“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The objects for the 57th envelope experiment were two leaves taken from our poinsettia plant. The plant is an old one, and one of our favorites. We see it every day of course but I was sure Jane wasn’t aware of these two specific leaves separately. The plant also has an interesting history, which will be brought out later. I taped the leaves to one of the two pieces of Bristol used in these experiments, sandwiched it against the other piece, then sealed the two in the usual double envelopes. Note that the word “top” is penciled on the back of the Bristol; this was done by me after the experiment, but before Jane saw the objects, as will be shown later.

The object seems to be a bead, or something resembling a bead. Much smaller than the other object, and round. It may be of metal.

Again, I have the impression of something round—more oval, perhaps. Fairly large in the center of a square or rectangular object.

A small starlike shape, perhaps in the lower right hand corner, holding the object this way. (Jane gestured with the envelope which she now held so that the short dimensions were horizontal to the floor. I noted this position and watched her closely to see if she changed the envelope’s position as the experiment continued.)

A connection with the month of February. An initiation. Something on the back or inside of the object. Did the object once open up?

The impression of a water connection. With something beginning with an M, and something beginning with a G, and with four objects.

I have the impression of two dark horizontal lines, one rather toward the top and one rather toward the bottom. (Jane again gestured with the envelope. She held it in the same position as noted before, the small dimensions parallel to the floor. She hadn’t changed its position by idly turning it, for example.) Both inside, but just an oval shape. Holding the object this way. (The same gesture again.) Now I suggest your break. Unless you have any more questions.

(“Well then, try naming the object.”)

(Pause.) I have the impression, holding the object this way, (again the same gesture) of a rectangular object, a card that is connected with a picture, and strongly connected with something that opened, as a letter could open to another page.

(Jane always sits quietly for a few moments after leaving trance until she is fully oriented. This gave me enough time to once again see that she held the envelope in the same position relative to the floor. I called her attention to this, then marked the outer envelope “top”. Next I marked the inside envelope the same way, then the two pieces of Bristol the same way as Jane watched. The two leaves were sandwiched between the Bristols. Note the top marking in pencil on the back of the object, as indicated on the tracing on page 189.

(Jane had one image which will be mentioned in place. We were able to make quite a few connections, and Seth helped us with one after break. The session was over now however for most practical purposes. Since the object did not originate with us, we were not able to make some connections which we supposed were probably valid. The history of the poinsettia plant which furnished the leaves used as objects will unfold to some extent as we interpret the data.

(“Again, I have the impression of something round—more oval, perhaps. Fairly large in the center of a square or rectangular object.” As noted Jane held the envelope to her forehead with the long axis parallel to the floor. No matter which long edge was uppermost this places the large poinsettia leaf in the center of the card as far as the short edges are concerned. Even so the large leaf would be off center, either above or below, as far as the long edges are concerned. I hoped Seth would mention two objects, but he did not.

(Seth goes from round to oval, which is more specific as far as the leaf is concerned, and from square to rectangular, which is more specific as far as the rectangular shape of the piece of Bristol to which I had taped both objects is concerned. The bigger of the two leaves is fairly large as far as the overall size of the piece of Bristol is concerned.

(“Also something in the center of the oval.” Evidently Seth here picks up the fishbone pattern formed by veins and stems in one or both of the objects, as the next data develops.

(Seth’s use of the word separated here is the closest he came to indicating two objects.

(“A small starlike shape, perhaps in the lower right hand corner, holding the object this way.” By now Jane had lowered the envelope to her lap while giving the data, and held it with a short edge up as explained. See my indication of this by use of the word top on the back of the tracing on page 189. I determined this as explained low on page 193. With the object held in this position, it can be seen that the smaller of the two poinsettia leaves would be in the lower right hand corner or the lower left hand corner, depending on whether the piece of Bristol to which the leaves were taped had the leaves facing toward Jane or away from her.

(Jane immediately realized a poinsettia connection with 1961, however. In 1961, shortly after we had moved to Elmira, a friend with whom Jane worked at an art gallery gave her two poinsettia plants that we had for several years. This is easily remembered because the two 1961 plants are the only other poinsettias we have ever owned. We have for instance never bought a poinsettia plant for ourselves, or as a gift, etc.; the two 1961 plants and the plant which furnished the objects for tonight constitute the only three poinsettias we have been involved with. The 1961 plants were outright gifts. The third plant I found on the back porch of the apartment house last winter, where it had been discarded by Miss Callahan. More on this later.

(“A tall tree, exceptionally tall, I believe.” The plant we now have, which furnished the leaves used as objects, is, we have been told, quite old and tall for a poinsettia. Many people have remarked about this. The plant stands perhaps three feet tall; this may have given rise to Seth’s tall data here. The stems have acquired a woody, brown texture. In addition, the day I removed the leaves used as objects from the plant, it stood on our bathroom windowsill. This is quite high; the plant on the sill gave the illusion of reaching almost to the ceiling.

(“Something on the back or inside of the object. Did the object once open up? The impression of continued writing. A connection with a note, I believe, or a card that opened, with writing or copy on an inside page. Orange. The orange seems to be connected with black also. Or dark color. Perhaps like dark lettering.” These impressions came together, and we can offer no connections. Seth seems to be quite insistent upon the subject of writing or a note, so they may be valid. As stated, Jane saw the plant which furnished tonight’s objects, as a Christmas present in Miss Callahan’s apartment at Christmas of 1964. Jane considers it possible that here Seth is getting at the idea of a folded note or card being attached to the plant when Miss Callahan received it as a gift. However Jane can recall no such note or card upon seeing it in 1964. Nor can we check with Miss Callahan, who has suffered a considerable loss of memory as a result of a series of strokes since 1964.

(“The impression of a water connection.” There can be at least two. As stated, today the plant which furnished the leaves used as objects sat on our bathroom windowsill. Due to the architecture of our bathroom this puts it within a foot or so of our sink. Also, since it had been quite a hot day, Jane watered the plant again at supper time—something she usually doesn’t do at that time of day.

(“With something beginning with an M, and something beginning with a G,” We didn’t know, although we speculated that the initials were a distortion of Miss Callahan, or of Merry Christmas, both these ideas being related to the source of the poinsettia plant which furnished the leaves as objects. Seth helps us out on this after break.

(“and with four objects.” We saw no connections.

(More data follows from the first question: “Both inside, but just an oval shape. Holding the object this way.” [Jane gestured again, the envelope in the same position, short end up.] From this we infer that Seth refers to the spines of the leaves, and not their stems; yet mention is made only of an oval shape, singular.

(I now asked Seth to name the object: “I have the impression, holding the object this way” [gesture in the same fashion as above], “of a rectangular object, a card that is connected with a picture”, resulted in Jane having a mental image here. She saw, she said, the rectangular shape of the Bristol to which I had taped the two leaves. She also had an image of something darker in the center of the rectangle, and interpreted this as a picture instead of “something real.” Upon seeing the object, Jane realized the dark areas of the leaves matched the dark areas she had seen mentally, yet the image hadn’t been sharp enough to see as leaves; it came through in a generalized picture interpretation instead.