Oct - Spirit Society of PA

Spirit Society of PA.
A P P A R I T I O N S
A Monthly Journal of News & Upcoming Events • Vol 16, Issue 10 - OCT 2011
“ROO’s” BOOS - Notes from SSP Founder Kelly Weaver
Happy Halloween! I’m very happy to see the sun shining
through my bedroom window this afternoon. Last month we
had to cancel our September SSP meeting due to the flooding
in the area. I hope everyone is safe, dry and recovering from
the water damage during this “over the top” weather.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES & RESEARCH
CENTER john and I recently visited Rick Fisher’s newly
opened Museum of Mysteries in Columbia, where we offered
some input on the displays and I assisted with some arranging. (Kelly was formerly
the Display Manager
for Pomeroys and Hess’
Department Stores)
The collection of “ET”
memorabalia seen at RT
is just a fraction of the
vast number of artifacts
Rick has assembled.
Along with exhibits on
how ETs, Ghosts and
Bigfoot have affected
our culture, relics such
as Ouija boards and
other spirit communication/detection devices
are displayed. Rarities such as bark from the tree where the
Flatwoods Monster appeared and samples of a strange material from Roswell NM are also exhibited as are numerous casts
of cryptid imprints. The museum library contains one of the
largest collections of books on the paranormal in the country,
including a huge number donated by noted researcher Rosemary Ellen Guiley (for which a special section named in her
honor will soon be dedicated). The daily admission charge of
$5 includes access to all books and literature. Rick plans to be
open to the public Oct. 15; future plans for this non-profit venture include workshops and lectures by noted experts. We’re
happy to support Rick in seeing his vision for this unique facility come true! For more details, visit www.paranormalpa.net
Freaking out my Sister
For whatever reason, as long as I can remember, I’ve always
loved playing “tricks” on my sister. She is still afraid of me to
this day and never fails to remind me of some of the past ‘situations’ I’ve put her in. ( I’m giggling here) O.K., So she was
really mad when I failed to mention the active ghosts in the
bedroom she inherited after I went to college. And, well...
There was the haunted farm house in Halifax, where she spent
Halloween night, alone in the woods, with the restless spirits
of the house. (I was at a Halloween party). “Oh, shoot, I forgot to mention ‘them’” I said after seeing her panic stricken
face while she was holding a butcher knife huddled up on the
couch. Sorry, I get great pleasure at doing these things to her.
Always did, always will.
Well, here is something that I could not control and I can only
think my subconscious
mind was having some
‘fun’ with her again.
On Aug 18, I was scheduled to host a luncheon
for a tour group at Alfred’s Victorian restaurant. I was not feeling
well when I woke up in
the morning and continued to feel worse as the
morning progressed. I
had to cancel my appearance and I spent the rest
of the day in bed. I’ve not
felt that bad for years!
I was going in and out of sleep, half paying attention to the
television and the other on feeling relief. At one point I ‘knew’
my sister was here. I ‘saw’ her walking (in my minds eye),
around the yard and was hoping she would not look in my
window and scare me. Paybacks can be a bitch! Teddy was
barking. It was a bark that I knew he was familiar with the person at the door. Teddy’s job is to guard the house and I always
praise him when he does bark. (More on that later)……..
I continued going in and out of sleep the rest of the afternoon.
The next day I woke up feeling a lot better. I called my sister to see what she was up to and to tell her that I had been
sick. When she answered the phone, she sounded strange. She
wanted to come see me. When she got here, her eyes were
wide open and her voice was shaking. She then went on to tell
me that I ‘disappeared yesterday.’ Really? What was I up to
while my physical body was sick in bed? She told me her version of what she saw that Wednesday morning.
“I arrived at the house to drop in and see if you were in the
pool. I heard a strange noise coming from the wires. It was
squirrels who were making a lot of noise. There were people
walking by with their kids and dog. I heard the front door
open, and you hung your head out the door and said, ‘Hey Lisa,
what are you doing?’ ” She told me about the noisy squirrels. I
told her that I’d be out in a minute. I was wearing a teal colored
shirt and shorts. I closed the door. She figured I would come
to the pool through the sunroom door. I did not show up, I did
not answer the door.
“Teddy started barking when I looked in the front window.”
She said. “I saw your purse on the couch and the newspaper.
The television was on. All of a sudden you screamed for ‘Teddy to shut the hell up!’” (In the meanest voice she remembers
well. Sorry, still giggling)…
She tiptoed away from the porch telling Teddy to be quiet,
mommy is mad. She figured that she was interrupting something and that I was not going to be out or let him in. She sped
off…
Well, I knew she was here when she was, (we verified the times
when Teddy was barking). I was in bed in a black summer
dress, not the teal blue shirt. I could barely walk or move and
was very dehydrated. No, my astral body was out and about
while my physical body was recuperating! Sorry for scaring
you, Lisa. Whahhhh-aaaaaaahhhhhh.
Make the Music Stop
A friend of my mother phoned her last week to ask a question
of her ‘psychic daughter.’
There seems to be some rather unusual phenomena in her development. This is what she related to my mother:
“About six months ago, we lost our neighbor to suicide. It was
a tragic event. He had broken up with his girlfriend after they
came home from a vacation. It seems she was using him for his
money.
While she was packing her things, she was playing very loud
Classical music. He hated it. He begged her to turn it off. She
was reviewing her CD’s to pack and trying to drive the man crazy.
He kept asking her to turn down the music, but it fell on deaf
ears. He stood in the archway of the room and shouted to her
that he will stop the music. He shot himself in the head.”
Over the months contractors have been renovating the condominium. Both homeowners on either side of the man’s home
are hearing loud music at all hours of the day and night. Even
when the house is empty.
They feel a vibration in their home which they describe as a
thump, thump, thump of someone playing loud music even
when there is no music playing at the time.
“Do you think the man is somehow back here?” was her question. I think he is still stuck in the hell of that music and his
spirit is earthbound. I hope he can find his way home and leave
the suffering behind.
(No word yet if anyone may seek our assistance, but with this
sort of activity manifesting, it suggests whoever moves into this
condo may have an introduction to the paranormal. - JDW)
SHC HAPPENS (REALLY!)
As the following story relates, Spontaneous Human Combustion has
been officially recognized as causing the death of an Irish man. I view
this as vindication for Larry Arnold.
Ever since first meeting Larry some
20 years ago in the old ‘Skywatch’
group, I’ve followed his unabated
attempts to confirm the existence of
this bizarre phenomenon. Larry Arnold has pursued this with the integrity and professionalism that
is sometimes sorely lacking in fortean and paranormal research
and both Kelly and I have long held him in high regard. We’re
very proud to count this dedicated researcher as a friend and colleague! Some comments from Larry: “Already interviewed by
Irish media. Trying to learn more! Seems forums/message board
aren’t allowing us to post anything. Curious! Maybe Joe Nickell at work!!! Blame it on Irish whiskey! Might also make the
burn scene smell sweeter! HAHAHA.” (Given Larry’s sense of
humor, he’ll have no issue with “Flamer” pic I’ve used) - JDW
Irishman Died from Spontaneous Human Combustion, Inquest Finds (excerpted from the Belfast Telegraph 9/23/11)
A man who burnt to death in his own home died from spontaneous human combustion in what is believed to be the first
case of its kind in Ireland. Michael Faherty (76) -- also known
as Micheal O Fatharta -- died as a result of the phenomenon,
spontaneous human combustion, according to coroner Dr Kieran McLoughlin. He said it was the first time in his 25 years
of investigating deaths that he had returned such a verdict.
An experienced garda crime scene investigator and senior fire
officer both told Mr Faherty’s inquest in Galway that they
could not explain how he came to be burnt to death. Nor had
they come across such an event before. No trace of an accelerant was found at the scene and there was no sign that anyone
else had entered or left Mr Faherty’s home at 64 Clareview
Park, Ballybane, Galway city.
In reply to the coroner, Gda O’Callaghan said the only damage
was to the remains, to the floor underneath him and to the ceiling above. The body had been totally burnt.
Dr McLoughlin asked the garda if he had ever seen anything
like this and he replied “no”. The inquest heard that fire officers
were unable to determine the cause or the origin of the fire that
killed Mr Faherty. Asked if he had ever seen anything like it,
Mr O’Malley replied, “I can’t say that I have.”
Pathologist Prof. Grace Callagy noted in her post-mortem findings that Mr Faherty had suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension but she concluded he had not died from heart failure.
His body had been completely cremated, and because of the
extensive damage to the organs, it had not been possible to
determine the cause of death.
Dr McLoughlin said: “This fire was thoroughly investigated
and I’m left with the conclusion that this fits into the category
of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation.”
Melissa Telesha found this Oct.31, 1974 article from a PA
newspaper (uncertain which one). Another ‘74 article follows
Halloween Has Long History
Old timers say cars or furniture aren’t built today like they used
to be. Prices aren’t what they were either. The average American income isn’t what it used to be either. Many things aren’t
the way they used to be, including Halloween.
Most accounts date the beginning of Halloween with the
Celts—the ancient settlers of what now is Great Britain. At that
time it was celebrated by these pagan people to end the harvest
season and welcome the winter.
To the Celts, Halloween was a time of sadness, fear and mystery.
People performed various rituals to ward off evil spirits because
during this era there was a strong belief in good and bad fairies.
On the eve of Samhaim, bonfires were lit on the highest hills.
In Wales, according to one account, hilltop fires were lit and
watched by the people until all the red flames had turned to
ashes. After this, the people raced down hill. The devil, according to their belief, would get the last one down.
In ancient Rome, a date was set aside for special religious observances. On that day the people prayed for martyrs who had
died for a noble cause, such as religion or country. According
to one source, “It was a time set apart for praying for the dead.
That date was November 1, and was known as Feralis.”
Following the Roman invasion of Great Britain, the Celts’ customs gradually changed to conform to Rome’s. As the Christian religion spread throughout the country, many pagan observances ceased. Eventually, the Celts celebrated Feralis.
In Great Britain the name changed from Feralis to Halligan, or
All Hallows Eve. It eventually was shortened to Halloween.
Halloween was celebrated in different ways. The Irish built
bonfires, according to The Book of Festival Holidays. “They
built bonfires on hilltops to offer encouragement to the waning sun and to provide a warm welcome for visiting spirits and
ghosts that walked about in the night.”
Residents of Great Britain threw stones, vegetables and nuts
into the bonfires to frighten away spooks or evil spirits.
“Fearful of spooks, the people began to hollow out turnips and
pumpkins and fill them with lighted candles to scare away evil
spirits from inside the house,” according to The Book of Festival Holidays. The jack-o-lantern was a direct result of this. According to tradition and folk tales, an Irish Jack, too wicked for
Heaven and expelled from Hell for playing tricks on the devil,
was condemned to walk the earth forever.
Trick or treat was initiated by the Irish, too. Irish farmers traveled from house to house, soliciting food for the village Halloween festivities. The farmers did this in the name of Muck Olla—
the ancient god of the Irish clergy. Prosperity was promised to
cheerful givers and threats were made against cheap donors.
According to English custom, children dressed up in each other’s clothing wearing masks to go begging from door to door
for “soul cakes.”
History books have called the United States a melting pot. This
is true in our celebration of Halloween. In this country, we have
incorporated the Irish jack-o-lantern, the English disguise and
door to door search of candies, fruit or cookies.
Curiously, 20th century customs for Halloween celebrations
have evolved from late 19 century United State’s customs of
providing entertainment for children in order to stop neighborhood pranks or vandalism.
Soaping windows is great fun to many kids. So is dressing up
in costumes, homemade or otherwise. Watching Halloween parades is fun. Customers change, but celebrations don’t.
Student Makes Hobby Of Hunting Haunted Houses (1974)
FLORENCE, Ky. (UPI) — It’s Halloween the year around
for Jim Walton. As a hobby, he’s become a “haunted house”
hunter. Armed with infra-red camera film and a tape recorder,
Jim Checks out reports of weird sights and sounds in houses
alleged to be haunted.
The 20-year-old northern Kentucky State College student recently placed newspaper ads asking people who believed they
lived in haunted houses to contact him. “I was swamped with
calls,” he reported. But Jim’s detailed “preliminary investigation” — interviews to separate kooks from those who might really have ghosts on their hands — left only a few real possibilities.
“A couple of houses showed potential for being haunted,” he
decided. “That is, there appeared to be something going on
there that couldn’t be answered right away.”
Jim’s “field work” is continuous and he maintains he “really is
approaching this from a scientific viewpoint.” “I try to keep a
totally open mind on the subject,” he says. “And to be honest,
so far I can’t say I’ve found a truly haunted house. But I’ve
reached the point where I’m convinced there are some people
who truly believe their houses are haunted.” Jim is especially
interested in spending more time in one local house where “the
residents report the doors open and shut by themselves, lights
go on and off and bottles and glasses crash during the night.”
Jim was there for a lightblinking episode and he’s still checking to see if it can be explained by a faulty electrical hookup.
His tape recorder also has captured some mysterious ”tappings,” and they too are unexplained.
He figures the only way to photograph the ghost who might be
causing the commotion is with infra-red film, but so far nothing
positive has developed.
Does he plan to do any “field work” Halloween night. “No,”
he says, “Halloween is just a commercial holiday.”
Comments: Melissa sent this to Rick Fisher and I, noting the
use of Infrared nearly 40 yrs ago. I had shot a roll of IR photos
during a college photography course in the 70s, but of course
was not yet involved with ghosthunting. It was horribly expensive - especially the developing cost. Much easier using digital
w/IR filters today! Find it interesting that this fellow did a preliminary interview to eliminate ‘kooks’ - something we learned
to do with SSP over the years. I did some searches to see if a
Jim Walton might still be involved in the paranormal but found
nothing; given the rapid growth of the field since the mid-90s,
and the current wave of ‘para-reality’ shows, would be curious
to learn his current perspective of the paranormal. JDW
Kelly recently rode
along while I raced
karts at Summit
Point and on the way
home we stopped to
show her the quaint
‘time-warp”
town
of Middleway, WV.
(Home of the legend of Wizard Clip,
a 1770s haunting
which ultimately involved a Catholic
Church authorized
exorcism) She was
totally ‘creeped out’
(rare for her) by the energy around an old abandoned tavern in the center of town, which had
been used as a CSA hospital following Antietam.
She particularly felt negative stuff around the rear
and quickly pointed to this 2nd story window (I
took of shot of her pointing) Unnoticed until enlarging later was this eerie ‘profile’ seen in the
broken glass. Surely just a coincidence, but then...
Coming Sat. Oct. 15 -
GHOST TOURS & MORE
of MECHANICSBURG
Coming Oct 15 & 16, 2011:
PA MUFON Philadelphia Conference
Sat Speakers: Joe Marra, John Ventre,
Linda Moulton Howe, Bill Birnes, Bill Weber
Sun Speakers: Col Robert Dean, Maj George Filer,
Jerry Jonas, Chris Augustin
Full details at www.mufonpa.com
Spirit Society of PA.
AA PP PP AA R I T I O N S
Story & Photo Contributions are Solicited - send to:
[email protected]
S.S.P. Website: www.spiritsocietyofpa.com
This popular event returns with a
new format: Tours, Booksignings
with Ghosts of Gettysburg author
Mark Nesbitt at Civil War & More
(10 South Market St), plus presentations by SSP’s Melissa Telesha, John
Weaver and Kelly Weaver at the
historic Eckles Drugstore/Soda Fountain (scene of filming for “Girl Interrupted”) on East Main St.
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 / More details
on the SSP website
Another popular Halloween season event returns:
GHOSTS OF MARIETTA WALKING TOURS
Hear the haunted history that makes Marietta one of the most
intriguing places in Pennsylvania.
Tours appear Friday evenings only from 8:00 PM and last one
hour. $10.00 per person - $7.00 children 4 to 12 (please arrive
15 minutes early). 24 hour advanced notice needed for reservation. To make reservations email your name, date of tour, number of people & phone # to [email protected] or call
717.341.7574 Tour departs into the unknown from the Railroad
House Restaurant Bed & Breakfast Corner of West Front &
South Perry Streets - Marietta, PA 17547 Tour Dates: Sept 16,
Sept 23, Sept 30, Oct 7, Oct 14, (No tour Oct 21) Oct 28, Nov
4, Nov 11, Nov 18, Nov 25
From Matt James Being a ghost hunter, I have heard a lot
about what you wear being important. Most of the time when
one hears this one thinks of no tight fighting clothing (or too
loose, which makes noise), no shorts (some hunts you may go
through high grass). Now, thinking of a spirit, remember at one
point in time they were human just like us. They had emotions,
families, likes, dislikes, all things living people experience.
Many times I have seen a ghost hunter forget this simple fact:
they were human. If an old baseball stadium is still standing,
one goes there and gets pictures and on the pictures they find
a couple of bright red dots. One might say oh that is simply
dust. But someone who stops and thinks of the human element
might turn and think: Bright red dots at the head level, what did
they wear here a long time ago? A ball cap. What was the team
color? Red. Wow - two ways of looking at things. Now let’s
take a second appraoch: two ghost hunters go in that stadium
one with a plain black hat, one with the home team’s red hat.
Which one do you think is more liable to have a spirit come
up to them? (I’m convinced - and we have evidence from Gettysburg that suggests - what army’s uniform a re-enactor wears
can cause a reaction from ‘beyond’-JDW)
You walk in a room and see two people, they are strangers,
one with your favorite team’s hat on and one with a plain hat
on. Without even thinking about it you would already have a
bond with the one wearing your teams hat. Applying that same
rule to spirits, they see two individuals, strangers to them. Who
does a spirit share a bond with? The same one you would. Now
take that a step further, make it a fraternal hat. A brotherhood so
large that it dates back over hundreds of years. A brotherhood
with strong connections to our founding fathers. A brotherhood which once you are one you are one for life. The Masons.
Now consider the two strangers. Who would have many spirits drawn to them because of the simple brotherly bond they
share? Being a Mason, and having a Masonic hat it has become
something I always take when investigating; My brothers who
have passed to the other side are drawn to it all the time.
The time I first used the hat goes back to the my last story at
Cedar Creek. I was camping out so in case of rain I needed
something to cover my head. I always wondered, would the
hat work? That very night was the first time it did - I was
standing near the site of the last story when all of sudden I got
a major headache. Not knowing why I used the rods. It turned
out there was a spirit who was left long ago in the cave during
the battle. I talked to him. Came to understand he did not know
he was dead. Now there was a locked door in front of the cave.
So I could not go down. Asked him if he wanted to leave was
told yes. He told me that he was hiding there during the battle
and was killed. I asked him why did he not go to the light and
if he could see the light. He told me he was scared of the light
and that he could see it. At this point I thought of the hat if that
might be hat drew him to me, was he perhaps a brother of mine.
He told me that he was. To which I asked would he be willing
to trust his brother, and allow me to help him. He would, to
which through help of my spirit guide, Fitz Lee, I helped him
come out of the cave and cross over to the light.
Next time, I would have a major incident with the hat was at
the Museum of Spirits in Gettysburg. Now first, some background on the location: during a period in the 1970’s it was
used as a fraternity. For a period of time up to this investigation, the place had been pretty quiet; some activity but nothing
major. The whole night I was getting some stuff but it was for
the location a quite night.
I have hunted many times so a lot of times I see it a lab where I
can go in and try my different tools and learn how to best work
them. I was trying to stay away from the rods this night and
use my other tools. I knew I could make contact with the rods.
Wanted to work on my other tools, and give others a chance to
work with the rods. I was trying to make it through the night
in not using the rods. We get towards the end of the night, and
everything seems to be dead.
About 15 minutes remained and I was feeling something telling
me use the rods Finally, I saw “OK”. I pick up the rods and they
start moving right away. Received a lot of answers where moments before it was calm for everyone else. I finally ask, remember it is a fraternity do you see me as one of your brothers? Yes.
Another time, I was in the Civil War Wax Museum. I walk into
the war room, take about ten steps and something just hits me
square in the head and almost feel I am about to get knocked
over. It was not a violent hit; more so, an energy surge. Knew
right away it is the hat. It turns out he has been here a long time.
I ask him if he was a brother of mine. Get the answer “yes”.
He is heartbroken and would not speak to others. It turns out
he survived the war but his wife did not though. She was a
causality of soldiers being un-gentlemen like when they came
to town and also lost a son because it. He wanted to be reunited
with them but was afraid of doing anything in fear of losing the
chance, but he trusted me. At this point, I decided to build that
trust. If I could get him to cross, it could reunite this man with
his family, or at least start him on the path of finding them.
Since, the brotherhood brought him to me I might as well work
through the already established bond. I asked him the codes of
the brotherhood; Got him to follow up sayings. Do the shakes
and talk of the histories of the order. I would eventually call
in my spirit guide, Fitz Lee and with his help return him to
the light, where he is reunited today with the family war took
from him. We are follows long after we are dead, and for so
many thousands of men this group - the Masons - has played a
important part with their time on earth. Could it also be that the
biggest spirit of them all in God, is what they held onto in life.
Can this belief in the Spirit and the brotherhood be the bond that
never ends and allows me to help these spirits in death? I say yes.
(While I question the suggestion of any female civilian casualty
- Jennie Wade being the only such known - thousands of Freemasons on both sides indeed fought here, and hundreds died.
The Friend to Friend monument depicting Gen Armistead and
Capt Bingham - enemies in uniform but Masonic brothers - is a
testiment to this bond. Other famed brothers who fought here
incl. Gen Hancock, Col Chamberlain, and Generals Merideth,
Heth, Iverson, Gordon, Kershaw, Barksdale, Geary, Hays, Anderson, Shurz. Pleasonton, Birney & Pickett. - JDW)