Tag Archives: paranormal

Oct 30 2016

All Hallows

Happy New Year to all of you who celebrate the Celtic New Year at this season.  The harvests have been collected, the air usually gets a bit crisper, the nights are getting longer, and Halloween is just around the corner.

Samhain is a wonderful time of year to go a haunting.  The veil gets thinner as the end of the month approaches.  You can feel the energy change and get more charged with higher vibrations.  The spirit world in all its manifestations lies close and communication happens faster.

Maybe those feelings you get of being watched are true —  because you are!  How about that something you notice out the corner of your eye?  Perhaps it isn’t a “floater”.  Are you getting more feelings of deja vu?  Do your animals act weird and stare at something you can’t see?  Do they bark or meow for no apparent reason?  Run out of a room they are usually comfortable in?  Do you feel like you may have some sort of message coming that you can’t quite figure out?  This could be a good time to look more closely into the things that just seem like a coincidence.  There’s no such thing as a coincidence.  But, synchronicity is real.

History has it that people dressed up at this time of the year…when they paid tribute to those that had gone on before and paved the way.  The day celebrated the dead, but those who ventured out of their houses didn’t want to be recognized, for fear those dearly departed would follow them home, come in, and stay for a while.  So — people wore masks to keep their identities secret.

The tradition to dress up on Halloween has stayed with us…..even though we know if anyone wants to haunt a house a mask won’t stop them.  Enjoy the day —  and night —  and set an extra place setting at the dinner table.  You never know who may come to visit.

 

–  ashanta

Oct 19 2016

An Angel?

Was he an angel??

My good friend argued his best with me not to buy that car. But, I wanted it.  Ever since losing my last MG Midget there wasn’t another car that would take its place.  So, overlooking all good reason not to invest in this little sporty model, I purchased it.  It was great!  That lasted almost a month.

One day while out doing grocery shopping with my small daughter, elderly grandmother, and a puppy, we were on our way home.  Now,  you have to consider the size of this vehicle….  it’s about the size of two grocery carts abutting one another.  You also need to know that while sitting in the two front seats – you’re literally sitting on the floor of the car.  There is no backseat.  There’s a small console that rises up enough for a six-year old to fit on and stick a small puppy beside her on the floor next to her.  Groceries were in the trunk….directly behind the small console with the small child and little dog.  This mobile contraption was stuffed to the gills.

We were driving up River Street in West Springfield, went under the railroad overpass, and got to the front of the line facing a red light.  While idling there waiting for a green light, smoke started rising out of the hood.  Lots of smoke from under the hood.  Then a small red/orange flicker that looked like a lit candle.  More smoke.

The car was in first, so I put on the e-brake and turned the thing off.  Now  —  what to do next?  And —  think fast.   Get everyone out of the car.  My daughter and the puppy were no problem.  My 90-year old gimpy grandmother, sitting on the floor of a small container was no easy situation.  Did I also tell you that she has a heart condition, is blind in one eye, and doesn’t move very quickly?  The smoke is getting thicker and larger flames are happening.

I’m in the middle of two lanes struggling with keeping it together and trying to wrestle my grammy out of that tiny box called a sports car.  Out of nowhere a man appeared and asked if he could help.  Yes!!  Any help would be appreciated.  He seemed to have been walking along the sidewalk and saw the dilemma.  He easily extracted Nana out of the MG.  We headed for a garage diagonally across the street from the intersection.   Within a couple of minutes this man had everything under control, everyone safe, and everything taken care of.  I thanked him and he walked out of the garage.  I told my family I’d be right back, hoping to ask him if I could pay him for his help and thank him again.  It was only a minute.  I went outside and there was no-one there.  I ran to the sidewalk and looked up and down.  Went back to the garage and looked all around the area.  The place is wide open…..no ‘hidden’ areas.  The man who helped us was nowhere to be seen or found.  He was just gone.  I asked the mechanic at the garage if he knew the person who helped us….he didn’t see a man with us!

I’ve thanked this man so many times over the ensuing years and think that if he was a Guardian Angel he must certainly know how thankful we all were that he was there!!

–  ashanta

Jun 24 2016

Are Pentagrams Good or Evil?

Is the pentagram good or evil?  What a question!  It’s neither.  The pentangle is a symbol, a philosophy, a mathematical theory, and a tool.  From ancient times the pentagram has been used to better understand the Universe and man’s place within it.  Pythagoras used it to represent man.  DaVinci expanded upon his theory.  http://leonardodavinci.stanford.edu/submissions/clabaugh/history/leonardo.html

The number five has represented the five elements:  air, earth, water, fire, and aethyr (spirit).  Five represents the path Venus makes on her trip around the sky: https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2014/01/04/the-pentagram-of-venus/ .

The pentagram has also been used to illustrate the Golden Ratio:  http://www.livescience.com/37704-phi-golden-ratio.html .

The five-pointed star has been used for millennia on flags, on buildings, in cities, (i.e. Washington, D.C.), and even worn by early Christians to protect themselves against evil.  And yes – it’s used in ceremonial rituals and ceremonial magick.

When used in a mystical sense, the attitude that it is infused in the process is what matters – not the star’s orientation.  Point up or down makes no bit of difference one way or another.  One point up, two points up….really?  What fluff.  Point reference was started in the mid-19th century by a self-proclaimed, jealous, closed-minded magician who called himself Eliphas Levi.  His real name is Alphonse Louis Constant.  Mr. Levi / Constant was a Catholic, very dedicated to the church, who in his later years disavowed magic.  He perhaps came to his writings and teachings with a prejudiced inclination.  The pentagram as evil is really a 19th century folly.

People, usually enthralled with the concept of evil, for whatever reasons, were intrigued.  And, Hollywood, wanting to make money off these strong emotions, started producing films to build up the fenzy and make more money.  That brings us to Anton LeVey  and his Church of Satan.  LeVey, born Howard Stanton LeVey, jumped on the bandwagon seeing an opportunity to promote himself and make some bucks.  LeVey was always a showman, working from an early age in the circus and carnivals.  He was a gifted musician and a good businessman.  He was intelligent and had great marketing skills.

LeVey didn’t believe in Satan and he didn’t much care for what he considered the hypocrasy of humankind.  Go to bars and brothels during the week and then make a showing at church on Sunday.  In his teachings, LeVey promoted self-confidence and gave people the feeling of personal empowerment.  Who doesn’t want that?  He had some good thoughts on the subject, too.  Read his Nine Satanic Statements….not to shabby and nothing evil.

So, is the pentagram good or evil?  It’s entirely up to you.  What do you put into it?  If it’s good thoughts, it’s from within you.  If it’s evil — maybe you are, too.  Just remember the law of three.  What you wish for someone else is what you’ll get back times three.  That’s just the Universal Law of Reciprocity.

– ashanta

Jun 22 2016

An Historical Haunting

Cemeteries are interesting places. They all have an history to relate, but do it in different ways.  Some are beautiful, garden-like areas, some are plain and barren.  Some feel serene and others are a bit spooky.  Age doesn’t seem to matter as much as the pasts of those that now reside inside the spot.  Not all the residents are a peace and some do not rest.  The Old Burying Ground in historic Deerfield Village dates back to colonial times.  It isn’t scary,  but it isn’t at rest, either.  Sometimes things happen to people that takes more than one span of life to get over.

Back in the late 1600’s, Deerfield Village stood as a British settlement on their most northern frontier in Massachusetts.  It was home to about 200 +/- people who settled in the fertile land between the Connecticut and Deerfield rivers. Deerfield Village was incorporated in 1677. The area was prone to Indian attacks…..or Native American attacks for those more politically correct…  but during the winter of 1703/1704 an offshoot of the French & Indian War – Queen Anne’s War – the colonial settlement was ravaged by invaders.  About a quarter of the villagers were brutally massacred including women and children.  112 people were captured, taken prisoner, and marched to Canada.  Many died along the way.  On their way out of town, the raiders burned the village.  Almost half the houses were left in ashes

This gruesome incident left the remaining 112 settlers to pick up the carnage and carry on with life as it now was.  The 56 dead were taken to the burying ground where they were interred into a common mass grave.  The mound sits to the left rear of the cemetery and is marked by a single stele on top of the rise.  Many years ago when we visited that spot a friend took a picture.  When it was developed it showed a grey mist resembling a woman standing at the bottom.  Nothing showed on the negative, but it was clear on the print.  Wish I knew what happened to that shot so I could share it.The small cemetery is located on Albany Road just off of Old Main Street in the town’s center. It’s a pretty spot and its age shows.

On a more recent visit we spent some time reading all the headstones and marveling at the many intricately designed markers which depict the funerary artwork of the day. If you stay awhile, walk around, and read the stones in stone, a lot can be learned about some of the inhabitants and their families that lie close.  You also get the feeling you aren’t alone.  Twigs crack as if someone was stepping on them.  Shadows move through the markers.  And, the place has an energy of its own.  It’s a palpable energy.  It tells its own story.  If you go, how did it make you feel?

 

–   ashanta

 

 

 

 

May 28 2016

UFO’s or Just Weird?

I think this Universe is far too large for us to be alone, but I don’t know that I believe in beings flying around in spaceships en route to visit Earth.  Although one of the many theories I’ve contemplated is that we are the Martians.  There are so many theories to think about and investigate that all have merit, but that’s for another time.  Strange things do happen and many phenomena have been observed that defy reasonable explanation and have for thousands of years.

Many years ago, I went to a conference in Hartford CT for my employer.  The event concluded around 10:30 p.m.  I got on I-95 and started heading North towards home.  Thankfully, there wasn’t much traffic.  About six miles from the Springfield MA exit there was a large light in the sky moving from East to West at quite a clip.  Since Bradley Airport isn’t far away, I didn’t think much about it.  But, the light suddenly turned rapidly and started heading back toward the East.  This isn’t a maneuver typical of aircraft that I’m familiar with.  The light also got larger.

Next thing I know it was about two hours later and I found myself driving South on I-95 and heading back toward Hartford.  No – I didn’t drink at the seminar and I have no other recollection of anything.  0vertired?  Brain lapse?  Missing time?  I don’t know.

Then not long ago, I thought I was asleep and maybe I was.  But there was another brilliant light.  Nothing else was there, just this very large light.  Next thing, I find myself in this darkened round place looking out through a huge window at the star-filled night sky.  It was beautiful.  There were others around.  I could hear them talking and they spoke to me.  I never saw any of them though.  They told me I was going to travel out into space.  This was getting a bit scary – especially being, not a little, afraid of heights.  They put some sort of helmet on me and strapped me onto this small machine-like thing.  It was all open; there were no enclosures. Then this seat thing started to move toward that window.  The window didn’t open and I thought for sure I would crash right into it.  Instead,  I moved through it easily.  I could look down and see lights coming up from Earth – cities perhaps.  And the stars were fantastic.  The whole trip was amazing.

Next thing I knew, I was sitting up in bed thinking that was one heck of a dream.  It was like it was real and it was very vivid.  Still is.

So, what are these lights?  Many people have all kinds of experiences with various kinds of lights in different situations.  Perhaps it’s a natural energy that we need to study and learn more about.  Or maybe visitors bring it with them.  Or maybe it’s something from the other side of this existence we call being alive.  Whatever it is, I’d really like to know more about it.

–  ashanta

 

May 11 2016

Reincarnation Anyone?

Do you believe in reincarnation?  I’m on the fence myself, but anything is possible and it’s an interesting postulation.  There is a theory that all souls belong to different groups that remain together during multiple life times.  Your father could have been your sister and your brother could have been your aunt in other lifetimes, but these relationships all belong to the same “soul family”.  I don’t remember who coined that phrase, but if anyone knows, I’ll gladly give credit where credit belongs.  I find this theory interesting, compelling, and creepy all at the same time.  I could much easier embrace the idea of reincarnation not thinking that my husband could have been my mother in a different life.  I like the idea that we reincarnate and go on to do whatever it is we need to do to further our spiritual growth and progression…..without the ‘family’ connection.  I’d like to think that we can still all be family, but go our own separate ways when we reincarnate to do whatever it is we need to do and then get back together again when possible, on the other side, to talk about our progress or lack of it.  And then — have a couple of beers together.

I do think there are some things that could suggest previous acquaintance, though, and perhaps they need to be considered.  Did you see the movie The Matrix ?  One of the lines went something like “deja vu is a glitch in the matrix”.  Don’t remember who said it, but have you ever really thought about that statement?  If we live in a matrix, that could be true. Or,  perhaps,  deja vu is a quick flashback to a previous life situation.  So then the question becomes what was going on during that episode in a past existence?  And, how does it relate to this present life situation?  Can the two be part of the same learning experience?  I think deja vu is a link between this life and a previous one – if we had one.

Another thing that could be important to understanding our past lives is paying attention to the interactions we have with other people.  Have you ever met or seen anyone that you feel you know?  Have you talked with someone else and the conversation seems familiar, but you can’t put a time or place with it?  These could be glimpses into another lifetime.

Eye contact is another reminder.  How many times have you made eye contact with someone you don’t know, but feel you’d like to talk with them?  Maybe you should – you could share a story.  The Universe works in mysterious ways and gives us opportunities that we totally ignore.  I don’t think we should.  There could be something valuable to learn.  We’re all in this together and talking with someone we don’t think we know could be a wonderful experience to learn so much more about the things around us and ourselves.  If someone doesn’t want to talk with you, it’s o.k., but don’t stop trying.  You never know what good things these communications can unveil.  How much can you learn about yourself and possible past lives?  It’s worth the effort.

Other insights can be received from colors and smells.  Does an aroma remind you of something that you can’t quite put your hand on?  Does it remind you of something that happened, but you have no recollection of where or when?  Does a color suddenly spark a quick memory, but you can’t quite define what it is?  Maybe it wasn’t this time around.

Did you live a past life or lives?  It could be possible, but the only one who can answer that is you.  Meditation and quiet time can help bring some things that have been buried in our mind to the surface.  If we do reincarnate, there has to be a ground base of memory.  How else can we know what progress we’ve made and how much we’re growing?

–  ashanta

 

Apr 30 2016

A Most Haunted House

One of the most haunted houses I’ve ever lived in was in the Agawam, MA suburb of Feeding Hills.  I was so happy to find this small cape away from a lot of traffic and noise.  The yard was large, had great trees, and the neighbors were few.  I didn’t understand why this place had stayed empty for so long, but it didn’t take long to find out why.

We moved our things in and got settled.  My small daughter was in her new room fixing things up when she flew down the stairs and announced that she didn’t want to stay in that room.  She looked rattled.  So, I asked her why not.  She looked at me and said, “Because I don’t like the looks of that dead woman lying on the floor.”   Well,  alrighty then…  So, we went back upstairs to investigate.  There were no bodies to be found, but I do have to admit the energy in that room was far from peaceful feeling.

We agreed she could stay in my room, across the hall, for the night.  After being in bed for about half an hour, there were no bodies appearing on the floor, but the large black mass of a blob that entered the room and stood by the bed wasn’t comforting, either.  It was darker than the darkness in the room.  I commanded it to leave.  It responded by moving out the the hall. It retreated to the hallway, but stood in the doorway of the room.  I turned on the light and the blob suddenly disappeared.  Deciding to leave the light on for the rest of the night, we tried to get some sleep.

About half an hour later there was a series of loud bangs that sounded like someone  bashing their fists on the wall all the way down the stairs.  This was followed by footfalls throughout the downstairs.  Upon investigation, nothing and no-one was found in the house.  Needless to say, not much sleep was gotten that night.

Since there was an extra room downstairs, I decided to move the sleeping quarters into that room.  The upstairs obviously wasn’t very receptive to company.  The noises didn’t stop.  I left a hall light on and the bedroom door open.  You could see a black amorphous shape pass by the light  —  and cast a shadow!  It didn’t come into the new bedroom but it was never far away.

The activity in this house didn’t restrict itself to nighttime hours.  Things happened whether it was dark or not.  Objects would be moved.  Cupboard doors would open.  The doorknobs would turn. Footfalls could be heard everywhere. Lights would turn on and off by themselves.  And, the knocking and rapping up and down the staircase didn’t stop, either.

One day I was outside doing something in the back yard when a neighbor came over to talk.  She asked me if I liked the place.  Then she said, “You don’t sleep upstairs in there do you?”  I asked her why and she just said that from what she had heard she wouldn’t even want to go inside.  How neighborly and comforting!  That was all the information that she was willing to share.

Another day when arriving home from the store, we parked in the driveway to take groceries in through the side door that entered into the kitchen.  When we got to the door we couldn’t get in.  The refrigerator had been moved from a side wall to the side door.  It blocked entry, not allowing the door to open enough to get through.  That was the last straw.  I made arrangements for our things to be moved out – asap – and we stayed with my mom until we found a new place to live.

While we were there, I did try to find someone who would do an exorcism, but didn’t have any takers.  The place remained vacant for years until someone finally bought it.  The house was gutted and re-built.  Sure hope for them that did the trick!!

–  ashanta

 

Jan 11 2016

Is Smith College Haunted?

Some years ago I knew a woman who worked in the kitchen and dining hall of Sessions House, a dormitory for women attending Smith College in Northampton, MA. It wasn’t long after she started working there that she noticed odd things happening. Glasses would be tipped over, things disappeared or moved, and noises could be heard when no one else was there to make them. Eventually, it seemed she had company in the kitchen. One late afternoon as she was preparing dinner she felt as though someone was standing close by watching her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. As she slowly turned around to look, she saw someone standing there staring at her. As soon as their glances met, the woman faded away. Not knowing what to do next, I guess, she finished preparing the meal. She never felt freightened, but she never felt alone again, either.

Turns out this wasn’t the first time this woman has been seen and it probably wasn’t the last. But, who is she?

Northampton Massachusetts was first inhabited around 1654. Dwellings went up and strong stockades were erected for protection from possible Native American uprisings. Around 1710 Capt. Jonathan Hunt decided to leave the confines of the encampment and built a large, three-story colonial home just outside the stockade. Realizing that attacks from local tribes were probable, Hunt had a secret passageway built that led down to the Connecticut River as an escape route for the household.

As the house changed hands from family to family over time,the house has had additions and renovations, but the secret staircase still exists. The last family to occupy the house was that of Mrs. Ruth Huntington Sessions. She used to rent rooms there to students attending Smith College. In 1921 she sold what has become known as Sessions House to Smith College and it remains a dormatory for women living on campus.

There are a number of theories about who the ghost could be, but no one has any kind of conclusive evidence as of yet. British General John Burgoyne is said to have been detained at Sessions House during the Revolutionary War. It is rumored that during that time he and Jonathan Hunt’s oldest daughter, Lucy, fell in love and met in the secret tunnel to escape her parents disdaining glance. It was during one of those secret trysts that Lucy fell to her death sneaking from her room to meet her love. Is she still there waiting to see her beloved, “Johnny”, once again?

Although this is a wonderfully romantic story, I have not been able to find any solid information supporting the hypothesis that Burgoyne had ever been near Sessions House after his defeat at Saratoga.

Another theory is that a woman once living in the house with her family awoke one night to noises. She went to explore with ax in hand. Thinking she had stumbled across home invaders she struck out only to find she had killed her children. Could she still be there stuck in the emotion of the terrible act she committed?

And one other story relates to Halloween eve festivities at the dorm. Girls have an hour to try and find the secret passageway. It is rumored that one of these celebrations led to the death of two young women who were found beneath a hidden staircase. Could it be one of them?

Whatever the true story turns out to be, someone is still walking the halls of Sessions House keeping an eye on things and the people who reside and work there.

         –  ashanta

Dec 5 2015

Who Were They?

I grew up in a small village in southern Rhode Island. It was one of those places that if you were driving through and sneezed, you’d miss it. We had one main street through the center, three small side streets, and a long earthern private driveway. There was also a church, a mom and pop small store, a volunteer fire house, and very few street lights.

What we did have in addition to a surrounding forest were lots of trees, plenty of wildlife, and a dark, magnificent night sky. Stars shone like brilliant diamonds and the Milky Way stood out as the special thing it is. When a growing moon slid across the vastness of space above it lit up the earth and you could see the countryside like a Norman Rockwell night scene.

At the time UFO’s were a popular topic of conversation. Roswell had happened a few years before and even though I was very young I had a good understanding of the prevalent skepticism of the government’s flimsy explanation of the event. There were strange things seen in the sky on various occasions and no one doubted there was always the possibility it could be something unknown.

One bright night when I was in bed trying to get to sleep I noticed a movement by the window. As I watched, the sight turned into something that looked like a black-robed hooded figure. While not liking this very much, it became more curious than frightening. The figure walked to the side of the bed and stood there looking at me. I closed my eyes thinking maybe I was dreaming. When I got up enough courage to look again – the figure was still there.  (At this I pulled the covers over my head and probably yelled for my parents……(don’t remember that part).

Now if this was just a one-time deal, the memory of it probably would have gone away a l-o-n-g time ago, but that’s not how it happened. This event occurred many times over the course of several months. On the last time, I had been asleep and felt something touching the inside of my wrist. I opened my eyes to see this same clothed figure standing by the bed with an arm outstretched and the pointer finger touching me. I asked, for the first time, “Where do you come from?”. The being moved closer to the window, raised it’s arm, and pointed to the sky. With that it vanished.

To this day, I cannot sleep with an arm hanging over the side of the bed. I also prefer long sleeves no matter what the weather…..the ones that cover your wrists!

– ashanta

Nov 15 2015

White Church Cemetery – West Springfield MA

Western Massachusetts has its fair share of old cemeteries purported to be haunted, but that doesn’t mean that those without that reputation don’t have ghostly activity.

The old White Church, as it has become known, is an old place. For just over 200 years it has occupied a spot on the corner of Elm Street and Witch Path. It was originally built as a Meeting House for a burgeoning community just west and across the river from Springfield. As was the custom, meeting houses were used for church services and a Congregational religion sprung up and used the place for Sunday services…..which were mandatory for the population to attend. Over time the place became the Congregational Church on Meeting House Hill.

As West Springfield grew life went on, people lived their lives and died. A churchyard cemetery started to grow adjacent to the church. A Mrs. Ashley from one of the founding families was the first to be buried there. Her grave can be found to the left of the chain gate that can cross the road entrance right behind the church. There used to be a huge ancient tree just in front of it, but I think that’s gone now.

There are no remarkable stones in this graveyard, but there’s still a lot of history and interesting stories on the stones. They still speak. Townspeople use the small street circumscribing the place to jog, walk their dogs, and sometimes on moonlit nights sit on a bench and steal a kiss from a loved one.

This quiet spot doesn’t seem to come alive until most of the townspeople are at home and perhaps sleeping their own sleep. On occasions, small bright lights that some might call “orbs” can be seen dancing around the outlines of the stones. A dark figure of a man walks slowly from south to north across the middle heading toward what seems to be a potter’s field. Just forward of that there are two headstones that touch. One is of a young woman and the other an infant. Did she die in childbirth along with her child? Her shadow can sometimes be seen just above the grave…. is she looking for her baby? And on some nights when things aren’t seen you can still hear the rhythmic leaves and twigs crunching as invisible feet seem to walk over them.

And what about Witch Path on the South side of the church? That’s another story….

– ashanta