Gordon Smith: seventh son of a seventh son?

[Admin]

Not a particularly important point but I noticed this on Gordon 'psychic barber' Smith's website:

Gordon Smith is an astoundingly accurate medium. He is renowned for his ability to give exact names of people, places and even streets. The seventh son of a seventh son, Gordon travels around the world to appear before audiences

No, I'm not questioning his claims to be 'astoundingly accurate' but the claim that he's a seventh son of a seventh son. This claim gets repeated around other forums etc. but I wonder if anyone's checked it out?

The seventh son of a seventh son is supposedly gifted with psychic and healing powers. Christ knows why that should be but it's what some people believe.

So:

1. Is Gordon Smith being serious with this claim or is it metaphorical;
2. If he is serious, has anyone ever checked out whether he does have (or had) at least 6 brothers and at least 6 paternal uncles?

As I said, it's not particularly important. If it's true it doesn't actually mean he is psychic; but if it's false, it's worth questioning why he's making the claim. After all, many see him as the genuine medium don't they?

[median]

From his face book page http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...ndid=116706143

Born to Samuel Smith and Elizabeth Davis on 6th July 1962, in the Gorbals, Glasgow, Gordon is the proverbial seventh son of a seventh son, he has 3 sisters (one of whom died before he was born) and 3 brothers. Gordon has two sons Paul aged 24 and Steven aged 21. He lives next to a Loch on the west coast of his beloved Scotland.

Not the accepted definition then?

[Nasib]

I think the origins of this ancient myth, way back in the distant past, actually attributed the beliefs of "the gifted one" to be bestowed upon the seventh child. Gordon Smith is indeed the seventh child, the youngest of 3 brothers and 3 sisters.

http://globalpsychics.com/enlighteni.../7th-son.shtml

Belief in the special gifts of a Seventh Son or Daughter can be found in Folklore throughout the world. Leslie Shepard in his 'Encyclopedia of Occultism and parapsychology' states that in Romania the Seventh Child is fated to become a vampire. And that in England in the seventeenth century there were reports of a Seventh Son healing the deaf, blind and lame.

In France, The Seventh Son was called a 'Marcou' and branded with a 'fleur-de-lis' {reknown worldwide as a symbol of the Divine & Quality, and all that is Holy}. Good Luck was also said to attend the Seventh Child. In olden days, when Captains of Merchant Ships were setting sail on long voyages, they would try, 'often by force if neccessary' to have a Seventh Son on ship as Legend has it that the Ship wouldn't sink with a Seventh Son on Board

The reason why the Seventh Child as opposed to the first or the fifth for example-should have 'Special Powers' has it's roots in ancient beliefs. The number Seven has many mystical and religious associations. Apart from the Bible telling of God creating the world in Seven Days, The number features throughout the old and new testaments. ...

.

[bindeweede]

I think the origins of this ancient myth, way back in the distant past, actually attributed the beliefs of "the gifted one" to be bestowed upon the seventh child. Gordon Smith is indeed the seventh child, the youngest of 3 brothers and 3 sisters.

http://globalpsychics.com/enlighteni.../7th-son.shtml

.

Nasib,

But on his website, Gordon does indeed claim to be the seventh son of a seventh son.

The seventh son of a seventh son, Gordon travels around the world to appear before audiences, read for celebrities and demonstrate his abilities, but his feet have remained firmly on the ground.

Either he is or he isn't, surely.

http://www.thepsychicbarber.co.uk/about.html

Oops, I must be thick. He is a "proverbial" seventh son. I do not understand, I'm afraid.

[SimonC]

Nasib,

But on his website, Gordon does indeed claim to be the seventh son of a seventh son.

Either he is or he isn't, surely.

http://www.thepsychicbarber.co.uk/about.html

Oops, I must be thick. He is a "proverbial" seventh son. I do not understand, I'm afraid.

I expect it's true in that special, spiritual way that us nasty skeptics just can't understand or appreciate.

In other words...

...

[bindeweede]

I expect it's true in that special, spiritual way that us nasty skeptics just can't understand or appreciate.

In other words...

...

SimonC,

I am coming to the conclusion that Smith's description of himself is a terminological inexactitude, a deceit, a falsehood........or simply a lie.

[Nasib]

SimonC,

I am coming to the conclusion that Smith's description of himself is a terminological inexactitude, a deceit, a falsehood........or simply a lie.

I think it's just speaking metaphorically. Just like you might say to someone "you can't teach your granny to suck eggs", when your granny sucking eggs has got nothing whatsoever to do with the conversation, but it's clearly understood what you're trying to say. I think possibly, though, Hay House, who he's contracted to, have made a bit of a meal of it - all helps with the hype (of their 'product').

Of course, whether he's the seventh child or only son has no real bearing on his abilities. He has 'the gift' and he uses it in the way that it is intended (however the doubters may try to twist it). This man IS the real deal - and no amount of [imminent] selective, clever-clogs analysis on transcripts etc can change that (from the perspective of those who experience similar to him).

[Admin]

From his face book page http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...ndid=116706143

So he's the 4th son of a bloke who probably didn't have 6 brothers!

Yes, I had a feeling it wouldn't be true.

[Admin]

He has 'the gift' and he uses it in the way that it is intended (however the doubters may try to twist it). This man IS the real deal - and no amount of [imminent] selective, clever-clogs analysis on transcripts etc can change that (from the perspective of those who experience similar to him).

He's very personable and to be honest I'm surprised that he's not a bigger media psychic than he already is. His modus operandi is exactly the same as the rest of them, however, and I see no reason to consider him any different to any of the others.

You know the old saying: if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck.....

And, BTW, transcripts are an excellent way of ascertaining things like information flow in dialogue. An that's what most psychic readings are - an interactive dialogue.

[Nasib]

You know the old saying: if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck.....

Oh NO ... Please don't start me off on that one. Except to suggest that if you were to analyse that old saying you must surely see how contradictory it is to the supposed thinking of a sceptic.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

I've done some clever-clogs transcript analysis on his heavily edited promo videos, he's not impartial to a bit of hot reading on the side.

http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles...hp?storyid=784

http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles...hp?storyid=809

His cold reading is just as poor as anyone else, going so far as to drop in offensive cancer fishing.

There's a million dollars waiting for him if he is the real deal, but he needs to be quick.

[Admin]

Oh NO ... Please don't start me off on that one. Except to suggest that if you were to analyse that old saying you must surely see how contradictory it is to the supposed thinking of a sceptic.

I read an analysis of it on a believers' forum but it was a very poorly thought out critique.

It is a valid saying when used as a rule of thumb.

[Nasib]

I've done some clever-clogs transcript analysis on his heavily edited promo videos, he's not impartial to a bit of hot reading on the side.

http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles...hp?storyid=784

http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles...hp?storyid=809

His cold reading is just as poor as anyone else, going so far as to drop in offensive cancer fishing.

There's a million dollars waiting for him if he is the real deal, but he needs to be quick.

I'm not reading these links just now, simply because I've seen them all before (and given my opinion on your opinion) but I will comment on the "offensive cancer" quote (again) here, as you've isolated it here.

I really do not see how the reference to someone who passed with a cancer condition can possibly, or indeed would possibly be taken as offensive by a recipient/sitter - (although of course, you're not a sitter are you, simply a 3rd/4th/50th party 'observer'). Nevertheless, usually a spirit communicator on making contact through a medium will initially get across the nature in which they passed. My own mother passed of a cancer condition, and invariably whenever she comes through this is verified by the medium. If the medium were to give me lots of different seemingly validating confirmations which I could take to identify the communicator as my mother, and then were to give a different description of her passing - then I would take that reading as a miss.
I really can't see where the allegations of "offensive" comes into it, and I've certainly never heard of ANY sitter having taken offence to such validation.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

That bit is classic Gordon Smith cold reading. Laughable really.

GS - Gordon Smith
E - Sitter

GS : There's a lady here who died of cancer, I feel as though her body went really....

E : That's my mum, yes.

GS : Ok, so it's a mother. I just feel her body got really weak and tired. She's coming in to let you know I'm here Now I don't know her name was Nan, or someone called her Nan, but she just said Nan's here.

E : Ok (not really agreeing though)

[Mongrel]

I think it's just speaking metaphorically. Just like you might say to someone "you can't teach your granny to suck eggs", when your granny sucking eggs has got nothing whatsoever to do with the conversation, but it's clearly understood what you're trying to say. I think possibly, though, Hay House, who he's contracted to, have made a bit of a meal of it - all helps with the hype (of their 'product').

Aren't Hay House the same people who have Sylvia Browne on the books?