Posts Tagged ‘Paranormal’

Ghost Monk haunts UK Theme Park

Storm Surge Theme Park

Construction workers at the UK theme park, Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, England are reporting seeing the vision of a ghost monk watching them as they are building the 64 foot tall water ride called Storm Surge.  The monk often appears to the men as a headless apparition in a monk’s robe. On other occasions the men report feeling uncomfortable as they experience the sensation of someone watching them, only to turn and find no one there.

Forensic geophysicist’s were called in to research the area using underground radar. Their investigations at the site produced evidence and findings that the area is connected to the ruins of Chertsey Abbey and Thorpe Church, which was established in 666 A.D.  Their reports indicate that an ancient burial site was established in this area which may have been disturbed during the ground breaking of the area to build the new ride for the park.

Disturbing the burial ground may have led to the appearance of the ghost monk and it appears that the structure of the ride would have stood over the area where stone coffins were previously removed from the site. The ride is scary enough in nature, described by Thorpe Park as “Storm Surge – Experience a jaw-dropping 64ft spiralling-descent, go round the twist and lose control on Storm Surge, a wild water spinning raft ride. Riders will experience a jaw-dropping 64ft spiralling descent and the never-ending spin of a rapidly turning life raft in their attempt to escape the  rising waters of Amity.”

Management at the park has decided to have the ride moved to a different location on the property in response to the reports still rolling in about paranormal activity around the current site of the ride.

The park also offers Fright Nights – with rides in the dark and live action horror mazes. Reports continue to flow in about seeing the ghost monk in the park. The ride has been relocated, but it’s possible that now awakened, he will continue to make his presence known around the area.

More information about the park and the paranormal investigators brought in to further research the ride can be found here on UK’s Daily Mail Online.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics.

Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. Her new book – Ghost Hunting North Carolina hits the stores in September 2011. Kala lectures and teaches on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings and Healing Temples of Egypt, Working with Auras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom.



Investigating the Poltergeist Phenomenon

The Poltergeist Phenomenon by Michael Clarkson

Welcome to Kala’s Quick Five, where I chat with fascinating authors, artists, teachers and researchers and ask them five questions about their work. My guest today is Michael Clarkson, a non-fiction author and professional speaker who has spent 37 years as a print journalist, winning numerous awards for his investigative pieces, including the Canadian National Newspaper Award twice. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his story about reclusive author J. D. Salinger, who he met twice in New Hampshire. Clarkson has also been a sports reporter interviewing famous athletes such as basketball legend Michael Jordan and golfer Tiger Woods.   The topic of discussion today is Clarkson’s new book – The Poltergeist Phenomenon: An in-depth investigation into floating beds, smashing glass, and other unexplained disturbances.

Kala: Michael, welcome to Kala’s Quick Five. What led you to write about poltergeists, did you experience the phenomena personally or do you just have an interest in the field?

Michael: The topic has interested me for a long time, even before 1980 when a 21-year-old man, who had been the center of a case came to my house in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to talk about his experience. Since then, I have been following with increasing interest as such cases in the media and in scholarly publications. During the past five years, I have been closely examining 75 cases, many of which appear in my book. I have also experienced unusual occurrences of the flight-or-fight system in sports and in deadline writing. I believe fight-or-flight is one component in poltergeist activity, although it is hard to prove.

Kala: In your words, how would you define a poltergeist and how does it differ from other paranormal activity?

Michael: I think there is a rational, although rare and mysterious, explanation for poltergeist activity; I think it revolves around haunted people, not haunted places.

In the 75 cases I reviewed, I found many trends (although each case has its own characteristics and idiosyncrasies) The cases generally have:

·      Events such as unexplained knocking, electrical malfunctions and movement of objects and furniture.

·      A poltergeist agent, usually an adolescent entering puberty, immediately around whom the strange activities occur. He or she is usually quite intelligent.

·      Repression or frustration of the poltergeist agent by others in a home.

·      High levels of stress in the household, prior to the start of the poltergeist activity and continuing through the case.

·      A mischievous or destructive intent on the part of the agent, rather than a downright malevolent intent, although about a dozen people have been injured, but none seriously, in the cases in this book.

·      A life span for a case of one week to several months.

Just how the agents make things move is a matter of speculation, but they often have unique brains and perhaps subconsciously tap into nearby energy sources, such as electricity, geomagnetic storms and the human mind/body.

Kala: In my work as a paranormal researcher, the poltergeist case which has always captured my interest is the Bell Witch in Tennessee.  Can you describe some of your most favorite and well documented poltergeist cases?

Michael:

·      In St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1970, an entire shift of police officers reported – over two weeks time –  dynamic events revolving around an 11-year-old boy. They reported that chairs moved, paintings fell off walls, the boy was thrown off a chair numerous time and a hardboiled sergeant who, according to a fellow officer, was “sitting in a chair when he was tipped on his ass.” The occurrences lasted two weeks and to this day no cheating has been reported and the boy has kept his identity secret in his hometown.

·      In a middle-class home on Long Island, New York, in 1958, Detective Joseph Tozzi, one of the most respected detectives in the Nassau County Police Department, said he was hit in the back of the legs by a flying bronze horse, weighing nearly 100 pounds, while he was walking down basement steps with a 13-year-old boy. Many other witnesses claimed to see startling events, which lasted more than four weeks.

·      In a Miami warehouse in 1967, police officers, newspaper reporters, television crews and insurance agents claimed they saw cowbells, ashtrays, key chains and rubber daggers fly or fall off shelves, sometimes at unusual angles and always while a 19-year-old shipping clerk was nearby.

·      In  1974 in the home of a factory worker in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Officer John Holsworth swore he saw a heavy refrigerator “lift slowly off the floor, turn and then set down again. No one else was around, and then the big TV set seemed to float in the air and crashed to the floor.”

·      In a house in London, England, in 1977, Constable Carolyn Keeps said she became a witness to a chair moving three or four feet, apparently without the help of human hands. Also in England in 1952, police say they were witnesses, and also the victims, of strange incidents in Runcorn, in which a quiet, 17-year-old apprentice draftsman was said to cause dressing tables and other things to move with his mind over a 10-week period.

Kala: Describe what you found with the evidence of PK (psycho kinesis), which is the ability to move things with the mind, that correlated with ongoing poltergeist activity?

Michael: Evidence for RSPK (poltergeist activity) and PK is fleeting and not conclusive, although witness evidence is strong, especially with at least 51 police officers who have reported RSPK over the years.

A Canadian woman in her forties, who wants to keep her identity secret, says RSPK happens when her husband gets her upset – to the point that even heavy appliances can move. She is disturbed by her powers and is trying to channel them by moving a homemade pinwheel with her mind, which she did for me in a Skype interview recently. The woman is being tested off and on by neuroscientist Dr. Michael Persinger and parapsychologist William Roll.

Unfortunately, funds for such research are being cut and many university laboratories have closed in recent years.

Kala: Michael, I served for several years on the board of the Rhine Research Center, which is the organization founded by J.B. Rhine, (his research into ESP and paranormal activity is legendary). During that time, I had the opportunity to meet and interact with William (Bill) Roll. If I had to say who is one of the best experts in the field, Bill Roll would be at the top of my list. Who would make your list as the best paranormal experts, parapsychologists and researchers in this field?

Michael: Yes, William Roll is the foremost expert, perhaps of all time, regarding poltergeists. He is semi-retired in Georgia. Stephen Mera of Manchester, England, is another respected parapsychologist, along with American Andrew Nichols and Brit Malcolm Robinson. Unfortunately, several top ones have died in recent years – D. Scott Rogo, Maurice Grosse and Andrew Green.

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Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at the National Haunted History Examiner and the National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics.  Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. Her new book – Ghost Hunting North Carolina hits the stores in September 2011.



“Phenomenal” Haunted Inn’s

Ballastone Inn

Mary White is the go-to source in the bed & breakfast industry for opinions and advice. A noted expert on B&B travel, she has been involved in promoting and marketing B&Bs on the Web for more than a decade and has appeared in dozens of media outlets. Her site BnBFinder.com is hailed as the most informative B&B site on the Web.

Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Mary and discuss her new book: Running a Bed and Breakfast For Dummies. While the book is a practical guide to show you how to turn your dream of owning and running a B&B into a business, what I found most fascinating is how many B&B’s are haunted. At this point, I knew it was time to sit down with Mary and ask her a few questions, just in time for Halloween here on Haunted History.

Kala: Hi Mary, thanks for joining me here on Kala’s Quick Five, where I chat with fascinating authors, artists, teachers and researchers and ask them five questions about their work.

Tell me, do you have any experience with the paranormal or were you surprised to discover how many B&B establishments are haunted?

Mary: While I have not had a first hand encounter with any extra guests during my B&B stays, I find it fascinating how many guests have and the interesting stories that they tell.  Even the doubters amongst us must admit that it’s intriguing how similar the stories are and how they can frequently be traced back to an event in history.  Of course, the good news is, these long-term guests are harmless yet their appearances and antics make for interesting tales nonetheless.

Kala: Along your journeys, you ended up in Tennessee, at the Prospect Hill Bed & Breakfast Inn in Mountain City. It’s reported here that guests here have woken up to the scent of what they thought were peanut butter cookies and peanut butter muffins though peanut butter wasn’t anywhere in sight. One guest was all lathered up in the shower when the smell of liquor, spilled bourbon to be precise, filled his room. Another guest reported a female presence and lingering rose perfume in a room that unbeknownst to him is believed to have belonged to a grandmother, in the mid-Twentieth century.

Prospect Hill

I love peanut butter, so this sounds like a warm and welcoming place to be. Do the current owners and operators of the Inn join in on the fun and make peanut butter cookies to appease the ghost and the guests?

Mary: This inn goes above and beyond to please its guests. Peanut butter cookies are a frequent treat along with coffee, teas and hot chocolate that are always available.  Every room is designed with the guests’ comfort and privacy in mind; each room has a fireplace and many have whirlpool tubs.  While you may not wake up to the scent of peanut butter (unless the innkeeper is baking) you will wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee as early coffee is available and I recommend enjoying a cup on the porch.

Kala: My favorite paranormal movie of all time is GhostBusters and ghost hunting is at an all time high in popularity. You report that at the Inn at Jim Thorpe in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, they are hosting a ghost hunting weekend with the Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance on October 29-31st. Stay two nights and ghost hunt your way

Inn at Jim Thorpe

through the famous Old Jail where the Molly Maguires were hanged, walk among the spirits in the historic district, and attend several seminars. Dinner on Saturday night and daily breakfasts are also included.

Mary, did you experience any paranormal activity while at this Inn?

Mary: I love that movie too…the firehouse where the movie was filmed is here in NYC and I smile every time I walk by it. The Inn at Jim Thorpe is rich in history dating back to 1833.  There was a terrible fire in 1849, then after being rebuilt the inn was a stopping point for the rich and famous (such as General Ulysses S. Grant, President William H. Taft, Buffalo Bill, Thomas Edison and John D. Rockefeller).  Hard times fell on the inn during the Depression, but thankfully the inn was revived and today offers comfortable rooms and elegant suites with whirlpools and fireplaces.  Being so rich in history it’s not surprising that guests have reported mysterious activities such as objects moving around and TVs turning on and off. Strange orbs and shadows have appeared in photographs.  Many people believe in this paranormal activity and the unbelieving are sure there must be a logical explanation…who knows?

Kala: Savannah, Georgia has a reputation of being one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. You recommend a visit to The Ballastone Inn this Halloween where your weekend begins with an introduction to the inn’s resident ghost, Mrs. Sarah Anderson, wife of General Robert A. Anderson, whose been rattling nerves since the 1880s. You’re also invited to follow an experienced guide on a legendary evening tour of haunted spots and meet the author of the best selling book Savannah Hauntings and get an autographed copy.

Mary, what did you uncover during your visit to Savannah, how haunted is the city?

Mary: From its architecture to its Spanish moss this old town ekes in history with its graceful elegance and southern charm. As for haunting, I enjoyed hearing the innkeeper tell some of the inn’s ghost stories while lingering over a cup of coffee after breakfast.  The inn is not appropriate for children; although during the 1800′s 12 children lived in the house, so stories of children sightings do raise suspicion. A few guests have reported seeing sightings of what appear to be a little girl approximately 5 or 6 years old wandering the inn.  One guest who suffered from insomnia was drawn to the aroma of warm chocolate chip cookies and reported seeing the image of a little girl eating the cookies and gulping a glass of milk.  As he approached, the image slowly disappeared.  Another guest was sound asleep and felt “something” pulling the covers at the foot of the bed.  When she looked she saw a little girl tugging at the covers as though she were looking for a playmate.  Savannah is known for its ghost tours so if listening to ghost stories is not enough the innkeepers can recommend several haunted tours.

Kala: Mary, what tips would you offer to our readers here, who are interested in running a B&B of their own one day, including how to deal with the permanent haunted house guests?

Mary: The most important thing for aspiring innkeepers is to research and plan.  Running a bed and breakfast is the most wonderful profession for some and a big mistake for others.  Too often owning a B&B has been romanticized – living in a beautiful home, being creative, entertaining guests and so on.  In order for their guests to relax and enjoy, good innkeepers know that part of their job is to make the job look effortless, so it’s not easy to judge what it takes to be an innkeeper just by visiting many bed & breakfasts.  Instead I encourage aspiring innkeepers to attend innkeeping conferences and educational seminars. All of these resources are listed in my book, Running a Bed & Breakfast For Dummies.

Handling (ghosts) guests who won’t checkout is a marketing decision.  Many inns in areas known for haunted happenings such as Savannah, Georgia and Jerome, Arizona have created creative packages for those brave at heart who want a chance to experience paranormal activity, others include the legends on the history pages of their website.  It’s all in good fun.  After all, everyone seems to be Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day so why not believe in a ghost for Halloween?

Kala: Mary, thanks for your time. A pleasure speaking with you and wishing you many more adventures and haunting travels, Happy Halloween!

Mary: Thank you. We love to hear guest stories and I hope your readers will share their experiences with us when they stay at any of our B&Bs. To encourage their reviews we have a contest where they can win a $250 gift certificate for a future getaway!   Visit www.bnbfinder.com/rateyourstay for details.

For more information: Mary was kind enough to provide us information on a few more haunted B&B sites. Check them out, they may be in your local area or plan a visit to them soon for a haunting good time!

The Battery Carriage House Inn: In a historic city that preserves remnants of the past, Charleston, South Carolina is famed for its spirits and haunted happenings. The Battery Carriage House Inn is known as Charleston’s most haunted inn. While the current innkeepers say they have not seen these ghosts, guests and employees alike have had eerily similar encounters, rattling doorknobs and all. Among them a gentleman ghost, believed to be that of the young man whose family owned the house earlier in the century. Another of the inn’s ghosts, a headless torso, is likely a man from the Civil War era. The Battery was an active artillery installation during the siege of Charleston, and all the houses in this area were damaged and abandoned during the four-year bombardment. There is no proof the torso intends to harm anybody, although guests have admittedly felt a little intimidated by glowing lights and inexplicable occurrences.

Mt. Washington Bed & Breakfast: Why not circle the ghosts? You know, visit with each one? In Mount Washington Valley in New Hampshire, bed and breakfasts have teamed up so guests (and non-guests) can trek for treats. On Saturday, October 30th from 11 am to 4 pm innkeepers and trek-or-treaters will take over the area, dressed in costumes, sporting plastic pumpkins, and mingling with spirits. While there is a jumbled word contest and sneaky clues, the real mystery is in the ghost and goblin-hunt. Tickets to the trail cost $15. Separately, many area bed and breakfasts are offering special haunted packages so make sure to ask each inn about their resident ghosts but be careful you don’t get shushed! The Mt. Washington Bed & Breakfast in Shelburne has a ghost that frequently sits at the bottom of the stairs waiting for someone and likes to shush guests to keep quiet. The innkeeper says he’s one of three ghosts who live at the inn though there could be more. “I made them a deal, if they don’t bother me, I won’t bother them,” said innkeeper, Mary Ann Mayer. Now multiply those ghosts by about a dozen inns—that’s a lot of goose bumps!

Alma de Sedona Inn: When a copper-mining town goes out of business, getting ghosts to leave the ghost town is tricky. At the Alma de Sedona Inn in Sedona, Arizona, innkeepers arrange for gutsy guests to go on a guided tour of nearby Jerome — once a flourishing copper town, now a ghost town and artist colony. Guided by a local historian, who claims to see dead people, you’ll be guided down the off beaten track and hear stories of ghosts misbehaving. Throughout the trip you’ll use an EMF meter, so you can walk around detecting spirits. If you chicken out, the inn understands. You can substitute the haunted excursion for a historic tour of saloons and brothels. Turns out, Jerome was also the bootleg capital of Arizona. Who knew, “spirits” and spirits.

Shining Dawn Bed and Breakfast Retreat Center: Looking for a medium scary experience? Why not a Do-It-Yourself Halloween weekend? At the Shining Dawn Bed and Breakfast Retreat Center in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the innkeepers have a special two-night stay package where guests receive a book on county haunts. Spooky York, Pennsylvania offers a step-by-step walking ghost tour of 50-plus locations. You’ll also receive two complimentary tickets to the original Ghosts of Gettysburg Walking Tour, a complimentary rental of a scary movie, and of course—delicious “no tricks all treats” breakfasts. If you’re ready to up the ante, there’s a large “ScreamPark” 20-minutes away, as well as several nearby farms and orchards that feature corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and hayrides.

Trek-or-Treat. Inn-to-inn Ghost & Goblin tour, anyone? In Mount Washington Valley in New Hampshire, bed and breakfasts have teamed up so guests (and non-guests) can trek for treats. On Saturday, October 30th from 11 am to 4 pm innkeepers and trek-or-treaters will take over the area, dressed in costumes, sporting plastic pumpkins, and mingling with spirits. While there is a jumbled word contest and sneaky clues, the real mystery is in the ghost and goblin-hunt. Tickets to the trail cost $15. Separately, many area bed and breakfasts are offering special haunted packages that include the cover charge. There are about a dozen inns on the trail, including: Cabernet Inn, Buttonwood Inn, Covered Bridge House, Cranmore Mountain Lodge, Mt. Washington B&B, The Notchland Inn, and the Spruce Moose Lodge & Cottages.

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Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at the National Haunted History Examiner and the National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She lectures on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and the Mystery Schools, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom.



Spend the night in a haunted hotel

Spending an evening away from home in a luxurious hotel invites the opportunity to be pampered in a spa-like setting, enjoy fine dining and spend a romantic evening in a beautiful room. Over the years, some guests have enjoyed their stays so much at these hotels that they never leave … even after their demise.

With Halloween fast approaching, it’s time to explore some of the most haunted hotels in the U.S. that ooze with charm, history and ghosts. As an intuitive and paranormal researcher, I’ve had the opportunity to stay at many of the hotels on this list and have personally experienced some of the paranormal activity reported there. The question for you is: Do you dare spend an evening in the company of ghosts?

Read the rest of my article here featured on AOL Travel.

Kala Ambrose is an author, paranormal researcher, wisdom teacher and host of the “Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show.” Her new book, Ghost Hunting North Carolina, will be available in stores in 2011. More info on ExploreYourSpirit.com



Build Your Paranormal Research Library

With the cooler weather setting in, the nights are getting longer, the days getting shorter and it’s the perfect time to curl up on the couch with a good book.

The magical mystical tour of Exploring the Magic of Halloween and the Spirit of Fall continues!  We’ve delved into a brief history of Halloween and the legend of enchanted apples as well as the ancient tradition of celebrating November 1st as the New Year, while planting seeds and bulbs in the Fall to help manifest our dreams. We also discussed hosting a scary movie film festival and shared ways to create your own traditions.

Keeping that in mind, the Magical and Mystical Inspired Tip to consider today is….

Expand Your Paranormal and Supernatural Research Library

Here’s some that have caught my attention lately that make great additions to your reading list this fall….

1. Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside by Brad Steiger (Visible Ink Press)
For five decades, Brad Steiger has been investigating the paranormal and reporting on his findings. He’s been a guest on the Explore Your Spirit Show many times and is a treasure trove of information on poltergeists, hauntings, vampires, the occult and dealing with the dark side. His latest book, Real Monsters chronicles interactions with shadow people, swamp creatures, bigfoot, aliens, ghosts and goblins. What I especially like about Brad’s work is that he interviews hundreds of people to get first hand accounts of experiences which he includes with his research and historical accounts. Be warned, you may find an account of a haunting experience in your own local area, as I did when reading The Beast of Bolivia.

2. Monsters: A Bestiary of Devils, Demons, Vampires, Werewolves and Other Magical Creatures by Christopher Dell (Inner Traditions)
Exploring the battle between good and evil and order and chaos, author Christopher Dell suggests that each culture connects with monsters on a deep level within our psyche. Within each myth and religious story, there is archetype of the hero and the monster he or she must battle and overcome.  Dell covers the earliest prehistoric renderings through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to modern day science fiction and the new trend of romantic horror. Most intriguing in the Monsters book is the vivid imagery of the beasts and monsters. Each page offers striking artwork that brings the creatures to life and I found myself enjoying looking at even the most grotesque beast as they were so intricately displayed.

3. Ghost Hunting in Your State by various authors (Clerisy Press)
Clerisy Press has created America’s Haunted Road Trip, a series of Ghost Hunting books state by state in the US. Each year they release more books and eventually will cover all 50 states.  Currently available are Ghost Hunting Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Kentucky, New York City, Southern California and Florida. Each book is full of travel information on every haunted location for those brave enough to make the journey in person and for paranormal researchers who are interested in exploring haunted sites in each state. Coming in 2011, my book with Clerisy, Ghost Hunting North Carolina will be available in stores.

4. Dark Fairies by Dr. Bob Curran (New Page Books)

Dr. Bob explores the origins of fairies, from the sprites and maenads of classical times to the relations between fairies and humans across the ages. His reports find that some fairies are dangerous and not friendly to mankind. Dr. Bob will be on the Explore Your Spirit Show on Tuesday, October 26th at 8pm EST as I discuss his Dark Fairies book and research. Tune in to the show to learn about the history of fairies.

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Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at the National Haunted History Examiner and the National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She lectures on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and the Mystery Schools, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom.



Create Your Own Personalized Halloween Traditions

Not up for a full-blown Halloween costume party this year? How about mixing things up and trying something new? We’ve explored a brief history of Halloween, the legend of enchanted apples as well as the ancient tradition of celebrating November 1st as the New Year and planting seeds and bulbs in the Fall to help manifest our dreams and hosting a paranormal film festival.

The mystical tour of Exploring the Magic of Halloween and the Spirit of Fall continues with today’s magically inspired tip to celebrate Halloween, which is…

~~~~~~ Create Your Own Personalized Halloween Traditions ~~~~~~~~

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. During dinner, share stories about all of the wonderful memories of your deceased loved ones.

Reach Out as a Volunteer to Help Others Enjoy the Holiday
Nursing homes appreciate volunteers to help out with holiday festivities, as do charities with fund raising events. Spend Halloween spreading the spirit of the season with others and make a difference in your community.

Gather Some Friends and Dance in the Moonlight

It’s not a full moon this Halloween, but Lady Luna will still shine bright in her first quarter. Let your hair down, light a candle, put on some music and dance in the moonlight.  Need I say more? Let your inner wild child come out and play!

Explore the Supernatural World
Turn out the lights, light a candle and curl up on the sofa to listen to paranormal interviews on the Explore Your Spirit Show with fascinating guests including: Mary Ann Winkowski (on whom the tv show Ghost Whisperer is based on) Ghost Whisperer and Dr. Bob Curran on Werewolves and Brad Steiger on Real Vampires and coming on Friday, October 29th, an inteview with Dr. Bob Curran on Dark Fairies.

Personalized Pumpkins
Give a gift to a newly married couple who is setting up their new home. Help them enjoy their first Halloween in their new home together, with a personalized pumpkin created in poly resin which will last for years. The pumpkins can be personalized with any name, up to 9 characters. Have the couple’s last name personalized on the pumpkin creating something they’ll enjoy for many years to come. Continue the tradition as each new child is born, creating a family of pumpkins one by one with the children’s names.

Create a Witch’s Brew
Show them you mean business this year in the kitchen when making your Halloween goodies and let everyone know you’ve got the secret formula to every recipe. In this Potions Apron, wizards will come a knocking to request a potion from their favorite wise woman.

Still catching up on 31 Magically Inspired Ways to Celebrate Halloween and the Spirit of Fall?

Past articles include: Host a paranormal film festival, Plant seeds for your dreams, enchanted apples, and magically inspired ideas.

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Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at the National Haunted History Examiner and the National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She lectures on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and the Mystery Schools, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom.



31 Inspired Ideas to Celebrate Halloween – Host a Scary Movie Film Festival

The mystical tour of Exploring the Magic of Halloween and the Spirit of Fall continues!  We’ve delved into a brief history of Halloween and the legend of enchanted apples as well as the ancient tradition of celebrating November 1st as the New Year and explored the idea of planting seeds and bulbs in the Fall to help manifest our dreams.

We’ve done some good work and to keep things in balance, it’s time to play and have some fun. So my Spirit of Fall and Halloween idea for today is focusing on 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.

Keeping that in mind, the Magical and Mystical Inspired Tip to consider today is….

Host a Scary 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 some of the films. Create a quiz to ask your guests about the movies and have a prize for the winner. You can also make flash cards of movie scenes. Find still photos of scenes from various paranormal movies and print them out on your printer on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Attach the printed out photo to cardboard and create a group of movie scene flash cards. Raise the cards up one at a time and the first person to guess which movie the scene is from wins points.  The flash card competition then leads into trivia questions about paranormal movies where more points are given for each correct answer.

Once the winner has been announced, move on to Ghost Story time, where each person is invited to share the scariest ghost encounter or paranormal event that has ever happened to them.  Make sure to have plenty of theme-worthy appetizers, finger foods and snacks on hand for the evening (keeping the food to appetizer size allows your quests to move easily around the room with a small plate) while playing the game.

Now it’s time for your film festival presentation.

Here’s a list of paranormal movies that are entertaining, informing and at times, downright frightening. This particular list focuses more on (reportedly fictional) paranormal style movies, rather than gore horror. Horror movies are certainly based on paranormal circumstances, but for the sake of this list, I’m choosing to focus on paranormal monsters and psi-related events. The idea is to entertain your guests, not scare them into hiding behind the sofa.

Paranormal Movies: Chills, Thrills and Mysteries Galore. In no particular order, my list of Top Paranormal Movies are:

  • GhostBusters 1 & 2
  • Dracula
  • Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein
  • Wolf
  • The Wolfman
  • The Mummy
  • The Howling
  • Carrie
  • An American Werewolf in London
  • Young Frankenstein
  • The Sixth Sense
  • Interview with a Vampire
  • Poltergeist
  • The Entity
  • The Exorcist
  • Salems Lot
  • Signs
  • Witches of Eastwick
  • Hocus Pocus
  • Practical Magic
  • Rosemary’s Baby
  • The Shining
  • The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
  • Death Becomes Her

  • Fun to throw in a few tv shows too…
  • True Blood
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • Charmed
  • Until next time dear readers, happy haunting!
    *~Kala~*

    ******************************************************************
    Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at the National Haunted History Examiner and the National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

    More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She lectures on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and the Mystery Schools, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom.



Exploring a Witches Brew with Edain Duguay

Welcome to Kala’s Quick Five, where I chat with fascinating authors, artists, teachers and researchers and ask them five questions about their work. My guest today is Edain Duguay, a paranormal/fantasy novelist, best selling eBook author and award winning blog writer.


Kala: Edain, welcome to Kala’s Quick Five. You’re a pagan and the former owner and editor of The Pagan Activist. How has your spiritual journey as a pagan, enhanced your life and your writing?

Edain: Thank you for inviting me, Kala.

I have been a practicing Pagan since the age of 17 and for a while, during my first marriage, life took me away from my studies and from the spiritual life I wanted to lead. After my life changed, I fell back into step with my spiritual side and instantly felt I was in the right place for me, an inner peace has been growing ever since.

I’ve been writing since the age of nine when I wrote and ‘published’ my first book in a school project and was ‘bitten by the writing bug’. I’ve noticed that since I returned to practicing my Pagan/Heathen beliefs, my writing and imagination have expanded beyond words. It’s as if living the spiritual life I wanted has opened up my creative side and the story ideas and characters are now rushing to get out.

Kala: You write in the paranormal/fantasy genre as well as in young adult and children’s books for age eight and older. The children’s books include: Holly the Hasty Witch, Ash the Solitary Witch, Ivy the Stubborn Witch and Hazel the Unwise Witch. What inspired you to write this series of books and how many will there be in the full series?

Edain: I was inspired to write this series whilst raising my daughter, Melissa.

There was a huge lack of Pagan related children’s books around and even less that were realistic, even if still fiction. Yes, I could read to, or with her, about magicians and strangely deformed bad guys but after working in a school and observing the many problems that children go through in their lives, I wanted to create stories that would connect with children and have a realistic Pagan thread to them.

‘The Witchlets of Witches Brew’ series may not be classed as ‘high adventure’, but they can be associated with real life problems and, hopefully, give children a good Pagan related base to help them work through some of their issues.

In total, there are eight tales in ‘The Witchlets of Witches Brew’ series, the remaining four will be published in 2011. All these stories center around eight friends, who live in the modern day Pagan village of Brew, commonly known by the name of ‘Witches Brew’ because everyone who lives there is a Witch. The villagers of Brew worship the land and the seasons, they celebrate the wonders of life and nature during their eight ‘wheel of the year’ celebrations. The celebrations also see deep changes within each child’s life and every tale is relative to the yearly celebrations around which it is set.

Kala: E-books can allow for a quick turn around on publication. As an avid reader, when I fall in love with the characters in a series, it can be tough to wait years for the next book to become available.  As the owner of Wyrdwood Publications, you have four new books scheduled to be released in 2011. What prompted the decision for you to publish e-books and how have your fans responded with this decision?

Edain: I too have felt bereft when I’ve come to the end of a book and I know I’ll be waiting a long time, possibly years, before knowing what happened next. This need and the possibility of a reduction in trees being cut down, led me to look for a suitable alternative and, of course, eBooks filled that niche.

The response from my fans has been excellent. I believe one of the reason why my eBooks have been so well received is the fact that they are in PDF format and can be read on any computer, saving the reader the expense of costly e-readers and making them accessible for all.

I do have plans to publish some of my eBooks as paperbacks, but I’ll also be including these publications in the ‘Green Leaves’ policy that Wyrdwood Publications uses. This policy is connected to the Eco-Libris project and means that for every copy sold, a tree is planted in a deforested area of the world. Some of the eBooks published by Wyrdwood Publications are already included in this project and I hope to add more over time.

Kala: You write a monthly column called ‘The Pagan Heathen’, great title! What topics do you discuss in the column?

Edain: The Pagan Heathen is a column I write for The Pagan and the Pen website. Most columns on the website relate directly to a Pagan outlook and lifestyle. When I was invited to write a column I wanted to give my Heathen side a voice and the owner of the website was very encouraging.

Essentially, The Pagan Heathen is a monthly column, which explores Paganism and Heathenism and how the two can meld together. The subjects of the articles published so far have been; Sumbel 101, the Norse virtues vs. the Druidic virtues, an in depth look at the Noble Virtues of Perseverance, Courage and Hospitality. There is also an interview with an Asatru author, who has been published through Wyrdwood Publications and there will be another interview, with an author who also writes children’s fiction, in November. Future articles will include, amongst many other topics, a look at the meaning of Kindred and an exploration of what the Wild Hunt and Yule mean to Heathens.

Kala: Beyond your writing Edain, how else do you explore your spirit?

Edain: I enjoy helping to bring to life spiritual groups in whatever way I can, I have been a founding member of a Druid Grove (ADF), a Asatru Kindred and an Eclectic Circle. I’ve also created and hosted pub moots and been an organizer of a Pagan music festival and a women’s retreat.

When I’m not writing or working on a community project, I like to get outside and connect with nature. My husband and I are working towards our goal of eventually buying a piece of land and living off it in a sustainable way, this, of course, means we are doing a lot of studying to gain the knowledge we will need, but the end result will be worthwhile. You can see our progress via our blog: Gramarye ~ the Magical Homestead.

I would just like to say thank you, Kala, for the opportunity to be here today. :)

Kala: Edain, thank you for joining me here on Kala’s Quick Five. More about Edain Duguay, Wyrdwood Publications, her books and her work can be found here: http://www.edainduguay.com

******************************************************************
Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner and as the National Haunted History Examiner.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, wisdom teacher and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her book 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled, delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She teaches and lectures around the U.S. on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and Greece, Exploring Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom (how to connect with your feminine power). More information about Kala at www.ExploreYourSpirit.com



Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Witches!

Welcome to Kala’s Quick Five, where I chat with fascinating authors, artists, teachers and researchers and ask them five questions about their work. My guest today is Judika Illes, an independent scholar, educator, and author of several books of folklore, folkways, and mythology about the subjects of magic, the occult, divination, diverse spiritual traditions, witchcraft, and the paranormal. She has a certification in therapeutic aromatherapy and taught introductory courses on that subject for the Australasian College of Herbal Studies (2000-2002). She is a practitioner of taromancy, tasseography, and other forms of divination. Her published books include The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, The Encyclopedia of Spirits, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, and the topic of our interview today – The Weiser Field Guide to Witches.

Kala: Judika, it’s a pleasure to speak with you again. I so enjoyed our conversation on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, where we discussed your work and your book, Magic When You Need It. We’re back again, this time to discuss your new book, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches: From Hexes to Hermione Granger, From Salem to the Land of Oz, which hits the stores on October 1, 2010.   What prompted you to write a field guide about witches?

Judika: My very earliest encounters with books of magic and metaphysics involved the old Samuel Weiser bookshop in New York City and so it is such a wonderful, marvelous karmic turn of events that I now find myself affiliated with the Weiser publishing house whose historic roots stretch back to that store. Last year, Weiser Publishing initiated a metaphysical field guide series: Raymond Buckland’s The Weiser Field Guide to Ghosts was the first book in the series. When Weiser asked whether I would like to write a field guide to witches, I jumped at the chance. I am honored to be following in Raymond Buckland’s footsteps and I feel so blessed to be working with Weiser Books.

Kala: The book covers famed historical legends including Aleister Crowley and Marie Laveau to popular cinematic figures such as Harry Potter and the Wicked Witch of the West. I’m excited to see that you included historical figures as well as modern day pop icons. I saw “Wicked” performed live this year and found it to be a fantastic twist and representation. What did you uncover during your research for this book that you found to be most fascinating?

Judika: Did you read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Gregory Maguire novel that the musical is based upon? I loved it.  It addressed a lot of my own personal issues with the MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz. These issues are discussed more fully in one of my other books, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, which has substantial sections devoted to L. Frank Baum’s novel, The Wizard of Oz, the movie versions, and Maguire’s novel. I would really like to see the “Wicked” musical one day.

I’m always fascinated by twists, always trying to look at old subjects from different or fresh perspectives. I can’t say that there’s one most fascinating thing in The Weiser Field Guide to Witches for me because the entire topic enthralls me. There’s nothing about witches, witchcraft, or even just perceptions about witches and witchcraft that doesn’t interest me. But I am always uncovering new details. Researching is like intellectual archaeology and so you’re always digging up something new, something that will help you re-examine a topic from different angles.  During the researching of The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, I was able to uncover new details about people I’ve written about before- new for me, anyway.

For example, while writing this book, I read a lot of Sybil Leek’s work: now I’ve loved Sybil Leek since I was a kid and saw her on television, I think on the Mike Douglas show but I did not know she had written a children’s book, The Jackdaw and the Witch. I also hadn’t realized that all of Sybil’s many books, many of which were best-sellers, are now out of print, which I find very distressing.

For a change, I focused on Franz Bardon’s involvement with folk magic and herbalism, something that is rarely discussed as emphasis tends to be on his work with hermetics. For those unfamiliar with him, Franz Bardon is an extremely significant figure in the history of witchcraft and magical practice but he was a modest man who lived behind the Iron Curtain and is all too often overlooked.

Many of the details of Veronica Franco’s life were new and surprising for me. She was a Venetian courtesan who survived Europe’s witch hunts. She was a rarity: a well-educated, very literate and articulate woman who successfully defended herself against witchcraft charges and was freed.  When you write about the history of witches and witchcraft, you inevitably tell a lot of sad stories. Veronica did not have an entirely happy ending—she was quite poor at the end of her life—but it was a nice change to discuss a witchcraft-accusation tale that did not end in complete tragedy.

Kala: Of all of the titles that women have claimed, the term witch I believe, has been the most misused, misunderstood and misrepresented over the centuries. I have past life memories of practicing the wise woman ways and being condemned for doing so in those past lives. It is so sad at times to still see how misunderstood the term is to this day. Can you define and bring some clarity to our readers on who witches were and who they are today?

Judika: I have similar past life memories, Kala. My absolute favorite definition of “witch” is from author Aline DeWinter—I quote it in The Weiser Field Guide to Witches:A Witch is a person who sees everything as alive and powerful. We walk in a sacred manner and all of nature responds.” I can’t possibly say it any better.

For me, a witch is a person possessing both spiritual freedom and personal power. A witch has a kind of freedom of soul and mind, even if she sometimes finds herself oppressed by life’s circumstances in other ways. A witch is in touch with her own personal spiritual and magical power and makes conscious choices and decisions regarding when and if and how to access and use that power. I think those are eternal definitions that apply now and forever.

But the word “witch” also gets very carelessly thrown around a lot: it’s evolved into an umbrella term encompassing incredibly diverse, often contradictory definitions. That’s as true now as it was in the past. The word “witch” has historically been applied to healers, priestesses, magical practitioners, shamans, and practitioners of polytheistic faiths. It’s also used as a derogatory term for people interested in the occult, unconventional people, and also as a misogynistic term for women in general, especially uppity women who don’t display sufficient submissiveness.

I am constantly asked whether I’m a witch and my consistent response is to ask the questioner to define the word “witch” for me, which usually really annoys them.  Now I’m not a particularly confrontational person but it’s crucial that the word “witch” be defined: you have to be careful because one person’s definition is not the same as another’s.  I define “witch” very positively. I have always loved and admired witches: as a child, I perceived Hansel and Gretel as a tragedy because the witch was murdered. Hansel and Gretel was a really stressful story for me to hear but I was worried about the witch, not the kids. However, I am well aware that not everyone shares my perspective. So when someone asks you if you are a witch, for safety’s sake, before you answer, you need to know whether they perceive witches as role models or as servants of Satan.

Kala: In your book, you also explore the ancient goddesses including Isis, Hekate, and Aradia among others. Do you feel that the calling of the high priestess is returning? Many express an awareness that the Divine Feminine energy is rising at this time, how do you feel this will affect the world?

Judika: Lilith, Kybele, Yemaya, and Oshun are also among those included in The Weiser Field Guide to Witches. And Naamah and Nephthys, too. I can’t overlook my Ladies! I create field guides and encyclopedias and so I try very hard to write from a neutral position. I present a lot of diverse information, I’m not writing only about my own personal experiences but, that said, a lot of what I write about is very personal to me. I write from within the traditions, not merely as an observer.

I think the calling of the high priestess has never gone away—the difference is that in the 21st century more of us are now in a position to heed that call and to demonstrate our devotion in a public fashion and thus serve as inspiration and encouragement to others. So the response to the calling can expand exponentially whereas previously, for reasons of safety, these practices had to be maintained under deep cover, very discreetly and secretly and on a much smaller scale. If the Divine Feminine energy is nurtured and allowed and encouraged to rise, then that will be humanity’s salvation.  We are in trouble without it.
But it is very much a calling.

There is a basic shamanic tenet that the Call of the Spirits—or a specific deity or goddess—can only be ignored at your own risk. If you feel that call in your heart, mind, or in your blood or bones, you must respond. The alternative is depression, illness, general frustration and unhappiness. But the wonderful thing is that the spirits—and I use that word as an equalizer, I write about so many of them from so many traditions that I very consciously try not to impose a hierarchy—the spirits do respond. They speak with us and will negotiate methods of veneration and communication that suit each of us. So just as there are many ways to be a witch, there are many ways to be a high priestess. And new paths are being forged all the time. We are blessed to live in a magical and spiritual renaissance and it is crucial that we nurture and protect it.

Kala: Judika, looking back at your life thus far in review, how has your practice of the metaphysical arts enhanced and affected your life. Have you been surprised by the journey along the way?

Judika: Kala, it has enhanced and affected every aspect of my life. I cannot even begin to imagine who I would be without it. I do believe in the concept of the witchblood. My fascination and identification with witches, witchcraft, and metaphysics manifested at such an early age: it was just there inside me from the start. I can’t even begin to explain it otherwise. I have personally had a very circuitous spiritual journey, a surprising and unpredictable personal path. For example, what I am working on now is another massive encyclopedia, this one devoted to saints of many spiritual traditions. If you had told me twenty years ago that I’d be working with saints, I would have laughed. I wouldn’t have believed you. And yet here I am.

Kala: Judika, thank you for joining me here on Kala’s Quick Five. More about Judika and her book The Weiser Field Guide to Witches at www.judikailles.com

Judika: Thank you so much, Kala! It’s always a pleasure speaking with you!

******************************************************************
Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at the National Haunted History Examiner and the  National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She lectures on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and the Mystery Schools, Developing Business Intuition, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom. More about Kala at: www.ExploreYourSpirit.com



NC ghosthunter killed while investigating haunted train wreck site

What began as an investigation by fellow ghost hunters to hear and see the Bostian Bridge ghost train on the 119th anniversary of its wreck, has ended in a horrifying accident. Christopher Joseph Kaiser, age 29 from Charlotte, was struck by a train and pronounced dead at the scene on Friday morning, August 27th at 2:50am during the paranormal investigation.

The ghost hunting group consisting of a dozen people were walking on the train tracks in Statesville, NC near the infamous location of the Bostian Bridge train wreck on Buffalo Shoals Road, an area which is reported to be very actively haunted. According to witnesses, during the paranormal investigation, a train operated by Norfolk Southern Railroad came around the corner on the tracks, approaching the ghost hunters, who were walking along the track trestle of the bridge. The train conductors attempted to stop the train and blew the horn in warning to the people on the track. Most of the group was able to run and get off of the track to safety with the exception of the last two of the group, which were Christopher and an unidentified young woman. Witness reports state that Christopher pushed the woman out of the way to safety before being struck by the train and knocked over the side. The woman survived the fall and was taken to Iredell Memorial Hospital and then airlifted to Carolina’s Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. Her current condition is not yet available.

The location is the scene of one of the worst disasters in North Carolina railroading history, which occurred on August 27, 1891. On this date, a west bound passenger train, No. 9, was enroute from Salisbury, NC to Asheville, NC , when it derailed off the tracks, hurling the train almost 70 feet off of the Bostian Bridge, killing over 20 people and injuring many more. Rescuers worked for hours to remove bodies from the scene as some of the cars had submersed under water, trapping the sleeping occupants inside. The area has been reported to be haunted by the passengers from the wreck and over the years, the haunted site has become a popular area in North Carolina for ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts to visit on the anniversary of the accident.

Paranormal reports state that if you visit the Bostian Bridge on the anniversary date of August 27th, you will see the ghostly train make its arrival and experience the crash like it occurred, hearing the squeal of the brakes from the train, the sound of the crash from the bridge, the moans of the injured and reportedly, full body apparitions of some of the souls appear including the conductor from the train. The first reports of ghostly activity began on the first anniversary of the train wreck and have continued through to this day.

——————–

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her new book Ghost Hunting North Carolina will be available in 2011.
More information about Kala at: www.ExploreYourSpirit.com

****************************************************************************
Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing!
Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main column page as the National Haunted History Examiner.



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Books by Kala Ambrose

The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body

Humanity is entering a new era...we are evolving into super-powered beings of light. Our auric and etheric bodies are experiencing a transformational shift as new crystalline structures form within and around our auras.

Kala Ambrose, a powerful wisdom teacher, intuitive, and oracle, teaches how to connect with your rapidly changing energy body to expand your awareness and capabilities on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.

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The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body contains a wealth of practical exercises, diagrams, and instructions. Learn how to interpret and work with the auras of others, sense energy in animals, and sense and balance the energy in buildings and natural locations.Discover how energy cords attach in relationships, how to access the akashic records through the auric layers, how to use elemental energy to enhance your auric field, and much more. More info at TheAwakenedAura.com

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Ghosthunting North Carolina
Explore haunted lighthouses, forts, and shipwrecked areas of East Carolina where Blackbeard and his pirates still roam as you join author and paranormal researcher Kala Ambrose in Ghost Hunting North Carolina.

Journey across the state and visit the most actively haunted capitol in the US, and continue west into the Blue Ridge Mountains where the pink lady and her friends await your presence. Maps and travel information are provided to every haunted location for those brave enough to make the journey in person and for paranormal researchers who are interested in exploring haunted North Carolina.

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Ghosthunting North Carolina takes you behind the scenes with detailed information about each destination. More info about Ghosthunting North Carolina.

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9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled
Kala's book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled, delves into the teachings of ancient Egypt and Greece and explains the Mystery Schools and their ventures into the other realms.

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The nine lessons are designed to stir the soul, awaken the mind and reveal long forgotten memories of past lives in these schools, as well as inspire you to explore the magnificence of who you really are. More info at TempleofStellaMaris.com

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