“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The object for the 71st envelope experiment was the first draft of a poem Jane and I wrote for Bill Gallagher’s birthday, which fell on Friday, July 1st. We wrote it first aloud in the car as we drove about. Jane then typed up what we could remember; we corrected it as shown on page 51, then Jane copied it over to give Bill, along with a cake. This first draft was typed on yellow paper; I folded it as shown to insert it in the usual double envelope, after sandwiching it between two pieces of Bristol. More details later.

(“The impression of something swirling about, as leaves in a wind.” Our interpretation here was that the swirling and leaves data referred to the mention of a garden in the poem used as object. See page 51. This may be correct. Also according to Seth after break however, the swirling was to have led Jane to frosting. The birthday cake we gave Bill Gallagher on July 1st was frosted. The poem used as object was written for this occasion.

(“And a staircase.” Jane at once interpreted this data as referring to the staircase she must climb in order to reach Peggy Gallagher’s office, on the second floor at the newspaper office where Peggy works. Peggy of course was present at the small birthday party we gave Bill on the evening of July 1.

(“Six plus one.” Bill Gallagher’s birthday is on July 1—six plus one for a total of seven. The poem used as object was written by Jane and me for the birthday occasion which occurred on July 1.

(Actually this data is quite legitimate, and becomes understandable when we learned after break that, according to Seth, Bill Gallagher felt very old on his 41st birthday, last July 1. Once again, see the 286th session.

(“A small square, and perhaps a larger one.” Our interpretation here, without in any way being positive, was that this concerned the square cardboard cake box described earlier—which was square as we recall it—and the smaller birthday card. However we are not sure now whether the card was enclosed in a square envelope or a rectangular one. Taking literally Seth’s blanket notice after break that our interpretations were correct, this would include the above. We wouldn’t claim it on our own however.

(“Nine, or nine o’clock.” We recall that the Gallaghers were somewhat late in arriving for Bill’s surprise birthday party last July 1, and that they did come at about 9:00. We expected them before 8:30.

(“A circumstance involving a policeman.” This refers to a long and involved story told us by Peggy Gallagher during the evening of the birthday party, for which Jane and I wrote the poem used as object. Peg’s news made an impression and Jane and I still remember it. Very briefly, it concerns the behavior of a local psychiatrist and his wife—one of those continuing affairs that have been well known locally for some time, yet never getting into the newspaper.

(“Green, perhaps a stamp.” No connections. There was nothing mailed in connection with the birthday party, or the object, etc.

(“Four three eight.” We think this a close reference to our address, 458 W. Water Street. The birthday party was held at this address and the poem used as object was given to Bill here also.

(“A letter written by an older person.” This ties in with the earlier old and wavering data, interpreted at the top of page 57. As Seth tells us after break, the old reference concerns Bill Gallagher’s subjective feelings on his birthday last July 1. The letter reference here stems from the resemblance of the typed poem used as object to a letter, and echoes the note data, also discussed on page 57.

(“With a 1964 or ‘65 event.” We are not sure. Jane thinks this refers to her writing some poems for Peg’s birthday also. She believes she did this in January of 1966 however. Jane thinks the idea of this data is correct, in that she wrote the poems for Peg before she wrote the one for Bill’s birthday six months later.

(First Question: Is this old hand male or female? “I am not sure, though I suspect male. The hand is not a typically male hand however, but more delicate perhaps.” Seth is correct, in that the old reference here does concern Bill Gallagher and his subjective feelings [the male], on the evening of his birthday party, for which the envelope object was written. Jane and I do not especially see any connection with the delicate hand reference however.

Our Jesuit felt very old on his birthday. It was that emotional feeling that was picked up. The swirling was to have led Ruburt to frosting, and did not. There is no need to go into the rest of the data. Your own interpretations are correct.