ABOUT SILVER BIRCH

Silver Birch

There are a number of possible reasons why you have visited this website. The first and most likely is that you are already a 'follower' of Silver Birch and have found his great wisdom and spiritual insights of benefit in your life. In this case you will welcome the reprints of the classic books of his teachings. Whatever the reason, the chances are that Silver Birch's wisdom will remain with you forever. Long after you have forgotten his precise words, his guidance will still be a very real influence whenever you need it. Silver Birch's words are so accessible and meaningful that you will never tire of reading them. But who is Silver Birch, the spirit guide whose words are faithfully recorded here? And who was Maurice Barbanell, the London medium who channelled that wisdom? Without an answer to these questions, many new readers - however impressed with these teachings - will be puzzled about their source.

Maurice Barbanell

Barbanell was the founder and editor of a weekly Spiritualist newspaper, Psychic News, and for half a century devoted his life to spreading spiritual knowledge through its columns and those of other publications with which he was associated.

In his own obituary, which he wrote before his passing at the age of 79 on July 17th 1981, he revealed that he was told by Estelle Roberts' Red Cloud - a spirit guide for whom he had the greatest admiration - that in a previous incarnation he had made a promise to reincarnate and devote his life to spreading Spiritualism. Though he had no knowledge of that life or promise, events certainly conspired to make it possible.

He was born to Jewish parents in a poor area of London's East End. His mother was devoutly religious but his father, a barber was an atheist so Barbanell heard many arguments about religion during his early years. His father always won, and his son adopted the same outlook but later changed to agnosticism. Yet after hearing about Spiritualism from a speaker at a social and literary club of which he was secretary, Barbanell refused to start the debate by putting an opposing view - one of his duties - because, he explained, he had made no personal investigation and therefore his opinions were valueless.

This impressed the speaker who invited Barbanell to attend a seance in which a medium, Mrs Blaustein, was entranced by various spirits of different nationalities. He was not impressed, and on a second visit fell asleep. Barbanell apologised, believing that either boredom or tiredness had been responsible, but the other circle members informed him that he had not been asleep but had been in a trance and a Red Indian had spoken through him.

With the encouragement of a famous Fleet Street journalist Hannen Swaffer, Barbanell founded Psychic News partly as a vehicle for the guide's teachings. But, because he knew he would be criticised for publishing his own mediumship in his own newspaper, Barbanell did not reveal to his readers for many years who was channelling the wisdom, by which time the guide had a huge following on his own merits.

Silver Birch spoke regularly at Barbanell's home circle and the proceedings were always recorded shorthand. There were a number of differences in style and procedure between Barbanell's own journalistic efforts and the way in which Silver Birch communicated, as Barbanell himself observed: "In my working life I use words every day. I have never yet written or dictated an article with which I was satisfied when I read it. Inevitably I find, when looking at the typed material, that I can improve it by altering words, phrases and sentences. No such problem arises with the guide's teachings. These flow perfectly, requiring usually only punctation. Another interesting aspect is the occasional use of words that I regard as archaic and do not form part of my normal vocabulary."

Silver Birch

But who was Silver Birch? A psychic artist depicts him as a serious-looking native American Indian with a single feather and compassionate eyes. There is evidence to suggest that this was simply a convenient persona behind which a far more spiritually evolved soul hid in order that those who read his words would judge them not by the name attached to them but by the wisdom that pervades every sentence.

Those who knew them both were well aware of the differences in the way they spoke and the words they used. They both had spiritual missions and they fulfilled them admirably, particularly when working together in their unique two-world partnership. This, as you will discover, has provided inspirational answers to the questions we all ask, from time to time, about life and its purpose. They are needed now more than ever before as we prepare for the challenges that confront us in the 21st century.

The Spiritual Truth Foundation

Is a charity set up by Trust Deed in April 1965 by Maurice Barbanell and a group of friends for the promotion & advancement of the religion and religious philosophy of Spiritualism. The charity owns the copyright to the Silver Birch Teachings and other titles by Maurice Barbanell and his wife Sylvia, and publishes these through The Spiritual Truth Press. It intends to maintain the Teachings in print and also other titles promoting Spiritualism. This is financed by the sale of the books and also from legacies received from supporters of Silver Birch and the charity. Other web sites quote the Teachings of Silver Birch and the charity encourages this provided the source and publisher is acknowledged.     http://www.silverbirchpublishing.co.uk/about.asp?pageid=4&pagename=About