Do you . . . believe in ghosts?

Ghosts and spirits can be a pretty vast topic, so I will try to keep this discussion focused on the real life ghost experiences I've had, well just a few of them, as there have been many.   I've been able to sense ghosts for many years, and also see them on occasion. 

I have no spirits inhabiting my home, but the building my store is in, has a number of spirits from past owners and people associated with the house.  The building was built in 1899 and there is a female ghost that will call out "hello" from time to time.  I've heard her, as well as a friend of mine who helps me in the store, Laurel, has heard her also.

I was once asked to help a friend who had spirit activity going on in their home.  I went and sat down in the children's room where it seemed some of the activity had been going on. The family complained of pots and pans rattling in the middle of the night, small items being thrown across the room, physical manifestation with no human assistance.  When I tried to communicate with the energy present, a small girl, approximately the age of 4 or 5 appeared.  She told me a story of how she had fallen out of a big automobile out on the road. She showed me how she was sitting in the back seat of a large, old car from the 1940's, playing with the door handle and not wearing any seat belts, fell out of the car.  That's how she got there, she informed me.  I asked her if she wanted to go on and see her family, people who loved her. She became obstinate and angry. She felt her parents left her behind. Of course they didn't, but her spirit felt left behind.

I asked her why she was so noisy in the night. She said she didn't sleep anymore and everyone went to sleep and she was lonely. The family had two young children in the house, she was attracted to them because they were close to her in age. I explained to her the family was scared when she made noise at night and threw things around. (after all, this is more child like behavior than ghostly evil-spirit behavior once you look at it a bit differently.)  I explained to her what the family needed and then I explained to the family what they were dealing with. Nothing evil or terrible, just a little girl spirit that chose to remain for a time in a place where she could play with other kids.  The family was relieved after I explained and seemed much more comfortable when things went 'child-like' in the night.  They would speak to the spirit and she would quiet down.  I believe after time the spirit of the little girl moved on. 

In my experience most ghosts are misunderstood by those of us on this side of the veil.  Spirits don't need to be scary or upsetting, indeed spirits can give us comfort. Often over the past 30 years when one of our cats passes away, we would feel the weight and motion of the animal walk over our feet in bed, in the evening or early morning. Just as when the cat inhabited its physical body, except nothing was visible.

We had a cat, Sneakers, a black and white tuxedo cat that was allowed outdoors. She would often sit in the window of the television room and pluck with her claws at the screen.  Sometimes she wanted to come in, sometimes she just wanted to say hello. Ofttimes she would pluck and sit and watch us, happy to be near but far enough away to be a cat. She was the only cat of ours, and we've had quite a number over the years, but the only one who had this particular habit.

She passed away one year and we were upset at our loss.  A few nights after her passing, we were sitting in the television room and we heard the window screen 'pluck  .  .  .  pluck .  .  .  "  we both looked at the screen and we could see it move, being gently pulled and released, we just could not see the cat.  We knew she was telling us she was o.k.  The plucking sounds continued off and on for a few months, then they faded. 

I don't believe in being afraid of something until it gives me a reason.  Most spirits that we sense are loved ones who have passed on and wish to be near us for a while. If they were loving and wanted while they were alive, why would they be anything else after death?

 Do you believe in ghosts? You should, they believe in you.




(c) 2010 Enchantments, LLC Portions of this blog post may contain material from my book 'Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies' For more information see www.enchantmentsschool.com