| Cassadaga | |
| Other Name: | Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Nickname: | "Psychic Capital of the World" |
| Pushpin Map: | Volusia County |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Volusia County and the state of Florida |
| Coordinates: | 28.9664°N -81.2358°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Volusia |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1894 |
| Founder: | George Colby |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Timezone1: | EST |
| Utc Offset1: | -5 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code(s) |
| Postal Code: | 32706 |
| Area Code: | 386 |
| Website: | www.cassadaga.org |
Cassadaga (a Seneca Indian word meaning "Water beneath the rocks") is a small unincorporated community located in Volusia County, Florida, United States, just north of Deltona. It is especially known for having many psychics and mediums, and has consequently been named the "Psychic Capital of the World".[1] [2]
The Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp began circa 1875, when the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association was founded by George P. Colby, from Pike, New York,[2] a trance medium who traveled to many different states, giving readings and seances. He was well known and in his travels was referred to as the "seer of spiritualism." Colby attended summer Spiritualist Camp meetings at Lily Dale, New York, the town adjacent to Cassadaga, New York that would lend its name to the Florida community.[3]
Colby worked with several spirit guides who would give him knowledge. One of his spirit guides was a Native American named Seneca,[2] who had manifested to Colby during a seance in Lake Mills, Iowa. According to Colby, Seneca had instructed him to travel south to Florida, where he eventually arrived at a place called the Blue Springs Landing, near Orange City, Florida. According to Colby, the area that Seneca had led him to was the same area that Colby had seen during the seance in Iowa.
Colby had arrived in Florida in 1875, and on December 18, 1894, the charter was granted to form The Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association.[2] Later, on January 3, 1895, Colby had signed a warranty deed to the association for thirty-five acres.[3] [2] The people who came to the Spiritualist Camp in the early days of its formation were affluent and well educated. The association later received additional acreage that expanded the camp to the current fifty-seven acres.[2]
Today, the Camp features the Cassadaga Hotel, a central auditorium, The Colby Memorial Temple, a community library, the Caesar Forman Healing Center, a Camp bookstore, a welcome center, and the Andrew Jackson Davis Educational building, used for musical performances and gatherings.[4] Nearby is Colby-Alderman Park.
The principles of spirituality that are taught by the people at Cassadaga state, "Spiritualism has no dogma or creed, just a simple set of nine principles to help guide our lives".[4] According to the teachings of spiritualism, it is the "science, philosophy, and religion based upon the principle of continuous life".[4] On March 14, 1991, the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp was declared a U.S. Historic District. The Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp is a federal tax-exempt church currently governed by a board of trustees.