Interested in joining our new Ghostly Book Club? If you want to read spooky books and talk about them with fellow Ghostly listeners, sign up at ghostlypodcast.com/book-club. Our next meeting is in January.
Ghostly Gear
New merchandise store right on our website at ghostlypodcast.com/store for all your Ghostly Gear! Several new items including Microclimate shirts! Also grab a Ghostly mask.
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Sources for this Week’s Episode
Firstladies.org: http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=17
and http://www.firstladies.org/blog/first-ladies-the-occult-seances-and-spiritualists-part-1/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Todd_Lincoln
Whitehouse.gov: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/first-ladies/mary-todd-lincoln/
Biography.com: https://www.biography.com/us-first-lady/mary-todd-lincoln
White House History: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/seances-in-the-red-room
Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-spiritualist-who-warned-lincoln-was-also-booths-drinking-buddy-180954317/
Lincoln Cottage: https://www.lincolncottage.org/mary-lincolns-seance-at-the-soldiers-home/
Medium.com: https://medium.com/s/radical-spirits/mary-todd-lincoln-spiritualist-914078802371
The History Reader: https://www.thehistoryreader.com/us-history/spiritualists-lincolns-white-house/
The Search for Life After Death: https://thesearchforlifeafterdeath.com/2016/07/04/seances-in-abraham-lincolns-whitehouse/
The Lincoln Collection: https://lincolncollection.tumblr.com/post/90364316649/the-lincolns-and-the-spiritualists
Music for this episode was performed by Michael Rivers
Intro: “III. Allegro moderato from Gargoyles” by Lowell Liebermann
Outro: “Dream Images (Love-Death Music)” by George Crumb
Bumper: “Ghost Waltz” by Lowell Liebermann