Voices to Visions July 2011
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Voices to Visions July 2011 ABOUT US
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS • Famous Locations: Alice Mary Herden or Karen Bashak • 101-Dictionary: Alice Mary Herden • Paranormal Team: Alice Mary Herden • Dust and Shadows: Alice Mary Herden
Alice Mary Herden Founder of Dust and Shadows, a Paranormal Investigation and Research Group. Alice is also freelance photographer and sports photographer for Hernando Today. Her experiences with the Paranormal go back to where she resided with her family in Largo. Encounters with the paranormal have been from
Richard Senate
breathing to a full black mass apparition.
Ghost Stories
For this magazine, I wanted to share as much
Richard has been investigating haunted places since
information about the paranormal without all the
the night I saw a ghost in July of 1978. I have 14
adversity. I do hope our readers learn as much
books about ghosts and I have worked as a
as we do with each month we put this magazine
consultant on TV shows since 1979. I also give tours
together.
and do radio shows about ghosts and haunted places.
Articles • Editor Views: Alice Mary Herden • Interviews: Alice Mary Herden • Encounters: Alice Mary Herden • Paranormal Folklore: Alice Mary Herden • Famous Haunting: Alice Mary Herden or Karen Bashak
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Voices to Visions October 2011
Tara Tomlin Karen Bashak Article Writer
Article Writer Tara Tomlin is my sister and we are excited
Karen and I work together at the same retail
about her being a part of this magazine. Tara
establishment for over 5 years. She is talented,
lives in Texas with her two sons, who are also
smart, beautiful and just a joy! I am so happy
paranormal enthusiasts and major Gears of War
that she has time to write articles for our
fan!
magazine.
Issue Contents All material and information gathered within this magazine are researched and/or solely opinions stated by the writer. You choose your opinions and beliefs upon your own conclusion with each expressed view or article written. Photography Artwork All
Jesselee Lang Concept Art for Paranormal Folklore Jesselee Lang is a superb 3D fantasy-based artist that tells astounding stories through digital art. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he provides design, artwork, and graphics to the web, print, and video game industries http://www.darkgeometry.ca/
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photography
and
artwork
within
this
magazine are property of the photographer and/or artist. Interviews Interviews are conducted via e-mail. If possible, some interviews are conducted in person and recorded.
Voices to Visions October 2011 Our Sponsors Voices to Visions: a Dust and Shadows
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quarter page advertisements, and a link on our website. For more information about becoming a sponsor, please email us at: Editor@voicestovisions.com Special Thanks A special thanks to my husband, Donald Herden Jr. You have been the light of my life and I love you will all my soul. Thank you for being a huge supporter in all my goals. I could have never lived without you. Special Thanks to everyone that contributes their time, thoughts, knowledge and experiences to this magazine. Our Magazine is non-profit. You only pay for printing and shipping.
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Voices to Visions October 2011 IN THIS ISSUE
Sources for this Issue:
• Editors Views
› Philosophy of Wicca by Amber Laine Fisher
Witching Hour
› Grimoire for the Green Witch by Ann Moura
• Interview
› Ghost and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Gene Orlando
› The Witch Book; The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft,
Mark Cordell Holmes Winter Balefire • Encounters Death Spirits • Paranormal Folklore Death Omens • Famous Places Hell • Famous Haunting Deane House • Readers Ghost Stories Ghost Stories • 101-Dictionary Wiccan Archetypes •
Paranormal Team of
the Month Deep Forest Paranormal •
Dust and Shadows
Location Not Scheduled
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Wicca, and Neo-paganism › Witches by Nigel Suckling
Voices to Visions October 2011 Editor Views
midnight is the hour in which witches are to appear. Midnight is also the time when the supernatural is at its most powerful, so it is said. Is that true for researching the paranormal. Just like everything in this universe there are going to be two sides to everything, there has to be a balance. There is night and day, black and white, good and bad, light and dark, left and right and so forth... When we think of witches, we might think of the Green Witch from the Wizard of Oz, or Glenda the Good Witch, those would be the first two I would think of. There are a variety of beliefs within the realm of “witches”, as well as how they conduct those beliefs. If you do not totally understand the essence of witches, you would think of them being more of a dark culture. However, that is not the truth for all. Yes, there are people that call themselves witches out there in this world and they might practice witchcraft for the less of good intent and light, and that is what they choose to do. If, and when you want to educate yourself about witches and their different beliefs, will
~Witches and the Paranormal
need to know both sides. However they do have a way of connecting with the paranormal, spirits that is.
“Then, as he wended his way by swamp and stream and awful woodland, to the farmhouse where he happened to be quartered, every sound of nature, at that witching hour, fluttered his excited imagination, --the moan of the whippoor-will from the hillside, the boding cry of the tree toad, that harbinger of storm, the dreary hooting of the screech owl, to the sudden rustling in the thicket of birds frightened from their roost.” The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Irving, Washington
~ Common Type of Witches * Celtic Wicca * Druidic * Solitary * Wicca Yes, some people out there try to contact the spirits of souls through some type of ritual acts. Is this a wise way to contact any spirit? Well, that depends on whom you want to contact, and why you want to
For the past couple of months I have been reading
contact that spirit, entity or what have you.
about Witches. I wanted to know more about Wicca, Paganism and so-forth, but concentrating on the
In most witchcraft, spirits are communed for a variety
paranormal side. The witching hour is considered at
of reasons, none of them is considered negative or in
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Voices to Visions October 2011 bad intent.
artistic expression.
~ Silver Cord
If you want experiment with any type of witchcraft, just
Among the many witches, the appearances of ghost are attributed to be of an astral projection. According to some, there is what they called a “silver cord.” The difference between the the astral bodies of the dead and the living is that cord that connects the astral shelves and physical shelves. That “silver cord” is a type of elastic connection that is only broken at the time of death. It is said that since the astral bodies of the living and the dead are to be found within this astral plane, it is possible for the spirits of the dead to connect with the spirits of the living.
~ Witches and Exorcisms
be careful. You have to understand that you will take full responsibility for anything you dabble in both in good light or dark light. If something goes wrong, make sure you know how to fix it. Some people that do the right types of séances and rituals to communicate with the lost souls can be a good thing. These groups of people have the utmost respect for the dead. You disrespect them, and then you deserve what you ask for. With any spirit, understand that these were people that lived before you or even lived during your lifetime. Why do you disrespect them? You have one physical life, whatever you bring into this world, you just might take it into another world,
Exorcism came from the Greek word exouisa
and no one knows where those worlds might be or
meaning “oath,” to exorcise is to expel. As in the
what they are like. It is what you believe in; make life
ancient civilization five thousand years ago, it was
good for you and the people that close to you, peace,
believed that some spirits could well in-fact take
and happiness and with respect. It just makes the
possession of some people. It might be in some
world a lot easier to live in.
possessions that it would not necessarily be the possessed of a person but the possessed of the houses, deferring from either a ghost or a poltergeist. Many witches were called upon to do this type of exorcism, other than some authority of the Christian faith. Witches believed that this would be some type of a malignant spirit, and performing this type of
Nevertheless, you carry on, and live your life now as it should be and not consume your life trying to understand your past life. The spirits of the dead should remind you of that. They lived and sometimes they stay, and those can be reminders of living your life for good, love, and happiness.
magical ceremony is to rid a nuance spirit.
~ Closing I have been told that in my past life I was a witch myself. Even on my birthday, November 16th, it is stated in Ann Moura Green Witch Book, that that date is the the Night of Hecate—Honoring Thracian Goddess of the Moon, Magic and Witches as the Teacher of the Craft. It is not unknown that I do love dark art, not the dark craft, but the art of the dark. It is the creative and mythical imagination created through
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If you want to know more about Wicca Visit this website: http://www.thedomesticpagan.com/
Voices to Visions October 2011
~ Artistically Speaking Let us approach the terms of witches, witchcraft and
the futuristic atmosphere? Who knows, but what I do know is that there are some artistic people that can create that vision.
beyond to a more subtle way. We all know the story of King Arthur, Merlin and so forth. Through the greatest painters ever lived, they have incorporated their views of mythology within their paintings. My favorite painters in that time are John W Waterhouse, and Frederick Sandy known for his painting of Morgan le Fay, (below).
John W Waterhouse took the world with his PreRaphaelite paintings, with the mythology that leaves everyone the views these paintings as if they were living they myth and enduring the magic within. There will always be witches, rituals, and spirits from this time to way beyond the next thousands of years. One way to think about all of this is to try to put yourself back hundreds of years ago. Think about all the beliefs, ceremonies, and so forth that were practiced back then. Do you not think now is a better lifetime to live? I would say so. In addition, take a moment to think about how it is going to be two hundred years from now. Will everything be more of
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* John William Waterhouse 1891 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Circe_Offering_the_Cup_to_Odysseus.jpg
Voices to Visions October 2011
~ My artwork
change it a creative imaginative interpretation of what they see as a vision.
This is why I love the work of John W Waterhouse.
With this issue, I was able to get back to doing some
His and any other artist in that era had just a vivid and
quick renders, something that takes so much time,
creative imagination as we do today. Do you think that
and love to do. I do hope that you enjoy my artwork
most people during that time would have frown on the
within this issue, remember you can use these for
depictions of artistic creation as they took a glance
your own blog, website, flyers, or magazine. You can
their eyes on these paintings, as some people do to
download them here:
today?
http://vision-vault.smugmug.com/VoicestoVisions
~ The Paranormal Side Wiccans believe in deities, gods and goddess, and more or less they are independent, they do not, and will never judge anyone for their beliefs. They believe in the strength that is within oneself. They believe in what is within yourself, and what you can achieve on your own. The energies, love, and light you have within yourself. In addition, within those communicating with the sprits brings a closer connection to the spirit world. Wiccans might believe that the Soul is the soul of the world. Each independently soul we have carried all of what we learned, what memories we have created to another physical being, or more like the aspects of reincarnation. I am going out on a limb here, and thinking that when we do die, I would tend to believe that all of I can only speak for myself, and being who I am. Just
us would like to carry on some good within our souls.
because I create an image with a horned wicked style
But if not, and there is so much angry that we held on
man or woman with a whip in one hand and a cross in
to within our souls, that more or less gives bad
the other, does not mean I am a worshipper in some
energies to a soul? Moreover, maybe that is the
occult. If I create an image with men and women
reason why some of these souls are earthbound,
flying gracefully in the clouds with vibrant lights and
because no one wants to have an angry, negative
billowing wings, does not make me a religious person.
soul filled with bad memories to be used in another
Being creative and having that imagination to take a subject and express it through artistic creation is what an artist does. They can take anything and totally zone in on the definition, meaning or interpretation, only to take one characteristic of that subject and
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physical form. So when paranormal investigators fuel the provoking and out calling to these lost souls, is that really helping them heal?
Voices to Visions October 2011 ¤ Lavender: Love, Protection, and Purification. History
~ Herbs
believes that this herb was used to contact spirits
There are certain herbs that are said to help communicate with the spirits and give your protection,
¤ Nutmeg: Used to strengthen your psychic abilities
as well as banish negative energies. Please if you are
¤ Patchouli ~ Saffron: Can be used for psychic
going to use herbs for any connection with the spirit
awareness
world or what have you... please know how to use them first. You can research sites throughout the
¤ Banishing Negativities Energies: Use Sage
internet. “How to use herbs”.
~ A SPELL TO SEE SPIRITS There are spells to contact spirits, which I would advise you to use these spells at your own risk. To
see
spirits,
old
European
grimoires
recommend
mixing
together
aloe,
pepper,
musk,
Vervain,
and saffron and burning this in a cemetery. You can adapt this for other locations (like those in which the spirit lived) by adding a bit of sweet grass or tobacco to specially prepared incense. Create the incense on the anniversary of the death of the individual you wish to contact. This is then burned at 11 am, in the safety of a magic circle that also holds symbolic items to connect you to the entity. An incantation to encourage the spirit's presence is "Guardians of the Spirit realm hear and guide my plea. When the witching hour rings true, bring my friend (loved one, etc.) ____ to me. Other souls who hear my call are not welcome in this place. Only the one known as _____ may enter sacred space." Repeat the request three times, twenty minutes apart, and then wait quietly for indications of a presence. Signs include the scent of flowers or favored cologne, a cool wind, movement of curtains, and candles going out or twitching erratically. Once you feel sure the spirit is with you, do not make it tarry overly long. Take care of your business, say farewell, and thank the guardians for their assistance.
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Voices to Visions October 2011
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Voices to Visions October 2011
~ Witch Facts ¤ Circe was an enchantress and close followed Hecate. She lived in a stone palace, she is also the lover of Odysseus. ¤ Morgan le Fay is one of the most famous witches, she is King Arthurs half-sister and nemesis. ¤ Broomsticks were makde from broom plant or birch twigs tied together, also they are used in modern witchcraft to cleanse an area spiritually before rituals. ¤ In 1718 a mason William Montgomery, testified that he was continually distribuded by howling cats, which he belived that they were witches. He lost his patience one night and took his sword and hatchet, killing two the cats and wouding another. The next day, two local women were found dead and the wounded one had a deep cut in the leg. ¤ In a place called Deonshire, witches were often said to be that of black dogs. One tale that has been told was that of two black dogs visited an Inn and demanded some cider. The landlord shot a silver bullet from his gun and the two black dogs transformed into two old woman, who just so happen to be witches. ¤ Over 100,000 witch trials took place druing the end of the middle ages to about 1750. Half of those trails ended up in excution. ¤ In France, back in the 17th century, those who were trialed and convicted of being a witch or even a werewolf were burned at the stake, it is belived to of been up to 30,000 people. ¤ The last official recorded execution for witchcraft was in England, March 1684. The convitved witch was named Alice Molland and was hanged in Exeter. ¤ In 1965 Wicca was legally recognised as a religius belife in the Distcit Court of Virigia.
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¤ Caldrons were used by many; they filled the cauldron with water to be able to see the future on distant events.
Voices to Visions October 2011
Interview with Christopher Penczak
Midnight is a sacred time because it is liminal. It is between. It is neither one day or the next, but between the two. It is also when the Moon is highest on the night of the Full Moon, and thirteen of our yearly rituals, or esbats, are performed during the Full Moon.
• As in all things, there is light and dark, is there anything that you have experienced learning about witchcraft that might have been considered dark, and if so, how did you handle that situation. Absolutely, but dark is not evil. I have had to help many people come to terms with their impending deaths due to illness, and been with a few at the moment of death. Many would consider that dark, but it was also quite joyous and light. I have had to clear out ghosts from haunted houses, though most hauntings are really cases of bad energy build up, no trapped spirits. You just do not know till you show up though. Some of my clients have experienced curses or psychic attacks, and learning to remove them and put protection of them has not always been easy.
• Christopher, tell our readers about who you are and what you do. I consider myself a Modern Witch. I am an author of
• You had written an article about Spirit Walking. Your article explained in your views about one‟s own spirit guide and connecting to them. What are your thoughts about connecting to other spirits?
over eighteen books, mostly focusing on Witchcraft,
Spirits are like people. Some are good. Some are not
Paganism, and Magickal Spiritualities. I have co-
so good. And most do not really care that much about
founded The Temple of Witchcraft, a religious
you. They have their own business. I think if you have
nonprofit organization for the education and ministry
a strong spirit ally to work with it, one that is trusted,
of the religion of Witchcraft and currently head our
you can use it to help discern if another spirit is
Mystery School and Seminary Training Programs. In
appropriate for you to work with, for a mutual good.
the footsteps of the old wise women and cunning men
Different kinds of spirits have different natures, and
of the past, I see clients for spiritual counsel and
different levels of danger and safety. The standard
psychic readings perform healing consultations and
rule is do not summon anything you cannot banish. I
life passage rituals. I mix my knowledge of herbal
think communing with your ancestors is vitally
medicine and alternative healing with ritual, energy
important, and has grown more important in my
work and spell craft.
practice as the year‟s progress.
• What actually is “The Witching Hour,” is there any hidden meaning behind the midnight hour?
• For some people the word Spirit means something of a paranormal nature, such as a ghost. The Shamanic study group you have as one of your
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Voices to Visions October 2011 lessons included taking a journey to the spirit worlds, as well as within your Shamanic Witchcraft Workshop you are stating, “Those who practice the art of witchcraft are spirit walkers.” Can you give us more insight on your interpretation of the meaning of Spirit? Spirit can refer to a lot of things... Some use it to refer to the Creative Principle, what others might call God with a capitol G, or Great Spirit. There is Spirit as the fifth element, as the divine intelligence and connecting force between all elements. It is said that fire, water, air and earth all come from spirit and will return to spirit. Spirit is the top point of the pentagram, with the other four points for the four elements. In the East, they would call it Akasha. Some call it Quintessence, or the essence of five. It is the mysterious vital life force of all things. Then there are Spirits - discarnate or non-corporal entities. Some have had a body, like ancestors. Some are still inked to a "body" such as a tree or plant or mountain spirit. Some can be invisible to the eye, but still have a body, such as a sickness
spirit. Some are without a body at all, like faeries, angels, and elementals. Witchcraft is really the remnant of a European shamanic lore, where the shaman is the walker between the worlds and the intermediary between humanity and the spirit world. Modern Witches seek to revive that lore and add to it looking at other shamanic and magickal cultures. Witches are said to stand with one fit in the world of form and one foot in the world of spirit, walkers between acting as bridges.
• Learning about the history of Witches, how did the past build a better future for men and woman to freely acknowledge their belief in Paganism and have that ability to practice their witchcraft? Well, I do not know if the past did anything to build the future. I think wiping out our heritage to the point of thinking it was just superstitious ultimately got the laws against Witchcraft in most places (though not many parts of the Middle East) removed as archaic and unenlightened. Little did they know the effect would be Witches becoming more and more public, and eventually working to get their beliefs recognized as a religion, with the same rights and resources as other religions. We still face some discrimination, but more and more that is changing on the legal front.
• If you had the opportunity to share a particular knowledge about witchcraft that you hold dear within yourself, what would that be? I think that would be seeing the magick in everything. Magick is not something separate from you that you do, but something you first learn about, then perform and ultimately embody as you realize that all things are magickal and powerful. Their magick and power comes in the interconnectedness, not the separation. Photos provided by Christopher Penczak Website: http://christopherpenczak.com/online
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Voices to Visions October 2011
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Voices to Visions October 2011 • Share with us your path to study more in depth about Paganism and why that important to your writings.
Interview with ~Winter Balefire
I am very eclectic, I believe that everything has an energy that surrounds it and makes it unique. When you chose to write, you chose to share a part of yourself, a part of your energy with others. One very important part of my path is making sure you are grounded and have control over your own energy, even before you begin to study or work with a different type. Writing, true writing that comes from within, requires a profound understanding of yourself and your surroundings. There really is no way to do that without making sure you are secure within yourself. To study Paganism is to study Nature and we are all part of Nature. We are all connected.
• Is there anything-specific situation that you had been through to bring yourself to learn about the paranormal? Growing up in my parents‟ home there were many experiences. I was lucky enough that I was never told the things I witnessed were not real just because they
• Winter, tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.
could not be explained. There was my bedroom, my parent‟s bedroom and a hallway that connected the two. The first experience I remember was when I was
I am a writer, poet, paranormal columnist, and a Witch.
I
have
a
through
wake up in the middle of the night and see a large
there
I
black mass hovering. This happened over and over
discuss everything and anything involving ghosts,
again. I was never afraid, more curious. I wanted to
hauntings, and other spirit related activity. I have
know what it was and why it was there. I was always
combined my love of writing and the Craft on my
fascinated with the unknown; as soon as I started
website, winterbalefire.com. There you will find my
reading, I think I was researching ghost stories and
poetry, blogs, and many other things that inspire me. I
hauntings. I think like a typical child I did not have that
believe art and literature are some of the most
filter that so many tend to get with age, that tells you it
important things offered to us in this life. To me there
is not real or it does not exist. The mind of a child is
is nothing more rewarding than expressing yourself
so open to every possibility, it is sad so many lose
creatively and having something, whether it be words,
that. When I was a teenager and people would come
music, or painting, that continues to speak for you
over here would be frequent complaints of my friends
long after you have left this life
feeling nauseous or lightheaded in my room. Shortly
Paganpages.org titled
monthly Paranormal
column
very young, maybe about 6 or 7 years old. I would
Path;
before I moved out, I awoke to my doorknob violently
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Voices to Visions October 2011 shaking. I thought I was dreaming so I made sure I as
my purse. The tug was very deliberate, the way a
awake and walked towards it as it continued to shake,
child pulls at you for attention. I turned thinking there
then it just abruptly stopped. When I moved I
was a toddler behind me but I was the last person in
continued to have experiences, I do not think anything
that line. While staying on the ship I have heard
actually followed me I just think I am more aware than
children running down the halls yet they were empty
most when it comes to that.
and the most unforgettable thing was lying in my darkened room and seeing the faded image of a
• How did you get started in writing your articles about the Paranormal for the Pagan Pages?
gloved hand, up to the forearm waving as if saying goodbye. The most recent place I visited was the Whaley house in San Diego. I loved that it was a self-
I had been a reader of Pagan Pages for quite
guided tour but many people were there and it was
some time. I was happy that there was something for
difficult to take it in as much as I would have liked. I
the Pagan community to share their insights and
was getting discouraged until I heard a little girl tell
ideas. About 2 years ago, I came across a bulletin
her mom she wanted to go because the room
that they were looking for a paranormal writer. I
creeped her out. I immediately went over to where
contacted them immediately. I thought it would be the
she was standing, at Mr. Whaley's master bedroom. I
perfect venue to showcase my writing, give me some
began to have horrible camera trouble, blurring,
experience as a columnist, and share my paranormal
delays, and I could not get a picture of Mr. Whaley's
experiences and knowledge with others. My first
photograph at all, so that made the trip worthwhile. I
article was titled 'How Normal is the Paranormal?" I
have also been to Charleston, SC to experience
wrote about how different superstitions, customs, and
Poogan's Porch Restaurant and some of their local
folklore play into our everyday lives.
cemeteries that contain many many ghost stories. The most mystical place I have been is definitely New
• You have conducted at a couple of known haunted locations as a personal paranormal investigating experience, what were these locations and did you experience anything paranormal? My two favorite locations were The Queen Mary in
Orleans; there is an energy there like no other. I need to return there soon.
• You stated in your bio, that you are a practicing witch. Tell our readers about what that is and how this affects your life within yourself and your surroundings.
Long Beach, CA., and The Whaley House in San Diego, CA. I have been to the Queen Mary several
Yes, I am a practicing Witch. I perform spell work,
times and have always had experiences. I remember
divination; work with certain deities and so on. There
walking along one of the decks at night, I was wearing
are many different deities; I work with the Egyptian
heels and you could hear them clicking on the wood. I
Gods and Goddesses, Bastet, Horus, Anubis, Isis,
stopped to admire the view and continued to hear
etc. Let me explain what I mean by "work with.” For
clicking on the deck as if someone was walking
example, in the center of my alter is a statue of
behind me; I was the only one there at the moment.
Bastet, she was known as the "Mother" and
On another occasion, I was taking a tour of the ship,
"Protector.” If I am doing a protection spell, part of my
we were down by the pool area, that is no longer in
personal meditation technique is to picture her, strong
use, and I mentioned to my friend
and diligent, this helps in gathering my energy and its
that I wonder if the spirits ever get
purpose. Not all deities will work with you, they will
curious of why so many people
either not come through clear during the meditation
come here, just then I felt a tug on
process or they may strictly decline either because
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Voices to Visions October 2011 you are not ready or your purpose is not clear. Bastet
existence. There are tricksters, and liars, just as there
has always worked best with me and the extension to
are in our everyday existence. Ouija board, witch
that is the connection of the "Cat Goddess" and my
board, angel board, it is all just a key that should not
familiar, the feline. We all have extensions of
be used in my opinion. There is a big difference in
ourselves in nature, whether it be a particular animal,
going to a known haunted location to communicate on
plant or body of water. This takes many years of
the spirits territory and inviting something into your
practice and fine-tuning to learn to recognize... I try to
own territory. If a haunted location is, too much, you
explain that spell work is just another form of prayer.
can always leave but it coming to you is a different
You are doing something in a particular way in hopes
matter.
of a desired outcome. As I previously stated we all have an energy, once you learn to ground and control yours, then you can learn to harness it and concentrate it to your will. The ability of the human mind is remarkable. We are capable of such amazing things. When practicing the Craft there are many
• Besides using the known technology of paranormal investigating, using digital recorders, video camera and so forth, is there any other sources, with being a practicing witch, you personally use to communicate with spirits?
things to remember, I actually have a "Rules For Spell work" blog because I feel it is so important to
An open mind is
understand that magic is neither black nor white, it is
the best tool you can
all in the practitioner. Very basic, treat others as you
ever
have.
would like to be treated and any ill intent will reflect
you
practice
back upon you. We call it the law of three; others call
Craft for so many
it karma, all the same.
years, you become more
• With your knowledge about Paganism, what is your opinion about communicating with spirits using the Ouija Board as the main source of connecting to the spirits? Would you use this source during a paranormal investigation?
When the
aware
everything,
of slight
changes in the air, smells, and sounds and so on. When you practice for so long, you become almost like a homing beacon. Energy recognizes energy so I think that may be why I have been lucky in my paranormal experiences. You
Personally, I am not fond of the Ouija board. I
are your best tool
really do not agree with it being packaged as a game for kids. Whenever you invite a spirit to communicate with you, there is a doorway that gets opened. Without experience and proper protocol, you have no control over what or who is being invited through. I believe there are not just human entities. Just as
• Paganism and Paranormal. Tell us, in your own words, expression, and opinions within your belief about the coexistence of how these two subjects together could or could not support theories of the existence of spirits and/or ghosts.
there are many life forms that we see, human, animal, plant etc, there are many life forms we do not see.
Unfortunately, both subjects remain controversial
Not all spirits are human ghosts trying to get answers
and debatable. I believe that personal experience is
or move forward. There is a balance to everything,
everything. People need to let go of the thought that
good and bad. I have studied all entities, human and
these things are "dark" or evil. The taboo needs to be
non-human. Though there are debates to their origin,
dismissed. There is a huge paranormal and Pagan
there is almost a universal agreement of their
community. In a way, we are our own proof. There is
P a g e | 19
Voices to Visions October 2011 each of these things, we are incomplete; with each of these things, we are whole. Peace, love, and equality are on our agenda just the same
as
anyone
else.
Stereotypes and labels are unfortunate and a reminder of
those
that
need
to
educate themselves. I have studied many religions and beliefs, even those that are not my own. Knowledge is one
of
foundations
the to
greatest build
an
opinion. I respect you, even if you do not agree with me, if you have taken the time to at least try to understand me. Do not judge me using fear because you chose not to educate yourself. We only fear what we do not understand.
more to this world than what is seen, some people understand and some choose not to. I say choose not to because that is what it comes down to, a choice. I am not here to force a belief on anyone. We all have a right to our own path and to walk it as we please. Yet all anyone needs to do is, to see as well as look, and the proof is there.
• There are often times that people are misunderstood about what a witch really is, depending on their practices of witchcraft; are there any last words you would like to share about this? We are all one, we are all equal, and we believe in the raw power of Nature. We are all connected with the wind, the fire, the water, and the earth. Without
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Winters Links: http://paganpages.org/content/2011/09/paranormalpath-20/ http://www.winterbalefire.com/
Voices to Visions October 2011
~ The Ouija Board
~ Ouija Board Experience
We have talked about the Ouija Board in
I was in my teens and in high school. I
our July Issue, but there was so much information to share about this subject. What I wanted to share this time was the use of Ouija Boards by Witches, regardless of what type of witch they are, how some are using the Ouija Board and for what reasons. There
are
over
thousands
knew I was Pagan but at that time very unsure of my beliefs and myself. So, I tried to learn as much as I can. And along this path came the Ouija board. Not sure how or even why. My best friend bought one and wanted to play. I think it was the mystery of the board that drew us.
of
experiences people have shared over
So we sat down on either side of the
the internet using the Ouija Board.
board,
Some stories maybe good and some
indicator, and asked if anyone would like
stories can downright put the fear into
to talk. It took a few minutes, but the
you. As a paranormal investigator, using
indicator
the Ouija Board could be considered
spelled out "Hi.� Of course, my friend
another tool to communicate with spirits.
and I looked at each other trying to
However, if you are a practicing witch,
figure out who moved the indicator. I
why and how do you use this within your
shook my head "No" and shrugged my
rituals and witchcraft. Who are you
shoulders. She did the same. That was
trying to communicate with?
our
Are you meaning to communicate on
We actually talked to a few. One was
good intentions using the Ouija Board solely to communicate with the spirits? Believe it or not it is a real hard subject to cover, due to the fact that this spirit board, William Fuld created turned out to be the called the most dangerous game ever.
placed
first
our
started
contact
fingers
moving!
with
on
Slowly
the
the
it
spirits.
Keith. He supposedly lived in my bedroom, though I always wondered about that. The other was a spirit named Cole. He liked to follow my friend around. To "test" our new spirit friends, we asked them to show themselves. To make fun of us, they told us to look outside the window at a certain time.
P a g e | 21
Voices to Visions October 2011 The window faced the front of the
was attacked by another dog and was
house, right at the street and her
on the brink of death. After taking
driveway. We were at my friend's house
careful and watchful care, our dog
alone. Her mom went out to do some
healed quickly and in no time was
errands. But at moment, that EXACT
running around the yard (never did he
time, her mom drove up, at that exact
leave again). Each night, my friend's
spot the spirits indicated. We went to the
grandpa's message ran through my
board,
head.
a
bit
stunned
at
the
"coincidence,� and their reply to their "trick" was "ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.� That was
We "played" many nights with the Ouija
not the first time they would do that.
board and talked to the spirits. Most nights, we joked around with Keith and
One of my family's Boxer dog ran away
Cole and nothing spectacular happened.
(he was such a free spirit at that time).
Once in a great while we talked with
He was gone for over a week and we
another entity. But every now and then,
became worried. While playing with the
our new friends would remind us that
Ouija board, another entity jumped on.
they were not of flesh.
He introduced himself as my friend's grandpa (who had passed when she
That is my experience with the Ouija
was young). He said he had a message
board. Time has passed, and I have not
for me. He told me that we would find
talked to my friend in quite a while. I
our boxer within the week and he would
have not tried using the board since
live. I was happy at the message but
then. But I still remember her, Keith,
perplexed at the same time. "He would
Cole, and a few of the others.
live"? What does that mean? My friend asked her mom about her grandpa, not saying anything about our experience. After being told that he loved Boxers, my friend let her mother know what had happened. We did find our dog but he was in bad shape. He
P a g e | 22
Brandy Prentice aka Arianrhod Lefay
Voices to Visions October 2011
P a g e | 23
Voices to Visions October 2011 Interview with
• Knowing that the spirit board, talking board or whatever you would like to call it, is mostly used as a communication tool with spirits of the dead, in your research have you been able to find any usage of this type of communication in biblical times? We do not see true talking boards before the 1850s. There were not any biblical equivalents. That is not to say that there were not seers or people who tried to contact the other side. They were common. But they did not use talking boards.
~ Gene Orlando •Tell us a little bit about yourself and your interest in the Ouija Board. I am a collector of oddities and things that go bump in the night. Ouija boards are a part of my collection. It occurred to me to create the Museum of Talking Boards because no one had stepped up and it might be nice to bring together
Talking
boards
are
very
specific
instruments and are often confused with other types of divination. Writers like to say that they were common in ancient Rome or China. That is simply incorrect.
• The reputation of the Ouija board is overshadowed by doom and destruction. In your personal opinion, is this just a game with a dreaded end or can it make a comeback from being feared?
collectors and others with similar interests. The
I do not think the Ouija board has any apologies
Internet was the perfect medium, no pun
to make. One of the things that make it magical
intended, and the time was right. Other than
is its ability to mirror the psychology of the user.
that, I am your average Addams Family type guy
If you want it to scare the pants off of you, it will
who makes his money in the stock market.
certainly oblige. If you want it to spark your creative
• Wood from a coffin and a coffin nail as the planchette pointer is stated as the how the first Ouija board was made. Do you feel that creating the boards using these materials brings the querent closer to connecting with the dead? No, because the first talking boards were not made with wood from a coffin. It is a colorful legend though, and that helps promote the mystery and magic of the talking board.
P a g e | 24
side,
it
can
do
that,
too.
• Some mediums use the spirit board as a tool for communicating with spirits, have you personally used the Ouija board as a way of communicating with the spirits and what was your experience? The entities I talk to sound an awful lot like myself. Could be we are just like-minded. When I have explained that to some people, they have
Voices to Visions October 2011 accused me of not believing in the Ouija board, and that, of course, is ridiculous as evidenced by anyone who has visited the Museum. Using the board seriously is a very personal endeavor. It is never black and white. Your mileage may vary.
• Some people use a glass instead of the planchette, what are your thoughts on this and do you feel it takes away from the true origin of the board. Talking boards are tools. You can make one out of wood or scrawl letters on the sidewalk. Any object that moves freely under the fingers can become a planchette. This shows imagination and takes nothing from the true origin of the board. Some of the most beautiful boards in my collection are made from metal and glass. They come in every form imaginable but I have nothing against traditionalists. A beautifully polished antique talking board is a wonderful thing to behold, but so is a 1920s era William Fuld electric Mystifying Oracle.
• How much of these warnings about using the Ouija board based on fear and how much is based on myth?
• If someone really wanted to communicate with the spirits of the dead, what words of wisdom would you share with them? Imagine dialing a random number on your
Fear of the unknown has always been the prime
telephone. A male voice answers. You have no
motivator for Ouija-haters. That, and ignorance.
idea whether he is naughty or nice, or if you
The Ouija is also a threat to established religions
have just woken him from a pleasant nap. What
with their own ideas of proper ways to speak to
questions do you ask? Are you polite, rude, or
the dead. This is the way it has always been.
indifferent?
We are not likely to see any change soon, and
disappointed when he does not tell you answers
that is not such a bad thing. The Ouija has
to which you feel entitled? Do you believe
attitude and a reputation to maintain. Without
everything the other person has to say? If so,
controversy, it would just be another board
why?
game like checkers. That said, talking boards have a whole set of specific superstitions. Whether you believe them or not is up to you. You want goose bumps; you have goose bumps.
P a g e | 25
Are
you
demanding
http://museumoftalkingboards.com/ Photos provided by Gene Orlando.
or
just
Voices to Visions October 2011
P a g e | 26
Voices to Visions October 2011 library and great online resources like BibliOddesy, I
Interview with
have
gathered
an
images
eclectic range of
inspirational
from
astrological,
mystical,
Kabbalahistic, hermetic, Gnostic, and alchemical
works,
early
anatomical,
medical, scientific texts, divination tools, hieroglyphics, and so on. My fascination is largely aesthetic, not academic, and I like looking at them almost abstractly, like cryptic mathematical proofs that hold deep
power
and
meaning. I
am
fascinated and drawn to them for the mystique and importance they have held and continue to hold.
~ Mark Cordell Holmes • Tell us about you. I am a digital artist, graphic designer, writer, and husband and for the last ten years, the lucky father of twins. When not working in the entertainment industry, I teach and lecture on occasion, write novels, dabble in photography, bead, and just keep busy with any number of personal art projects, including among other things, the design of Spirit Boards.
long
been
fascinated
by
arcane and esoteric imagery,
how
different
cultures
through time have tried to visually and systematically represent
matters
of the spirit. As part of a large reference library I've built up over
My particular interest in Ouija Boards began a few years ago when I wanted to buy my wife (also an artist and writer) an Ouija board for Christmas. With a more genuine interest in mysticism, she has a collection of tarot cards and often reads for friends, so I thought it would be nice to find her an old, authentic Ouija board, something more than just the ubiquitous cardboard Parker Brothers game. To my surprise, besides handcrafted wood burnt-in boards and the collection of spirit
As a visual artist, I have
• What peeked your artistic vision to design Ouija Boards?
the
years,
thanks to the public
P a g e | 27
boards displayed on the fantastic site, the Museum of Talking Boards, there really were very few
buying
alternatives. When I gave up and
finally
decided to make one of my own, my
first
design
was simply a recreation
and
Voices to Visions October 2011 embellishment
on
an
unusual talking board, the Finger of Fate. Yet I wanted to make something that felt even
older
distinctive
and
more
I
began
and
playing with images from my reference
collection
produced
three
and other
designs. Working with the help of a neighbor, we crafted four unique wood boards, with planchettes to give to our wives. The gifts were such a hit and so much fun to make I decided to make more. For me the attraction of designing these boards lay in creating a richer history of the spirit board with even greater cultural depth and range. I got to tap all the great imagery that inspired me so much, had fun layering in aging and wear to make them feel like antiques, I enjoyed the simple fun of playing with typefaces and to an extent even reinventing the standard spirit board by integrating dowsing and other divination conventions. As my background is in computer art, the most surprisingly satisfying part was the woodworking. Actually cutting and sanding, gluing, staining and finishing was so pleasurable and the real reward was holding the finished piece in my hands.
• What is your personal opinion about the history of the Spirit Boards and how they are used? Generally, my opinion towards spirit boards and their use is similar to my feelings about other matters of divination and the spiritual world: one of open-minded skepticism. Though I myself have never had an experience of spiritual awareness or contact, I do not let this preclude the fact others may have, or that I might yet at some future time. Moreover, while I look
P a g e | 28
at boards as works of art or as historical/sociological artifacts, I nonetheless respect them for the meaning and power they hold to those who do believe in them.
• Have you ever used your own Spirit Boards to contact spirits of the dead? If so, what happen? If not, why? I have never used my own nor any other spirit boards in a serious manner, though my wife and I hosted a Victorian-era sÊance party last year where among other forms of divination we did try out my latest board. While there was some genuine interest in the experience, I do not think it was particularly successful at that time. On the other hand, we also had a guest psychic who moved a number of our guests, including one of the biggest skeptics in the group. One fascinating experience I can attest to is the affect my boards have held over other people. At a showing of my boards I was genuinely surprised at the quiet awe and fear the boards held over many of my hightech and artistic peers. Many refused to stop at my
Voices to Visions October 2011
table or come too close. One mother steered her
them again and tinker I am sure new works will
young child away from my work, while later an elderly
emerge.
man confessed to a horrific experience he had as a
Though
child involving a spirit board. It confirmed to me how
handcrafted board, with most having been sold or
truly potent these icons still are in our society, which
given to friends and family, if there was enough
is one of the very reasons I am so drawn to them.
interest it would be fun to make more.
• On your website. http://spiritboards.blogspot.com/, you have created 12 very beautiful and unique designs, is there more designs in the future?
* Photos provided by Mark Holmes
At the moment I do not have any new designs in the works, though for each final design I made, there are
each
of
these
was
a
one-of-a-kind
Website: http://spiritboards.blogspot.com/ Check out Marks website, to see more unique and beautiful spirit boards he has designed.
any number of variations and iterations that led up to
~Mark has taken the old ordinary Ouija board and
them. I also have a number of board designs either I
expressed it to the most incredible and vivid creativity
never finished or was never happy with that may one
of design. It is an honor to have him be featured in our
day see completion. My fascination with them is still
magazine.
so strong however, and I have so many ideas yet to explore that one I have a little time to sit down with
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Voices to Visions October 2011
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Voices to Visions October 2011 Encounters
~ Death Spirits I can tell you this one particular incident about my mom, while she was in the last weeks of her life. I would visit mom every day. While visting her in the nursing home, I remember she said that she saw a
~ The Grim Reaper
nurse in her room and she was there when I was there, standing by the corner of mom‟s bed. I just plainly said okay, and damned if I can remember everything of what said about the nurse, only that she had the nurse‟s hat on, wearing an all white uniform. I guess that during those moments in my mom‟s life at that time, she was actually able to see beyond what I could see. Was the nurse helping her along the way, to comfort her and to help her through the process of becoming her own spirit? I do remember the night before she died, she would be grasping at the air, I do not know what she was trying to catch, I could not understand her, and she just mumbled words and she looked so distant but so determine to catch whatever was in front of her. I left her that night, kissed her forehead, and told her that I would see her in the morning. I never did say goodbye. In fact, I do not think I ever did tell her goodbye. The Grim Reaper is versioned as that dirty scary Do you see something before you die? Is if different
looking cloaked skeleton with a scythe in his right
from person to person. Now we all know that people
hand. Construed as the bringer of death, he is to carry
say there is a white light you see and a tunnel, but
your soul to another dimension.
would that be the same experience you would experience if you were hit hard on the head? I do not know. The Death Spirits are those spirits that may come knocking on your door. When they do know do you know how long do you have?
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Voices to Visions October 2011 Famous Folklore
~ The Angel of Death According to one belief the Angel of Death was created by God, He has twelve wings. When the subject is the stages of death, the Angel of Death stands at the head of the subject. This Angel has a drawn sword over the subject, and at the tip of the sword is a drop of gall. As soon as the dying subject sees the Angel, his mouth opens and the gall drops within the dying subjectâ€&#x;s mouth. * Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grim_Reaper
~ Deathbed Visions These are visions people claim to see when they are
~ Death Omens Howling of a dog, is the guardian of the underworld and guides the souls of the dead. Black birds usually appear lurking around a particular house. Which in that case, I do remember those crows that were hanging around our house a couple of months ago. Werid. Death omens can also appear in nature, like a formation of a cloud. I do remember one time at my brothers house, I saw a true cloud formation of an angel. It was just looking up at the right time in the right direction.
dying. The visions can be from family relatives that
Death omens can be from seeing an apparition,
have passed on to religious figures. There are
phantom coach driven by ghostly black horses, to
thousands of these experiences that have been
corpse lights, which have been stated to be bluish
documented to prove there is an experience of death,
flickering lights visible at night.
visions that is. Most of the findings about this experience are of happiness and peace, and there are a high percentage of people that do experience this vision die within a minutes or a couple of hours.
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Voices to Visions October 2011 Famous Haunting
During those years, the house was getting a seedy repetition for prostitution during World War II. Jacuque sold the house in 1943 to Alex Brotherton. A horrific stabbing occurred in 1952 where a man stabbed his wife to death in front of his own children and then he took his own life. There have been other reports of murders and death by natural causes, from 1952 to 1968. The sprits that are said to reside in the Deane house are those of an apparition of a man in a black close to the ghost of a Native American. Sounds of footsteps, the antique piano playing by itself, to objects moving.
* photo by Robert Thivierge; wikipedia
~ Deane House In 1906, Captain Richard Deane built this house for his wife near the rivers of Bow and Elbow, located in Fort Calgary. Sadly enough, his wife never stepped into this beautiful house, she died after becoming ill. Deane lived there in the house until the Fort closed in 1914. Within the years of 1914, Deane moved back to England, and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway bought the land along with the house. The Railway Company demolished the Fort but kept the house intact to be used as a residential home for the rail station agent. Another year, they moved the house to a different location on the property. The starting of 1929, the Deane began its path of destruction. The house was sold to an entrepreneur, C.L. Jacques who moved the house across the Elbow River. At that time, the Deane house became a boarding house. Slowly during that, time was the start in the violent world wind. In 1933, a little boy lived in the boarding house with his father. This poor boy had suffered from epilepsy and was tormented by his schoolmates. Until one day, he went up into the attic and committed suicide.
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The house was in deterioration by the year 1973 and the city of Calgary purchased the house to restore it to its natural state. As of today, the house is an artist studio, as well as a teahouse.
Voices to Visions October 2011
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Voices to Visions October 2011 to name a few, each name conjuring up a variety of
Famous Places
images based on the individual‟s beliefs; but “A Rose by Any Other Name…..” Therefore, for the sake of brevity I have decided to focus this article on some of the global commonalities and conflicting ideologies regarding the place known as Hell. (* Art by Adolphe-William Bouguereau, Illustration of Dante and Virgil in Hell)
Hellish afterlife locations appear to varying degrees of severity in nearly all cultures that believe in deities, with religions that believe in reincarnation usually describing “Hell” as a place of purposeful waiting between lives, while religions that believe in only one life and one death usually regard “Hell” and other afterlife locations as being eternal. In almost all cultures that have a concept of Hell, it is believed to be located deep underground in the bowels of the Earth and is ruled over by a Master or Demonic entity. Most cultures also agree that it is a place of purpose for instance: a place for punishment, reflection, learning, to face challenges and/or obstacles leading
~ Hell
to self-improvement. Other cultures simply regard “Hell” as a place for the dead with no positive or negative connotations. The name Hell itself is drawn
When I first saw the topic assigned for this month‟s
from a wide variety of etymological origins with similar
article I thought to myself “Holy Cow, Batman, I am in
words from ancient languages referring to a person
deep Doo Doo”. How can I possibly write a Reader‟s
guilty of masking their sins or a place of retribution. In
Digest type article about such a massive subject, one
this article, I will often put the word Hell in quotation
that has been the topic of millions upon millions of
marks because the actual word Hell is only used in
books and compilations? It was daunting, and pardon
the Christian tradition whereas many cultures have
the pun; but it seemed the Gates of Hell yawned
like concepts. It is also worth noting that many
before me in this task. Simply put, Hell is one possible
cultures that occupy the same geographical regions
yet highly subjective version of the afterlife. Other less
such as Asia or Europe often have more overlapping
sinister
beliefs than their distant cousins do do.
afterlife
destinations
in
Judeo-Christian
traditions include Purgatory, Limbo, and Heaven. Hell does not appear on any map or GPS locator, there have been no expeditions or fact-finding missions to investigate Hell and there are no truly credible eyewitness
accounts
to
prove
or disprove
its
existence. Across different religious and cultural backgrounds, and in its broadest definition, Hell is known by many names, Hades, Sheol, and Tartarus
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Voices to Visions October 2011
~ Traditions of “Hell” in Asia
and unparalleled torture, which is described in graphic detail in ancient Sikh texts. The only escape from this world of suffering is found in Naam (a journey of self-
I will begin with several beliefs of predominantly Asian cultures regarding the afterlife or Hell. Naraka is a
discovery and enlightenment). Upon achieving Naam, a spirit can be lead out of Naraka by a Guru.
Sanskrit word meaning the underworld of man and is in common usage among Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhists, and Jainists and to a lesser extent by Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia who call it by a slightly different name, Neraka. In the Hindu tradition Naraka is a place of darkness where souls are sent, by Yama, Lord of Justice or his assistants, to pay for sins they have committed before being reborn or going to Heaven. In Hindu belief, there are as many as 28 named regions of this Hell and each area is responsible for exacting gruesome punishments for specific sins committed during life. It is also believed that every sin is recorded and even the righteous souls must visit Naraka to atone before the next
In Chinese mythology, “hell” is a place known as Diyu and its complex beliefs are a mixture of Taoism, Buddhism and traditional Chinese folklore, which vary somewhat by region and in antiquity. Diyu is described as an underground maze with a variety of levels and chambers each devoted to the punishment of specific sins. In Chinese literature and religious teachings there are said to be as few as 3 and as many as 10 “Courts of Hell” each presided over by a judge appointed by King Yama, the overseer of Diyu. In still other Chinese interpretations which do overlap
incarnation.
there are 12,800 hells located underground, several
In Buddhism Naraka is usually a multi-leveled
hells. In addition, there are 84,000 hells reserved for
subterranean realm of misery where souls are purged by intense suffering, so that they will not repeat the same sins in their next incarnations. The Buddhists also believe that the individual need not be dead to experience Naraka, which is seen as a punishment for the consciousness. Further, the Buddhist belief in the law of karma insists that eventually all lessons learned will prove beneficial to a soul during a
of which are dark hells and several more are cold the punishment of miscellaneous infractions, which is said to be located at the end of the universe. It is widely believed by the Chinese that all people will go to Diyu (Hell) but will all eventually be reborn, the length of their stay in Diyu being dictated by the severity of their transgressions. The Japanese version of “Hell” called Yomi has
physical incarnation.
probably the least in common with other Asiatic
In Jainism, Naraka is also a place of suffering for
subterranean realm of the dead, is believed to have
past sins. It is believed that a visit to the seven grounds of Naraka is not eternal but will last billions of years before an old imperfect karma is finished and a new ripening karma is ready for a rebirth into a higher
depictions of “Hell.” Yomi, the dark and mysterious once been accessible by three openings above ground, which are now blocked by formidable unbreachable obstacles and horrible guards Yomi is ruled by the Grand Deity, Izanami. Japanese lore tells
order.
that Yomi is the place where the dead go to rot for all
In Sikhism, many believe that “Hell” is a realm within
Yomi, you can never return.
our consciousness both during and after life. The Master of the Sikh afterlife, Yama, transports the souls of the dead to a dark underworld of deprivation,
P a g e | 36
eternity and once you have eaten at the hearth of
Voices to Visions October 2011 are as close to “God” as they can ever possibly get.
~ African Traditions of “Hell”
The ultimate goal is reincarnation, since these people believe that reward and punishment is only doled out
The next region I will discuss is Sub-Saharan Africa, the areas not bordering the Mediterranean Sea. I will be making blanket statements about African beliefs about the afterlife because most traditional African religions held nearly identical beliefs separated only by minor differences in ethnic/tribal customs. African religions collectively have a prevalent belief in the existence of a Creator or Supreme Being, but have virtually no belief that is in the least similar to Hell. African tradition views life, death, and rebirth as a dynamic and fluid process, for the most part, believing that the entire individual (not just the spirit or
only to the living. There are exceptions to these tenets; and they are punishable in the afterlife by torture commensurate with the severity of their misdeeds, which resembles a hellish experience. Included
in
this
group
are
witches,
wizards,
murderers, those who have broken sacred taboos and people who have not received the proper burial rituals. In the 20th century many of these ancient tribal
customs
have
been
incorporated
into
Christianity and Islam as these two religions become more widespread, resulting in an interesting blend of ideologies and rituals.
soul) is born into the afterlife. This dead individual becomes a revered ancestor with supernatural powers that is able to communicate with the living; or if proper funeral procedures are not adhered to, a
~ Traditions of “Hell” in Europe and the Middle East
wandering ghost that poses a threat to the living. However, with the performance of strictly regimented death rituals and at the appropriate time the ancestors are reborn into their living communities once again. With this belief in the entire body being born into the afterlife, it was an important custom to prevent the actual corpse from returning to his family or community. Some of the burial rituals developed to prevent the corpses from returning have included carrying the deceased out through a hole cut in the wall, instead of the door of the place where the person had died, and then sealing the hole.
confuse
the
dead
body
or
obstacles
are
deliberately set up to block the corpse‟s path back to the living. Still other African peoples take great pains to ensure that the afterlife body, not the corpse, is easily able to find their way back to their living family and communities, by burying the bodies in close proximity to their homes. In these cultures the dead will never reach an afterlife considered to be Heaven, although most believe that during death individuals
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Middle East bordering the Mediterranean Sea, as it was before Christianity, Judaism, and Islam got a major foothold. I will begin with ancient Egypt‟s concept of “Hell”, which in my mind is more like going through the challenges of attending school, being tested before promotion to the next grade and finally graduation, and here is why. The Egyptian afterlife is referred to as Duat and it is described in terms of things that the Egyptians were familiar with in their daily lives such
Other times an erratic course is taken to the burial site to
The next area up for discussion is Europe and the
as rivers, islands, hills and fields with some exaggeration and grandiosity thrown in for good measure i.e. lakes of fire and trees made of precious stones. Duat was not a “hell” to which one was condemned since it was also inhabited by the Gods themselves, it was for the dead more like a proving ground. The site of Duat was said to begin at the edge of nightfall including the entire night sky and as the Sun God, Ra, began to cross the sky at dawn, Duat became located underground with its portals guarded by fierce grotesque beasts controlled by the
Voices to Visions October 2011 gods. So to sum up Duat‟s location, it can be said that
particularly when Roman society went from the
the afterlife only exists above ground during the night,
practice of burial, to centuries of cremations followed
yet its underground location surrounded by the
in the third century by a return to the practice of
primordial waters of the abyss called Nun, is not a
burying the dead. It was supposed that coupled with
place of total darkness. All inhabitants of Duat must
an increasing belief in an afterlife Romans returned to
face challenges and perils on their way through
burials so as not to destroy the body which might be
successive gates. Whether they are gods, royalty or
needed in the transition to the Underworld/”Hell.”
common people and several ancient texts such as the
However, the return to the burying of the dead may
Egyptian Book of the Dead and The Coffin Texts are
have been just another Roman device to legitimize
in essence helpful handbooks for the living to study
the building of elaborate ornate tombs in a decadent
and learn so that when deceased they can use its
materialistic society. Gifts were often left for the dead
teachings to reach their goal.
in an attempt to curry their favor, because most Romans believed that the dead could in many ways
Now in Greek mythology the underworld of the
affect the fortunes of those still living. In Roman belief,
afterlife, “hell” or Tartarus, ruled by the god, Hades
all souls went to a neutral afterlife unless the gods
was said to be located either underground or in an
judged them unworthy and in these cases; the souls
inaccessible location at the end of the earth. Its
were forced to wander in limbo for all eternity.
geography is probably the best documented of any ancient religion with five intersecting rivers forming its
In addition, a final noteworthy representation of
boundaries. These five rivers include the Phlegethon
European myths of Hell belongs to the Norse and/or
(river of fire), the Lethe (river of forgetfulness), the
Vikings. The location of Norse “Hell” called Niflheim or
Cocytus (river of lament) and finally the Styx (river of
Hel meaning the Abode of the Mist is described as
hate) and the Acheron (river of sorrow). The Styx and
being one of nine afterlife worlds, which overlapped
Acheron also served as a barrier between the land of
as part of two primordial realms, one depicted as an
the living and the realm of the dead, but for a small
area of intense fire and heat and the other
fee the Ferryman, Chairon, would provide safe
characterized by unbearable cold. Between these two
passage to Tartarus. Hence, it was a customary
realms, where fire met ice, the mist was created and
funeral practice to place a coin in the mouth of the
this area later became the land of the living.
deceased enabling them to pay the Ferryman.
Specifically the word Hel referred to a place reserved for those who did not die a heroic death and it is
Much of the Greek version of “Hell” was described as
thought that our word “Hell” is derived mainly from the
dungeon
Norse.
like;
but
there
were
other
destinations in special circumstances:
afterlife Asphodel
Meadows was reserved for neutral souls (Whatever that Means) and The Isles of the Blessed or Elysian Fields was a heaven-like destination for Greek heroes and the truly righteous. Many ancient Roman traditions are very similar to the Greek with only the names of the major players being romanized, for instance Hades was called Pluto. There were also a wide range of fringe beliefs concerning the afterlife that were constantly evolving,
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Voices to Visions October 2011
~ Traditions of “Hell” in the Americas
Mayans, spurred on by two heroic twins, caught on to the trickery and used it against the Lords of Xibalba, by using counterfeit sacrifices and other forms of lies and deception. In the end, the Lords of Xibalba were humiliated and ultimately defeated.
Now we arrive at the last major region of exploration into ancient traditions of “Hell,” the Pre-Columbian
In present day Mexico, the Aztecs had strong and
Americas. Furthest north are the Inuit, a people
very well defined beliefs in the afterlife. They believed
indigenous to the Arctic areas of North America,
in thirteen heavens, nine hells to be overcome with
whom today we might call Eskimos. Adlivun was their
the last and the transitional “Hell” called Mictlan,
name for the afterlife as well as the name for the
simply the realm of the dead; they also worshipped
souls of the deceased residing there. Not surprisingly
over thousands gods with the sun god being the most
given the geographical location of the Inuit people,
revered. Human sacrifice was an integral and
Adlivun is described as a frozen wasteland located
accepted part of the Aztec religion believing that
beneath the earth and sea. Souls of the Inuit must
these sacrifices pleased the gods and would bring
reside in Adlivun for one year, where they are
them favor. The people to be sacrificed viewed it as
imprisoned and purified by the Master of the realm,
an honor and joyful privilege; because they believed,
Sedna, in preparation for the journey to Quidlivun
their sacrifice would allow them to bypass the normal
(The Land of the Moon), where they will find eternal
paths and steps believed necessary for ordinary
joy, peace and rest.
people to arrive at the ultimate heaven.
Further south the Mayan‟s of Central America called
In Aztec culture, it was not the deeds you committed
their underworld Xibalba. The Mayan has thought that
in life but rather the manner of your death that
a map of the underworld was visible in the night sky
determined your pecking order destination in the
as a Dark Rift in the Milky Way. Mayan people also
afterlife.
believed
Lastly, we will explore the beliefs of the Incans of
that
there
were two
earthly physical
entrances to Xibalba, one was said to be in a cave
Peru.
near modern day Coban, Guatemala, and the other
counterparts were also polytheistic, worshipping
situated in a series of caverns near Belize. Xibalba
hundreds of gods, but they also worshipped deceased
was said to be ruled by twelve demon gods known as
ancestors and attributed god-like qualities to their
the Lords of Xibalba who had dominion over every
rulers. The Incan people appear to have had a strong
type of human suffering imaginable. Certain minions
belief in the existence of “heaven” a place of comfort
of these Lords were given specific tasks to carry out
and eternal well being called Hanan Pachua and
among the living in order to cause suffering and
“Hell” called Uca Pacha, a place of unending pain,
death. The vast underworld city of Xibalba itself was
hunger, cold, and suffering. Further, the Inca‟s
filled with, a constant barrage of difficult and often
believed that all noblemen, regardless of their earthly
confusing tests and obstacles to be dealt with, a
deeds, went directly to heaven while virtuous
hellish experience to say the least. Finally, at an
commoners had to earn their way into heaven, and
arbitrary time individuals were lead to a council
commoners who were judged to be on the cusp
chamber of the Lords supposedly to be judged, yet
between heaven and hell could tip the balance in
the true goal of the Lords was to use trickery to
favor of heaven by confessing their sins before death.
humiliate and further injure the dead souls and extort tithes and worship from the living. The plan of the Lords backfired according to legend, when the living
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The
Incans
like
their
Central
American
Voices to Visions October 2011
~ Descriptions of “Hell” in Modern Western Cultures My final entry on the subject of Hell will now focus on the beliefs of modern Western cultures with a major focus on Islam and Judeo-Christian traditions. I refrain from discussing Asian beliefs, as they have remained much the same in the Buddhist, Hindu and other such cultures for centuries. I will also omit further discussion of African tradition since it has been hugely impacted by the spread of Christianity and Islam particularly since the beginning of the 20th century. What remains are views of heaven, hell and the afterlife in general that are probably more familiar to this article‟s target audience. Starting with the oldest of the three Western religions with traditions and literature of a place often loosely translated as “hell” although this may have been erroneous, I will discuss the beliefs of Judaism. When I began researching Jewish traditional beliefs for this article, I was surprised by what I learned. From the earliest recorded history in the Torah, The Old Testament, and various other authoritative ancient texts the Jews used the term Sheol, defined as the place of the dead. I had assumed that Sheol was just another name for the afterlife or “Hell,” but according to scholars, the name meant exactly what it said, a place for the dead, or in other words a cemetery. It was a place of darkness where all the deceased went, whether they were righteous or immoral. There is abundant evidence that the early Hebrews had absolutely no concept of a soul that could live on after death or that there was any possibility of resurrection or a return from death to the land of the living or to Heaven. Nowhere is this belief demonstrated more clearly than in the Book of Genesis Chapter Two where it states, “Human beings, like the beasts of the field, are made of the dust of the earth and at death they shall return to that dust.” It was also believed that since it
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Voices to Visions October 2011 was the Jewish custom to bury family in family plots
possibility of reprieve. In the Zephaniah text, the ideas
the word Sheol was the name given to encompass
are simplified by representing only the faithful
the entire Jewish nation. Whatever cemetery they
awaiting their fate in the Bosom of Abraham
happened to be physically buried to imply a family
contrasted with a Greek idea of the other afterlife as a
burial plot thereby strengthening the Jewish bonds of
waiting place for the angelic Ferryman to transport
family and community.
souls to the afterlife, hopefully away from the Accuser (a possible reference to the Devil).
Around the year 200 BCE the Hebrew Bible was translated into a Greek text known as the Septuagint
Interestingly, Gehenna was originally the actual name
and in this translation the word Sheol was often
of a place located outside of Jerusalem, which served
translated as Hades, which was a Greek concept of
only as a place to burn refuse and the bodies of
the afterlife inhabited by the souls of the dead, an
executed criminals; but as time moved on its name
idea which up until this time was not conceived of by
was borrowed for use as an afterlife destination
Jews. As this idea gained more acceptances whether
possibly akin to “hell.� I will now move on to Christian
by decision or misinformation, Sheol was still not
ideology because many of Judaismâ€&#x;s beliefs and
regarded by Jews as a place of judgment or
depictions in art and literature were influenced more
punishment. In only two rare instances was it
or less by the writings of the New Testament, and the
documented that God took certain individuals of
historical events at the birth and during the evolution
extremely high merit from the land of the living directly
of Christianity.
into Heaven to live, without ever having to die. This is described when Enoch was assumed directly into
In Christian doctrine, Hell is seen as the eternal fate
Heaven and when Elijah was whisked away by a
of unrepentant or unredeemed sinners. Hell is
chariot of fire through a whirlwind directly into
described as a subterranean pit where damned souls
Heaven.
are punished unmercifully forever amidst fire and brimstone and is ruled by a fallen angel known as
Although these two cases were far from the norm, the
Lucifer, the Devil or Satan and hordes of demons.
idea did begin to take shape that it just might be
There is little hope of ever escaping Hell, but some
possible for people to live on after leaving this world
Christian theologians subscribe to the theory that at
and more daring still was the idea that we could
the end of the world all souls will eventually be
somehow join with the Creator in an afterlife.
reconciled with God, and return to Heaven.
Consequently in later texts, the non biblical, Book of Enoch, and later in The Apocalypse of Zephaniah;
Opinions differ as to when a soul is banished to Hell,
Sheol is first described as having four afterlife spiritual
some believe that people who have in life rejected a
regions and then is whittled down to a more
union with God are immediately dispatched at the
manageable two regions.
moment of their death, while still others argue that following death a soul is judged based on their deeds
In the first model the four regions include; a blissful
and a decision is then made to send a soul to either
place for the virtuous to await Judgment in the Bosom
Heaven or Hell.
of Abraham, a second area where fairly decent souls
This judgment has been simplified in recent times
could await their reward, the third known as Gehenna
because in the past, in addition to Heaven and Hell
where evil spirits are punished and await a final
possible destinations included Limbo which was a sort
judgment, and finally a spot where the unredeemable
of non existence for non believers and unbaptized
wicked go to suffer eternity in torment with no
babies and Purgatory which was a place for
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Voices to Visions October 2011 punishment, repentance, and general retraining in
According to the Qur‟an also spelled Koran in
preparation for their judgment.
anglicized writings, only God / Allah, knows who will go to Jahannam (hell) and who will go to Jannah
Views of Heaven and Hell also vary among Christian
(heaven), and how long they will remain there, with
denominations, notably in the Orthodox Churches.
one exception;
There is never any separation from God. All souls of
belief in Allah will go to Hell and remain there even
the living or the dead are in the presence of God at all
after Judgment Day. Offenses that are considered
times. The difference between a Heavenly experience
especially unpardonable include polytheism, failure to
and a Hellish one is in the eye of the beholder…to
perform obligatory daily prayers, and suicide. It is said
some being in God‟s presence may evoke feelings of
that in Jahannam (Hell), the mildest punishment
pain, guilt, and punishment; while others may bask in
available will be to have one‟s brains boiled over
joy and adoration in God‟s presence; and for one who
burning embers, which does not portend well for
hates God being in his presence could be the ultimate
those deserving more severe punishments. In any
torture.
case, Allah is the ultimate authority on who will be
Muslims who ignored or feigned a
sent to “Hell” and how long their stay will be; and the The Roman Catholic Church has offered no opinion
decisions of Allah are final. So concisely that is the
as to the actual existence of Hell, speaking only in the
basic information I have gleaned through my research
abstract by calling Hell a state “of being” and thus
about Islamic beliefs in Heaven and Hell.
among Catholics there remains an ongoing debate. Among protestant denominations there are also variations regarding the existence and nature of Heaven and Hell. However one statement made in the 17th century is widely used in conjunction with many of the variables and essentially it reads „the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the gospels of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and punished with everlasting destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power.‟ Distilling the Christian ideology to its simplest expression one must believe that all have sinned and deserve punishment, but only by a belief in Jesus Christ and his atonement for our sins can we be made right with God. Islam is the final culture I will examine here, and admittedly, it is the one that I know the least about. Hell is translated into Arabic as Jahannam a word also derived from the aforementioned Jewish term Gehenna, and as both names imply the Islamic version of “Hell” is a fiery inferno replete with punishments and torture.
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~ Conclusion As I mentioned at the onset of this article, the subject matter was overwhelming, the diverse global and historical views could fill a library, and the research could easily have occupied my time for years to come, so I was forced to offer my readers just a sampling of the multi-cultural information available on “Hell.” In my quest for brevity, I do apologize if I have omitted anyone‟s pet religion or cultural slant on this subject. Please feel free to do independent study on particular areas of personal interest…There is tons of information out there. In closing, it is my suggestion that the next time someone tells you to “Go to Hell” be sure to get specific directions or you might end up in the wrong Hell. By Karen Bashak In Loving Memory of My Beloved Dog Lindsey who Passed away on September 8th She was 18 years old…R.I.P.!
Voices to Visions October 2011
~ Ghosts of Haiti
staged a revolt. Rather than be toppled from power, the king shot himself with a silver bullet. His body was carried to the mountain top fortress as the royal palace was looted and burned. Here the king was buried in a vault. Legends say that the Citadel is haunted by the proud ruler. He is seen walking the walls dressed in his royal finery and crown. Others believe the fort is haunted by the specters of all the poor slaves used to build the monstrosity. Their shadowy forms, dress in rags, labor on, long after they were freed by death.
By Richard Senate The terrible earthquake that rocked Haiti has once again thrust this small nation into the headlines. Since independence, this land has endured misrule, natural disasters, and poverty, but few know that there is a link between the California Missions and Haiti. One of the early rulers of Haiti was Henri Christophe who ruled Northern Haiti as a king. His capital was known as Cap Henri (todayâ€&#x;s Cap Hatien) here he built eight palaces and a gigantic fort, Citadelle Laferriere, high in the mountains. The construction of the fort took 20,000 workers, many of them prisoners, who labored to build the thing. Many died in the project. He may have been an egomaniac, but King Henri did provide positive leadership for his country by writing a comprehensive law code and keep the economy sound. To man his fort and protect the kingdom he enlisted a
With the death of the king, the rebels re-established a
powerful army. A British company was hired to make
republic in Haiti. They disbanded much of the army
the colorful uniforms for the Haitian Army. Each of the
and tried to rebuild the economy shattered by the
uniforms was adorned with elaborate brass buttons
political disruption.
featuring a phoenix bird. Before the uniforms could be delivered, King Henriâ€&#x;s nine-year rule was brought to a close when the overweight monarch suffered a debilitating stroke. Seeing their leader, once powerful and in command, now weakened by illness, his troops
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It was at that point the English came with their uniforms and the bill for them. The new government rejected them and refused to pay for the uniforms (they may not have been able to
Voices to Visions October 2011 pay for them even if they wanted. The British
Nations Cultural Landmark. Her walls today are
merchants were left holding the bag. They tried to
manned by an army of ghosts lead by their colorful
unload the uniforms on other nations but even
king Henri. The uniform buttons grace museums all
marking them down found few buyers. No one
over California and the Pacific Northwest reminding
seemed interested in the brightly colored outfits.
us of a day when Haiti was a great nation. The motto
Some were sold to the Hudson Bay Trading Company
lives on and hopefully will inspire a new generation to
to barter with Native Americans for furs, another lot
rebuild and renew the island nation—“I am reborn
was purchased, sight unseen, by the young Mexican
from my ashes.”
Republic. The Mexicans picked them up for a song. The uniforms were sent to clothe the soldiers and lancers protecting the frontiers with many coming to the Presidios and Missions of Alta California. The outfits may have been rejected for troops in Mexico proper because they were an odd collection of colors. The Mexican Army at that time preferred uniforms to match the new flag of Red, White,
and
Green.
(Sometimes they settled for blue). However, with few alternatives,
the
odd
uniforms were welcome by the troops just as they were sought
out
by
Native
Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout
California,
archaeologists
excavating
mission sites have found the distinct Phoenix buttons made for King Henri‟s royal Haitian Army. Each button is marked with the regiment number and the Phoenix bird rising out of the flames. All have the motto of Haiti upon them in
* Photos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Christophe
French: “Je Renais De Mes Cendres” (I am reborn from my ashes). Two of these buttons can be seen at the Albinger Museum in Ventura but examples are found all up and down the coast of California and in the Snake River Valley and British Columbia. Today the hilltop fortress above Cap Hatien is a tourist attraction and it was recently named a United
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadelle_Laferri%C3%A8re
Voices to Visions October 2011
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Voices to Visions October 2011 101-Dictionary
¤The Creative Warrior, who masters myths and can use them to share wisdom. ¤The Rational Warrior, who avoids all types of fundamentalism. ¤The Energized Warrior, who can raise and direct energy. You'll learn to do this with toning, mantras, dance and drumming. ¤The Dreaming Warrior, who knows how to alter consciousness. ¤The Magickal Warrior, who knows and can do magick. ¤The Ritual Warrior, who helps revitalize rituals with knowledge, understanding, energy and love. ¤The Initiated Warrior, who knows and shares the value of true initiation.
• Goddess › Sage (Spider Woman)
~ Wiccan Archetypes • Goddess › Creator and Destroyer
~
Inserts
• Goddess ~ God › Mother and Father
Crone is known as the Dark Goddess in Wicca, the
• Goddess › Warrior and Guardian
Moon: Waxing, Full and Waning. She is also known
According to author Kerr Cuhulain there are eight
Medusa.
warriors within The Warrior Goddess Archetypes. He states it is not about the fighting, it is about your personally conquering and freeing yourself from any type of limitations. Bringing out your true creativeness
triple Goddess that relates to the three phases of the as the Goddess of Wisdom, Athene, Minerva and
Hecate is known to be as the Queen of Witches. She has power of the sky~earth~and underworld. She is inusable to humans but dogs can see her. She is
and being effective in your life.
supreme command of Magie the three ages of
http://www.llewellyn.com/product_excerpt.php?ean=9 781567182521&excerpt_id=1485
In Greek mythology: Upon the dead that have arrived
¤The Balanced Warrior, for whom all comes from the Divine and must be treated as such.
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women; maid~mother~crone.
in Hades, she would help them choose a path they deserved.
Voices to Visions October 2011
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Voices to Visions October 2011 Paranormal Team of the Month
American Society for Psychical Research and read them cover to cover as soon as I got them in my hands. I read everything I could on the subjects of the paranormal and metaphysics. My major through college was mainstream psychology (I almost moved to North Carolina to pursue a degree in parapsychology, though), but along the way I participated in a number of research experiments with paranormal groups in Michigan during the 1990‟s. In 2005, I joined a group in a permanent role as archive manager and we conducted many ghost hunts over the next few years. I split off on my own in 2009 to create my own group and it went through a few growing pains and incarnations before becoming the present-day Deep Forest Paranormal Society. While we are based in southeastern Michigan, I would like to go anywhere that our needs take us. I think our group has the right mix of members and a fresh perspective over the many other groups out there today. We are not just about going on ghost hunts, but would really like to stand out as a community resource and information center about paranormal phenomenon to help people learn that it is not all spooky or something to fear. In this respect, we are only a phone call away to field any questions people might have. This gives us a national, even a global, presence.
~ Interview with R. Wolf Baldassarro and his group from Deep Forest Society • Tell us about you, your group, and how you became involved in the paranormal field. What can I say about me? I have always been a bit of a subversive. (laughs) I have always had an analytical, creative, and contrary worldview, with a tendency to question everything around me. The questions, both raised and answered, by parapsychology fascinated me, which I think created a perfect companion to another area of interest during my college years when I started getting interested in pagan theology. I was subscribed to scientific journals from the American Parapsychology Association and the
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• Your background in psychology, how do you factor that knowledge in with paranormal phenomenon and how important do you feel that is for paranormal investigators? I think people tend to forget that this is a scientific endeavor. It is not just thrills and chills. Employing scientific method, principles, and theories of all sciences helps to better understand paranormal research, which itself lies somewhere in the cracks between the so-called mainstream sciences. My knowledge and experience with psychology comes into play in several ways. First of all, I apply the psychology of perception to events and incidents to try and see things from different angles; about how or why things are seen the way they are by a client- or by our own members, in fact. Sometimes it is not just the client‟s perspective that you have to consider. Through in-depth interviews with clients, I gain a
Voices to Visions October 2011 better understanding of their personalities and their worldview. This helps weed out the fakers and the scam artists, but it also helps to determine if there is something more medical at the root of the experiences. Another way in which my experience as a counselor in various mental hospitals aids me is in helping people understand and cope with paranormal activity. Sometimes people fear ridicule and that others will think they are crazy. Often people do not want their homes- their refuge- being haunted. People want to feel at ease in the privacy of their homes, not paranoid. These are serious factors that many groups overlook. They just hear of a case, come in with their toys, and leave the client with little follow-up or support.
• What if any, methods you and your team use differently, from a spiritual point of view, from other paranormal investigators? Wolf: Ambrosia and I are the two pagans of the group, but as a unit, we have a great respect for the religious and spiritual aspects of an investigation- be it the haunted or the haunter. We have used tarot decks and other items during investigations and tap into psychic abilities, but we keep it scientific. It is great to get a mental image, or feel something on a psychic level, but if it cannot be quantified, or backed up by a witness and hard data then it just gets relegated to the realm of personal experience. April: I grew up being raised Christian, but my grandmother was a believer in the “other side” (as she called it). She always said that, “If you are going to ask those that have gone on what they need or want to always pray for protection first.” So, I still do, but that would be as religious as I get prior to investigating.
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• With people that do not have a clear understanding about different, (paganism for instance) beliefs, do you feel that having different beliefs helps or hurts the ability to conduct an investigation? Wolf: Not at all. I think this actually provides a way to learn and grow from each other. The exact same paranormal phenomenon could be called many different things in various regions of the world, and even have elements that are slightly different that reflects the culture where the incident is recorded. Just like the saying that there are three sides to every story- yours, theirs, and the truth- these differences can only help an investigation by finding the common factors between them. The truth is not always cut and dry. It is often somewhere in between. Ambrosia: I believe the difference helps the group. It brings a variety of perspectives into an investigation. I love to learn about religions and having an open mind about other peoples‟ beliefs allows me to try to relate information in a way that incorporates those beliefs. It is also rewarding to give people other possible explanations about what may be going on.
• Stated in your article about “Environmental factors of Ghost Hunting,” has your team personally conducted an investigation to clarify that when the moon is full and you are at the location of where that person died, the activity for paranormal occurrences increases? No, we have not but I am eager to experiment with this idea. There are a lot of different avenues we can pursue with this theory.
Voices to Visions October 2011 • During an investigation you and your team had conducted, is there any one particular investigation where spiritual findings showed more validation of paranormal activity then scientific findings? I do not believe so. But, again, spirituality is just a personal and subjective thing that there is no way I would make a judgment one-way or the other about an investigation solely based on spiritual evidence.
Wolf: Oh, there are so many places on my wish list. Gettysburg for one. There have been so many investigations there, but to experience it for myself would be a personal and professional highpoint. And there are many locations around Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Michigan, that I have been itching to get into. Oh, yeah- and Eastern State Penitentiary! Racheal: Pearl Harbor. I would be nice to visit Hawaii, for one (laughs); but on a serious note- with all the tragedy that occurred, there are probably restless souls looking to communicate. April: Culloden Battle Field in Scotland, and Dunrobin Castle. Though, like Wolf, I would love to get to places in Michigan. Bell Telephone or Fife Lakes Battenfield House, for example. Ambrosia: I really do not have any particular place I would like to visit, just wherever our help is needed or requested.
• Wolf, tell us about Pareidolia and Apophenia. • Take us through the steps that your group conducts when in fact there are significant findings of paranormal activity within a residential location. Our group model is to conduct several investigations at various times to see if we can replicate the data collected. These include night and day experiments. Significant findings go through exhaustingly repetitive analysis to hammer out if it is in fact paranormal in origin before presenting it as evidence. But let us say, for arguments sake, that an investigation had such significant findings. First of all, we would put that evidence through rigorous analysis. At the same time, our model is to conduct several follow-up interviews with members and clients, and experimental sessions to see if we can replicate the data we collected, and to rule out, or confirm, all environmental conditions and the possibility of human contamination or perception mistakes.
• Is there any particular location you and your team would like to investigate, where would this location be and why?
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Pareidolia is an auditory condition caused by our brain trying to make sense of unfamiliar sounds by perceiving them as familiar sounds. Ever listen to Eddie Van Halen play with the wah pedal on his guitar and mimic English words? Same thing. In the case of an EVP, an observer is trying so hard to hear familiar words that false anomalies can be interpreted as those words. The tendency for a claimed voice heard in white noise recordings to be in the language of the listener, rather than in a foreign language is a common example. This one always baffles me. Ever wonder how a group can go to a foreign land, conduct their EVP session in English, and pick out only the English-sounding noises? A response might be in another language altogether different from the observers and the location. It is more paranoia than paranormal, but apophenia is similar to pareidolia in many ways; instead of picking out specific “words,” though, it involves finding a connection or meaning in things that are otherwise completely random, unconnected, and meaningless. Suppose someone has a chilling experience, then they begin seeing every little thing as further evidence of paranormal activity. The clock is 1/8 th of an inch
Voices to Visions October 2011 crooked; the drawer is slightly popped out, and so on.
• Which is more important to you and your team, proving the existence of paranormal phenomenon or finding how these phenomenons exist? Hands down, for me, would be in finding out how or why they exist rather than just proving they exist. There is more than enough anecdotal evidence throughout written history for the case that phenomenon exists, but no one can really satisfactorily explain WHY or how. As a group, we do not approach any situation by either trying to prove or disprove the claims. We go in, collect the data, and let it speak for itself.
• Wolf, share with us some insights of your book “A Ghost Hunters Field Guide.” The book was really born out of my desire to squash a really big pet peeve of mine. So many of these “groups” out there masquerading as paranormal investigators are nothing more than teenagers sneaking into cemeteries at night with a Kodak digital camera and a Sony audio recorder. They goof around, snap a few pictures, and then proclaim to the world “Look at these ghosts” and think they are professionals. Parapsychology has always had an uphill battle with claims that it‟s fake at worst and a pseudo science at best. Nothing about these groups helps that image and their evidence is highly questionable. “A Ghost Hunter‟s Field Guide” is my attempt at breaking that mold. Most of it will be familiar and useful to fans of the popular reality
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shows, but it delves much deeper into the seriousness of the science. It goes about showing how to honor and respect the field of paranormal research by understating the history, tools, theories, and techniques used; and gives clear examples of how to turn your own group into a respectable scientific organization. It is the perfect size to get a very good working knowledge of the field and take along with you on investigations for a quick reference. Interestingly, the book sells pretty well in the U.K. for some reason, too. ;)
• Ambrosia, tell us your paranormal experiences you have encountered during your involvement with Deep Forest Paranormal. I usually feel sensations or emotions from an environment when on investigations. There was a case where there was a heavy stressful feeling that went away when the family left for a while for us to investigate. I could feel the tension and it was interesting that the atmosphere of the house changed when they left. Many of the members of that team also picked up on the tension and the lack thereof as we conducted the investigation. Many times, the work is “boring” in the sense that you do not experience the active investigations as seen on TV with bumps in the night or chasing figures. Rarely do we hear anything until we go back and review the recorded sessions. Short of shadows or a flash of light in my peripheral vision, I have never experienced anything visually. It does give me goose bumps sometimes when we are reviewing evidence, as we will catch EVPs that we do not expect.
• Racheal, tell us how you got involved in the paranormal field. I have always found the paranormal interesting. I had the opportunity to have an investigation at my house and see firsthand how they operated. I was really impressed with Wolf‟s group and wanted to
Voices to Visions October 2011 learn and grow in the subject and I thought they would be good teachers. This also gives me a chance to develop my psychic abilities that I always believed I had, but no one believed in me.
The next step would be to listen to it repeatedly to try to determine what exactly is being said, and figure out what exactly everyone was doing at the time to see what elicited that response.
• April, Tell us about your training to become a paranormal investigator.
April: Curiosity. I mean, EVPs are amazing to get in any session. Then I would start looking for questions and possible answers. Why would he or she be asking for help? I would want to validate if that was indeed what was being said. What is the history of the area or the background research on the case and location.
Training is… interesting. I have a legal background and have been formally trained to “investigate” the living. There are many of the same principles that apply to paranormal research. When you investigate you use the five senses; the same applies to investigating the, what we per se “can‟t see.” (Especially when you are stumbling around in dark places) You have to be aware of yourself. During my job that would mean my surroundings and the location of my partner. The same here, with some exceptions. For example, simple, everyday items such as your earrings or watch can interfere with the validity of an investigation, reflections off of an object can appear in video feed and make you question if you have an actual moment of paranormal activity. There is nothing more disappointing to realize that the bit of light that you thought might be something was the reflection off of your watch. For all members:
• During your evidence review, if you heard an evp saying, “Help me” that was recorded on your digital recorder, what would your first emotional reaction be and what would you do from that point on. Wolf: My initial response would be excitement. I will not lie. I would be pretty giddy about it. EVPs are actually quite rare, so I would play it over and over again like a kid opening his favorite toy at Christmas. Then the seriousness would set in and I would look at the EVP in the context of what was being said during the session. Was he answering a question, or just blurting it out? Was there an emotional tone in the voice? It would have to go through extensive analysis before I would label it a legitimate EVP. At that point, the next step would depend on so many factors, but in the end, ghost or not, I would look for ways to help. Racheal: After I change my underwear, I would be excited, amazed, and scared all at the same time.
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Ambrosia: I would probably get chills at first, but my instinct would be that we need to find a way to help. We would need to kick research into overdrive to try to figure out who may be calling for help and find out if there was a way to help. Is it something that happened long ago that is just repeating itself or is it an active spirit calling for help? Another interesting way to approach the situation is could it be a person living in the environment calling for help on a spiritual or emotional level? There are so many things we don‟t know about what we cannot detect with our five senses; I think part of what we are trying to do as a group is find ways to delve more deeply into what evidence may mean and find ways to create repeatable experiments. If we detect a call for help, learning how we picked up that call or what may have been specific to the time it occurred could help us to pick up more calls for help in other places. If we are able to provide assistance from there, it would be even more rewarding!
Photos provided by Wolf Baldassarro Website: http://dfps.deepforestproductions.com/
Ancient Shamans believed the the lightning were spirits coming down from the sky from the
Voices tomessages. Visions Heavens bring October 2011
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Voices to Visions October 2011 and another day in a regular room, everything went
~ Words from experience
uphill.
August and September was the most enduring months our family went through. I can tell you that, from experience, life is too short to live by one‟s timid structure.
Breast Cancer, and underwent a double mastectomy. My sister Debbie and I flew out to Texas to be with her. That night before we flew out was the last cigarette I had. We stayed with Tara, kept her kids occupied, cooked, and cleaned for her. Tommy, her boyfriend stayed by her side every moment. Tara‟s recovery
and
mental
stability
has
been
overwhelmingly surprising. I think we have that effect on people. Tara is my hero. She took the bull by the balls and did what she had to do. She did not think about what people would think of her when she went through the surgery and the after effects. She, like most of us in our family, just said what the hell, do what you have to do, heal the best you can and carry We
went into Zombie mode. I could not move, nor could I speak. I could hear everything but could not respond. After hours past, I was getting better slowly. I started
In August, my little sister Tara, was diagnosed with
on.
I was zoning out or as my little sister, Tara would say
are
so
proud
of
her.
We
live
by
supportiveness, love, and laughter. Tara is back to work part-time after three weeks off, and living life with gusto.
to regain movement in my right side, but still having problems with my left side, slowly not speaking to whispering. After MRI‟s, cat scans and a lot of blood work, I seemed to be healthy. My brother Scott did go through the same incident that I went through only different, he did not have the loss of mobility, and the results had to do with the thickening of his blood. In addition, his experience happened at the same age as mine, forty-six. I was in the hospital for four days, two days in ICU. I did have a couple of “Zombie” episodes but they only lasted for a couple of minutes. One case I really wish did not happen in front of my parent in laws and my sister Debbie. I was extremely embarrassed to have them see me like that. Finally, on the third day I regained all my mobility, which I was so excited that I could walk on my left foot correctly. Overall, they do not know what really happened to me. On the other hand, we did find out that I do have other problems, I have blockage in my left c vein, and a pretty messed
Stephanie, who is my husband‟s niece who suffers
up back to the start of severe arthritis in my neck. I
from XXX, and now her and I share a similar
would have never known about those things if I did
experience.
not go through what I went through.
In September, I had my own personal experience that
However, I am not sure if this was a onetime episode,
I hope I never have to go through again.
a warning sign, or just the start of something new. Who knows…?
~ Zombie Zone While after having lunch with Don, Mom and Karen, Don and I went to Penney‟s to shop. I walked in the store and just did not feel “right.” There is a difference between feeling “good” and feeling “right.” We left and my left arm was numb and then my foot was getting numb. We drove to the hospital and from there on it was downhill but slowly during the two days in ICU
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When I stated this:
I am going out on a limb here, and thinking that when we do die, I would tend to believe that all of us would like to carry on some good within our souls. But if not, and there is so much angry that we held on to within our souls, that more or less gives bad energies to a soul? Moreover, maybe that is the reason why some of these souls are earthbound, because no one wants
Voices to Visions October 2011 to have an angry, negative soul filled with bad memories to be used in a physical form.
something negative, find out your facts first before
So when paranormal investigators fuel the provoking and out calling to these lost souls, is that really helping them heal?
~ Would I see anyone? Who would these spirits be?
I can tell you that I did have moments thinking that
I think when we are told that there is a tunnel with a
one of three things might happen to me. One, I would come out being normal. Two: I would be paralyzed in some way. Three: be dead. So thankfully, the path was option one. I do know the thought of option two and option three had crossed in my mind. So let us talk about option three. Death. So if I have died. When I did have a zombie moment (zoned out episodes), I cannot explain it. It was just the feeling of daydreaming. The feeling was nothing bad, painful or astral projective, just “ahh with some huh and frustration.” I did think about what if I did not “wake up” from this zombie mode, what if I just stayed there, what was I going to see, hear, and experience?
~ I can hear you In my experience, I do know we can hear you, we just
assuming anything.
white light is what we see before we do pass away is a comforting serene vision. I know my mom sure as hell did not see a tunnel, because she was grasping at something, maybe she was trying to catch fireflies, or picking flowers. Whatever it was she was grasping for something. When I did have one of my “zombie moments,” I can tell you I saw whatever it was right in front of me at that time, and anything left, right, top, or bottom was blurry. Granted that this was nowhere close to a near death experience, but it was close enough for me to feel closer to another aspect of life. I do know that being how I am; I most likely would be earthbound until further notice. I would be finding out why, how, and figuring out ways to communicate. Would there be other spirits like me that I would meet and who would they be?
cannot respond to you. We might be able to answer
Being in the hospital and going through this zone out,
you with a blink or a moan. One blink is yes, two
if you will, could I have seen a spirit? Could they have
blinks is no.
talked to me? Since my episodes did not last that
Could this also apply with how the spirits can communicate? Pay attention to the moaning sounds, as if long moans could mean something and a short moan means another thing, so listen carefully to the tone. A laugh could be a couple of short moans and discomfort could be a long moan. The moans you might capture on your digital recorders might truly mean that this person was in some type of constriction or was unable to speak. I really think it could be that. However, some moans could be taken as a growl, maybe there was a blockage within that
long, it is hard to answer those questions. However, I do believe during that time you do shut out the physical reality, you just might actually experience something deeper in a spiritual reality.
~ Closing I cannot tell you want to do with your paranormal group or how your conduct your investigations, but after having this sort of light brush experience I can share with you what I feel is right for the other side.
person‟s throat that had passed away and that the
Therefore, would it be too hard to ask those in the
sound that comes out could to be taken as the sound
paranormal field to consider this:
of a growl. So do not always take a growl sound as
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Voices to Visions October 2011 ~ Please, respect all aspects of the paranormal. ~ Please, respect those who have passed on.
energy, filled with activities you do not love to do, memories of unhappiness?
Remember that they were real people, lived, and
So feed your soul with energy that makes you happy,
breathed just as if you did.
energy that gives you love and as well as fueling
~Do everything you can to help them. ~Take your time on your investigations and try hard to be able to visit that location on a weekly basis. Moreover, this does not mean you have to do it at night. I know that my shadow time is 11am to 2pm. That is always not a guarantee, these spirit appear when it is their time to appear. ~Do not pester or drill them with stupid questions. ~Do not do this as a thrill, or circus show. ~Do not call this hunting. ~ Do respect the spirits, do give them their space, do treat them as you would another real person, and do find out ways to comminute with them but can we try to learn communicating in a different way. ~Do know the history, the people and layout, and most important, LISTEN. Just listen. I know I preach this all the time, and unfortunately, I do not have the open financial checkbook to visit all beautiful places where these spirits reside. I do what I can do, while I can at this moment. Speaking for the respect and dignity of these spirits, because I feel no one is really listening to them. While I strongly believe there are more good spirits on this earth plane then bad spirits, just like real people, we only hear about the bad ones. While I was being “tested” by a psychologist in the ICU after my “Zombie” modes, he did say something that really impressed me, “Feed your Soul.” Very well said. Think about this, when you pass away, your soul goes somewhere. What you fill your soul with goes with you. Do you want your soul filled with negative
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others with happiness and love, and one thing you can do is just be kind. You are the only one that can truly make yourself happy and when you are happy, full of life, then everyone around you will be happy and just maybe your happiness will carry through to the spirit world. ~alice My spirit symbols. Get the tee: http://www.zazzle.com/ladykassie
Voices to Visions October 2011 It is amazing how people can change your life; it is amazing how incidents and paths change your zest for something you are so passionate about and thrive to understand. As of this time, I am putting the time creating this Magazine on hold for now. It was an extremely long thought process for me to consider and to make this final decision. To understand more, please read our October Issue. This site will still be up and magazines will still be available. I might post a note on facebook or on our blog and even pop in an investigation over at Dust and Shadows. I would still love to hear all your stories and your findings of paranormal experiences you encounter, email me at editor@voicestovisions.com I loved with all my heart and soul creating this magazine. I am not totally closing the magazine out, nor my paranormal group, Dust and Shadows. I am just taking time to restructure my life with my husband, after dealing with so many issues within the last couple of months. We still do not have answers about what and why this incident happen to me, but maybe there is some reason, which I am not supposed to understand and just go with it. Now my little sister, Tara, whom I love so much, is going through hell during her chemo sessions, please send her happy thoughts and warm hugs. Someday, I will be able to do all this side by side with my little sister, Tara, to do more research, conduct more paranormal investigations to find out more information about the spirit world and write about what we have learned and experienced. I want to thank everyone that I interviewed and contributed his or her time, information, and knowledge for this magazine. I want to thank Karen, Cheryl, and Richard for their articles. Jesselee for his artwork. (((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))) to everyone. ~alice
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Voices to Visions October 2011 * Would you like to use our artwork in your magazine, blogs , website or flyers?
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