For thousands of years, human beings have been channels for the gods. From the oracle at Delphi, who would proclaim divine prophecy while in a trance, to the book of Revelation, purportedly dictated by God to St. John on the island of Patmos, to the Spiritualists of the 19th century who were understood to communicate with the dead, ordinary people throughout time have given voice to the ineffable. Nick Mezins’ book The Tidings falls into this long tradition.
The book opens in 943. The place is Latvia. The Baltics are caught between the German army to the west and the Russian army to the east. Life is rough, dangerous and uncertain. In the midst of the war, two women decide to communicate with spirits in hopes of a sign of good things to come. A connection is made and these women, one, named Mary and the mother of the author, begin channeling spirits who announce that they are angelic-like beings responsible for the creation of the world. The words communicated are theological and eschatological in tone and messages of wisdom continue to be articulated on and off for nearly 30 years. Mezins has released these records in book form.
While this set-up alone is worth consideration, few readers will have the patience to journey through over 400 pages of what is mostly dense, choppy prose and convoluted ideas on such topics as Mayan civilization, the nature of good and evil, the true value of money, and the shortcomings of the human race. One never gets the sense of anything new being revealed here. For example, “Adhere to what is good. Avoid all evil” is a bit of a no-brainer – whether it’s coming from the invisible world or a Sunday school teacher.
Still, there is something intriguing about this book, and certain readers of the occult and paranormal researchers interested in the history of channeled narrative may find lessons to take away here.
