power to manifest through whomsoever it may
prefer, without regard to the personal ambitions of the individual
sitters. Most certainly there must be no spirit of "competition" among
the sitters in the circle.

The Personnel of the Circle.

The personal composition of the spiritualistic circle is a very
important matter, and those entering into circle work should pay
careful attention to the personal and psychical character of those
composing the circle; and it may be added here that such work requires
very nice powers of discrimination, and a great degree of tact, in order
to preserve the proper character of the circle, and at the same time to
avoid wounding the pride of those who are to be rejected. Regarding the
character of those composing the circle, the following statement of a
practical medium will be found of importance. "There are some people who
are so sensitive that they should not sit in circles, because they are
liable to become charged with the psychic emanations from, and dominated
by the expectancy of, the sitters, but who are not influenced by spirit
power to any great extent. Or probably there may exist 'cross
magnetism,' that is to say the inharmonious magnetism of different
members who are antagonistic to each other. Some sitters may be
sarcastic, merely curious, or selfish, or mercenary, or not over clean,
sober or scrupulous, and all such surroundings act and react upon the
highly sensitive organization of the undeveloped medium, and, above all,
provide conditions favorable for the manifestations of mischievous or
malicious spirits, unless the medium is sufficiently developed, or is
protected by wise spirits powerful enough to resist or control such
influences. Like attracts like, as a general rule; but there are
exceptions to this, as to most rules, as, for instance, where
unfortunate or unhappy spirits are permitted to manifest, and are even
brought to the seance by other and more experienced spirit people, so
that they may be helped. The influence of the sitters in moulding the
conditions is too little realized. If they introduce an atmosphere of
suspicion, doubt, distrust, or detraction, they break the continuity of
the flow of psychic energy that has to be employed. By thus severing the
current and dissipating the power, they mar the conditions essential to
success; and, as all such disturbances of necessity center upon and
injuriously affect the sensitive medium, they render soul-satisfying