by Robert Wilkinson
Today is the 164th birthday of the man who launched global interest in the detective novel, giving birth to one of the best known fictional characters of all time. He was also a famous investigator of spiritual phenomenon.
From Wikipedia,
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish-born writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes. Originally a physician, in 1887 he published A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels about Holmes and Dr. Watson. In addition, Doyle wrote over fifty short stories featuring the famous detective. The Sherlock Holmes stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction.Doyle was a prolific writer; his non-Sherlockian works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels….
Doyle had a longstanding interest in mystical subjects…. in Southsea in 1887, influenced by a member of the Portsmouth Literary and Philosophical Society … he began a series of psychic investigations. These included attending around 20 seances, experiments in telepathy and sittings with mediums. Writing to Spiritualist journal Light, that year, he declared himself to be a Spiritualist and spoke of one particular psychic event that had convinced him.
He was a founding member of the Hampshire Society for Psychical Research in 1889 and joined the London-based Society for Psychical Research in 1893…. During 1916, at the height of World War I, a change came over Conan Doyle's beliefs prompted by the apparent psychic abilities of his children's nanny, Lily Loder Symonds. This, combined with the deaths he saw around him, made him rationalise that Spiritualism was a "New Revelation" sent by God to bring solace to the bereaved. The New Revelation was the title of his first Spiritualist work, published two years later. In the intervening years, he wrote to Light magazine about his faith and lectured frequently on the truth of Spiritualism.
War-related deaths close to him certainly strengthened his long-held belief in life after death and spirit communication, though it is wrong to claim that the death of his son, Kingsley, turned him to Spiritualism, as is often stated. Doyle came out as a Spiritualist to the public in 1916, a full two years before his son's death….
Doyle found solace supporting spiritualism and its attempts to find proof of existence beyond the grave. In particular, according to some, he favoured Christian Spiritualism and encouraged the Spiritualists' National Union to accept an eighth precept – that of following the teachings and example of Jesus of Nazareth. He was a member of the renowned supernatural organisation The Ghost Club…. Doyle believed that many cases of diagnosed mental illness were the result of spirit possession….
Many of the spiritualists’ claims were debunked over the years, and while Doyle stayed faithful to his beliefs in paranormal powers and occurrences, he also spent years in useless public fights with skeptics of spiritualism. Still, he’s known for one great big thing – he created Sherlock Holmes, the greatest “consulting detective” of all time, loved by millions around the world to this day.
Which reminds me: I once did a talk to a Sherlockian group in Austin many years ago, where I delineated the chart of the Master Detective, as his birthday is given in various parts of the canon. A great good time was had by all! If I can find the transcript which was published way back when in a newsletter format, I’ll do a rewrite and publish it here for your enjoyment.
Yes, even fictional characters have birth charts! And given the longevity of this particular character, I have no doubt that his legacy took significant turns during the transits since he first was introduced on the world stage. I’d even bet the publication of A Study in Scarlett corresponded to a significant transit in Sherlock’s chart!
So here’s to a Master Wordsmith and spiritual investigator. Even if he got some things wrong about the invisible world (don't we all, from time to time?), he still gave the world a fantastic legacy loved to this day.
© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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