Tag Archives: ghosts

THROWBACK THURSDAY! ~ The Good Old Days of Paranormal Investigations

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The small cozy little house sitting on the edge of the woods looked peaceful and content, not revealing at all its history of tragic deaths, nor it’s ghostly visitors. At one hundred years old, this house has a long rich history of families and familial events and milestones. It has witnessed weddings, births, graduations, personal victories/achievements…and death.

The present owner has experienced the loss of two family members within the walls of this house. Her mother passed away from cancer in the downstairs bedroom in 2005, and it’s in this room where a frosty presence makes itself felt by sitting on the bed, complete with the physical sensation of movement and visible indentation in the blankets. The owner’s husband passed away in the den, in 2008, after a long and lingering illness. Although his presence can be felt, quite strongly at times, there are no visual manifestations. And it’s from this room, through glass patio doors, that deer can be seen gathering at dusk near the rear of the property. It’s in the den where a photograph of the owner’s step-son sits, a young man killed in a tragic motorcycle accident, the parents having received that devastating middle-of-the-night call all parents dread.

Upon entering the house, we realized immediately that there was very strong EMF readings, beginning at the doorway between the living-room and kitchen, which was also very close to the bedroom door. Shadow figures are often seen by family members, crossing the living room and disappearing into the walls. We spent a great deal of time with the owners and the EMF detector exploring the bedroom and the doorway between the living-room and the kitchen, where the EMF detector was extremely active. We wanted to make sure that there were no electrical devices or outlets that would’ve been creating these readings. This involved moving furniture, locating all the electrical outlets, and letting the family take their time to tell their stories, voice their concerns, and formulate their questions.

When we were finally ready to ascend the stairs, the owner told us that her grandchildren refused to go upstairs. The way the EMF detector was working as we stood at the bottom of the steps, it was no wonder. There was an almost constant scream of protest from it. The EMF detector came on while we were at the bottom of the stairs and continued until we reached the doorway of the first upstairs bedroom. As investigators and home owners stood in a clump in one room, I moved around the upstairs with the EMF detector. I wished that we could just sit and spend some quiet time with cameras and instruments turned on. I think this would’ve been beneficial in catching spontaneous paranormal activity. However, the owners were enthusiastic and wanted to watch us work, continuing their chatter and speculation. For the rest of the time that we wandered the second floor of this house, the EMF activity was sporadic at best. As we worked our way from room to room, and as we descended the stairs, it fell silent. The atmosphere at the bottom of the stairs was noticeably lighter. Whatever had been hovering there before seemed to be gone.

The bathroom proved to be another area that drew high EMF readings, particularly in the shower; and we discovered that this presence was there one minute and gone the next, popping in and out in a dizzying fashion. We were also informed that objects in the bathroom moved around from place to place, inexplicably, creating an unnerving atmosphere. Instead of spending one long block of time in this area, we would pop in and out throughout our investigation. I have to say that the mirrored walls added an element of creepiness to this room, as you would catch fleeting movements in the mirror that you’d see out of the corner of your eye. Of course, by the time you turned your head to see what it was, it was gone.

Around the small entryway, suspended over an old-fashioned cellar door in the floor leading to the basement, was a string of clothing. The owner informed us that these clothes belonged to her deceased husband, and that she simply couldn’t bring herself to get rid of them. There was not only EMF activity here, but the strange sensation that someone was watching us as we touched the shirts, or moved a hangar. After a few minutes in this area, several people felt the hair on their arms or the back of their neck stand up, or experienced an uncomfortable sensation which manifested as a desire to exit this spot.

Epilogue…  As we worked our way through this house, not only did the EMF readings and paranormal sensations unfold before us, but the story of a family and its tragedies unfolded as well. This gave us an intimate look at characters and personalities who lived in this house at one time and who still walk its rooms and hallways, as well as the dynamics of the people still living here, and the long history of former occupants. The owners seemed relieved to share their stories, to watch instruments pick up visual proof of what they’ve known all along, and most importantly…to feel a connection with those they loved.

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The Witch’s Desk: How do you detect the presence of Spirits in your house?

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This is my question-of-the-week, and I thought it would be refreshing to get away from the topic of relationships for a while.  Spirits are always interesting, though they are not always fun, but mostly (from my own experience) they actually are.  This is just me, or maybe it’s that I’ve only had pleasant or neutral experiences with them so far.  For whatever reason, I just don’t feel “frightened” by them. I have a friend that I have done House Cleansings with around the Omaha area, and the one thing that I’ve noticed is that a lot of the time you won’t have to ask yourself if you have a spirit in your house, you will most definitely know; but this is often the more extreme cases, real “hauntings” with something that is unpleasant, or obnoxious, or invasive in a very negative way.  Through this experience, visiting other people’s homes and talking to them about their situations, I realize that some people are just naturally frightened by the idea of the ethereal…ghosts, spirits, anything down this road.

The house that we live in now has always had spirit activity, and I’ve only recently learned from some of my daughters, since they’ve grown, is that when they were small there was an unpleasant “something” on the landing (we have a split level home).  One of my daughters told me that she felt it so strongly, and it was such a scary menacing presence to her, that she was often afraid to go up and down the stairs.  Years afterwards, when I began to regularly (key word here is “regularly”) cleanse the house, this entity disappeared.

I remember the exact day I decided I had enough– I was sweeping down the stairs, on a day that I was all alone, which rarely happened with our large home-schooling family, when I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and a rush of goose bumps come up my legs.  This was accompanied by the very unnerving sensation of someone (a presence) behind me.  Did this scare me?  No, I actually found it interesting– but it did make me angry.  I considered this an obnoxious invasion of my personal space.  I threw the broom down and, muttering under my breath, I stalked off around the house to gather up white candles, and incense, salt and water, cussing the whole time.  I guess I felt it was an inconvenience that was unnecessary, and I would have to take the time to straighten this spirit out and set some boundaries, rather than being able to get all the “Stuff” done that I wanted to get done while I was on my own!

My kids claimed later, and continue to do so to this day, that I tend to do too good a job of cleansing, and some of the entities we have shared this space with were actually interesting, just an integral part of the house and it’s atmosphere.  So I’ve let up over the years, acknowledging that there’s enough room in this old house for everyone, as long as we all play nice in the sandbox.  There have only been a handful of times in the last 20 years when I’ve had to draw some boundaries and shoo a spirit away.

 

Anyway, I digress, on to the subject at hand.  The individual who asked me this question is obviously not sure what constitutes a spirit’s presence, and what may just be some sort of natural occurrence, or an overactive imagination. Let’s look at all those tell tale signs of spirit activity–

1)  Scents:  It’s happened to me before, I’ll smell my grandmother’s perfume, or her favorite flower (roses).  You might smell cigars or cigarette smoke in a house where no one smokes.  You might smell a loved one’s favorite food.  Anytime you pick up a scent that is not explainable on a physical level, you might want to consider that it’s coming from another source.  I’ve heard about (but never experienced personally) the unpleasant and obnoxious odors of malevolent spirits.  This is just something to keep in mind.  Most of the time it’s all good, but once in a while you might run into something unusual.  The sense of smell is just another one of our six senses, just another way we learn and experience and process information about the world around us.

2)  Noises:  Here we go again, another one of our six senses.  Several times over the past few decades, since my grandmother’s death, I have heard her call my name.  Often this has happened in the dead of night and woken me out of a deep sleep, but there have been occasions where this has happened during the day, when I’m wide awake to begin with, and usually when I am alone.  It’s cool, nothing scary.  She’s just touching base, letting me know that she’s still near, that there is still some sort of connection.  (Death isn’t the end, it’s just a different plane of existence.) Besides hearing voices, there are other odd sounds– knocking, scraping, footsteps, growling (not usually a good thing), hammering, human sounds (like hand clapping , finger snapping, muttering)…and always, you will have no logical explanation for these sounds.

3)  Temperature Changes:  We’re talking big in-your-face changes that are unexplainable through normal physics.  This means the furnace man won’t be able to explain to you a 40 degree drop in 5 seconds.  If you ask him to explain this he’s just going to stand there scratching his head; and if he’s a really savvy furnace man (who knows about ghosts and all that paranormal stuff), he’s liable to be throwing tools in his bag and scurrying from your house so fast all you see is the back of his head.  I guess there are more subtle temperature changes you can experience, but people are more liable to explain them away– a sudden cold breeze that wafts through a room, gently lifting the pages of a newspaper; a momentary “chill” that gives you a shudder.  Besides unusual temperature changes, you might experience drafts– the kind of draft that flickers and toys with candle flames, the kind of draft that can’t possibly come from anything of this world because there is no place for the draft to originate from.

4) Electronic/Electrical Malfunctions:  We’ve often heard that the spirit world has the ability to collect energy from our electrical gadgets and use this energy to manifest all kinds of paranormal phenomena.  I don’t know if any of this can ever really be scientifically proven, but it seems that a lot of these occurrences (odd things happening with your electrical gadgets, lamps, lights, computers, etc.) almost always seem to precipitate a mad rush of paranormal activity.  Do you have appliances, lights, a television, computer, or other gadget that turns itself off and on? …that turns itself off and on regularly?

7)  Moving Objects:  This is pretty extreme and the fodder for many movies and television shows.  But it does happen, and the most basic kind of activity that I’ve personally witnessed (with moving objects) involved a series of cupboard doors that would be closed one minute and all open the next; drawers or doors, same thing.  I’ve yet to see anything as dramatic or theatrical as portrayed in the movies.  Remember, for a spirit to move a physical object, an object of atoms and matter, it would take an incredible amount of energy.

6)  The Goosebump Factor:  Some people are more sensitive to the paranormal and its energy than others.  There are a lot of people (a lot!) who can actually “feel” the presence of spirits, even if they are not sensitive enough to communicate with them (as a medium or psychic), they still know dang well that there is something there, and they can often pick up on positive or negative energy.  Never underestimate The Goosebump Factor.

The Witch’s Desk: The Deceased & External Events

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Hello Ms. Amythyst! I first would like to mention how much your website and the text I have purchased from you has empowered me. I am looking for guidance. Now, my issues are most likely more than I can touch on one email, but it involves witchcraft. Now, if you do get this message (goddess willing) I will kind of give a synopsis… My grandmother was Wiccan before I was born, but reassigned herself as Christian. Ever since her death, very terrible things have happened to our family. I have no idea if these things are related, but knowing the darker side… I thought I’d check in with a professional. I would like to mention that I looked up Wiccan beliefs because of my belief in crystal healing. Not because of her past. I am new to this but very positive of the teachings. I have just realized I am getting ahead of myself haha. I would love to get a response before I get too excited! Thank you

Interesting.  You are sort of wondering, as I’m understanding this, if your grandmother and her Wiccan practices could have anything to do with the unfortunate external incidents you and your family have experienced since her death.

There’s a very simple way to look at this:  through your grandmother’s own soul and her curiosity and experimentation with very different spiritual paths.

If the soul survives, and the soul is viewed as that internal part of us which encompasses not only the sub-conscious but our conscious mind and our inherent intelligence as well, one could surmise that your grandmother may have very confusing views of the after-life, and divinity, heaven and hell, as well as a warped view of punishment.  If I look at this situation from this viewpoint, I’m thinking that your grandmother needs to know that everything is okay, that she didn’t do anything wrong in her practice of witchcraft, or in her transition to Christianity.  She needs to know that all spiritual paths lead to grace.  Your grandmother needs to find peace, and you can help her do this.  One way is to simply tell her.  Even if you don’t think you have the gift of mediumship, this doesn’t mean that our loved ones can’t see and hear us after their passing.

Light a white candle, light some cleansing purifying incense, and have a chat with your grandmother.

Because I don’t have any particulars, and this is all the information that I have regarding your specific circumstances, I’ll let it stand here.  If you’d like to tell me more, feel free to do so.  The other alternative to this scenario would involve curses and hexing and that type of thing, which would be a whole different ball game, and wouldn’t necessarily have anything to do with your grandmother.

___________________

All questions are posted as received, no editing (except to delete identities), as all questions are posted anonymously.  You can contact me through the submission form in the sidebar on the home page at my website The Witch’s Corner.

Personal Notes: Paranormal Investigation

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The small cozy little house sitting on the edge of the woods looked peaceful and content, not revealing at all its history of tragic deaths, nor it’s ghostly visitors. At one hundred years old, this house has a long rich history of families and familial events and milestones. It has witnessed weddings, births, graduations, personal victories/achievements…and death. The present owner has experienced the loss of two family members within the walls of this house. Her mother passed away from cancer in the downstairs bedroom in 2005; and its in this room where a frosty presence makes itself felt by sitting on the bed, complete with the physical sensation of movement and visible indentation in the blankets. The owner’s husband passed away in the den, in 2008, after a long and lingering illness. Although his presence can be felt— quite strongly at times— there are no visual manifestations. And it’s from this room, through glass patio doors, that deer can be seen gathering at dusk near the rear of the property. It’s in the den where a photograph of the owner’s step-son sits, a young man killed in a tragic motorcycle accident, the parents having received that devastating middle-of-the-night call all parents dread.

Upon entering the house, we realized immediately that there was very strong EMF readings, beginning at the doorway between the living room and kitchen, which was also very close to the bedroom door. Shadow figures are often seen by family members, crossing the living room and disappearing into the walls. We spent a great deal of time with the owners and the EMF detector exploring the bedroom and the doorway between the livingroom and the kitchen, where the EMF detector was extremely active. We wanted to make sure that there were no electrical devices or outlets that would’ve been creating these readings. This involved moving furniture, locating all the electrical outlets, and letting the family take their time to tell their stories, voice their concerns, and formulate their questions.

When we were finally ready to ascend the stairs, the owner told us that her grandchildren refused to go upstairs; and the way the EMF detector was working as we stood at the threshold, it was no wonder. There was an almost constant scream of protest from it. The EMF detector came on while we were at the bottom of the steps and continued until we reached the doorway of the first upstairs bedroom. As investigators and home owners stood in a clump in one room, I moved around the upstairs with the EMF detector. I wished that we could just sit and spend some quiet time with cameras and instruments turned on. I think this would’ve been beneficial in catching spontaneous paranormal activity. However, the owners were enthusiastic and wanted to watch us work, continuing their chatter and speculation. For the rest of the time that we wandered the second floor of this house, the EMF activity was sporadic at best. As we worked our way from room to room, and as we descended the stairs, it fell silent. The atmosphere at the bottom of the stairs was noticably lighter. Whatever had been hovering there before seemed to be gone.

The bathroom proved to be another area that drew high EMF readings, particularly in the shower; and we discovered that this presence was there one minute and gone the next, popping in and out in a dizzying fashion. We were also informed that objects in the bathroom moved around from place to place, inexplicably, creating an unnerving atmosphere. Instead of spending one long block of time in this area, we would pop in and out throughout our investigation. I have to say that the mirrored walls added an element of creepiness to this room, as you would catch fleeting movments in the mirror that you’d see out of the corner of your eye. Of course, by the time you turned your head to see what it was, it was gone.

Around the small entryway, suspended over an old-fashioned cellar door in the floor leading to the basement, was a string of clothing. The owner informed us that these clothes belonged to her deceased husband, and that she simply couldn’t bring herself to get rid of them. There was not only EMF activity here, but the strange sensation that someone was watching us as we touched the shirts, or moved a hangar. After a few minutes in this area, several people felt the hair on their arms or the back of their neck stand up, or experienced an uncomfortable sensation which manifested as a desire to exit this spot.

Epilogue…As we worked our way through this house, not only did the EMF readings and paranormal sensations unfold before us, but the story of a family and its tragedies unfolded as well. This gave us an intimate look at characters and personalities who lived in this house at one time and who still walk its rooms and hallways, as well as the dynamics of the people still living here, and the long history of former occupants. The owners seemed relieved to share their stories, to watch instruments pick up visual proof of what they’ve known all along, and most importantly…to feel a connection with those they loved.

Spirits…The Little Boy from Georgia

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Yesterday evening I had to pick my 16-year-old daughter up from work. It was after 10pm as I sat in the car, in the dark, by myself.

Suddenly a song sprang into my head, a children’s song. I started to sing it out loud, though I was sure I didn’t know it, and even now, I don’t remember what it was. 

With a start, it dawned on me that this is one of those ‘unusual’ moments ghost hunters are always waiting for. I realized that the song didn’t come from me, from my brain, but from something around me, outside of me.

I have been reading several books on mediumship—how to tap into your psychic center and communicate with the dead. Thus far, I had only been reading; I hadn’t put into practice what the experts were telling me to do. I figured that now was the perfect time, the perfect situation, to use the information I had been picking up from books—and a multitude of experienced mediums.

By asking an entity questions and using a series of mental images, you can receive the answers, other communication—often in depth, and even—if you are empathic—the emotional feelings of a spirit.

I began by speaking out loud:

“I know that I’m not alone. I can feel you here. Feel free to communicate with me, if this is what you desire. Are you an adult?”

A black rose instantly flashed in my mind, but also before my eyes at the same time, it’s a strange sensation to try and describe.

The answer was ‘no’.

“Are you a child?”

Instantly, a white rose appeared, in the same manner as the previous rose.

The answer was ‘yes’.

“Are you over ten years of age?”

The black rose again, another ‘no’.

“Are you under ten years of age?”

The white rose, a ‘yes’.

“Are you a boy?”

This time a blue sphere flashed before my mind. The answer was ‘yes’.

“Where are you from?”

In a split second a visual image of a US map appeared in my mind, and the state of Georgia seemed to leap from it. Again, there was the odd sensation of both seeing it in my mind and seeing it before my eyes at the same time.

“What letter of the alphabet does your first name begin with?”

White letters against a black background popped into my mind, and almost simultaneously the ‘R’ zoomed in before me.

I have experienced unusual psychic phenomenon of this type before—always white letters on a black background forming words.

“Is your name Robert?”

I’m not sure how to describe it, other than to say an instantaneous negative feeling came over me. I assumed the answer was ‘no’.

“Is your name Roger?”

Again, the only way to describe the sensation that followed is to say that it was like asking a living person if this was their name and receiving a positive response…‘yes’.

By this time I had been sitting in the car a good twenty minutes or so. My daughter would be coming any moment. They had turned out the lights in the building. I was tired and actually felt drained. I closed the ‘session” with Roger gently and positively:

“I’m going to stop for now,” I told him, “But I’ll talk with you again sometime.”

Later that night…

The girls and I had dozed off in my bedroom while we were watching TV. My husband had been watching a movie in the living room. He finally came to bed around 2am, and we shuffled everyone around, herding sleepy-eyed children to their own beds.

Of course, by the time we did this and then hubby had to tell me about the movie he had been watching, I was wide awake. And wouldn’t you know he fell asleep while I lay skimming through the channels.

I was just beginning to get drowsy when I heard it…

a crying, whimpering, sniffling child.

I had kids in various stages of flu and colds, so I immediately thought it was my youngest. I jumped up and threw my robe on so fast that I woke my husband.

“What’s the matter?” he mumbled from beneath the covers.

“Emma’s crying,” I said.

I went racing down the hallway to the couch, where she’d been sleeping the last couple nights while she was sick. Emma was sound asleep. I walked back to the hallway and paused ahead of two more doorways…Silence.  

Then I heard it again, but this time it sounded as though it was coming from downstairs. I raced down two flights of stairs and stood in the family room listening for the two older children whose bedrooms are down there. 

Nothing but silence.

I was so awake that I decided to sit down to the computer for a while. I spent between two and three hours blogging. And every so often I was interrupted by the sounds of a crying sniffling child.

I made several trips upstairs, even opening one of the bedroom doors to wake a daughter, just to be sure it wasn’t her. I even checked the cats—all curled onto the couches and easy chairs, warm sleepy fur balls.

I stood at the top of the stairs for several seconds to listen for the voice. Very faintly, as though from a great distance, I could hear it. Goosebumps rushed up my legs, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

About 5am, exhausted, I tried lying down to go to sleep. Intermittently, I would hear the crying child, until finally it stopped, or I fell asleep.

The next morning, after my girls were all awake and up, I asked them all how they had slept. No problems, they all declared. Everyone had a good nights sleep.

It didn’t dawn on me until then that the voice I heard may have belonged to the little boy from Georgia.
  

 

Ghost Hunting 101

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This November my coven sister Mare & I, along with some siblings/partners/friends, went on a ghost hunting adventure armed with an EMF detector, Mare’s pendulum, and lot’s of enthusiasm.  The house we were investigating had been Mare’s childhood home, and the interesting thing about this house and the hauntings connected to it is that several families who have lived there have all had similiar experiences with the same types of entities.  These spirits range from a troubled young man in a bomber jacket– who committed suicide on this property, a lonesome little boy, a man who haunts the downstairs dining room, a woman who chills the main floor bathroom, and ghosts who make things go bump in the attic. The house is a quaint white clap-board home that was built in 1886 and retains much of it’s old-world charm.  The craftsmanship in the leaded windows has been untouched, and even though it’s gone through remodeling and modernization, it still has about it the feeling of another era:
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 The owners of this house are very aware of their ghostly counterparts, feeling other-worldly presences at different times in specific areas of the house.  Occupants of this home have experienced moving objects, disembodied voices, banging in various rooms, scratching noises on the windows, and vibration of the kitchen table. This, of course, makes some of them uneasy, and there are those who don’t care to be alone in certain areas of this home.  One lady told me that when she arrives at the house and leaves her car to walk inside, she deliberately avoids looking up at the attic windows.  Not only does it give her an uncomfortable feeling– as though she’s being watched, she says that the windows remind her of the Amityville house of renowned movie fame.
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 In the following photos you will see a slew of orbs.  For those people who scoff at orbs and explain them away as ‘dust specks’ that have caught the light, I can tell you that if this were true, then every photo I take in my own home would be covered with orbs because my house is very dusty.  You should know that these orbs have manifested right where activity has been experienced and in spots where the EMF detector was going off, beeping like crazy. We had only to step into the house for the first beep of recognition, a spot between the dining room table and the china hutch.  There is the ghost of a man seen here, walking in the front door and calmly walking through the dining room.  This scenario is repeated over and over and almost sounded like one of those repetitive hauntings, where the clock seems to keep rewinding itself.  But this ghost broke that routine one day when he sat himself down to the dining room table.  It’s believed that he is the man who did the original work on the windows of this house, and he likes to stop by and admire his accomplishments.  When considering this, I find it amazing that with all the remodeling over the years, the one thing that has never been touched is the windows. In this photo, we’re in the dining room, between the china hutch & the table.  People have gathered closer to watch the EMF detector, which was very active.  Not only did it alert us of an entity in this area, we could follow its movement through the room.
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 These are the beautiful dining room windows, the area where the dining table sits.  The bright sunshine and the lovely plants give little hint of the paranormal activity going on around us. We were off to a good start.
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 Mare, her sister Rhonda, and the owner of the house are standing before the large livingroom window.  He explained to us how objects on the entertainment center to his right will suddenly come crashing down, as though thrown or swept off the shelf.  This seems to happen indiscriminatley, with objects that are sitting very close or even touching each other– one item will tumble, and the others will remain untouched. It’s in this area of the house that a little boy’s voice has been heard, his image fleetingly seen.  Perhaps the precocious ghost of a child wants to handle or play with the items on the shelf, just as a mischievous living child might do?
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  People using the main floor bathroom have experienced a sudden drop in temperature, the room growing extremely cold. They also experience a sudden chilling of the water, an uncomfortable feeling of being watched, and the hair standing up on the back of their necks.  The ghost haunting this room is believed to be a woman, occasionally even seen, wearing a blue dress, her hair drawn up in a bun.  The owner told us that she has the unnerving habit of sharing the shower, even brushing up against you.  This same ghost makes herself at home in the bedroom as well, gently shoving the owner over, as though she needed more room.  The bathroom and bedroom are connected through the door seen at the right.  We entered the bathroom through this door.  The EMF detector caught an energy lingering in this threshold.
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 We were working our way around the main floor first, here I’m just coming out of the laundry room and re-entering the kitchen.  We noticed from the EMF detector that the activity was very specific and that movement could be traced.  These entities were not standing still, but sometimes seemed to be following their own path– or us.
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The Basement… Most people think of the basement as being dark, mysterious, and most likely prone to all kinds of things that go bump-in-the-night.  However, this didn’t seem to be the case in this house.  Although one of the adults who has her bedroom in the basement told us that she often feels that she’s not alone– that creepy, something-I-can’t-see-is-behind-me, the hair standing up on your neck feeling.  I checked her bedroom with the EMF detector and didn’t find anything.  That doesn’t mean that what she is experiencing isn’t real, only that on this day, the entity wasn’t there.
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The Attic… We saved the best part of the house for last…The Attic.  The attic of this house seems to be a busy place, paranormally speaking.  Occupants of the house have heard balls bouncing, as well as the sound of wheels– like a tricycle, or child’s wagon– rolling across the floor above them as they sit in the livingroom below.  In this attic, at one time, hung the brown bomber jacket belonging to the young man who committed suicide.  The jacket wouldn’t stay where it was put.  People in the room below would know when the jacket was moved–  they’d hear a loud banging sound on the floor. When we first ascended the stairs to the attic, upon reaching the top, myself and another woman both experienced nausea, dizziness, and a heavy ‘tightness’ about our chest.  I honestly thought I was going to have to go down.  We noticed, however, that once we moved to another area of the attic, these physical sensations went away. Here you see the infamous attic windows from a new perspective– from the inside looking out.
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The EMF detector picked up quite a bit of activity at the top of the stairs and in the west side of the room, right where you see these orbs.
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The attic was the only place in the house where orbs were photographed, and it was in this location of the house where many people seemed to feel the strongest sense of a paranormal presence, uneasiness, and physical sensations.
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We spent quite a bit of time in the attic, picking up EMF readings, asking the entities direct questions with Mare’s pendulum, goading the ghosts to respond in some way– with the movement of an object, a noise, etc., and questioning the present occupants about their experiences.  This was, by far, the most intense part of the house.  We’d been here for a while and thought we would wind up the investigation. It seemed that with a large group of people milling about, the ghosts had retreated to a quieter realm. The group was standing around in the downstairs livingroom, chatting about the events of the day and the house, when Mare’s brother Dan heard noises from the attic and quietly slipped away from the crowd.  Mare & I followed him up the steps, with the EMF detector picking up an entity in the stairwell, directly beside Mare and myself.  It lingered here between us, staying close, while Dan could hear noises coming from the east end of the attic, ahead of the attic windows.  It seemed that quiet solitude invited paranormal activity.

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 Dan snapped this picture then, catching an orb hovering over Mare.  Was this the spirit of the mischevious little boy?…the tragic young man, perhaps searching for his jacket?…the woman in blue, a previous lady of this house, going about her daily activities?  Or was this the craftsman, the carpenter, checking on the attic windows, making sure his work was in order?

Below are three siblings who grew up in this lovely quaint house, coming home to recapture childhood memories, to embrace a moment of nostalgia for loved ones who have passed on, and to reconnect once more with the spirit entities that were very much a part of their life in this house.

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*Note:  I’d like to thank Mare’s brother, Dan, for manning the camera during
our investigation and taking photos.

© Amythyst Raine/The Witch’s Corner  2009
All of the photos on this page are original/personal photos
and are protected under copyright law.

 

 

December Newsletter- includes Paranormal Investigation

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December 2009 Newsletter!

The most exciting part of this month’s newsletter will be found in

Ghost Hunting 101

“This November my coven sister Mare & I, along with some siblings/partners/friends, went on a ghost hunting adventure armed with an EMF detector, Mare’s pendulum, and lot’s of enthusiasm. The house we were investigating had been Mare’s childhood home, and the interesting thing about this house and the hauntings connected to it is that several families who have lived there have all had similar experiences with the same types of entities. These spirits range from a troubled young man in a bomber jacket, a lonesome little boy, a man who haunts the downstairs dining room, a woman who chills the main floor bathroom, and ghosts who make things go bump in the attic.”

You will find a link to the photos we took on this investigation, along with a narrative of our adventures, just go to the newsletter and scroll down—it’s near the bottom.

Tarot Tips

This month we look at the Aces:

“The Aces herald beginnings, beginnings in love, finance, money ventures, or mental endeavors– according to cups, wands, pentacles, and swords. Beginnings may be strong and powerful, overwhelmingly passionate, or rife with potholes and points of contention we should be cautious with. Beginnings are always exciting, often unexpected and lead us on a journey through life, which often winds up at the door of our destiny.”

I’ve also listed new tarot spreads that are available at my site, and you can purchase them right off the newsletter. These spreads include:

Directions & Trends
The Pentagram
The Path of Desires
Gypsy’s Magic Spell
Desires & Fears
Partnership & Relationships

The Magick of Herbs

The topic this month is cleansing:

“We’re coming to the end of another year, and with this ending it’s time to ‘clean house’ in order to begin the new year with a clear slate. We can use the magick of herbs to cleanse our living space of unwanted negative energies that may be causing conflict between family members, physical illnesses, and other energy disruptions within our physical home, or in our lives, or the lives of family members.”

We’re going to take a look at cleansing with candle magick, broom cleansings, cleansing powders, and cleansing through smoke.

I’ve posted photos and narrative of my own candle spell—our house needed good cleaning, and this is how I did it.

Wytchy Wares

The featured item this month is Enchanted Jewelry.

‘Enchanted Jewelry’ is just that, jewelry that has had spells and enchantments placed upon it.

I’ve recently posted a variety of items—rings, necklaces, and earrings—and there will be new items added daily/weekly.

You’ll find more info in the newsletter.

Creations by Isabella

We’re continuing this month with the theme of ‘cleansing’, and you’ll find Purification Candles the featured item this month.

You’ll also find more info in the newsletter.

Coven of Bristolwicks

There is one position open in the coven. You’ll find a brief description of our coven, as well as a link for an application if you think we’re the group for you. If you’d like more information, or if you have any questions, email me:

witch_of_endore@yahoo.com


You’ll find this newsletter at the following url:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/monthlynewsletters.htm

Welcome to My Wytchy Realm

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The following is an overview of my website:

The Witch’s Corner

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Follow the url to enter this magickal realm:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com

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The Triple Goddess

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The Maiden

The maiden is overflowing with all of the possibilities of the future. Within her are the seeds of what will be. She is the fresh dawn of a new day. She is strength and tenacity and power. She is unbridled enthusiasm and wonder and hope.

The Mother

The mother is ripe fruit hanging pregnant from the vine. She is the foundation, the nurturer, the protectress. She is fortified with strength and placid with the calmness of a sunny day. She is who we turn to for stability and reassurance.

The Crone

It is the crone we seek in the darkening twilight. We find comfort in her quiet presence and yet we are challenged by her intuitive knowledge and aware of the darkshadows she casts…forcing us to seek the light and answers.

© Amythyst Raine 2007

Reconnect with the Goddess:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/thegoddess.htm

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Divination

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Divination brings to mind the stereotype of the gypsy woman ensconced in her tent, peering intently into her crystal ball—and that may very well be an accurate picture somewhere in the world. I grew up in my grandmother’s house, surrounded by books on astrology, numerology, handwriting analysis, dream interpretation, etc. The world of divination is a natural one for me.

But divination in this modern time of neo-paganism has come a long way baby.

Tarot cards of all kinds abound and fill the shelves at not only new-age and metaphysical shops, but also at the mainstream bookstores such as Borders, Barnes & Noble, Hastings, etc.

Crystals, crystal balls, runes, quija boards are as popular now as they were in times past—more so, perhaps. I like to think of this day and age as the “New Renaissance” for the occult world.

© Amythyst Raine 2007

At the url below you will find information on all forms of divination with links to pertinent sites, tales of my own personal psychic experiences, interviews with Allison Dubois and Patricia Arquette—the actress who plays Allison in the television show “Medium”, and more:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/divination.htm

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Spells & Potions

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This is the “meat” of witchcraft, the most fascinating (and sometimes fear inducing) aspect of The Craft for many people. To most of the mundane world the idea that anyone would have the power and the ability to create change using occult means is awe inspiring and often intimidating. The Christian influence in our culture and on our society has taken such natural power away from the multitudes, deeming it “evil”, “sinful”, and even dangerous.

To those of us practiced and gifted in the use of “the black arts”, it carries none of those negative labels. It is awe inspiring, but in an uplifting and promising way. It empowers those who cultivate its secrets and those who learn to use it wisely. It opens doors of dimensions undreamed of; it embraces the forces of nature in all her glory; it wreaks of a time before recorded history…it calls to those of us with the spirit of the Olde Ones, those of us who wish to practice the Olde Religion, those of us who wish to return to these ancient times and reclaim that which is our birthright.

© Amythyst Raine 2007

Follow the url to my online Book of Shadows:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions.htm

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/spellspotions2.htm

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Herbs

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This is the magickal medicine cabinet of the witch, and especially the Green Witch. Those who practice the olde ways have known since time immemorial of the powers contained in the molecules of “the green”. Herbs have been used since ancient times—and still are used today—for their medicinal and healing powers. But the Witch knows that these gentle and lovely plants contain other powers as well…magickal powers to be used and tapped into for spells and potions and rituals and cleansing.

© Amythyst Raine

Follow the url for a list of herbs and their magickal uses:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/magickalherbs.htm

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The Elements

(Earth, Air, Fire, Water)

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FOR ME: Water is the mist of yesterday and today and tomorrow all wrapped up into one magical moment. Water is dreams and visions and questing endlessly to know the unknown. It is divination– searching for answers and listening to the universe for its response. It is the mystical and the elusive…it slips through your fingers leaving you wet and cold and shivering, knowing that you have been touched by the Divine.

FOR ME: Air is the soft breeze on your face that makes you feel touched and not touched. It is thought brought alive and moved through space and time by the Divine. Air is the part of your mind that is clear and sharp and focused and ever changing, never still and never content, but always swept up within another breeze and moved along on the current of time.

FOR ME: Earth is all the treasures buried deep within the soul. It is the material things you long for and were told you shouldn’t have. It is the security of that which is solid and immovable, and it is “manifestation” into the real world of touch and taste and smell and sight.

FOR ME: Fire is that physical passion so burning that it can consume. It is enthusiasm so powerful that it is what drives you to succeed. Fire is that fiery will that doesn’t allow you to give up in the face of adversity. It is what draws lovers together across insurmountable odds and provokes the passion that fights endlessly for justice.

Earth, Air, Fire, and Water…the four elements from which we can draw power to create magick.

© Amythyst Raine 2006

Follow the url for more information on The Elements, including an extensive list of correspondences and a Quarter Call:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/theelements.htm

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Wheel of the Year

(Pagan Holidays)

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The Christian “holidays” all have Pagan roots. This is a fact that was constantly brought up to me years ago by a lady who was my friend and a Jehovah’s Witness. It was her oft repeated reason to me why she didn’t celebrate any of the modern Christianized holidays now.

I am surprised by the number of people who do not know this, and even more surprised at how many refuse to believe it. It just goes to show how completely saturating cultural training can be.

I find the history of our Pagan holidays fascinating and joyful and uplifting. I and my family embrace and celebrate them.

© Amythyst Raine 2007

Follow the url for more information on the Pagan roots of our modern holidays, pagan lore, and rituals for celebration.

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/wheeloftheyear.htm

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Chakras

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The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk and signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body. Each of these centers correlates to major nerve ganglia branching forth from the spinal column. In addition the chakras also correlate to levels of consciousness, archetypal elements, developmental stages of life, colors, sounds, body functions, and much, much more.

This definition of chakras is taken from:

http://www.sacredcenters.com/chakras.html

Follow the url for more information on the chakras, extensive correspondences related to the seven chakras, and a link to Ambika Wauters website, “The Institute of Life Energy Medicine”:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/chakras.htm

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Rituals

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Rituals put a stamp on the passage of time and the progression of our life stages, from a Wiccaning (baby naming) to a death and remembrance ritual, and all those celebrations and milestones in-between. Rituals validate our existence in some implausible elusive way. They bring family and friends together, open doors to the future, and create memories for generations to come.

© Amythyst Raine 2007

Follow the url and you will find rituals for all of life’s passages and links to sites where you can purchase ritual items and clothing:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/rituals.htm

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Ghosts/Ghost Hunting

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Growing up in my grandmother’s house prepared me for the paranormal occurrences that I would experience in this, my own house. My grandmother’s house was very active and anyone with an ounce of sensitivity to such things was always very aware of it…the feeling of being “watched” when no one else was near you, the hair suddenly standing up on the back of your neck and the sensation that “someone” was standing behind you, unintelligible whisperings in the dark of the night, a blanket being pulled from you by something you couldn’t see, lights going off and on with no explanation—and stove burners doing the same unnerving thing, objects occasionally moving, etc.

Growing up with these occurrences, I thought it was natural—wasn’t everyone’s house like this?

Apparently not, I was to learn as I became older. That enlightenment helped me to appreciate, study, and cope with paranormal activities on a very basic level. It also taught me to conquer any fear.

But witchcraft taught me how to tame these ethereal spirits, how to control them instead of allowing them to control me. Witchcraft taught me it was possible to have dominion over the spirit world.

© Amythyst Raine 2007

Follow the url and enter the paranormal world of ghosts and ghost hunting. You will find a slideshow on ghosts created by me, a list of haunted cemeteries, information on poltergiests, the Bell Witch, TAPS, the “Hauntings Website”; and a section called “Our House”, which reviews our own paranoral occurances that my family and I have experienced.

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/ghostsghosthunting.htm

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My Path

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I am a solitary eclectic witch. My path consists of hoodoo, Wicca, and green witchcraft. I am neither a “white” nor a “black” witch; I prefer to see myself in shades of gray— nothing else on this earth is completely clear cut, the practice of The Craft isn’t either.

I am a hereditary witch, taking after the traditions of my mother, my sister, and cousins. I am now watching my own daughters grow in this path. I was raised by my grandmother, a woman steeped in the study of the occult, yet probably not realizing the title many in this world would have attributed to her.

I am a legally ordained member of the clergy, yet I avoid the usual titles which smack too closely of Christianity for my taste. I prefer the simple, yet deeply meaningful title of “Lady”.

© Amythyst Raine

Follow the url to learn more about my path, with links to sites on hoodoo, wicca, and green witchcraft. You will also find a “code of ethics”, “rules of conduct”, my explanation of the “kitchen witch”, and my feelings on “Hexing and Cursing”:

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/mypath.htm

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Photogallery

I’ve opened a window on this page, a window into my private world.  I have tried to post images on here that I haven’t posted anywhere else, they are exclusive.  I haven’t decided yet whether to continue the Photogallery or relegate it to an archive, but my camera is always ready, and life somehow or other always has something interesting to show me. 

© Amythyst Raine 2007

Follow the url and you will find a slide show, as well as personal photos of my home, gardens, family, & ’stuff’.

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/photogallery.htm

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Monthly Newsletters

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/monthlynewsletters.htm

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/newsletterarchives1.htm

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Follow my raven to the Magick Forest where you can view/sign the guestbook, subscribe to the site, and find links to unimaginable places and incredible people.

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/themagicforestllinks.htm

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Welcome to my website: The Witch’s Corner

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I don’t know how I jammed so much into one newsletter, but the June newsletter is absolutely loaded this month.

The highlight is a new section I’ve added that may appear every once in a while called "Hauntings".  This month I loaded up my video/digital camera and my witchlings and we headed to the infamous ‘Barnard Park’.  What’s so unusual about a park, you might rightfully inquire.  This park just happened to be the city cemetery at one time, and when the big move was made to a new cemetery site– not all of the occupants could be located to be moved to their new resting place.  They still reside among the playground equipment, picnic tables, and park benches…and rumor has it that they make their presence known.

You’ll find a June tarot special that will be running for the entire month, as well as a featured item from Creations by Isabella, and a sale special offered from Wytchy Wares.

The June newsletter is packed with information on herbs– marigolds; stones– tiger’s eye; the June moon– the Mead Moon; tarot tips– the nine of swords.  There’s been two new pages added to The Witch’s Corner since last month, and you’ll find links to them in this month’s newsletter.  I re-posted the photos of Isabella’s latest tattoo creations, as well as a link to a video of her at work on this project from my Myspace profile– gotta’ brag on my girl!  I’m so proud of her artistic accomplishments.

Spells of the month for June include a Summer Solstice spell, as well as tips for attracting fairies– taken from my own Book of Shadows.

Enjoy!

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/monthlynewsletters.htm

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