“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.

(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.

(“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.

(“Yellow and red.” The plant I acquired secondhand via Miss Callahan is the only poinsettia we have. The two 1961 plants died a couple of years ago. Oddly enough, none of our three plants have ever bloomed for us. Their blooms are red leaved, of course, with brilliant yellow centers; I have painted poinsettias many times on my job, for greeting card designs. Interestingly enough, Jane used to see our present plant in bloom in Miss Callahan’s apartment, before Miss Callahan disposed of it.

(“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.

(“Ruburt here thinks of his mother, Marie. We will simply mention it.” We don’t know the source of this data. A childhood association of Jane’s, involving poinsettias?

(“A connection with the month of February.” We don’t know. At first Jane and I thought this might refer to the month I found the discarded poinsettia on the back porch last winter. It was a bitterly cold day and the plant had begun to wilt when I found it at noontime. However, upon reflection we realized we had the plant with us last Christmas.

(“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.

(When the envelope is held in the horizontal position, the spine of one of the leaves is above the other, or one toward the top and the other toward the bottom. They are not dark, however. In poinsettia leaves at least, the central spine is a lighter green color than the rest of the leaf.