GHOST HUNTERS

I have been very blessed to know some amazing bloggers, but one who was very dear to my heart was my good friend, John Wolfe. He ran the blog Season of Shadows and embodied all things vintage and true Halloween. He would begin early in the year designing elaborate home haunts and sharing on video how he went about designing them. He did lots of volunteer work and was always available for anyone. He sought to understand the spiritual and the other side. In fact, as he was dying, he said he would contact me through EVPs. And, he asked me to write his memorial which I did and he read it and approved of it before his passing at much too early an age in his 30s. Each Halloween, I will post his memorial here. Halloween is his season, his paradise, and I miss him something awful every October. I'd like to share him with you now - "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream" (Edgar Allen Poe)  ( John Wolfe ) “Night of the Wolf” Nox Arcana ( one of his favorites ) I am

Some legends go under the radar and the public might not get wind of it. It's a shame, because some are really intriguing. One such case is the Ladder to the Golem -  This goes back in time to a Jewish legend of the golem.  ( Wikipedia ) In Jewish folklore, a golem (/ˈɡoʊləm/ goh-ləm; Hebrew: גולם‎‎) is an animated anthropomorphic being that is magically created entirely from inanimate matter (specifically clay or mud). Legend says in the 1500s in Prague when sentiments were anti-semitic, a rabbi decided to create a protector from clay, a golem. A special inscription on the golem's forehead was said to create ancient powers and protect. When the golem was left unanimated, it was stored in a synagogue's attic. The attic was sealed, supposedly to protect the neighborhood. The Old New Synagogue in Prague was built in the 1200s, but has a very long and amazing history as the oldest synagogue in Europe. Many believe the building has been protected through the centuries by Divine

It's that magical time of the year and you want to hunker down in the dark with some candles and drinks and enjoy a thematic series of movies that dip you deep into whatever places or situations that you are craving. Here, I've paired your drinks with your 3-movie marathon for the evening depending on your proclivity. There is a more extensive chapter about this in my book ADULT HALLOWEEN: TAKING BACK THE SEASON!   Enjoy!  Descriptions from IMDB. 1970s witch-themed horror "Witch's Brew"  Hard Apple Cider Crowhaven Farm A young couple inherits a farm. Hoping that the rural location might help to patch up their strained marriage, they move into it, only to be confronted by the supernatural forces that inhabit it. Midnight Offerings:  Vivian has magic powers. She doesn't hesitate to save her boyfriend David from failing in school by murdering teachers. However, David has gotten tired of her and is putting his charm on a new girl in school, Robin. Robin discovers

Halloween house dressing has become the real competition for Christmas. Each year, new technologies and innovative homeowners come up with more and more chilling presentations for the delight of their neighborhood. Let's take a look at some really amazing ones -

Sure, there are abandoned buildings here and there, even sections of towns, but the closing down of an entire town is an unusual circumstance and quite creepy. Usually a town shuts down because of an act of nature (dam flooded a town or earthquake) or an industry went away (mining), or there was a toxic emergency like chemicals, underground fire, or radioactivity. In odd cases, like "Helltown" Ohio, the town was bought by the government to retain some of the natural setting in that area.  Let's get a look at some abandoned towns around the world - 

Horror shorts hit the spot - give you mood and story but in a short time so you can move on with your day or perhaps, like I enjoy doing, soak in a bunch in a row! And Halloween-themed TV shows are a blast. Some sitcoms did noteworthy ones. And, then, there are the vintage ones... ENJOY! 

My first attempt at dirty car art - a little zombie scene. 

There are two Halloween styles that exude horror atmosphere without screaming it. Some folks might enjoy their zombies and severed bodies, but a bigger audience of people enjoy the traditional Halloween and autumn elements and the Gothic ones. Let's have a look at these styles -  One of the basic tenants of these styles is to create a place no one wants to visit , such as a dark cemetery, a scary castle, a cluttered attic, a vampire lair, a haunted hall, or a nighttime cornfield.  Elements that would be utilized include: Aged items, musty/dusty items, tattered lace, black velvet, corn stalks, hay bales, pumpkins and gourds, scarecrows, candelabras, tea stains, candles, statues, fog, headstones, wrought iron, Ouija board, goblets, moth-eaten cloth, chains, ghosts, mirrors. Themes that work are: Farm/cornfield, cemetery, haunting, vampires, werewolves, mausoleums, castles, pumpkin farms, haunted houses. Movies to set the mood Sleepy Hollow An investigator is sent to a quiet little

I am going to share a tip for those who miss a loved one who passed on. We know we have to trudge on without a loved one, but there are times we want to call upon them, get some comfort, feel their energy near us. Here is a simple posture that can do just that. NOTE: Be aware that the first few times you do this, you might have an odd emotional outburst of tears or longing. It takes a while to get used to noting this connection. The connection is always there, but we don't always know how to posture ourselves to note it. You are going to make yourself aware of their eternal influence with this - Place your left hand on your right shoulder and turn your head to the right as if you are talking to someone just behind your right shoulder. Speak their name out loud. You may need to do this a few times, but wait a few moments to feel any response to the name calling. You might get a rush of an image in your mind, a sense of movement toward you, or an overwhelming emotional hug that eithe

For some movies, sequels were the kiss of death.  The Halloween series comes to mind when I think about the kiss of death.  Number one and two were straightforward awesome, continuing our favorite heroine and her desire to outlive her ghastly murderous brother. Then, came the odd Season of the Witch #3 that had nothing to do with 1 and 2, and after that a series of attempts to bring Michael back in an ongoing assault on teens.  What the series didn't realize we were invested in the first movie that went into cult favorite status. To skew us off that path is to make us apathetic.  Public demand finally called for H2O to help us resolve some issues with Laurie Strode and her bro. It could have ended there with a bit of respect reinstated. But, no.... Resurrection sequel put a wooden stake into the heart of fans with the killing off of Laurie - why even bother going on? And, then there was the godawful reality TV show concept thrown in, as if they hadn't already insulted us enough

Sorting through the family photos, one can sometimes uncover the family ghosts.... I never understood as a kid why mom didn't like being photographed. We didn't have a lot of photos of her because her childhood home burned down. So, to me, she only started existing when she was in the WAVES in WWII Navy in the 40s.  I sorted through the photo box when she passed away since I was the family historian. I found dozens of pics of mom with strange photo oddities on them.  Other family members of hers - nothing. Taken on the same day with other people - nothing. Just the photos of mom with these anomalies. It might explain why when we got photos back from the drugstore, she dug through them immediately and discarded some....  In my book, Growing Up With Ghosts , I tell my family's experiences at Aspen Grove, and mother's were quite amazing. She regularly saw the dead people and they visited her after passing too.  * (excerpt from my book) Mother sat down her paintbrush in th

Carnivals have weird music, bright lights, strange sounds, clowns, funhouses and sideshows. They are run by what we equate with traveling gypsies who have no connection to our community and who are often times antisocial folks who are seen as "freaks." So, why do we find a roadside carnival setting up as a sign of mischief and fun? Screams and thrills never have a season. There is something about being where everything is happening at once that draws people; just look at Las Vegas. There are thrills on rides, trying to win prizes, in a funhouse, and most definitely at sideshow displays. Can it get any creepier than a funhouse having a REAL display and not a paper maiche one? Here's the story - In 1976, the show "Six Million Dollar Man" was filming an episode at a haunted house in an amusement park in Long Beach, CA.  They were moving around a prop of a hanging man and the arm broke off, exposing human bones. The body was that of Elmer McCurdy, who was killed in