Trees are showing off their autumn colours. Pumpkins fill the shelves outside the grocery store here, orange and ripe. I’ve bought a number of Halloween- ish items – a rat figurine, a bird skeleton, ghostly napkins, a skeleton figurine (life size), white ceramic pumpkin, 2 leafy placemats, a black plate for Samhain, and small wooden decorative items I have yet to paint and then glue onto the bookcase. I will get around to that. I recently realized that the skeleton will help me with my herbal studies. I have to learn how the whole human body works and it may just come in handy!
I am so excited! The Horror Zine that published my short story, Skin, is now released on Amazon. Here is the link:
Also, I found out that the people or organization that is hosting the Paranormal Symposium offers online courses. I already saved up money for the courses. The courses are Demonology for four weeks and Parapsychology for 8 weeks. They are both offered in October. So that along with my story being published in the Horror Zine and my articles appearing in The Plant Healer Quarterly and Witches and Pagans magazine, I am so excited for fall. I also anticipate the honkin’ huge October issue of the Horror Writers Association newsletter. Lots of fun coming my way soon.
I sent a photo of me in my favourite October costume for the HWA October newsletter. I hope they like it. See photo below:
It’s spider season here. They are everywhere. My garden looks beautiful. I feel a bittersweetness now though, because I know the frost lurks in the near future. After months of caring for my garden and watching it grow and bloom, this is hard for me. I am ok with my garden growing all year round and being green. I know the climate I am in does not provide that. I guess all things need to rest. It is just the natural way of things. I will miss my garden but today it is still hot out. The fan is cranked way up. The heat helps my veggies grow, such as my beans, celery, tomatoes and peppers. I can’t wait to harvest all this goodness.
I’m not sure if I will get a squash. It may be too late in the season. But the bees enjoy the pollen rich flowers and so that’s good. We need to help the bees as much as we can. I’m planting garlic and onions this fall. I have a large wood box built by my brother to grow the onions and garlic in. I plan to protect them from any mischievous squirrels, rats, raccoons, and bluejays by leaving a large rock on top. That way, they can’t get to it and that way my garlic and onions get a good chance to grow well. I want to harvest lots of dandelion roots and elderberries. I’m waiting for the berries to ripen.
That is a lot to look forward to! If only my stove would work. Anyway, I plan to be busy this fall, whether that is making cider (I don’t know how I will do that with this stove), carving pumpkins, foraging dandelion roots or learning about demonology. Lots to keep me busy!
September is the precursor to October 31st. The ‘ber’ months have arrived. I’m excited, are you? I bet you are. I have a new scary story book for September to read. It’s titled Communion by Whitley Strieber. It’s nonfiction but the most famous phrase is, truth is stranger than fiction. I look forward to reading it. I just know it will be one strange read. I mean, not many people believe that aliens exist. There is a lot of debate currently that they are not from outer space but are actually inter-dimensional. That makes sense too.
I bought a new magazine about Witches, the latest issue of Writers Digest and two cool items from Winners: a large white pumpkin candy bowl dish and a black plate. There is an image of a skeleton hand holding a rose near a scarab beetle. I may buy the rest of the black plates. They are perfect for an ancestral supper for Samhain. It would be nice to have a set.
The Paranormal Symposium is next month! I can’t believe how fast time flies. I can’t wait for this big event. The paranormal is defined as ‘impossible to explain by knownnaturalforces or by science.
Yes, I believe that is the perfect definition. The paranormal goes way out of ‘the box’ of known forces or science. The paranormal jeers and mocks science. Well I am happy to share the latest news in the paranormal world!
Dan Aykroyd is back for Season 2 of ‘Hotel Paranormal’ — and things are just as creepy
Ghost-story show Hotel Paranormal, which tells the tales of supposedly haunted buildings and the unfortunate souls who experienced the paranormal events, is back for Season 2 with Canadian host Dan Aykroyd.
Aykroyd, a firm believer in the supernatural, serves as host and narrator of the show’s episodes. Season 2 ramps up the scares with more bone-chilling real-life stories of otherworldly run-ins told from stays at grand hotels, highway motels and short-term rentals around the world.
In a survey commissioned by specialty channel T+E, results showed, on average, that roughly half of Canadians believe in ghosts: across the country, Albertans are the most likely to believe in the supernatural. Nearly six in 10 (57 per cent) said they believe in ghosts, placing them well ahead of BC (39 per cent) and Ontario (42 per cent).
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The Prairies, Quebec and Atlantic Canada toe the line at 49 per cent, 48 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively. Overall, just one in three Canadians are firm ghost skeptics, while 20 per cent of Canucks are unsure what to believe.
“What makes Hotel Paranormal so unnerving and entertaining is that these are all documented real-life encounters — and the new season has even more scary stories to share than the first,” said Aykroyd.
“These eyewitnesses are very believable; you can tell they really went through something that still haunts them to this day.”
Global News sat down with Aykroyd for a brief chat, and the Ghostbusters star (and now producer) told us his one of his favourite chilling tales.
A “faceless woman” appears in an episode of ‘Paranormal Hotel.’. Blue Ant Media/T+E none
Global News: Are you excited to be back for a second season of ‘Hotel Paranormal’? Dan Aykroyd: I love doing this stuff. I love narrating these stories.
I haven’t had too many experiences with the supernatural. I’ve had a few choice things happen that have confirmed to me that there’s a little more than our four dimensions and this spark of life. The spark of life can continue, I’m convinced. For myself, I’m a believer.
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First of all, I like doing voice work, but especially this show. I get to push it a little and express fearful emotion that a lot of these victims or subjects have gone through.
Also, my family has an interest in spiritualism going back to my great-grandfather; he was a member in the Lily Dale, New York community of mediums, down there near Chautauqua. That was passed by him to his son, and then to my father, who was a Bell telephone road engineer. I was reading up about this stuff as a kid, and really wrote [the original] Ghostbusters from that. I’ve always [been] interested in the supernatural, the paranormal — things beyond our four dimensions, our planes of existence. Mainly due to the fact that it’s very entertaining stuff.
Humans love thrills. Humans love things of power that are beyond their understanding, that they can’t control. Certainly ghostly apparitions and encounters, of which there are thousands happening every day, fall into that category.
Are there any standout stories from this season? The couple in Texas that deliberately bought a hotel with a history of paranormal activity… they bought it specifically for its history and hoped to make it a tourist attraction. That’s an interesting one, and you know what? A lot of these hotels do that, marketing them based on the history. There are a couple of stories about people who willingly bought places and then had experiences themselves, which both confirmed the stories and frightened them… but in the end most of them stuck with it.
Then there’s the Lemp mansion, a family of brewers, a dark history. Suicide, homicides… people from all over the country and ghost hunting groups go to the Lemp mansion and have consistent experiences. We have a great episode involving the Lemp mansion where a woman voluntarily goes there to stay and ends up getting more than she bargained for.
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This article’s author, Global News’ Chris Jancelewicz, appears in a ‘Hotel Paranormal’ episode as the ghost of William Lemp, Sr. Blue Ant Media/T+E none
And then there are the stories of spirits that follow people home. That leads me to one of the best scary stories I’ve ever heard in my life, and I’ve heard a fair share:
There was a guy out west, a member of a motorcycle club who told me this story. He said he was riding his bike in the desert and his bike ran out of gas. He pulled over at this old abandoned gas station, the pumps were rusty, no one was there. Out of desperation, he picked up the hose and looked at it, then opened his gas tank and pressed the lever. There was enough gas to partially fill the tank, and got on the bike and it started to move. On each shoulder he felt a pressure, as if a hand was pressing down. Then he felt the weight of the bike depress, as if a passenger was mounting the bike.
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New online series explores Toronto’s Royal Alex Theatre ghost stories
He screams out of there, hoping to throw the thing off. It stayed with him for the entire trip home. He pulls in, he drops the bike on his front yard, runs inside, then locks the door. This was a real tough guy, too. He’s up to his eyeballs in blankets on his bed, shaking uncontrollably. About two hours later, a highway patrolman knocks on his door, says “Sir, you were involved in a traffic accident, you’re under arrest. You hit a bicyclist and ran.”
He says that he’s been in bed for the last two hours, that what he’s being accused of is not possible. He looks out and sees that his bike is gone from his front yard, it’s a mile down the road in the ditch. Somehow, during the night, that motorcycle got from his house, hit a bicyclist and was left in that ditch. My friend swears he was in bed the entire time. The cops didn’t believe him and he was charged.
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Fun fact, I actually played the ghost of William Lemp, Sr. in the Lemp episode! Oh neat! That’s fun. T+E is quite open about the fact that we do reenactments and re-documentation, but the stories are based on real places and real subjects’ experiences. They do suffer from PTSD in many cases, but we try to deal with it compassionately.
In the Lemp episode, there are actually clips of real footage and actual photos taken by the woman who went to the mansion. T+E has a lot of footage in its episodes on Hotel Paranormal. It’s very effective, it adds another layer to the story.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you about this upcoming film, no one’s really heard of it … I think it’s about ghosts? I think it’s called ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife.’ [Laughs] We have Jason [Reitman]’s seamless iteration that’ll link back to the first movie, plot-wise, structure-wise, and it really works. We have a young cast and they’re outstanding players and comedians. It passes it off to a new generation of cadets, which I’m excited to see. Excellent, scary, funny, brilliant vision.
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I pray, along with Sony and everyone else involved, that we’ll all be watching it side by side, munching popcorn, having drinks and enjoying it in congregate society. Being scared together, being awed by the visuals together.
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This interview was edited and condensed.
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Season 2 of ‘Hotel Paranormal’ premieres July 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on T+E, and was produced by Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media company.
I am happy to post the link for my interview here. I was very happy to be interviewed about my writing. A. F Stewart was a total sweetheart. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/WjfJRyGVrg8?si=aqHrGpHU6PZn6w3v.
The month of August flew by. This morning, I heard thunder. No lightning, but lots of rain, typical of the Maritimes. I never bought a garden hose this summer. There has been so much rain I never needed to. Soon pumpkins will fill the crates and line the shelves at the supermarkets. I was on a walk at the nature trail. There is an abundance of queen Anne’s lace and goldenrod on the trail. I decided I would make a flower essence with the queen Anne’s lace and tincture the goldenrod. I also plan to brew a second bottle of hawthorn cordial. Queen Anne’s lace is mildly poisonous. The only safe way to ingest it is as a flower essence. You have to dilute it. I will buy a large bottle of vodka and brandy next week to make the tincture and cordials and flower essences. I plan to forage and harvest a lot of dandelion roots too. I still have a jar of dandelion roots in a jar. I shall use that up in a tincture. Autumn is the perfect time for that.
I want to watch the movie The Last Voyage of the Demeter again. I’m reading Stephen Graham Jones’s novel My Heart is a Chainsaw. Bit boring, really. I am not that scared. I saw the movie Disturbing Behaviour on Tube last night. Now that was creepy. It’s like Stepford kids, not wives. Wow. I mean the theme was obviously the pressure of conformity taken to a real extreme. Holy shit.
Mabon is coming up. I love Mabon! I mean like I seriously love Mabon. It is next in the eternal spinning on the Wheel of the Year. And we know what comes after that! Samhain. Mabon is the second harvest Sabbat. Mabon is magical and bewitching. Samhain is magical but it is far more intense. I love the intensity of Samhain. But I want to talk about spirits. Mabon and Samhain are perfect times to conjure up spirits- no demons. The energy in the air, the fallen leaves and that oh so good dark feeling in the air. I’m still having my bonfire. They can’t stop me and probably won’t even notice it.
I love to watch Slapped Ham on YouTube. Some of the creepy spooky paranormal events that are shared there are genuine. Some of it is fake. I love the paranormal occurrences that are real. It lends to my questions and theories about the paranormal. I have to wonder why and I know I am not the only one who wonders: why so much spirit activity lately? I know that ghost hauntings were made popular due to the show Ghost Adventures. It is happening so much. I have to wonder why. I am sure there is a reason but it is hard to just go up to a spirit and ask them why they are haunting us so much. And coming back from the dead equipped with all the answers is hard too. We will never know and so are left with questions and theories. This is partly why I am attending the first ever Paranormal Symposium. I have the same questions that so many other people have. I want to know why there are so many cases of hauntings now. Someone on Twitter asked the same questions I have: Why are there so many negative manifestations? I commented that there is so much evil in the world: violence, drugs, crime, war, poverty. I could go on and on. They are feeding off of it.
I think that something big is coming. I don’t necessarily mean the end of days, because that is extreme, but ghosts, demons and hauntings are becoming commonplace. I know we have ways to globally communicate now and that means we can see and learn more about what is going on in the world faster than ever before. It’s great to let us know about how the needless war is going on in the Ukraine, about wildfires ravaging a town or where a hurricane will strike next. It is also great in letting us know about paranormal occurrences too. But I just keep hearing about occurrences, not so much explanations about occurrences. I really want to hear that. That is a more difficult answer. I won’t give up.
Maybe someone opened up a portal unwittingly. And now so many spirits and other weird things like cryptids have come through. Who knows? Maybe we will never know. That is part of the great mystery of life.
The rain’s pouring hard here. Last night, a few raccoons were cacophonously serenading the backyard. I have no idea what was going on but they caused a real ruckus. Nothing happened to my garden. I guess it is all good. The summer season has flown by. October is around the corner. I want my garden to grow faster and better. I know Mother Nature takes her time.
Yesterday A.F Stewart interviewed me for her show The Book Chat. I was thrilled to be interviewed. I shall post the link when it becomes available. I spoke about writing short fiction and poetry, and my horror novella. It felt good to be interviewed. A.F Stewart was so sweet.
The first Paranormal Symposium occurs in October, 2023. I bought my ticket months ago. I just can’t wait. I have posted the latest trailer for the symposium on my timeline. I just can’t wait and I am so excited. Here is the link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/halifax-paranormal-symposium-2023-tickets-541022772677. I may need to try on 60 different outfits for this and I have to figure out where the event is located before the event. I love the paranormal and well, I mean, look at this blog. Of course I love the paranormal. I will dive deeper into the paranormal since the dark half of the year is not that far away. Nothing is keeping me from attending the Paranormal Symposium.
I guess I love the paranormal so much. I feel a strong connection to it. I have a connection to the dead. I know I tackle some strong topics on this blog, but isn’t that what a blog is for? I have always had the ability to see the dead. Well I shouldn’t say always, I had to move to Nova Scotia to realize I had this ability but once I did, it just went from there. I was fortunate enough to find a supportive community of like minded individuals. I was trained in mediumship and I have certificates. I don’t always see or sense something but when I do, I am usually right. I have no idea why I had to move to another province to find out I am mediumistic. It could be the energies of the city here, the fact that it is uber haunted, full of ghosts, history, tragedy, blood. That woke up a latent talent, I guess. Maybe the spirits chose me. Who knows? I will never have the reason and I have decided to accept it. Or, as Harry Potter says, just go with it. You don’t always get the answers you were after.
I believe it is vital to be a part of a community of like minded individuals when you delve into occultism, mediumship, etc. They can protect you, support you and teach you. I probably sound like Gandalf right now but he had a good point. Skeptics can be cruel or nice. But it is good to have a group of people to reach out to if you get a hard time. One hard lesson I have learned is to offer aid only to those who ask for it. Also, it is important to have an open mind. Not everyone who doesn’t believe in ghosts or aliens is trying to be mean. They could just be sharing their perspective. They are entitled to their opinions, no matter what it may be. I know, I go home and grumble about the skeptics too. They can’t help themselves. If you need to, stand up for yourself.
Training in mediumship allows you to have more control over your talents. That is a good thing. I would never turn down the opportunity for training. Your talents grow better with practice. It is like exercising a muscle. To keep it strong, you have to try. So. you can imagine my enthusiasm when I first learned about the Paranormal Symposium. That never happens here. Of course I bought my ticket early. I bet they will be sold out for tickets and that the room where it takes place will barely have standing room. I plan to arrive early to get my spot- front row!
August is almost over. August is the prequel to October and the dark half of the year. I love summer. I love being in my garden. My garden takes away my stress. Fall though is when I feel I can be myself more. The leaves trickle to the cold earth and the days grow darker. I look forward to the cold season and all the dark gifts it brings: the harvest, the colourful leaves, ghosts, the scent of autumn in the air. Pumpkins, Samhain, cider and apples!
Happy Samhain! Today is warm and sunny even for October. I was dressed very witchy today from my witch hat to the witchy dress to my laced up boots. I got a lot of stares and compliments. Ah let’ em. I think it’s great that the weather is cooperating. Children have their warm wonderful hearts set on trick or treating. I bet they are all driving their addled parents crazy, eager to march out on the streets, engaging in a old, old tradition of scouting for candy. I have a bowl of candy ready for the kiddies!
I strained the hawthorn cordial. I didn’t really get as much as I would have liked. That’s ok. I performed one more bonfire last night. The air was chilly but that didn’t stop me from enjoying seeing the dancing flames from the burning hag tapers. The fire warmed me. Today I shared some of the frosted chocolate cake with my Mom. I offered a slice for my brother too. I tossed in some lollipops for them as well. It felt good to share that with them.
I can’t wait to try the hawthorn cordial. Tonight I am cooking a Shepherd’s Pie for the ancestral supper. I am so craving this meal. I have never cooked it before. It should be good! Afterwards, I plan to perform a ritual.
Whatever fun you plan to have, whether you are bobbing for apples, enjoying pumpkin pie or trick or treating, keep your pets inside and eat lots and lots of candy! Remember, the spirits are out and about tonight. Be sure to light a candle at the window to help lost spirits find their way.
Today I harvested the remaining scarlet runner beans that the slugs hadn’t devoured. I cut the vines and left the roots in. The roots have good nutrients that will benefit the soil. Who knows? Maybe they will regrow next year.
Samhain is almost here. Yesterday I baked a cake. I haven’t frosted it yet. I want to share a secret ingredient idea I had with my dear readers. I made candied walnuts. I soaked the walnuts in brandy before drying them and grinding the walnuts to a powder. The powder is a little clumpy. I added it to the blender in small batches and then froze it. I added it in to the cake batter. I can’t wait to see how the cake tastes. Today I am going to frost the cake and I promise to post about that too.
It has rained a lot today. It had better not rain on the most notorious, magickal night of the year, October 31st. I have plans as do the many other millions out there with hopes high in their hearts. Samhain/ Halloween is not just for kids- adults have joined in on the dark revelry. There are many rituals and fun activities to try. Read on to learn more.
Samhain is a time to honour the dead and our ancestors. We often perform many rituals in celebration of the season of death. The leaves trickle to the earth, bedecked in fiery heartwarming colours. A special dinner is prepared and enjoyed to celebrate the harvest.
I love a long nature walk in the fall. I encourage you all to go on a nature walk outdoors. Observe the colours, the brown seedbeds, and the aromas of leaves, the sounds of crisp leaves falling. Gather some nature objects such as pinecones, seedbeds of your favourite flowers, dried leaves to dip in beeswax, acorns, flowers still fresh. An herbal tea can be made and enjoyed from goldenrod, scentless mayweed (wild chamomile) and asters. Dry the herbs then store them in a jar. Use them to adorn your home.
Set up your altar. I purposely bought a lovely new altar cloth at one of my fave alternate stores, The Black Market. I love going there. The black cloth has a cool astrology circle on it with white stars and the astrological symbols. Use grave rubbings, images of ghosts, images of your ancestors, acorns, oak leaves, squash, root vegetables in a cornucopia.
Perform a Samhain ceremony. A dumb supper is performed with one single person or the whole family present (more fun that way!). First, gather everyone around. That can be your coven or your family. Go outside, find yard trimmings or dead plants- remember those seed heads? Use them to make a straw man or woman. I go with the Goddess more so I plan to make a straw doll to represent the Goddess. This will go nicely with my Samhain offering of honey, milk and cornmeal.
You can bring the doll inside and decorate the doll with antlers for the male God or a dress for the Goddess. Offer the straw deity doll bread and cornmeal. (I wish I had some tobacco). Then everyone else partakes of the meal. Just be sure to serve your deity doll first.
Leave crumbs for the birds. You can return the doll outside to watch over the garden on a pole to stand guard over next year’s seedlings and burn the doll at the Beltane celebration. When you are finished with the meal, take the leftovers outside as an offering for the dead.
Make an ancestors altar. Collect photographs, mementos, of deceased loved ones and pets. Arrange them on your altar and light candles. Light the candles in their memory and quietly sit and reflect. Pay attention to any messages you receive. Heed your dreams. You can keep the ancestor altar up as long as you want.
Guide the Spirits. I like to light a white candle and set it at a window. You could use a seven-day candle. When you light the candle say these words: “O little flame that burns so bright, be a beacon on this night. Light the path for all the dead, that they may see now what’s ahead. And lead them to the Summerland and shine until Pan takes their hands. And with Your light, please bring them peace, that they may rest and sleep with ease.”
Perform a seance. Samhain is the perfect time to hold a tradition. Hold a bonfire. I plan to do this one! Well yes a seance but I just love to sit out on my back step on a chilly yet dry October evening, with a fire raging in my toddler sized cauldron. Did you see what I did there? lol. Use tarot, runes, and or scrying to divine your future or find a future mate!
Invoke your chosen deities. Honour and call on the Gods such as the Crone Goddess and the Horned God of nature. Invite them in to your circle and to aid in your understanding of life, death and rebirth.
Herbs of Samhain There are many herbs to use to celebrate Samhain. I want to bake a loaf of rosemary bread this Samhain. Rosemary is for remembrance. For more guidance, sage, pine cones, straw, mugwort, mullein, oak leaves, acorns, hazelnuts, allspice, elderberries, catnip (save some for kitty!). For more guidance on this, review my previous posts. I have been harvesting dandelion, burdock and elecampane as much as I can.
Be sure to leave your carved pumpkin once you are done with it outside. I always toss my spent pumpkins in the garden. Trust me, the crows and other critters will thank you. It is cold for them and they love every bite they can get. It benefits the soil by leaving valuable nutrients in the soil for next year’s spring plantings.
As I type here, the rain’s pouring. The sky is heavy and overcast. I haven’t been out to my garden yet. It’s mid-August but the bugs are still harassing me, the weather is still warm but stores are stocking Halloween goods early. I am not ready for the spookiest time of year. That has to do with the goods in my garden growing late in the year due to the heatwave.
Here is a fascinating story about a true paranormal investigator. Read on and enjoy!
Canada’s Lady of Folklore
Helen Creighton
Helen Creighton was a celebrated folklorist, author, and pioneer researcher. She is best known for her book Bluenose Ghosts about firsthand accounts of spine-chilling tales. Creighton excelled at collecting local folk ballads, folk tales and ghost stories. She is also known for her skill at collecting local dances, games, cures and proverbs. She was born with a caul. A person born with a caul will have a warning before danger. This proved true when Creighton explored the province in search of folk tales. One night she stayed at an inn the night before the Miramichi Folk Festival and had a dream of a child coming towards her. The next day a deer jumped in front of her car on the highway. She would have several of these portentous experiences including her own doppelganger warning her of danger. It made her the perfect person to lend an empathetic ear to those sharing their own experiences.
Because Creighton encountered their stories with a sense of empathy, people trusted her and felt comfortable opening up to her about their tales, customs and ghost stories. An elderly man once told her, “You’ve got a way with you; you’d bewitch the devil.”
The blurb for Bluenose Ghosts reads: “Haunted houses, headless ghosts, phantom ships, supernatural warnings of death – these are just some of the unexplainable and mysterious phenomena that appear in Bluenose Ghosts. Written in a personable and accessible style by celebrated folklorist Helen Creighton, Bluenose Ghosts is based on the experiences of ordinary people as told to the author over a period of thirty years. These chilling stories come from across the Maritimes – the Highlands of Cape Breton, the woods of New Brunswick, and the harbours around Halifax. First published in 1957, Bluenose Ghosts is a classic of Nova Scotia folklore presented here in a new format and with a foreword from Clary Croft.”
Her career as a folk tales and songs collector spanned forty years. Her celebrated book Bluenose Ghosts focuses on true ghost stories, superstition, witchcraft and buried treasure. She recorded first-hand accounts from the people she interviewed and did her utmost best to maintain their authenticity. She was a collector of tales, not an analyzer, and she received an unfair amount of criticism for that. Creighton collected the folk tales with no intention of analyzing them. That made her stand out from her colleagues and is what was so unique about her.
She took painstaking care to record the folk songs that she collected. She had limited means to work with as she transcribed her work. Over time, Creighton met people who would assist her in accurately transcribing and preserving her work.
It happened by chance that Creighton began collecting local ghost stories. She originally set out to gather folk tales and songs. Bluenose Ghosts is chilling because the scary accounts are from real, everyday people. That is what gives her book so much appeal. The scary experiences are shared by people who have no reason to lie and know how to tell a tale. I dare you to read it at night with the lights on.
Creighton was often found carrying a meter long melodeon in a wheelbarrow when she visited people. She used a tape recorder when it was invented ten years later. Creighton worked tirelessly to collect four thousand folk songs and tales of eerie spectral encounters. It demonstrates her immense respect for what ordinary men and women had to say. She was determined to preserve their tales to keep them from disappearing in the mists of history.
Creighton may have recorded thousands of folk tales, ghost stories and songs. Yet it was the voices of those she interviewed that shone in the books and tapes. She never got in their way or tampered with their words. She was given the nickname the Ghost Lady by those she interviewed.
Here is an unsettling excerpt from the book: “An East Chester woman said, “My uncle was a contractor, and when I was fifteen, he and I were going home to Mahone Bay from Western Shore. When we were in the woods I heard a horse and it seemed to be so close that I could almost feel its breath. I looked around and what I saw was a horse all right, but there was a man sitting on it with no head. My uncle didn’t see it, and I was too scared to speak until we got home and then all he said was, ‘That’s nothing. Lots of people have seen that horse and rider.’ Since then I have asked many people but nobody seems to know who the rider is supposed to be.”
A headless ghost and his horse, top that. That is one of many chilling tales from regular people simply sharing their stories. This is why I love the book and why it spooks me.
Here’s a second excerpt about a sea captain, the devil and a set of playing cards:
“They were his own cards anyway, so he put them in his sea chest and locked them up. “That night he was awakened from his sleep and was surprised to see a man sitting on his sea chest. He was dealing cards, and he dealt four hands. Then the stranger saw that the captain was awake and asked him to sit in and have a game with him. Before he could make up his mind he looked at the man’s feet and saw the cloven hoof. He screamed and the stranger disappeared, and that was why he would have nothing more to do with playing cards.””
The excerpts above demonstrate how spine tingling the book is. No other book compares to Bluenose Ghosts. I highly recommend the book to anyone who craves a salty maritime ghost story.
Creighton left Canadians with a trove of rich folklore. She ‘still hasn’t been matched”. Her style and approach were considered unconventional. “Horace Beck wrote (that), “Perhaps your most important achievement is that you have done something no one else has been able to do in North America. You have brought folklore to national and public attention and given it a status in Canada it has never achieved in the United States. This you have done most singlehandedly and for this all folklorists must be forever grateful.””
Helen Creighton left a legacy to those who are passionate about ghost stories and the paranormal. She was a true pioneer. When Helen Creighton began her career, she was untrained and inexperienced but that didn’t stop her.
“Over the course of her career, Creighton collected over 60,000 materials including 4,000 songs and ballads. She authored thirteen books of traditional songs, ballads and stories, of which her Bluenose Ghosts is the most widely known. She also wrote an autobiography, and a number of articles. She received many awards, including Distinguished Folklorist of 1981 (Canada); six honorary doctorates; Fellow of the American Folklore Society, Honorary Life President of the Canadian Authors’ Association; and The Order of Canada. Helen was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 by Folk Alliance International. In 2018, Parks Canada designated Helen Creighton a nationally significant person who helped define Canada’s history.” The collection of her life’s work now resides at the Nova Scotia Public Archives.
StokerCon is only 2 days away. I am so excited!!! I stocked the pantry and want to tidy up, but I would say I am mostly prepared. Polar Borealis just released their newest issue #21. Polar Borealis contains my poem, ‘The Frightened Spirit’, in the online magazine. Here is the link to it: https://polarborealis.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/POLAR-BOREALIS-21-May-2022.pdf
Enjoy!
I want to tell you, dear readers, all about StokerCon in this post. StokerCon is the annual convention hosted by the Horror Writers Association wherein the Bram Stoker Awards for superior achievement in horror writing are awarded.
‘In 2022, when May rolls around and we gather in Denver for StokerCon®, the convention will have a new look. For the first time, we will offer three different experiences: the typical in-person event, a simultaneously held virtual convention hosted on Hopin (similar to 2021), and a combination in-person and virtual experience.
We learned valuable lessons from StokerCon® 2021 about the benefits of a virtual convention. We expanded our access to attendees throughout the world. The “hang out bars” gave us a way to reconnect after a year of lockdowns and cancelled events. We mitigated somewhat the time zone concerns by posting recorded panels, readings, and presentations. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
After some discussion, we decided to continue the virtual offering in addition to our regular in-person convention. But why an in-person and virtual option?
By offering a joint in-person and virtual option, we expand the programming offerings and the options by which attendees choose to participate. The virtual platform will host panels different from the in-person event, along with an expanded list of author readings, all prerecorded so you can view them during breaks in the Denver event. We hope to live stream certain Denver panels (to the extent our technology will allow) for our virtual attendees, but also record them, and make them viewable for everyone on Hopin. Have friends who could not travel to Denver but who will be present virtually? The “hang out bars” will return!
Here’s the real benefit, though. In 2021, we ran an encore of the virtual convention. We will do the same for 2022. Too busy during Denver to check out the virtual content or attend all the panels? You will have time after you return home to see it all and catch up on what you missed.
Our goal is to present the most robust programming coupled with the widest access for all who wish to attend or participate. We felt these three options helped us achieve that goal to its fullest potential.
The main events at StokerCon are the Final Frame Short Horror Film Competition, the Bram Stoker Awards, the Ann Radcliffe Academic conference, author signings and readings, and the panel discussions. I intend to enjoy every moment of it with a few glasses of nice red wine. Oh yes indeed! I will post all about it here when it’s over. So stay tuned!
My seedlings are doing well. It won’t be long when I can plant them outside. I have a few weeks yet. I have a feeling this may be my best garden year yet.
Today I’m interviewing a friend of mine, Scott Bower, who is a paranormal investigator who lives in the UK. I like his stuff because he captures genuine paranormal evidence. Ghost trackers UK is a Paranormal YouTube series that is based in the New Forest Hampshire UK that is dedicated to Paranormal and ITC research purposes only. Watch both Scott Bower and his friend Kerrylee Whetren as they both explore the UK Paranormal hot spots from Haunted houses, graveyards, Forests, Ruins, Battle Fields, Haunted dolls Abandoned buildings. Scott Bower lead Paranormal investigator and psychic medium uses his psychic ability and Paranormal equipment from Ghost boxes, Portals, EVPS , Pendulums EDI, K2 s to find the truth.Scott Bower is also a haunted dolls collector and some times he does haunted doll investigations for Paranormal experiments in investigations. Together Scott Bower and his friend Kerrylee Whetren investigates and explores the Paranormal and the unknown in the UK.
Read on to learn more about our upcoming paranormal star!
My name is Scott Bower and I am a paranormal investigator, psychic medium and the lead of my show called Ghost trackers UK on YouTube we investigate the paranormal in and around the UK, haunted locations and haunted dolls.
Why did you choose ghost hunting?
I chose ghost hunting because I had an experience once and I saw paranormal TV shows that done it and I wanted to do the same thing.
Do you believe in the paranormal?
Yes I do believe in the paranormal 100 percent.
What do you hope people get out of watching your shows?
A good genuine paranormal show experience!
What was your scariest experience or funniest?
My scariest experience was with a haunted doll when I was 6 years old terrified me which led me in to my interest in the paranormal.
What have you learned from this?
I have a learned a lot of things from doing the paranormal.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
The advice I would give would be if you are thinking of doing the paranormal please the paranormal is real treat it with respect do not interrogate spirits they do not like it. Also be safe and never go alone.
Where do you buy your equipment?
Most of my equipment from places like eBay.
Where do you go to investigate and have you collected actual evidence of ghosts?
I go all over to investigate any where where it’s haunted haunted graveyards, ruins, battlefields, and abandoned buildings with love, light and respect.
Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?
I actually yes I believe in ghosts 100 percent.
What do you think about haunted dolls?
I believe in haunted dolls because I collect them. I have had so many experiences with them too many too mention but I am a firm believer in them.
I hope you enjoy this interview. I have posted a link to his Youtube page and posted a video below.
The post below is not for the faint of heart. ! Read on if you dare.
Contact with a Shadowman
Neuroscience and Paranormal Believers Have Different Theories
An Kirillova / Getty Images
A shadow person is a humanoid figure that you perceive in a patch of shadow. Some believe that they are supernatural spirits or extradimensional beings.
Most encounters with shadow people—those smoky, person-shaped entities that move around in the dark—are fleeting glimpses. They are seen out of the corner of your eye, swiftly passing across a wall or ducking around a corner. You may wonder if the rational explanation for these quick glimpses are that they are imagined or just ordinary shadows of some kind. Maybe they’re real, maybe they’re not.
Featured Video
How to Conduct a Paranormal Investigation
Another kind of shadow person encounter—a close encounter of the second kind, to borrow J. Allen Hynek’s UFO classification system—is rarer and more compelling. The witness sees the shadow entity for an extended period, not merely a passing glance. It could be for a half minute, a few minutes or even more. The witness can often also detect human-like movement: the raising of an arm, the turn of a head, or walking. The witness gets a pretty good look at the thing and is able to describe it in some detail. Very often, these detailed descriptions compel the witness to ascribe an intelligence to the specter. It’s not just a shadow, it seems to be an entity that moves and even reacts with purpose.
A shadow person encounter of the third kind is rarer still: contact. In this case, the witness actually is touched or is otherwise affected physically by the entity.
The Nature of Shadow Beings
These perceptions of shadowmen often occur when you awaken partially and are in the stage of REM sleep paralysis. You are semi-conscious but your vivid dreams from REM sleep continue and you can experience hallucinations, including that there is an intruder in your bedroom. During this phase, you are unable to move or speak but your senses seem to be clear. Neuroscientists sayat least 20 percent of the population experiences these sleep paralysis episodes. Researchers have reproduced these feelings by stimulating a site in the brain’s left hemisphere.
When you are fully awake but hyper-vigilant, such as when walking alone at night, you might become fearful of any shadowy movement and imagine a threat.
Heidi Hollis wrote a book on shadow people, “The Secret War: The Heavens Speak of the Battle,” and appeared often on Art Bell’s “Coast to Coast AM” radio show to discuss the topic. She believes they are aliens and gives advice on warding them off. Shadow people have been the topic of horror movies and a 1985 “Twilight Zone” episode.
A Shadowman Encounter
Michael W. tells of his close encounter in the fall of 1998. It has many typical characteristics, including that his perceptions happened when he awoke during the night. He had just purchased a home and spent the day painting it before moving in. His friends left for the night but he decided to sleep in a bean bag chair. He awoke in the middle of the night feeling thirsty and went into the dark kitchen for a glass of water.
“That’s when I got a distinct feeling that someone was watching me. There at the top of the basement stairs and in front of the light switch, I could distinctly make out the figure of what I automatically assumed was my good friend Larry.” He called out to the figure, which didn’t respond. “I was still absolutely convinced that I was looking at a living person. My guard went up with the dangerous possibilities of who it could be.” He took out his pocket knife in case he needed to defend himself.
“Then in an instant, the shadow moved forward in my direction. I lunged forward with the knife extended outward. I saw the shadow move into my arm as if deliberately trying to impale itself on my weapon, and it kept on coming!” He screamed and the entity continued straight through his body.
“I spun around in a circular motion 180 degrees. I saw the shadow moving at an almost leisurely pace away from me. It proceeded through the large kitchen, into the adjoining dining room, and finally through the wall that would have led outside if it were a door.” He finally turned on the light switch. Wide awake now, he searched the house, found nothing, and evacuated to his old apartment for the rest of the night.
He never had a repeat of that encounter while living in the house. Of note, he said he wondered whether he was thirsty due to the paint fumes. A rational explanation would be that those could have been an influence, as well as an episode of a hallucination associated with sleep paralysis. He wondered if it might be associated with the address ending in 666 and that the house was aligned with magnetic north.
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