Star and Circles

In honor of the XXII Olympic Winter Games, this post will be devoted to the history and symbolism involved in the Sochi Games.  So, enough claptrap about ghosts for now.  Let's talk Olympics...

Although the exact date of their inception is unknown, it is widely believed that the Olympic Games began in 776 B.C.  It may have been earlier, but that is when the records begin.  Upon completion of his twelve labors (or so the story goes), Hercules founded the Games.  The Games were originally held in Olympia, Greece, at the sanctuary of Zeus.  Hercules was the half-human child of Zeus, the father god.  He was also the god of sky and thunder.  Zeus, not known for his fidelity, had an eye for his great-granddaughter, Alcmene.  The beautiful Alcmene, unlike Zeus, was a model of fidelity.  However, tricky Zeus impregnated Alcmene by coming to her disguised as her husband, Amphitryon, who had foolishly left her alone while he was away at war *.

In theory, all hostilities between warring city-states were supposed to cease during the Games.  However, the ancient Greeks, just like their modern counterparts, did little more than give a nod to this ideal.  One aspect of the treaty that was upheld was the right of safe passage for travellers.  These pilgrims, making their way to the competitions, were believed to be protected by Zeus.  Therefore, their persons were held inviolate as they passed through hostile lands.

According to legend, it was Prometheus who formed mankind from a block of clay.  Later, his sympathy for the suffering of humankind led him to risk eternal damnation by stealing fire from the gods.  In the theater of the Caucasus, Zeus chained Prometheus to the rocky crags of Fisht Mountain.  Each day, a mighty eagle, the emblem of Zeus, tore out and ate the liver of Prometheus.  At night, the eagle, known as Suna, would retire to his giant nest as the liver of Prometheus regenerated by the light of the moon*. The dawn would greet Prometheus, newly made whole, so that he might endure being torn apart once again.  Aeons turned before Suna was killed and Prometheus was freed by Hercules.

This year, the stars aligned for the XXII Olympic Winter Games to be held in Sochi, Russia.  And how fitting that the flame should burn so bright in that setting.  Millenia ago, Alexander the Great travelled those same lands.  Sochi is a winter resort town snuggled against the foot of the Caucasus Mountains.  In that place, trees grow to be thousands of years old.  And new life was breathed into ancient creation myths.  

No one wins easy in a place so rich in beauty and ancient mysteries.  The ice was mean.  And the snow turned to slush rather than be molded into a usable half-pipe.  Sochi birthed monumental performances and spectacular falls.  The brilliant sunsnow of Rosa Khutor did not carry the competitors.  They had to fight for every inch.  In that place, glory had to be earned.  It proved my theory that every ounce of excellence comes with an equal measure of b.s.  

As the competitors converged on the banks of the Black Sea, the Year of the Horse lost no time making its entrance.  In the opening ceremonies, we were off to the races.  A troika of three lighted horses pulled a great ring of fire across the arena.  It was meant to signify the end of winter.  I hoped it meant the end of the stagnation we all endured during the Year of the Snake.  Anyway, it was appropriate for the Year of the Horse.  Horses like to make an entrance.  They are big, bold, and beautiful.  

Inside Fisht Olympic Stadium, the opening cremonies were a whimsical re-telling of times gone by interspersed with the avant garde finery of the modern age.  But, there was a glitch.   Five snowflakes were supposed to open into five interconnected rings, but the final one failed to open.  Welcome to the Year of the Horse.  Things may move fast, but we should definitely expect the unexpected.  To attain perfection maybe there should always be one small imperfection.  I don't know, but this one caught the world's attention.  It spoke volumes.  

    

The commentators dismissed it as "just one of those things that happens." But I didn't buy it.  This glitch had symbolic import.  Maybe that is why it stuck in the craw of the commentators.  I heard it mentioned several times.  What did it mean? Maybe nothing, maybe something.  Given the events that have taken place on the world stage during the course of the Games, it does seem to be a bit of an omen.

It bothered me.  Immediately, I knew how I would interpret the same spread if I saw it drawn from a deck of cards.  Circles are representative of the Sun.  Great achievements, cooperation, and blessings all flow from circles.  But four circles and a star? And a red star at that.  Red is strongly associated with fire, aggression, and lust for power.  

If it was a person sitting before me, this is what I would say: There is trouble brewing beneath the surface.  Something important is being withheld.  Has money gone missing? Hold on to your hat because an unpleasant change is coming.  Unity will most likely be sacrificed for personal gain.  It just goes to show that no matter how tightly you hold the cards to your chest, something can slip out.  

For all their fierce intensity and stylish execution, the Sochi Olympics seemed to suffer from a bad case of circlephobia.  The most obvious example would have to be the snowflake glitch in the opening ceremonies.  But what about the medals? The medals were beautifully rendered objets d' art.  They were also anything but traditional.  According to the official website*, "The sun's golden rays deflected (sic) through a prism of snowy mountain tops and the warm sea and frosty ice living side-by-side are embodied in the medals."  Stylish? Yes.  Sexy? Yes.  But circles? Definitely not.

If I had been awarded one, I would be like: Wow! This is beautiful, but where is the rest? Beautiful pieces of cut glass do not fetch the same price as gold (or silver or bronze).  Most Olympians are probably not worried about what their local hock shop will give them for their medals, but it's the principle of the thing. The medals were half-moons of diamond shaped glass contained within spheres of precious metals.  But they were not spheres complete unto themselves.  Personally, I think someone saved a buttload of money on the cost of their precious metals.   

In addition, the host country always offers a symbolic dove of peace during the Opening Ceremonies.  Or, in this case, a shuttlecock.  Maybe it was a jellyfish.  Honestly, I couldn't tell.  Don't get me wrong, the presentation was beautiful, but the lampshades with their dangly cords did not read as doves to me.  Perhaps I'm just nitpicking, but the dove of peace is important.  It hearkens back to the origin of the Games and the idea that the (Greek) world should take a break from war and come together in the spirit of peace and honest competition.  Oh well, it didn't work then and we still can't get our collective minds around this idea.  However, if you're going to honor the tradition, then it's important to not take so much artistic license that the intended meaning is lost.

I have an idea.  Why not just release some doves into the stadium? I guarantee it would be cheaper than creating dancing jellyfish.  So what if someone gets pooped on? It's good luck.  And we could all stand to stop taking ourselves so damn seriously.  I think anyone who got pooped on by a dove of peace should get an honorary free pass to the events.  Or maybe get their rooms comped.  Now that would be some good fortune!

*wikipedia.org

*The liver is the only major human organ which has the capacity to significantly regenerate itself.

*Sochi2014.com

Angels and Demons

ii. of ii.

It's worthwhile to understand the nature of angels and demons, their similarities and differences.  Just as there is a hierarchy among angels, the same is true of demons.  Most of the lower orders are not named.  This is especially true when speaking of dark entities.  The higher orders of both, archangels and devils, are transcendent and very powerful.  The movie, Constantine, has the best portrayals of archangels and devils that I've ever seen.  It gave me chills.

Angels are misunderstood.  They are not fairies.  They may be altruistic, but they are also temperamental.  Altogether, angels have gotten a bad rap.  No one takes them seriously.  People think they're cartoon characters, but there's much more to them.  They are potent forces of alchemy.  Constantine did a great job of explaining how angels and demons work on the physical plane.  They are influence peddlers.  Humans are a means to an end.  It is possible for both angels and demons to take people over to serve their purposes (just not at the same time).

Although angels are good, intentionally calling them is a little like playing Russian roulette.  Not a good idea unless you know what you're doing or your need is great.  Once they (angels or demons) are more than peripherally aware of you, there is no going back.  I liked that this was one of the central themes of the movie.

There are far more darklings than angels.  Light is more powerful, but darkness is more pervasive.  Angels, by their nature, are ephemeral.  They flit in and out.  They are here, there, and everywhere.  They are too busy to stay in one place for long.  Demons, on the other hand, are much more monogamous.  They find a person or place and there they stay, sewing discord, until the structure burns to the ground.  Then, they will move on and start again.  

Despite being genderless, we tend to identify demons as male.  Angels, although neuter, tend to exhibit both feminine and masculine attributes, often at the same time.  It is uncommon to see an angel, but it does happen.  No special giftedness is required.  Sometimes, angels choose to be seen.  Many times they will take the form of a stranger.  This stranger will impart a message of some import to the reciever.  Belief can come before, but after is more common.  However, it is a mixed blessing.  Seeing an angel generally means that there is real trouble afoot.  The kind that can swindle your soul.  We cannot see white blood cells, but we know they are there to protect us.  It is the same with angels.

Demons are not commonly seen.  This is not a mixed blessing; it is just a blessing.  We see the tracks of demons in the destruction they leave in their wake.  They are not particularly subtle.  A person must possess strong spiritual gifts to see these denizens of darkness.  They do not often slip up and reveal themselves.  Their job is to make you afraid.  Madness is the most common symptom of a demonic haunting.  And it can strike anyone.

Recently, a woman drove her car into the ocean.  She was not alone; she also had her three children with her.  They barely escaped with their lives.  Why did she do it? She said it was because there were demons in her home.  In a desperate bid for escape, she loaded up the kids and took off.  Then, some strange impulse told her to drive into the ocean.  And she did it.  The investigators said that her demeanor was unusual, distant and affected.  Demons are whisperers.  They are hiders.  They are stalkers.  Worst of all, they are patient.  

In effect, this mother attempted the triple homicide of her children.  Something went terribly wrong.  I don't know if it was organic or spiritual.  In a way, it doesn't matter, the result was the same.  The damage is done.  Everyone survived, but life will never be the same.  I bet she will be run through every series of psychological tests known to man.  But I doubt anyone will show up to investigate her claims of a demonic haunting.

These days, we are spoiled.  We have forgotten how to protect ourselves.  Consequences carry no weight.  They are practically relics of a time gone by.   We rely too heavily on technology to educate, distract, and entertain us.  And it is a great thing, but it is not all things.  When the shadows begin to growl, there is no app for an exorcism. 

Peace is every step - Thanh Nhat Hanh

Happy...

NEW YEAR OF THE HORSE!

The Year of the Snake is finally over.  And I couldn't be happier.  Snake years are important, but hard.  They are characterized by secrecy and karmic comeuppance.  Snakes are sneaky.  I don't know anyone who escaped being bitten by tragedy this year.  

Time worked funny too.  It seemed to rush by in slow motion.  Problems mounted and resolution was hard to come by.  Snake years can be a ruthless and dogged struggle.  Special opportunities can appear, but patience and shrewd attention to detail are required to make anything happen.  People born under this sign tend to be good with money.  And Snake years can be financially prosperous, but it will probably come at a cost.

Luckily, we can finally bid adieu to the Snake.  It will be another 12 years before we are again locked in his coils.  Give yourself a pat on the back for surviving a relentless year.

I welcome the Year of the Horse with open arms.  Horse years are about determination, action, and forthright communication.  Hang on to your hat because there will be no time to waste.  The year of slogging through the muck on your belly is over.  It is time to grab the reins and gallop into the future.  Just be careful not to get trampled.

Gung hay fat choy!

(May prosperity be with you!)

The Devil Made Me Do It

i. of ii.

This is probably the oldest excuse in the book.  For centuries, millenia even, people have claimed that evil spirits were really at fault for their own wrongdoing.  But can this ever be true? Is there a devil? And, if so, can he intercede directly into human affairs?

No one argues that good and evil exist.  We really just argue about what form they take.  It could be said that God is creation and Satan is destruction.  Humans embody both, since we also have the power to create or destroy.  In the Bible, it says, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him" (Genesis 1:27).  Thus, it is within our power to create heaven or hell on earth.

In all of creation, we alone were given the power to name and be named.  However, omniscience and immortality were not part of the bargain.  William E. Channing said, "Absolute power was not meant for man." In our race to obtain dominion over the planet, we have been tempted to forget the tenuous nature of our mortal existence.  We will always be plagued by the minions of death, whether they come in the form of sickness or worse.

A long time ago, someone told me a very strange tale.  It was about the Vatican.  Everyone knows about the wealth of the Church.  I have seen it with my own eyes.  Corridors that seem to stretch for miles are filled with stock piles of rubies, pearls, and sapphires.  Most of these gems were big as robin's eggs.  It was breathtaking.  And I'm not even mentioning the exquisite furs and plush velvet robes.  All I could think was: if this is what is available for public display (albeit under five inches of glass), what might be hidden away? What must the secret vaults contain?

According to legend, there is a secret room hidden deep within the ancient walls.  Supposedly, this is the room that the Swiss guards are really there to protect.  The jewels are just for show.  What is in this room? Some speculate that it is a book.  Others whisper that it is something else entirely. 

It is also said that upon his coronation, every new pope is taken to a room and there he learns how the world will end.  Is it the same room? It would seem to follow that it is.  But can such fanciful tales ever be true? Or do these stories serve only to perpetuate the mystique and grandeur of the Catholic faith? I guess we'll never know.  

Personally, I like that the Church has these secrets and mysteries.  It is a reminder that we are not meant to know everything.  However, I do know one thing.  The Church believes in demonic possession.  So much so that it has developed highly effective methods to deal with it.  The Catholic Church has been training its clerics to perform exorcisms for hundreds of years.  

One of the reasons that priests are uniquely qualified to perform exorcisms is because of their vow of celibacy.  Over the course of history, many religions required that their practitioners be celibate.  Why? It is important to be a pure vessel to channel nature or connect with the other realm.  It is a calling that requires great sacrifice.  It is not for the faint of heart.

Recently, Paranormal Witness aired an episode called "The Exorcist."  It followed the story of Father Vince Lampert and how he became one of the preeminent exorcists in the United States.  During the course of the episode, the showrunners made a dangerous error.  They chose to broadcast the proper names of several demons.  I will not repeat them here.  Be it upon your head if you hunt this stuff down.

I do not know of a field of study that is more dangerous than demonology.  Demons imperil the soul.  An exorcist must possess nerves of steel.  He must also be steadfast, brave, and spiritually gifted.  It's a one-in-a-million sort of formula.  Father Lampert fits this bill.  Apparently, he is continually besieged by requests for exorcisms.  But he is only one man.  We all need to exercise vigilance over our own souls.  There are far more demons than exorcists.

The movie, Paranormal Activity, did a good job of illustrating a demonic haunting.  It was a bit over-the-top and extreme, but you got the idea.  I was surprised to see that they got the footprints right.  Not something you ever want to see, but they did a good job.  One thing I did not agree with was the psychic who advised the victims to stay in the house.  He made the case that the entity was too powerful to run away from.  Well, yes and no.  I realize that the victims had to remain in the house to serve the purposes of the film, but bad advice is still bad advice.

Unfortunately, there are few sources of accurate information about how to deal with an extreme haunting, so I want to set the record straight.  My advice is to get out.  Get to where people are.  It is true that a powerful entity might follow, but you will buy yourself time.  The entity will have to expend energy to re-assert dominance in a new location.  And demons are lazy, so give yourself a fighting chance.

It is sad to say, but some people are marked.  By heredity or weakness or vice they are marked.  Secrets can be powerful enough to evoke the darkness.  Then there are those who choose to invoke it.  Not knowing the traffic laws will not get you out of a ticket.  It is the same with spiritual laws.   Demons can be invoked by spiritual intemperance.  Choosing to be ignorant of spiritual rules will not redeem your soul from jeopardy.  Tempting fate is a dangerous game.

Physical dependencies can also weaken not only the body, but the soul.  The similarities between possession and addiction can be unsettling.  There is no faster way to destroy your life and create hell on earth.  People who are lost to the throes of gambling, hard drugs, or mental illness would probably have a lot to say about demons.  

Our bodies and souls are in our keeping.  Destroy the body and the soul will follow suit.  We are in every way capable of destroying the light and dwelling only in darkness.  And the darkness is not a place to be alone.  It is where the shadows are free to consume your mind, your heart, your soul. 

Where is the line between bad behavior and demonic influence? To be honest, I'm not sure.  It is a winding, twisted, tenuous affair.  We are all capable of good and evil.  We don't need to be marked for possession in order to engage in truly heinous acts.  Regardless of the genesis, once someone forfeits their soul, dark things will find them.  They will become nothing more than a puppet for things that dwell in the shadows.  Full possession is not necessary when whispers will do the work.  Why break through a window if someone has left the door wide open?

What the...

Holy jumpin' jellyfish were they thinking?

I do not claim to be an expert on the paranormal.  I write about topics that I find interesting.  I also share what I have learned through personal experience.  In my opinion, claiming to be an expert on the paranormal is a subjective designation.  There are no longitudinal studies or peer-reviewed research papers that can be used to rank yourself as an expert.  And hauntings do not lend themselves to the gathering of empirical data.  When dealing with a haunting, what you choose to do either works or it makes things worse.  There is no other way to measure the results.

I am a little skeptical of people who characterize themselves as paranormal experts.  There are people who I respect because they have the skills and knowledge to help others.  At the end of the day, hauntings are dangerous.  People who are haunted feel terrorized in their own homes.  When they reach out for help, they do not need the services of people who are only interested in aggrandizing themselves.  Hauntings are not appropriate for testing theories.  Do what works or get out of the way.

Recently, I watched an episode of "The Haunted."  The family who was profiled had a very serious situation on their hands.  They were being held hostage by a powerful haunting entity.  They had experienced a substantial reduction in their quality of life.  Their once happy home was now filled with sickness, financial problems, mental instability, and too many things that went bump in the night.

The family took action.  They moved away from their beloved home.  Normally, this course of action will nullify a haunting.  There are few haunting entities powerful enough to follow someone to a new location.  But they do exist.  Unfortunately, this family was being victimized by a very powerful haunting entity.

Things improved dramatically for the first few months.  Then, practically overnight, the nightmare resumed with even greater intensity.  At this point, they reached out for help.  I felt for this family.  They had done everything they could to rid themselves of the problem.  As near as I could tell, they had done nothing to make their situation worse (i.e. Ouija boards, seances, etc.).

Somehow, their case caught the interest of two paranormal experts.  In other words, two people who make a living publishing books and delivering lectures on paranormal phenomena.  The female expert claimed she was a vampirologist.  Does such a thing exist? Has Harvard instituted a School of Vampirology that I don't know about? Hmmm... maybe its an online degree program.

Anyway, she went on to describe vampires as haunting entities who form damaging parasitic relationships with living people.  I can get on board with that.  It's an interesting take on the our current perception of vampires.  A little vague, but valid.  To further expand, I believe she was excluding human generated residuals.  Basically, her definition could include any of the following non-human entities (in descending order of terrible):

Demons

PK manifestations

Shadow people

Poltergeists

Her male counterpart explained that he had extensive experience studying and dealing with hauntings. At this point, I'm thinking that the family might have lucked into a solution.  After interviewing the family and examining the house, the experts decided that the family needed to participate in a ritual in order to send the entity packing.  It is what I would have suggested as well.  

Ritual is not to be used lightly, but sometimes you have to pull out the big guns.  The night of the ritual, the experts show up armed with sage, salt, and holy books.  I'm sitting on the couch thinking that they have a fighting chance at this.  Then, the experts did something that blew my mind.

They drew a protective circle with salt, but they purposefully left the circle open.  Leaving a circle open is beyond useless.  In fact, it is better to do nothing at all.  Salt, especially black salt, is threatening to haunting entities.  To invoke the strength of a boundary and then not carry through will aggravate the haunting entity.  It will also reinforce that you are irresolute and weak.  Truly, it is a recipe for disaster.  

In real world terms, it would be like paying for a gym membership and never once getting on the treadmill.  Basically, you are paying to not work out.  All you've done is create an emotional and financial drain.  In other words, you were better off before you tried to take action.

But they didn't stop there.  They had the family sit outside the open circle holding candles.  Inside the open circle (read: funnel), they sat some poor soul who claimed to be a psychic.  Then, the ritual commenced.  In fact, I'm done calling it a ritual.  This was a sacrifice, plain and simple.  The experts were either not willing or not capable of solving the problem, so they offered it a new victim.  They knew the oldest trick in the book.  When all else fails, make an offering.  Divert the problem elsewhere.  I was appalled.  Apparently (and not surprisingly), the attempt was successful.

At the end of the episode, the family talked about how grateful they were to be free of the haunting entity.  For their part, the experts were smug and self-congratulatory.  Nothing more was said about the wayward psychic.  I guess they are saving her story for another episode.  I think they should call it 'Vampire Hot Potato: The Aftermath.'

Why Do Hauntings Occur?

Everyone makes mistakes.  And we are all haunted by the consequences of our mistakes.  Mistakes from the past often eclipse the eventualities of the present.  Even if someone does not believe in the paranormal, they will usually admit to being haunted by past mistakes.  We would all do well to listen to the voice in our minds that urges us to stay on the straight and narrow.  But, most often, the drive to give in to our baser selves wins out.

We know when we are endangering ourselves with being haunted by regret.  There is always a moment before you open your mouth and say something truly stupid.  The kind of thing that is impossible to take back.  You know you should have held your tongue, but the damage is done.  The worst mistake may be trusting someone you have been warned is not worthy of your trust.  Only when the rubble of betrayal is beginning to settle do you see why you should have listened.  

 

On a given day, how much time do we spend dealing with the shades of the past rather than expediting plans for the future? How much more are we defined by our wounds rather than our accomplishments? Who among us can actually claim to be free of guilt, trauma, or regret? These are the haunting entities whose existence is not questioned by anyone.  'Unresolved pain made manifest' may be as good a defintion as any for a haunting entity.  

We are all mortal.  Each day the gap between life and death becomes smaller.  Parts of our bodies are always dying.  Some regenerate, some don't.  We embody both life and death.  What is there to fear besides death? All of our negative emotions spring from this fear.  Anger, shame, and regret are all facets of this basic fear.  The more of a foothold these emotions gain over our minds, the more dead we feel.  

There are many people who are more dead than alive.  Haunting entities are drawn to these people like flies to a rotting carcass.  I have stated before that hoarders are prime targets for a haunting.  Hoarders bury themselves alive.  Their lives are dominated by trauma, fear, and static motion.  They do not disengage from the past to pursue the future.  They hold death close while pushing life away.  

People are most susceptible to hauntings when they are:

In mourning

Stressed

Weak

Injured

Traumatized

Mentally unstable

Addicted to drugs or alcohol

Haunting entities are a manifestation of death.  Death is like a lion culling weak or injured antelope from the herd.  In many ways, we are like the antelope.  In terms of hauntings, there is safety in numbers.  The more life is present in a home, the less likely a haunting will get out of control.  People, pets, and plants are good deterrents. 

We are also safer in light than darkness.  Haunting entities cling to the shadows.  The more sunlight and fresh air you can allow into your home, the better off you will be.  On the plains, the antelope cannot always see the lion, but they can sense his presence.  When you start seeing ghosts, there is a problem.  

Haunting entities feed on our fear.  Fear is the open door through which they enter.  Once they enter, it is not easy to get them to leave.  Fear will distract you and cause you to make bad decisions.  As things become worse in your life, a haunting will manifest in increasingly frightening ways.  You will feel hunted and terrified in your own home.  When your home feels unsafe, there is no place to hide, rest, and recover.  Dealing with a haunting is like being lost in a dark, forbidding forest.

Fear and regret reinforce each other.  Regret is the haunting entity that we consciously generate.  Fear traps us.  It keeps us locked in a losing battle for control.  Ghosts are just old regrets looking for a new home.  We may not create ghosts, but they will be drawn to us nonetheless.  Death is always with us.  It exists within and around us.  

It is hard to maintain the strength and resilience necessary to defeat what haunts us.  Dealing with a haunting is the process of embracing life and facing our fears.  Empowering yourself to forgive and be more positive is a good first step to defeating whatever haunts you.  

There are ways to overcome a haunting.  Proper cleansing and maintenance can dispel haunting entities from our lives.  But to do so, we must conquer our fear of the unknown.  We must make peace with our own mortality.  We must let the sunshine in.  We must not become a denizen of the shadows.  In this way, we make ourselves invulnerable to those entities who would feed on our fears like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

A Haunting, Interrupted

Recently, I stayed at a friend's house while she was out of town.  Previously, a warm and welcoming space, the past few months have wrought a distinct change in the environment.  Sickness, worry, and stress are now the dominant themes in her life.  I had previously sensed the development of a haunting, but it has definitely jumped a grade or two.

Some people can read emerging trends in the stock market.  Others can read the weather.  I can read the subtle cues in an environment that betray a haunting.  

Well, big whoop, it does no good when people will not allow you to help.  The very subject is verboten.  Unlike other talents, this is one people will go out of their way to not use to their advantage.  Life must be so much easier for people who know how to drop a beneficial stock tip into the lap of someone they care about.  I could help my friend, but there is no way she would accept what I have to say.  So, I watch from the periphery as a haunting slowly drains the joy from her life.

Hauntings strike the most unlikely of victims.  My friend has a beautiful home.  She is active in the community, well known and respected.  Her home is filled with expensive knick knacks and antiques.  Actually, it is a little too full.  This should have tipped me off earlier, but like everyone else, I was dazzled by her well-organized collections.  That is, until the first time I stayed there.  

Then, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of things she possessed.  It's one thing to admire someone's things over a casual evening, it is quite another when you have to trip over them on a daily basis.  Finding the simplest things was a major chore.  Nothing is easy to do in that house.  Too many items are competing for every available square inch.

Hoarders and hauntings go together like whiskey and coke.  I had no idea my friend was a hoarder until I saw the garage.  It is huge and half of it is unusable.  The space verily screamed for a garage sale.  

But even that did not prepare me for what I found in the basement.  It was not my place to go down there.  I had asked before and been denied.  But, curiousity got the better of me.  The basement is huge and crammed to the rafters with stuff.  It holds twenty years worth of unresolved energy.  And it took my breath away.  

Every single one of those items is a memory.  Everything anyone possesses takes energy to acquire, to store, to maintain.  Respecting this dynamic means that each item must be acknowledged before being released.  This can be overwhelming, so it is best to go slow.  Prior to releasing items, it helps to take the time to organize similar items into categories.  Regret over hurriedly disposing of possessions will lead to the acquisition of more things in a vain attempt to fill the void.  Truly, "the things you own end up owning you (Fight Club)."

The only positive is that the basement gets a lot of sunlight.  It helps prevent all that energy from going too dark.  But, the basement gets no fresh air.  Therefore, all that energy churns with no place to go.  It feels like a seething vortex.  All that energy had no focal point until recently.  A couple years ago, my friend experienced a devastating tragedy.  She lost someone in a terrible car accident.

And guess what happened to his ashes? They were placed in an engraved box.  The box rests on a cabinet amongst poems and candles.  The house has an open floor plan, so the makeshift shrine sits not five feet from the kitchen.  The kitchen is the beating heart of a home.  It is where friends and family gather to be nourished, both physically and emotionally.  Keeping a death shrine so near the kitchen sends a powerful subconscious message.

The last time I stayed there the refridgerator and both stoves inexplicably went out.  Maybe I shouldn't have gone into the basement, after all.  I certainly paid the price in take out meals. 

When she returned, the appliances were fixed, but the house continually experiences electrical problems.  Lights randomly stop working, then come back.  The loss of power strikes me as a physical metaphor for her emotional state.  She is surrendering to despair.  And it is going to manifest, one way or the other.  

At best, the kitchen barely functions.  The floodlights outside flicker on and off, leaving the impression of vulnerability.  The atmosphere has become heavy, oppressive, joyless.  One room in particular is a focal point.  It had special meaning for the deceased.  The door would open every time I closed it.  Finally, I just left it alone and it stayed put.  There are ways to seal a door, but it is not my home.  

I cannot fight someone else's ghosts.  I wish I could make suggestions, but they would not be heard.  All I could do was make a small gift.  I left my friend a holiday present.  A silver necklace.  In my mind, silver is more valuable than gold.  Given the current price of gold, that probably sounds crazy.  Gold may make you feel good, but silver is spiritually protective.  Silver is to gold as cats are to dogs. 

Speaking of cats and dogs, my friend owns two dogs.  They are big dogs.  Generally, they are quiet and laid back.  One night, I broke one of my own rules.  Well, it's more of a guideline than a rule.  Once again, I ventured into the basement after dark.  I wanted a better gauge for how this haunting is developing.  And I got it.  Usually, I do not disturb the active areas of a home after dark.  That night, the dogs were on edge and barked into the wee hours.  I didn't get much sleep.

Dogs and cats are both attuned to manifestations of spiritual energy.  Dogs may be great at protecting a home from intruders, but they can do nothing about spirits.  The opposite is true of cats. 

I was happy when my time there came to an end.  It gave me more perspective on my own haunting.  After spending a week in a place where an unchecked haunting is developing, I was grateful for my own ghosts.  I had been so busy keeping a lid on my haunting, I did not appreciate how much progress I had made.  The air is lighter.  The house is brighter.  The kitchen functions.  And doors stay closed.