I’ve been in the Yuletide spirit lately! I have completed all my xmas shopping (my list of who to buy gifts for is short!). I have already decorated the tree, brewed a pot of simmering potpourri on the stove and wrapped gifts. I am going to try to be as eco-friendly as I can this holiday season. Here are some ways I have tried to be more eco-friendly-
I bought only what I needed for baking, gift wrapping and decorating.
I recycle, reuse and repurpose. For example, I often use, clean and reuse my mason jars.
I use my Goth tree every year. I leave it up all year and decorate it for Yule when the holiday season arrives instead of killing a real tree.
If I have leftover wrapping paper for gifts, I save it for the next holiday in the broom closet instead of throwing it away.
I have saved any cedar, juniper or pine needles from last year to use this year in more simmering potpourri recipes.
I have composted the herbs I used to make tinctures and herbal oils. They will eventually return to the soil next spring.
I shopped local stores instead of shopping on Amazon.
That kept the money in the local economy.
I used the same tree decorations that I have always owned instead of buying new decorations I don’t really want.
I attended the local Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas (fun!) and supported local artists and kept the money in the local economy.
I foraged local herbs instead of buying. them online. That saves me money and lets me practice my foraging skills.
I live on a tight income. It’s better to help the local economy and shop locally rather than giving more money to Amazon, who doesn’t need it as badly. I certainly believe in that.
I have made more headway with the Arwen dress. I am almost done sewing the dress. I visited my Mom this weekend and we worked on the zipper and the sleeves. It feels so good to have that done. Now I can move on to the smaller though no less necessary projects for the dress. I want to sew the second collar to the bodice that goes with the dress. I want to sew a white trim onto the dress under the collar. I want to finish sewing the grey lace trim to the grey sleeve lining. Then I plan to snip any straggling threads and do a final check then it is time for the Grand Reveal! I have a lot of blue tricot knit fabric remaining. I may make a skirt or a shawl to go with the dress. I want to sew blue lace to the shawl too.
I bought green plain cotton fabric and a flannel green snowflake print fabric. I plan to sew a tablecloth with those fabrics. I bought green thread too. One fabric is plain and the other has a print. I will just hem them both and layer the printed material on top of the plain. If I want to, then I can use them for a different purpose any time of the year that way.
I’m drying pears in my dehydrator today. I will use the dried pears in a fun festive holiday drink. I hope to brew a few festive holiday drinks. I attended the Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas event. I bought a lovely herbal tea, gifts for my friends and a mousepad, bookmark for me, a cauldron oil burner, an obsidian crystal ball for me, & a Witch’s broom. I had so much fun. I even signed Christmas cards but I can’t mail them with Canada Post. So sending the gifts/ prezzies to my friends is postponed. I hope they understand. I can’t do anything about the strike.
I can count on Amazon though. I am hosting my first ever book launch this month for my novel The Cult of the Spider People at Trident Cafe. The event occurs on December 18th. I hope there is a good turnout of people. I can’t wait to get to sign books. I have to promote my novel and let people know I am alive and exist and have a novel out.
Speaking of books, I picked up Jonathan Maberry’s book Shadows and Verse: Classic Dark Poems with Celebrity Commentary. I have always enjoyed poetry and so this book will make a great winter read this holiday season. He produces nothing but the best in poetry and fiction. I am sure the book will be a classic treasure for years.
I just came in from being in my backyard. I emptied the herbs that I used for making tinctures and oils into my compost tumbler. I turned the compost tumbler several times. That makes sure it will all be blended well. It will all hopefully turn into composted soil next spring for my garden. I left the Samhain pumpkin to compost right where my haskap bush used to be before that creep ruined my bush. I left the pumpkin there to add the nutrients to my haskap plant, which will hopefully grow back next spring.
Hello my lovely readers! Even though we are on the cusp of spring, winter lingers. Last night, the howling wind kept me up half the night.
I have a lot on my mind right now. My grandmother is not well. She has to be moved to the city and that means uprooting her. I hope it all works out smoothly. I am very worried about her. My grandmother is in her nineties but is in otherwise good health.
I scattered birdseed at the Mumford Terminal and in my backyard. I saw the rat and waited and watched for a sign that the birds had found the seed. Indeed they did. I look after all my little ones. It’s cold out and I worry about them. Food is scarce for my avian friends.
I just watched the amazing movie Alien with a friend. I respect the exhausting effort that must have gone into making the movie. Yes art means effort. And that movie truly is amazing. I remember watching the sequel years ago.
I donated my copy of Todd Keisling’s book to the library. Due to my negative experience with him, I saw no sense in keeping it. I only welcome positive energy here.
It is spring in my apartment! If it can’t be spring outdoors, it will be so indoors. I’m growing a pot of basil and rosemary cutting and I have a pot of parsley. I set up my grow light kit where I am growing a number of herbs by seed. I have another pot with radishes and carrots germinating. I hope they all grow well. I know the herbs will grow well in the grow light kit. I will post what I am starting by seed in the grow light kit soon once I find the list. I can’t remember right now. I keep watering the herbs a little, enough to moisten them but not drown them.
I love herbs. I’m progressing nicely with the herbal courses at the Herbal Academy. I am on Unit 2 in Advanced and I am enjoying the Mastering Herbal Formulations course too. I recently reviewed the Becoming a Herbalist mini course that the Herbal Academy once again offered for free. Tomorrow I no longer have access to it and so I ensured I downloaded the pdf of the course.
I have to work harder at composing the 15-20 monographs for the Advanced course. I hate distractions and I am my own worst enemy. The herbs and flowers are dormant now but soon spring will raise her green head. I cannot wait. It cheers me though I love the dark half of the year. I am a herbalist/ gardener by heart. I water the seedlings in the grow light kit the most because the soil dries out so fast. The green seedlings need moist soil. That is how they thrive.
I am so grateful the Herbal Academy gives me so much time to complete the courses. I can study at a better pace that way. I never stop learning and I love everything I am learning. There is so much for me to learn. It is a truly fascinating subject!
We had a big rainstorm over the last 2 days. It was amazing how much rain there was. I just checked my garden and everything survived. Now the sun is shining his hardest.
A word of caution here: Pretty Litter is the biggest money grab scam EVER. Yup I will never buy cat litter from them again. My Mom gave me money for cat litter. I had already bought a bag of cat litter. They withdrew the money as if they had every right before I could even get to the store to buy the shoes. I checked my account thanks to a mobile app. The money was gone and I knew who the rat was. Pretty Litter has some dodgy crap excuse and some serious erroneous self-entitlement attitude problem. They stole the money, refuse to issue a refund despite me making it amply clear I never wanted a second box of cat litter. They refuse to refund my Mother. They never sent a second box of cat litter. I am so contacting the Better Business Bureau to report their sorry butts. I bet I won’t get the second box of cat litter either. I never received a confirmation email. They now have some unbelievable non refund policy. They ever withdraw even a dime from my account again. They will regret it. I just reported them to the Better Business Bureau. I feel so good right now.
The Summer Solstice approaches! My garden is in full gorgeous green swing. It already is summer in my garden. Everything is in bloom and every insect in creation is enjoying it. Litha is the summer solstice and marks the beginning of the summer season. It is the longest day of the year and the shortest night of the year. It marks the height of the sun’s power.
The God is now in his power and the Goddess brings forth abundance. The crops are full. Ancient Witches and pagans celebrated Litha with torch processions and maintaining a balance between the Elements of Fire and Water. Herbs were gathered for their healing powers.
Decorate your altar with fresh flowers, herbs and fruit. Perform a re dedication ritual to the God and Goddess. Burn a candle to show a devotion to the Horned God.
Litha is also known as Midsummer. Now is a good time to perform faerie Magick. They are out and about now. Offer them blessings and they will help you in your garden!
SYMBOLS OF LITHA
Colors: Blue, green, yellow, pink, purple (look to nature for the colors of Litha, as seen in the sky, woods and flowers)
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.
The Wheel of the Year has turned again! The Beltane Sabbat is upon us. But I keep seeing ads that tell us we are halfway to Samhain. I just feel like jumping up and declaring, “No, not yet, I don’t have my plants in the ground!”. Beltane is about fertility, love magic, passion and flowers. I am excited to see my garden growing! The chives, woodruff, lemon balm, dandelions, coltsfoot, raspberries and tiger lilies are up. Even the lungwort has already flowered! It is just beautiful. I went on a long walk on the nature trail.
We are less than a week away fron StokerCon! I am so excited! It is the premier horror writing convention for all those horror fans (including me!). I attended the virtual StokerCon last year and I can’t wait for this year’s StokerCon! A lot to look forward to! I pre-ordered Tim Waggoner’s Writing in the Dark workbook. It accompanies the original Writing in the Dark book. My poem, The Frightening Spirit, is the second poem published by Polar Borealis this year! It will publish soon. I look forward to that too. I just approved the proofs the editor sent me. Waggoner’s book is released on May 25, 2022.
I ordered a hot black dress from Killstar. That should arrive soon! So much to look forward to. !!
My pumpkin seeds just germinated. I am surprised. I had to wait 2 weeks for them to germinate. They did germinate and now I have to let them grow. When they are transplanted outside, I have to either thin them out or figure out where they will get the most room to grow. Pumpkin patches need lots of space and sunlight to grow their best.
Beltane is a Pagan holiday, and one of the eight Sabbats. It falls about halfway between the spring equinox (Ostara) and the coming summer solstice, Litha. The holiday celebrates spring at its peak, and the coming summer. Beltane also sometimes goes by the name May Day. This holiday is associated very strongly with fertility for pagans.
This festival is often commemorated with bonfires, maypoles, dancing, and performing fertility rituals. Beltane is a Celtic word, meaning “the fires of Bel.” Bel, likely referred to the Celtic sun god, Belenus. The Celts used to light two bonfires because they believed it would purify themselves, as well as increase their fertility. They would pass cattle between the two fires, with the belief that it would purify the cattle, and ensure the fertility of the herd. Although this is not a ritual that is practiced now, modern pagans still light bonfires and practice fertility rituals on this day.
Modern-day pagans celebrate Beltane in a variety of ways. One way to celebrate is with a maypole. In this custom, a pole is placed in a field with ribbons attached. Each person (usually women and girls) will grab a hold of their own ribbon, and dance around the pole in a special way, so as to weave the ribbons into a specific pattern. This is one of the more common fertility rituals that might take place on this day. Celebrators also might weave flowers into their hair, or create a floral wreath to wear upon their head as a celebration of spring. Some pagans light a bonfire and dance around (or even over) it, which is another common fertility ritual for the day. Lastly, some people prepare “May baskets,” and fill them with flowers and goodwill. They give the baskets to someone in need of care, such as an elderly friend, or someone who is recovering from an illness.
Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend. Form a wreath of freshly picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty. Dress in bright colors. Dance the Maypole and feel yourself balancing the Divine Female and Male within. On May Eve, bless your garden in the old way by making love with your lover in it. Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck. Welcome in the May at dawn with singing and dancing.
Going A-Maying & Bringing in the May — Merry-making and Nature communion. * Midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. * In Pagan Rome, Floralia, from April 27-May 3 was the festival of the Flower Goddess Flora and the flowering of Springtime. On May 1, offerings were made to Bona Dea (as Mother Earth), the Lares (household guardian spirits), and Maia (Goddess of Increase) from whom May gets its name. * Roman Catholic traditions of crowning statues of Mary with flowers on May 1 have Roman Pagan roots. * Marks the second half of the Celtic Year; one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. Complement to Samhain, it is a time of divination and communion with Fairy Folk/Nature Spirits. * Pastoral tradition of turning sheep, cows, other livestock out to pasture. * In Pagan Scandinavia, mock battles between Winter and Summer were enacted at this time. * Building on older tradition of this time being a holiday for the masses, in the twentieth century, May Day has been a workers’ holiday in many places. * Some say that Mother’s Day, in the USA, Mexico, and elsewhere has Pagan roots.
Maypole
Forms include pole, tree, bush, cross; communal or household; permanent or annual. * In Germany, Fir tree was cut on May Eve by young unmarried men, branches removed, decorated, put up in village square, & guarded all night until dance occurred on May Day. * In England, permanent Maypoles were erected on village greens * In some villages, there also were smaller Maypoles in the yards of households. * Maypole ribbondances, with two circles interweaving; around decorated bush/tree, clockwise circle dances.
Flowers & Greenwood
Gathering and exchange of Flowers and Greens on May Eve, pre-dawn May Day, Beltane. * Decorating homes, barns, and other buildings with Green budding branches, including Hawthorn. * Making and wearing of garland wreaths of Flowers and/or Greens. * May Baskets were given or placed secretly on doorsteps to friends, shut-ins, lovers, others. * May Bowl was punch (wine or non-alcoholic) made of Sweet Woodruff blossoms.
Beltane Fires
Traditionally, sacred woods kindled by spark from flint or by friction — in Irish Gaelic, the Beltane Fire has been called teine eigin (fire from rubbing sticks). * Jump over the Beltane Fire, move through it, or dance clockwise around it. * Livestock was driven through it or between two fires for purification and fertility blessings. * In ancient times Druid priests kindled it at sacred places; later times, Christian priests kindled it in fields near the church after peforming a Christian church service. * Rowan twigs were carried around the fire three times, then hung over hearths to bless homes. * In the past, Beltane community fire purification customs included symbolic sacrifice of effigy knobs on the Beltane Cake (of barley) to the fire, or, in medieval times, mock sacrifice of Beltane Carline (Hag) who received blackened piece of Beltane Cake; Maypoles in Spain were each topped with a male effigy which was later burned. Contemporary Pagans burn sacred wood and dried herbs as offerings in their Beltane fires.
May Waters
Rolling in May Eve dew or washing face in pre-dawn May Day dew for health, luck, beauty. * Getting head and hair wet in Beltane rain to bless the head. * Blessing springs, ponds, other sacred waters with flowers, garlands, ribbons, other offerings. * Collecting sacred waters and scrying in sacred springs, wells, ponds, other waters.
Sacred Union & Fertility
Union with the Land focus, often with actual mating outside on the Land to bless fields, herds, home. * May Queen (May Bride) as personification of the Earth Goddess and Goddesses of Fertility. * May King (May Groom) as personification of Vegetation God, Jack-in-Green — often covered in green leaves. * At Circle Sanctuary, in addition to May Queen & May King, is May Spirit Couple, an already bonded pair. * Symbolic Union of Goddess and God in election/selection, crowning, processional, Maypole dance, feast. * Morris Dancers and pageants (with Hag & Jack-in-Green) to awaken the fertility in the Land.
Credit given to Circle Sanctuary site.
I hope you found this post interesting! I shall post the link to Polar Borealis when the new issue is published. Till then, be well and enjoy Beltane!
The invasion has begun! It is inescapable. Penny has run out of play room too! Oh my what am I to do? Did I get your attention? Ok I’m referring to the invasion of seedlings that have taken over my home, Goodness there are so many plant pots in here. Burn a candle and light some incense! Play relaxing music.
This post is about how to create your own soil mixes for your own tender seedlings. You DO have young green seedlings in your apartment right? lol
Well let’s get started. I like mixing up the soil.
Ever notice that plant pots are round in shape? I like to think of the planters and plant pots as cauldrons. They have a lot more to do with cauldrons than you think. This may just change the way you garden from now on. Grab a cup of tea and join me.
I mentioned the benefits of purchasing and using good quality soil in the last post, right? There is a good reason for that. It helps your plants get off to their best start, off to the races running. or, in this case, growing. Let’s take it a step further.
Set down newspaper on the counter or wherever you choose to work in your home. Put the plant pot or seedling plant pot on the newspaper. Be willing to get your hands dirty. I love getting my hands right into the soil but that’s just me. Place a pitcher full of cold water nearby. Open the bag of soil. Next tip: I put a cloth grocery bag (plastic bags are banned here). It keeps the bag from spilling or making a mess. Just don’t forget about it but you won’t, will you?
Mix the soil into the plant pot. As you do this, envision that you are filling the pot with the energy of the Goddess. (Use a round pot for this.) You will see why now. The pot is round, so is a cauldron. The pot is deep ( well, most of them are). So is a cauldron. The cauldron is the deep earthy womb of the Goddess. The pot is too once it is full of soil. Once it is full of soil, meditate and reflect on the earthy goodness of the soil from the Goddess and the pot too. Mix that soil up in your hands. Smell it, feel it, cradle it in your hands. Visualize the energy traveling from your hands to the soil. Feel the energy traveling from the soil to you. I always do feel the energy of the soil. That is why I never wear gardening gloves. I love feeling the connection.
Stir the soil with a wooden spoon or your own eager hands. Loosen up any clumps and remove rocks. If you want, depending on what stage of growing your seedlings you are at, you can add fertilizer. Mix in bonemeal, bloodmeal, worm castings, coffee grounds or ground eggshells. Be sure to stir thoroughly. As you do, mix well and visualize. Direct the energy of your intention into the soil.
If you choose, you can put the seedling into the plant pot THEN fill it with the soil. After that, when you have centered the seedling into the pot, and placed it in deeper than it was before in the starter pot, add the soil. Be sure to visualize, direct the energy and feel the soil in your hands. Grow with love and you will get love. The DNA of the future plant is contained within the seed. So planting a seed truly is an act of magic!
Once the seed is planted, in a matter of days a cotyledon emerges, a tiny sprout. That sprout can grow into an oak tree, parsley or a pumpkin. Don’t crowd your seedlings – their tender roots need room to grow. I watched my Mother transplant over three dozen cherry tomato plant seedlings. Some of the starter pots contained up to five seedlings! They are all growing in their own pots now, much less crowded.
A plant is a living being with feelings. Treat the plant like that and you will be rewarded many times over with a plant happy to grow and bloom and/ or bear fruit or seeds! If it is thirsty, water it. If it droops, place it in more light. If it is crowded or rootbound, repot it. I can sense when a plant is thirsty. You can also use your hair dryer to blow for a few seconds on your plants. That signals to them that they should grow strong stems. If it is warm enough where you live, leave the window open. The wind that wafts in will help them grow!
I hope this post inspires you to get growing your own plants! Let me know in the comments below.
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 next turn in the Wheel of the year is Yule, or the Winter Solstice. I will post more about that later. For now, I am posting about ghosts and if they are real. It’s hard for people to believe in ghosts and it’s not hard to see why. I found an article about the paranormal in India that presents a balanced, skeptical perspective about the paranormal. I hope you enjoy it, dear readers.
In search of the unknown: The tussle between paranormal researchers and rationalists
Ghost hunters and paranormal researchers are trying to find the science behind paranormal occurrences.
A techie, working in the San Francisco Bay Area, received a call from his home at Shivaji Park, Mumbai, just after the lunch hour. The techie was taken aback because it was three in the morning back home, and that was not the time his aged dad and mom ever called. It was his mom on the other end. “Why are you calling me so early in the morning? Is everything ok?” the techie asked.
The old lady spoke to her son in chaste Telugu: “Why? Can’t I call you now? Can’t I speak with my son when I want to,” the lady shot back angrily, and slammed the phone down. The techie was worried as his mom never spoke to him so harshly — and that too in Telegu, a language rarely used at home.
He called back, and this time it was his father who answered the phone — after five to six rounds of rings. He told his father about mom’s phone call a few minutes earlier. “No, she didn’t call you… She’s sound asleep. Besides, it’s early morning here,” the dad said.
The techie was quite alarmed; he had clearly heard his mom on the other end. He sent a screenshot of his mobile call log to his father on WhatsApp. But his father — and now the mom was also fully awake – denied having made any call to the US at that hour. The next day, the techie’s father visited the local telephone exchange to get a copy of his recent call-log. Upon checking the records, he found no calls were made to US from his home for over a week.
The family decided to pass off the incident as a “telecom glitch”, but a few more bizarre incidents over the next two weeks forced the family to consult a psychologist first, and a psychic healer later, when the shrink failed to solve the problem. Constant ringing of the doorbell at dead of night — and pounding and banging of bedroom doors — made the family believe their house was haunted. “That place had a lot of electromagnetic
swirling around … These energies were causing such actions,” explained Akshai Sthalekar, founder of India Paranormal Team, which conducted a series of “cleansing rituals” (with water, crystals and pranik and reiki healing) to deviate or clear-off bad energies from the techie’s family home.
BUT WAS THAT A GHOST? “We don’t call them ghosts … we call them energies. It could be energies let out of dead people, too. Energies cannot be created or destroyed; it just get released into the lower cosmic strata,” said Rahul Kumar, a trained allopathic doctor and founder of Bengaluru-based Spirit Hunting & Research in Paranormal.
Ghost hunters and paranormal researchers are trying to find the science behind paranormal occurrences. “Metaphysics and parapsychology form the basis of all things that cannot be explained by science,” said Kumar. But anti-superstition activists and atheists are not willing to buy these theories.
“This is all pseudo-science … Paranormal researchers use scientific terminologies to mislead people. They just cheat people with scientific mumbo-jumbo,” said Avinash Patil, state executive president of the MaharashtraAndhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti.Neither pure sciences nor paranormal research have managed to pierce the veil of the unknown. But paranormal researchers are having a field day finding solutions to the problems of the “other realm”trying to unravel the mysteries of the “other realm” – and also make some money off it.
BIG SPOOK BUSINESS India’s top spirit hunters such as Akshai Sthalekar, Waqar Raj, Rahul Kumar and Shishir Kumar attend to 20-30 cases every month.
“Most paranormal cases are misunderstood … in fact, 99 out of 100 cases we attend to pertains to psychological disorders or external energy influence,” said Shishir Kumar, head of Team Pentacle, a group specialising in paranormal activities and UFO sightings.
By external energy influence, Shishir means the presence of an electronic device which emits a lot of electromagnetic waves (EMWs). Higher levels of EMW exposure leads to incurable headache and auditory hallucinations, researchers say.
Most paranormal researchers advise their clients to approach a psychiatrist prior to opting for a psychic investigation. Only when the shrink fails, the psychic healers start investigating the phenomenon.
Paranormal investigators charge about Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 for primary investigations.
The remedy part could get expensive as it may entail a series of cleansing or healing processes and religious rituals. Psychics may charge anywhere between Rs 20,000 and Rs 1 lakh to exorcise, deviate or neutralise “bad energy” or negative vibrations.
“We come across a lot of such cases every month… our clients come from all backgrounds… Bollywood stars, politicians, rich socialites, slum dwellers — everyone comes to us when they’re left with no other option,” said Sthalekar of India Paranormal Team, a member organisation of the Secret Society of the Paranormal.
“We’re flooded with panic calls when horror movies such as Conjuring get released in India,” he added.
Waqar Raj, who heads the Indian Paranormal Society, has a word of advice: “There’s a lot of fraud happening around paranormal sciences … Lot of people are entering this field to make money. I personally feel paranormal researchers should not charge money for investigations. It should be seen as pure research.”
A few paranormal research groups have also started offering certification courses in paranormal sciences. They charge Rs 50,000-75,000 for three to six-month courses.
DECODING GHOSTS THROUGH SCIENCE The red needle on the electromagnetic field meter (EFMs) jumped to life, swinging wildly towards the extreme right end of the monitor. The static sound flowing out of a digital voice recorder is interrupted by a short crackling sound and a prolonged hum. It turned cold suddenly — the reading on the thermometer dropped to 22 degrees Celsius, from 29 just a few minutes earlier.
A team of paranormal researchers, spending a full moon night at Kuldhara, an abandoned village in Rajasthan, was scared and elated at the same time. It was the first time all their scientific “ghostbusting gadgets” reacted concurrently to the presence of “supernaturals”.
“Kuldhara is a haunted place … there’s no electricity in that place, but still your EFMs come to life; sometimes it scales to as high as 20-30 milligauss. Now such high levels can’t be the effect of the earth’s geomagnetic fields alone,” said Waqar Raj.
Many a time, clients approach paranormal experts when they stumble upon “white patches” or “white apparition forms” in photographs clicked at home.
“They believe their house is haunted then … But many a time, these are just orbs resulting out of humidity in air or dust particle on lens. We use photo detailers to inspect these photographs and report back,” said Sthalekar.
Several “poltergeist actions” also come up on the tables of most paranormal researchers.
These include beds and chairs getting picked and dropped or dragged, incidents of stone throwing and crockery breaking. “But poltergeist actions are not actually classified as paranormal activities … some people have “high levels of brain power” to move things, without actually touching them,” said Raj. Then comes cases of apparition sightings.
“It will require a lot of energy for a ghost (or a spirit) to appear as an apparition…,” says Rahul Kumar, the allopathic doctor-turnedspirit hunter. “So most of them time, an apparition you see is the result of a weak mind. Prolonged exposure to EMWs could weaken your mind; it maysetoffboutsof hallucination or even turn you a schizophrenic,” he added.
Cases of ghost possessing — where the ghost is believed to have entered a living person’s body — always accompany tales of the afflicted physically “bending and twisting” in unimaginable ways. This, according to Kumar, is a case of ‘Rubber man syndrome’, a rare medical condition. Cases pertaining to people speaking a foreign language never learnt or even heard by them relate with another medical condition called ‘Foreign accent syndrome’. A person suffering from ‘Alien hand syndrome’ would hit or harm people sitting next to him without really meaning to do so.
“Many a time, all the above cases are misunderstood as a demonic possession or haunting,” said Rahul Kumar.
“Ghosts or spirits are intelligent energy sources … They’re not like what they show in movies. These can’t enter human bodies in normal courses,” said Shishir Kumar of Team Pentacle.
Sthalekar added: “Psychics try to communicate with energies and try to send them away … If the lingering energy is of a dead person, we tell the energy source it is dead and it has to move on. We help them to cross over to the other realm.”
According to Waqar Raj, the problem of “bad energy” only compounds when people use these powers to harm others. “These powers may not affect you, if you’re not scared of them … But if you start worry about them, they’ll make you a nervous wreck, make you depressed or start suicidal tendencies,” he added.
These words do not mean much for the non-believers though. “This is purely superstition … We challenge them to prove their theories. These people should be prosecuted under anti-superstition laws,” Patil of Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti said.” End of article.
I disagree that an ‘energy’s is responsible for the angry prank calls late at night in the article. I need way more proof to be able to believe that. I find it very hard to believe. I am sure that someone got hold of the phone, a living person and is the one responsible for the calls. No ghost could do that. Someone broke into the parents’ home and did the prank calls. The phone was slammed down too. Right. If those people are willing to blame it on a ghost or energy, then they are in dire need of a good head check. It would take a huge amount of energy on the ghost’s part to do that. I welcome your opinions in the comments below.
There will always be believers in the paranormal and skeptics. They are both entitled to their beliefs. They work best when balancing each other out. A good dose of skepticism can actually be of help when dealing with the paranormal. There just may be a rational explanation for creaking floorboards. If you believe it’s ghosts for every single time your cat Fido stares at the ceiling, your doors creak open from an open window, or your hat keeps falling to the floor, you will have serious health problems to deal with. Paranormal investigators first rule out possible solid scientific and rational explanations for occurrences.
Yule is almost here! I hope you’re looking forward to it!
Today I bought a porcelain doll, shown in the photo above. I went to Value Village with the intention of finding a doll with a weird vibe on it. I found it. Oh she cost ten bucks! I want to write a haunted doll story. I needed a muse. My witch friend, Pamela, who owns a witch shop and has the best most awesome shop and the brains to run it suggested I find a doll at the local thrift store. I flew to the shop on my broom (OK, OK I took the bus.) Once there, I strolled the aisles for the perfect doll.
I found the doll section. It didn’t take me too long to find the porcelain doll I was looking for. I brought her home. I combed her hair because it has many tugs. I cleaned her face with a warm washcloth. I fussed with her dress. I am unsure if I should sage her because that may rid her of the vibe she has. I will wash her outfit and put it back on her so she is clean.
Her name is Isabelle. Isabelle has a burgundy pouch that is sewn shut. I seam ripped the pouch open. I found two seeds that resembled garlic cloves in the pouch. My friend on Facebook is a medium. He sensed some bad vibes from her. She doesn’t want to be called Cordelia. It’s Isabelle. My friend Scott Lee Bower tells me she once belonged to a family who had a young daughter. The father was a vicar/ priest. Their daughter may have been murdered and the spirit of the girl moved into the doll. He (Scott) felt there was a child murder. I sure hope the doll’s past is not that tragic but who knows?
I feel lightheaded every time I hold her. I do sense that Isabelle is happier here. I know she was unhappy before at the store and in her other home. I hope she is happier here. Her eyes have something sad in them. I wonder if that will change as she lives here a long time.
The doll at the witch shop who resembles Anne of Green Gables is happier now. A woman brought her in because she didn’t know what to do with her. The doll has been cuddled, and fussed over and lived at the witch shop for a while now. She is a happy doll now. That doll was witness to a murder. The poor doll- and the victim! I will also coddle Isabelle too. No one will be mean to her anymore.
I appreciate it that Scott could clarify al that to me and sense that about Isabelle. Poor Isabelle. Spirits will move into a doll because the doll resembles a person. I fear mannequins. I dread them like I would dread a shark. They seem human but aren’t quite human. People can actually develop a phobia called Pediophobia, a fear of dolls. Dolls resemble people but aren’t quite right so that is why people, some people, have the doll fear. I can understand it but I have no fear of dolls. Well to be honest, the one thing that freaks me about dolls is their eyes. Those glassy eyes stare out at you, expressionless. Isabelle has an emotion in her eyes though: sweet and sad. I think the sad part is due to her unhappy past. If the doll at the witch shop can change, then I shall see if this doll can change too. Only time and love will tell.
I smudged Isabelle with a sage stick. I also hand washed her entire outfit and let it air dry. This changed her energy significantly. I’m not sure if she will still move on her own. I am sure I will see it soon and know when it happens. It’s possible that some love and tender care could have altered that. Hard to say.
On a happier note, the Summer Solstice is almost here! I can’t wait. A friend of mine heard of an interesting theory. The few days we experienced sweltering hot weather here caused or was related somehow to the solar eclipse. June has a lot going on celestially. Wow that is a cool theory I am willing to believe. How do you all plan to celebrate the Solstice? I plan to burn green candles, associated with the earth, drink herbal tea and honour the faeries in my garden. I will have fun and I hope you all do too!
I just received my new Spirit Box in the mail. I am so excited! I watched a tutorial on Youtube about how to operate it. I already own an EMF detector. I am eager to begin detecting spirits in my home or in haunted areas of Halifax. We have the Civil war here, the Titanic victims and the victims of the Halifax Explosion here. You can all then understand my enthusiasm.
A Spirit box is a paranormal research device. It uses a radio with a frequency scan code meant to rapidly sweep the frequency channels of radio stations creating a white noise effect. This allows spirits to affect the white noise and communicate through it. Clear sounds can be caught while the device scans a multitude of radio stations. The faster the sweep, the clearer the sounds are.
If you hear a robotic voice answer your questions, congrats, that is the spirit talking. Here are some questions to ask that are effective in getting responses:
Are you here?
Is there anyone here?
Where are you?
How old/young are you?
What do you want?
Show yourself
Give us a sign
Talk to me/us
Open a door
Turn on/off the light
I plan to attempt communicating with spirits using my Spirit box and my K-II EMF meter. This shall be fun. I will also jot my sessions in my Book of Shadows. Just like when using a pendulum, keep the questions easy to answer. It shows a respect for the spirits. It is unwise to ever disrespect the spirits. If you don’t believe me, then ask Zac Bagans why he wears prism glasses now and for the rest of his life.
On a side-note I worry about Zac. He can’t die. He has to not die. I say this because the spirits that he provoked or angered now will recognize him when he finally crosses over. I hope they don’t do terrible things to him. I will never know of course, but I still worry.
I bought my Spirit box from Amazon.com. I live in Atlantic Canada but it was shipped to me so fast. Wow. Spirit boxes are available on Amazon and other sites if you are interested in attempting your own spirit communication. I highly encourage you to do so. Paranormal devices are so widely available now. Move over, Ghostbusters. The devices are now found in many homes in North America. We can all do research on our own these days.
I shall have fun investigating my own very haunted hometown. The window that steadfastly remains haunted no matter how many times it is replaced, the haunted 5 Fishermen restaurant, the Halifax Explosion, the harbour front. Oh I can’t wait to get started.
And that’s a good thing! It’s paranormal groups like Ghost Adventures that has made this possible for people who seek their own spooky fun in investigations. I have covered some of those groups on this blog. The future looks bright – and spooky for those with a passion for the paranormal – like me! My cat is my assistant. She’s napping on her cat bed right now. She is so darn cute!
Use caution and common sense. You cannot assume that every sound that comes out of a Spirit box though is a ghost. Learn when you get a false positive and what can be debunked. If you hear footsteps and your team member is just walking up behind you, or there’s a draft that causes a door to open, it could just have a rational explanation. Be skeptical until you rule out all causes. Then you have to accept the unexplainable.
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
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