Ghost Hunting and the 'Witching Hour'
©2006 by Fiona Broome and the Hollow Hill Staff
Do ghosts appear more often at the 'witching hour'? This question
was raised during a recent ghost investigation at The Myrtles
Plantation in Louisiana.

Researchers offer a wide variety of opinions about the best time for
successful ghost hunting. Some say dusk, others say after 9 p.m.,
some insist on midnight, and a few favor dawn.

At Hollow Hill, we believe that--just as some radio stations are
clearer at night--ghosts can manifest more clearly after dark. (See
our article, When to Go Ghost Hunting.)

Other than that, ghosts are just people in another plane or
dimension, and tend to keep their own schedules.

But, what about the 'witching hour' and its legendary power?

The Witching Hour
If you aren't familiar with real witchcraft, you might assume that
the 'witching hour' is midnight, or the hour immediately before or
after midnight.
In fact, the night is divided into twelve equal "planetary hours,"
but they're rarely sixty minutes long.

To determine the actual hours of the night, start with the times of
sunset and sunrise. You can find this information in any farmers'
almanac, or online.

Count the minutes between dusk and dawn, and divide that by 12. In
the Craft, this is one hour, and each hour has a specific purpose,
ruled by a particular planet. Some planets repeat twice in one
night.

(A free program can calculate this for you: ChronosXP.)

There are at least two planetary hours each night that correspond
favorably to ghost hunting: The hour ruled by Saturn (good for
spirituality of all kinds) and the hour ruled by Mercury
(communications, including divination). Some ghost hunters favor
other planets, and many add the Moon to the hours, since it relates
to psychic gifts.

Since the Mercury, Moon, and Saturn hours are generally consecutive
and give you three hours for optimum research, we're listed all
three below.

Think of these corresponding hours like the tides; smart ship
captains make use of the tides to set sail. Ghost hunters can at
least try these corresponding planetary hours, to see if this
enhances their results.

Here are the planetary hours for ghost hunting, day by day. (If
sunset is at 7:12 p.m. and that hour ends at 8:15 p.m., the
notation "Sunset + 1" means the planetary hour starting at 8:15
p.m. "Sunset + 2" means the hour after that, and so on.)

planetary hours DAY MERCURY STARTS MOON STARTS SATURN STARTS
Sunday Sunset + 4
Sunset + 11 Sunset + 5 Sunset + 6
Monday
Sunset + 1
Sunset + 8 Sunset + 2
Sunset + 9 Sunset + 3
Sunset + 10
Tuesday
Sunset + 5
Sunset + 6 Sunset
Sunset + 7
Wednesday Sunset + 2
Sunset + 9 Sunset + 3
Sunset + 10 Sunset + 4
Sunset + 11
Thursday
Sunset + 6 Sunset
Sunset + 7 Sunset + 1
Sunset + 8
Friday Sunset + 3
Sunset + 10 Sunset + 4
Sunset + 11 Sunset + 5
Saturday Sunset
Sunset + 7 Sunset + 1
Sunset + 8 Sunset + 2
Sunset + 9

At Hollow Hill, we haven't completed a comparative study to see if
it helps to use planetary hours. However, we often have the best
results on Saturday evenings, starting around dusk.

If planetary hours work for you, try adding the extra energy of the
days: Monday is ruled by the Moon, Wednesday is ruled by Mercury,
and Saturday is ruled by Saturn. So, Saturday is an ideal evening to
go ghost hunting, starting at sunset. That is something that we can
agree with.

In the typical "alien abduction," the victim is paralyzed by some unknown force, taken to a small circular room, and then examined and probed by a number of large-eyed, gray skinned, hairless, short creatures. Tissues and cells are sampled and subcutaneous implants are often installed. Special attention is focused on the genitals and rectum. This involuntary examination is often supervised by a larger non-human creature, sometimes described as female. The abductees are then returned to their beds or automobiles and awake with no memories of the encounter. If they notice anything at all, it is usually that some time has mysteriously passed. This abduction story has been described by hundreds of people who have been placed under hypnosis by psychiatrists, psychologists and other therapists. Victims come from all corners of the globe and from every age, gender and race. For every abductee whose recollection has been liberated in therapy, there are many more who remain totally unaware of their routine encounter with aliens. The amnesia induced by aliens is highly effective, but it comes at a price. Horrific memories can eventually emerge in vivid dreams. In fact, many victims recall being told that they will remember the abduction as "just a dream." Even with effective amnesia of the events, as this paper will show, abductees have other symptoms that can betray their unusual experiences. John Mack, M.D., a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School is familiar with these symptoms. His careful documentation of abductees began with his clinical exposure to what is today known as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. This collection of symptoms can vary from strange nightmares, in which vignettes of the abduction are remembered, to full-blown and detailed recollections of the entire examination. This delayed recollection of painful memories was first seen in Vietnam veterans who repressed gruesome memories of death and the carnage of war. Abductees differ in that their memories are of personal suffering which, in many circumstances, is ongoing. A helpful treatment for Post-traumatic Stress is the effective release of these pent-up memories through hypnosis. Dr. Mack utilized this technique almost a decade ago when patients began to seek treatment for strange, frightening dreams of big-eyed monsters, involuntary physical examinations and large chunks of forgotten time. Under hypnosis, many different patients recalled similar abduction events in great detail. Dr. Mack's patients were not faking their memories, nor did they want to believe in aliens. These first patients described their experiences long before the media made abduction stories a source of entertainment. Most just wanted relief from the nightmares and some explanation of the odd images that terrified them or made them feel "crazy." Regression therapy for abductees, like Vietnam veterans, provided some relief. With the passing of time, an increasing number of adults were being referred to Dr. Mack by therapists who felt uncomfortable with the stories that were being recalled in therapy. It seemed clear that a growing number of Americans had been periodically abducted and examined by someone or some-"thing," and that it had been going on since their childhood. Robert Bigelow, a pioneer with Dr. Mack, was documenting the abductee phenomenon. He was curious to know exactly who the "typical" victims of this dangerous research were, and why they were chosen. The Roper Organization The American population is vast. With about 350 million people in the last official census, this "melting pot" contains so many races, cultures, ages and economic strata, that it is a major undertaking to find any common denominator with a traditional random sample. When a big company, like Coca-Cola or Proctor and Gamble, decides to market a new product, the company seeks the views of the "average American" and designs its product and marketing strategies to have the widest popular appeal. A random survey is not reliable enough when millions, or billions, of dollars hang on the success of accurately reading the minds of the American populous. That's why large companies often look to The Roper Organization. Based in New York City, The Roper Organization spends more time deciding from whom they will solicit opinions than they do asking the questions on their nation wide Limobus(TM) survey. Their demographics go far beyond the random selections based on age and gender. Roper's sample populations contain the precise percentages of each ethnic group, political affiliation and education level as is reflected in the most recent census data. From a relatively small sample, The Roper Organization can determine the preferences of hundreds of millions of American individuals. Also, their data base can often reveal subtle psychological factors that not only tell a marketer not if his product has appeal, but why. The Limobus survey can contain hundreds of questions from a variety of companies. Subjects in their special populations are asked about their laundry, their musical tastes, their food preferences-- all mixed together with no clue as to the purpose or intent of the inquiries. Beginning in 1992, Robert Bigelow, and an anonymous financial partner, formed The Bigelow Holding Company and inserted their own special questions in three separate Limobus surveys to learn both the number and character of alien abductees in America. The Limobus survey questions Since most successful abductions involve amnesia, Bigelow realized that he couldn't just ask subjects if they had been abducted by aliens. Also, since the questions would be asked in person, by an examiner, he doubted that anyone would want to admit to such an inquiry for fear of being labeled "crazy." But Bigelow knew that abductees, even before their memories were released, had certain events that they remembered and were likely to admit. These events were not shared by non-abductees. He worked with abduction therapists to carefully craft a list of "positive indicators" and these questions were intermixed with inquiries about the scent of laundry soap, the preferred sweetness of ketchup and a number of other inquiries in three Limobus surveys. Pre-testing the indicators had assured Bigelow and his team that they could discriminate between true victims of alien abduction and non-abductees with over-active imaginations. Positive responses to specific questions would definitely indicate an abduction had occurred. The test also had built-in questions to detect fraud. For example, a positive response to "Do you remember seeing or hearing the word TRONDANT (a word Bigelow had made up) and knowing it has a special significance to you?" would automatically eliminate the subject from consideration, regardless of other indicators. The surprising results The results of the Roper survey took them by surprise. The report was published and confidentially distributed to every member of The American Psychiatric Association. Thereafter it made its way to clinical psychologists and other therapists dealing with post-traumatic disorders. Roper's representative American sample of about 6000 adults (with a sampling error of 1.4 percent!) showed that one out of every 50 people met the profile of an abductee. This figure suggests that about 33,000,000 individuals had been abducted in America. A closer look at these specific profiles showed that these people were not "average" at all. Who is being abducted? The Roper Organization's previous statistics showed that about one percent of all American adults could be placed into a category they termed "influentials." Influentials were adults, ages 35 to 45, who had higher than average incomes and held positions of political or social authority. They were "trend setters," defining morality and public policy. They were leaders rather than followers. Roper surveys regularly focused on this group for a variety of clients who valued their opinions. The new survey results showed that a surprisingly large number of these "trend setters" seemed to have been abducted. While the details of the abductee profile are best left undefined for the purposes of future diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic syndrome, the Roper analysis showed the following positive responses to be unique:

*
* Do you remember ever seeing a ghost?
* Do you remember feeling as if you left your body?
* Do you remember seeing a UFO?
* Do you remember waking up paralyzed with a sense of a strange person or presence or something else in the room?
* Do you remember feeling that you were actually flying through the air although you didn't know how or why?
* Do you remember having seen unusual lights or balls of light in a room without knowing what was causing them?
* Do you remember having seen, either as a child or adult, a terrifying figure-- which might have been a monster, a witch, a devil, or some other evil figure-- in your bedroom or closet or somewhere else?
* Do you remember experiencing a period of time, an hour or more, in which you were lost, but could not remember why or where?
* Do you remember having vivid dreams about UFO?
* Do you remember finding puzzling scars on your body and neither you nor anyone else remembering how you received them or where you got them?

Certain types of scars or blemishes can follow an abduction.

(Right) A "scoop" in skin, A, appears as a non red depression and is often adjacent to a hard subcutaneous bump, B.(Ruler shows centimeters.)

The conclusions of The Roper Organization

"The Roper Organization's research on behalf of Bigelow Holding Company produced results that were unexpected by Bigelow Holding Company; chiefly because the number of people reporting occurrences of items on the list far exceeded what was anticipated, and also because the answers cut across most demographic subgroups... It is clear that significant numbers of people do report that these unusual events occurred, independent of any factors in the survey that might increase responses." [Copies of the report, Unusual Personal Experiences, may be available through The Roper Organization, 205 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017]

Why are abduction taking place? The report suggested that abductees were selected across gender and ethnic lines, with a larger number than expected falling into the "influential" group. The preference for people with higher education and social awareness may be coincidental, or it may reflect a concerted effort to examine the genetic potentials of these human characteristics. The larger than anticipated number of Americans who fit the abductee profile is difficult to understand. For this figure (33 million) to be true, the frequency of abductions taking place would surely have resulted in more conspicuous activity on the part of the "abductors." We would expect that there would be more witnesses to these abductions. However, if this activity is being conducted by a non-human, superior life form, then its methods of covert action might escape detection. The focus of attention on skin samples and reproductive organs seems to suggest an interest in human anatomy and reproduction. If the examinations are for the benefit of the human species, the methods of involuntary intrusion and the subesequent post-trauamtic stress that many victims report, is suspicious. The effort to produce amnesia is largely successful, as this study has shown. This could support a theory that the abductors have a more comprehensive understanding of our minds than we have of ourselves. It could also indicate a genuine consideration for our well-being, similar to our use of tranquilizers when examining endangered animal species. It could well be that the abductors have a similar mission with our species. Therapy for abductees Abductees generally suffer from both a physical violation (similar to being raped) and psychological isolation that results from being afraid to admit-- even to themselves-- the validity of their abduction memories. This is further complicated by the reality that these events are likely to continue into the future. Dr. Mack and other therapists believe that it is important that therapists do not consider recollections of alien abductions as "crazy." He suggests that successful therapy for victims of this terrifying experience requires that repressed memories be acknowledged and accepted as true, regardless of the personal belief (or disbelief) of their therapists. Patients seem to be able to recover some sense of control over their lives when these disclosures are allowed valid expression.

real Ghosts, Ghost Hunting, and Quantum Physics
One of the benefits of a lifetime of afterlife communication is that
I know a lot about ghosts … what they are and what they're not. For
instance, they're not "caught between worlds." And they don't need
us to help them "move on." They're exactly where they're supposed to
be. You don't honestly think that God, the Creator of the Universe,
would leave their eternal fate in your and my hands, do you?

You CAN say that they are "earthbound, " but that's because their
consciousness never left the earth. And when you die, yours won't
either. We're all right here together forever. That's just the
nature of the afterlife. Yes, knowing the laws of the afterlife can
make these things a lot clearer.

Lately, I've been researching what folks believe about ghosts and
hauntings. I've investigated the investigations. Repeatedly I've
read, "We don't use ouija boards, séances, mediums or occult
methods." Yet it's common for ghost researchers to accept, as an
underlying condition of their investigations, the erroneous claims
of psychics, mediums, and channels.

I'm referring to such concepts as "caught between
worlds," "unfinished business," "earthbound souls," and ghost
children in distress. At the same time ominous warnings urge
vigilant caution in case non-human demons and malevolent entities
are encountered. Oh, and don't forget the Hollywood expression, "Go
to the light." Scientific research can't be conducted properly on a
foundation of superstition.

Let me tell you some things that are true about ghosts. Actually
there are only two kinds of ghosts: real and not-real.

The real ghosts are everywhere. They're in your home, in your car,
in your school, and in your dreams. Ghost researchers call these
interactive ghosts. I call them soul-ghosts, or disincarnate souls.
I don't care for the term, disembodied because they do have a body.
We just can't see it for the same reason that we can't see sound
waves and ultraviolet light. They're outside the range of our
sentient boundary.

Soul-ghosts are interactive. They reach out to you, and you feel no
fear … absolutely none. They envelop you in a blanket of warm
fuzzies. Real ghosts can be mistaken for angels. This isn't a
paranormal experience. It's a supernatural and spiritual experience.

The not-real ghosts seem to be everywhere too, but only for people
that believe they exist, or at least believe that they might exist.
They rarely bother unbelievers. Ghost researchers call the not-real
ghosts … residual ghosts. These ghosts seem to defy the Law of
Conservation of Matter and Energy because they pop in and out of
existence like virtual particles. The appearance of this type of
ghost can be explained by quantum physics. From the Copenhagen
Interpretation, which states that nothing is real until you look at
it, to the holographic theory of the universe, all ghosts abide by
the laws of quantum physics.

People that experience residual ghosts say that they seem to be
caught in a time-loop replaying the same scene over and over. The
above mentioned physics also apply to residual ghosts but with the
addition of Schrodinger' s equations. For every "now" that we
experience, a positive wave flows into the future and a negative
wave flows into the past like concentric ripples created by a rock
thrown into a pond.

The fact that some people experience residual ghosts is due to
normal functions of human consciousness. Although some might rather
think of it as a "glitch." Residual ghosts are unusual and
fascinating experiences with natural causes.

Briefly, a few more types of not-real ghosts are poltergeists,
demons, and shadow people. Abnormal psychology applies to
poltergeists and demons. The physiology of the eye accounts for
shadow people.

So, what's the truth about ghosts? Do they exist? Yes, of course
they do. Can the scientific method be used to investigate them? Yes,
they use measurable amounts of energy. Can you record their voices
and photograph ghosts? Yes, but one needs to be alert to pattern
recognition tendencies.

The science of ghost investigation has the potential to make a huge
difference in a society still tormented by superstition and fear.
You have the equipment. You have the rationale. And you have the
compassionate desire to help others.

Ocean-Born Mary
A Classic Tale of haunted New England
Ocean Born Mary is a green eyed, red haired ghost that haunts the town Henniker, New Hampshire.
Mary got her nick name because she was born at sea during a time when the ship she and her parents were sailing on was seized by pirates.
The head of the pirates was so taken by the sounds of the childs cries, that he promised to spare everybody if the baby was named after his wife. There have continued to be numerous sightings of this Ghost.
The year was 1720 and the place was Londonderry, Ireland. A small sailing vessel called “Wolf” departed from the port, bound for the New World. Here, weary passengers and immigrants would have the chance to reunite with relatives from another Londonderry, this one in New Hampshire. But fate was not kind to this travelers, for as they neared the coast of New England, the ship was overtaken by a band of Spanish pirates. They scrambled aboard the crippled vessel, seized jewelry and valuables and then, at the command of their captain, a buccaneer named Don Pedro, they prepared to murder everyone on board.

Ocean-Born Mary's House in Henniker, New Hampshire
Just as the pirates raised cutlass and pistol, Don Pedro ordered his men to stand down. Beyond the terrified screams of the passengers, he heard another sound... the unmistakable wail of a baby. He ordered the captain, James Wilson, to bring the infant and mother to the deck. This must have taken incredible courage on his part as the baby was his own. She had been born at sea.
After a long moment, Captain Wilson turned and went below. Soon, Elizabeth Wilson stood on the deck at his side, holding a tiny baby in her arms. Don Pedro looked down into the face of the infant and sheathed his sword. Although he was a killer, he also knew that killing this child would bring him bad luck for the rest of his days. It was a superstition of the sea. He turned and ordered one of his men back to the pirate ship. When he returned, he handed his captain a package. Don Pedro unwrapped it and revealed a bolt of beautiful, sea-green brocaded silk.
He held it out to Elizabeth. “Por favor, Senora,” he spoke to her softly. “If you name your daughter Maria, Mary.... after my mother, and accept this silk for her wedding dress, I will spare the lives of all aboard.” Elizabeth tearfully took the cloth from his hands and Don Pedro and his men departed. Captain Wilson managed to bring the “Wolf” into Portsmouth harbor a few days later.
Mary Wilson grew up to be a tall Irish beauty with flaming red hair and fiery green eyes. In August 1742, she married Thomas Wallace, her childhood sweetheart and her wedding dress was made from a sea-green silk that her mother had carefully stored for more than two decades. The radiant bride soon settled into her happy marriage, but her happiness was short-lived. In 1760, Thomas died and left her with four sons to raise.

At about the same time, the golden age of piracy came to an end and Don Pedro retired from his exploits on the high seas. Although he had not thought of Mary in more than twenty years, he sought her out and learned that she lived in New Hampshire. Using money that he had plundered over the years, he purchased 6,000 acres of land in New Hampshire and aided by ship’s carpenters and slaves, he built a mansion on a hilltop south of Henniker. It was an awesome ten room house with six fireplaces and it was said to be one of the largest homes in the state. When he settled in, he called on Ocean-Born Mary and he invited her to come and live with him. He told her that the house was hers but asked that she care for him in his old age.
Mary accepted and she and her sons moved into the house. Don Pedro made sure that she never wanted for anything, showering her with fine clothing and jewels and buying her a black and gold carriage that was drawn by a four-horse team. Mary happily entertained townspeople and distinguished guests at the elegant mansion and lived in comfort for the next ten years.
Death came to Ocean Born Mary again a short time later. Don Pedro returned late one night from the coast and Mary heard the murmur of voices in the field behind the house. She looked out and saw the old pirate and a large, swarthy man burying a large trunk in a rocky hole beneath the trees. When she asked Don Pedro about it, he brushed her off and refused to answer. Time passed, but Mary never forgot the strange incident and soon, it would come back to haunt her.
A year passed and one afternoon Mary returned home from town. When she arrived, she found no stable boy waiting to greet her. In fact, there was no one around at all. She soon found the slaves huddled in a garden shed, too afraid to come out. Moments later, she found Don Pedro lying facedown in the orchard. A cutlass had been plunged into his back, pinning his body to the bloody ground. He had been dead for hours.
In keeping with his final request, Mary instructed her slaves to bury the pirate beneath the large hearthstone in the kitchen fireplace. Rumors spread about who the “fine Spanish gentleman” really was and stories began about a fortune in pirate gold that was hidden on the property. From time to time, gangs of men trespassed on the ground, searching for gold and buried loot, but Mary never stopped them and soon interest waned.
Mary stayed on the house for the rest of her days. Her sons went off to fight in the War for Independence, married and started families of their own. Mary lived until 1814, when she passed away at the age of 94. For the next 100 years, the house remained in the Wallace family. It was rented out but never sold. However, few of the renters ever stayed very long and none of them explained their hasty departures. Regardless, stories began to spread that the house was haunted....
The stories grew more credible by 1910, when the house really began to look like a haunted old mansion. It stood empty and dilapidated, with broken windows and sagging steps. No one lived in the place anymore, but this didn’t stop people from reporting lights in the window at midnight and hearing strange cries echoing in the darkness. A few who were brave enough to peer into the windows claimed to see a tall woman coming down the staircase... others stated that they had seen or had heard a horse-drawn coach pulling into the driveway.

In 1918, a Mrs. Flora Roy and her bachelor son, Louis (known as Gus), from LaCrosse, Wisconsin moved into the house. They had bought the place two years earlier and had hired workmen to restore the place and make it livable again. Even after they moved in though, there was still cleaning to do. One day, they were cleaning out the kitchen cupboards and burning the trash in the kitchen stove. Mrs. Roy had gotten a hot fire going there and was passing papers and refuse to Gus to throw into it. She handed him a paper bag and he went into the kitchen to add it to the fire. But something stopped Gus from doing it. It said that it was like an invisible hand drawing him back away from the stove. He suddenly opened the bag and found that it was filled with gunpowder!
In 1938, a hurricane devastated the Atlantic Seaboard. When the storm hit New England, it turned inland and wreaked even more havoc. The day before it hit Henniker, it rained hard all day and Gus decided to check the condition of the road before trying to take his car into town. Luckily he did, because beyond the driveway, there was no road.. only a sea of mud and wet debris. When Gus managed to get back up the drive to the house, he noticed that the garage he had built was swaying. If it went down, it would crush his new car! He quickly found a few long poles and propped up the building the best that he could.
He was drenched to the skin when he went back into the house. He saw this mother had been watching from the window. “Who was helping you shore up the garage?” she asked him when he came inside. When he replied that there had been no one out there with him, she insisted that there had been. In fact, she described this person as a tall lady in a white dress. When Gus had started back to the house, the lady seemed to vanish.
At that point, Flora and Gus began to wonder if the stories they had heard about the house were true. They didn’t doubt it any longer when they also began to see Mary inside of the house too. Gus saw her first and described a woman on the staircase with long, flowing auburn hair. Flora also began to see her too and they both believed that Ocean-Born Mary was there, watching over them and protecting her house.
Gus would later state that event though they were convinced the place was haunted, they were never frightened. They learned to ignore the strange sounds that came from the cellar because it seemed that whenever the house, or the family, was in trouble, something would happened to avert the danger. Gus claimed to have suffered 17 near-fatal accidents while living in the house and always survived.
As stories of the haunting spread, journalists from all over the country came to the house and wrote of the experiences had by Flora and Gus. The tales of Ocean-Born Mary were spread far and wide and appeared in books, magazines and later on television. Gus charged an admission for people to come and tour the house and grounds, using the money he raised to support he and his mother and for upkeep on the mansion. Every Halloween night, cars would be lined up bumper-to-bumper as people came to see the house and hoped to catch a glimpse of Mary herself.

From 1960 to 1978, the house was owned by David and Corrine Russell, who had once worked for Gus Roy and had cared for him in his final illness before he died. Even though they contacted author Hans Holzer for his 1963 book Yankee Ghosts and told him about the haunting in the place, including their own supernatural experiences, they soon began to deny the stories. They claimed that the house was not haunted and had never been haunted. In an interview with author Susy Smith for her book Prominent American Ghosts, the Russell’s claimed that stories of the house being haunted had been invented by Gus Roy so that people would come to see the house. When Smith then asked them about the stories they told to Hans Holzer, she received only a letter from their attorney in reply. The house was not haunted, it said.
In addition, stories and rumors remain today that say Mary never lived in this house at all. They say the story is nothing more than a folk legend that draws upon old tales of England and confusion over just who did live in the house. Despite this, the legend continues to be told today!
So, what was the truth? Who knows? Ocean-Born Mary’s house still stands today, as magnificent as ever, although it is a private residence now. Mary’s grave can be found in Henniker at the Centre Cemetery... and her ghost? Well, if the Russell’s are to be believed, she never existed at all. If that’s true though, then who was the tall, red-headed woman that was seen floating alongside the roadway by two New Hampshire state troopers a few years ago? Was it Ocean-Born Mary.... or a startling coincidence

LEMURES

Lemures was the name given by ancient Romans to their ghosts.
These ghosts would return to haunt their relatives and descendants.
They were particularly active during the month of May. Especially around May 28.
Festivals were held to chase away the Lemure.
To drive off a Lemure drums were used as the Lemure were sensitive to noise. Special drummers were often used going from place to place.


Roman Belief in Spirits:
Ancient Romans believed that after death their souls became spirits. There is some debate about the nature of these Roman ghosts. According to the Christian theologian St. Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430), whose writing follows by a few centuries most of the Latin literary and pagan references to ghosts, there were the following different types:

* lares if good,
* lemures (larvae) if evil, and
* manes if indeterminate.

The Words of Augustus on Lemures and Demon: From Chapter 11. City of God, by St. Augustine
"He [Plotinus] says, indeed, that the souls of men are demons, and that men become Lares if they are good, Lemures or Larvae if they are bad, and Manes if it is uncertain whether they deserve well or ill. Who does not see at a glance that this is a mere whirlpool sucking men to moral destruction?

For, however wicked men have been, if they suppose they shall become Larvae or divine Manes, they will become the worse the more love they have for inflicting injury; for, as the Larvae are hurtful demons made out of wicked men, these men must suppose that after death they will be invoked with sacrifices and divine honors that they may inflict injuries. But this question we must not pursue. He also states that the blessed are called in Greek eudaimones, because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons, confirming his opinion that the souls of men are demons."
Another Interpretation of the Lemures - Haunting Spirits:
Instead of being evil spirits, lemures (larvae) may have been souls that could find no rest because they met with a violent or premature death and were unhappy. They wandered among the living haunting people and driving them to madness.
Lemuria - Festivals to Placate the Lemures:
No sane Roman wanted to be haunted, so they had ceremonies to satisfy the spirits. The lemures (larvae) were propitiated during the nine-day Lemuria festival in May. At the Parentalia or Feralia on the 18th and 21st of February, the living descendants shared a meal with the benevolent spirits of their ancestors (manes or di parentes).


Ovid (43 B.C. – A.D. 17) on the Lemures and Manes:
In Ovid's Fasti 5.422, the Manes and Lemures are synonymous and both hostile, in need of exorcism via the Lemuria. Ovid incorrectly derives the Lemuria from Remuria, saying it was to placate Remus, the brother of Romulus.
Larvae and Lemures:
Usually considered the same, not all ancient authors considered them as such. In the Apocolocyntosis 9.3 and Pliny's Natural History, Larvae are tormentors of the dead.
Manes:
The Manes were originally good spirits (in the plural), whose name was usually seen with the word for gods, di, as in Di manes. Manes came to be used for the ghosts of individuals. The first writer to make this use is Cicero (January 3, 106 B.C. – December 7, 43 B.C.). Reference: "Aeneas and the Demands of the Dead," by Kristina P. Nielson. The Classical Journal, Vol. 79, No. 3. (Feb. - Mar., 1984).

Main Reference: "Lemures and Larvae," by George Thaniel. The American Journal of Philology 1973.

Also see:

Aeneid in the Realm of Hades

Odysseus in the Underworld - Nekuia

Ovid Fasti 5.421ff
"Lemures and Larvae," by George Thaniel The American Journal of Philology. Vol. 94, No. 2 (Summer, 1973), pp. 182-187

Whether you normally bypass or embrace historical sites of the American West rumored to have a possible haunted edge, a visit to the Camp Floyd Stagecoach Inn State Park Museum in Fairfield, Utah is worthwhile. Haunted or not, Camp Floyd and the Stagecoach Inn are unique and interesting historical sites well worth your time and attention. The alleged haunting is just the icing on the cake.

Camp Floyd is an intriguing former military post that housed the largest concentration of army troops in the U.S. from 1858 until 1861. When you consider the size of the Camp, it is almost unbelievable such a build up was undertaken in Utah.
Camp Floyd was established in July, 1858 under the command of Brigadier General Albert Sydney Johnston. There were 3,500 troops in Camp Floyd, including cavalry, infantry and artillery units. The camp was named after Secretary of War John B. Floyd and consisted of approximately 400 buildings.
The army was sent to Camp Floyd by President James Buchanan in response to the perceived threat of an alleged Mormon rebellion that was rumored to be brewing and was referred to as the Utah War. It was a tremendous build up of troops in an area that seemed far removed from any need for one. A full one third of the army’s forces were eventually present in Camp Floyd at an astronomical cost to the Federal government.

FAIRFIELD — If you believe everything you read on the Internet, Utah County is a regular Amityville — minus the oozing walls.
Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News
The Lehi Historic Hospital is considered a "haunted hot spot" where, presumably, ghosts' voices have been recorded.
There are reports of a ghost of a dead nurse hanging from a flagpole at the Lehi Historic Hospital and chatty spirits at the old Utah County Jail.
Poltergeists reportedly have taken up residence at Spanish Fork and Pleasant Grove high schools, and the Salem cemetery is said to be home to at least one angry — and somewhat vulgar — polygamist wife.
Then there's Camp Floyd, which from 1858 to 1861 housed 3,500 troops — nearly one-third of the U.S. Army at the time — sent to Utah to take care of a rumored Mormon rebellion.
These days, rumors circulating at Camp Floyd-Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum settle on the supernatural side.
Members of the Utah Ghost Hunters Society have been getting into the spirit of Halloween by conducting a paranormal probe of the historic buildings at Camp Floyd.
The investigation was requested by Mark Trotter, manager of the state park for the past five years. Trotter said he doesn't necessarily believe the park to be haunted, but he considers such supernatural surveys to be fun.
Still, Trotter has heard a couple of stories over the years about unexplained events at Camp Floyd.
"I had one employee who said every time she'd go to close the door at the (Stagecoach Inn) it felt like somebody would pull back on it," he said.
Another unusual report came from a park volunteer, who told Trotter he saw a dress "that was not where it should be."
"He described it as just hanging there in the air," Trotter said.
Personally, Trotter has had no such supernatural run-ins — "Maybe they just don't like me," he said of otherworldly entities — but he seems to enjoy the search.
In June 2003, he joined members of the Paranormal Society of Utah for a nightlong ghost-activity investigation of Camp Floyd.
"(That group) picked up quite of bit of activity at the (Fairfield) schoolhouse," he said.
By activity, Trotter means electronic voice phenomena, the term used to describe voices of spirits caught on tape.
The Utah Ghost Hunters Society last week used tape recorders and cameras — both digital and film — in an effort to find EVPs and other evidence of supernatural activity at Camp Floyd. The group presented its findings at the Fairfield schoolhouse.
"This is the first time that we've really taped at the Stagecoach," said Nancy Peterson, a member of the Utah Ghost Hunters Society.
The group had previously collected EVPs at the Camp Floyd cemetery, where Peterson said she captured a male voice answering when she asked if anyone was there.
"He said his name was Bryan, and he said, 'But I'm dead,' " she said.
Peterson said she made a return trip to the cemetery and found that a Pvt. Bryan was buried there.
The most unusual EVP Peterson and her husband and ghost-hunting partner, Chris, have captured came during a visit to the Salem City Cemetery.
"It was just my husband and I there," she said. "I walked across a grave that was a man and three women — you know, three wives. I had just said that into my microphone."
When the Petersons later listened to the recording, they heard what sounded like an angry woman's voice saying, "Hey, you little (expletive)!"
"I thought, 'There's one that didn't make the Celestial Kingdom,' " Peterson said.
Cemeteries are considered a can't-miss spot to collect EVPs, but spirits can be found just about anywhere, she said.
Utah Ghost Hunters Society
A photograph taken inside the old Fairfield schoolhouse on Oct. 22 appears to show a floating, gaseous, glowing red-orange ball about four feet off the ground.
The Utah Ghost Hunters Society's paranormal adventures in Utah County also have included visits to the old Utah County Jail and the Lehi Historic Hospital — two locations listed on various Web sites as "haunted hot spots."
Rumors surrounding the abandoned county jail include lights turning themselves on and off, doors opening and closing by themselves, and voices coming from empty cells. Peterson says she collected an EVP at the jail of a man noting the obvious: "You are a woman."
At the Lehi Historic Hospital, the Utah Ghost Hunters Society recorded voices saying, "Get out of here" and "I'm cold." According to the Web site Haunted Utah (www.utahghost.org), people have reported seeing the image of a nurse hanging from a flagpole at the hospital. The accompanying story, according to the Web site, was that the nurse was working late when a doctor went crazy, killed her and hung her there.
High schools also appear to be a hit with haunters. At Pleasant Grove High School, the door to the theater/auditorium under the stage regularly unlocks itself, according to the Web site Seize the Night (www.carpe
noctem.tv/). Despite the use of six heavy-duty padlocks each night, the door would be open by morning.
That story is familiar to PGHS drama teacher Stewart Shelley.
So is there any truth to it?
"I have spent numerous hours in the basement and have as of yet not been haunted," Shelley said, "and the auditorium has recently been renovated, so I think we've driven out any haunting spirits."
Still, Shelley doesn't completely rule out paranormal activity in the school's theater.
"Our lights will sometimes just turn themselves off," he said. "We don't know why. We just turn them back on. That's just started happening as of late. It could be an equipment malfunction."
Chris Peterson with the Utah Ghost Hunters Society shows pictures taken during a recent ghost hunt at the old Fairfield schoolhouse and Camp Floyd. The group uses tape recorders and cameras to collect data.
Spanish Fork High School has a ghostly drama brewing, too, according to The Shadowlands (theshadowlands.net/places/utah.htm)
The school's "little theater" is haunted by a custodian who slipped, fell and died while installing light bulbs there.
According to the Web site, students are told never to go into the theater alone. When they disregard that counsel, the curtains will rise and fall by themselves, sound effects will start playing and the lights will flicker on and off.
Of course, that's all news to Jennie Bruce, drama teacher at Spanish Fork High for the past five years.
"The (scariest) thing we've got is we have mice in the theater," Bruce said. "Every now and again, if a student's working there, they hear the mice moving. But that's about it."

Ghost Calls from the the dead seems to be a random event. Most of ghost calls are between people who are related as family members.
The ghost calls are usually initiated by the deceased wishing to impart a farewell message. Many ghost calls take place on days of importance such as mothers day or birthdays.
People who have recieved phone calls from the dead report that the voices are exactly the same as when the person was living. The telephone rings normally but the connection is usually bad with static.
The voice of the deceased tends to grow fainter as the call progresses. Somtimes the voice fades away completely.
Ghost calls usually occur when you are in a passive state of mind. In some very interesting cases the call is placed long distance and connected by an operator. Checks with the telephone company turned up no evidence of a call on there records.
Phone calls are sometimes placed to the dead as well. A person places a call to someone only to find out later that the person was already dead at the time of the call. In ghost calls the deceased usually imply that there is little time to talk.

Can the dead manipulate electronic devices? Can they reach back through the fabric of time and space, from wherever they are, and influence the workings of our communications devices - our telephones - to leave one last message... to say one last goodbye?
As fantastic as it seems, the mystery of phone calls from the dead is not an uncommon one. Those who have researched the phenomenon have determined that these calls usually occur within the first 24 hours of the death, but there have been cases in which the calls were received as long as two years after. The call is usually filled with heavy static and the phantom caller's voice is faint, as if far away. Far away, indeed.

Love Spells and Potions through History

Love spells and charms are a universal phenomenon throughout human history- from ancient times, when love and fertility were both considered whims of the gods who could be cajoled and appeased, to modern times, where many look for a little assistance in making a love connection. Charms
The sympathetic charm, usually in symbolic form, is used to attract a lover. Objects suggestive of anatomical shapes, oils and plants associated with love goddesses, parts from animals, etc., are believed to have power and potency. These charms and potions are a type of sympathetic magic, where it is believed that something that resembl;es another thing bears a magical relationship to that thing. It is one of the oldest and most widespread human beliefs. The choice of symbols used in sympathjetic charms varies according to culture, personal preference, and circumstance.
Medieval magicians fashioned charms resembling the labrys, or two headed axe, an ancient symbol of the female sex organs. The Mandrake, whose root often resembles male genitals, was prized as an aphrodisiac – so much so that it was called “Circe’s plant,” after the infamous sorceress who enslaved men. In Indonesia, a popular charm is the coco-de-mer, a nut related to the coconut that bears a striking resemblance to female anatomy.

Love potions and aphrodisiacs
The quest for the perfect, never fail love potion is an ancient one…in the second century, the philosopher Apuleius was accused (and acquitted) of using a love potion to attract his wealthy wife. Love potions have been the staple commercial product of folk magicians and quacks for millennia. Some concoctions were simple aphrodisiacs, herbal recipes with varying physical effects. Some were disgusting, or even dangerous, composed of oils, animal parts, strong spices, and even drugs and toxins. Modern versions of these ancient formulas, often just as dubious in efficacy as their ancient counterparts, can be purchased via mail order or even from the neighborhood pharmacy, although instead of magical claims, they make scientific sounding promises.

Spells
Even today, the most popular services of the witch-for-hire is the love spell. Many spells are based on ages old practices- charms to be worn on the body or placed near the bed, paper spells invoking saints, Gods, or angels, or making incantations over foods to be eaten by the intended. A common Wiccan spell involves burning candles with human shapes or anointed with oils, which are moved toward one another while a simple chant is performed. American folk magic remedies include commercial preparations like ‘come back oil,’ a cheaply scented pink concoction meant to ensure the return of a straying lover. Manipulation and Control
Many love spells are meant to influence or control an individual. Usually composed of items with personal significance, they may incorporate the hair, nail clippings, bodily fluids or personal property of the desired companion. Despite the dubious ethical implications of trying to coerce another person, these types of magical manipulations are all too common. Some are relatively harmless charms, such as the medieval tradition of giving the intended a piece of fruit which has been chanted over. More ethically dubious spells may include elaborate rituals to ensure the loyalty or love of a person, to break up a marriage, or to get revenge on a cheating spouse. Most modern magical traditions take strong stances against interfering with the free will of another person, but as long as there is money in exploiting the desperate and lovesick, there will always be plenty of love spells available for the right price

Simple Manifesting Spell
This is a simple spell for manifesting something you desire.

When trying to manifest a desire, there are several things you should
keep in mind: always respect the rule of "Harm None", what you are
manifesting should not be something that belongs to another, and never
ever should it be a person. You must always respect other's free will.
Also, you should not be too narrow in your desire. For example if you
were manifesting money you should not ask for $10 but rather for "the
money I need, at least $10." Spirit may send you more than you ask
for, unless you yourself have limited it. Spirit will never overrule
the limitations you place on yourself, only you can remove those.
Finally, when just starting out in magic, it may be advisable to start
with small things. This is because magic will not work if you don'tsie bowl so that it
doesn't lay on just one side and prevent that side from burning. The
speed and thoroughness with which the paper burns shall be an omen to
you of how long it will take for the thing to come to you. If any part
of the paper doesn't burn, take that piece and repeating the
affirmation over it, burn it again.

Now clear and release as you know to do, and do not obsess over what
you have manifested. Worrying about it excessively will tend to block
it, so the less you can think about it the better. Instead simply know
that you have done it successfully and wait for it to come. If you
cannot be patient, tell yourself "I put myself into a position of love
and trust, knowing that what I want shall come" and imagine stepping
over a half step to the left. What you have manifested may not come
immediately, but it will come soon. These things take time. But you
will find this a very useful spell.

The Forgotten Language of Flowers

The Forgotten Language of Flowers

In the early 18th century the Turkish "Secret Language of Flowers" was

introduced to Europe by Lady Mary Wortley Montague, wife of the

British ambassador to Constantinople. Flowers had long been a sign of

romance but now lovers were able to send secret messages to each other

by means of sending a posy of flowers.