Tag Archives: spooky

October 11, 2025 · 6:11 pm

Twisted Dreams Press is publishing my novel in 2026!! )O(

Merry meet all,

Dear readers, I have awesome news! Twisted Dreams Press is publishing my spooky novel The Mourning Tide! I am overjoyed. This is the 1000th blog post! I saved the announcement of my novel being published for the 1000th post. This all means a lot to me. My grandparents have passed and I hope that they are proud of me. I am dedicating The Mourning Tide to them. This is a dream come true, a dream that began ten years ago. I first was inspired to write the novel ten years ago. Yes, that long. I am not kidding. I can’t wait for the cover art!

The book is scheduled for release next October. There is always a reason to look forward to October and the publication of my novel is the best reason for celebration ever! I am so happy. 

I finished the halloween patchwork quilt! Today I sewed a blanket binding to the quilt. I love how it turned out. It is gorgeous, magickal and screams HALLOWEEN! I will be cozy this winter. If I may so myself, the quilt is bewitchingly beautiful. It was a lot of hard work and so was writing and editing The Mourning Tide. I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Taking care with everything we do and taking the time to get it done is the key to success. Next, I plan to sew a matching pillowcase. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Horror Writers Association hosts an annual blog event, Halloween Haunts. I always participate in the event. I shall post the link to my blog post for the event here: https://horror.org/halloween-haunts-hounded-by-the-dead-by-heddy-johannesen/ I plan to read the other posts by the other authors. 

I love October. I am not the only one for sure. I sewed a Halloween blanket, dyed my hair, bought new candles, enjoyed nature walks and went apple picking today! Pumpkins adorn many porches, and the skies are so blue! I even watched Hocus Pocus last night. I sewed myself an orange and black Halloween skirt. I have a new witch hat too! I hot glued black flowers to the witch hat. 

Today’s post is short and brief. This is my 1000th blog post!!! Cause for celebration. I hopd you all have a wonderful Mabon-Samhain. I shall keep writing here. Grab a pumpkin spice latte and get ready for more awesome blog posts. I am so happy to have reached this milestone. It feels good to have reached this milestone and to have made my dreams come true. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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Filed under horror, magic, pumpkins, Samhain, witches

March 30, 2024 · 6:00 pm

The eerie cemetery Visit )O(

Merry meet all,

The other day I visited a cemetery. I often like to visit cemeteries and this particular spooky day was perfect for that. It is late March here but early spring. Crocuses are popping up everywhere. However, as you can see in the photo above, my attention was drawn to the misty eeriness of the cemetery. I took several photos of the cemetery situated next to the Public Gardens. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trees stand out from the somber fog. The fog makes the cemetery appear ethereal, like you had crossed a threshold into the Otherworld. The tombstones add to the inescapable feel of death. It creeped me out, being there. When I left, after taking many photos, and I had crossed the threshold of the cemetery, I felt freed of something. Free of death’s grip? Free of the spirits whose icy fingers clung to me, pulling me to join them in their prison? One can only guess. The air felt less heavy when I reached the sidewalk. 

Spring is here. The ground is less frozen and now muddy. Daffodils and crocuses pop up on lawns, greeting spring with their cheery faces. But in that cemetery, Time and Death stood still and held hands. Spring slumbers there yet. 

Personally, I am grateful for spring’s return. I suppose that is due to my restlessness. It is very contradictory. I want to sleep or I feel restless. Spring is change. Spring is fresh new life. Spring ushers in foals, eggs, chicks, hens, neighing horses and shrieking jays. As much as I love the gothic atmosphere of the cemetery, I am a gardener. For the last few weeks, I have tended to my starter herbs and veggies. I take care of them and I have taken good care of my cat, who shares in my eagerness for warmer days. I spied a small bird nest up high in a tree on the nature trail a while ago. 

Winter is hard for my dear cat. I can’t have the screen door open all day for her the way I do in summer. She doesn’t understand that. I can only imagine how bored she is. Lately she has taken to attacking her big bag of cat food. 

Last night, I watched the new Ghostbusters movie: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. I loved it. I was late so I missed the previews and the very beginning of the movie but I sure enjoyed the rest. I would highly recommend anyone who is curious to grab some popcorn and a friend, and go see the movie in theatres. 

The ethereal eeriness of the cemetery is like one last swan song of the dark half of the year before the sun engulfs the world. I am happy to have visited the cemetery to experience the chill of death, the reminder of mortality. I know spring is around the corner, slowly tiptoeing in and soon to kick the darkness to the curb. 

Spooky cemeteries and ghost busting movies! I even got a Batman doll souvenir! I do love theatre popcorn!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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March 13, 2024 · 3:57 pm

Paranormal Convention in Thunder Bay

 

Merry meet all,

I obtained a white garment like a nightgown. I like it because I can alter it to match the chemises that I see on the Holy Clothing website. I am not done yet but it will look great. I love this photo! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight I am going to Trident Cafe to support a likeminded awesome horror author.  I’m celebrating women in horror month. Yay!

Today’s post covers a new exciting event in the world of the paranormal. Enjoy!!! 

Thunder Bay paranormal convention set to showcase the spooky side of life this fall

Workshops, guest speakers will cover all manner of paranormal topics

Kris Ketonen · CBC News ·
A group of people stand in a circle.
A group of paranormal investigators record a drop in temperature inside a site believed to be subject to paranormal activities. Paranormal investigators will gather in Thunder Bay, Ont., this fall. (Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters )

With a slate of guest speakers and workshops on the schedule, the first-ever Lake Superior Paranormal Convention will shine a spotlight on the strange and spooky this fall.

The convention – which is being organized by Thunder Bay paranormal investigation group Lucky Paranormal – will take place in October at the Prince Arthur hotel. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 2, and will be available online.

“At a paranormal convention, they have lots of speakers,” organizer and Lucky Paranormal member Gail Willis said. “All day long, you can listen to paranormal experts on paranormal activity, investigation, UFO’s, Sasquatch, Bigfoot, all of those types of things are spoken about openly at a convention.”

More than 15 guests have been booked so far. They include:

  • Beyond the Haunting Investigations of History’s Most Haunted;
  • Shane Pittman, from Netflix’s 28 Days Haunted and Discovery Channel’s The Holzer Files;
  • Author and researcher Jeff Belanger (Ghost Adventures and Paranormal Challenge);
  • Author and researcher Chris Rutkowski;
  • Thunder Bay writer Kim Casey;
  • Investigator and filmmaker Dee McCullay, and
  • The Winnipeg Paranormal Group.

The convention will also include vendors, as well as workshops on how to use some of the equipment paranormal investigators use, organizer and Lucky Paranormal member Mel Willis said.

A REM pod, used in paranormal investigations.
A REM Pod used by Lucky Paranormal during their investigations. The upcoming Lake Superior Paranormal Convention will feature workshops on how to use ghost-hunting equipment like this. (Kris Ketonen/CBC)

The idea for the local convention grew out of visits to other, similar events by Lucky Paranormal members.

“We’ve gone to a number of conventions in the U.S.,” Mel Willis said. “There’s one in Halifax and that’s the only one across Canada and we’re like, ‘well, we’re smack in the middle of Canada, why not here?'”

Gail Willis said the convention isn’t only geared at investigators, and hopes that everyone with an interest in the supernatural will take away something worthwhile.

“I hope that they leave with more information,” she said. “I hope that they leave with a passion for the paranormal, and also maybe new connections.”

A few other events are scheduled around the main convention, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5. Those include:

  • A VIP party with celebrity guest speakers on the evening of Oct. 4;
  • A celebrity-led paranormal investigation at the Thunder Bay museum, scheduled for the evening of Oct. 5, and
  • Sunday Spirits n’ Sweets at Cafe Ora, which will include afternoon tea and coffee with Canadian psychic medium Kerrilynn Shellhorn on the afternoon of Oct. 6.

The Lake Superior Paranormal Convention itself, meanwhile, is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2024, at the Prince Arthur Hotel. For ticket information, visit the event’s website.

Superior Morning8:22Mel and Gail Willis of Lucky Paranormal: Paranormal Convention

Thunder Bay ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts, mark your calendars, the first-ever Lake Superior Paranormal Convention is coming to the city this fall. Hear from the organizers.

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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October 5, 2023 · 2:52 pm

Spooky reads, horror movies and lollipops oh my!

Merry meet all,

October is the most magical month! Today’s post is all about how to enjoy this insanely magickal month! Whether that be which movie to watch, which horror novel to read and more!

I am a member of the Horror Writers Association as most of my darkling readers know, and that means that I sometimes get sent free PDFs to read from them. If I like it, then I nominate them for a Bram Stoker Award. That is a great reason right there to become a member of the awesome organization. I get to read the honking’ huge October issue newsletter and with that, are many goodies. So let’s dive in to the good gory horror stuff, shall we? You will only get the best of the best here!

First up, books!

Come on, reading won’t kill you. Sit down with a hot cup of cider or coffee and enjoy!

London native C.C. Adams is the horror/dark fiction author behind books such as But Worse Will Come, Misery And Other Lines, and Downwind, Alice. A member of the HWA, he still lives in the capital. This is where he lifts weights, cooks—and looks for the perfect quote to set off the next dark delicacy.

Adams has a story in The Black Beacon Book of Horror anthology releasing Friday, October 13, 2023 (yes, you read that right, Friday the 13th). The anthology features dark and disturbing tales of psychological, supernatural, folk, gothic, and cosmic horror that you might want to read with the lights on (or off). It’s big horror fun! You can read interviews with the authors at https://blackbeaconbooks.blogspot.com/.

Lydia Peever

September brings a full semester of reading to our desks, with a little nonfiction on the reading list, too! Short stories abound, so our backpacks and brains won’t get too overloaded with page count; though there are many new authors’ names to learn. Worth studying up in case there is a quiz!

+++++

Midnight Masquerade
Greg Chapman
IFWG Publishing
2023-10-31
https://ifwgpublishing.com/title-midnight-masquerade/
Midnight Masquerade, a collection of Greg Chapman’s acclaimed and original fiction. In these stories, you’ll discover how the masks we all wear hide our innermost fears, and how our choices can expose true horrors. Also included are Chapman’s acclaimed novellas, The Last Night of October and Vaudeville, and the short stories, “Octoberville” and “Left on October Lane.”

Christmas and Other Horrors
Ellen Datlow, editor
New York Chapter
Titan Books
2023-10-24
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727016/christmas-and-other-horrors-by-ellen-datlow/
Hugo Award-winning editor and horror legend, Ellen Datlow presents a terrifying and chilling horror anthology of original short stories exploring the endless terrors of winter solstice traditions across the globe, featuring chillers by Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, and many more.

Abject Fear
Paul Carro
Tether Falls Press
2023-10-20
https://paulcarrohorror.com
Dr. Mitch Trager, a brilliant but tormented scientist, is haunted by an unspeakable tragedy that shatters his world. In a desperate bid to save humanity from the shackles of terror, Trager assembles an eclectic team of scientists, each burdened with their own agonizing phobias. Together, they plunge into the abyss of the human mind seeking a cure for the most elusive disease of all. Fear.

The Weird Cat
Katherine Kerestman and S.T. Joshi
WordCrafts Press
2023-10-18
http://www.creepycatlair.com
A well-told horror story has much in common with your own cherished puss. Kitty jumps upon your lap and purrs, and you turn the page of your book. You are mindful that cats dwell in a larger world than our own, the gulfs and abysses of which we can obtain but a shadowy glimpse, through their eyes. In The Weird Cat you delve into that larger realm through more than three dozen classic and contemporary short stories, poems, and essays by masters of the craft.

Deathrealm: Spirits
Stephen Mark Rainey, editor
Virginia Chapter
Shortwave Publishing
2023-10-17
https://shortwavepublishing.com/catalog/deathrealm-spirits-horror-anthology
Editor Stephen Mark Rainey is thrilled to announce the release of Deathrealm: Spirits, a new horror anthology from Shortwave Publishing. This volume includes fiction and verse by authors such as Linda D. Addison, Meghan Arcuri, Larry Blamire, Maurice Broaddus, Brian Keene, Ronald Kelly, Joe R. Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, Jeff Oliver, and many others.

Tomorrow & Tomorrow
Lillah Lawson and Lauren Emily Whalen
Sword & Silk Publishing
2023-10-17
https://www.swordandsilkbooks.com/post/cover-reveal-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-by-lauren-emily-whalen-lillah-lawson
A dark and twisted retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring an all-girl rock band straight out of Athens, Georgia; witches; ghosts; and murder most foul.

Along About Midnight
Dorian J. Sinnott
Raven’s Hollow Books
2023-10-16
Like every small town, Oakridge has its secrets. When October falls, Peter Harlow and his friends seek to uncover them at the Chapel Hill Cemetery—surrounded by jack-o’-lanterns at midnight. But what starts off as a fun scare for the season, an attempt to wake the Devil, turns into something far more than they bargained for.

We Used to Be Different: a collection of stories and miniatures
Elle Mitchell
Oregon Chapter
Little Key Press
2023-10-13
https://emitchellwrites.com
Sixty-two eclectic stories and flash fiction pieces with sixty-two miniatures to match. Take a journey through the unexpected in We Used to Be Different, the latest mixed-media collection from the creative and twisted mind of dark fiction and crip-fic author and multi-disciplinary artist Elle Mitchell.

The Devil Thinks I’m Pretty
Charlene Elsby
Ontario Chapter
Apocalypse Party
2023-10-13
https://www.apocalypse-party.com/devil.html
A teenage girl can sense the devil in the trailer park. A devil’s threesome allows him to fully possess her. She can see her boyfriend’s mind is wandering. The new girl will suffer enough for everyone.

Chasing Shadows: Convocation
Zachariah Jones
Water Sign Books
2023-10-10
http://www.thezachariahjones.com
The second installment of the Chasing Shadows trilogy. The story follows Jarek Videni, a young intuitive whose next step in his journey has brought him to Deadwood, South Dakota circa 1924. Nearly 50 young women have gone missing, and it is up to Jarek to try and uncover the sinister darkness tied to the missing women … and himself.

Foxfire
Rowan Hill
Bayou Wolf Press
Virginia Chapter
2023-10-10
http://www.writerrowanhill.com
Eight potential investors and acquaintances gather at the site of a future hotel in remote Lapland. It is polar midnight in the cold ancient forest, the sky is full of the flaming aurora, and the guests begin dying at an alarming rate. As the dwindling survivors rally against the spectre stalking the forest, an ancient force connected to the land wants them off and will leave only one alive.

Let Me Tell You a Story
Tim Waggoner
OH Chapter
Raw Dog Screaming Press
2023-10-05
https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/let-me-tell-you-a-story
Partly autobiographical, partly tutorial and diagnostic, each chapter in this book features one of Waggoner’s stories followed by reflection on the historical context of publication, insightful commentary, and exercises for writers who are just learning their craft as well as those who have already made a name for themselves.

Songs in the Key of Death
JG Faherty
New York Chapter
LVP Publications
2023-10-03
http://www.lycanvalley.com/2023/05/new-release-songs-in-key-of-death-by-jg.html
JG Faherty‘s first poetry collection explores a wide range of subjects, including technology, love, fear, death, the afterlife, and insanity. There are evil dentists and surgeons, parasites, cryptids, monsters, mad scientists, maniacs, aliens, evil plants, sentient tumors, ghosts, prisoners, serial killers, and more.

Spirits of the Dead
Keith Gilman
Severn House
2023-10-03
http://www.keithgilman.com
Spirits of the Dead is a masterpiece of supernatural horror, a tightly woven tale of possession held together with fraying threads of human emotion. Readers will be scared. They will also be moved.

The Devil’s Promise
Celso Hurtado
Inkshares
2023-10-03
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Promise-Ghost-Tracks/dp/195030163X
San Antonio is full of secrets, and seventeen-year-old Erasmo Cruz investigates the strangest of them. After gaining renown for surviving the city’s legendary Ghost Tracks, he has set up shop as a paranormal investigator. But helping exorcize other people’s demons doesn’t seem to relieve his own; his best friend has abandoned him, his grandmother is nearing death, and his own health has taken a sudden decline. A new case hurls Erasmo into a dark web of cults, bargains, and broken pasts. Only one thing is certain: the Devil keeps his promises.

Thin Places
Barbara Cottrell
Vanishing Edge Press
2023-10-02
http://www.barbaracottrell.com
Bodies falling from the sky, a serial killer on the loose, and endless bureaucracy. Winter quarter has begun at Miskatonic University.

Blood in the Holler
David Sangiao-Parga
Woodhall Press/Penguin Random House
2023-10-02
http://www.davidsangiao-parga.com
A group of pro wrestlers run afoul of some meth dealers in West Virginia on their way to a show. Their only hope for survival lies in the hands of current company champion and former U.S. Marine Brick Lamar, who’s in a race against time to find them before it’s too late.

Impulses of a Necrotic Heart: and Other Afflictions
Red Lagoe
Virginia Chapter
Death Knell Press
2023-09-29
https://redlagoe.com/impulses-of-a-necrotic-heart
The heart rots with every trauma and every wrongdoing, and if we’re not careful the necrosis invades. It has spread across these fifteen tales of horror, ranging from sci-fi to supernatural, psychological to body horror. None of which are for the faint of heart.

Cold, Black & Infinite: Stories of the Horrific & Strange
Todd Keisling
PA Chapter
Cemetery Dance Publications
2023-09-26
https://www.cemeterydance.com/coldblackinfiniteKeisling
Down here in the dark lies a vast and twisted landscape where the wicked, wistful, and profane coalesce. This is where the lonely and lost face their demons, where anxious paranoias are made manifest, and where mundane evil wears a human face. For readers, the sixteen stories found within Cold, Black, & Infinite serve as a harrowing glimpse into the nightmarish imagination of Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author of Devil’s Creek and Scanlines.

Pre-Approved for Haunting
Patrick Barb
Keylight Books
2023-09-26
https://turnerbookstore.com/products/pre-approved-for-haunting
In this new collection, Patrick Barb explores themes of family found and lost, media consumption and the dangers of runaway nostalgia, the supernatural in our lives, and the impact of violence in both the long- and short-term.

Crawling: A Horror Anthology
Cat Benstead, editor
New South Wales Chapter
Hear Us Scream Press
2023-09-23
https://www.hearusscream.com/store/p/physical-preorder-crawling-a-horror-anthology
Prepare to witness grotesque metamorphoses that distort the human form, blurring the lines between flesh and monstrosity. This anthology dares to push the boundaries of the body-horror genre, immersing you in a world of dread and dreadfulness, delivering an unparalleled reading experience that will linger in your nightmares. With: Elecia Page, Danny Shaw, A.E. Santana, Elou Carroll, E.J. Bramble, Chloe Spencer, Caroline Barnard-Smith, A.R.C Mitra, Katharine Pollock, Tinamarie Cox, Kourtnea Hogan, Samantha Arthurs, August Blaine, Centauri.

Ascent of a Vengeful Woman
Ashon Ruffins
Dreadful Times Press
2023-09-22
http://www.DreadfulTimesPress.com
The town of Dalyville’s history of wickedness is catching up with its residents as an evil force that simmers beneath the surface boils over with blood-thirsty intent. The past never dies. It festers. It cultivates in pain, waiting to rear its ugly head and inflict suffering, terror, and vengeance, bringing everyone around it to their knees.

On the Subject of Blackberries
Stephanie M. Wytovich
PA Chapter
Raw Dog Screaming Press
2023-09-21
https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/on-the-subject-of-blackberries
On the Subject of Blackberries is a poetry collection that meditates on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thinking. Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and under the influence of found poetry and bibliomancy, Wytovich harnesses the occult power of her imagery and words and aligns it with a new, more vulnerable, darkness.

October Screams: A Halloween Anthology
Kenneth W. Cain, editor
Maryland Chapter
Kangas Kahn Publishing
2023-09-19
https://kkpublish.com/
October Screams brings you twenty-seven tales of the greatest holiday of all, Halloween! Featuring stories from authors like Brian Keene and Richard Chizmar, Kealan Patrick Burke, Steve Rasnic Tem, and many others.

Hollow
Davide Tarsitano
DT Author
2023-09-19
https://www.dtarsitano.com/
The world of Peter Hanson, emerging true crime writer, is about to fall apart. His parents have been found dead in their bed. The case is quickly closed as an accident, despite the doubts of the homicide investigator in charge of the case. Peter realizes that sanity and logic have very little to do with the events unfolding. A dark force is at play: an ancient and insatiable evil that feeds off negative human emotion is on the hunt for a new prey.

Never Whistle at Night
Shane Hawk Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Penguin Random House
2023-09-19
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707468/never-whistle-at-night-by-shane-hawk-and-theodore-c-van-alst-jr-editors/
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night: it can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home. These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge.

A Thin Veil of the Cosmos
Thomas Michael Thomas
Florida South West Chapter
Insomniac Cat Publications
2023-09-16
http://www.thomasmichaelthomas.com
An occult curious, small-town goth teen, Abagail Gibson, stumbles upon an obscure book that enables her to send her voice across the universe and connect with intelligent life.

The Caretaker
Cass Clarke
Hear Us Scream Press
2023-09-15
https://www.hearusscream.com/store/p/physical-preorder-the-caretaker-by-cass-clarke
Cara, an exhausted ICU nurse, reluctantly finds herself sifting through her deceased mother’s house, a task she never anticipated. While doing so, she unexpectedly uncovers her mother’s hidden secrets, including a mysterious haunted hospice bed. In a bid to confront these eerie revelations, she enlists the help of her loyal cousin Dylan and her enigmatic ex-girlfriend Beth, unwittingly leading them all into a nightmarish ordeal.

Darkest Days and Haunted Ways
Ashley Dioses
Los Angeles Chapter
Jackanapes Press
2023-09-13
https://www.jackanapespress.com/product/darkest-days-and-haunted-ways
Darkest Days and Haunted Ways is a collection of horror poetry that focuses on psychological horrors and terrors of the mind.

Girl, Incorrupted: a love-horror story
Megan Bledsoe
Arched Brow Books
2023-09-12
https://meganbledsoe.com/girl-incorrupted/
While trying to become the kind of girl her boyfriend says he’d marry, college senior Daphne James entangles herself with the local vaudeville star, an incorrupt corpse who thinks that Daphne can help reanimate her body. A love-horror story.

Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror
Kenneth W. Cain and Tim Meyer, editors
PA Chapter
Crystal Lake Publishing
2023-09-08
https://www.crystallakepub.com/product/never-wake-an-anthology-of-dream-horror/
Where do we go when we dream? Since the beginning of time, people have argued the meaning of dreams. Are they symbolic visions that hold great meaning and personal significance? Are they portals into other worlds? Or are they just a series of random events our mind shows us when we fall asleep? Whatever the case, this much is true—the mind can be a scary place to venture, even for a few hours.

There’s No Way I’d Die First
Lisa Springer
New York Chapter
Delacorte Press
2023-09-05
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714580/theres-no-way-id-die-first-by-lisa-springer
A spine-tingling contemporary horror-comedy novel that follows a scary-movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly game.

The Eerie Brothers and The Witches of Autumn
Sheldon Higdon
Pittsburgh Chapter
Scary Dairy Press, LLC
2023-09-04
http://www.sheldonhigdon.com
Twin brothers, Horace and Edgar Eerie, must travel back to 1692, Salem, to stop Hex, a judge and powerful witch, from entering the present world. He’s after the Four Seasons, totems that hold the seeds to the seasons, and once obtained, he’ll control all magic, the Hidden Ones, humans, and Mother Nature. However, dark family secrets are revealed, and they could destroy the brothers’ family, friends, and their future before they make it back home.

Who Haunts You
Mark Wheaton
Off Limits Press
2023-09-02
https://www.offlimitspress.com/mark-wheaton
High school senior Rebecca “Bex” Koeltl is just trying to make it to graduation. But when her fellow seniors begin dying in seemingly unrelated incidents, Bex uncovers disturbing connections between their deaths, including that the teens believed they were haunted by long-dead relatives their own family members swear never existed. After Bex is visited by a malevolent specter of her own, she realizes she has to get the bottom of this horror before she’s its next victim.

Vampire Dentist
Christine J. Whitlock
Ontario Chapter
The Elite Lizzard Publishing Co.
2023-09-01
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3Q5HWK
Meet Dr. Moe Lars, a struggling young dentist with dreams as vast as the night sky, confined to a dilapidated warehouse as a last-ditch effort by his devoted Auntie Mae Lars. His unconventional journey from the bottom of his class to the heart of dental darkness results in a clinic quite unlike any other; one bustling with fanged patients and unconventional procedures.

Nightmares
Sandra Becerril, editor
Gauntlet Press
2023-08-31
https://www.gauntletpress.com/product/nightmares-an-anthology/
Sandra Becerril, the most renowned horror writer out of Mexico, brings together for the first time three Hollywood masters and legends of the genre, with thought-provoking introductions each author wrote to their stories.

The Foot Doctor
A.J. Spencer
Psychotoxin Press
2023-08-29
https://www.amazon.com/Foot-Doctor-J-Spencer/dp/B0CGL9T5VB
Gambling addict and criminal Chris Hawthorne gets injured on a job gone wrong and crosses paths with a doctor that has a grotesque hobby.

The Dead Shall Rise: Zombie Zombie Zombie
Jay Wilburn, Armand Rosamilia, and Erin Louis
Crystal Lake Publishing
2023-08-25
https://getbook.at/DarkTide10
They’re coming to get you, Brave Reader. Crystal Lake’s Dark Tide series will continue soon with more tales after this installment spotlighting three authors’ tales of the undead.

A Shadow of Your Former Self
Amy Grech
NY Chapter
Alien Buddha Press
2023-08-20
https://www.crimsonscreams.com
A collection of poetry and prose that “… takes us on an excursion of life through the eyes of a New Yorker, from 2020’s forced isolation and displacement, through facets of personal loss, to the devastating impact of guns on our lives …” – Linda D. Addison

Shallow Waters, Vol. 9
Joe Mynhardt, editor
Crystal Lake Publishing
2023-08-17
https://getbook.at/SWaters9
With 19 dark fiction and horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.

Bride of the Tornado
James Kennedy
Chicago Chapter
Quirk Books
2023-08-15
https://jameskennedy.com/books/
Every generation, a small midwestern town comes under attack by sentient tornadoes, and the only defense is a strange boy known only as the tornado killer. A high school girl finds herself drawn to the tornado killer, and she discovers the unnatural connections between them. But the adults are hiding a secret about the origin of the tornadoes and the true nature of the tornado killer—and our heroine must outrun the primeval power that binds them all before it can claim her.

Curse Of The Barrens: An Ameri-Scares Novel
David Simms
VA Chapter
Crossroad Press
2023-08-01
https://www.amazon.com/Ameri-Scares-New-Jersey-Curse-Barrens/dp/1951510143
The legend of the Jersey Devil takes a wild turn in the newest installment of HWA legend Elizabeth Massie‘s AMERI-SCARES series. Dominic Riley moves to the outskirts of the Pine Barrens where he meets a friend whose family harbors dark secrets, ones that could have monstrous, devastating effects on the town. This tale tackles bullying, acceptance, and dysfunctional families in a frightening story for middle grade and teen readers.

Shadows on Glass and Other Stories
Jamie Lackey
Pittsburgh Chapter
2023-07-28
https://www.jamielackey.com/shadows-on-glass-and-other-stories/
Shadows on Glass and Other Stories collects 45 fantasy stories, including three previously unpublished tales. Set in worlds only a few steps removed from our own, pushing at the border between the real and the imaginary, Jamie Lackeydeftly leads readers down paths just twisted enough to get lost on. From sentient stuffed animals to haunted terpsitones to friendly toasts, this whimsical and unsettling collection of weird little stories contains something for everyone.

Monsters Are Real
V.L. Jones
2023-06-28
https://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Are-Real-Collection-Jones/dp/B0C9SNDRLM
You will love these stories if you love cryptids, monsters, and urban legends. Monsters Are Real is a collection of stories about things that lurk in the darkness, waiting.

Bloofer
Cathleen Allyn Conway
London Chapter
Broken Sleep Books
2023-05-31
https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/cathleen-allyn-conway-bloofer
Bloofer is an intoxicating mix of the playful macabre and elements of dark academia. Conway’s illicit obsessions creep through like the full moon on a cloudy night: Bram Stoker, Plath in thrall to the occult, dark alleyways and haunted libraries. Bloofer hides razorblades between the pages that give a keen edge to this thrilling and mischievous collection of poems that disarm you with humour before they bite you.

Now on to other forms of spooky entertaining media!!! So grab your popcorn and cider/soda and sit here with the latest and scariest!

DVD

BOOGEYMAN—Tuesday, October 10. Rated PG-13. This film, based on the Stephen King story, concerns a grieving father, his two teenage daughters, and the monster his new patient has brought into their lives. Produced by Shawn Levy (STRANGER THINGS), it stars Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair.

The Exorcist movie is out and this looks to be a good one! Following that is Saw X & the Nun 2, A Haunting in Venice, Talk to me. You have a lot to choose from. The above selections were from the Horror Writers Association October newsletter. For those who are brave enough, then feel free to peruse those titles and/ or catch a horror flick or two! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

P.S.  Have a sweet tooth? Of course you do. It’s October. I have already been through a package of candy corn myself. Read on how to make your own herbal goodness candy.

This recipe is two-fold, a little aromatic coffee brewing and a little candy boiling. Combined, they come together to form a delicious and unique herbal lollipop treat! 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground coffee
½ teaspoon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark
½ teaspoon fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
½ teaspoon cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) flower bud
8-12 ounces hot water
1 cup sugar
½ cup raw organic honey

Directions

  • Using a french press, add 2 tablespoons of ground coffee
  • Add in the cinnamon, fennel, and cloves; you can use either ground or whole dried spices for this recipe since they are going to be filtered out. However, do give your fennel seeds a little crush to release those volatile oils for an extra kick!
  • Add in 8 – 12 ounces of hot water to your french press, water amount depends on how strong you’d like your brew to be. 
  • Brew coffee mixture for about 5 minutes. Plunge and pour your coffee into a cup. 
  • Reserve this coffee liquid for the lollipops.
  • The next step is creating the herbal lollipop mixture.
  • Using a large pot, (this is important because your liquid is going to bubble and rise quite a bit) clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pot. 
  • Place the sugar, coffee liquid, and honey into the pot and cook on medium heat to watch your candy creation form.
  • Stir and watch your mixture boil until it reaches 300 degrees, which is considered a hard crack. This takes about 20 minutes. 
  • Once the desired temperature is reached, carefully pour the hot liquid into a large measuring cup. This will allow you to pour with more precision into the silicone lollipop molds. 
  • Working as quickly as possible, fill the silicone molds before the candy hardens. 
  • This next step is more of a housekeeping tip, but it’s an important one. Quickly clean your pots and supplies. HOT, hot, soapy water works well. Sometimes I have to boil water on the stove to get out some of the remaining candy that gets stuck to my supplies. It’s a little bit of a messy clean-up, but nothing a little soap and hot water can’t fix. 
  • The lollipops will harden in the silicone molds. When they are no longer warm to the touch, they are ready! 
  • Gently peel them out of the molds to reveal delicious Halloween herbal lollipops.

To Use:

These would be perfect for a Halloween carving party. A unique treat that you typically are not going to find in the candy aisle at the stores. If you’re not serving them at a function, store any leftover lollipops in an airtight container in the fridge. These get pretty sticky, use parchment paper to keep them from touching and sticking together. 

 

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August 30, 2023 · 11:04 am

Horror Novels

Merry meet all,

I feel fall in the air.  The leaves are turning (already? gulp), the air feels crisp and I am just waiting for pumpkins to hit the shelves. The asters have bloomed which is a good sign of fall coming. The bees are busy gathering all the pollen they can. 

I have started chard and beans from seed in small pots. There is still time to grow them and if the frost hits, I can grow them indoors with the grow light kit. I switched the beige table cloth on my kitchen table to my black spiderweb lace tablecloth. I also dressed my altar for Mabon. Much as I am resisting fall, I’m embracing it as well. It is inevitable. I am just angsty for my garden. I’m also working on a corn doll for Mabon. I even made a broom from herb twig stems. A few herbs are soaking in a bowl of water to let the bugs escape. I plan to use them with the corn doll. I will post pictures later when I am finished the corn doll. 

I am also hoping to get elecampane to sprout from seed. I put a few seeds on a damp paper towel in a ziplock bag. Last night, I did a full moon ritual. It felt so good. it has been a long time since I did a full moon Rit and now I plan to get way back into my magic craft. 

Speaking of magic, as I gaze out my window, a spider has caught a big bug in his web. The spider twirled the bug around and around and hangs on tight despite the breeze hitting the web. The poor bug doesn’t stand a chance. It is amazing to witness and yet it repulses me. This is the fascinating twin nature of Mother Nature: life and death twined into one. Every August, there are suddenly so many spiders. The hard part is that the bug is still alive. That is what is hardest for me. I can understand something suffering then dying quick. But this bug in the cocoon at that spider’s mercy is still alive. I can tell by the way it’s upper legs twitch. It has to endure all that. For a reason unknown to me, spiders love to weave their webs at my bedroom/ office window. I am fascinated by spiders though. I know most people don’t feel the way I do. They would likely have a harder time living here. I live near a nature trail where there are lots and lots of industrious insects. The spider tugged his unwilling prey away. I have had enough of that. 

I stored herbs in jars last night. I dried them in my dehydrator all day yesterday and that was when I understood why I bought the dehydrator. It was so easy, so simple and cut out so much drying time. I plan to use my dehydrator a lot more often. I usually dry herbs on a screen or on my air drying rack but that took out all the work for me I usually do. Yup I have officially upgraded to a dehydrator. I love it. I dried lovage, Thai basil, mugwort, goldenrod, lemon balm, red clover, dandelion leaves, chamomile and St. John’s Wort. 

Samhain is sixty two days away! It is time to prepare. I can’t believe that time of year is here. Curl up with a few good horror books. I can’t get enough of it. I have had the privilege lately of reading some damn good horror fiction. The first novel on my list is The Twisted Ones by Kingfisher. I could not put this book down. The suspense killed me, the characters were amazing and the scary creatures were original. If I saw those creatures staring into my window at night and I was alone in the country, I would freak out too. Next on the list is The Devil Takes you home by Gabino Iglesias. Read. This. Book. I had a hard time muscling my way past a few gruesome scenes in the book but it kept me riveted till the end. I cried for Mario. The situation he ended up in was so tragic and I found his predicament very believable. This novel is terrifying. Read it with the lights on! The next novel on my list is My Heart is a Chainsaw. I am not sure if this classifies as horror. I wasn’t that scared. My Heart is a Chainsaw is a brilliant character driven novel. If you want to get deep into the heart and mind of the main character and the mystery in the town, then this is the novel for you. 

Those novels will definitely get you in the mood for a spooky Samhain. The next novel I plan to read is Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling, and that is another damn good horror book. I plan to keep writing and working on my own projects too. 

I have to get going but I will post soon. Till then, keep writing and stay spooky!

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

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February 9, 2022 · 3:33 pm

Ghost Trackers UK – Interview with lead paranormal investigator Scott Bower!!

 

Merry meet all,

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?
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.
I hope you enjoy this interview. I have posted a link to his Youtube page and posted a video below. 
Links:
Link to a video. Be warned, it’s genuinely spooky!
Stay spooky!!
Blessings, Spiderwitch

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November 4, 2021 · 1:26 pm

Paranormal Investigation at spooky Hotel

Merry meet all,

Now we are past the mind blowing fun activities of October 31st, it’s time to turn our attention to other equally as fun matters. The sun is shining this morning. A chill lingers in the air. Colourful leaves are strewn over the sidewalks, lawns, gardens. It’s like Mother Nature took a paintbrush to the trees. I took that photo yesterday when I was on the nature trail. I know, the beauty of the trail stuns me too. 

The energy of autumn is still present. I am excited to share another Canadian paranormal story with you, dear readers. So grab a mocha, get comfy and enjoy!

Paranormal investigators check out old hotel in southeastern B.C.

VANCOUVER –

Paranormal investigators were at a hotel in southeastern B.C. over the weekend, checking for evidence of activity.

The group from True North Paranormal arrived at the Three Valley Gap Lake Chateau and Heritage Ghost Town in Revelstoke Friday.

Hosts of the show, from Thunder Boyz Productions, Inc., planned to make stops in the ghost town including at the historic Hotel Bellevue and the Train Roundhouse.

According to those behind the production, which airs on Amazon Prime and Paraflix, both buildings “have a huge history of paranormal activity.”

The hosts said they felt something almost as soon as they entered the hotel, which was built in 1898 in Sicamous, but has since been moved to the Three Valley Gap Ghost Town and restored.

“As soon as I entered, I had a sense of going upstairs and what I believe I’m feeling is the feelings of a lady that spent a lot of time here. She didn’t like to come upstairs,” host Karina Kozuska told CTV News.

But those behind the show say it’ll be up to those who watch the episode to decide what they think.

“We want the viewers to make up their own mind as to what we found – whether they believe it’s haunted or not,” host Jon Kozuska said.

“We’ll tell you we found stuff we can’t explain, but it’s up to you to decide.”

The husband-wife team is based in Kamloops, and say Canada is a “hot-bed” of paranormal activity. Through the show, the Kozuskas investigate reports at abandoned gold rush towns, old theatres and more.

Previous episodes include the Powerhouse and Vernon Towne theatres in Vernon, B.C., and the Kamloops Indian Residential School. They’ve also filmed in the Falkland Museum and Heritage Park, Sagebrush Theatre, city hall in Sandon, Caetani Centre and other spots in B.C.

Credit given to: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/paranormal-investigators-check-out-old-hotel-in-southeastern-b-c-1.5602136

Blessed, be, Spiderwitch

Link of interest:

The 25 Most Important Witchcraft Books Ever Published

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October 31, 2021 · 12:11 pm

Abandoned ghost town spooks skeptic

Merry meet all,

Here’s a spooky ghost story for Samhain!!! Enjoy. 

Graveyard in the woods: Abandoned Nova Scotia logging village so spooky skeptic won’t visit alone

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The scorched, leafless Inspiration tree is one of the milestones hikers can use to measure their progress when hiking to Roxbury, an abandoned logging village in Annapolis County.
The scorched, leafless Inspiration tree is one of the milestones hikers can use to measure their progress when hiking to Roxbury, an abandoned logging village in Annapolis County. – Contributed

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

Leafless trees close in and choke out the midday sun as David Whitman and his daughter, Lori, tread further into the dense forest.

The two are exploring the remains of Roxbury, an abandoned Annapolis County logging and farming village described as “lost in the woods” by locals.

“At first glance, there is not much to see,” says Whitman.

Whitman, a retired schoolteacher, is now referred to as the ‘Mayor of Roxbury’ after writing his first self-published book about the area called ‘Lost in The Woods: The Lure and History of Roxbury,’ which came out in 2005.

David and his wife Paulette Whitman are both writers that aim to preserve local Nova Scotian history. - Contributed
David and his wife Paulette Whitman are both writers that aim to preserve local Nova Scotian history. – Contributed

His interest sparked in the once-thriving settlement destroyed by a forest fire and abandoned in 1904, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was here where he spent hours fishing at a nearby river with friends.

Related:

“I was always intrigued by Roxbury as a kid. The village is about four miles off the main road, in the middle of nowhere. And when I began teaching school in Halifax, I started to research the area where very little is known.”

Over the years, he went digging for facts, church and school records, deeds, newspaper reports, and interviewed descendants of those that had once called the area “home.”

Whitman discovered a mysterious and tragic past.

The dirt trail that leads to the Roxbury settlement deep in the woods. - Contributed
The dirt trail that leads to the Roxbury settlement deep in the woods. – Contributed

Originally, he says, Roxbury was known as Durland’s Settlement, named after Thomas Durland, the first English Loyalist settler in the early 1800s. His brother Charles followed with his family, and by 1865, there were 15 families in the settlement, with a population around 60.

But the settlement stretches further back. The Mi’kmaq were the first inhabitants, followed by French Acadians fleeing from British soldiers after refusing to pledge British allegiance – known as the Expulsion from 1755 to 1764.

“About 60 French Acadian exiles took to the river and hid on South Mountain,” Whitman says.

“The Mi’kmaq became their allies, but many Acadians did not survive the freezing winter.”

Remains of stone walls from the Loyalist days. - Contributed
Remains of stone walls from the Loyalist days. – Contributed

Acadian gold?

Rumours persist, says Whitman, that the Acadians, while fleeing, left stashes of gold under Mile Rock on Roxbury Road.

“There have been some treasure hunters over the years, but nothing retrieved or at least made public.”

While piecing his second book together on the area, Whitman says he interviewed many who reported “strange voices” while alone on Roxbury Road.

“Legend has it some of the French Acadians were planning to come back and get this gold, so I think it plays on the imagination which can run wild out there when no one is around,” he dismisses with a nervous laugh.

When the Loyalists arrived (1775 to 1783), they built permanent structures over the Acadian nomadic-style homes using rocks from the mountain.

Shreds of lumber remain from the former logging and farming village. - Contributed
Shreds of lumber remain from the former logging and farming village. – Contributed

“By 1904, most of the residents had moved out with the lumber industry depleted and the serious forest fire.”

Whitman explains to produce blueberries, they burned the land, but a fire got out of control and spread over hundreds of acres, torching Roxbury.

Today, the scorched, leafless Inspiration tree echoes this history.

“The tree is aptly named Inspiration because if you make it that far, you might as well keep going,” says Whitman.

There is an 18.7-kilometre in-and-back trail described as “difficult” on All Trails, which features a lake and cuts through the settlement.

Roxbury lay dormant for several years, attended only by nature. Then, in the 1920s, families set up homesteads, including Whitman’s father.

“Roxbury had a school, church, post office, sawmill and grist mill. The last family moved out in 1927,” notes Whitman.

Andrew Rosengren and the Thygesen family were the last homesteaders.

“Then in 1948 through to the late 1950s, lumbering activities by J. H. Hicks and Sons and Max Napthal interrupted the settlement’s slumber. And in the 2000s, forestry work from Bowater Mersey and Lafarge Canada Inc.”

Lost in The Woods: The Lure and History of Roxbury, by David Whitman, published in 2005. - Contributed
Lost in The Woods: The Lure and History of Roxbury, by David Whitman, published in 2005. – Contributed

Haunted woods

So, what’s left there now? Stone foundations, deep round wells, shreds of lumber.

“But people go there a lot to hike,” says Whitman.

Yet Whitman says he will “never walk there alone.”

The supernatural skeptic that claims, “there is a scientific explanation for everything” admits he has heard “through the trees,” a sound the resembles the “wailing of a man.”

Other interviewees of Whitman reported “strange noises” or “figures.”

It is not a place for the faint of heart, he says.

Roxbury: A return to a ghost town, by David Whitman, published in 2015, with a foreword by John DeMont. - Contributed
Roxbury: A return to a ghost town, by David Whitman, published in 2015, with a foreword by John DeMont. – Contributed

“I have not been back there for a while. Not by myself, especially to the graveyards. There was always something about them. There is one graveyard where a man lost his wife in childbirth, and he would visit and cry on their graves.”

In one cemetery, a headstone peeks through the vegetation with just one bold word, “Baby.”

“In my second book, ‘Roxbury: A return to a ghost town,’ I interviewed people that say they could feel or even see someone watching them. It gave them an intense feeling that they should not be there,” he adds.

The book, published in 2015 with a foreword by John DeMont, includes photographs by witnesses, capturing “blurred images of a young girl in a white dress” floating through the cemetery and disappearing into the trees.

“This place can stir the imagination, especially in the graveyards that are in the middle of the woods,” Whitman says.

“People that do not know the history or have not read the books go back there and treat it just as a hike or a tour, but those that know the area are reluctant to go by themselves.”

Dormant wooden cottages in the area – designated by the province as a Provincial Park Reserve – have left a ghostly imprint on many people, including former students of Whitman, who he says will “never talk about what they heard or saw” because it was so frightening.

Whitman is part of Friends of Roxbury that gathered funding for interpretative signage to preserve the lumber settlement’s history. As a result, he no longer needs to give tours in a place he describes as “isolated and creepy.”

Credit given to https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/graveyard-in-the-woods-abandoned-nova-scotia-logging-village-so-spooky-skeptic-wont-visit-alone-100631334/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1Ihr9t5VZUmMwVHfwMDRr0cP4kDo-62eGGc6RiFohuTYRrY_eyUn6UkYI#Echobox=1635594565

Wow. This is a great ghost story. This is partly why I love living in Nova Scotia. For every wave that washes in, there’s a ghost story!!

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October 12, 2021 · 10:25 am

Paranormal Halloween

Merry meet all

I am happy to share my blog post from the Horror Writers Association annual blog event. I hope you enjoy it!! 

Halloween Haunts: Paranormal Halloween by Heddy Johannesen 

Halloween casts a dark spell on us. October enchants the young and old as spirits roam free. The veil between the worlds is thinnest now. I have a keen and strong interest in the paranormal. I would happily work as a paranormal investigator if I could. I have researched the paranormal as much as I can. I also am clairvoyant and clairsentient. This has helped me to study the paranormal and spirit world.

I was sitting with a friend in my kitchen one summer night. We chatted for hours. The night was hot, so we drank colas to keep us cool. It was quiet and peaceful. Or so we thought. We had a good talk. I was holding a cola in my hand. I looked from Stefan to a spot in my kitchen. I don’t know why but something made me glance in that direction. I wish I didn’t to this day.

I glanced at the wall by my back door. It happened so fast. My heart leapt to my chest. A dark black shadow person with sharp pointed nails or fingers appeared and walked straight into my cupboards. Stefan saw the way I was staring. He didn’t see what I saw. He should be thankful. The dark shadow was wispy, transparent, and generated an aura of evil.  It moved with speed and in an unusual way. This being was clearly not from our dimension. I have yet to learn where it came from and why it chose my apartment.

My heart jumped at the sight of the eerie shadow person. I wish I knew how it got in my home and what it was doing there. I haven’t seen the being since. I wish I knew why it chose my apartment. I may have to live with never knowing why and accept that I may not receive the answers to that in the way I want to. They don’t communicate the way that we wish they could. They are beyond death.

Stefan asked me what I saw. I told him. My heart pounded. We did an energy clearing to banish that bad spirit. I was and still am truly puzzled. I have no idea why the spirit chose my home other than that I am clairsentient. That attracts spirits and shadow people. That is the only explanation I can think of.

Stefan and I placed crystals above doors, and on window ledges. I smudged the house with sage. We sprinkled salt on the windowsills and below doorways. I privately don’t think that did any good. The shadow person entered my home. It may have helped to a small degree.

I have many questions. Is my home a portal for spirits? I have a strong feeling the Otherworld is not a place we would enjoy. They will exist for eternity. The more the veil between the world thins, they can cross over into our realm and even in our dreams.

Ghosts, demons and shadow people are attracted to people with low vibrational energies. If you are struggling with addictions, are abused, or depressed, you are a target for the lower vibrational spirits. If you use a Ouija board, you draw them toward you. They don’t hear your voice, but they can sense your vibrational signal from afar. You send an energetic signal. That is what the demons or earthbound ghosts’ sense from you. You may be unaware of it but they sense it.  I own a few Ouija boards that I sprinkle with salt and know how to psychically defend myself from them.

The veil between the realms of the living and the dead is thinning. The most common times is Halloween. Paranormal investigations and ghost hunting tools are becoming popular.

I am trained in paranormal investigating. I live in a haunted town with a dark bloody history. I investigate haunted restaurants here and even my own home. If you are keen on the paranormal, you must shield yourself to avoid unwanted energies from attaching themselves to you. Once you have mastered psychically shielding yourself, you need faith and belief in a Higher Power. Call on your ancestors to help you. A strong heart is your greatest weapon should you encounter a malicious entity. Concentrate on a psychic shield around you. Set your intention that you will not be affected by an evil spirit.

Gather the tools you need that have protective properties. Hematite, labradorite, smoky quartz, clear quartz, or tiger’s eye are suitable. Pentacles, runes, gemstones, white and black candles, dragon’s blood ink and even black salt are potent tools for ghost hunting.

Be sure your batteries are fully charged. Entities drain the energy out of batteries so take extra with you. Bring a flashlight, cab fare, wear sensible footwear, and a good friend. Do not go alone. Ghost hunts occur at night. Be careful.

Other ghost hunting tools to add to your collection are a K-II EMF Meter, a spirit box, a digital camera, and a way to measure the temperature of a room. If a spirit is present, the temperature in a room can become ice cold. That is good evidence of the presence of a spirit.

If you do a ghost hunt at a location first obtain permission from the owners to visit the place. Ask them if they believe the home or business is haunted and what odd occurrences they’ve noticed. Take notes and be polite to the owners.

Do research on the history of the building. A ghost hunt does not involve the glamour and scares the way Hollywood portrays it. It often means sitting in the quiet dark with your equipment waiting for evidence of things that go bump in the night.

When you are at the location, it is important to seek evidence rather than an experience. There is a distinction between the two. Later, as you are analyzing what your EMF meter or spirit box detected, the memory of you screaming at a spirit to appear at your command is not considered evidence. The evidence that you collected based on scientific methods is far more valuable. It builds your reputation too.

It is acceptable to be objective of the homeowner’s claims that their home is haunted. They may like the fancy more than the fact. Offer to do the investigation anyway and be polite. Later, you can turn down an appointment or a follow up if it ends up the home was not haunted at all.

Respect the spirits. They cannot be conjured at will. If the ghost or negative entity is causing serious problems for people, then recommend a local church to aid in banishing the spirits from the home. Don’t attempt it yourself.

After you return home, cleanse yourself and your ghost hunting equipment of any lingering energies. Ghost hunts can stretch on for hours. It’s important to rest and ground and center yourself afterward.

Be careful when you use Ouija boards. Have salt and sage at hand and bid the spirits farewell when you complete your sessions. Believe in your power whatever faith you believe in. Your faith in your power is your most powerful tool. It will guide you on your new hobby or career exploring the paranormal.  I hope you enjoyed this article. Keep an open mind to the paranormal. Have a deep faith in a Higher Power and faith in yourself.

I don’t know why the spirit was in my apartment that night. I may never know. I do know that spirit manifestations are on the rise. We can protect ourselves from any negativity and be curious about the Otherworld. It is the final frontier for all of us.

I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association. My writing has appeared in The Feminine Macabre, Handbook of the Dead, Ghosts, Spirits and Spectres Volume 2, Samhain Secrets, Untimely Frost-Poetry Unthawed, One Night in Salem, Wax & Wane: A Gathering of Witchy Tales, The Dark Ones: Tales and Poems of the Shadow Gods, and Witches and Pagans Magazine.

Blog: https://theparanormalquill.wordpress.com

Twitter: magicka66

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghosts.spiritsandapparitions

Blessings, Spiderwitch

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October 7, 2021 · 6:48 pm

Halloween Haunts 2021

Merry meet all,

It’s that eerie time of year again. I bet you are all working hard at work yet working just as hard to be ready in time for Samhain. I hope you can take some out of your day to enjoy these blog posts. The Horror Writers Association hosts an annual blog event of which I”m participating in. The members of the organization all contribute their blog posts about their own experiences at Halloween. I find them fascinating to read and I hope you do too. 

I will include the links here for your reading enjoyment. !! Have fun. My post is scheduled for October 11th. 

Here is the link to the Halloween Haunts blog page: https://horror.org/category/halloween/ 

Here are the blog links to the individual blog posts: 

Halloween Haunts: I Hear Dead People: Communicating with My Father (and Others) in Spirit by Valerie E. Weich

Halloween Haunts: Writing the Female Horror Body by Holly Lyn Walrath

 

Halloween Haunts: The Pandemic Party by Naching T. Kassa

Halloween Haunts: Freakling Forever by T.J. Tranchell

Halloween Haunts: Wicca is Alive and Well in Cleveland by Katherine Kerestman

Halloween Haunts: The Season Begins by Michael J. Moore

Halloween Haunts: Weird Women Take on Halloween: Five Early Halloween Works by Women by Lisa Morton

This is plenty of scary yet heartwarming reading for your perusal!!!! I shall post more on this as the month passes. I hope you take some time to read this. It will inspire you to get in the mood for everyone’s favourite time of year. 

I made apple chutney last night. Mmmm. I’m continuing in my awesome herbalism course. I received my mystery box of witchy items from Etsy. In the box was a divination cloth to use with pendulum, a lovely tarot card (Truth), a small BOS, a beautiful pendulum, a pentacle, bay leaves, palo santo incense cones, a tiny bell, loose herbs, an essential oil bottle – tiny, a red tealight candle, rose quartz, red jasper, a leaf sticker, a sunstone, and a smudge feather. Beautiful and in time for Samhain!! 

Here is a playlist to get. you in the mood!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsWw_G-5-k4

Happy Samhain Preparing

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch

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