A short article on Jack Corbett who was instrumental in my development as a medium

I look back with interest at how I was to meet my Spiritual Teacher and Mentor Jack Corbett of Leicester. Well, this is how it all started…

I went with my Aunt Rowey to a local Nottingham Spiritualist Church. We even managed to get into an evening of clairvoyance held by the Spiritualist National Union, at the Nottingham University.  We didn’t know it, but the evening’s demonstration of clairvoyance was part of the Spiritualist National Union’s Annual General Meeting. Uninvited, but with an air of we belong here, we both slipped into the room unchallenged. I remember there were four mediums on the platform, two women and two men. Sometime afterwards I was to meet and get to know one of the mediums; he was the late Ron Baker – Minister of the National Spiritualist Union. However, one medium in particular, struck a note with me. After the meeting I felt drawn to speak to him. What a pleasant surprise! He proved to be different, very different to the person I had just seen on the public platform. What drew me to speak to him?  First of all his presentation, but even more so I was impressed by his humour and the happy style he had – there was laughter, an easy manner, and a man who obviously knew what he was doing. The medium was Gordon Palmer. I understand he came from the North East of England. Unfortunately, I never met him again.

I was first introduced to Jack Corbett in the early autumn of 1981. I drove from my home city Nottingham to Leicester to see him. Jack was a man who had been involved in Spiritualism since he was a young boy. Jack was an international Medium at the age of 14, who dedicated himself to a life of spiritual knowledge and understanding. Jack was an extremely easy man to get along with, and soon I was to sit face-to-face with the great man in his lounge.

Jack told me that I was privileged to be sitting in the special chair. Why, I asked? Jack answered: because it is Gordon’s chair. I asked naively Gordon who? The answer was simple; Gordon Higginson the President of the SNU. Jack laughed and told me that Gordon would often stay at his home, when in the area. Gordon Higginson’s chair became my resting place for spiritual teaching. It may have been for nine years – but it was always Gordon’s chair.  Nevertheless, the time for Jack to teach me had not arrived – well not quite yet!

After an evening of so called ‘materialisation’ in a lady mediums home in Eastwood on Mother’s Day 1982. I was very unhappy, to say the least, about spiritualism. I was so disillusioned and the following morning after some rather grumpy feelings, thought I must speak to Jack Corbett. I made a telephone call to Jack and I was on the way to Leicester. Yet, even then, there were some demanding tests from Jack.

One Sunday, Jack telephoned and asked if I could get over to Leicester that evening. Of course I got there. Jack instructed me about colours, the aura and how to make spiritual presentations. Next it was my turn. It felt very strange. I with so little spiritual knowledge, in front of the great man once billed ‘The Spiritual Boy Wonder’. I hesitated and made a hash of it; not to worry said Jack, take your time, open up your mind and speak. Again I started, so when I sat down, I looked at Jack rather nervously and with tears in his eyes he said; now I can teach you! Jack told me that I was totally unaware of what I had said. Jack informed me about a message he received 25 years before, it predicted that I would give him a specific piece of information. I did and so the message had come true!

The hard work was now to begin immediately. I sat for Spiritual Unfoldment and Development under his guidance for nine years. My first public demonstration with Jack was in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Jack was always a tough taskmaster. After taking a public demonstration he would let me know where I had gone wrong, how to improve, whom I passed messages to, whether there was a break in either the philosophy, or the clairvoyance. This statement may seem simple – not so, when you think that at many of my spiritual meetings; I could be in Newcastle, or Salisbury – Jack would be at his home on Groby Road in Leicester.

Jack Corbett was a master, the most highly developed medium I have ever had the privilege to meet. I travelled to Jack’s home every Friday evening 30 miles either way, this may not appear much, but Jack would always say: “Even if you are gifted, you still need dedication, effort and you have to put the time in. If you do the spirit world will back you – never forget that the work is for others and not yourself”.

Jack Corbett trained me for the public platform handing over to me the Presidency of the unfoldment group The Golden Circle of Spiritual Light in 1990.  Golden Circle simply means: The Sun by Day and the Moon by Night – Perpetual Light.

I first sat for unfoldment with Jack on the 21st of July 1982, he passed into the ‘higher-life’ on the 21st July 1991, and it was exactly nine years to the day. Nevertheless, the teachings will last and last, to be passed on to others, who pursue spiritual knowledge through the service of mankind.

It may seem strange, that though I know Jack’s Son Colin, and met is now departed daughter-in-law Lil, and his granddaughter. After all of these years I have now had the pleasure to meet his great granddaughter Alexina, whist working in Leicester. I know very little about his family apart from brief references to his brother or sisters. Jack had worked in the hosiery trade for most of his life, and served in the British Army during World War Two, particularly in France and Germany.

Jack Corbett generally only spoke on spiritual matters, philosophy and his work in Spiritualism. He was, and always will be, a man dedicated to humanity and through service helped to bring light into this World. Like Jack Corbett philosophies are simple based on common-sense that embraces an approach to combining the natural spiritual energy forces with the everyday problems of material life.