psychic

Living with Spirits

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 6 Comments

Thanks to Toni from Virginia for sharing these stories with me!

Toni has had paranormal experiences her whole life.  Both sides of her family have psychic abilities, so she is used to regularly receiving communications from spirits.  Her earliest encounter happened when she was four years old.  At the time, she lived in a house on Long Island.  Built by a sea captain, it was always dark and creepy, no matter the weather.  One cloudy day, Toni was going up to the second floor via the staircase that led to the maid’s quarters when she heard a woman’s voice call out to her.

“Toni, Dear.  I need to talk to you.”

Toni paused on the stairs, searching for the woman.  The voice sounded like it came from close by, but there was no one around.  “What do you want to tell me?” Toni asked.

“Come upstairs to the attic,” the woman said.

Toni was not in the mood for this.  “Can we do this later?  I want to take a nap.”

The spirit of the woman did eventually come back to speak to Toni, but not until she was six years old.  Even as a young child, Toni was not afraid of spirits.  Her mother taught her to embrace her psychic abilities because it was a gift from God.

After her parents divorced, Toni went to live with her mother, Libby, in Cullowhee, North Carolina.  The house that they stayed in was built by Toni’s maternal grandfather, Joe.  A large house, it has an attic, four bedrooms, a parlor, dining room, living room, and a kitchen.  The house is located on Cherokee land and was constructed using the wood from her grandfather’s various lumber camps.  Over the years, many people have lived and died in this house, so it known to be haunted.

Sometimes Grandpa Joe’s spirit would drop by for a visit.  One time, Toni and her mother were sitting together in the living room.  Toni’s mother had been thinking about Grandpa Joe all day.  As she was sitting there, Toni distinctly heard a male voice inside her head say, “Tell Baby that I’m here, that I love her, and not to be worried.”

Toni said that Grandpa Joe had come through to her just then and that he had a message.  She then repeated the words back to her mother, who started crying.  “Baby” had been Libby’s childhood nickname.  Toni had not known that “Baby” was her grandfather’s nickname for her mother when she received the message.

Another day, Toni was sitting on the front steps having coffee when she heard her grandfather’s spirit calling for her mother from inside the house.  “Baby?  Baby?  Where are you?”

Toni answered him.  “Grandfather, it’s Toni.  Mom is out shopping.  She’ll be back later.”

“Okay.  Tell her that I was looking for her,” he said.  Then she felt his presence leave the house.  Toni let her mother know about Grandpa Joe’s visit when she got home.  Later that night, he came to visit her mother in a dream.

Toni liked to have sleepovers at her house when she was a teenager.  One night around nine o’clock, she and her girlfriends heard footsteps coming down the stairs.  No one else was home with them at the time and they didn’t see anyone standing there.  From the bottom of the steps they heard a female voice call out, “Toni, Dear.  It’s time to go to bed now.”  The spirit had a beautiful voice but did not make a physical manifestation.  The girls were so spooked that they were too afraid to stay inside the house.  Instead, they all went to sleep outside in their cars for the night.

During another sleepover, Toni and her friends decided to use a Ouija board.  Toni’s mother was not pleased with this, but she didn’t stop them from holding the séance.  She encouraged them to say prayers for protection though.  The spirit came through the board and told one girl that her boyfriend would have a car accident.  Later, the board flew off the bed and hit the window, breaking it.  Two months later, the girl’s boyfriend got into a terrible car accident just as the spirit had said.  Thankfully, he survived it.

Toni wasn’t the only one who had encounters with spirits in that house.  One evening, Toni’s mother, Libby, was relaxing in her bedroom.  Toni had left for a date and the house was quiet.  Libby could see the stairs from her bedroom.  She heard a woman in heels walking back up the stairs.

“Toni, is that you?” she called out, thinking her daughter had forgotten something.  When Toni didn’t answer, Libby knew that her daughter had left the house.  The footsteps continued up the stairs.  Even though Libby didn’t see anyone, she could smell lavender perfume in the hallway, which was not the kind of perfume that Toni wore.  The room grew cold and the family dog, Pepper, started barking.  It would seem that the female spirit walking around Toni’s grandfather’s house prefers to stay invisible.  Perhaps she is the one who opens the doors and windows, and messes with the lights, even when the house stands empty and the power has been shut off.

Do You Have a Ghost Story?

Send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

Want even more Ghost Stories?

Check out The Ghost Post’s YouTube channel for audio recordings of The Ghost Post.  It’s perfect for camping out, sleepovers, or anytime you just want to hear a ghost story on the go. 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill. 

Are you a paranormal writer, artist, or investigator?

Do you have a paranormal-themed business or Facebook group?

Maybe you just can’t get enough of the paranormal and want to connect with other like-minded individuals.

Then check out my new paranormal advertising group on Facebook, The Paranormal Hotspot: The Market for All Things Paranormal. There is no set promotion day, so you can promote your business, art, or group every day for free. You can also post links to sites where you sell your products or services. Our mission is to help paranormal businesses, artists, writers, and investigators connect with fans and consumers!

Get Your Ghost On!

Check out our CafePress store featuring The Ghost Post’s official mascot, Spook.  We’ve got awesome coffee mugs, t-shirts, and more!

Spook - Official Mascot of The Ghost Post
Spook – Artist Credit – Mara Cordova

 

 

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The Spirit’s Stone

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 2 Comments

Thanks to Diane from St. Augustine, Florida for this story!

One day, Diane was visiting a friend, when she was presented with a strange stone pendant.  It was a beautiful malachite stone in a homemade setting.  Knowing that Diane was into crystals, incense, and things like that, the woman offered to give Diane the stone.  Her friend said that she had found it years ago, but didn’t like wearing it because she seemed to have a bad day whenever she did.  Before deciding to take it, Diane wanted to get a feel for the stone’s energy.  Holding it in her hands, she closed her eyes and sensed green sweeping hills that reminded her of Ireland.  Diane decided that she liked the stone and thanked her friend for giving it to her.

Soon after, Diane wore the stone to a Druid meet up and a Wiccan meeting.  At both events, different people approached her and said that they were picking up weird vibes from the stone.  They encouraged Diane to cleanse the stone before wearing it again.  Diane took the stone home, gave it a sage cleansing, and placed it on the altar she had dedicated to the fairies.

Instead of helping, odd things started happening in her apartment.  Stuff was moved around, lights turned themselves on and off, and she began seeing a white ball of light that floated about the apartment and over her fairy altar.  Then she saw an apparition of a young girl with long, straight, dark hair peeking around the corner of the hallway by her bedroom.  The child spirit looked to be about eight or nine years old.  Diane’s husband also caught a glimpse of the spirit.  One night, he went to take out the trash and saw a person sitting in the back of Diane’s car.  When he looked closer and saw the little girl’s ghost, he freaked out and went and told his wife.

Another day, Diane had just finished vacuuming the living room.  She turned the vacuum off and went to go talk to her husband about something.  A few minutes later, she went back into the living room to find that the whole thing had been turned upside down and dumped out all over the floor.  Both Diane and her husband had just been in the next room and they hadn’t heard a sound.

It was clear that something was wrong.  With all this activity happening since Diane had brought the necklace home, she placed it in salt water to try to purify it again. While Diane’s husband was afraid, Diane just wanted to know what was going on.  She decided to try to contact the spirit through meditation.

She cast a circle and used a homemade Ouija board with a pendulum.  The spirit told her that her name was E.J. and that she had been killed in an invasion during wartime in St. Augustine.  The stone pendant had been a gift to her and she wanted it back.  One of Diane’s friends, who was a Wiccan high priestess, came to inspect the house and confirmed what Diane had found out through the Ouija board session.  The piece of malachite emanated a guardian energy that was intended to help protect the child’s spirit.

Meanwhile, Diane had this nagging suspicion that whatever spirit was attached to the stone was not happy that it was submerged in salt water.  Unable to dismiss this feeling, Diane took the malachite pendant out of the water and placed it back on her fairy altar.  She warned her husband not to touch it and then went out to do some errands.

When she got home, she went back in her room to find the stone missing.  Diane asked her husband where the stone was, but he swore that he hadn’t seen it.  They searched the room, but couldn’t find it anywhere.  Later, as they were getting into bed, her husband said that he felt something underneath his pillow.  Picking up his pillow, he found the green stone lying underneath.  Diane’s husband turned pale and leapt out of the bed screaming, “How did it get there?!”  After that, Diane promised E.J. that she would find a way to return the stone to her.

The next day, she put the stone into a cloth bag covered with rune symbols and went to go see her friend.  Diane asked the woman where she had gotten the stone.  At this point, the woman confessed that she had found the malachite pendant while hanging out in a cemetery after dark when she was a teenager.  Diane was upset.  She would never have accepted the stone if she had known where it had come from.  She asked the woman for the location of the graveyard so that she could return it.

The burial ground was across from a fort.  Many of the people buried in there died from a yellow fever outbreak.  By the time that Diane got there, the cemetery gates were locked.  She really didn’t want to keep the stone any longer than necessary.  Walking around the perimeter, she saw a little grave with the initials E.J.

“That must be her grave!” thought Diane.  Now, the problem was getting inside to return the malachite pendant.  She didn’t want to take it home again since she was only feet away from the little ghost girl’s grave.  She stood there holding the stone and praying over it for a few minutes.  Taking her best shot, she hurled the stone over the gate.  It landed in an aloe plant that was right next to the tiny grave.

On her way home from the cemetery, Diane found a fairy pendant lying on the ground.  She took this as a sign that E.J. was happy and at peace now that she had her stone back.  When she got home, the apartment’s energy was back to normal.  The spirit had moved on.

After these events, Diane learned that there is a spirit named Elizabeth who haunts the city gates, which are located right across from the cemetery.  According to local history, Elizabeth was the daughter of one of the guards.  She is believed to have died during an invasion.  Could the spirit of Elizabeth and E.J. be one and the same?  What do you think?  Let me know in the comments.

Media Announcement:

Big news!  I recently did an interview with Jacquetta Szathmari and Katie Kazimir on their podcast, Hey You Know It.  I had a great time talking about ghosts, the paranormal, and sharing some of my favorite ghostly encounters.  Listen to the podcast for free here: A Reluctant Happy Medium.

Do You Have a Ghost Story?

Send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

Want even more Ghost Stories?

I have launched a ghost story magazine via Patreon called The Spirit Hour.  For a dollar a month, you get complete access to all the stories in the ghost story magazine, so that you can read them whenever you want.  A new ghost story will be posted once a month. 

Also, check out The Ghost Post’s YouTube channel for audio recordings of The Ghost Post.  It’s perfect for camping out, sleepovers, or anytime you just want to hear a ghost story on the go. 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill. 

Are you one of the following: A paranormal writer, artist, or investigator?

Or

Do you have a paranormal-themed business or Facebook group?

Then check out my new paranormal advertising group, The Paranormal Hotspot: The Market for All Things Paranormal. There is no set promotion day, so you can promote your business, art, or group every day for free. You can also post links to sites where you sell your products or services. Our mission is to help paranormal businesses, artists, writers, and investigators connect with fans and consumers!

Get Your Ghost On!

Check out our CafePress store featuring The Ghost Post’s official mascot, Spook.  We’ve got awesome coffee mugs, t-shirts, and more!

Spook Giant Coffee Mug
Spook – Coffee Mug – Copyright 2017

 

 

 

 

Calling on The Angels

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ Leave a comment

Thank you to Sandra for this story!  If you would like to read more about Sandra’s paranormal and spiritual experiences, please see Invisible Forces. 

Sandra is a Reiki Master/Teacher in Canada.  She does Reiki sessions, psychic readings, and creates beautiful jewelry that is specially designed for spiritual healing.  One time, she got a call from a client who was having trouble and suspected that there was an unhappy spirit residing in the house.  While Sandra doesn’t normally work with spirits, she will do a house cleansing if the occasion calls for one.  Sandra can make contact with spirits through deep meditation and she works to help them resolve any issues that are holding them from crossing over.

When Sandra arrived at the client’s house, she sensed a darkness hanging over the rooms, making everything seem drab and muted.  As she went through the place, she encountered some trapped souls who were happy to be guided into the light.  Still, there was something hiding in the house and Sandra focused on preparing herself for the eventual meeting. Everything went smoothly until she entered the kitchen.

The ghost of an old Italian woman with curly hair appeared to Sandra.  The spirit had a grey color that matched the heavy energy that had infused itself into the home.  When Sandra asked her to leave, the angry spirit tried to scare her away.  Knowing better and refusing to be afraid, Sandra opened up the pathway to the light, but the old woman refused to go.

Sandra asked the woman why she remained here.  The woman answered that she had been unpleasant during life and feared that she was going to be judged and sent to Hell if she crossed over.  Over time, her spirit had become attached to the furniture in the house and now she didn’t know how to separate herself from it.

Sandra nodded, many spirits feared punishment after death.  She explained to the female spirit that religion is a human-made construct.  There was no judgement to be met in the afterlife.  She said that the woman would be met with unconditional love and understanding, and that she would be healed of the pain that she had carried with her into the afterlife.  The ghost was still too frightened to move on.

At this point, Sandra felt that it was time to call for assistance.  She has a strong bond with Archangel Raphael and often works with the archangel to help trapped souls find release.  In her mind, Sandra saw a brilliant emerald light that signified Archangel Raphael’s arrival.  He came over and embraced the spirit of the old woman, covering her with his shining, deep green wings.  As he did so, the grey fell from her like an old, discarded cloak leaving the woman’s soul cleansed and glowing pure white.  Then Archangel Raphael took the rejuvenated soul’s hand and helped her crossover into the Spirit World.  This was an amazing moment for Sandra because while she works with the angels regularly, it is a rare occurrence for her to see one.

The client, who was accompanying Sandra around the house during the cleansing, suddenly burst into tears saying, “I have the feeling that I have to say that I am sorry.”  This was the spirit’s way of sending the message that she was sorry for everything that she had done and for creating a disturbance in the person’s home.  Once the spirit had moved on and Sandra had completed cleansing the house, the heavy atmosphere was dispelled, and the home was peaceful and happy once more.

If you are interested in contacting Sandra for spiritual work, including Reiki sessions and other types of psychic readings, please check out her website at Serafina Fae. 

Do You Have a Ghost Story?

Send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

Want even more Ghost Stories?

I have launched a new ghost story magazine via Patreon called The Spirit Hour.  I’ll be uploading a new ghost story or the next part of a continuing story every week.  For only one dollar a month, you get complete access to all the stories that I post on Patreon. 

Also, check out The Ghost Post’s YouTube channel for audio recordings of The Ghost Post.  It’s perfect for camping out, sleepovers, or anytime you just want to hear a ghost story on the go. 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill. 

Are you one of the following: A paranormal writer, artist, or investigator?

Or

Do you have a paranormal-themed business or Facebook group?

Then check out my new paranormal advertising group, The Paranormal Hotspot: The Market for All Things Paranormal. There is no set promotion day, so you can promote your business, art, or group every day for free. You can also post links to sites where you sell your products or services. Our mission is to help paranormal businesses, artists, writers, and investigators connect with fans and consumers!

Get Your Ghost On!

In celebration of The Ghost Post’s 1 Year Anniversary, I have launched a CafePress store featuring The Ghost Post’s official new mascot, Spook.  We’ve got awesome coffee mugs, t-shirts, and more!

White Spook T-Shirt
Spook Logo, White T-Shirt, Copyright 2017

What Dreams are Made Of

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 2 Comments

Thanks to Linda from New Jersey for this story! To read more about Linda’s psychic and paranormal experiences, please see Her Daughter’s Guardian Angel and A Grave Message. 

It’s not easy to interpret one’s dreams.  Symbols and messages that make sense while asleep often lose their logic after we wake.  Some people don’t even remember most of their dreams.  Others, keep a dream journal to record what they can recall before it grows hazy and is forgotten.  Many cultures believe in Dreamers, a type of Medium who does psychic and spiritual work while they are dreaming.  These stories might make you question the line between dreaming and reality.

When her son and daughter were young, Linda used to participate in a carpool.  When it was Linda’s turn, it meant taking her friend’s three kids along with her own children.  It was about a twenty-minute ride to the school.  One night, Linda had a dream that she hit a deer while she was driving.  In the dream, the animal’s back leg kicked her in the head as it crashed through the windshield.  Thankfully, the kids were not present in this dream.  Deeply disturbed by this nightmare and knowing that she sometimes had prophetic dreams, Linda vowed to be extra careful on the road.  When nothing happened, she chalked it up to nervousness about the commute.

Many years later, the dream suddenly came back.  Linda’s children were now all grown up.  She called and asked them to please be careful while driving.  Accustomed to their mother’s strange dreams, they promised to use caution.  The daughter phoned a little while later, saying that she had arrived at her destination safely.  Linda could sense that something was wrong when her son didn’t call.

When she did eventually hear from her son, he was reluctant to tell her that he had had an accident.  The guy in front of him had hit a deer.  Somehow during the collision, the deer’s body had flown over the other person’s car and through her son’s windshield.  The creature landed in the passenger seat next to her son, who was miraculously unharmed.

Another dream that Linda had helped save her life.  Her father died at sixty-eight from stomach cancer.  One night, she dreamt that her father’s spirit came to visit her.  He told her that he knew that her stomach had been hurting her for quite some time and he urged her to go see the doctor as soon as possible.  Given what had happened to him, Linda decided to take his advice.  The gastroenterologist examined her and sent her for an endoscopy.  The test results revealed a large tumor in her stomach.  Fortunately, they had caught the problem in time and Linda was able to recover with treatment.

Do You Have a Ghost Story?

Send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

Want even more Ghost Stories?

I have launched a new ghost story magazine via Patreon called The Spirit Hour.  I’ll be uploading a new ghost story or the next part of a continuing story every week.  For only one dollar a month, you get complete access to all the stories that I post on Patreon. 

Also, check out The Ghost Post’s YouTube channel for audio recordings of The Ghost Post.  It’s perfect for camping out, sleepovers, or anytime you just want to hear a ghost story on the go. 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill. 

Are you one of the following: A paranormal writer, artist, or investigator?

Or

Do you have a paranormal-themed business or Facebook group?

Then check out my new paranormal advertising group, The Paranormal Hotspot: The Market for All Things Paranormal. There is no set promotion day, so you can promote your business, art, or group every day for free. You can also post links to sites where you sell your products or services. Our mission is to help paranormal businesses, artists, writers, and investigators connect with fans and consumers!

Get Your Ghost On!

In celebration of The Ghost Post’s 1 Year Anniversary, I have launched a CafePress store featuring The Ghost Post’s official new mascot, Spook.  We’ve got awesome coffee mugs, t-shirts, and more!

Spook Giant Coffee Mug
Spook – Coffee Mug – Copyright 2017

 

 

 

The Ghost Post YouTube Channel

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ Leave a comment

Dear Readers,

Great news!  The Ghost Post is available on YouTube!  Now you can listen to a ghost story on your way to work, while you’re working out, or wherever your adventures take you.  They’re perfect for camping and sleepovers, too.  Remember, you always have time for a good ghost story and a cup of coffee or tea.

Hope you enjoy the stories!

Tara Theresa Hill

Do You Have a Ghost Story?

Send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

Want even more Ghost Stories?

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill. 

Also, check out The Ghost Post’s new YouTube channel for audio recordings of The Ghost Post.  It’s perfect for camping out, sleepovers, or anytime you just want to hear a ghost story on the go. 

Get Your Ghost On!

In celebration of The Ghost Post’s 1 Year Anniversary, I have launched a Café Press store featuring The Ghost Post’s official new mascot, Spook.  We’ve got awesome coffee mugs, t-shirts, and more!

Spook Giant Coffee Mug
Spook – Giant Coffee Mug – Copyright 2017

Invisible Forces

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 2 Comments

Thanks to Don and Sandra for this story!

Sandra is a Reiki master and Don is a Reiki practitioner, as well as a witch. They are part of a three-person group that provides healing and protection to people in need.  For the purposes of this story, the other woman in their group wished to remain anonymous.

Reiki is the practice of tapping into the infinite energy of the Universe.  Since it is an external force, healers do not have to worry about draining themselves.  Please be advised that to do this correctly, one must train under a Reiki master.

One of the most amazing things about Reiki is that with practice and proper instruction, one can perform remote healings across the world.  Don lives in the New York Metro area and Sandra is in Canada.  Using Facebook’s chat mode to communicate with one another virtually, they often work together with another witch to increase the strength of the energy during Reiki sessions.  For the healing to be effective, either the person or a close family member, such as a parent, must request it.

As Don explained it to me, “The reason for permission is so as not to affect the person’s karma.  Some people might be sick as the result of a karmic event that they are currently working through.  To heal such a person without asking would do them a disservice.  In the case of a child, the parents can make the request.”

One time, Don and Sandra received a request to help heal a six-year-old child who had been suffering from cancer.  The child had already undergone chemotherapy treatment, so there was modern medicine at work here as well.  While Reiki sessions certainly help, they should be used in addition to traditionally prescribed medicine.  After consulting with the child’s mother, the trio agreed on a time to start the healing session.

A few minutes into it, Sandra said, “There are angels here.”  In her mind’s eye, she saw two powerful angelic beings of light surrounding the child.  The angels were there to protect the young child.  They invoked such an intense feeling of deep tranquility that Sandra was moved to bow her head in grace.  During our interview, Sandra told me that “These angels were Seraphim, which are the highest-ranking angels in the Kingdom of Heaven. They are said to guard the throne of God.  This is why I felt drawn to bow.  I have never felt that much grace before from any angel and I work with them on a regular basis.”

Don became aware of them shortly after Sandra and the other anonymous member.  He said that he “…felt a sudden and dramatic increase in the ability to transmit” the flow of Reiki energy.  He has had this ability since the event.

The next day, the child had a high fever and had to go back to the hospital.  Her health has improved since and it is hoped that she will make a full recovery.  This story shows that faith can contribute to one’s well-being.  Higher forces exist and they are willing to help aid us in achieving our purpose in life.  Just because we can’t always see them, doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.

If you are interested in contacting Sandra for spiritual work, including Reiki sessions and other types of psychic readings, please check out her website at Serafina Fae.

Do You Have a Ghost Story?

Send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

Want even more Ghost Stories?

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill. 

Also, check out The Ghost Post’s new YouTube channel for audio recordings of The Ghost Post.  It’s perfect for camping out, sleepovers, or anytime you just want to hear a ghost story on the go. 

Show off your passion for ghosts with a little fashion flair!

In celebration of The Ghost Post’s 1 Year Anniversary, I have launched a Café Press store featuring The Ghost Post’s official new mascot, Spook.  We’ve got awesome coffee mugs, t-shirts, and more!

Spook Giant Coffee Mug
Spook – Giant Coffee Mug – Copyright 2017

Dorming with Ghosts: The Many Spirits of Marillac Hall

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 3 Comments

Ouija boards are the subject of much controversy.  Having grown up with a psychic mother, I am pretty comfortable using them, although I know that it is wise to take some precautions, such as lighting a white candle and placing a chalice or bowl of water nearby to help attract positive spirits.  I had some spectacular experiences with ghosts during my years at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, especially at Marillac Hall.

I lived in Marillac Hall in my Junior year.  I’m glad that I had a roommate because I don’t think that I would have been brave enough to live there on my own.  The oldest building on campus, Marillac was built in the late 1800s.  My college always had a lot of fun hosting haunted houses and ghost tours for Halloween.  After getting permission from the Residence Director, I invited my mother and a friend up to do a Ouija board séance at Marillac Hall.

I was standing downstairs in the lounge, waiting for my mother to arrive.  Suddenly, I heard a tapping sound.  Looking up, I saw a face grinning back at me through the porch door’s window.  I must have jumped ten feet high.  The woman on the other side of the doorway laughed hysterically.

“Very funny, Mom,” I chided her.  “You have to come in the front door.  The porch is always kept locked.”  She nodded and I went around to get her and our family friend, Artie, signed in under me.  Artie, also known as Lord Tammuz, is another elder of the Craft in New York City.  He and my mom have been friends for many years and they are used to doing the Ouija board together.  Mom, Artie, and I spent some time catching up while we waited for people to arrive for the event.

Once everyone was there, I introduced Mom and Artie to the group.  Mom explained how we were going to respectfully ask any spirits who were around if they wished to communicate.  This was not going to be an aggressive event where we tried to coerce spirits into making contact.  While there were never any guarantees that spirits would decide to come thorough the board, Mom was hopeful that there would be a high level of activity that night because it was Halloween.  The veil between the Spirit World and the living is thinnest on Halloween night, which is also known as Samhain in Wiccan traditions.

Due to fire safety precautions, we could not light any candles, but Mom said that was okay.  She didn’t think we would run into any negative spirits.  The Mount is a peaceful, holy place.  CMSV was founded by the Sisters of Charity and Marillac Hall has a tiny chapel located on the first floor where the Sisters sometimes hold special, private prayer sessions.

We turned down the lights, keeping only the low lamps on so that we could see the board clearly.  Mom and Artie did the board while I recorded the words that the spirits spelled out.  The first spirit that came through was a gentleman from the 1940s.  His wife had attended the College of Mount Saint Vincent back when it was still a women’s college.  He had fond memories of visiting her here while they were courting.  They had gotten married after she graduated.

The room that we were doing the Ouija board reading in is known as the “Engagement Room.”  Mom and Artie didn’t know this, but my classmates and I did because we knew the history of the building.  When the school was still exclusively for women, male visitors weren’t allowed to go upstairs to visit their girlfriends.  The front desk attendant would escort the gentleman caller into the “Engagement Room” to wait.  Then they would let the young lady know that she had a visitor.

The second spirit that came through was a priest with a heavy Irish brogue named Father William.  During his life, he had resided on campus and taught mathematics.  This was reflected in the friendly, but professorial manner in which he addressed us.  He told us that many spirits chose to “haunt” CMSV, but not in the negative sense.  Very few, if any were stuck there.  Rather, the positive experiences that they had at the Mount forged a bond with the place that kept them coming back to visit long after they had gone to the light.

Father William went on to explain that sometimes spirits returning for a visit would be surprised by the changes that the Mount had undergone in their absence.  His former abode was now a large broom closet.  One of my classmates gasped, “Are you the ghost that haunts the storage closet on the third floor whose door always opens up on its own?”

“Aye,” Father William spelled out.

“Why do you stay there?” we asked.

“The landlord hates me,” he responded.  Then Father William told us all to study hard and said that he had to be going because there were other spirits who wanted to come through the board.

A couple of other spirits came through.  One commented on a student’s velvet curtains and said that she could leave them open if she ever wanted to see the ghosts that congregate on the balcony outside her window at night.  Just like the porch, the balcony had been sealed off many years before and students were forbidden to climb out onto it, even if their windows overlooked it.  The young woman shook her head, “After this, I’m always keeping them closed.”

Then the last spirit of the night arrived.  This one was a female from the 1950s.  “Hi, gang!” she chirped out over the board.  She introduced herself as K.M.  “I love Marillac!  I have a monument here.”  We all looked at each other.  As far as my classmates and I knew, there was no monument to any student on campus.  We were curious about how she had died.

K.M. grew sad.  “I did something foolish that led to an accident.”

“What did you do?” we asked.

She spelled out one word.  “Dumbwaiter.”  She had apparently climbed inside of one and the resulting accident had led to her death.

I nodded.  “Oh…That must be why all of the old dumbwaiters in the building are sealed up now.”

The spirit circled “YES” on the board.

We were all silent for a moment.  Then one of the students asked, “Where is your monument?”

K.M. responded, “In here.  Turn on the light.”

We didn’t understand what she meant, so we kept turning on and off lights for a few minutes.  We didn’t see any monument though.  It was close to midnight at this point, so we had to bring the event to a close.  We all said goodbye to K.M.  Then Mom thanked the spirits for joining us and closed out the session.  As we were cleaning up, Mom noticed something behind a tall lamp.  The lampshade had been hiding a brass plaque that was attached to the wall.  The initials of the person who the plaque commemorated were K.M. from the Class of 1955.

You can read more about the hauntings of CMSV in the following Ghost Posts: A Strange Welcome: Marillac Hall, Part 1, I Thought I was Alone: Marillac Hall, Part 2, The Ghost of Marillac Hill, Legends of CMSV: Sarah’s Story, and The Ghost Chase.

If you have a real ghost story that you would like to share with The Ghost Post, send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill.

Spook
“Spook” – Artwork by Mara Cordova, Copyright The Ghost Post –  April 2017

Want to show off your passion for ghosts with a little fashion flair?  In celebration of The Ghost Post’s 1 Year Anniversary, I have launched a Café Press store featuring The Ghost Post’s official new mascot, Spook. 

Ghost Friends

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 2 Comments

Thanks to Holly Bell for this story! 

One of the warnings that is given to paranormal investigators and ghost hunters who are just starting out in the field is never to invite spirits to follow you home.  This is so that the spirit does not become attached to the person.  The idea is that you would not invite a total stranger into your home without caution and since ghosts are the souls of people who have passed on, you do not want to encourage them to take up residence with you either.  Unless you know the spirit well or have a previous relationship with the person from when they were alive, it’s generally not considered wise to let them into your sacred space.  However, just as with everything, there are some exceptions to this rule.

Holly Bell is a clairaudient paranormal investigator.  Although she has seen apparitions, she mostly hears whispers and collects EVPs.  Holly started her paranormal investigation group about five years ago with another friend of hers who is also an empath.  You can check out her paranormal videos on YouTube.

A couple of years ago, Holly was investigating her former professor’s home.  The professor had lived peacefully in the building for years.  When he became empathic and psychically aware after a near-death experience, he started noticing that his old house was full of ghosts.  Unfortunately, he was terrified of them and decided to sell the place.  Before the deal was closed, he asked Holly to come over and investigate.

After Holly had been in the house a few minutes, the professor asked, “Well?  Why are they here?  What do they want?”

“They want to know why you hate them.  They don’t mean you any harm,” Holly answered.  “Even though they’re dead, they’re just peacefully living out their afterlife here.”

As she continued to explore the house, a young female spirit approached Holly.  The spirit said her name was Sarafina.  She wore a dress that looked like something from the Little House on The Prairie books.  Holly estimated that she was from the 1800s.  The little girl ghost had played with the professor’s niece when she visited, but since he was going to be leaving soon, she was going to be all alone.  The spirit did not seem ready to move on to the light.  During the visit, Holly took a liking to Sarafina and invited her to come home with her instead.

Another time, Holly was doing an investigation in Sacramento Historic City Cemetery in California when she came across the spirit of a cavalry soldier.  He introduced himself as John.  When she was leaving the area where he was, he called for her to come back.  Perhaps he wasn’t stuck haunting the cemetery and might have just been passing through because he decided to follow her home.  Holly has had readings with two other psychics who have confirmed this spirit by name.  John is not ready to cross over and has taken up the role of protecting Holly.

If you have a real ghost story that you would like to share with The Ghost Post, send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Back Room

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 1 Comment

When I was a little girl, Grandpa Freddie lived in the basement apartment of my Aunt Marianne’s house.  I knew that Grandpa’s wife, Tessie, had passed away three years before I was born.  Grandpa Freddie wasn’t happy talking about Grandma Tessie, so I would pester my mother for stories about her.  Mom told me that Grandma Tessie loved reading, bird-watching, singing, and helping people.  Tessie was a family nickname for Theresa.  Mom said it was too painful to name me after her mother, so she gave me “Theresa” as a middle name instead.

Grandpa Freddie watched me after school and on weekdays during summer vacation.  For some reason, I was always scared of the back room by the kitchen.  The bathroom was located at the end of the small room where they kept the washer and dryer.  It was almost always dark in the back room and I was convinced that something was waiting to grab me.  I would come out of the bathroom and rush through the archway to get back to Grandpa’s kitchen.

At some point, I concluded that if there was a ghost there, it was probably Grandma Tessie.  If that was true, then I shouldn’t be afraid of her.  She was an ancestral spirit and if anything, she would be protective of me.  I stopped running out of the bathroom area, but there was still a sad atmosphere about the place.  Sometimes I would even get the sensation of being watched.

I later learned that the watched feeling might have been an electromagnetic field caused by the washer and dryer, but somehow, I was not convinced.  Years after Grandpa Freddie died, I told my mother about the strange vibes that I would get in the back room.  Then Mom told me this story.

One day, when she was already sick with cancer, Grandpa found Grandma Tessie passed out in the bathroom.  When he tried to pick her up, he saw that she was dead and in his fright, he started shaking her and calling her name.  Miraculously, she came out of it and he took her to the hospital.  She eventually passed away some months later.

Residual hauntings occur when there is no consciousness behind the paranormal activity.  It is the remaining energy imprint from either a repetitive event or a tragedy that took place, not an individual soul that can interact with people.  I did not know that my grandmother had almost died in the bathroom by the back room and yet, I always felt odd in that area.  I think that I picked up on the intense energy that my grandfather must have left behind in that room when he found his wife dying.

What do you think?  Could this be a type of residual haunting?  Have you or someone you know ever experienced a residual haunting before?  Let me know in the comments.

If you have a real ghost story that you would like to share with The Ghost Post, send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.  I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill.

The Haunting of The Royalton Hotel

~ Tara Theresa Hill ~ 4 Comments

Lady Rhea was contacted in 1991 to do a séance for the Royalton Hotel in New York City. They had had complaints about an aggressive spirit haunting the hotel and the staff were curious if she could make contact with the spirit. Rhea agreed to look into the matter and enlisted her two close friends, Tony and Raven, to help her.

On the assigned date, Rhea, Raven, and Tony arrived at the Royalton Hotel to conduct the séance. They were led to a small hotel room on the second floor. Rhea and Raven worked the Ouija Board, while Tony recorded the responses. Nine staff members joined them for the séance making a total of twelve people in the room.

At first, they had sporadic contact with several energies. The spirit of a little boy came through the board asking if anyone had seen his mother. After the young boy left, heavy footsteps could be heard walking outside the door in the hallway. Then they felt the presence of a male spirit enter the room. Rhea got the impression that he was a finely dressed, tall man with dark hair. He had a gruff voice and a tough guy attitude.

“What is your name?” asked Rhea.

“William Rose,” he spelt out on the board.

One of the hotel staff jumped up, “As in Billy Rose?”

The pointer circled the word “YES” rapidly. “Ooh, he’s cranky,” said Raven. “Do you know him?” asked Rhea. The staff member swallowed. “We know of him. He used to live here back in the days when the place was a residential hotel.”

Rhea turned back to the board. “Are you the ghost haunting this floor?” The spirit moved the pointer to “YES” again. Now that the spirit had fully established his presence, he started calling out staff members in the room and asking them questions.

“Where’s Red?” he asked. Red was the nickname for a manager who was supposed to be on call that night, but had called out of work. “Why do you want to know?” asked Rhea. William responded back smartly, “I wanted to talk to him.” The room fell silent.

Next, William indicated a female worker that was in the room and said, “I’ve seen you taking a nap in room 307.” The woman’s eyes went wide. “Well, I’ll never lay down in there again,” she said.

“Okay. I have some questions for you now. Would you be willing to answer them for me?” asked Rhea. William said that he would. “Why do you push people in the hall?” asked Rhea. William smirked, “Cause they’re stepping on my newspaper. Next question.”

“Why aren’t you moving on to the light? Are you stuck? Do you need help?”

William answered solemnly, “I’m waiting for Edie.”

It was around one in the morning by this point, so Rhea wrapped up the séance. On the way home, Rhea, Raven, and Tony were questioning what had happened that night. Raven was driving, Rhea was up front in the passenger seat, and Tony was in the back. They were driving by the side of a cliff on Wendover Road when all three were overwhelmed by the scent of roses and the car went into a 360-degree spin.

“Stop it, Raven!” screamed Rhea, thinking Raven had spun the wheel too hard on the turn.

“It’s not me,” shouted Raven.

Just as quickly as it started, the car stopped. The scent of roses disappeared. There were no roses growing along the highway. It was a clear night. The roads were clean, there wasn’t any ice or rain, and they hadn’t driven over an oil spill. Rhea felt that William Rose had spun the car and made it smell like roses to show them that he was real. A few months later, Rhea mentioned the incident to one of her clients. The customer said that she knew the Edie who William Rose was referring to. Edie was elderly and had recently moved into a nursing home. William was waiting for her to pass on, so that they could move on into the light together.

Picture for Royalton Hotel Article - Public Domain Archive
Public Domain Archive

If you have a real ghost story that you would like to share with The Ghost Post, send me an email to theghostpostreporter@gmail.com to set up an interview.

I’m always in the mood for a good ghost story! 

For more ghost stories, paranormal phenomena, and updates, follow Tara Theresa Hill on Facebook and on Twitter at @TaraTheresaHill.