Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926) is most often remembered for his Paramount movie "The Sheik."
Lynn Russell's The Voice of Valentino Through Leslie Flint (1965 / PDF edition) is a case study of one woman's metaphysical research encompassing numerous Direct Voice seances conducted by Leslie Flint during the 1950s and '60s. In her preface, Lynn Russell described herself as once having "held an administrative position of great responsibility." After eight years of seances where her main interest was communication from the voice of Rudolph Valentino, the record of events encompassed 500 closely typed pages and an extensive collection of audio tapes. Lynn noted that for the written records of the tapes "phraseology has occasionally been slightly altered in order to eliminate certain Italian characteristics which might make the reading a little difficult." In any case, contemporary audio playback technology facilitates easier transcription.
In the preface, Lynn offered an example of Valentino's communication that included the following passage.
"I want you to know that everything I do is done in love and I am but the agent of Others more highly evolved than I am but who, through the medium and me, come in love to serve Mankind. We are bound together by chains that cannot be broken, for each link is strong and secure, held together by love and faith. We are linked through Time and Space by this chain which encircles, not only your world, but ALL WORLDS. There are no limits imposed on the power of love."
Conversations with the voice of Valentino were appraised by Lynn as having revealed "the soul of the real man, as opposed to the pseudo-personality of the silent screen." She was 11 years old when she first saw Valentino in "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (1921).
Valentino's death in 1926 became for her "the first experience of death to affect me." Having previously attended many Spiritualist services, Lynn was living in North London in May 1955 when she heard a radio program featuring Leslie Flint, who spoke about the influence upon Valentino of spirit guides Meselope and Black Feather. Lynn commented about the book of ruminations entitled Day Dreams that Valentino published in 1923: ". . . the contents were through his own gift of mediumship and inspired by the people whose initials appear under each title." She wrote to Flint and he replied with an invitation to his home. Her first appointment for a seance with Flint was in December 1955.
As usual with Flint, the Cockney voice of his 'control' 'Mickey' was the first to be heard. He asked, "You're not scared are you, love?" She told him she was excited and Mickey said that there were many people who would like to speak to her. A woman's voice with a French accent was then heard (later learned to be that of 'Sister Teresa'), followed by the voice of 'Dr. Marcel,' who gave her advice about clinical treatment for her "physically backward" son. The voice of 'Dr. Charles Marshall' was next and then Lynn heard the voice of her mother, who'd passed in 1952.
One of the things mentioned by her mother was that she was sorry to have disposed of the collection of Valentino books and photographs that Lynn had accumulated as a teenager: "I will help you to replace them." The next voice was that of "Val, Valerie" — Lynn's daughter (a twin of Anthony) who 'died' several days after birth. When Lynn regained her composure, Valerie told her she was surprised at the reaction as Lynn should've been aware that a soul continues to grow if one passes over during infancy.
One of the things mentioned by her mother was that she was sorry to have disposed of the collection of Valentino books and photographs that Lynn had accumulated as a teenager: "I will help you to replace them." The next voice was that of "Val, Valerie" — Lynn's daughter (a twin of Anthony) who 'died' several days after birth. When Lynn regained her composure, Valerie told her she was surprised at the reaction as Lynn should've been aware that a soul continues to grow if one passes over during infancy.
Lynn was accompanied by her husband John to another seance with Flint a week later and her mother and daughter were heard again. Lynn mentioned being impressed by one of the communicators: ". . . we discovered afterwards it was the famous actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell . . ." At a midsummer sitting, Lynn's friend and co-worker Jean accompanied the couple. The voices of Jean's father and other relatives were among those heard. The voice of 'White Cloud' told them that Jean's husband, Stanley, was more interested in the proceedings than he cared to admit and would soon sit with them and in fact become their medium: ". . . It would be well not to inform our brother of this for the time being . . . leave it to the Power of the Spirit to influence him."
Soon after Lynn, John and Jean started weekly sittings of their own, the somewhat bewildered Stanley began describing clairvoyant visions. When Stanley joined them for a visit to Flint's seance room on September 21, the first 'Direct Voice' as usual was that of Mickey saying, "Ahem! He's a sceptic." Before Stanley could reply, a relative of Jean's known by Stanley began speaking. Lynn commented about Stanley: ". . . the evidence had overwhelmed him completely, as it does most people when they hear this wonderful communication for the first time."
The following week, Lynn first heard the voice of 'Rudolph Valentino.' She would come to regularly converse with 'Rudy.' On this evening, his voice was preceded by that of the woman responsible for him being cast in "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," 'June Mathis,' whom Lynn quoted: "I want you to know that Rudy and I have been together in other incarnations. In Egypt, in Rome, and in Italy of the Middle Ages, as—you—have—also. You have all lived on this Earth before, and when you are drawn inexplicably to someone, and perhaps do this person a great service, it is your Karma to do so."
Lynn quoted Rudy's first greeting to her: "Good evening. Please do not be so tense . . . When you are so tense and over-anxious it makes it much more difficult for us. Do not concentrate on me. I am nothing." He stated, ". . . we have a task that we have taken upon ourselves, and that is to help change the mind of Mankind."
As the seances continued, so did the home circle sessions with medium Stanley. Lynn accepted his visions as evidence that they were making progress with the light trance state, showing that they had "achieved suitable conditions for our controls to work with us." Her own first experience of light trance occurred during the twenty-first sitting as she witnessed "an extraordinary scene, of which I appeared to be a part and yet at the same time I was remote from it." The location was Egypt and Lynn saw in "flashes of vision" the Pyramids, enormous statues, men wearing striped headdresses, and a Sphinx with undamaged nose. "Strange to relate I 'saw' all this without moving from my vantage point which seemed to be on the steps of a large building." Lynn wrote that she began to soliloquise about the Temple of Isis during the time of Ptolemy II as she simultaneously saw veiled girls. Then, a swirl of smoke blotted out the scene and through the grey mist she saw a golden winged disc. She next described the jeweled headband of a man approaching her. A serpent emblem was on the jewel-encrusted uraeus. When the man looked upward, she saw that it was Rudy. "As our hands met I was aware of a terrible fear—fear for us—and the vision was gone."
Lynn commented that this vision allowed her to better understand Stanley’s demeanor when offering interpretations: "It is all very strange and until I had experienced this 'seeing' and then 'becoming part of,' I had not realized the difficulties which he had overcome in order to convey even an outline of the scenes, or a fraction of the awareness."
Lynn commented that this vision allowed her to better understand Stanley’s demeanor when offering interpretations: "It is all very strange and until I had experienced this 'seeing' and then 'becoming part of,' I had not realized the difficulties which he had overcome in order to convey even an outline of the scenes, or a fraction of the awareness."
As Stanley gained experience with describing the impressions he received, Lynn noticed recurrent themes and patterns. Scenes of historical periods were punctuated by signs and symbols. She interpreted the red rose to indicate love, a Latin cross for service, and a feather to denote wisdom. She mentioned that the animals characteristic of each locality were always noticeable. Stanley described startling panoramas in many different epochs and civilizations. At a sitting with Flint, Lynn noted that the voice of the Scotsman 'David' showed "a particularly intimate knowledge of each one of us." She would find this to be the case with many of the communicators.
Lynn wrote that her husband John was developing clairvoyance rapidly and that often the couple saw the same thing simultaneously but from a different aspect. Lynn differentiated "possible imagination or association of ideas" from the experience of clairvoyant vision, which was "as comprehensive and rapid as the shutter of a camera." She stated that one impressive example of their simultaneous clairvoyant image occurred when she saw "a man crucified on a rough cross" and John saw a man who "had been taken down from the cross and was leaning heavily against someone at its foot; he was not dead." Lynn also described experiencing "two flash-backs to ancient Rome" where she saw Rudy dressed as first a Roman Centurion and then a different status was suggested by the sight of him wearing an imposing tunic and burnished helmet with a scarlet plume.
An example of the occasionally guiding aspect of the communication was provided when 'David' mentioned at a February 1958 sitting: "But you will be down here again before you go" when a vacation in Italy was planned. Then Lynn's son Anthony's vision in one eye became impaired. An operation was planned and an emergency sitting was arranged with Flint. At the seance, Dr. Marshall explained how the malady had occurred. The operation restored some of his sight in the injured eye. The vacation was cancelled yet eventually rescheduled.
An example of the occasionally guiding aspect of the communication was provided when 'David' mentioned at a February 1958 sitting: "But you will be down here again before you go" when a vacation in Italy was planned. Then Lynn's son Anthony's vision in one eye became impaired. An operation was planned and an emergency sitting was arranged with Flint. At the seance, Dr. Marshall explained how the malady had occurred. The operation restored some of his sight in the injured eye. The vacation was cancelled yet eventually rescheduled.
After the April 22, 1958 sitting with Flint, Lynn observed about the sitting: ". . . it was not just Rudolph Valentino who spoke, but the true individual whose spiritual identity remains obscure." She referred to this higher aspect as 'Rudy-Plus.'
The voice is the same yet the quality can be quite different; the accent is barely discernible but the characteristics remain distinctly his own. This can be likened to a piece of music played on two pianos, one an upright model of average tone, the other a concert grand. The notes and theme would be the same, but you would know without doubt which piano was which.
Lynn's quotations in her book are a general reiteration of what she heard in the recordings. In 2016 Internet files perhaps make transcription an easier process. Although Lynn's deductions are presented in her book, one may listen to the recordings at wholejoy.com and evaluate them oneself. The following are some verbatim excerpts from the April 22, 1958 (Part 2) recording of a Direct Voice seance conducted by Flint.
At the Dec. 16, 1958 sitting, Lynn's transcript is again a general reiteration; however, verbatim quotations are used for the remainder of this article. At this session, 'Rudolph Valentino' is heard saying: "So I am a film actor . . . I am very pleased to be able to come and speak to you tonight. It is very difficult . . . but as I contact you tonight I don't seem to get clear myself. I don't know how to explain it to you. I think I've tried to explain it to you before. I have had many earthly existences, many earthly lives and as I come back to Earth it is as if several are all confusing you. I don't — when George said 'David' for a moment I thought well I — perhaps it is that I am getting over the Scots contact but I was not thinking — in fact I've been trying to obliterate completely any earthly memory particularly because I wanted to speak to you purely on the spiritual level. But I find as I enter the Earth vibration it is as if several aspects of my earthly existences impinge themselves . . . We give you, for instance, from this side certain facts. We give you certain threads connected with yourselves and your past existences and you have to try to put that into a pattern. We try to help you, but it still revolves around yourself, as indeed do all things of any nature which means progress."
Lynn wrote in her book that at the end of the recording "Charles came through and summed up this wonderful night of communion" —
Both the voice of 'Dr. Marshall' and in succession that of 'Mickey' wished the group a happy Christmas and prosperous new year before saying good-bye for the evening.
In August 1959 on the anniversary of Rudy's passing, Lynn collapsed. Upon examination by a doctor, she was told that she would have to undergo a major operation. There usually was a two month waiting period for a bed at the London hospital where she was to be admitted; however, Lynn reported that at an unrecorded September 1 seance "Rudy confidently stated that I would be in hospital within three weeks." This proved to be precisely correct when an unexpected vacancy occurred. Following the operation, Lynn described two 'supernormal' manifestations of Rudy while she was in the hospital with the second involving "my first experience of astral projection."
There's much that I and others here have long desired to be able to come and speak with you on these lines. If I am perhaps not speaking as well as I would wish it is perhaps because in some ways I am unused to speaking often. My appearances are rare yet I am often with you, often around and about but I have never made it a habit of coming to speak at length for various reasons and if I do not tonight say all that I would wish, it is because time does not permit the power and also because there are many things which it is impossible to put into words for we as you know who come to you from this side of life, thinking as we do purely and solely on spiritual lines, find great difficulty in transmitting into words, language, things which are in themselves essentially spirit and of truth. But nevertheless I want you to know that I and all of us here are constantly with you.
We come with a great force, with a great purpose to unlock the closed minds of men that we might give forth truth and enlightenment and a way of life and a wisdom so sorely and sadly needed.
We have seen countless souls sent here before their time, unready and unprepared. Lambs sent to the slaughter. You who are so-called 'simple' as the world sees it are the wise ones for you know truth. You know the Spirit and its power. You know wisdom because your heads have not been necessarily crammed with knowledge, earthly knowledge, which one day must pass away and be of no cons[sequence]. Tis spiritual knowledge and truth that will open the doors of heaven and make you free. We want that knowledge brought into being in your world among all peoples and nations . . .
There is one path of progress. A path of Spirit. God's path. Our path. Your path. Those in high places who hold the destinies of nations — these rulers, these men of power — these men of 'wisdom' as the world sees it — these men without spiritual grace, without spiritual wisdom, without spiritual knowledge, can in their ignorance and foolishness, through fear, throw the whole world into chaos. We who come to you, knowing you, small insignificant you, yet nevertheless it is you and others like you who can save the world.
I see myself through generations of time, through many incarnations, in many guises and in many places, and I know that this has been my task to endeavor in some form to spread love, to show love, to express and experience love, and through love breaking all barriers, bringing peoples together in harmony and in peace. These things have been my task as indeed have they been the task of many other souls. Many who come with our group to you. You are our instruments. We have been brought together for this purpose. You have known of me and I of you in past times. Now you are still of me and I of you. We are one spirit though we are separate in ourselves but it is that One Spirit that flows through us all and we can forget ourselves and as our friends have already said in humbleness we find our true selves and in love our true service. You are bodies, you are peoples but you are with me One in spirit and in truth. We are all of the same Soul Group . . .
At the Dec. 16, 1958 sitting, Lynn's transcript is again a general reiteration; however, verbatim quotations are used for the remainder of this article. At this session, 'Rudolph Valentino' is heard saying: "So I am a film actor . . . I am very pleased to be able to come and speak to you tonight. It is very difficult . . . but as I contact you tonight I don't seem to get clear myself. I don't know how to explain it to you. I think I've tried to explain it to you before. I have had many earthly existences, many earthly lives and as I come back to Earth it is as if several are all confusing you. I don't — when George said 'David' for a moment I thought well I — perhaps it is that I am getting over the Scots contact but I was not thinking — in fact I've been trying to obliterate completely any earthly memory particularly because I wanted to speak to you purely on the spiritual level. But I find as I enter the Earth vibration it is as if several aspects of my earthly existences impinge themselves . . . We give you, for instance, from this side certain facts. We give you certain threads connected with yourselves and your past existences and you have to try to put that into a pattern. We try to help you, but it still revolves around yourself, as indeed do all things of any nature which means progress."
Lynn wrote in her book that at the end of the recording "Charles came through and summed up this wonderful night of communion" —
"That is most interesting inasmuch that he may have sensed it — I don't quite know exactly how you can realize the tremendous impact that — at least you must have been conscious of — in other words that was one soul and yet many, as he and others have told you. We do go through many phases of existence. Sometimes people in your world do not like the idea and object to it very strongly but nevertheless you have received a speech, a talk, a sermon, call it what you will, not from one but from many all flowing through the same channel of spirit yet all entwined one with the other into a complete whole. You see we have come to you in love and harmony with you. We are as one and that is what's so important in our work — that we do come and work as one body of peoples . . ."
Both the voice of 'Dr. Marshall' and in succession that of 'Mickey' wished the group a happy Christmas and prosperous new year before saying good-bye for the evening.
In August 1959 on the anniversary of Rudy's passing, Lynn collapsed. Upon examination by a doctor, she was told that she would have to undergo a major operation. There usually was a two month waiting period for a bed at the London hospital where she was to be admitted; however, Lynn reported that at an unrecorded September 1 seance "Rudy confidently stated that I would be in hospital within three weeks." This proved to be precisely correct when an unexpected vacancy occurred. Following the operation, Lynn described two 'supernormal' manifestations of Rudy while she was in the hospital with the second involving "my first experience of astral projection."
The October 23, 1959 seance took place for Lynn during a period of recuperation. The communicator voice whom Lynn accepted as that of 'Rudy' told her: ". . . in this plan we all must experience many things. And now you have come through the testing and a calm, placid period has begun . . . now we are going to get on with the work and we shall make the progress we have promised." Her planned book was referred to as "a revelation. And I think will be of comfort and help — an inspiration to many people." There followed a discourse about so-called miracles and the power of thought, including the comment: "The truth sometimes cannot easily be accepted because it is too simple . . . within each one there is this power, this indestructible Force which is life itself and it can overcome all things once you learn how to use it, how to harness it . . . we are all instruments. We are all working in harmony for the common good. It is not 'self' that matters."
A 1960 recording (beginning at 14:34) includes a male voice who commented: "I have a long time been linked with you as indeed you have been linked with me for my name is Meselope and we are here as one. And others you shall learn of also and you will see how we are gathered together through time, through space, made one compete."
During the sitting of May 5, 1960 'Rudolph Valentino' commented: "I am more concerned when we come to reincarnation to more recent incarnations within this last 4,000 years." Referring to the time of Cesare Borgia, he stated: "I was linked in Italy at that time but I was not a Borgia myself . . . and so were you . . . You were on the Borgia side.”
Lynn asked about this and stated "Oh Lucia of course." The voice corrected her: "Lucrezia. She was not as bad as she was painted. History has given her a much worse name. Actually she's much maligned. Her brother was much more dangerous of the two."
The conversation turned to Rudy's cinematic interests and he stated: "Most of my films unconsciously have had incarnation throwback. For many years — in one incarnation I lived in India. Another incarnation I was in the desert. Another incarnation I was in ancient Egypt . . . I suppose much of the time my films was due to these throwbacks to my past . . . I have understood that I had 18 incarnations."
At the June 17, 1960 sitting, 'Rudolph Valentino' reminded: "I don't want you to think only of me." Lynn soon mentioned that she had been reading about Italian history and the communicator said: "But you know there was a period in my Life when I was a member of the Borgia family but not Lucrezia." Lynn asked "Who was?"
"You."
"Yes. And you — Alfonso di Bisceglie?"
"Yes, that's so but this is a long time ago."
"I know it's a long time ago. I want naturally to know it."
"At one time we have a very interesting history in Florence but that was a long time ago."
"Well it doesn't matter how long ago."
"Perhaps there was great excitement, great interest. We have an extraordinary career. I was very interested in art. You were too. The family quarrels and all the upsets. ("NO") We have learned from these things, thank goodness. Sometimes you must wonder why you have to come back.”
"Yes."
"And many people do. They don't see the reason ("OF") and they don't see the purpose. And especially when their lives do not run according to the pattern which they desire or think it should be. We can not always choose. Sometimes it is chosen for us. Sometimes we choose to come back because of it is essential. Sometimes it is requested that we return to do a certain work. You know, there are many things which I cannot explain because I do not know how — there are no words that I can think of that will explain certain aspects of life and experience. I can say this — there is a reason and a purpose that you are there. There is a reason and a purpose that my work is finished — that is, from a point of view of returning in a physical body. But I, of course, am interested from this side to assist and to help. But, you know, I have tried to help in many ways at different times and I still continue through various people. We must remember that we who come from this side — we are endeavoring to help the whole of humanity. There are some souls that are sensitive. There are some souls that are instruments, others who we can work through in other ways of the mind rather than perhaps more, well, physical or psychic, if you understand the meaning of the term but where we can influence — I'll put it like that — where we can influence we do influence. It is very difficult sometimes but we try very hard . . ."
Considering the Lucrezia Borgia comment, it seems apparent that a metaphorical association is being made. Throughout the annals of psychic phenomena, such metaphorical 'reincarnation' comparisons are often found. These links usually seem to be inspired by some manner of parallel being made between the life of a contemporary individual and a perception of some manner of historical record concerning a famous person who lived during a previous epoch.
During an August 5, 1960 seance Lynn heard the voice of Valentino talk about poetry being written through her hand: "This will be something that you will be impressed to do. I will impress you occasionally when you least expect it . . ." Lines of a poem from Daydreams was recited and Lynn interjected one of the lines she knew by heart, commenting: "Who wrote that — Meselope through you." The voice continued: "And through you I, Meselope, Black Feather and others will soon write. And one day to speak."
Lynn described what happened thereafter:
Before a week had passed I had written a poem which had come laboriously into my mind while I was doing some ironing. To anyone who is gifted in this direction it would mean very little, but to me who could hardly rhyme "June" with "moon" it was a wonderful thing. A week later another came, and yet another. At first I would be aware of a throbbing through my head; often I would see the subject clairvoyantly and then as I picked up paper and pencil the words would come, but not always in the right order. If conditions were difficult only two lines at a time would be given, and usually I sensed the identity of the communicator. When the "Hiawatha" beat began to sound I had to drop whatever I was doing and grab pencil and paper. The poem "Prayer" by Blackfeather was done in eight minutes with not a single alteration, whereas "Light" took a day to complete.
Lynn wrote 16 poems. Here is the poem that Lynn selected to conclude her case study.
EVOLUTION
The petals of a flower are each a separate life.
Contemplate upon this thought and it will quell the strife
That causes constant turmoil in the mind that seeks solution
To this ever present puzzle of human evolution.
Ever anchored to the centre is each and every section
Leisurely unfolding that it may reach perfection.
Not until each separate petal is ready to unfold
Can emblazon forth the blossom, a glory to behold,
Though complete in all experience, still finds there's more advancement
To be found before it's worthy to grace the Gardens of Enchantment;
When the bloom is ripe for plucking, it is then perhaps, who knows,
That we shall find twin hearts encircled deep within the single rose?
Dozens of Lynn Russell's Direct Voice seance recordings may be heard at wholejoy.com.
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