The locations for Psychic activity in Christchurch were many, but a particular locus of Psychic Life was no. 5, Chancery Lane, a discreet alley between Cathedral Square and Gloucester Street. Some newspaper notices and letters refer to ‘no. 3’. It is difficult to tell whether the alternative address reflects a shift in location, an additional séance room, or simple error. However, the address is, in a way, symbolic of New Zealand spiritualism; hidden, yet in the very centre of the city, just below the surface of public life.
One Friday night, at 8 p.m., the spirits of a cultured nun and a