Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic

Picture taken by Moments by Monica for Ghosts of Marietta Two of my fellow ghost hunters with Historic Ghost Watch and Investigation host Wicked Paranormal Radio every Tuesday evening on Paramania Radio. Tomorrow, I will be their guest on the show from 8:00 pm-10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Join me for fun conversations about ghosts, my personal experiences with the paranormal, as well as my time as a ghost tour guide. This is a fun, conversational show, so prepare yourself for plenty of jokes and other random side conversations. You can listen in by going to paramaniaradio.com   tomorrow (Tuesday, June 8) at 8:00 pm EST. Just  click the "play" button at the top of the screen to start listening. If you miss the live stream, the show will be recorded and archived on Wicked Paranormal Radio's main page . Make sure to  RSVP on the Facebook event page . 

I have never had a year (as far as I can remember) when I haven't dressed up for Halloween. When I was a kid, my mom would help me put together costumes. We'd look through her closet, do some crafting, or even stop off at the Halloween store to put my costumes together. Perhaps I can find some of my childhood Halloween photos to post one day. This year, I came pretty damn close to not dressing up for Halloween. My Ryan and I took a train ride in the Blue Ridge for Halloween and then walked around town and stopped for some muscadine wine. We didn't get back until somewhat late, but neither of us had actually gotten a costume together because of our schedules. Regardless, I didn't want to make this the first year I didn't dress up, so I pulled something together before a Halloween get-together. The result: Carnival Fortune Teller complete with third eye.  Above, notice the "orbs" and face-like reflection on the mini fridge in the background. It really...

*Taken from a paper of mine in 2014           The Victorian Era, which took place during the mid-nineteenth century until the twentieth century, is a period characterized by societal change. The Industrial Revolution and clearer class divisions had taken hold, and there was an “increased ordering of leisure pursuits” especially amongst the middle and upper classes who had extra time and money (Lamont 903). Innovations in entertainment abounded, as seen through the burgeoning of cinematography, and Victorians were especially taken with “spectacles,” or shows that shocked or mesmerized audiences. In addition to new advancements in entertainment, Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution forced many to re-evaluate their orthodox religious beliefs, creating a mass crisis of faith. Caught in the middle of the revolution in entertainment and this popular crisis of belief was a uniquely Victorian situation: the emerging Spiritualist movement which challenged both conventi...

A couple of weeks ago, my ghost group, HGWI,   trekked down to have a paranormal investigation at Taylor Memorial Hospital. When we arrived in the small town, the old sprawling building just sprung up out of nowhere. When we set everything up, we toured the building and listened to some history. After sunset, we initiated our investigation.  The town really prized this hospital when it was built in the 1930's, and you could see the craftsmanship put in to it. There were high ceilings, long hallways, and remnants of marble floors in some areas. It fell in disrepair after the hospital relocated to more modern facilities in the 1970's. There was a man, they say, who acquired a large sum of money to renovate the old building, but he abandoned the project (they say because of the amount of paranormal activity he had witnessed). A nonprofit group called People Helping People United now owns the place, collecting money by hosting investigations in order to restore the buildi...

I just wanted to do a quick update this month! First off, I will be moving out in May! I'll be moving to Atlanta where I'll be cat sitting and taking Summer courses. I'm even considering doing an internship with Atlanta's very own Literary Magazine, Loose Change. I'll be cat sitting Geraldine. In addition, the week after Easter, I am supposed to be doing an overnight paranormal investigation at The Old Hawkinsville Hospital . I will definitely have posts about all of the above. On another ghostly note, how many of you have had paranormal experiences?

There are some exciting things developing in my life recently, and I'd like to share a little because, naturally, I'm excited. I'm on Spring Break right now, and it's not really a break, because I will be doing a considerable amount of schoolwork. I'm gearing up for a writing tutor conference being held at my school. I will be one of the speakers, and I will be presenting on the inherently contradictory oppressive yet liberating situation of writing studios. I'm very much looking forward to it, but as of now, I'm completely unprepared. I don't even have a paper written up, but when I do, I hope to be able to get it published in a journal. Wish me luck! I'm also taking a couple of courses this Summer. They're Brit Lit and Applied Linguistics! I'm taking the linguistics courses to earn me my TEFL certificate, so I could do literacy outreach with refugees in the states, or I could teach abroad if that's where life takes me. I'm also ...

Swarms of flies, strange noises, shadowy figures, possessed children climbing up the walls...These all sound like elements from a horror film, but these occurrences characterize a recent paranormal case from Indiana that's been circulating through the media. So far, this case has been well-documented with records from local police and Department of Child Services, psychological evaluations, and priest intervention. After reading one article from USA Today, I find  it compelling that a DCS report details one of the children being "lifted and thrown into the wall with nobody touching him." Despite this many written records from seemingly credible sources, there are still some loose ends. Demon in the photo? There's an app for that. First of all, I'm wondering why there is no video or photo documentation. In a case like this, it should have occurred to someone to document this on camera. In the reports I've read, the homeowner hired clairvoyants and reque...

Toby and Goblins from Labyrinth While thumbing through a copy of Fate Magazine, an article about goblins caught my eye. Goblins are legendary creatures that come in many shapes and sizes. Generally, Goblins are said to be small and ugly, noisy, and have a bit of a mean streak. They are known for their compulsive cleaning, mischievousness, greediness, and occasional baby-stealing (Labyrinth) The Gringott's Goblin Christina Rosetti wrote a poem called, "Goblin Market" Here's an excerpt: Laugh’d every goblin When they spied her peeping: Came towards her hobbling, Flying, running, leaping, Puffing and blowing, Chuckling, clapping, crowing, Clucking and gobbling, Mopping and mowing, Full of airs and graces, Pulling wry faces, Demure grimaces, Cat-like and rat-like, Ratel- and wombat-like, Snail-paced in a hurry, Parrot-voiced and whistler, Helter skelter, hurry skurry, Chattering like magpies, Fluttering like pigeons, Glidin...

Noonday Missionary Baptist Church's Cemetery is also known as "Devil's Turnaround." It is located along a little back road in Kennesaw, Georgia, and most of the graves are scattered in the woods. It is easy to miss, but some of the gravestones are visible from the road. The cemetery has graves from the 1860's. I wouldn't doubt that some of its occupants were slaves at one time. Many say the land is haunted by malevolent spirits who hurl objects and make physical contact--shoving, scratching, and even biting visitors. I could understand why any lingering spirits might be upset: These grounds have been terribly neglected. Much of the graves are broken and toppled over. Some are barely visible through the overgrowth of ivy and weeds. People also say the root of the haunting may be related to rumored cult rituals performed on the property. Located right by the cemetery are huge power lines (high voltage transmission lines). I could hear them b...

I don't think many of you know this, but there was a period of time where I wanted to be an astronomer. I don't say this lightly either. When I was in the fifth grade, for example, I was seriously researching Princeton's Astrophysics program and what it would take to be an astronomer. No normal fifth grader does that, but what can I say other than I've never been "normal," really. Although I've found my calling in writing, I'm still enthusiastic about astronomy. My boyfriend, Ryan, shares this enthusiasm--He is an Astronomer after all! To celebrate the end of this school year, we both took a trip to NASA's Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  When I was younger, I really wanted to get some basic astronaut training at Space Camp. I didn't realize at the time how expensive it was. As a consolation, since my parents couldn't afford to send me, my dad took me to tour the Space Center years ago. It was just as good as I reme...

My grandmother and I both went down to visit my aunt's. Before departure, I mentioned to my grandmother that maybe we'd see a ghost! I'm not so sure how my grandmother feels about the existence of ghosts, but she does not like to talk about them. That evening, I had a big slice of chocolate cake, and we all watched some Celebrity Ghost Stories and Dead Files by the fire. As it was time for bed, one of their cats followed me until I tucked myself in. What a lovely host, that cat was! The rain outside beat down on the roof with thunder in the distance. I was sleeping in the "haunted room" yet again, but I slept like the dead this time. It was cold, so I slept with socks on. When I woke up, a sock was missing! I looked under the covers, but I was unable to locate it. My cousin finally found it all the way under the bed. My uncle half-joked that it was "the girls" that took my sock. The girls to whom he was referring are the ghosts who are said to haunt...

"Ghost Hunting" is not only an activity, but it is also a subculture. A Subculture is defined as:      "a group having social, economic, ethnic, or other traits distinctive          enough to distinguish it from others within the same culture or              society." -Dictonary.com By definition, Ghost Hunting is classified as a subculture. It has it's own basic beliefs, celebrities, shows and movies, books and magazines, and conventions. It even has it's own set of demographics, which is mainly adult white males. This subculture is also part of a larger paranormal community. Not all people into the Paranormal are ghost hunters, but every investigator I know of is into the Paranormal. Investigators and paranormal enthusiasts have a wide range of beliefs, but with the uniting belief that there is something else out there. This could be  cryptozoology, UFO's, Ghosts, elementals, etc. source...

our Facebook page  (That's me on the far left!) As many of you know, I lead ghost tours around my town in metro-Atlanta. Before Christmas, we did a little photo shoot and sent in bios for the website. (before I got my hair cut.) I really enjoy my job, because The Paranormal (of course), History, and Storytelling are all passions of mine. I also have the opportunity dress up and meet all sorts of people while on tour. Our other guides are very good at what they do, and they're all interesting people. One of the guides is a sensitive and paranormal investigator. She was actually in "A Haunting" from [this post] . In addition, Another guide is a SFX make-up artist. We also have a guide working on an indie film, and another who is an artist who also welds. If you're interested, you can meet the tour guides from Ghosts of Marietta at [this link] . Since this is a short post, I thought I'd add a little related anecdote. My best friend and I enjoy going to...

As people view the world of investigations, ghost stories, and psychics through the television, many aspire to become directly involved in the paranormal field. Before you jump into ghost hunting with preconceived notions, I'd like to offer some helpful advice: Who ya gonna call? An investigator's mindset:  There is a certain mindset everyone should have when approaching the paranormal. First, keep an open mind . This seems like the most obvious. If there are enough stories surrounding a location, there's probably something to it.   You should always have a healthy dose of skepticism . It's important to think about all of the possibilities behind the suspected paranormal occurrences. Don't automatically jump to conclusions about the source of the activity. For example, there are many instances where a "cold spot" in the room is just the Air Conditioning vent overhead.   Don't be hysterical. I see this way to often on television...mainly fr...

I've been feeling inspired recently. Maybe I'm watching too many of my stories...and by 'my stories', I mean paranormal junk television. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. My recent inspiration has driven me to start posting more about the paranormal. No longer will this intense interest of mine be neglected on this blog. I've posted about paranormal subjects in the past, but not as much as I'd like. I plan to post about various phenomena, anecdotes, possible scientific explanations, investigating, opinions of mine, etc. For my new readers: Welcome and thanks for following! I am a paranormal investigator. I am considerably lucky to have gotten entangled with a very capable group of investigators. I've learned much from them since getting involved in 2011, and I don't plan on stopping. Despite growing up with one superstitious side of the family (maternal), I was never a wholehearted believer until I had a meaningful encounter at the age of 16. (You c...

It's very late, and the  moon is radiant and high in the sky. You're walking back home on a dirt path beside the desolate road. The air is biting-cold. You sniffle, eyes darting back and forth, and your feet take you in through the tall wrought iron cemetery gates. You've used the graveyard as a cut-through before, but you're still feeling uneasy. There's a disturbance, and you can sense it in your gurgling gut. Your suspicion grows as you approach a dirt mound above a grave. A shadow glides past in your peripheral vision. You walk faster and faster, but trip on a patch of pebbles. Stumbling, looking around, you see what looks like a pile of a person. Then the smell...it hit like a wall of sticky decay. You sprint as fast as your feet can take you. Gliding through the air, refusing to look back, there is one thought rattling your brain: Ghoul. source The legend of the ghoul is one that fascinates me thoroughly. Many people confuse ghouls with zombies, but ...

I know I'm very late in getting one, but I finally signed up for Tumblr. My page is simply titled, "Odd Ghoul Out." Here's the link if you'd like to follow . I plan on posting mainly macabre, darkly humorous, and paranormal related things here.

Some of you may be familiar with the television show, "A Haunting." If you aren't it's a paranormal series that incorporates interviews and re-enactments to tell a story about hauntings, possessions, and other phenomena. I've been watching this show for years, and it's always entertained me. It is often cheesy and over dramatic, but that's just a part of the show's charm. More recently, [ my paranormal investigating group ] gained a Father. He's an Orthodox priest, and his name is [ Father Darren ]. (See what I did there?) Father Darren, who's also known as Father Benedict, is experienced in the paranormal field. He's also an exorcist. He's there for us when the group or client might be suspicious of a haunting of darker nature. What does this have to do with "A Haunting," you ask? Well, Father Darren was recently featured in Episode 9 Season 5 (alongside my fellow ghost tour guide Michelle).  In the episode, Father Darre...

Halloween morning, I groggily skulked out of my bed, stepping on the cold tile of my bathroom. It was 6:30 am, and I was not ready to get up. Regardless, I sleepily prepared my hair and makeup, because I was determined to be Jareth the whole day.  To become The Goblin King, I took a trip down to Walmart where I purchased my man piece, which is a star of Labyrinth in it's own right. No bulge equals no Jareth, and I wanted to stay true to the movie. If you can imagine, it's pretty silly and a bit awkward going to store late at night to buy nothing but a fairly large groin gaurd.  The hair is also a big part of the costume. I prepared the hair using an 80's glam rock wig and a ton of got2b Schwarzkopf gel and spray.  Finally, came the make-up. I found a few tutorials on You tube that helped give me direction. I applied primer all over my eyelids and on half my eyebrows.  After that, I took a white cream shadow pencil, and I caked ...

Every time Halloween comes around, there are so many things I look forward too. The month of October is never long enough, and Halloween always tends to end too soon in my opinion. Fortunately, Halloween isn't the only holiday catering to those with darker hearts. Day of The Dead, The Eve of Saint George's Day, Guy Fawkes Night, and Walpurgisnacht are some other interesting holidays to celebrate (which I will briefly describe). Day of the Dead is a Catholic Holiday celebrated in Mexico on the first of November. This night is all about remembering your ancestors. Families visit cemeteries, bringing food and drink along with them. Graves are often decorated with flowers. The families even dedicate an alter to the deceased loved ones. Common foods are sugar skulls and coffins, and sweet rolls called "pan de muerto," and even candied pumpkin. In some parts of Mexico, some of the children even dress up and ask for candy, like trick-or-treating. Source A beautifully...