The New Thought Movement and May Otis Blackburn

• 💡 The early 1900s saw the rise of the New Thought Movement, emphasizing mind-body connection and manifestation, which influenced spiritual life across the US.
• 🎯 May Otis Blackburn, a central figure, leveraged these beliefs to establish one of the strangest cults in American history.
• 🧠 May's early life was marked by hearing voices, which she attributed to divine guidance, a theme that would continue throughout her life.

Rise of the Blackburn Cult

• 💰 May Otis Blackburn navigated multiple marriages, often seeking wealthy partners, and used her charisma to amass wealth and influence.
• 🎭 After failed film aspirations, May and her daughter Ruth became convinced they were chosen by the angel Gabriel to announce the end of the world, dictating a book titled "The Seventh Trumpet of Gabriel."
• 🏠 The cult, known as the "Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven" or "Blackburn Cult," demanded followers relinquish all assets and isolate themselves.
• 🎭 May manipulated followers with staged supernatural events and bizarre rituals, including naked dancing and butter-on-feet ceremonies.

Doomsday Prophecies and Control Tactics

• ⚠️ The cult's ideology centered on apocalyptic prophecies, drawing heavily from the Book of Revelation, and promising followers resurrection and eternal life.
• 💰 May used dietary restrictions (banning apples, walnuts, and T-bone steaks) and financial control to maintain power and save money.
• 💀 The cult was marked by suspicious deaths and disappearances, including that of Samuel Rizzi and the tragic case of 14-year-old Willa Rhodes, whose body was preserved for months.
• 🚗 The cult relocated to a compound in Simi Valley, where they built a temple and continued their rituals, while May continued to exploit her followers financially.

Downfall and Aftermath

• ⚖️ Clifford Dabney, a wealthy follower, eventually pressed charges against May for fraud after realizing he had been exploited.
• 📰 The ensuing investigation and media frenzy uncovered the cult's dark secrets, including the hidden body of Willa Rhodes and evidence of animal sacrifices.
• 📉 Despite facing numerous charges, May Otis Blackburn was convicted of grand theft and sentenced to prison, but her conviction was overturned on appeal, and she was released.
• 🕊️ May lived to be 87, dying in 1951, with her daughter Ruth and a few followers remaining loyal until the end, though the cult itself dissolved.