Posts Tagged ‘halloween’

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Enchanting Ways to Celebrate the Spirit of Halloween

The spirit of Halloween has a tradition for everyone to enjoy including spending some quality time with family and friends, while keeping it budget friendly this year. The economy is hitting everyone hard these days and it might not be the year to throw your most extravagant over the top Halloween party.

No worries, there are as many ways to celebrate Halloween as there are days in the year.

In the spirit of the season, I offer ten tradition-filled ways to celebrate and embrace the magic of the season including:

1.    Find love with a magic apple.
If you’re single, select a juicy red apple and peel the skin in one long piece. Hold the peel of the apple in your hand and say aloud, ‘As I fling this apple peel, my true love’s name will be revealed’. Fling the apple peel over your head and turn around to look at the shape that the peel forms on the ground. It is said that the apple peel will form into the first initial of your true love’s name.

2.    Dancing under the moonlight.
It’s a Crescent Moon Halloween, but Lady Luna will still be working her magic. Let your hair down, put on some music and dance in the moonlight.  Need I say more? Let your inner wild child come out and play!

3.    Celebrate the ‘Day of the Dead’ – Mexico style.
Honor friends and family who have passed on to the other side. Host a special dinner and set a place for departed loved ones at the table. Light a candle at their seated place of honor and include framed photos of them at the table. During dinner, share stories about all of the wonderful memories of your deceased loved ones.

4. Have a ‘Come As You Were’ costume party.
Take a step back in time and explore who you were in your past lives. Invite guests to come to your party dressed in a costume representing who they were in a past life. The conversations will be endless as each person shares who they were in a past life and how they lived.

5. Volunteer to help others enjoy the holiday.
Nursing homes appreciate volunteers to help out with holiday festivities, as do hospitals and charities with fund raising events. Spend Halloween spreading the spirit of the season with others and make a difference in your community.

6. Have a seed planting celebration.
Many cultures celebrate Halloween as the end of the year and November 1st as the New Year. Invite friends to celebrate on Halloween by making resolutions for the new year. Hand out packages of seeds to each of your guests and invite them to plant new seeds of thought this Fall which will manifest and bloom with new dreams in the Spring. Don’t forget to plant your carved pumpkins in the ground with your seeds, they make great compost.

7. Dim the lights and scare yourself silly by reading some good books including:

• The World’s Creepiest Places by Dr. Bob Curran
• Ghosthunting North Carolina by Kala Ambrose
• Weiser Field Guide to Witches by Judika Illes
• Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Dark Side by Brad Steiger
• The Real Men in Black by Nick Redfern

8. Enlighten others on the history of Halloween and help end harmful and baseless superstitions.
Help debunk a superstition that is based on fear, like the one that says black cats are bad luck. In Ancient Egypt, black cats were revered in honor of the goddess Bast. Many cultures find black cats to be the luckiest color of all. Read WikiAnswers for more information on how black cats have been revered throughout the ages by many cultures. Share how Halloween is celebrated in various customs around the world. This website has some beautiful photos showcasing how the holiday is celebrated in different countries.

9. Have a horror movie trivia competition and film festival.
Rent several classic horror movies and invite friends over to engage in a movie trivia competition followed up by watching the films. Read my article on Best Paranormal Movies of All Time to find a great selection to rent.

10. Listen to supernatural interviews on the Explore Your Spirit show with Mary Ann Winkowski the Ghost Whisperer (on whom the tv show Ghost Whisperer is based on) along with Werewolves with Dr. Bob Curran, Vampires with Brad Steiger and in October, watch Explore Your Spirit TV with psychic Gary Spivey.

Most all, enjoy yourself and the spirit of Halloween! Happy Haunting!

Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. For more articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at National Haunted History Examiner.

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The Werewolf Book by Brad Steiger

It’s not enough for me that Brad Steiger has delighted, entertained and kept me up many nights with his tales of the sinister, the haunted and the macabre. I just can’t stop, I’m back for more.  Brad has been my guest on Explore Your Spirit Radio many times since the show began in 2006.  We’ve discussed Real Vampires, Revelations, Real Aliens, Shadow World and Strange Guests and I hope to have Brad on the show for many more discussions about the supernatural. After all, he’s written over 170 books and the man eats, breathes and has ventured into the paranormal world throughout most of his life.  His latest book, The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings is out and available now to serve as your guide to what is wandering out there under the full moon.

Kala Ambrose, author, wisdom teacher, talk show host and columnist

I’ve always loved wolves and thought that their stories, like many other mythologies were skewed by the fears of people at the time. Wolves are loyal to their pack, mate for life and there are too many reports and legends of shamans shape-shifting into wolves to ignore the possibility, so this little red riding hood has traveled the forests many times in search of the not so big bad wolf. Of course, this wise woman wouldn’t go looking for tigers by hanging meat around her arm and calling “Here Kitty, Kitty”, so nor do I venture unsafely through the woods without proper protection.  What I have ventured into with my work is to debunk some myths and explain and teach about the ancient ways and traditions. The poor wolf has been so maligned through the ages that like many other noble creatures including witches, they have been given a bad name by bullies from the past. The time has come to stop the bullying and condemnation and enter into the light of education and understanding.

The history of werewolves has always been slanted to the sinister, but new fictional tales seem to be releasing updated ideas about werewolves, including Charlaine Harris’s werewolf character in her series, The Adventures of Sookie Stackhouse and the HBO adaption of True Blood. If you’ve read the books or watched the series, the character of Alcide certainly warms your blood towards werewolves and shape-shifting Sam Merlotte is the friend that everyone wishes they had.

In his Werewolf book Steiger shares the legends of werewolves and how they have been portrayed in movies and television. He also chronicles the legends, the mythologies and the shamanistic tales of the werewolf as reported through thousands of years. The book is the go-to guide to understanding not just the evolution of the werewolf, but the evolution of the fears and consciousness level of humanity.

Legendary author and paranormal researcher Brad Steiger

Steiger’s The Werewolf Book is going into my library and will shared with students for years to come as we discuss the shape-shifting of human thought and consciousness.

Another classic for the ages, Brad Steiger continues to educate and entertain. I eagerly await his next book to come. Want more Brad Steiger? Listen to my interviews here with him in the archives of Explore Your Spirit Radio and he’s just released a YouTube video where he reads a story from his book, watch it here.

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Welcome to Kala’s Quick Five, where I speak with authors about their work. With his usual well-researched documentation and lively writing style, Dr. Bob Curran writes about spooky places where ancient forces hold sway and he encounters ghosts, sinister specters, vampires, the living dead and doorways to other worlds. He chose a hair-raising collection of eerie investigations from his native Ireland, through the empty deserts of the Middle East, to the misty hills of Tibet and back through Europe to America–even venturing close to the Gates of Hell itself for his new book, The World’s Creepiest Places, which is the topic of our discussion today.

Kala: Bob, are there actually some places in the world where people shouldn’t really go? Where as they say, “fools rush in, where angels fear to tread?” Places where strange memories and ancient forces still linger, even in the modern everyday world?

Bob: After writing the book, I’m coming to the conclusion that perhaps there might be. I’m not just talking about haunted places – that wasn’t the purpose of the book. That would have been The World’s Most Haunted Places. I wanted to look at places where things had happened which maybe somehow defied rational thought and gave the individual the reaction which we call “creepy”. These are places which perhaps are dominated by the memory of one bizarre individual (such as Warleggan or Buckfastleigh) or where perhaps one form of reality ends and another begins, as in the Flannan Isles. So, particularly with the latter, people shouldn’t go to some of these places. My mind is still open on the subject but perhaps caution is still the best option.

Kala: Have you found that people receive physical warning when they approach or enter haunted places? Are we in fact hot‐wired to respond to such things? Perhaps this is what we mean when we talk about a place feeling “creepy” or of something “giving us the creeps”.

Bob: I think that the feeling that we call “creepy” is actually more of a reaction to a set of circumstances. This reaction is of course made up of a number of elements – perhaps the appearance or atmosphere of a site, such as a dilapidated old house or a lonely road for example, the history and tradition of the place and the associations that we have with that (has a murder been committed there maybe, or something terrible occurred) and there is perhaps also a sense of anticipation. We expect to be scared or maybe we are on edge in case something does happen to us. So in that respect, perhaps, a creepy feeling can serve as a warning although mainly I think it derives from a sense of anticipation within us.

Kala: In your book, you researched a castle built over a suspected entrance to Hell. What did you find when researching this area?

Bob: The place that you’re actually referring to is Houska Castle in the Czech Republic. It was believed that all over the world there were a number of entrances into Hell, whether they be formal Gateways of maybe just cracks in the earth, always assuming that Hell in somewhere below us, Houska Castle is supposedly built over one of these cracks. Strangely enough apart from being built over such a crack, there is no real reason for the castle to exist – it is not, for example, an important military fortification; it doesn’t guard any supply routes. It was simply built between the years 1253 and 1276 at a great deal of expense for no apparent purpose. It was, however, built over a large and extensive cave system which was said to be one of the Seven Entrances to the Infernal Regions.

It was built using convicted criminals and those who had been captured in foreign wars. However the king, Ottokar II of Bohemia who built the fortress, said that he would grant a pardon to any man who would go down into the cave system and find out where it led. The first man was lowered down on a rope but he had only been gone for a few moments when he screamed out to be hauled up again. Though he’d only been gone several minutes, he seemed to have aged thirty years. His hair had turned white and his face was covered in wrinkles. His mind was gone and he kept babbling about half-animal, half-human things that lived down there in the dark and huge winged things which flapped through the caverns. Was he on the very Borderlands of Hell? Nobody else volunteered to go down but over the years, there have been stories about an alternate world lying far below us.

Some of this seems to have seeped into the Castle itself as some of the guests there – the place became a kind of Renaissance Castle in later periods – complained over strange figures along the corridors and evil smells in some of the rooms. One in particular, a tall figure in black, robed like a monk, is frequently seen as is a small hunched shape, accompanied by a foul stench, which is seen in the corners of some of the rooms, disappearing as soon as it is approached. Although it’s supposed to be very grand and beautiful, it’s not a place where I would choose to spend a holiday I can tell you!

Kala: You also looked into the stories of a mysterious island that is reported to drift in and out of other realities. Were you able to locate the island?

Bob: This is the uninhabited island of Eilean Mor (the big island) in the Flannan Isles lying out to the West of Scotland. It is a bleak and windswept place but even today, locals on the neighboring islands, especially the island of Lewis, still refer to it as “the other country”, where one reality ends and another begins. And there is something – uncomfortable – about the place. You get the sensation that you are being watched all the time and when the wind roars in the gullies amongst the rocks you have the sensation of all sorts of voices speaking and calling to you.

The only man made structures on the island are the ruins of an ancient church, dating from the 8th century and dedicated to St. Flannan the patron of these islands, and a fairly modern lighthouse. In 1900, three keepers vanished from the lighthouse and no trace of them has ever been found.  They vanished around Christmas but their disappearance was not discovered until Boxing Day. Were they carried away by fearful weather which had raged through the islands? Were they taken by some awful sea-monster which rose up out of the deep or did a storm open a portal between one world and another and they accidentally crossed over? These are some of the theories which have surrounded the now-famous disappearance. Some will even tell you that the three men are still there, unseen on the other side of a dimensional wall and in another reality, still trying to find their way back into our own world which they left all those years ago. It is easy to dismiss such stories as fanciful nonsense and yet when you are standing on the lonely island, waiting for a boat to come and take you off again, it is easy to believe that the sound of the wind in the rocky gullies are the cries of missing lighthouse men, calling desperately for help. A very creepy place indeed!

Kala: Bob, you explored vampires, ghosts, the living dead and other supernatural stories and creatures. Which one scared you the most and convinced you that it was absolutely real and thriving?

Bob: This is a difficult question to answer. I’ve always come to the subject of the supernatural whether it be ghosts, creepy places or strange creatures with, I think, an open and enquiring mind. These things may exist or they may not. It’s up to me to look at the evidence and draw my own conclusions. I suppose that over the years, such an approach has almost made me a sceptic and things tend to scare me less.

For example, one of the locations which I mention in the book – Leap Castle in County Offaly, Ireland – is supposedly one of the most haunted castles in Western Europe. I have been there several times and it has never bothered me. Mary, my wife, on the other hand will not set a foot inside the door – the place totally “creeps her out”.  That’s what I mean by the idea of response to a place. By the same token I did feel uncomfortable on Eilean Mor, the island which I mentioned in my previous answer, but I suppose the place which chilled me the most was the Belsen Concentration Camp which I visited several years ago when I was giving a lecture in Germany. But that wasn’t for supernatural reasons but because of the atrocities which had been committed there. As for which of the creatures I believe might exist – I am always asked by people “Are such things real?” My answer is always the same – if they are real to you, then they are real.

Want to know more about the locations we discussed here and many more? Check out Dr. Bob Curran’s book – The World’s Creepiest Places. Dr. Bob Curran was born in a remote area of County Down, Northern Ireland, but left to travel and work in the United States, France, Italy, Mexico, North Africa, Spain, Holland, and parts of Eastern Europe. This has given him insight into the cultures and beliefs of people around the world. Living again in Northern Ireland, he holds several university degrees and acts as a consultant to such bodies as the Office of First, Deputy First Minister, and Tourism Ireland Ltd. He is author of many popular books on folklore such as Vampires; Werewolves; Man-Made Monsters; and Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms (all published by New Page Books). He can be found musing on drbobcurran.blogspot.com.

For even more Bob Curran, listen to my interviews with him about his other books on Explore Your Spirit Radio including Werewolves, Fairies, and Zombies.

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“The more enlightened our houses are, the more their walls ooze ghosts.” – Italo Calvino

Some visitors at a bed and breakfast are just dying to stay. And they do – forever. Flashing lights, mysterious footsteps, slamming doors and other spine-tingling occurrences are likely signs an inn has a long-term guest. But don’t be afraid; their “boo” is worse than their bite.

Raised hair, goose bumps and bloodcurdling screams are all on the menu at BnBFinder’s most spooktacular inns. Be prepared for a terrifyingly good time:

Burn Brae Mansion

At Burn Brae Mansion in Glen Spey, NY, innkeepers not only talk the scary talk but have it recorded, too. The home, built in 1908 by a former president of the Singer Sewing Machine company as a gift to his daughter, was visited by 14 ghost hunters in 2007 and they archived “off the charts” evidence of ghostly activity in the home including mysterious voices. Need proof? Some of their spooky findings can be seen and heard on the inn’s website. Ghost tours of the house and moonlit trails are available.

1859 Historic National

Travelers have been checking into the 1859 Historic National Hotel in Jamestown, CA, for more than 130 years but one of them has yet to check out. Flora, or “Flo” as she’s known around the hotel, arrived with her beloved, Henry, in the late 1800’s and the two planned to wed. As he walked down the stairs Henry fell victim to a drunkard’s bullet. Flo sobbed uncontrollably for days and was found dead sitting in a chair by the window dressed in her wedding whites. Guests have reported entering unexpectedly warm or cold rooms, feeling icy blasts brushing past and hearing nightly sobbing. Flo is a friendly ghost, say the innkeepers, so make sure to say hello.

1843 Battery Carriage House

Glowing lights, rattling shutters and a resident headless torso certainly qualifies The Battery Carriage House Inn , located in Charleston, SC, as the city’s most haunted inn. Formerly an artillery installation during the Civil War, the harbor front mansion also houses a “gentleman ghost” believed to be a young man whose family previously owned the house. These ghostly apparitions and shadowy figures, which may seem a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, only mean to haunt, not harm, say the innkeepers.

Prospect Hill Bed and Breakfast Inn

The ghosts housed at the Prospect Hill Bed & Breakfast Inn in Mountain City, TN, have an appetite for scaring guests. A visitor to the former family residence reported being woken up early in the morning to the distinct smell of peanut butter cookies and muffins being baked. Spilled bourbon and rose perfume also have wafted mysteriously into rooms. Eerie footsteps walking up and down the main staircase, doors opening on their own and ghosts appearing in windows and rooms have been reported by unsuspecting guests.

For a full listing of haunted inns visit BnBFinder.com/HauntedInns

About Kala Ambrose… Kala Ambrose is the author of Ghosthunting North Carolina, which shares historical information in a fun and friendly way so that families can enjoy learning about the history of North Carolina while traveling and exploring the sites around the state in a unique way. Visit her website at www.ghosthuntingnorthcarolina.com to see the video book trailer.

Ghosthunting North Carolina by Kala Ambrose is available at fine book stores everywhere and on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com  The book is also available on Amazon KINDLE and Barnes and Noble NOOK versions.

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Fireplace mantel decorated for Fall

The Fall Equinox is near, are you looking forward to Fall weather as much as I am? It’s my favorite time of year and I start by decorating my home in preparation for the season.  I start in my library, placing pumpkins, gourds and leaves on the mantle and like the falling leaves outside, they spread around my home, covering tables and anywhere in the home that I think needs a touch of Fall. I even have a blackboard in the breakfast room that I change seasonally with quotes and happy affirmations to share with family and friends.

To me, the seasons are one of the greatest gifts we have here on earth, as they remind us that time is moving along and that the only constant in life is change.  Everything about the Fall season makes me excited to be alive, the crisp cool air, the cascade of colors on the trees, the hint of warm apples, pumpkins, cinnamon and cider in the air and the mellowing of the Sun as it still shines but now with a warm golden glow, rather than the bright white of summer.

Table set for Fall and Halloween with pumpkins and owl

Fall means that the holidays are on their way, starting with my favorite, Halloween. I think we should decorate as extensively for Fall and the entire Autumnal season as we do for the Winter/Christmas season. This can begin well before Halloween with natural decor in warm colors. When Halloween draws near, add to the decor with ghosts, bats and other creatures of the night and then after Halloween, return back to the natural decor with leaves, pumpkins, corn and embellishments for Thanksgiving.

It’s also a wonderful time of year to enjoy the outdoors after such a long hot summer and take a walk and spend some time in nature. If you are looking for natural products to add to your collection as a light worker, it’s a great time to find feathers dropped by birds and good sturdy branches that have fallen from trees from the recent high winds, that would make for great wands and staffs.

The possibilities are endless, use your imagination and intuition to determine what feels like Fall for you and then go wild! I’d love to hear from you about your favorite fall decorations and what you love about the season.

I share other tips on how to Spiritually Celebrate the Fall Equinox in my article here on the Huffington Post.

May the Spirit of Fall bless your home and all who reside within,

All the best,

*~Kala~*

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