Witches New Year is here!! It’s raining. I hope that doesn’t daunt the trick or treaters.
I am so excited, but unfortunately I had to take my cat to the vet. It turns out she has lost a ton of weight and she now has hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure. Thankfully, she will be treated for it. I hope the medicine helps her.
I have been very busy preparing for Samhain. I just love this time of year. I am not celebrating the ancestral supper at my Mom’s. I am going somewhere else to perform it. I have to clean the kitchen, set the table and prepare the food. I cooked the pot roast ahead of time. I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread and Samhain soul cakes. I plan to bake chocolate cupcakes. I have halloween cupcake liners and decorations!
I’m going to buy a bottle of red wine to make mulled cider. I want the brandy to make another herbal tincture. I have a nice Samhain simmering potpourri potion and I made a nice Samhain anointing oil. Derrick will not be home to attend the ancestral supper. I can perform it alone, then he can reheat the meal afterwards. I really have my work cut out for me to clean. I look forward to it. I still have to carve the pumpkin, dress the table- (and clean, clean and clean), heat the food and set up candles etc.
I attended a Halloween party last night. I won a prize for Best Witch! The party was low key, but I still had fun. There was not a lot of people there. Tomorrow I am attending a public Samhain Ritual and the Witches Ball after the Rit. I can’t remember ever being this busy.
Samhain is the third of three harvest Sabbats. This is a good time to honor our ancestors and reflect on our blessings. I plan to enjoy the dark half of the year. Halifax is perfect for a foggy, misty afternoon. I have not visited a cemetery yet for October. I will visit the cemetery today. I love cemeteries.
Place photos of those who have gone before you, be that family, relatives or pets. Burn brown and black candles. Keep in mind: fire safety! Cook a lovely meal for your own ancestral supper. Light a candle and set it at your window. Carve pumpkins and as you carve, work in your intention. Arrange candles, acorns, gourds, dried waxed leaves, photos around your regular altar tools for a spooky Samhain altar. Put your heart and your intention into everything you do.
I am not certain if doing a grave rubbing is allowed. I want to, but I haven’t tried it. I just don’t want to get in any trouble. I advise checking to see if it is okay first. Most of all, have fun. Be safe and have fun. The spirits are celebrating Samhain right along with you. Invite them in and that keeps you in the good karma department. Don’t dowse your pumpkins in bleach. It makes curious squirrels sick. Don’t burn a ton of candles and wear long, flowing sleeves. That starts fires. Don’t leave candles unattended. Check the kids’ candy.
Do have and show respect for the dead. Don’t summon the dead in a cemetery at midnight tonight or any night. No, it is not cool. Leaving an offering of food or something like it at a crossroads or outside your apartment is fine. If you heed these warnings, know this: Burning the apartment down because of candles left ignored or the like, IS NOT COOL! Your landlord will evict you and hate you and NEVER GIVE YOU A GOOD REFERENCE LETTER! So have fun, have tons of fun, but please be smart about it.
Know how to use a fire extinguisher. Memorize its location. Learn how to use a fire blanket that puts out fires. Buy one and store it in your home.
Keep pets safe!
Merry Samhain, everyone!!
Let me know in the comments below what a wonderful and magickal Samhain you experienced!
I received my contributor copy of Pocket Full of Posies this week. The book contains my own flash fiction story, The Cries of Dead Children. I am so happy. The Cries of Dead Children is the eighth story published by Wicked Shadow Press. I love the cover art. The cover art is beautiful for every anthology.
Mabon is almost here! Of course, I know that most of you Witches are drawn to the most celebrated holiday of all time. Yup. Samhain!
Fall is here! Here is a true spooky story to get you in the mood for fall!
The haunting of Esther Cox remains a mystery, to this day.
The haunting began in 1888 when Esther Cox lived in a house on Princess Street, with her married sister Olive, Olive’s husband Daniel and their two children as well as Esther’s brother and sister. The strange events began in August 1878, when Esther Cox was on a date with what turned out to be an unsavoury gentleman. She was sexually assaulted by the male ‘friend ‘ at gunpoint, which caused her to spiral into a deep emotional trauma response. It is after this horrible assault that the phenomenon began.
The haunting began with knockings, bangings and rustling in the night. Esther began to suffer seizures and her body would visibly swell and she experienced chills as well. Objects moved on their own in the house. Concerned for her well-being and struggling to find an explanation for the odd events, her family called a doctor. During the doctor’s visit, the bedclothes moved, scratching was heard and the words “Esther Cox, you are mine to kill” appeared on the wall by her bed. The following day, the doctor prescribed sedatives to Esther to calm her and help her sleep, but this did not stop the noises and objects flew around the house. They attempted to communicate with the rambunctious spirits and this led to tapped responses to their questions.
The haunting continued for many months and the family gained a reputation for having the most haunted house on the block. When people would visit the cottage, including those from the church, they heard banging, knocking and the movement of objects and this happened even when Esther was under close observation. In December, Esther fell ill from diptheria during which time haunting ceased while she was recovering for two weeks in bed. There was no haunting activity when she spent time at her sister’s home in New Brunsiwck either. When she returned to Amherst though, the mysterious events picked up right where they left off. In a horrifying turn, fires broke out in various spots around the house and Esther claimed to see the ghost which was threatening to burn down the home unless she stayed away.
In January 1879, perhaps to bring some desperately needed peace to the home, Esther Cox lived with another family, but the haunting still continued. Several people witnessed the manifestations, including conversing with the ghost and received rappings for answers. Some people felt sympathy and curiosity while others were more skeptical. Those that were skeptical believed that Esther was responsible for the odd occurrences and were hostile towards her. Poor Esther was pricked, slapped and scratched by the ghost and on one occasion, was even stabbed in the back with a knife.
The news spread far and wide about Esther Cox. In late March, she visited New Brunswick where she was visited by a few gentlemen with an interest in science. This is where Walter Hubbell enters the picture. He moved into the Teed cottage to study the phenomena more closely. Hubbell was an actor with an interest in psychic phenomena who happened to be in that area of Canada when the mystery began and he kept a diary of the events in the house. He later developed the diary entries into a book which was dismissed as a hoax by skeptical investigators.
Hubbell spent several weeks with Esther Cox and her family to study the phenomenon. While in her home he claimed to have witnessed objects moving on their own as well as fires and items manifesting from nowhere. He claimed to have witnessed this occurring even when Esther was in full view and not in a position to have caused these things. He and Esther embarked on a speaking tour to give an account of these events, but encountered a great deal of hostility and skepticism which put an end to the endeavor. Esther returned to Amherst in an attempt to have an everyday life. She worked for a man, but after his barn burned down, he accused her of causing the fire and she was found guilty and was sentenced to four months in prison. She spent only one month in jail, and when she returned home the activity had completely ceased as mysteriously as it had started. She married twice and had two sons. Esther moved to Massachusetts and lived there until her death in November 1912.
Hubbell’s book, titled “The Great Amherst Mystery: A True Narrative About the Supernatural”, about the occurrences at Esther Cox’s house was published and was successful with 55,000 copies of his book having been sold. However, there is no solid scientific evidence to suggest that the ghostly activity ever happened beyond Hubbell’s notes.
A local author, Lorri Neilsen Glenn, who lives in Nova Scotia, wrote a book about Esther Cox. The book, titled “Haunted Girl Esther Cox and the Great Amherst Mystery”, was published by Nimbus Publishing in April 2012. The book includes thirty photos of the locations in Amherst that are related to the house where Esther lived.
The town of Amherst now holds an annual festival, EstherFest, which began in 2017. EstherFest holds numerous activities for the public, including the Fifth Annual Scarecrow Stroll, a Ghost Hunt with Paranormal Phenomena Research and Investigation, a staged reading, and scary movies at Amherst Theatre. Additionally, there will be a ghost walk and a ghost hunt, as well as a youth dance and many other family activities. The festival takes place from October 18 to 30th.
The Great Amherst Mystery will always remain a mystery. We will never know for sure what really happened to Esther Cox and her family and sadly, the house that Esther and her family lived in no longer exists. The tale of Esther Cox in the Great Amherst mystery has inspired many podcasts, a town festival and books. She continues to inspire our minds and hearts today.
Welcome, everyone, to a very special blog post. Today we are discussing horror with successful author Brian Smith. Brian has agreed to chat in my dark cobweb ridden corner of the web, so let’s get started.
Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?
As a kid who grew up in the 80’s, as a part of Generation X, horror was everywhere. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and slasher films in general but I was mostly interested in bug movies like Kingdom Of The Spiders, Island Claws, Frogs and such.
It’d have to be a supernatural horror because there’s so many things ghosts can do some really fucked up shit like change your Wi-Fi password or chase you up the stairs after turn off all the lights in the house.
Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?
Edgar Allan Poe got to me first, then Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Richard Laymon, Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene, Edward Lee, Bentley Little and H.P. Lovecraft.
What inspires you to write horror?
On top of growing up with slasher and bug movies, I also grew up with Stephen King movies. I checked out Stephen King’s Night Shift from the local library when I was twelve and then I fed myself every Dean Koontz book I could get my hands on. I’ve always enjoyed the fact that authors can turn the everyday lives of an everyday person by throwing them into a panicked and harried situation.
Tell me about your writing/ editing process
My writing process is as fucked up as my editing process because I’ll sit down and get the bare bones of the story out of my head and then I’ll print it out and go through it as best as I can and edit the entire book by adding new paragraphs and scenes into the book and as the meme says, “I do all of my best editing after I hit SEND”.
Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?
Everyone goes through a horror at some point in their lives whether its an abusive spouse or family member or some life-altering shift in their young and impressionable life at one time or another.
I write horror because it’s real. I write horror because we welcome unknown horrors every time we change our lives for the better and yet we don’t realize that until it’s too late. It’s how we overcome them that matters. We have more free range when it comes to indie publishing. We can put whatever we want in our books, publish them whenever we want and make them as long as we want them to be.
The original Night Of The Living Dead and Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. They inspired me to write horror and although I haven’t done a vampire novel yet but the former inspired me to write my novel “Dead River”. It depends upon what I’m writing.
Is there any music that helps you to write?
If I’m writing horror, I listen to a dark lo-fi hip-hop playlist. If I’m writing a crime noir, then its’s something like jazz noir or dark noir music.
Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?
I’m writing the second book of a trilogy featuring two “supernaturalists” who investigate supernatural locations. I’ve written the outline of a body horror novella and I’m always writing short stories.
Where can readers find you on social media?
Facebook under Brian J. Smith
Threads and Instagram under horrorauthor9
About the author
Brian J. Smith is the author of Dark Avenues, 1342 Lindley Road, The Tuckers, Consuming Darkness Abbie’s Wrath, Bad Allergies and Dead River. His short fiction has been published in The Horror Zine, Dark Horses: The Magazine Of Weird Fiction and The Drabblecast. He resides in southeastern Ohio has too many books and buys more, thinks that Valentine’s Day should be replaced by Second Halloween and doesn’t drink enough coffee. He is an affiliate member of The Horror Authors Guild and can be found on Facebook under Brian Smith, Twitter under BrianJS913 and on Instagram under horrorauthor9.
I am so honoured to discover that my blog is included on the website 100 Best Paranormal Blogs and Websites! Wow! I am honoured. I mean this is awesome. Truly awesome.
Today the sun’s shining hard but the cold wind lingers. That ruins my groove because I can’t wear certain tops, unless I have the equivalent of an eskimo parka on over it. Not sure why this cold wind is still here but I hope it leaves soon.
Today’s post is about how to deal with a haunted object. Enjoy!
The Dos and Don’ts of Dealing with a Haunted Object
Many people believe that objects can become Haunted. Whether you believe it or not, there are certain steps you should take if you think you have a Haunted object in your possession. In this blog post, we will go over what to do if you think an object is Haunted as well as how to remove a spirit from an object.
How Can a Spirit Become Attached to an Object? There are two main ways that a spirit can become attached to an object: through attraction or through energy. The first instance is when the spirit is attracted to the object itself. This could be because of the material it is made out of, its color, or even its shape. The second instance is when the spirit becomes attached to the energy of the person who owns the object. This often happens with items that have been passed down through generations or have been owned by someone for a long time. The attachment can also happen if the owner was very emotional when they were using the item.
For example, if a person got very angry while using a particular tool, that tool could pick up on that anger and attract a spirit that is also angry. Or, if someone passed away while wearing a certain piece of jewelry, that jewelry could hold on to the energy of the person and their passing. There are many different circumstances in which a spirit can become attached to an object.
Can Objects Be Haunted? The answer to this question is a little bit complicated. Technically speaking, no, an inanimate object cannot be haunted because it does not have a soul. However, what many people think of as “haunted” objects are actually just objects that have had a spirit attached to them at some point in time. So while an object cannot be haunted in and of itself, it can have all of the same symptoms as a haunted house would—things moving on their own, strange noises, etc.—because there is a spirit present.
Dos:
• If you think an object is Haunted, the first thing you should do is try to figure out why the spirit is attached to the object. This can be done by researching the history of the object or talking to a medium.
• Once you know why the spirit is attached to the object, you can try to help them move on. This can be done by holding a seance or by performing a cleansing ritual. • If you are successful in helping the spirit move on, be sure to bless the object so that it does not become Haunted again.
Don’ts:
• Do not attempt to remove a spirit from an object without knowing why they are attached to it. This can agitate the spirit and make them angry.
• Do not try to communicate with the spirit without the help of a professional medium. This can be dangerous as spirits can lash out if they feel threatened.
• Do not attempt to perform a cleansing ritual without first doing your research. Cleansing rituals can be dangerous if not performed correctly.
If you think you have a Haunted object in your possession, there are certain steps you should take. Do your research and try to figure out why the spirit is attached to the object. Once you know why they are attached, you can try to help them move on. If you are successful, be sure to blessed the object so that it does not become Haunted again. If you have any further questions or concerns, please consult with a professional medium.
The sun is shining so strong today. Everyone all over the world is waiting for the eclipse. It is the biggest thing right now since sliced bread. People are so excited about it. I wish I had the special eyeglasses for watching the eclipse.
I’m waiting for the delivery of a package. The package is the textbooks I ordered from the Herbal Academy for the Introductory course. The delivery is taking an extra amount of time for some reason. I have never been the patient type of person. Patience is not my forte. I have to find a special spot on my shelves for the textbooks.
I am really feeling the energies today. It feels off: my back hurts, the blender didn’t cooperate when I made soup and I feel edgy and irritable. I mean I am usually irritable but today I am more so. That is the eclipse and Mercury retrograde affecting me.
I bought a book online that looks interesting, titled Old Dark Houses: A Halloween Novel by Tylor James. Speaking of Halloween, I saw the latest Ghostbuster movie Frozen Empire. Do we really need another Ghostbuster movie? No. Now it feels so forced. I enjoyed it but I just fail to see what they are adding to the whole Ghostbuster franchise. I also bought a book titled The Complete Book of Black Magic and Witchcraft. I am sure the black magic book will be a fun read… ahem. I shall not cook up the boys who cry out that I am a Witch at the top of their lungs while riding their bikes, I promise. Witch’s honour. Well, they are not wrong.
Chives, lemon balm, garlic and tiger lily sprouts are up in my garden. Spring is here! The next turn in the Wheel of the Year is Beltane. Beltane occurs in May. I shall post more about that in the future. Beltane is the third spring Sabbat and a nice way to usher in the summer season.
My plants are growing so lovely in my grow light kit. It’s April now. They can be planted out in the next six to eight weeks in the garden. The last frost is in early June. I bought a bag of potato seedlings. I might buy an extra grow bag to hold all the taters. I bought red onion seeds too. I can’t wait to get growing in my garden. The birds chirp their little avian hearts out. They know the nice weather is here, which means food. I made them one last offering of bird suet. I cooked hamburger meat grease, lard, peanut butter, bird seed, bread crumbs, oranges, apple chunks and olive oil. The birds enjoyed every bite. If they ate it, then that extra food wasn’t wasted. I fill their feeder regularly too.
The Museo de Valladolid is a museum in the Spanish city of Valladolid that divides its collection into two sections, archaeology and fine arts. Among the museum’s collection, which spans the history of the city, you can find Roman coins, Renaissance-era paintings, and a 16th century chair associated with the Devil. “The Devil’s Armchair,” as this wicked piece of furniture is known, is said to be cursed.
According to legend, the chair’s original owner was Andres de Proaza, a 22-year-old student of Portuguese (some say Jewish) heritage. In 1550, Proaza was studying at the University of Valladolid’s Faculty of Medicine. He was enrolled in Spain’s first ever anatomy course, which was taught by Alfonso Rodriguez de Guevara, a renown physician who’d just come back from studying the subject in Italy.
For a subject that was just formally introduced to Spain, Proaza had an unusually deep understanding of anatomy. Everybody was impressed with his knowledge, and he was considered Guevara’s best pupil. His neighbors, however, were more scared than fascinated by the young man.
At night, they heard crying and moaning coming from Proaza’s house, and the stream behind his home was sometimes soaked with blood. Soon, a rumor spread that the promising anatomist was practicing necromancy. When a 9-year-old boy disappeared in the city, Proaza’s neighbors only grew more suspicious. They contacted the authorities to search Proaza’s house.
Down in Proaza’s basement, the authorities found blood and guts everywhere. The missing boy laid on a table, his body ripped apart and resting with the corpses of cats and dogs. Proaza confessed that he’d dissected them all.
Murder wasn’t the only evil thing Proaza was doing either. During his trial with the Inquisition, he admitted that he’d made a pact with the Devil. This being three centuries before the Parker Brothers started selling ouija boards, Proaza’s choice of communication with the Prince of Darkness was an armchair. Not just any piece of furniture, mind you, but a chair given to him by a Navarrese necromancer.
By sitting on the chair, Proaza gained all the advanced medical knowledge he wowed his classmates and professors with. He also told the authorities that only well-qualified doctors could sit in his eternally damned armchair. Anybody else who sat in the chair would die three days later, ditto for anybody stupid enough to destroy it.
For his crimes, the Inquisition sent Proaza off to the gallows. An auction was held to sell off Proaza’s belongings, but surprisingly few people were interested in buying furniture associated with child murder and Satanism. For this reason, the chair and everything else Proaza owned were moved to a warehouse at his old university.
Years passed, and the story behind the chair was forgotten. In the 19th century, an exhausted beadle stumbled on the chair and slumped down for a rest. True to Proaza’s warning, the beadle was found dead in the chair three days later. The university’s next beadle was no less cautious; he sat in the chair and died as well.
After taking the lives of two good beadles, the chair’s thirst for blood had to be stopped. To ensure that it didn’t take any more lives, the chair was hanged upside down from the university chapel. It remained here until 1890, when it was moved to the Museo de Valladolid after the chapel was demolished.
At its new home, a red ribbon has been tied across the Devil’s Armchair to keep visitors from sitting in it. This was not done to prevent bright med students from making Faustian pacts, but to protect what’s actually a rare 16th century chair. Honestly though, warning that your precious antiques are cursed would probably keep a lot more touchy hands off your stuff.
Check out my book “Mexico’s Unsolved Mysteries: True Stories of Ghosts, Monsters, and UFOs from South of the Border” for more interesting mysteries of the Spanish-speaking world. You can buy the book on Kindlehere.
Be warned before you sit in the diabolical Devil’s armchair.
Samhain is coming! Get on your broomsticks and dust off those cauldrons. Samhain is the third of the harvest Sabbats. I have had a great October month so far. Two stories published, two courses in Demonology and Parapsychology, a Paranormal Symposium and the Writer Digest Virtual horror writing conference. I can hardly ask for more.
I want to harvest dandelion roots, brew elderberry syrup, hawthorn cordial and puree pumpkins to make delicious pumpkin bread and soups. I am so itching to harvest dandelion roots that I think I will get up early tomorrow morning and do just that. I don’t care if it is raining. The rain will loosen the soil for me. The dandelions have a more concentrated amount of valuable nutrients in them in the fall. Now is the right time. After that, I will dry them in my dehydrator.
I was on a walk on the nature trail. It was raining so I could not take any photos. The nature trail was resplendent in autumn colours of red, gold, brown and green. Fall is the most beautiful season of all the seasons. I strolled slowly through the trail, admiring the colourful leaves. It was so invigorating! October is a magical month and every single minute of it should be enjoyed.
Here a few pointers for you while you are casting your spells:
If you insist on wearing a robe with long billowing sleeves and you are burning candles at your altar, please at least pin the sleeves up and out of the way to avoid a fire.
Don’t singe your hair.
Shelters often don’t adopt out black cats and kittens during October. They are all too familiar with the horror stories of abuse or see cats returned to the shelter. This has a damaging effect on a cat as the cat will never know what was wrong or why it is returned. Donate to an animal shelter or if you see any sort of animal abuse, be sure to report it. Always have your phone charged!
Compost your pumpkins once done. Fill the pumpkins with peanut butter and leave them in the garden for the neighbourhood critters. Don’t use bleach to preserve your pumpkin.
Use organic gardening methods to help the pollinators in your garden. Practice bioregional herbalism. Join a community garden.
Light a candle at the window on Samhain eve to aid the lost spirits.
Honour your ancestors with a sincere, open heart. Hold an ancestral supper and leave a spot for them at the table.
Don’t feel that you have to spend a fortune to enjoy Samhain. I don’t. I usually use what I have over and over again. I take good care of my magical items. That helps me get more money out of what I spent.
If you truly are weary of some of your magical books, gift them to a coven mate or to the local library.
Don’t rake the leaves! I keep the leaves all year on my garden. They help the soil retain moisture and can be a nesting spot for pollinators.
You can still make it rock if you are celebrating Samhain solo. Or hang out with fellow solo practitioners. They are out there. Just have to find them and you may find you have lots in common!
Do try to give out good quality candy to the kiddies who are trick or treating. Compliment them on their costumes. Be patient. They want to enjoy the night too.
Learn a new skill. I borrowed a book from the library on innovative ways to craft smudge sticks and tried it. They are beautiful!
Mostly, enjoy yourself. The next October is a long way away. Enjoy it now.
Pumpkin season is here. The Paranormal Symposium is a few days away. I have been busy preparing for it. I can’t wait to attend.
The beautiful black plush blanket that I ordered from Killstar arrives tomorrow! I can’t wait for that either. The blanket has a spiderweb print and will keep me warm. I want to download lots of photos of my ancestors for Samhain. I also want to make them a beautiful offering of golden flowers this year. I decided on goldenrod and marigolds, and maybe asters. I am sure they will appreciate the offering.
The host of the Paranormal Symposium, Elliott Van Dusen, wants to interview me about my blog, The Paranormal Quill after the Symposium. I am happy about that. It is nice to get some recognition after all my hard work. I have had a long go of it. I will have to prepare for that too. It should be interesting.
I bought a cool black glossy nail polish the other day. The brand is Opi and the color is black onyx. I love the color and the quality of the nail polish. I am almost all set for the Paranormal Symposium. I just have to decide what to wear. I washed two gothy witchy dresses and they will be clean in time for the big day. I bought a beautiful black handbag today on Spring Garden near the Public Gardens. It is so lovely. I hand washed that too, as it had a strong scent. I want to use that bag the day of the event. Yes this has taken a lot of thought. I need spending money for lunch and maybe cabfare. It is a day long event so that is why I have been thinking everything through. The black boots I wanted to wear aren’t ready. I have an alternate pair. The clothes are clean. Yup I do believe I just have to enjoy myself and relax. I even asked my Mom to give me a wake up call early in the morning. I take the bus so I have to get up early early in the morning. I have to be ready by 8 am to leave or be there at the time. I know where the event is to be held and I know which bus to take. Now the old me would have scrambled at the last minute. This time I have prepared well in advance. Yeah being this organized sure feels better.
I even checked out hairstyle options. Maybe not that necessary but you never know. I mean we would seriously prepare for a job interview right? Right. I really want to make an impact with my appearance.
Penny will be groomed later in the month. I needed the money today to buy groceries and to pay for duties and taxes for the quilt to be shipped to me. I hate that but I had to do it. The blanket was 60% off. I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise, considering it is mailed from the States.
I harvested roses, yarrow, black horehound, asters, lavender, apples and red clover. I dried them save for the apples in my dehydrator. Now they are stored in jars. The herbs look beautiful even when dried. I ground up a large quantity of black pepper and I ground up a loaf of white bread. I stored the black pepper in the same jar and stored the bread crumbs in a ziplock bag in the freezer. I want to use up the food that I have because it is so expensive these days. Yup times are tough right now. I am not buying a new outfit for the big day. I intend to use what I already have. That is what the happiest people do. They make the most and best of what they have. I have nice things and I try to make them last me as long as I can.
I will have to get to know black horehound. I am not too acquainted with that herb but it is not that accepted amongst herbalists. One more herb to learn!
This collection of true eerie tales is sure to put you in a spooky mood! Read on to get scared! Remember to stay spooky…
5 ghost tour guides share their favourite haunting tales from across Canada
Haunted hotels, back-alley apparitions and more terrifying local lore.
(Credit: iStock/Getty Images)
Just as pumpkin spice lattes pair perfectly with leaf peeping, there’s perhaps no better way to get in the Halloween spirit than with a good old-fashioned fright night.
In fact, Canada has plenty of its own nightmare-inducing campfire tales to keep you lying awake in terror — take it from some of the nation’s top tour guides who specialize in spinning cobweb-covered yarns from the crypt.
To celebrate spooky season, we asked five of these pros to share their favourite sinister stories with us — many of which are associated with regular, real-life ghost sightings. So, read on, if you dare.
These stories have been edited and condensed for clarity.
I love all my ghosts equally, but what I love to talk about is the Woman in Black and the Man in Black of Gaoler’s Mews.
The Alhambra Hotel was completed in 1887, the year after the Great Vancouver Fire. It was an opulent hotel and it also had a reputation for being a full-service hotel — meaning, you could get any kind of room service you might desire (wink, wink). I’m sure the building has its fair share of ghosts, as do many old hotels, but its most prolific ghost makes her appearance on the back stairs in Gaoler’s Mews. She seems to have a preference for dark, rainy nights, however, that is not absolute. She materializes as a stunning woman in long black dress with long black hair, and is often seen clutching her waist. Then, she straightens, glides down Gaoler’s Mews and disappears into Blood Alley. People theorize that she is a widow walking toward the hangman’s noose that once stood in Blood Alley. But was there ever really one there? I have doubts.
But what of the ghost that follows? The Man in Black? He is a well-dressed gentleman in a long black coat and bowler hat. He usually makes his entrance via the front door of the restaurant that backs onto this alley — now known as L’Abattoir. He’s so solid that the host or hostess will try to give him a menu but he simply walks forward, through the restaurant, often disappearing in the alley behind the atrium. So what’s his story? Since he is often seen seconds after the Woman in Black, one can reason the two had a relationship, but we can only speculate on the nature of it. Is he watching out for her? Or is he a customer still hoping to visit his favourite mistress?
Back in April of this year, I had a mother and young daughter from Calgary on the tour with me. Once we got to Gaoler’s Mews, even before I began telling any ghost stories, the young teen looked up at the window above the Twisted Fork, and said, “there’s a man in an old top hat looking down at us.” I couldn’t see anyone so I asked her, could he be wearing a bowler hat? She didn’t know what that was, but it was an old-fashioned black hat. Apparently, he watched us the entire time we stood in that spot. The Man in Black often disappears into that very building, and the second floor was once a brothel.
Experience it in person: Ghostly Gastown Tour, 90 minutes, $27
The tale of the headless nun
As told by Shawn McCarthy, co-founder, Character Matters Miramichi
The legend of the ghost in French Fort Cove proceeds in this way: one night, around 1758, after having helped a woman through a difficult childbirth, Sister Marie Inconnue was returning to the settlement at the cove — at the time home to a battery of 16 cannons and a small detachment of soldiers. As she crossed the footbridge over Crow Brook, she was set upon.
Some say it was a pair of leprous sailors from L’Indienne de Morlaix, out for revenge on those who had imprisoned them. Others insist that it was a mad trapper, wild and desperate from years living in the woods. Whoever he was, he was looking to extort the location of a buried treasure from the young nun. Sister Marie adamantly refused to divulge the whereabouts of the treasure, uttering only prayers for the redemption of the poor wretch’s soul.
In a fit of rage, the maniac severed her head with a violent blow. Some say he severed the head so he could dig into her throat, thinking she had swallowed the map as she saw him approach. The head was thrown into the waters of the cove, and her body was left on the bridge.
The settlers mourned the loss of Sister Marie for months. The militia attempted to find the man who had perpetrated this terrible crime, but were unsuccessful. Sister Marie’s death could not be avenged. Her body was sent to France for burial, but her head was never recovered. Since that day, it is said that the ghost of Sister Marie still roams the cove, still diligently protecting the treasure — and searching for the head that will make her whole again.
As told by Kristen Treusch, owner and guide, SquarePeg Tours
This story takes place at the Fort Garry Hotel in Room 202. The urban legend is that the spirit of a woman haunts this room. She looks like a bride and lets people know she’s in the room in several ways. People have reported hearing footsteps in the room, feeling someone sitting on the foot of the bed, and occasionally, lying beside them when they were half asleep. She has also been known to leave wet footprints in the bathroom, turn the light on in the closet and mess with the TV and phone. If you are fortunate enough to actually see her, she’ll chat and then exit the room through the window.
It is said that this bride was either murdered by her new husband or witnessed him being struck down by a trolley car on Broadway when he went across the street to get something. When she saw this, she was torn apart with grief and guilt and [died by] suicide in the room.
I carry a K2 meter on my tours and it lights up whenever I talk about her; that’s how she lets me know she’s around.
Experience it in person: Broadway Ghost Walk, 90 minutes, $15
One of the most intriguing ghost stories I tell is honestly one of my favourites. It also happens to be tied closely to our history. While the Canadas were still colonies of the United Kingdom, we became the front line for the War of 1812. Lake Ontario was frequently populated by both American and British warships — with more than a few battles fought on the water.
One fateful day, the wind had died down. Unable to move their ships without the aid of the air, both sides were forced to wait on the peaceful water. The winds returned as a violent storm in the early hours of the morning. Two American schooners, the Scourge and the Hamilton, sank under the weight of their top-heavy guns. Over 50 sailors were sent to the bottom of the lake with them. The intense storm, filled with rain and lightning, only lasted a few minutes.
Today, the ships still lie at the bottom of the lake, their wrecks officially considered a national historic site — but that’s not where their stories end. A local legend has since emerged among some older mariners. This tale suggests the ships continue to set sail from time to time. One might see two ghostly ships emerging from the mist on dark nights with thick fog. The sailors who died that day, still on board, are forever trapped in their final moments on deck. Some even say that to see these ships may lead to a death on your own crew.
Experience it in person: Original Haunted Walk of Toronto, 75 minutes, $24.99
The haunting of Room 207
As told by Ghost Guide Daniel, overseer, Ghost Walks
I love to tell the story of Molly McGuire at the Prince of Wales Hotel. The legend talks about the house, which once stood on that land. During the War of 1812, as the American soldiers marched in, one soldier was sent into the house to check it for the British. It was dusk and there were no electric lights. Upon entering a second-floor bedroom, he mistook a shadow for a British soldier. He rushed in and ran the person through with his bayonet — only then realizing it was an innocent woman.
The woman was Molly McGuire, and the bedroom is said to be where Room 207 at the Prince of Wales Hotel exists today. Room 207 is considered the most haunted room in the hotel.
A manager told us the story of a couple who stayed in the room. In the middle of the night, they awoke as something fell in the bathroom. Getting up together to investigate — neither wanted to do it alone — the wife opened the bathroom door, flipped on the light and saw a woman with long, dark hair staring at her from inside the bathroom mirror.
One of our guides had a similarly spooky experience. While telling Molly’s story, she noticed a swing across the street in Simcoe Park. One seat was swinging violently back and forth. There was no wind. It was nighttime, so also no kids.
She ran into the park to check it. The swing continued swinging, until a guest took a photo. After the flash, it slowed, then stopped on its own. The best part: in the photo, there was a big, bright orb on the swing seat.
I’m so excited, because I am enrolled in the Demonology course at the CAPRI’s Parapsychological Education Center. “This course delves into the intriguing field of Demonology and Religious Parapsychology, offering a comprehensive understanding of demonic entities, exorcism practices and the relationship between religion and the paranormal.” Wow. Plenty to love about this course. I received a 10% discount because I bought a ticket to attend the Paranormal Symposium. With a course syllabus like that, it is easy to see why I would be interested … and a little scared.
Demons? The fact that this course is being offered implies a little that they exist. I don’t want to think that they exist because demons are naturally evil. And I don’t believe that they exist. No one can say for sure. What I do know is that I will know more once I complete this course than I do now. I can’t wait but I have to wait till mid-October. I want to take the Parapsychology course as well. The Parapsychology course costs a little more but it is still affordable. I want to do both, hm, on top of my herbal studies and my writing, at least I won’t be suffering from boredom, far from it.
I have to write a case study about one of the following paranormal cases: The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel, The Smurl haunting, the Enfield Poltergeist, or the Ammons Haunting. I would love to say these are all true cases but I can’t. I would love to say they may all have truth to them. It is hard for me to say. They all sound intriguing so I think I will have a hard time picking one out of those choices. I believe in the case of Anneliese Michel though. I read about that. That poor girl, she suffered from something. I am on the fence about the Ammons Haunting. I don’t believe the kid walked up the hospital wall because in the video, his mother or a relative is helping him up the wall. Now if he did it on his own and he looked way more creepy while he did it. I know there was lead and asbestos in the house which can lead to health complications and cause hallucinations. I am on the fence about the Enfield haunting and the Smurl haunting. It is so hard for me to say which is true and which is not. I have never been to those locations.
On the other hand, I have had more than my own share of legitimate paranormal encounters/ experiences. I try not to judge too harshly. I keep an open mind. So I really do look forward to taking these courses. It helps a lot that my herb course is for 2 years. I can achieve a lot of other stuff in the interim.
I am so happy that I found the Paranormal Phenomena Research & Investigation group. I feel better since I have been alone so long being a medium. It has come with challenges. I am up for meeting those challenges. I just don’t feel so alone now. It is a huge relief and they share my passions. It is a win-win!
October is shaping up already to be a lot of fun! And right now, it is only mid-September. I would love to hear about your own paranormal or Samhain plans! Let me know in the comments below!
Please do not steal or copy from this blog. If you do, be prepared to be stomped on by the Fates and karma for your bad character. I can be reached at :
heddyjohannesen @ gmail.com
