INFORMATION OF A SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE—THE WEDDING AND
THE WEDDING TOUR TO THE PLANET MARS.

For a long time I had regular slate-writing seances in the light and one dark trumpet seance every week at Mrs. Green’s residence, No. 309 Longworth street, and at that time were generally present the following persons: Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Helleberg, all of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Bogg, from Newport, Ky. In these trumpet seances the spirits not only played on musical instruments, which they carried over our heads, and very often touched us with them and their hands, but talked and sung to us with or without the trumpet. The 12th of January, 1882, our son Emil astonished us with the information that he was going to marry Miss Ida, the spirit daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, and that she would be his spirit wife. In a slate-writing seance, the 16th of January, he informed me that Mr. Swedenborg would perform the nuptial ceremony, and who also had determined the wedding to take place on Washington’s birthday—the 22d of February. We were also informed that the spirit, Mr. Henry Nieman, Ida’s cousin, would be the groomsman, and the spiritual Miss Mary Muth her bridesmaid, and that a bridal trip had been arranged in which many bright and exalted spirits would take part, including Madam Ehrenborg. Mr. Swedenborg would make the wedding speech on the spiritual side, and he requested Mr. Green to make one on this side. Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, my wife and I, agreed that this remarkable wedding ceremony should take place at Mr. Stebbins’ residence at the appointed time—the 22d of February—and we concluded to ask the spirits who we should invite, and the 16th day of February, 1882, came on the slate the following names:

“Pa and ma Stebbins, papa and mamma Helleberg, Mr. and Mrs. Green and daughter, Mrs. Emma Muth, Mrs. Remlin, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Miss Nettie Williams, and Mrs. Keenan.

“Emil and Ida.”

At a slate-writing seance, the 20th of February, came on the slate, among many other communications, the following:

“The ceremonies are to begin at four, and immediately after congratulation, supper. It will take one hour, Mr. Swedenborg says, to show the medium the ceremony and Mr. Green’s address. When the vision is through, then Mr. Green, then supper, and, after that is settled, a trumpet seance.

“Emil.”

According to this arrangement the above persons were all invited and present, except Mrs. Keenan and Miss Nettie Williams, who could not come, at the afternoon and evening seances the 22d, the 150th anniversary of Washington’s birthday. In the afternoon we assembled at 3 o’clock P. M., and at 4 Mrs. Green was in full trance, and Swedenborg controlled her and blessed the contracting parties, after which Mr. Green made a very appropriate and beautiful address. A private clairvoyant fell in a trance and described not only the clothing of the bride and bridegroom, but many other spirits present. The bride’s dress was pure, sparkling white, frosted with gold dust, with long train full of the finest lace, and a very beautiful veil, frosted also, and adorned with a handsome wreath on her head of white flowers set with three beautiful diamonds on her forehead. She had also a diamond brooch and necklace, with a splendid ring on her finger, and slippers on her feet to match. Our son Emil had knee-breeches of royal purple, with a beautiful white toga frosted with gold, and gold tassels and a purple and gold crown set with diamonds. (At a subsequent seance Emil said: “Mine was Mr. Swedenborg’s selection, Ida’s was Madam Ehrenborg’s.”) During the trance state of Mrs. Green, the spirit Winnie described the dresses in the same way as the private medium already had told us. After we had had a splendid repast the requested trumpet seance was arranged, at which all were present, and had the pleasure of being spoken to by Swedenborg, Emil, Ida, and many other spirits, and some of them patted us with their hands. Madam Ehrenborg and my wife’s father, Otto Jacob Natt-och-Dag (Frederick Franks), sung Swedish with me, and Mrs. Jennie McKee took my hand and lifted my arm up and putting it over the table so I had to rise. It was a beautiful and most satisfactory and wonderful manifestation over which we all were highly delighted.

The 23d of February, 1882, came from our spirit friends the following:

“Good morning, dear papa, we are here yet, but will immediately after this sitting start on our bridal tour, accompanied by Swedenborg and a great many exalted spirits. We expect to return by next Thursday, then Mr. Swedenborg will give the marriage ceremonies, and we hope to have something nice to write you then. Mr. Swedenborg is very much pleased because he is able to speak and control Mrs. Green, and was very much pleased also with the way it was conducted on your side. He says altogether it was a splendid affair on both sides, and I think so too, and now I will let my wife, Mrs. Ida Helleberg, write. Your loving son,

“Emil Helleberg.”

“Good morning, dear papa Helleberg; Emil makes me blush when he says my wife. It used to be a joke, but now it is a reality, and that is quite different. When we all meet on the evergreen shores of the summerland, then we will return the compliment and have the infair at our own home, no matter how far off it may be, you shall always receive our hospitality and our love in the cottage. With my heart full of love for you and dear mamma Helleberg and sister Emma, and my dear pa and ma, and Mrs. Green’s family, I bid you good morning.

“Ida Stebbins Helleberg.”

“Good morning, Mr. Helleberg: I was very much delighted with the exercises of yesterday afternoon and evening. It could not have been more perfect on both sides. I was with you all the time. It was witnessed by thousands of spirits with much interest and delight. Whatever Mr. Swedenborg, does in the spirit world causes great commotion and interest. He is in the spirit world like some of your great men here, a leader. His every word, look, and gesture, is chronicled by the spirits; therefore you may imagine the interest they manifest towards him. Nettie could not and would not leave mother. She is so lonely without me, but she was here heart and soul in spirit. With my highest regards for you all, I am your friend,

“Jennie.”

“Good morning, my dear friend: As the marriage of our grand-daughter to your son has united my son Edwin and your family, and that event caused or rather brought us in a positive condition, and enabled us to pick up the trumpet and manifest our appreciation of that event, I thought I would write a few lines in regard to this happy marriage, and to show our very high appreciation of this medium’s family, for, as Ida said, it has brought sunshine to her dear pa and ma that they could not find any-where else outside the spirit communion, and express our very high appreciation of your son Emil, and that we feel very proud of them both, and of our hearts full of love for Edwin and his wife, and highest regards for yourself and family and Mrs. Green’s family, we subscribe ourselves your dear spirit friends,

“Amariah Stebbins and Permelia Stebbins.”

“Good morning, my friends, Mr. Helleberg and Mrs. Green: To say I was very much delighted, or, in fact, I have not language at my command to express to you my appreciation of yesterday’s proceedings, and happy of the opportunity presented that I can write to-day. Winnie described me as I was. Love to my dear daughter and her husband (Edwin Stebbins), and regard to all,

“Thomas Kelly.”

“Good morning, dear son: Father, brother, and all of us are here to give you our congratulations and to tell you how much we love dear Ida, and that she is so sweet and beautiful. We were all with you last night, and caressed you with the trumpet. It made us so happy. Father can not write to-day, but will soon. With our blessings on you and all, your loving mother,

“Ulrica Helleberg.”

“Good morning: I must not fail to give a few words in appreciation of the marriage feast. It was splendid, and I was very much pleased with the ceremony spiritually and mortal. Love to dear Anna and yourself and highest regard to all. Francis, Emily, Susan and Joseph join me and send much love to all. With my prayers for you all, I bid you good bye.

“Fredrick Franks.”

“Now, dear papa, we are all through, and Gustaf and Charles join in congratulations, and asked me to write for them, and tell you that they are so much pleased with their sister-in-law. Mary, Henry, and little Julia and Clarence, and many that I have not time to mention, join us with much love for all. Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one, we bid you good bye,

“Emil and Ida.”

The 2d of March came: “Good morning, my dear friend. The tourists, according to promise, have not returned. I have been sent as a messenger from Mr. Swedenborg to report to you that their reception on the planet Mars was so grand, and they are there so nicely entertained by the spirits of that planet that they have all been invited to participate in a similar feast to take place to-day, and they all send their love and best wishes to you, and hope to be with you at your next sitting. With my highest regard and well wishes for your future prosperity, I am your spirit friend,

“Polheim.”

The 6th of March the exalted Swedenborg wrote on the slate: “Good morning, friends: I am here to give you the marriage ceremony I promised in pantomime on the 22d ultimo. It is brief, and does not include the address and prayer given on that occasion. * * * As you have already been united in the conjugal sense by the operation of the laws of spiritual attraction and magnetic affiliation, no formal cementation or consecration is needed, but in obedience to an ancient custom, originating in spirit life in the early dawns of the physical earth-planet, and from thence projected to mortal life, I have the pleasure of pronouncing the ceremony that blends you, in obedience to the custom stated, into blissful spiritual consociation as man and wife, which I now do in presence of the invited guests here assembled. In blissful happiness you are to live in peaceful joy, to move in heavenly love to act, so shall your onward march be unobstructed, and as you advance increasing in wisdom, expanding and abounding in love, and augmenting in power until the highest angels and seraphims shall claim you for angelic companionship. Now, while the choristers join in the marriage anthem, I present for your congratulations this spiritually mated couple, who I now introduce as Emil Gabriel Helleberg and Ida Stebbins Helleberg.

“Emanuel Swedenborg.”

Just as Madam Ehrenborg’s communications were being copied for the printer, the “Banner of Light”—the oldest spiritual paper in existence—of date July 1, 1882, was placed in my hands, in which I find a communication from Helen Barnard Densmore, of Philadelphia, in which she says:

“Philadelphia has been favored recently with a course of lectures from Mr. W. J. Colville, which have been well attended and received with appreciation. This truly inspired speaker is doing a great work in spreading the new gospel of spiritualism wherever he is called. His discourses are of a high order, in an intellectual and literary sense, as well as of great spiritual elevation. At one of the social receptions given to him at the residence of Colonel S. P. Kase, he gave a very interesting discourse on the physical life and development of the planets of our solar system as compared with the earth, which was listened to with an earnest attention and evident acceptance by those present. It was taught in this discourse that worlds were brought into existence for the sole purpose of furnishing a theater for souls to express themselves in matter upon, to the end of gaining knowledge and overcoming temptations in all forms and of all kinds; that these lives make up a system of embodiments which closes with the soul’s triumph over all the evils to be found in material life.

“We were told that in Mercury the attainment of a high degree of physical perfection was the highest ambition of its inhabitants; that that planet was in a lower state of animal, vegetable and spiritual progress than the earth, and the cultivation of the soil was their almost universal occupation; that Venus was in a high state of artistic and Æsthetic cultivation; that art and music were the dominant passions there, with less intellectual and spiritual development, sensuous delights every-where abounding, and the cultivation of the beautiful the highest aim of life. On the earth the demon to be overcome was declared to be intellectualism, man’s intellect being here worshiped and deified at the expense of the spiritual.

“On Mars and Jupiter is to be found a much higher state of existence, matter being dominated by the spirit to a much greater degree than on either this earth or those planets nearest the sun; that exalted spirits from those planets, especially from Mars, are sent as especial embodiments to the earth, as teachers and messengers for spiritual truth.

“Life on the more distant planets from the sun, beyond Jupiter, was declared to be of such an exalted character that there is no language understandable on earth in which to depict its glories and achievements.”