Signs of Spirits

I am a strong believer that when we die, we don’t just evaporate into thin air; that our souls pass from this world—with all the knowledge and experience we gathered while we were alive—into the afterlife. Some people call it heaven, Pagans refer to it as Summerland, but whatever belief system you have there is some form of afterlife. Except maybe if you’re a Nihilist.

 

What happens to us after we die, is a mystery, but I belief we beings of energy who come and visit our living (for lack of a better word) relatives. I call these beings Spirits.

I went to see a medium several years ago, and the main thing I took away from his seminar was that spirits take their cues from us. If we don’t want to know they’re around, they won’t give us hints that they’re present. If we do want to communicate, they’ll let us know they’re around. For the longest time I was seeing dimes all over the place. I could walk through the kitchen and see nothing but a bare floor. Walk back through the room later on and see a dime right in my path. I’ve heard coins are a favourite sign of theirs to alert a relative of their visit.

 

Spirits let us know they’re around by other signs as well. Did you catch a whiff of a perfume or smell that reminded you of your Grandmother? That was probably her, just saying hi. Were you stressed out and smell something that reminded you of your father or Grandfather and suddenly felt calm? Yup, good chance they knew you were upset and chose to visit you, just to say everything is all right and I’m here for you.

 

In the spring of 2009, we lost our beloved dog Sara. Best dog we ever had. That summer we did some renovating (the living room) and instead of putting down carpet (because we couldn’t afford it) we painted the floor white. We did it one Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning we got up, and off along the wall, I saw a footprint in the pain. It wasn’t a typical print. The cats walked on it the floor too, so we could tell the difference. It looked more like a smudge of her paw print and I smiled knowing she was still walking around our home.

 

Keep this in mind the next time you catch a familiar scent on the breeze or hear the favourite song of someone who has passed. It could be them stopping in to see how you’re doing.

 

Have you had any experiences with Spirits?

Mythical Wednesday: Most Haunted Places in Ontario

Ontario and Quebec are two of the oldest provinces in Canada. They were, in fact, the beginnings of this country and saw many a battle fought over the land. The War of 1812 took place in Southwestern Ontario, and even though this country is ‘young’ compared to the European countries, there is just as much paranormal activity here as anywhere. Here are just a few examples of haunted places around Ontario.

 

Georgian Bay – Cove Islands Lighthouse 

A lighthouse keeper can be a solitary and lonely occupation. Even with a spouse you’re cut off from the community due to the isolated areas that these buildings need to occupy. Never-the-less, the idea of a ghost inhabiting your post can be un-nerving.

http://www.torontoghosts.org/index.php?/20080820330/Central-Ontario/Georgian-Bay-Cove-Islands-Lighthouse.html
Hamilton – Albion Falls

The specter of Jane Riley has been seen since her suicide, and some tourists have witnessed her fatal fall repeating itself. Other paranormal activities are disembodied voices and there have been reports of Riley herself, speaking to some people, light anomalies, general feeling of unease and of being watched.

 

 

Peterborough – The Peterborough Lift Lock

This site is cursed by an anonymous woman who was burned alive at the stake in the 1840s. This curse was responsible for the large number of accidents. Disembodied faces have been seen looking out of the tunnels by tourists. Other paranormal activities include light anomalies, spectral footsteps, unexplained smells, spectral footprints and disembodied voices and screams. Men have been attacked by the burned woman’s spirit who may be the sorceress. Apparitional suicide victims are seen both in and at the Lock by tourists.

 

Turtle River – White Otter Castle

James Alexander McOuat’s apparition has been seen by tourists both in the castle and in the surrounding area since his tragic death in 1918 due to drowning while netting fish. Mysterious noises are reported by investigators to come out of this castle.

 

If you are interested in reading more hauntings around Ontario, I found this site that offers haunted places by region.

http://www.torontoghosts.org/index.php?/Haunted/The-Province-Of-Ontario/

Mythical Wednesday: Haunted places of Eastern Ontario

I found a list of some reportedly haunted places in my area. Some, like Kingston Penitentiary are well known for their inhumane conditions, while others were a surprise.

1. Before Ottawa was renamed, it went by the name Bytown, after Colonel John By who oversaw the construction of the Rideau Canal between 1826 and 1832. This building, originally constructed for storage and later a museum to commemorate Ottawa’s early history, is said to be haunted by the colonel himself along with his assistant General Duncan McNab. Curators claim electronic equipment including televisions going on and off by themselves and strange messages appearing on computer screens in empty rooms. Male voices yelling and saying “get out”. Anonymous female visitors have been pushed hard in empty rooms.

2. The Chateau Laurier is said to be haunted by the spirit of Charles Melville Hays, a victim of the Titanic. Most known for his dream of uniting Canada by the railroad, he returned on the ill-fated ship to be a part of the grand opening of the hotel. His spirit is said to be seen by guests and staff members throughout this hotel as well rattling walls and moving objects are credited to him.

3. Cornwall Jail in Cornwall. Paranormal activities include apparitional women and children roaming the halls, spectral sounds of a man humming, sounds of crying, and mysterious footsteps. Security guards also have been reporting about shadowy figures walking through the halls and cells. Cell doors that are left to be open are later found shut. Other paranormal activities are mysterious smells, light anomalies, doors open and close on their own, lights turn on and off by themselves, feelings of being watched by specters, unwanted and unease, unexplained smells and cold spots.

4. Fort Henry in Kingston. The ghost of Nils von Schoultz, the leader of a failed American invasion who was hung for treason, is said to be haunting the fort. The area where the gallows where is still there, although the gallows were torn down over one hundred years ago. Other paranormal reports are objects move by themselves, doors open and close by themselves, feeling of being watched, apparitional footsteps, disembodied voices and light anomalies.

5. Kingston Penitentiary in Kingston. The ghost of a prisoner by the name George Hewell, who swore revenge on the security guard who took his life in 1897, is said to still haunt the prison. Hewell was not a model inmate and would frequently attack both guards and inmates. In one of these attacks, he chose the wrong guard, and in order to protect his own life, the guard was forced to take Hewell’s life. With his dying breath, Hewell swore revenge on his killer.

Are there any haunted places near you? Have you been to them?

Haunted places around world: Gettysburg, United States

Mankind’s history is riddled with tragedy and grief. These strong emotions leave behind a powerful energy, and sometimes other things as well. Some of the most haunted places on earth have several things in common; a great many deaths, and great emotional pain.

In July of 1863, one of the most traumatic events in America’s young history played out on the fields of Gettysburg, and scarred the landscape so severe, that to this day, it’s considered one of the most haunted places in the United States. In three days, fifty-one thousand lives were lost at the battle of Gettysburg, a clash heralded as one of the most bloodiest in American history. A death toll like that has left behind what some people believe, are the ghosts of both Confederate and Northern soldiers.

Yet it’s not all soldiers that are said to haunt the small town. The only civilian to be killed in the war is said to still haunt the home where she lived and died. Jennie Wade lived in Gettysburg with her family. It’s said she was killed by a Confederate sniper who was taking aim at the houses that were helping the Union army.

http://july1863.homestead.com/jenniewade.html

There is also a legend that another house in Gettysburg is haunted by the second woman who ran the local orphanage – Rosa Carmichael. Established for the orphans of soldiers who died at Gettysburg, the orphanage was a safe haven for ten years, until Rosa took over. Accusations of torture by her were proven accurate and she was charged and found guilty of aggravated assault. The orphanage closed in 1877, but residences say her angry spirit still haunts the property.

Poltergeist: Ah those noisy ghosts!

I think out of all the possible hauntings, nothing is more scary to me than a poltergeist. Sure, there are dark and evil forces, but the noisy ones I think are the worst. If my eyes are closed, then I can’t see the spectre or dark shadow, but I would certainly hear the noise a poltergeist would make.

Taken from the German word for ‘noisy ghost’, stories of poltergeists have been around since ancient times, and often live up to their name. Known for moving or throwing objects and making as much noise as possible, their activity can escalate until it becomes harmful or even fatal. In most cases, people often mistake a ghost haunting with a poltergeists, mostly in part to the Steven Spielberg movie of the same name. While the movie depicted ghostly apparitions, scary skull-spiders and the infamous maggoty porkchop (not to mention that nasty Tequila worm), in reality, these things have nothing to do with an actual poltergeist haunting.

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/newage/the-five-stages-of-a-poltergeist.html

Many people have tried to explain what exactly a poltergeist is. Most feel that it has nothing to do with a ghost or spirit and that it could be some sort of psychokinesis energy created by the brain or the physical expression of psychological trauma. Most times a natural explanations is the cause, including electromagnetic interference.

http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Poltergeist-Activity.htm

Whatever the case, one thing is known; poltergeist are not a rare or isolated occurrence. With documented cases dating back almost to the beginning of written history, this phenomenon will continue to torment innocent people well into the future.

Have you ever had a run-in with a poltergeist? 

Mythical Wednesday: Do you believe in haunted houses?

So, do you?

Nothing conjures the mind more than the idea of a haunted house. A decrepit place where the structure is falling apart, and the whole thing looks like it could collapse under its own weight at any moment. This is how we vision them, but many haunted houses are occupied with not only the dead, but the living as well.

So how do you know a house is haunted? Spooky sounds? Strange apparitions? Maybe you moved in and one of your new neighbours told you about it? Are the spirits friendly? Angry? Do they moved things around or misplace items? Let me tell you about my experiences.

For nine years we lived in an old horse barn that had been converted into two apartments. Our livingroom was over the bottom apartment’s bedroom, and vice-versa. You could hear what went on downstairs from the heating vent in our bedroom, and more than once I would hear low talking coming from downstairs in the middle of the night. One problem, they were either asleep or not at home. Strange thing was, when I talked to the neighbour about it, she said the exact same thing; that through the heating duct in their bedroom, they could hear low talking coming from our livingroom!

Yet it wasn’t just that. Some nights, I didn’t like the way the shadows looked in one corner of the bedroom. A door to the bathroom was off our room, and I would sprint to get there, and sprint back. Then there was the times I would find appliances unplugged shortly after I used them. It got to the point where I would make a mental note that I left the toaster plugged in, and yet come out twenty minutes later and it would be unplugged.

Whether they were good or bad spirits, I don’t know and they didn’t follow us because everything’s been fine since we moved. I’ve often heard experts say that a house isn’t haunted, rather the land is, as the land is older than any structure. Makes sense.

So, again I ask, do you believe in haunted houses?

Mythical Wednesday: Do you believe in ghosts? (with pictures)

Every culture on the planet has some sort of myth or belief about the afterlife and almost all of them incorporate ghosts in some form. I find that Western culture is too quick to dismiss evidence of spirits or ghosts, even though a good percentage of the population believe in them or have had some run-in or experience with them.

That being said, the link below will take you to a page with some very interesting pictures. Whether or not they are real (as in unedited) is uncertain, but it does make one stop and think.

http://paranormal.about.com/od/ghostphotos/ig/Paranormal-Photo-Gallery/Sleep-Study-Spirit.htm

So what do you think? Are you a skeptic or a believer?