PHASMAGORICA!
Do you enjoy podcasts about creativity? Well I have a recommendation for you, Art Storming hosted by Lili Pierrepont covers a lot of interesting topics with very interesting people. A recent episode interviewed B.C. Smith, a composer and magician who created Phasmagorica, an immersive seance experiment where 13 guests (or less) gather around a table and step into a carefully designed space that lives in the liminal space between belief and disbelief.
I was intrigued!
Life is extraordinary but we can loose sight of its mysteries and delights when we get overwhelmed with disturbing news stories, life’s daily obligations, and personal struggles. Sometimes we need a vacation or at least a break from our routines and I saw Phasmagorica as just such an escape.
A dear friend and I signed up! The tickets encouraged attendees to dress for the occasion so we put together our most fun and dramatic outfits and drove to Santa Fe one rainy Friday evening to have an adventure.
We were not disappointed.
As we pulled in through the locked gate to a beautiful compound encompassing an unusually curved architectural building we saw a woman open a large, heavy, wood door and welcome us inside. The hallway curved around and then opened into a large area with a small stage, vintage seating, unusual museum-quality displays, lush plants, and a projection of the words, “Society of the Séance” on the wall. We were invited to explore the exhibits while we waited for other attendees to arrive. It was fascinating - and most of the displays were related to sound and music which I had not associated with the unseen world.
If I’m honest dear reader, until lately I haven’t really thought much about the unseen world around us other than wind which we can feel but can’t see. But thanks to some connections to people who do think about the unseen world, another great podcast I can highly recommend, “The Telepathy Tapes”, and the observations of esteemed astrologer Pam Gregory I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. So much so that I think my next series of paintings may explore it more.
But back to Phasmagorica!
Only one other person purchased a ticket for our Friday night so the three of us were ushered into a smaller room with a table with three elixirs with different purposes. This space was dedicated to helping each participate get attuned to their inner senses and we each could chose which elixir we wanted to drink. I don’t remember the three but I do remember that the ingredients were a mix of the most unusual plant ingredients I’d never heard of before.
We also tested our attunement with Zener cards which I was only familiar with thanks to the original Ghost Buster movie.
Thankfully there were no shocks when I got my card wrong!
Next we were escorted into another intimate room with more vintage seating and B.C. Smith joined us. He took time to introduce himself, talk about why he created Phasmagorica, how it works, and what to expect. Because we were a small group, he also took the time to get to know each of us and asked where we fell on the spectrum of belief vs. sceptic.
Then he took us into a room with a piano which had 3 open-front bin cabinets with about 12 drawers in each cabinet. Those drawers held “trigger items” or small objects with which spirits have a connection. We were asked to randomly choose a drawer - if nothing was inside, we were to draw again - until we found an item. I got an item on my first try and it was a small sundial with an image of Egyptian Isis wings etched on the backside. A small tag was attached with some information about the item like where it came from and its age.
Once we each had our item we were escorted into a room draped top to bottom in opulent luxurious velvet and a long wood table in the middle with 13 seats. We were encourage to spread out so we had plenty of space around us. In front of each chair was a placemat with three divination tools - a pendant with a yes/no/unseen accompanying mat, a small deck of Tarot cards, and a scrying mirror (polished black obsidian volcanic glass). B.C. then bid us adieu and left the room to start a prerecorded program leading us through being our own mediums.
The program consisted of lights changing in color and intensity, and carefully orchestrated music built on the Mystic Chord (also called the Prometheus chord) which is a six-note synthetic harmony (typically voiced in fourths as C–F♯–B♭–E–A–D) which is used to bridge the physical and spiritual realms. There was also a TV that displayed the instructions on how to use the divination tools as a pre-recorded man’s voice explained what to do and when.
Not having any preconceived ideas as to what would happen I was totally open to the experience and had a great time.
Want more details?
Well, with the pendant I connected to my mother’s brother which was unexpected. When instructed, I pulled 2 tarot cards, the first was about the spirit and the second was advice or guidance for me. I can’t remember exactly what they were but I remember finding significance in them. Lastly, I gazed into the black mirror and was amazed to watch my face morph between happy and sad expressions. Towards the end the lights were completely cut and we were instructed to use all our senses to bring awareness to the blackness. I felt a cold spot around my ankles.
When the program ended and the lights came back on B.C. came back in and led a discussion where we each were encouraged to share our experiences. It was fascinating.
Afterwards we all returned to that main room with all the exhibits and were encouraged to stay, share stories, get to know each other, and generally hang out as long as we wanted. People from other séances were also there and were happy to talk about their experiences. Part of this whole experience is to build a community of curious people and provide space for them to explore the unseen. My friend and I stayed for quite a while and B.C. even gave each of us a personal tarot reading which was very insightful.
By the time we left I felt like I had indeed had a vacation from the every day and had a lot of fun things to think about and explore further. If you live anywhere near Santa Fe and are interested in exploring this for yourself, I highly encourage you to book a ticket, get dressed up, and engage your curiosity!
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